Film Mode Entertainment Announces Acquisition, AFM World Market Premiere and Joins as Executive Producer for Crime Comedy, The Mob Kid

Film Mode Entertainment Announces Acquisition,

AFM World Market Premiere and Joins as Executive Producer for

Crime Comedy, The Mob Kid

The team behind The Trial of the Chicago 7 brings a fresh take on a trusted genre to the global marketplace with The Mob Kid

LOS ANGELES (November 1, 2021) – Clay Epstein’s Film Mode Entertainment (FME) and producers Jonathan Benefiel (The Trial of the Chicago 7) and Ani Kyd Wolf (The Silent Natural, The Forest for the Trees) are thrilled to announce the acquisition and AFM (American Film Market) World Market Premiere of The Mob Kid. Clay Epstein and FME are taking on key roles including global sales and executive producing. Some of Epstein’s producing credits include Stage Mother, Burn and Hooking Up. The script was penned by Benefiel. 

“We instantly fell in love with this incredible and entertaining story set in a familiar but fresh environment.This is going to be a fun and wild ride for audiences worldwide,” said Epstein.

“I’m beyond thrilled that my film has found a home with Clay Epstein and FME. His company is the perfect fit for “The Mob Kid”. So often, artists have to give up nearly all creative control in order to get their projects made. Clay and his team welcome collaboration with the artist—realizing that doing so will help create a better film.” Said Benefiel

The Mob Kid is a body-swap comedy about a terrifying and formidable, old school mafia Don who magically swaps souls and bodies with his overtly geeky and sensitive son. The two soon find that “walking a mile in another one’s shoes” can prove to not only be hilarious, but also extremely deadly. The film is currently moving from development into pre-production.

Benefiel was inspired to write The Mob Kid as a vehicle to get his late-stepfather, the legendary Frank Vestri’s, recorded songs onto the movie’s soundtrack—who died in 1973 when Jonathan was only 10 years old. Benefiel’s producing credits include but are not limited to the multi-award winning, Oscar nominated feature, The Trial of the Chicago 7.

Ani Kyd Wolf is a Canadian film and television producer with over 30 years’ experience in the entertainment industry. Some of her credits include the award-winning feature, The Silent Natural and documentary, Forest For The Trees, and she is one of the creators and executive producers of the series Peace River Texas. Wolf is also a director and a signed musician with three studio albums and CEO of the film production company Sugar Skull Films.

The resurgence of gangster/mob films such as The Many Saints of Newark and Mob Girl, as well as multiple award-winning series like The Sopranos have been making a significant mark across the global marketplace, with distributors and audiences demanding more.The Mob Kid is a refreshing, comedic take on a beloved, in-demand genre that answers the call. During the past year, viewership, ratings and earnings for similar projects have risen over 500% with combined box office and streaming platform earnings nearing topping the $1B mark, according to Box Office Mojo, IMDb, and other trusted sources.

“When Jonathan first gave me the script earlier this year, I genuinely loved it and laughed out loud from the start. As I read it I could really visualize this project on screen and felt that others needed to experience this also.” Said Ani Kyd Wolf.

The Mob Kid is currently being packaged by an expert team with a number of industry veterans being considered for various roles in front of and behind the camera.

About Film Mode Entertainment

Film Mode Entertainment is a leading worldwide sales agent, production entity and distribution company, focusing on commercially driven feature films of all genres and budget sizes. Film Mode represents projects at all stages of the filmmaking process, often as Executive Producer, with the aim of helping producers and distributors achieve maximum exposure for their films. Film Mode’s recent titles include Mayim Bialik’s feature directorial debut AS SICK AS THEY MADE US, starring two-time Oscar-winner Dustin Hoffman, Academy Award-nominee and Emmy Award-winner Candice Bergen, Simon Helberg and Diana Agron, CHICK FIGHT starring Malin Ackerman and Bella Thorne, CRYPTO starring Kurt Russell, Luke Hemsworth and Alexis Bledel, STAGE MOTHER starring Academy Award nominee Jacki Weaver, Lucy Liu and Adrian Grenier. Previous releases include SUGAR MOUNTAIN starring Jason Momoa, and THE GOOD NEIGHBOR starring Academy Award-nominee James Caan. Film Mode accelerated their growth and expanded their capabilities by entering into a partnership with SCREEN MEDIA, representing their catalogue of more than 600 titles, including WHAT’S EATING GILBERT GRAPE starring Leonardo DiCaprio, who was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for his performance, and MONSTER, starring Charlize Theron who won an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Actress for the film. The company also has its own distribution arm, as well as a documentary label, DocMode. Film Mode is based in Beverly Hills, CA. For more information, visit www.filmmodeentertainment.com

About Mob Kid Productions

Mob Kid Productions is a full-service production company which helps bring projects for both film and television from concept to screen—with an emphasis on those projects which help raise the consciousness of society. In this increasingly polarized world in which we live, now more than ever before, it’s important to bring stories to the marketplace that connect us with our humanity and our empathetic natures.

About Sugar Skull Films

Sugar Skull Films is a Canadian Film and Television production company, established in 2010 by Ani Kyd Wolf. The company started out creating music videos, short films and episodic content. Today this British Columbian company helps bring feature films to Canada while concurrently developing fresh ideas

Sugar Skull Films has a wide range of content in many different genres. From artistically motivated to commercially driven, the company’s focal point is to entertain but also educate. Giving a voice to writers that might not get the attention that they deserve while simultaneously working with some of the world’s most experienced teams.