STARGAZER: Empowering Tale of a Forgotten Female Astronomer Sets Debut for VOD Platforms and DVD on April 30
Empowering Tale About a Young Woman Trying to Revive the Reputation of a Forgotten Female Astronomer Sets Digital Debut for North American VOD Platforms and DVD on April 30, 2024
Freestyle Digital Media, the digital film distribution division of Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group, has acquired North American VOD rights to the drama feature film STARGAZER, which will be available to rent/own on all digital HD internet, cable, and satellite platforms in North America, as well as on DVD, starting on April 30, 2024, through Freestyle Digital Media.
STARGAZER tells the story of what happens when a naïve grad student, Grace Campbell, gets the chance to revive the reputation of a forgotten female astronomer, Cecilia Payne. Cecilia discovered the nature of the universe, but saw her genius stolen by men. For Grace, history threatens to repeat itself when she’s forced to partner up with Spike Randall, an aggressive journalist who just booked Grace an appearance on a new television talk show with Annette Gordon-Reed the very next day—but at what cost? A dancer named Diana eavesdrops through the library shelves where she’s working on a story of her own, a mythic ballet about sex and power in ancient Greece. Diana leads Grace on a long night’s journey under the influence as Grace flashes back to Cecilia at Harvard in the 1920s and both women are transported by fantasies. Grace will have to choose: Should she partner with a man she’s not sure she trusts, or kick Spike to the curb, go it alone, and stand up for Cecilia and herself?
Written by Rob Ackerman and Kate Ginna, STARGAZER was directed by Alan McIntyre and produced by Justus McLarty, Matt Bogart, and Rob Ackerman. STARGAZER features an ensemble cast that includes Kate Ginna (“Grace Campbell”), Matt Bogart (“Spike Randall”), Lei Nico (“Diana de la Palma”), and Annette Gordon-Reed as herself. One of Broadway’s leading men, Bogart just completed filming a made-for-TV version of the hit show, “Jersey Boys,” playing one of the four leads, opposite Nick Jonas. STARGAZER was an Official Selection at ten film festivals, including Soho International, Big Apple, and Philadelphia FirstGlance. It won Best Feature twice, among other awards, including two wins for Kate Ginna as Best Actress in a Feature.
“As a historian, I work to uncover the truth and correct the record. ‘Stargazer’ is a fantastical romp that tells the story of a forgotten genius named Cecilia Payne. It’s high time we heard it,” says Annette Gordon-Reed, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and MacArthur Fellowship recipient.
Co-writer and lead actor Kate Ginna adds, “This movie is a cinematic tribute to Cecilia Payne, whose dedication to scientific truth inspired us to tell her story. We’re absolutely thrilled that audiences are going to share it.”
Freestyle Digital Media negotiated the deal to acquire STARGAZER with Stacey Parks of Media Sparks Entertainment.
The digital distribution unit of Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group, Freestyle Digital Media, is a premiere multi-platform distributor with direct partnerships across all major cable, satellite, digital and streaming platforms. Capitalizing on a robust infrastructure, proven track record, and a veteran sales team, Freestyle Digital Media is a true home for independent films. Recent releases include THE ROAD DOG starring comedian Doug Stanhope, SURVIVE starring HBO’s GAME OF THRONES star Sophie Turner and Corey Hawkins, the music documentary profiling blues guitar legends Jimmie Vaughan and Stevie Ray Vaughan, BROTHERS IN BLUES, DEAR ZOE starring Sadie Sink from the hit Netflix series STRANGER THINGS, Jessica Capshaw and Theo Rossi. Other Freestyle Digital Media titles include BEST SUMMER EVER the teen musical featuring a fully integrated cast and crew of people with and without disabilities, produced by Jamie Lee Curtis, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Mary Steenburgen and Ted Danson, THE WEDDING YEAR starring Sarah Hyland and Anna Camp, THE LAST PHOTOGRAPH starring Danny Houston, UNTOGETHER starring Jamie Dornan, Jemima Kirke, Ben Mendelsohn, Alice Eve and Billy Crystal, the action-comedy BETTER START RUNNING starring Academy Award-winner Jeremy Irons and Maria Bello, THE BACHELORS starring Academy Award-winner J.K. Simmons, Julie Delpy and Odeya Rush and the award-winning documentary HONDROS produced by Jamie Lee Curtis and Jake Gyllenhaal.
