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Film News Roundup: MGM Hires Veteran Film Execs Elishia Holmes, Johnny Pariseau

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In today’s film news roundup, MGM beefs up its executive ranks, “Sea Fever” gets a live-streaming premiere, “Pigeon Kings” finds a home and The 92nd Street Y has started an online film course.

EXECUTIVE HIRES

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Metro Goldwyn Mayer’s Film Group Chairman Michael De Luca has hired Elishia Holmes and Johnny Pariseau — both who were executives at De Luca’s eponymous production company.

De Luca joined MGM earlier this year. Holmes will serve as an executive vice president at MGM and Pariseau joins the studio as senior vice president. Both are already underway in their new roles.

Holmes joined Michael De Luca productions in 2015 overseeing projects including “Reminiscence,” starring Hugh Jackman and Rebecca Ferguson, and Rachel Morrison’s “Flint Strong,” written by Barry Jenkins and starring Ice Cube. Holmes previously worked for Ridley Scott as a producer at Scott Free and worked on “Exodus: Gods and Kings,” “Alien Covenant,” “The Martian” and “Blade Runner 2049.”

Pariseau was responsible for “Mad, Bad and Dangerous To Know,” “Uncanny Valley.” Andy Weir’s “Cheshire Crossing,” and “The People We Hate at the Wedding.” Previously, he served as an agent at UTA in the media rights department, packaging film and television projects based on source material, including “Hidden Figures.”

LIVE-STREAMING PREMIERE

Gunpowder & Sky has scheduled an April 9 live-streaming premiere of “Sea Fever,” followed by a Q&A with stars Hermione Corfield, Connie Nielsen and director Neasa Hardiman.

The event takes place a day before the on demand and digital release. “Sea Feve” initially had a nationwide theatrical plan in partnership with Alamo Drafthouse and Fantastic Fest.

“Like everyone else, we are adjusting to life’s new challenges on a daily basis and feel Sea Fever is more relevant than ever,” said Janet Brown of Gunpowder & Sky. “We are psyched to host the first-ever live experience of a film screening, and can’t wait to share it with audiences!”

The movie, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Corfield portrays a marine biology student who has to endure a week on a ragged fishing trawler, where she’s miserably at odds with the close-knit crew. But out in the deep Atlantic, an unfathomable life form ensnares the boat.

ACQUISITION

Gravitas Ventures has acquired worldwide rights to “Pigeon Kings,” a documentary that explores the Los Angeles subculture of men devoted to tumbling pigeons to compete in the Birmingham Roller Pigeon World Cup.

The movie will premiere on multiple platforms on April 14. “Pigeon Kings” is directed by Milena Pastreich with Bow and Arrow Entertainment’s Matthew Perniciaro and Michael Sherman producing alongside Christine Beebe (“Hal”).

After premiering at the 2019 Seattle International Film Festival, “Pigeon Kings” went on to win the Special Jury Prize for Excellence in American Profiles from the 2020 San Francisco Independent Film Festival and the Audience Award at the 2019 Eastern Oregon Film Festival. Bow and Arrow brokered the deal with Gravitas.

ONLINE CLASS

The 92nd Street Y in New York City has launched a new online film course, Reel Pieces Remote: Classic Films with Annette Insdorf.

The course features five masterpieces selected by Insdorf, each to be streamed via The Criterion Channel: “To Be or Not To Be,” which streamed March 29; “On the Waterfront,” on April 5; “Ashes and Diamonds,” on April 12; “Z” on April 19; and “The Tin Drum” on April 26.

Participants will view the films — as well as Insdorf’s pre-recorded introduction and her lecture — before 8 pm EDT, and then join her for a spirited online discussion via Zoom. The class includes a free Criterion Channel trial membership, good for 45 days.

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