EXCLUSIVE: Shout! Studios has acquired North American rights to Body Parts, a documentary that takes a critical look at the way Hollywood shoots sex scenes.
Kristy Guevara-Flanagan directed and Helen Hood Scheer produced the feature that “traces the evolution of ‘sex’ on-screen,” according to a release, “exposing the uncomfortable realities behind some of the most iconic scenes in cinema history and celebrating the bold creators leading the way for change.”
The documentary, which had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in June, includes interviews with actors Jane Fonda, Rosanna Arquette, Rose McGowan, Emily Meade and Alexandra Billings, directors Karyn Kusama and Angela Robinson, and TV show creators David Simon and Joey Soloway. Those industry insiders “provide a nuanced look at how different bodies – sizes, abilities, races, genders, and sexualities – are seen on screen and how the mechanisms of filmmaking center the male perspective. The film also follows the rise of intimacy coordination as an unprecedented industry standard.”
Shout! Studios says it plans a strategic rollout of Body Parts spanning theatrical, digital, broadcast and VOD, beginning with a release in cinemas in early 2023. In addition, Level Forward will lead “meaningful educational and social impact initiatives” on behalf of the film.
Jordan Fields, SVP of acquisitions & originals at Shout! Studios, called Body Parts “A riveting exploration of what is arguably the last mystery in mainstream moviemaking – the sex scene. This innovative and incisive film demystifies the process of fabricating intimacy and charts the history of the industry’s best – and worst – practices. Smart, engaging and masterfully crafted, we expect it to connect to a wide audience and change the conversation.”
“We wanted to make a film that sheds light on the most fundamental and sticky questions about consent in a way that engaged audiences, yet also made them think critically,” Guevara-Flanagan and Scheer said in a statement. “Film and television have become an important means of sex education and that has real world consequences. We think audiences should know what goes into the making of these scenes, just like they would want to know what goes into the food they eat. We are delighted to work with Shout! to share this film with broad audiences.”
After premiering at Tribeca, Body Parts went on to play at film festivals in France (Deauville), Belgium (Ghent), the Czech Republic (Ji.hlava), Australia (Brisbane), as well as numerous U.S. festivals including AFI Fest and Mill Valley. The film is a production of Level Forward, Chuparosa Films, and Nutshell Productions. Body Parts is executive produced by Ruth Ann Harnisch, Abigail E. Disney, Daniel J. Chalfen, Adrienne Becker, Roger Clark, Dawn Bonder and Marci Wiseman, and co-executive produced by Caterin Camargo-Alvarez, Jess Kwan and Kat Vecchio, in association with Naked Edge Films, The Harnisch Foundation, and The DeNovo Initiative.
The acquisition deal was negotiated by Shout’s Jordan Fields and Mitch Clare of U.K.-based MetFilm Sales on behalf of Chuparosa Films.
