Tambay announced a few days ago that Sheldon Candis' LUV was acquired by the Indomina Group for release and we now know a little more about that pickup.
First the Indomina Group plans to release the film theatrical the fall of this year but they don't give an exact date.
Second, according to Screen Daily, BET is also involved in the deal which we didn't know before. Obviously BET's interest in this is for TV rights. So the film will make its TV debut on BET whenever that happens.
Indomina Vice Chairman and CEO Jasbinder Singh Mann said, “LUV is a highly engaging film with resounding performances from a brilliant cast. It has everything we look for in a film and we believe it will resonate with audiences.”
BET’s President of Original Programing, Loretha Jones, added “We’re excited to add LUV to the existing slate of films that constitute a significant part of our programming. It has an outstanding cast, and tells a compelling story that is not only entertaining, but relatable for the BET audience.”
This should be a nice pickup for BET shouldn't it? When did BET last exclusively acquire an indie film that premiered at Sundance or any of the major film festivals to make its TV debut on BET?
Competition is a good thing because BET has been making the effort to bring some original programming to the network.
International rights for LUV are being shopped around with the film screening this week at the European Film Market. Great news! Especially after all the talk about black films not selling overseas.