The indie film world is betting on 1-2 Special.
The spanking new U.S. theatrical distributor has closed its first round of equity financing, securing backing from a group of private investors led by Alex Lo’s Cinema Inutile. Anita Gou’s Kindred Spirit, Chris Quintos Cathcart and Tyler Boehm’s Unapologetic Projects, and Bill and Mary Way’s Fit Via Vi are also first-round investors in New York-based 1-2.
Launched by former Sideshow executive Jason Hellerstein in February, 1-2 Special is set up as a theatrical-first, all rights distributor, dedicated to “acquiring and releasing exceptional films from top-tier domestic and international festivals.” 1-2 picked up its first feature, Kontinental ’25, from acclaimed Romanian director Radu Jude (Bad Luck Banging, Or Looney Porn) out of the 2025 Berlin International Film Festival. With its coffers full of PE cash, we expect 1-2 will be an active buyer in Cannes.
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Courtesy of 1-2 Special
The company recently boosted its corporate ranks, hiring Amanda Trokan as SVP of acquisitions and Nico Chapin as VP of publicity.
At Sideshow, Hellerstein played a pivotal role in the acquisitions and marketing of such breakout international titles as Drive My Car, EO, All That Breathes, All We Imagine as Light and Flow, racking up a total of 8 Academy Award nominations and 2 Oscars, as well as more than $11 million at the domestic box office.
1-2 Special’s investors give a hint of the kind of films the company will be eying. Cinema Inutile is a co-producer on Shih-Ching Tsou’s Cannes Critics Week entry Left-Handed Girl (co-written and edited by Sean Baker), Heads or Tails? from Alessio Rigo de Righi and Matteo Zoppis, screening in Un Certain Regard this year, as well as such upcoming features as The Entertainment System is Down by Ruben Östlund, and Jim Jarmusch’s Father, Mother, Sister, Brother.
Kindred Spirit’s recent films include Andrew Ahn’s modern remake of Ang Lee’s The Wedding Banquet, which Bleecker Street released in April, and the company was behind Lulu Wang’s 2019 breakout The Farewell, which grossed more than $17 million domestically for A24.
Unapologetic Projects’ first film was the Focus Features release Didi, winner of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival Audience Award and two Spirit Awards. The company also co-financed the Tribeca festival feature All That We Love from director Yen Tan, starring Margaret Cho and Jesse Tyler Ferguson.
Recent Fit Via Vi projects include the Oscar-nominated documentary Sugarcane, the Peabody-winning HBO film Reality starring Sydney Sweeney, the Josh O’Connor Sundance drama Rebuilding (recently picked up by Bleecker) and Paul Schrader’s Oh, Canada with Richard Gere, Jacob Elordi, and Uma Thurman,
1-2 Special is represented by David Manella and Megan Stombock at Loeb & Loeb.
