Movies - Black flies : Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire's film is in official selection in competition

By Mulder, 12 may 2023

Black Flies is an American dramatic thriller directed by Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire and written by Ryan King and Ben Mac Brown, based on the 2008 novel of the same name by Shannon Burke. It stars Sean Penn, Tye Sheridan, Katherine Waterston, Michael Pitt, Mike Tyson and Raquel Nave. Selected for competition at the 76th Cannes Film Festival in 2023, the film is expected to be released later in the United States by Open Road Films.

Black Flies is an adaptation of the 2008 novel of the same name by Shannon Burke. In December 2018, Ryan King's screenplay for the film was featured on the Black List, an annual survey of the year's most beloved but unproduced screenplays. In February 2019, Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire agreed to direct the film, while Mel Gibson and Tye Sheridan were in final negotiations to star in the film. In February 2021, Sean Penn replaced Gibson in one of the lead roles, and Open Road Films acquired the U.S. distribution rights. Filming began in May 2022 in New York City with director of photography David Ungaro.

Screenings at Cannes: 
- Thursday, May 18 - 10:30 p.m. - Grand Théâtre Lumière (In the presence of Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire, Sean Penn and Tye Sheridan)
- Friday May 19 - 11:45 am - Grand Théâtre Lumière
- Friday, May 19 - 2:00 p.m. - Le Cineum IMAX
- Saturday, May 20 - 1:00 PM - The Cineum Screen X
- Sunday, May 21 - 9:00 pm - Salle Agnès Varda

Synopsis: 
In New York City, Ollie Cross (Tye Sheridan), a young paramedic, teams up with Rutkovsky (Sean Penn), an experienced emergency room doctor. Confronted with extreme violence, he discovers the risks of a profession that shakes his certainties about life... and death.

Black Flies
Directed by Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire
Screenplay by Ryan King, Ben Mac Brown
Based on Black Flies by Shannon Burke
Produced by Warren Goz, Eric Gold, Christopher Kopp Lucan Toh, Sean Penn, John Ira Palmer, John Wildermuth
With Sean Penn, Tye Sheridan, Katherine Waterston, Michael Pitt, Mike Tyson, Raquel Nave
Director of photography: David Ungaro
Production companies: Sculptor Media, Force Majeure, Projected Picture Works
Distributed by Open Road Films (USA), Metropolitan Filmexport (France)
Release date: May 18, 2023 (Cannes)
Running time: 120 minutes