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‘The Brutalist’ EP, ‘Nawi’ Makers Strike Three-Film Co-Pro Deal, Set Kenya Soccer Doc ‘Champions of Nowhere’ (Exclusive)
Pierce Capital Entertainment (PCE), the finance and production company founded by Thomas Pierce, has struck a three-picture co-production partnership with Munich-based FilmCrew Media, run by brothers Kevin and Toby Schmutzler. Pierce was an executive producer on Brady Corbet's Oscar-winning The Brutalist and Olivier Assayas's The Wizard of the Kremlin, while FilmCrew made its name with Nawi: Dear Future Me, a child-marriage drama set in Kenya that was that country's official Oscar submission. The deal pairs PCE's independent financing model with FilmCrew's European production infrastructure to develop stories addressing social issues on a bigger scale.
The partnership's first project will be Champions of Nowhere, a feature documentary directed by Academy Award-nominated Ugandan filmmaker Moses Bwayo through his Los Angeles-based Jajja Productions. Set in Kenya's Kakuma Refugee Camp, it follows the Kakuma Football League and how the sport gives the community identity and resilience despite harsh conditions. FilmCrew's earlier credits include Biking Borders (Netflix/Amazon), Tierbrücke (The Shelter), about animal rescue in wartime Ukraine, and Robin: Watch for Wishes, acquired by Electric Entertainment.
In short
- PCE and FilmCrew Media sign a three-film co-production deal.
- First project: Kenya-set football documentary Champions of Nowhere.
- Directed by Oscar-nominee Moses Bwayo, focused on Kakuma Refugee Camp.
Explained simply
Pierce Capital Entertainment, a United States-based film finance company, and FilmCrew Media, a Munich-based production firm, have agreed to develop three films together. The partnership combines Pierce Capital's independent funding model with FilmCrew's European production capabilities.
Pierce Capital's founder, Thomas Pierce, has been involved in producing The Brutalist, which won major Academy Awards, and The Wizard of the Kremlin. FilmCrew, run by brothers Kevin and Toby Schmutzler, is known for producing Nawi: Dear Future Me, a film about child marriage in Kenya that was selected to represent the country at the Oscars.
The first project under the partnership will be a documentary called Champions of Nowhere, directed by Ugandan filmmaker Moses Bwayo, who has received an Academy Award nomination. The film will follow a football league in Kenya's Kakuma Refugee Camp and explore how sport provides identity and resilience to the community.
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