Jessica Michael Davis’ Escaping Ohio Scores Distribution Deal With Gravitas Ventures in 2024
Sep 17, 2024
Jessica Michael Davis’ heartwarming directorial debut Escaping Ohio has landed a distribution deal with Gravitas Ventures.
The Cleveland-based distributor is a fitting choice for the coming-of-age romance movie, considering that the film is set in Akron, Ohio, where Davis grew up Gravitas Ventures now has the U.S. and Canadian rights to the film, with plans to release the film on VOD on Nov. 8.
The film follows best friends Sam (Davis) and JJ (Collin-Kelly Sordelet, Wildling, Radium Girls) as they navigate the transformative summer between high school graduation and the uncertainties of adulthood. While JJ embraces his predetermined path, Sam yearns to break free from Ohio’s confines, leading to an exploration of the struggle between love and adventure, between the excitement of somewhere new and the comforts of home.
The cast also features Adam Pascal (Rent, School of Rock) and Emily Bergl (Shameless, Gilmore Girls).
MovieMaker is proud to support Escaping Ohio through MovieMaker Production Services.
Jessica Michael Davis on Getting Distribution for Escaping Ohio
Jessica Michael Davis in Escaping Ohio, Gravitas
“Initially, my drive to make this film came from wanting a teen romcom infused with my favorite traits of the genre, but one where the girl is her own love story, where she learns to bet on herself,” Davis says. “All the personal and Ohio elements came next. And despite the ironic title, the film is a love letter to Ohio.”
Also Read: Nostalgic Teen Drama Escaping Ohio to Have World Premiere at Dances With Films
The film won Outstanding Directorial Debut at the Washington West Film Festival after it premiered at the TCL Chinese Theatres in Hollywood at Dances With Films.
Gravitas Ventures’ acquisition manager, Mackenzie Maguire, negotiated the deal with producer Todd Slater of Convoke Media.
“Gravitas is excited to bring Escaping Ohio to North American audiences this November. As a Cleveland based company, we feel we are the perfect partner for this charming love letter to Ohio,” Maguire says.
Gravitas was founded in 2006. Other notable films it has distributed include Deep Fear, Slotherhouse, Padre Pio, Gringa, The Pez Outlaw, Downwind, Mack & Rita, The King’s Daughter, Queen Bees, Our Friend, Vanguard, and The Secret: Dare to Dream.
Main Image: A still from the movie, Gravitas
Publisher: Source link
Dishonest Media Under the Microscope in Documentary on Seymour Hersh
Back in the 1977, the legendary investigative journalist Seymour Hersh shifted his focus from geopolitics to the world of corporate impropriety. After exposing the massacre at My Lai and the paid silencing of the Watergate scandal, Hersh figured it was…
Dec 19, 2025
Heart, Hustle, and a Touch of Manufactured Shine
Song Sung Blue, the latest biographical musical drama from writer-director-producer Craig Brewer, takes a gentle, crowd-pleasing true story and reshapes it into a glossy, emotionally accessible studio-style drama. Inspired by Song Sung Blue by Greg Kohs, the film chronicles the…
Dec 19, 2025
After 15 Years, James L. Brooks Returns With an Inane Family Drama
To say James L. Brooks is accomplished is a wild understatement. Starting in television, Brooks went from early work writing on My Mother the Car (when are we going to reboot that?) to creating The Mary Tyler Moore Show and…
Dec 17, 2025
Meditation on Greek Tragedy Explores Identity & Power In The 21st Century [NYFF]
A metatextual exploration of identity, race, privilege, communication, and betrayal, “Gavagai” is a small story with a massive scope. A movie about a movie which is itself an inversion of classic tropes and themes, the film exists on several levels…
Dec 17, 2025