Film production just wrapped, with Vortex Media slated to release the film in Canada next year
XYZ Films is onboard to globally distribute, excluding Canada, the eco-thriller THE WELL, the highly-anticipated first narrative feature by Academy Award-nominated documentary director Hubert Davis. The film is produced by Coral Aiken of Aiken Heart Films (Carmen), and Hubert Davis, and is executive produced by Damon D’Oliveira, and Clement Virgo of Conquering Lion Pictures, Tom Kavluk, and Lexy Kavluk of Untitled Films. The film is funded by Telefilm Canada, Canada Media Fund and Ontario Creates, in association with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and Vortex Media who will distribute the film in Canada.
Recently filmed in Hamilton, Canada, THE WELL features an all-star Canadian cast, working outside of SAG jurisdiction, with veteran talents Sheila McCarthy (Women Talking), and Arnold Pinnock (The Porter) starring and executive producing with Shailyn Pierre-Dixon (Book of Negros) and Idrissa Sanogo (Robin Hood) also starring. The ensemble includes Joanne Boland (Handmaid’s Tale), Noah Lamanna (Dream Scenario), Natasha Mumba (The Last of Us), and Steven McCarthy (Mary Kills People).
In a world where environmental collapse has left survivors to fight for the precious resources needed to survive, a young woman’s (Shailyn Pierre-Dixon) loyalties are tested by the arrival of a wounded man. When he discovers her family has a secret supply of fresh water it puts them all in the crosshairs of a dangerous cult, and their ruthless leader Gabriel (Sheila McCarthy).
Hubert Davis’ 2005 short documentary Hardwood was nominated for both an Academy Award and Emmy, with Davis being the first Black Canadian filmmaker nominated for an Academy Award. Davis’ feature documentary Black Ice won the 2022 People’s Choice Award at TIFF.
“As a father, my own fear and anxieties for my kids’ futures inspired The Well. I want to shelter them from chaos, but watching their journey to pursue full lives opened my eyes to what our continued existence hinges on: community. The Well challenges us to expand our imagination on what, and who, we need to let in to rebuild after the end of the world,” said Hubert Davis.
“Hubert Davis is a hidden gem, a talent we have watched for years wondering when he would make the step into features. That it’s now, with a script as tense and beautifully written as The Well, and that we get to be a part of bringing it to audiences is a thrill,” said XYZ Film’s Todd Brown.
Current XYZ Films titles include Atom Egoyan’s TIFF selection SEVEN VEILS starring Amanda Seyfried, ASH starring Eiza González and Aaron Paul and directed by Flying Lotus, the Netflix Original HAVOC, directed by Gareth Evans and starring Tom Hardy and Forrest Whitaker, and DANIELA FOREVER directed by Nacho Vigalondo and starring Henry Golding and Beatrice Grannó. Recent XYZ films include BLACKBERRY released by IFC Films, the Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead film SOMETHING IN THE DIRT which premiered at Sundance 2022, and the Nick Cassavetes film GOD IS A BULLET, staring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Maika Monroe. The company’s classic titles include THE RAID franchise, 2017 Sundance winner I DON’T FEEL AT HOME IN THIS WORLD ANYMORE, Panos Cosmatos’ psychedelic revenge thriller MANDY, and Karyn Kusama’s THE INVITATION.
Davis is represented by Bash Naran at WME, and Aiken is represented by Ella Mastrippolito and Matt Coatsworth at UTA.
About XYZ Films:
XYZ Films is an independent studio whose mission is to empower visionary storytellers from every corner of the planet. As a producer, financier, and distributor, the company is uniquely suited to identify talented filmmakers and bring their stories to life. XYZ recently expanded into talent management, working with a global roster of filmmakers. XYZ was founded in 2008 by Nate Bolotin, Nick Spicer, and Aram Tertzakian.
About Aiken Heart Films:
Aiken Heart Films is a boutique film studio in Toronto, Canada. Aiken Heart Films was founded in 2014 by producer and director Coral Aiken to champion unique talents, and connect with an engaged audience. Their films have screened in competition at Cannes Cinéfondation, the Toronto International Film Festival, in the Locarno Academy. Recent feature film Carmen, by acclaimed director Valerie Buhagiar, starring Natascha McElhone, won Best Feature at the Canadian Film Fest 2022, multiple awards, an extended theatrical release in Canada, and was a New York Times Critics Pick.
About Vortex Media:
Vortex Media is a boutique studio bringing together global distribution and film and television production across all genres. It comprises three divisions: Vortex Canada, specializing in the theatrical release of feature films and monetization across all platforms; Vortex International, a worldwide sales and distribution company; and Vortex Productions, an in-house production company with the resources to self-finance and produce feature films and made-for-television movies including THE END OF SEX starring Schitt Creek’s Emily Hampshire and ANYTHING FOR JACKSON, a Shudder Original Film. Recent Vortex Canada releases include THE RETIREMENT PLAN, starring Nicolas Cage, and the critically acclaimed I DON’T KNOW WHO YOU ARE which recently had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. Highlights of Vortex Media’s upcoming slate include the Australian Indigenous crime drama LIMBO, starring Simon Baker and the 2023 SXSW Grand Jury Award winner for Narrative Feature, RAGING GRACE.
