First Look Pictures Acquires "Saints"

First Look Pictures has acquired the rights to Dito Montiel's "A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints," which took home two awards at Sundance Film Festival this year. The film, which stars Robert Downey, Jr. as the grown Montiel, chronicles the film director's life growing up in Astoria, Queens during the 1980s. Montiel's story portrays the struggles of a childhood spent witnessing the tough realities of New York City, and is about those "saints" who helped the young boy along the way. The film won the special jury prize at Sundance for Best Ensemble Performance as well as the Dramatic Director Award. The deal was negotiated by Richard Stone, Senior VP of business and legal affairs for First Look Studios, and Cassian Elwes of William Morris Independent. [Tamara Schweitzer]