Moshe Rosenthal’s 2022 Jerusalem Film Festival audience winner Karaoke has gone to Greenwich Entertainment for distribution in North America.
The comedy of manners centres on an upper-middle-class couple on the outskirts of Tel Aviv whose lives get a much-needed injection of excitement when a flashy talent agency owner moves into the penthouse apartment in their tower block.
The couple get coveted party invitations and find themselves competing for the newcomer’s attention while acting out long dormant ambitions and identities. Israeli actors Lior Ashkenazi (Footnote, Foxtrot), Sasson Gabay (The Band’s Visit) and Rita Shukrun star.
First-time feature director Rosenthal wrote the screenplay. Karaoke was produced by Efrat Cohen of Tel Aviv University Gaudeamus Productions in association with Ben Giladi’s Liminal Content.
The film premiered at Tribeca Festival this summer before playing Jerusalem Film Festival, where it also picked up the best first feature jury prize. It was financed by Israeli Film Fund, Steve Tisch Fund of Tel Aviv University, NFCT and Weil-Bloch Film Award, and Israel Lottery Council for the Culture & Arts and Keshet Broadcasting.
Greenwich plans a first quarter 2023 release. Edward Arentz and Oded Horowitz negotiated the acquisition with Carole Baraton of the film’s international sales agent Charades and WME Independent on behalf of the filmmakers.
Prior to Karaoke Rosenthal worked in TV. AMC Networks has acquired US remake rights to his millennial dating web series Confess.
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