shepherd.pitch.7.12.15_bb-ep (1)
TRANSCRIPT
The Sleeping Shepherd
Inspired by the true story of Stéphane Breitwieser
who stole over two-billion dollars worth of art only
to have his mother throw it all into a Rhine canal.
The Sleeping ShepherdA film by Frank Hudec
A story of the world’s greatest art thief
ALEX is a failed painter who lives with his domineering mother,
MARIE, in a small industrial town on the French-German border.
When he realizes most small art museums have no security sys-
tems, Alex steals his favorite painting (BOUCHER’S “The Sleeping
Shepherd”) from a local museum. Deciding he would rather steal
great art than paint it, Alex leaves home and goes on an art robbery
spree throughout Europe. Along the way he meets KAROLINE,
a bored rich girl who gets a sexual thrill from art theft. They become
unconsummated lovers and form the perfect team, she the lookout
and he the thief. Unwilling to sell his trophies, Alex stores the stolen
art in his childhood bedroom at his Mother’s.
When a local locksmith, DIRK, discovers Alex’s “collection”, Marie must
submit to his romantic overtures in order to protect her son’s secret. In Berlin, Alex
discovers his long lost father, FLORIAN, is nothing but a security guard at a
small art museum. The shock of finding his father sends Alex into self-destructive
odyssey that leads to his capture by the police. When Marie hears of Alex’s arrest, she
tries to save Alex and absolve herself by eradicating the evidence. She chops up
the paintings and throws them into a nearby Rhine canal, completely unaware and
unconcerned she is destroying two billion-dollars worth of irreplaceable art. The
police arrive too late to save the paintings and the world is forever deprived of the
masterpieces. Alex and Marie are sent to jail, but in a strange twist of irony, Alex’s
jailhouse paintings become cult collector’s items.
the CAST(attached)
Michael Pittis the thief, ALEX.
(Boardwalk Empire, Funny Games, The Dreamers, Last Days)
Imogen Poots
is the Bonnie to Alex’s Clyde, KAROLINE.
(Need for Speed, That Awkward Moment, Jane Eyre)
Isabelle Huppert
is his co-dependant mother, MARIE.
(Piano Teacher, Amour, I Heart Huckabees, 8 Women)
TEAMBios
Writer/DirectorFRANK HUDEC was born to a family of bookies in the New Orleans French Quarter. In 1995,
he produced Lise Raven’s award winning feature LOW. That same year, Frank helped found
and now sits on the Advisory Board of the Slamdance Film Festival. In 2000, Frank wrote
and directed the feature film BUILDING BOMBS which Andreas Becker from Der Tagess-
piegel called “a great, ironic indie... a message from better and happier times.” While living
in Berlin, he made the German and Russian language film DER TAUSCH (The Exchange). It
debuted in the 2003 Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival. Frank recently sold his script,
THE UNTITLED DIRK SMILER PROJECT, to Ostrow-Lyons Productions in 2014. He has
directed commercials and works as a script doctor.
CinematographerLISA RINzLER is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Cinematogra-
phers Branch). She is best known for her work on MENACE II SOCIETY (1993), DEAD
PRESIDENTS (1995) and POLLOCK (2000).
EditorHUGHES WINBORNE won the Academy Award for his work on CRASH (2004).
He is also known for editing GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (2014), THE HELP (2011),
SLINGBLADE (1996) and LOW (1995, produced by Frank Hudec).
PRODUCERSTEPHEN NEMETH formed and heads up Rhino Films, the independent film company
that originated as a division of iconoclastic record label Rhino Records. Stephen provides
great confidence for the investors as he has produced dozens of films, both feature films
and documentaries. His award winning 2012 feature film, THE SESSIONS, produced
for approximately one million dollars, made six million dollars from domestic box office
alone. Stephen was voted one of the, “Top Ten Most Prolific Producers in Hollywood”, by
the Hollywood Reporter. This is huge. He was voted one of the “Ten Coolest People in
Hollywood”, by a survey of 500 film industry agents, managers, journalists, and lawyers.
This is huge for the BUSINESS and MARKETING and PROFIT side of our film and thus
hugely positive for the investors. Stephen is on the Board of several film festivals and film
organizations as well as numerous environmental, academic, and children’s health and rights
entities. Stephen has won numerous documentary film awards as well.
PRODUCEREvE POMERANCE has many talents and talent runs very strong in her family as Eve’s
father is the Drama Desk Award and Tony Award winning playwright of the world-renowned
play, THE ELEPHANT MAN. Eve is the founder of both MAJOR MOTION PICTURES
and CASTING BY EvE. She is an accomplished Producer, Executive Producer, Casting
Director, and Writer. Eve is extremely personable, hardworking, and creative. She brings
strong Hollywood ties and years of filmmaking experience to THE SLEEPING SHEPHERD.
Besides attaching two great stars to the film Eve introduced the script to Sony International
and the film is now being tracked for distribution by Sony International and Sony Pictures.
The script was rewritten with excellent script notes from Sony. This is all a major plus for
the success of the film.
PRODUCERBILL BLACK, besides being an accomplished all-around script-to-screen producer of
the first order, is known as one of the most ardent and relentless business development
professionals in the film, Tv and transmedia industry. He has worked producing
promo films and commercials for Fortune 500 companies including Chase Bank, American
Express, Mercedes-Benz, Avon, Conde Nast, Bloomingdale’s, Hachette Filipacchi Maga-
zines, NYU Medical Center, Atlantic Bank, and The Rainforest Alliance. Bill has produced
the Tv pilots, HEALING, THE QUEST FOR HEALING, 3 WISHES, and THE KARAOKE
KINGS. He has just put together with his associates a new global Tv and transmedia network
geared to positive programming for youth ages 2 to 18 which includes live action reality series,
animation, puppetry, feature films, transmedia, licensing, merchandising, syndication, and
distribution. Bill is also one of the Producers for the animated feature film, THE CHRIST-
MAS THAT ALMOST WASN’T, going into production before the end of the year and so far
starring the voices of international icons Shaquille O’Neal and Robin Leach.
BUDGET&FinancE
Budget & Finance
The total budget for the film is 5 MILLION DOLLARS.
This is comprised of 2.5 million dollars equity from our German investor and 2.5 million dollars from an additional equity investor.
INvESTOR TERMS FOR EQUITY ARE AS FOLLOWS:
Investors make their money back from foreign and domestic proceeds until they make their investment back plus 20% under the following terms and conditions:
The first in German investor will invest 2.5 million dollars into the film. They will get back approximately 1.5 to 1.7 million dollars from German tax rebates and other German subsidies after production. Then the balance of the German investment which is approximately 800 thousand to one million dollars will come first out from revenues from the German speaking territories; Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, until the German investment is whole at 2.5 million dollars.
Then the additional equity investor will be made whole from worldwide revenues, excluding the German speaking territories, until they are whole at 2.5 million dollars.
Then both equity investors will receive their respective 20% profit of 500 thousand dollars pari passu from worldwide revenues excluding the German speaking territories as mentioned earlier.
All additional revenues are split 50/50 with 50% split pro-rata between the equity investors. The other 50% is split between the actors, filmmakers,crew, etc.
Comparables
Title Genre Budget Dom Box Foreign Box
Inside Man Crime, Thriller $45MM $88MM $95MM
The Town Crime Drama $37MM $92MM $61MM
The Score Crime $68MM $71MM $42MM
Thomas Crown Affair Art Thief $48MM $69MM $55MM
Need For Speed (Poots) Crime Drama $66MM $43.6MM $160MM
That Awkward Moment (Poots) Comedy, Romance $8MM $26MM $14.5MM
Thank You