Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY Releasing has acquired distribution rights for two films from emerging South Asian multi-hyphenates: Agam Darshi’s “Donkeyhead” and Sujata Day’s “Definition Please.” A press release announced that ARRAY will distribute both pics in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, with the additional territory of Canada for “Definition Please.” You can catch both on Netflix starting January 21.
“ARRAY Releasing is proud to distribute the work of Sujata Day and Agam Darshi, two promising South Asian women filmmakers who both wrote, directed, and star in their directorial debuts,” said Tilane Jones, President of ARRAY. “’Definition Please’ and ‘Donkeyhead’ beautifully showcase the dynamic talent of their creators while sharing the oftentimes humorous dynamics of tradition and culture that film lovers of all kinds can relate to, appreciate, and celebrate.”
Named after “a term of endearment used by Punjabi parents towards their children,” “Donkeyhead” sees Darshi (“Funny Boy”) playing Mona, “a failed writer who carves out a life of isolation while caring for her ailing Sikh father. When he suffers a debilitating stroke, her three successful siblings show up on her doorstep determined to take control of the situation.”
“Definition Please” stars Day (“Insecure”) as Monica, “a former Scribbs Spelling Bee champion who must reconcile with her estranged brother when he returns home to help care for their sick mother.”
“Cousins” and “In Our Mothers’ Gardens” were among the titles ARRAY released in 2021. The former, a drama from Māori filmmaking duo Ainsley Gardiner and Briar Grace-Smith, tells the story of three cousins, and the latter, a documentary directed by Shantrelle P. Lewis, focuses on Black women and Black families, and specifically relationships between mothers and daughters.