Sony Pictures Classics Acquires Michael Dweck And Gregory Kershaw’s The Truffle Hunters

NEW YORK (January 27, 2020) – Sony Pictures Classics announced today they have acquired worldwide rights to THE TRUFFLE HUNTERS directed by Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw (THE LAST RACE), who also serve as cinematographers and producers. The film is currently screening at Sundance in the World Cinema Documentary Competition.

Deep in the forests of Piedmont, Italy, a handful of men, seventy or eighty years young, hunt for the rare and expensive white Alba truffle—which to date has resisted all of modern science’s efforts at cultivation. They’re guided by a secret culture and training passed down through generations, as well as by the noses of their cherished and expertly-trained dogs. They live a simpler, slower way of life, in harmony with their loyal animals and their picture-perfect land, seemingly straight out of a fairy tale. They’re untethered to cell phone screens or the Internet, opting instead to make their food and drink by hand and prioritizing in-person connections and community.

The demand for white truffles increases year after year, even as the supply decreases. As a result of climate change, deforestation, and the lack of young people taking up the mantle, the truffle hunters’ secrets are more coveted than ever. However, as it soon becomes clear, these ageing men may just hold something much more valuable than even this prized delicacy: the secret to a rich and meaningful life.  

THE TRUFFLE HUNTERS was produced by Dweck and Kershaw and co-produced by René Simon Cruz Jr. and Letizia Guglielmino. The film is A Beautiful Stories Production, produced by Bow and Arrow Entertainment, Park Pictures In Association with Flair House, Artemis Rising and Frenesy Film. Executive producers are Academy Award®-nominee Luca Guadagnino (CALL ME BY YOUR NAME), Lance Acord, Christos V. Konstantakopoulos and Faliro House, Jim and Susan Swartz, Regina K. Scully and Artemis Rising Foundation, Patty Quillin, Geralyn White Dreyfous, Nion McEvoy and Leslie Berriman, Lynda Weinman, Cameron O'Reilly, Jackie Kelman Bisbee, Sam Bisbee, Matthew Perniciaro, Michael Sherman, Jamie Wolf, and Adam and Melony Lewis.

Sony Pictures Classics and Guadagnino previously worked together on his film CALL ME BY YOUR NAME.  

“This is one of the freshest, most beautiful films ever. It will be embraced by audiences the world over,” said Sony Pictures Classics. “Thank you to the filmmakers for making us a partner in what promises to be a grand adventure. Really. This major artistic achievement will make the world smile.”

“We are thrilled to partner with Sony Pictures Classics for the theatrical release of THE TRUFFLE HUNTERS. Their unparalleled commitment to bringing prestige cinema to the screen makes them the gold standard for theatrical distribution. We can’t wait to share the story of the truffle hunters and their beautiful land with audiences around the world," said Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw.

The deal was negotiated by Submarine on behalf of the filmmakers.

ABOUT SONY PICTURES CLASSICS
Michael Barker and Tom Bernard serve as co-presidents of Sony Pictures Classics—an autonomous division of Sony Pictures Entertainment they founded with Marcie Bloom in January 1992—which distributes, produces, and acquires independent films from around the world.  Barker and Bernard have released prestigious films that have won 39 Academy Awards® (35 of those at Sony Pictures Classics) and have garnered 175 Academy Award® nominations (149 at Sony Pictures Classics) including Best Picture nominations for CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, WHIPLASH, AMOUR, MIDNIGHT IN PARIS, AN EDUCATION, CAPOTE, HOWARDS END, AND CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON.

ABOUT SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; a global channel network; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of entertainment in more than 142 countries. For additional information, go to http://www.sonypictures.com.

ABOUT BEAUTIFUL STORIES
The filmmakers behind the documentary features THE LAST RACE (Sundance 2018) and THE TRUFFLE HUNTERS (Sundance 2020) are launching a boutique production company to continue bringing the beauty, passion, and emotion of the human experience to screens of all sizes. We will be producing content at the highest standard of cinematic storytelling to feed the global appetite for visually driven stories. We are currently developing features and television series and looking for branded content partners. We are interested in speaking with people who want to take bold steps that will push the boundaries of storytelling into the visual language of tomorrow.