Horror Hit, “Dead,” Set Worldwide

Glenn McQuaid’s “I Sell the Dead,” the opening night movie from this year’s Slamdance Film Festival, has scored a slew of deals with IFC taking U.S. rights for a theatrical and VOD release, Blockbuster making a home entertainment pact, Anchor Bay lining up Canada, U.K, Australia and New Zealand, and Screen Media taking all other rights to the horror film.

IFC is planning an August ’09 theatrical and on-demand release for the movie, which co-stars Larry Fessenden, Dominic Monaghan, Ron Perlman, and Angus Scrimmand. It was produced by Fessenden and Peter Phok under Fessenden’s Glass Eye Pix outfit. A multiple award winner at Slamdance, the film will sceen next month at the Los Angeles Film Festival.

In “I Sell the Dead,” in the words of description, “18th century justice has finally caught up with two of the craftiest grave robbers in town. With only a few hours to go before his date with the guillotine, body-snatcher Arthur Blake (Monaghan) tells his life story to the peculiar Father Francis Duffy (Perlman). Before long, Arthur spills the beans on how he got started in the grim corpse peddling business with seasoned ghoul Willie Grimes (Fessenden). As the whisky flows Arthur’s tales get stranger and stranger.”

“After literally traveling the world on the ‘I Sell the Dead’ film festival tour, I’m over the moon that we’ve found a home for the movie with IFC Films, Anchor Bay and Screen Media, filmmaker McQuaid said, in a statement. “I’m honored to be teaming up with these pros and very excited that the movie will be getting out there to find new audiences and to live a life all of its own.”

Josh Braun from Submarine negotiated the deals with Arianna Bocco for IFC Films; Susan Curran and Rob Herholz for Anchor Bay Entertainment Canada; and Rob Lynch and Michael Dwyer for Screen Media.