IFC Midnight picks up Jeffrey Dahmer doc

August 8, 2012 by Adam Benzine

"Jeff" aka "The Jeffrey Dahmer Files"

IFC Midnight has acquired all North American and UK rights to director Chris James Thompson’s documentary The Jeffrey Dahmer Files, which premiered at SXSW in Texas earlier this year under the title Jeff (pictured).

The distributor is planning an early 2013 release for the doc, which looks at serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, who in 1991 was arrested in Milwaukee and sentenced to 957 years in prison for killing 17 people and dismembering their bodies.

The film explores the city of Milwaukee by meeting those close to Dahmer during and after his killing spree, blending talking head interviews with recreations. Jonathan Sehring, president of Sundance Selects/IFC Films, said: “Chris James Thompson has made one of the creepiest documentaries of the year that lingers in the mind long after the film has ended.

“He’s approached the well-known subject of Jeffrey Dahmer in a new and inventive way that managed to completely unnerve us. It also promises you will never eat a sandwich quite the same way. We look forward to working with Chris as well as the entire team that made this film.”

Thompson added: “I couldn’t be more proud of this film and everyone from Milwaukee to Bombay that helped mold it from a four-year meandering experiment into the fresh cinematic oddity it is today.”

The deal was negotiated by Arianna Bocco, senior VP of acquisitions and productions for Sundance Selects/IFC Films, with Josh Braun of Submarine Entertainment acting on behalf of the filmmakers.

The doc was produced by Thompson and Jack Turner, and co-written by Thompson, Andrew Swant and Joe Riepenhoff, with Chris Smith and Barry Poltermann exec producing the project.

Tags: Arianna Bocco, Chris James Thompson, IFC Films, Jeff, Jeffrey Dahmer, Jonathan Sehring, Josh Braun, SXSW, The Jeffrey Dahmer Files

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http://www.youtube.com/user/ScottSaysMYOB2013 Scott

So when is the DVD coming out this year?

Can’t wait to see this, as it wasn’t shown where I live, in it’s limited independent run in 2012. This is the one true crime case I’ve researched thoroughly to get the truth and totally ignoring the hogwash from all those quick-cash-in paperbacks released around the time the story first broke in 1991. On the 20th anniversary of Dahmer’s apprehension, I had posted a 3-part memorial to the 17 victims on YouTube, and it’s still available to watch there. A few of the people and family members located for this documentary, I haven’t seen or heard much from them since maybe the mid 90′s, like Eddie Smith’s sister and Anthony Hughes’ mother Shirley.

And I’m still disappointed the city of Milwaukee is full of BS and has yet to live up their promise to have some kind of memorial site for the 17 victims, originally was to be built near the now fenced-off apartments where most of the crimes happened.
http://www.youtube.com/user/ScottSaysMYOB2013 Scott

Just rented this via Amazon: 4 1/2 stars, one of the two best documentaries I’ve seen on the Dahmer case. This one was mostly interviews and it was kinda like a family reunion because I’m all too familiar with the three main people interviewed, especially detective Pat Kennedy and neighbor Pamela Bass. Also some news footage, pictures (nothing gory, just skulls, bones, x-rays and dental x-rays). There’s also a few dramatized scenes with an actor who looks a lot like Jeffrey, so it makes it more believable, no violent scenes. Too bad they didn’t find and interview family members, like Eddie Smith’s sister, Shirley Hughes, and Weinberger’s adoptive dad, who filed and lost a lawsuit against the city of Milwaukee. The other decent documentary (“Born To Kill?”) had a few of those people interviewed, and a couple of the victims’ friends. Back then, it was too soon for people to be calmly interviewed, but Pamela still sounds a little shaken by it. Kennedy’s never had problems talking about it because he had to basically befriend Jeffrey as he was interviewing him and spending a lot of time with him to get every detail and identify everyone. I’d only rent it via Amazon if you’re really interested in the subject, or just wait and rent the DVD later if it ever comes out. If you’re a documentary fan, yes. I really don’t even watch movies anymore (not new ones and rare exceptions), I’d rather watch a docu and learn something LOL

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Realscreen Summit 2013 - Passion Distribution\'s Sally Miles

IFC Midnight picks up Jeffrey Dahmer doc

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