DEADLINE - Narrative Distribution’s Persimmon Label Announces Debut Slate, Including Lorraine Bracco Starrer ‘The Mother, The Menacer & Me’

Written By: Glenn Garner

New global indie film and TV distributor Persimmon has announced its debut slate, tackling the genres of romance, holiday, mystery, thriller and true crime.

Gravitas Ventures alum Mackenzie Maguire leads the new Narrative Distribution label, which champions “emotionally resonant films” that “speak from the heart,” rolling out five feature films with its streaming and television launch.

Among the slate is The Mother, The Menacer and Me, starring Lorraine Bracco in a family comedy/drama about a Hollywood hopeful (James Austin Kerr) who moves in with his disapproving mother-in-law (Bracco) while trying to make his dream come true. Directed by Jon Salmon, the film also features Leah Remini, Christine Spang, Alfonso Caballero and Brian Tichnell.

Co-writer and executive producer Chris Plaushin praised Persimmon after they “immediately recognized both the heart and the commercial potential” of the film. “For a comedy born out of something so personal about chasing down a dream, having a distributor this invested in connecting it to its audience is incredibly powerful,” he said.

Also among the lineup are 12 Toys of Christmas, an original Christmas movie directed by Adamo Halmo; Everything & The Universe, an LGBTQ romance from writer/director Sarah Scarlett Downing; Something of a Monster, an ’80s female-led thriller helmed by Brandon Duncan; and Jake Horowitz’s Canadian dark comedy whodunnit A Thousand Cuts.

“I am thrilled to be building a new home for filmmakers at Persimmon,” said Maguire. “I’ve seen too many films get lost in the noise of a digital release, and we are offering a fresh approach to a direct to streaming release, where our marketing is geared towards helping our films find broad streaming and television audiences.”