Phone-Sex App Murder Thriller ‘Nightalk’ From Donald Shebib Acquired by Premiere Entertainment

Los Angeles-based Premiere Entertainment Group has acquired worldwide sales rights to romance murder mystery “Nightalk,” directed by Canadian filmmaker Donald Shebib. The film, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival, stars Ashley Bryant and Al Mukadam.

The steamy thriller follows a female cop (Bryant), who goes undercover on a phone-sex app to solve a murder investigation, as she discovers her own sexuality while losing herself to the erotic fantasies of the suspected killer and risks becoming the killer’s next victim. Ted Hallett, Emily Andrews and Art Hindle round out the key cast.

Shebib and Claude Harz wrote the original screenplay, which was produced by Evdon Productions and Emily Andrews for Filmcoop.

Shebib is considered a key figure in the development of English Canadian cinema, largely due to his most prominent film “Goin’ Down the Road,” which premiered at the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight in 1971. Other works include the heist crime-drama “Between Friends,” which garnered a Golden Bear nomination for best film at the Berlin Film Festival in 1973, and the charming road movie “Heartaches” from 1981, starring Margot Kidder and Annie Potts.

Shebib says: “My purpose in making this film was to present the sexual act as a major part of a film, and to do so in a way that was above all beautiful and romantic, and not in any way pornographic. And I knew Puccini’s music could achieve that, which is why it was woven into the film.”

“It is an honor to work with legendary filmmaker Don Shebib. I was fortunate to screen ‘Nightalk’ at TIFF and immediately knew that Premiere would be the perfect home for the film,” said Carlos Rincon, senior VP of acquisitions at PEG. “We are excited to introduce the film to buyers during AFM.”