EXCLUSIVE: Hyde Park International has picked up foreign sales rights to Jaco Bouwer’s sci-fi thriller Orion starring Andrew McCarthy, Debby Ryan and Drew Van Acker.

Orion is set for a nationwide U.S. release through Blue Harbor this fall.

In the pic, McCarthy plays, Jim, a NASA interrogator Jim (McCarthy) who is pitted against amnesiac astronaut Apollo (Van Acker) whose recent space mission has ended catastrophically. But not everything is as it first seems in the highly-charged battle of wits that ensues as Jim attempts to reconstruct Apollo’s fractured memories of the mission, in order to determine what — or who — slaughtered the crew before their craft crash-landed back on Earth.

Orion is produced by Sunil Perkash (Enchanted, Salt), Drew Van Acker (Last Survivors), Elle Army, and Scott Army. The screenplay is by Anne Vithayathil.

Orion arrives on the international sales market after premieres at such genre festivals as FilmQuest where it won awards for Best Actor (Van Acker) and Best Visual Effects and the Trieste Science+Fiction Festival.

Bouwer’s debut feature Gaia premiered at SXSW 2021, and won the ZEISS Cinematography Award.

Hyde Park International’s Carl Clifton commented “Orion is an excellent new entry into the canon of great first-contact sci-fi movies. It’s smart, twisty and totally compelling.”

The producers commented “On behalf of the entire Orion team, we are thrilled Hyde Park responded so enthusiastically to Orion and could not be more excited for audiences all over the world to discover Jaco Bouwer’s vision and world-building along with terrific performances from Andrew, Debby and Drew.”

McCarthy’s credits includes such 1980 classics, Pretty in Pink, St. Elmo’s Fire, and Weekend At Bernie’s. He recently directed and produced the hit Hulu feature documentary Brats in which he interviews the famed Brat Pack which included the likes of Demi Moore and Rob Lowe. He will next be seen in season 3 of Netflix hit series Wednesday.

Van Acker previously starred alongside Alicia Silverstone and Stephen Moyer in the independent crime thriller Last Survivors and he also starred opposite Addison Timlin and James D’Arcy in the Lionsgate-futuristic sci-fi thriller Life Like. On TV he is widely recognized for his prominent roles in Pretty Little Liars and DC’s Titans.

Ryan will next be seen opposite Zac Afron in A24 thriller Famous. Recent credits include the Sundance titles Shortcomings and Horse Girl, as well as Jeff Baena’s Spin Me Roundand The Sun Never Sets, which premiered at this year’s SXSW and will be released by IFC Films, and. On the small screen, she stars in Disney series Jessie and the Netflix original series Insatiable.

The ensemble also includes acclaimed singer-songwriter Karin Ann (The Tattooist of Auschwitz) and Natalia Lesz (Krime Story). Karin Ann’s 2024 debut album Through the Telescope drew widespread critical praise, and she recently released the single “i was never yours,” co-written with Harrison Whitford, Chelsea Balan, and Suki Waterhouse — the first of several new releases this year. Karin Ann also wrote and recorded four original songs for Orion’s soundtrack.

The Kinéo Awards will toast a milestone 25th anniversary next month in Venice, Italy.

There ceremony is set to honor legendary Hollywood star and Oscar winner Faye Dunaway with a lifetime achievement award for her decades of work and a resumé that includes Bonnie and Clyde, Network, Chinatown, Mommie Dearest and more. Nicola Peltz Beckham has been plucked to receive a rising star award for her work as an actress, producer and budding filmmaker.

The honoree program unities Beckham and Dunaway once again after having worked together on the upcoming independent feature Prima, which marks the feature directorial debut of brothers Alessandro Morelli and Luca Morelli. Beckham wrote, directed and starred in Lola. Her resumé, which dates back 20 years, includes roles in The Last Airbender, Transformers: Age of Extinction, Bates Motel, Holidate, Welcome to Chippendales and The Beauty.

The ceremony — set to take place at Casa Cinema Giovani with a private dinner to follow at Hotel Ca’ Sagredoon Sept. 5 — was conceived by Kinéo Cultural Association president Rosetta Sannelli and launched in 2002. It is presented in partnership with the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and will take place during the Venice Film Festival, though it has no direct ties to the international gathering.

Drafted to host the affar are actress Tatiana Luter and Marcello Foti, the latter of whom serves as director of Centro Sperimentale delle Arti Contemporanee and Head of Communications at CSC – International Student Film Festival. The program will spotlight fashion designer Eleonora Lastrucci who will debut a surprise tribute to a film star through one of her haute couture creations. Helping to support the ceremony are WAMI, Consorzio di Tutela della DOC Prosecco and Venetian hair care brand My.Organics.

The Best Supporting Actress Award goes to Maria Gifuni, while the Best Actress Award honors Chiara Francini, one of the most beloved and versatile performers on the Italian scene.
For the section dedicated to television and streaming series, the award goes to Raniero Monaco di Lapio, while Sara Lazzaro receives the Best Series Actress Award for her performance in Call My Agent Italia 3, following another successful season with La legge di Lidia Poët 3.

Other honorees include Paul Thomas Anderson’s Oscar winning One Battle After Another as best international film, Chiara Francini for best actress, Maria Gifuni for best supporting actress, Raniero Monaco di Lapio for best series actor, Sara Lazzaro for best series actress, Paolo Calvano for best child star, and Dinner with Dante for best short film. The Kinéo Awards will also shine a stronger light on international cinema by welcoming Turkish star Alp Navruz and Oka Giner from Mexico.

“On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Kinéo Award, established in 2002 at the MiBAC, we want to celebrate not only an important milestone, but also the continuity of a journey that has seen us grow alongside cinema and the audiovisual sector,” Sannelli said in a statement.