XYZ Films Acquires Rights To Upcoming SXSW Midnighters Film HYPOCHONDRIAC

XYZ Films has acquired all North American rights to the 2022 SXSW Midnighters LGBTQ horror/thriller HYPOCHONDRIAC, it was announced today. The film was written and directed by Addison Heimann and stars Zach Villa (American Horror Story), Devon Graye (I DON'T Feel at Home in This World Anymore), Madeline Zima (Californication), Chris Doubek (Boyhood), Marlene Forte (Knives Out), and Paget Brewster (Criminal Minds). The film is a Minutehand Pictures production with Bay Dariz and John Humber producing.

HYPOCHONDRIAC is set to debut at SXSW on March 14th, 2022, with XYZ Films' domestic distribution division slating the film for a nationwide theatrical and digital release later this year.

The film centers around Will, a young Hispanic gay artist, who is one gregarious guy.

His boss is terrible, but he's got a great boyfriend and a great job. Unfortunately, behind that veneer is a dark past of violence and mental illness. When his bipolar mother comes out of the woodwork after ten years of silence, he spirals into a nightmarish mental breakdown where his past will not stay hidden any longer.

The rights for the domestic distribution deal were brokered by James Shapiro, Head of XYZ's US domestic distribution, and by Chad Russo of Ramo Law on behalf of the filmmakers.

"Addison Heimann is one of the most exciting genre filmmakers out there and HYPOCHONDRIAC is an incredible feature debut. It's a fact that Horror has always been queer and Addison's goal in life is to elevate and empower LGBTQ characters in the genre space and I'm beyond excited to help him do that," said Shapiro.

Heimann adds: "HYPOCHONDRIAC is the story of my mental breakdown. Not an exact retelling, but an emotional one - taking my broken heart at the time and turning into something that feels exactly how it felt to lose control. I'm thrilled to be partnering with XYZ to elevate such a personal story about my life in hopes that maybe people will see it and feel less alone in their struggle."

Since the beginning of the COVID pandemic, XYZ has had a standout run of releases, with six movies reaching #1 on Netflix (including recent productions STOWAWAY starring Anna Kendrick and Toni Collette and SYNCHRONIC starring Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan) and several titles reaching #1 on TVOD charts (including films THE SILENCING and ALONE). Since its inception in 2008, XYZ has produced numerous genre hits such as THE RAID franchise by Gareth Evans, THE INVITATION by Karyn Kusama, MANDY by Panos Cosmatos, and Sundance jury prize winner I DON'T FEEL AT HOME IN THIS WORLD ANYMORE by Macon Blair.

XYZ Films is an independent studio whose mission is to empower visionary storytellers from every corner of the planet. As a producer, financier, and distributor, the company is uniquely suited to identify talented filmmakers and bring their stories to life. XYZ recently expanded into talent management, working with a global roster of filmmakers. XYZ was founded in 2008 by Nate Bolotin, Nick Spicer, and Aram Tertzakian.

Some of the company's classic titles include THE RAID franchise, 2017 Sundance winner I DON'T FEEL AT HOME IN THIS WORLD ANYMORE, and Panos Cosmatos' psychedelic revenge thriller MANDY. In addition to DUAL, XYZ's Sundance 2022 slate included PIGGY, based on the Goya-winning short from XYZ management client Carlota Pereda, and SOMETHING IN THE DIRT from visionary filmmakers Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead.

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