Kate Tsang’s debut feature has secured North American distribution. FilmRise landed rights to “Marvelous and the Black Hole,” a coming-of-age story about a teenage girl (Miya Cech) and her unlikely friendship with a party magician (Rhea Perlman). Deadline broke the news.

Described by Tsang as an exploration of grief and “a joyful celebration of resilience,” the comedy is loosely based on the writer-director’s “experiences with depression, feeling isolated, and attempting to find hope within this dark and confusing time,” she told us.

“Marvelous and the Black Hole’s” central relationship was inspired by Tsang’s relationship with her grandfather, who helped raise her after her parents’ divorce. “When I had insomnia, he would tell stories to help me sleep — stories that I would later realize were his own horrifying experiences with the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong that he transformed into wondrous and cathartic fairy tales,” she recalled. “My grandfather taught me the power of channeling pain into something beautiful and powerful.”

“The combination of releasing Kate Tsang’s directorial debut film featuring the terrific performance of 2021 Sundance Film Festival breakout star Miya Cech opposite the masterful comic timing of Rhea Perlman in a unique coming of age comedy, was irresistible. This film is a stellar addition to our growing library of films by underrepresented filmmakers telling untold stories,” said Danny Fisher, CEO of FilmRise.