SUNDANCE NOW’S NEW ORIGINAL, “THIS CLOSE,” SET TO PREMIERE ON VALENTINE’S DAY ON PREMIUM STREAMING SERVICE SERIES WILL BE SCREENED AND CELEBRATED AS PART OF THE INDIE EPISODIC SHOWCASE AT THE 2018 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL IN JANUARY Award-winning Filmmaker Andrew Ahn Directs the Groundbreaking Straight-to-Series Dramedy Created by Stars Shoshannah Stern and Josh Feldman Ensemble Cast Includes Zach Gilford, Cheryl Hines, Colt Prattes and Marlee Matlin as Recurring Guest Stars
Sundance Now, AMC Networks’ premium video streaming service announced today that its new original relationship dramedy, “This Close” will premiere on Valentine’s Day – Wednesday, February 14. The news comes on the heels of the series’ acceptance into the 2018 Sundance Film Festival as part of the Fest’s new Indie Episodic showcase. The upcoming scripted series, the streaming service’s first ever straight-to-series order, is based on a series of shorts that was featured at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival’s Short Form Episodic Showcase.
“This Close,” created, written, and starring Shoshannah Stern and Josh Feldman, both deaf actors, explores the relationship between best friends Kate (Stern), who is newly engaged, and Michael (Feldman), who is attempting to move on from his ex-fiancé. Sundance Now also announced the series is directed by award-winning filmmaker Andrew Ahn (Spa Night) who also serves as an executive producer.
Comprised of six, 30-minute episodes, “This Close” touches on universal and relatable themes of love and friendship and, in addition to Stern and Feldman, features a talented ensemble cast of recurring guest stars including Zach Gilford who plays Danny, Kate’s (Stern) fiancé; Cheryl Hines as Stella, a PR maven and Kate’s boss; Colt Prattes as Ryan, Michael’s (Feldman) ex; and Marlee Matlin as Michael’s mother, Annie, a recovering alcoholic trying to reconnect with her son.
Andrew Ahn is a Korean-American filmmaker born and raised in Los Angeles. His feature film Spa Night premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and won a Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Performance. The film also won the John Cassavetes Award at the 2017 Independent Spirit Awards. Ahn participated in the Sundance Screenwriters Lab, the Film Independent Screenwriting Lab, and the Film Independent Directing Lab for the film.
“We are incredibly proud of ‘This Close’ and are thrilled that the talented Andrew Ahn is making his television directorial debut with Sundance Now’s first straight-to-series original,” said Jan Diedrichsen, General Manager, SundanceTV and Sundance Now. “To top it off with an invitation to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival brings this special series full circle: From the Short Form Episodic Section at Sundance 2017 to the Indie Episodic Showcase at Sundance 2018 to Sundance Now.”
Andrew Ahn added, “It was such an honor to bring Josh and Shoshannah’s vision to life. I was so inspired by their passion and desire to find humanity in their characters. I know that audiences will relate to Kate and Michael because of their emotional truth. Together, our team created something bold, heartfelt, and meaningful. I’m so excited for audiences to watch the show.”
In addition to Andrew Ahn, “This Close” is Executive Produced by Christine Vachon and David Hinojosa for Killer Films, Mary Pat Bentel and Paul Young, along with Stern and Feldman. Super Deluxe serves as the studio for the Sundance Now Original production, with Super Deluxe’s Senior Vice President of Television Development Winnie Kemp overseeing production.
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About Sundance Now
Sundance Now brings members the best in award-winning films, documentaries & binge-worthy TV series. From exclusive Sundance Now Originals to new releases and hard-to-find classics—Sundance Now has captivating stories for everyone. Members can easily discover something great to watch in one of our handpicked collections, curated by filmmakers and cultural icons.
Sundance Now is owned and operated by AMC Networks, which has had a long history supporting and cultivating independent film and is the company behind some of the most popular, influential and successful stories ever made for TV and film, including “The Walking Dead,” “Mad Men,” “Breaking Bad,” “Orphan Black,” “Portlandia” and Boyhood. The company’s portfolio of networks – AMC, BBC AMERICA, IFC, SundanceTV and WE TV – and its film distribution company IFC Films have been recognized with the industry’s most distinguished honors, including multiple Emmy® Awards, Golden Globe® Awards, Oscars® and Peabody Awards.
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About Killer Films
Indie powerhouse Killer Films has produced acclaimed features including Academy Award®-winning Still Alice, Academy Award®-winning Boys Don’t Cry, and Academy Award®-nominated Far From Heaven and Carol from Todd Haynes. Killer Films executive produced Mildred Pierce, the Emmy Award®-winning HBO mini-series starring Kate Winslet. Combined, Killer’s properties have earned over 75 Oscar, Emmy and Golden Globe Nominations. Other titles include Kids, Hedwig &The Angry Inch, Safe, One Hour Photo, I’m Not There, and Happiness. At this year’s Sundance Film Festival, the Company screened four films: Beatriz At Dinner, Dina, Lemon and Where Is Kyra? The company has produced two films with Sebastian Silva; Magic, Magic, and Nasty Baby. In television, the Killer-produced series “Z: The Beginning of Everything” now available on Amazon. Killer released Todd Haynes’ latest feature, Wonderstruck, for Amazon Studios in October 2017.
About Super Deluxe
Super Deluxe is a premium, multi-platform entertainment company with the largest and fastest-growing channels targeted at creative youth. Known for developing culturally-relevant characters and story formats that resonate with loyal fan bases, the company produces an entire ecosystem of content, from scripted and unscripted TV shows to short-form videos, interactive live programming, creative tech products, and branded content. In 2018, Super Deluxe will have seven TV shows on TBS, Facebook, AMC’s Sundance Now, and more. Recognizing Super Deluxe as a leading entertainment innovator, The Los Angeles Times has described the company as shaping the future of television.
