Brainstorm media acquires sundance pic ‘i am michael’, sets january theatrical release date

Brainstorm Media has picked up distribution rights to writer-director Justin Kelly’s _I Am Michael_ starring James Franco, Zachary Quinto, and Emma Roberts, and will released the indie in

U.S. theaters and on digital January 27. The pic premiered at Sundance last year and is produced by Franco and Vince Jolivette of Rabbit Bandini, Michael Mendelsohn of Patriot Pictures, and

Scott Reed and Ron Singer of That’s Hollywood and exec produced by Gus Van Sant. Based on Benoit Denizet-Lewis’ New York Times article _My Ex-Gay Friend_, the film tells the true-life story

of Michael Glatze (Franco), a high profile queer youth activist who created national controversy when denounced his gay lifestyle and became a straight Christian pastor. It follows Michael

from his life in San Francisco with his boyfriend Bennett (Quinto),  to his days of personal self-discovery and religious reawakening. He lands at a Christian Bible school in rural Wyoming

where he meets his girlfriend, Rebekah (Roberts), and becomes the pastor of his own church. The picture is financed by Mendelsohn’s Union Patriot Capital Management, LLC. The deal was

negotiated between Brian O’Shea of The Exchange, Michelle Shwarzstein for Brainstorm Media, and Mendelsohn. WATCH ON DEADLINE