KarmaFilm's DONKEYHEAD Acquired by Ava DuVernay's ARRAY Releasing

Anand Ramayya and Kelly Balon of KarmaFilm have announced that Ava DuVernay's distribution company, ARRAY Releasing, has acquired US, UK and Australia/NZ rights to KarmaFilm's Donkeyhead, written and directed by, and starring Agam Darshi.

ARRAY will debut Donkeyhead on Netflix on January 21, 2022. A Canadian theatrical release with LevelFilm will follow in Spring 2022.

Donkeyhead is written and directed by Agam Darshi (DMZ, Funny Boy) who stars in the leading role before a stellar ensemble cast including Saskatoon-native, Kim Coates. The film is produced by Anand Ramayya and Kelly Balon of KarmaFilm (Wapos Bay, Brotherhood, Cosmic Current, Shadow of Dumont, Chokeslam) and Agam Darshi, with Executive Producers Deepa Mehta (Funny Boy), Kim Coates (Neon Lights, Bad Blood), Robert Cuffley (Chokeslam), Mohanish Mansuri (Stoner's Saga), Zulfia Waris and Vivek Mathur of ABP Studios.

Donkeyhead had its world premiere in December, 2021 at the 10th annual Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival at TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto where it received four awards including Best Fiction Feature and Best Canadian Feature.

Donkeyhead co-stars Kim Coates as Mona's unhappily married lover (and lawyer), with Stephen Lobo (Travelers), Sandy Sidhu (Nurses) and Huse Madhavji (Schitt's Creek) as her seemingly polished siblings, whose imperfections surface as THE FAMILY confronts their past. Marvin Ishmael (Degrassi: The Next Generation) and Balinder Johal (Beeba Boys) play her father and aunt, among the diverse ensemble of Canadian talent including background performers from the Regina Sikh Community.

It's the story of Mona, a failed writer, who carves out a life of isolation while caring for her ailing Sikh father. When he has a debilitating stroke Mona's three successful siblings show up on her doorstep determined to take control of the situation.

"We are committed to supporting underrepresented, original voices and so proud to work with Agam on her debut feature! Being part of the South Asian diaspora, Donkeyhead resonated with me on so many levels, but I feel the film's true strength is its ability to touch people beyond our community," said KarmaFilms Producer, Anand Ramayya. Donkeyhead is the qualifying production which has earned Ramayya a CMPA 2022 nomination for an Established Producer Award.

Producer, Kelly Balon adds: "This story about family dynamics at difficult times from a Punjabi Sikh perspective is exquisitely layered and intersectional. Agam's sense of humour balanced with intense emotional drama will appeal to audience across many demographics."

KarmaFilm, with offices in Saskatoon and Toronto, has been producing BIPOC content for more than 20 years. Producers Anand Ramayya and Kelly Balon view this as a huge achievement and a signal for changing times. The company's other BIPOC titles include feature length road trip thriller, #VANLIFE, by Métis writer-director Trevor Cameron and documentary The Art of Dance, by African Canadian director-producer Kevin Fitzgerald, and science documentary, Bending Light with Vancouver's Silo Entertainment and director Alan Goldman, all currently slated for production in 2022.

Among titles currently in development, KarmaFilm is working with Agam Darshi on the Donkeyhead spin off series, The Making of Mona, and her next feature length drama, Tiny Birds with Broken Brains; queer comedy series Better Now, with director Ian Iqbal Rashid (Sort Of), and accomplished novelist and screenwriter Elyse Friedman; and animated family feature, The Truth About Monsters, written by Trevor Cameron and Anita Doron (The Breadwinner).

Donkeyhead was filmed on location in Regina with cinematographer Leonardo Harim, production designer Marian Wihak (originally from Regina), Regina-based costume designer Danika Wright and editor Bridget Durnford.

The production is financed by Telefilm Canada, Creative Saskatchewan, SaskTel Max Equity, Canada Media Fund, Superchannel, ABP Studios (India), Emerging Films (USA), BC and Federal tax credits.

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