Freestyle Digital Media, the digital film distribution division of Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group, proudly announces the acquisition of North American VOD rights to the musical drama RIOT ON REDCHURCH STREET–DIRECTOR’S CUT, which will be available to rent/own on all North American digital HD internet, cable, and satellite platforms, as well as on DVD, starting January 28, 2025. RIOT ON REDCHURCH STREET–THE DIRECTOR’S CUT tells the story of a rock and roll love triangle that ignites Anglo-Muslim racial tension in East London.
Loosely inspired by a modern retelling of CABARET and the musical film’s original source material, Christopher Isherwood’s novel Goodbye to Berlin, RIOT takes place in Shoreditch, London’s most vibrant and racially challenged neighborhood, in the run-up to the 2011 street riots that left East London on fire. Centered around a Svengali-like rock and roll manager, (Sam Hazeldine, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power), the story unpacks the local underground music scene, where a young punk rock band leader (Rhys James) and his girlfriend (Alysson Paradis (AMORE MIO, INSIDE)), a French torch singer, BOTH end up sexually involved with said manager in their desperate grab for success. As the star-crossed lovers tear each other apart, a showcase gig in Shoreditch turns bad, and local thugs are literally drunk and urinate on the steps of a local mosque, igniting the titular riot that will end in murder, mayhem and redemption.
Standout moments of the film—which was primarily shot on the last rolls of 16mm Fuji film left in London—include an incredible soundtrack and four original songs composed and produced for the movie by Siobhan Fahey, best known as the multi-platinum selling singer singer/songwriter from Bananarama and Shakespear’s Sister. Fahey appears as a backup vocalist in some of the film’s live musical numbers. Other soundtrack elements include an original trip-hop rendition of “Danny Boy” by the late Bay City Rollers frontman Les McKeown, several tracks by French art rock combo Cristine and a cameo appearance by Johnny Borrell, lead singer of the recently reunited British pop-rockers Razorlight.
Written and directed by Trevor Miller, RIOT ON REDCHURCH STREET–THE DIRECTOR’S CUT was produced by Thomas Almeida and Steve McClain of FUNHOUSE OC Productions, Sean McLusky, Carole Siller and Hamish McAlpine (who produced Michael Haneke’s remake of FUNNY GAMES with Michael Pitt, Naomi Watts and Brady Corbet). The film was executive produced by Sean Akari and Fabian Friedland.
Upcoming projects from FUNHOUSE OC include an eight-part documentary series for streaming entitled My Punk Life and an 80’s Orange County-based music feature with the working title CRUEL, CRUEL SUMMER. Trevor Miller’s next film as writer/director with producer Sean McLusky, THE GALLERIST, begins shooting in the UK in June 2025 and stars RIOT cast member Jesse Birdsall (Bugs, El Dorado). Miller has also written VIVA AMERICA for Sean Akari to shoot in Los Angeles late 2025 and LEGACY OF SPIES, the autobiographical musical for actor/producer Marco Robinson (host of Get A House For Free on Channel 4 UK).
“RIOT ON REDCHURCH STREET is my love letter to Shoreditch’s rock and roll underbelly and one particular summer spent in and around Sean McLusky’s 1-2-3-4 Music Festival,” said filmmaker Trevor Miller. “In that period and while making this film, I was desperately trying to re-create the hyper-realistic gritty noir as embodied by John Cassavetes THE KILLING OF A CHINESE BOOKIE. Almost 14 years later, a strange alchemy occurred with the film, which now blends as much of a TikTok generation as it does as the jump-cutting techniques employed in the French New Wave by the likes of Jean-Luc Godard.”
Freestyle Digital Media negotiated the deal to acquire RIOT ON REDCHURCH STREET DIRECTOR’S CUT directly with Glenn Reynolds of Circus Road Films.
