Los Angeles, California Feb 16, 2024 (Issuewire.com) - Gravitas Ventures, an Anthem Sports & Entertainment Company, announces its acquisition of North American OTT rights to GUILTY REBEL, an adaptation of Shakespeare's poem "The Rape of Lucrece" by filmmaker Nicholas Rooney. Rooney is a former diplomat who worked at the EU delegation to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna when the crisis in Ukraine began in 2013. Following his work in diplomacy, Rooney received training at the National Film and Television School and the London Film School. He has since made several award-winning films; GUILTY REBEL is his first narrative feature length film.

GUILTY REBEL is a tragic tale based on one of Shakespeare's earliest works, "The Rape of Lucrece". It tells of General Collatine who unwittingly incites in his friend Prince Tarquin a burning desire for the beautiful and chaste Lucrece. Tarquin's pursuit of her is fraught with despair and the perils of spiritual damnation. 

Renowned cinematographer, Giovanni Andreotta, sumptuously brings to life the film's haunting setting - a 13th century castle nestled in the mountains of Italy. GUILTY REBEL is narrated by multi-Oscar nominated Welsh actor, Sir Richard Burton (BECKET, THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD), alongside a predominantly Italian cast, including Giovanni Morassutti (Gus van Sant's film LAST DAYS and a noted collaborator of John Strasberg), Federica Lucaferri (Netflix's BABY), and model Zara Morandini. The film is accompanied by the mellifluous music of Monteverdi.

Director and producer Nicholas Rooney describes GUILTY REBEL as "a feast for the senses and the soul. It will inspire you, it will provoke you."

The film was directed, written and produced by Nicholas Rooney. The deal was facilitated by Zack Gutin and Caroline Blehart of ThinkAlike Media.

About Theatre of Life Productions

Theatre of Life Productions is a small independent film production company founded by Director/Writer/Producer Nicholas Rooney. It aims to produce unique and award winning films based on the guiding principles of classicism, beauty, faith and tradition. For more information please visit https://www.theatreoflifeproductions.co.uk/

About ThinkAlike Media

ThinkAlike Media is an independent entertainment, media, and sales consulting group founded to bring highly targeted expertise to growing media and technology companies, providing expert services in sales, marketing, and business development.

About Gravitas Ventures

Gravitas Ventures is a leading all rights distributor of independent feature films and documentaries. Founded in 2006, Gravitas connects independent filmmakers and producers with distribution opportunities across the globe. Working with talented directors and producers, Gravitas  Ventures has distributed thousands of films into over a hundred million homes in North America - over one billion homes worldwide. Recent Gravitas Venture releases include Deep Fear, Slotherhouse, Padre Pio, Gringa, The Pez Outlaw, Downwind, Mack & Rita, The King's Daughter, Queen Bees, Our Friend, Vanguard, The Secret: Dare to Dream. For more information, please visit www.gravitasventures.com, and follow @GravitasVOD on X and @gravitasventures on Instagram.

About Anthem Sports & Entertainment, Inc.

Anthem Sports & Entertainment Inc. is a global multi-platform media company with offices and studios in Toronto, Los Angeles, Denver, Nashville, New York, Kansas City and Cleveland. Anthem's portfolio includes AXS TV, a leading music, entertainment and lifestyle television channel and digital media company; global film distribution company Gravitas Ventures; Fight Network, the world's premier combat sports channel with broadcast distribution across 10+ countries and available globally through multiple OTT platforms; IMPACT Wrestling, one of the world's leading wrestling organizations; Invicta Fighting Championships, the world's premier all-women mixed martial arts promotion;  Game+, the leader in sports wagering, Esports and gaming content; GameTV, the home of game shows and competition-based reality series; and HDNet Movies, which features theatrically released films and documentaries. Anthem also has a significant ownership interest in Pursuit Channel, one of the top outdoor channels in the U.S. For more information, visit www.anthemse.com

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