Raunchy, Campy Horror Movie ‘Dead Lover’ Gets Theatrical Distribution Out of SXSW

Cartuna and Dweck Productions are joining forces for a new distribution venture labeled Cartuna x Dweck, and they’ve together acquired North American rights to Grace Glowicki’s Dead Lover following its Texas premiere at SXSW. While no date has been set, the press release details this morning, the film’s release will definitely include a theatrical rollout.

In Dead Lover, Glowicki stars as a lonely gravedigger who stinks of corpses. When she finally meets her dream man (Ben Petrie), their whirlwind affair is cut short when he tragically drowns at sea. Grief-stricken, she goes to morbid lengths to resurrect him through madcap scientific experiments, resulting in grave consequences and unlikely love.

The screenplay was co-written with Petrie and also stars Leah Doz and Lowen Morrow, and is produced by Glowicki, Petrie, and Yona Strauss. Matthew Miller, Olivia Nieuwland, Lexi Tannenholtz, and Rhianon Jones and Tristan Scott Behrends of Neon Heart Productions serve as Executive Producers.

“We firmly believe that we are at the early stages of a historic creative movement,” says James Belfer, founder and CEO of Cartuna. “Inventive, boundary-pushing storytellers need more distribution support now than ever. This collective of producers has opted to take matters into our own hands and it’s our sincere hope that it will inspire others to do the same.”

Hannah Dweck, owner and co-founder of Dweck Productions adds, “What Grace and her collaborators have dug up from their creative depths is like nothing I’ve ever seen before and we are so honored to be a part of this infinitely imaginative team. We can’t wait to set this exuberantly unrestrained, disgusting, beautiful, smelly, exhumed corpse of a rom-com loose on the world!”

Dead Lover is the sophomore feature from writer, director, and star Grace Glowicki.

The filmmaker told Bloody Disgusting earlier this year, “I’d say that the inspiration [for Dead Lover] is probably Monty Python, Mel Brooks, cartoons, exploitation movies, my love of theater. A mashup of those different inspos.” Glowicki added during our chat, “I’ve become addicted to the freedom that I feel inside this niche genre of practical horror/comedy.”