Focus Options Greenlights Drama ‘A Thousand And One’ From Sundance Alum A.V. Rockwell – .

Focus Features partnered with Sight Unseen, Makeready and Hillman Grad Productions to make the directorial debut of AV Rockwell, A Thousand and One.

Written by Rockwell, following the apologetic and free-spirited Ines, convinced that it is one last necessary crime on the road to salvation, kidnaps six-year-old Terry from the foster system. Holding on to their secret and each other, mother and son set out to regain their home, identity, and stability in a rapidly changing New York City. Casting has yet to be set. Focus is releasing the film in the US and abroad through Universal. Production is scheduled to begin next year.

The image is produced by Lena Waithe and Rishi Rajani from Hillman Grad, Brad Weston from Makeready, and Eddie Vaisman and Julia Lebedev from Sight Unseen. Negin Salmasi from Makeready and Oren Moverman from Sight Unseen and Rachel Jacobs are executive producers. Makeready and Hillman Grad partnered with Universal Pictures last year for Melina Matsoukas’ Queen and Slim. Sight Unseen and frequent contributor Hillman Grad are also working with MGM on a Sammy Davis Jr. biopic based on the book Sammy Davis Jr .: My Father by Davis’ daughter Tracey and Dolores A. Barclay.

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Rockwell was named one of Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Films for her distinctive voice and has received grants from the Tribeca Film Institute, the Sundance Institute, and the John S. Guggenheim Foundation. Fox Searchlight acquired her short film Feathers prior to its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival 2018. She is an alumni of Sundance Screenwriters and Directors Labs. It will again be overseen by WME Entertainment and Granderson Des Rochers. Hillman Grad Productions is represented by WME Entertainment and Blue Marble Management.

Peter Kujawski, Chairman of Focus Features, said, “We were absolutely impressed by the AV script with its insights, emotions and humanity. We are very excited to join the powerhouse team from Hillman Grad, Makeready and Sight Unseen to bring their directorial talents to the screen. “