MYSTERIOUS WAYS Starring Nick Afoa And Richard Short Set For 2024 Release
Written and directed by Kiwi Paul Oremland, the film follows a media storm that threatens the marriage between a Vicar (Short) and his Samoan boyfriend (Afoa).
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Dec. 12, 2023
Ariztical Entertainment, known for their wildly successful LGBTQIA series Eating Out has acquired the domestic rights to New Zealand's wholesome theatrical gay love story Mysterious Ways with plans to release broadly in 2024.
Written and directed by Kiwi Paul Oremland, the film follows a media storm that threatens the marriage between a Vicar (Short) and his Samoan boyfriend (Afoa) after they announce their intentions to have a traditional wedding in the church. A link to the official trailer is here.
The film also marks one of the first on-screen representations of what's known in the Samoan community as a faʻafafine in the role of Billy, played by relative newcomer Joe Malu Folau. An integral part of Samoan culture, faʻafafine are assigned male at birth, and explicitly embody both masculine and feminine gender traits in a way unique to Polynesia.
The film was produced in New Zealand by Short as well as Kiwis Brian Holland and Ngaire Fuata. It debuted in New Zealand via a limited critically acclaimed theatrical run and caught the attention of veteran distributors Michael Jack Shoel and Dre Sleipnes of Ariztical in the US.
"This title is a natural fit for us," says Shoel. "Although THE FAMILY value sensibility of this film starkly contrasts our in-house produced popular raw college comedy film franchise Eating Out, it rings true to our mission to build bridges and break through barriers of gender and culture," says Shoel. "Mysterious Ways offers us an opportunity to promote solid entertainment with LGBTQ themes in a genre that contrasts our previous success. This film is an elevated love story with a poignant message about gays and God and touches on broader themes that speaks to our core audience and beyond."
Ariztical plans a multi-platform digital release in 2024 and is building their 2024 slate around the elevated LGBTQIA title with the intent of bringing Mysterious Ways to a mainstream audience.
"You don't get a film like this every day," says Shoel. "After seeing it and speaking with the team behind it, we knew we had something extraordinary on our hands that audiences, both gay and straight, will love."
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