New York, NY – April 2, 2019 – Paper Street Films, Phiphen Pictures, and Crystal City Entertainment announced today that Golden Globe and Emmy Award winner Kelsey Grammer and Julia Stiles will star in writer/director Austin Stark’s medical thriller “The God Committee.” Colman Domingo, Janeane Garofalo, and Dan Hedaya will co-star. “The God Committee” is currently shooting in New York.
Molly Conners, Amanda Bowers, Vincent Morano, and Jane Oster are producing for Phiphen alongside Ari Pinchot and Jonathan Rubenstein for Crystal City, and Stark, Benji Kohn, and Bingo Gubelmann for Paper Street. Joanna Meek, Ray Masucci, Erika Hampson, Richard J. Berthy, and Mark Trustin and Rames Del Hierro are Executive Producers. The Solution Entertainment Group’s Lisa Wilson is representing international rights and will introduce this project to buyers at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival.
“The God Committee” is a searing look into the U.S. organ transplant system, seen through the eyes of those personally involved and affected by it. The story moves between two timelines: In one, a donor heart is being flown to an NYC hospital and a transplant committee has an hour to decide which patient deserves the life-saving organ. The other, which takes place six years later, explores the impact of that one decision.
Writer/Director Austin Stark stated, “The worldwide organ shortage continues to devastate families from all walks of life. I feel honored to be working with such an incredible ensemble – anchored by Kelsey, Julia, Colman, Janeane, and Dan – in my quest to humanize the transplant system and bring faces to the statistics.”
Kelsey Grammer is an award-winning actor best known for his twenty-year-long portrayal of “Dr. Frasier Crane” in “Cheers” and “Frasier.” Throughout his versatile career, Grammer has won many awards, including five Primetime Emmy Awards and three Golden Globes. His critically acclaimed performance in “La Cage aux Folles” also earned him a Tony Award nomination. Most recently, Grammer starred alongside Kristen Bell in Netflix’s “Like Father.” Grammer is represented by UTA and LINK Entertainment.
Golden Globe and Emmy Award-nominated actress Julia Stiles has been acting since childhood. Her breakthrough role as Katarina Stratford in “10 Things I Hate About You” was a stepping stone and she continued pursuing her interest in Shakespeare until after college. Stiles moved into mainstream roles starring alongside Matt Damon in the “Jason Bourne” series. She will next be seen in Season 2 of “Riviera” premiering on Sky and Sundance Now. She has also recently been cast in “Hustlers” opposite Jennifer Lopez and Cardi B. She received rave reviews for her work in the recurring role of Lumen Ann Pierce in Showtime’s “Dexter.” Stiles is represented by The Gersh Agency and Untitled Entertainment.
Colman Domingo is a Tony-nominated actor and playwright currently starring in the hit series “Fear the Walking Dead.” He recently appeared on the big screen in “If Beale Street Could Talk” and “Assassination Nation.” He will next be seen in “Lucy in the Sky” and Janicza Bravo’s film “Zola.” His new musical “Lights Out: Nat King Cole” just finished its successful run at Geffen Theater. Domingo is represented by The Gersh Agency and Liebman Entertainment.
Award-winning actress Janeane Garofalo has several upcoming films including Richard Wong’s “Come As You Are,” Amanda Lundquist and Becky Scott’s “Asking For It” and Owen Egerton’s “Mercy Black.” Garofalo is represented by The Gersh Agency and Generate.
Dan Hedaya has a career that spans 45 years in film, television, and theatre. His many noteworthy credits include “Clueless,” “The First Wives Club,” “The Usual Suspects,” “Cheers” and his starring role in the Coen Brothers’ first feature, “Blood Simple.” In 2016 he was presented with a Carney Award and inducted into the Character Actor Hall of Fame. He is represented by Gersh.
Austin Stark marked his writing and directorial debut with the political drama “The Runner,” starring Nicolas Cage, Sarah Paulson, and Peter Fonda. Stark’s credits as a producer include Maya Forbes’ “Infinitely Polar Bear,” starring Mark Ruffalo and Zoe Saldana, Tony Kaye’s “Detachment,” starring Adrien Brody, and Sundance Film Festival Audience Award-winner “Happythankyoumoreplease,” starring Josh Radnor, Kate Mara, and Malin Akerman. Stark is represented by Brian Levy at Pulse Films.
