Kino Lorber Acquires North American Rights to Luis Guzman’s Indie Drama “Story Ave”

Luis Guzman’s story is headed to U.S. theaters…

Kino Lorber has acquired the North American rights to the indie drama Story Ave, starring the 66-year-old Puerto Rican actor and Asante Blackk.

Luis GuzmánKino Lorber is slating the film for release in theaters in October, with an on digital and home video debut to follow.

Marking the feature debut of well-known music video director Aristotle Torres, the film tells the story of Kadir (Blackk), a South Bronx teen and gifted visual artist who loses his way following the death of his younger brother. Overcome with grief and struggling with school and family, he escapes into the creative yet dangerous world of graffiti gangs. To prove himself and join his neighborhood’s ruling gang, Kadir attempts to rob MTA conductor Luis (Guzmán) on the Story Ave subway platform, only to be caught off guard when Luis agrees to give Kadir the cash if he’ll sit down to a meal with him. Following their conversation and the delicate friendship that grows out of it, Kadir sees for the first time how his artistic talent could lead to a better life.

A FirstGen Content and Foxxhole Entertainment Production, in association with Mero Mero Production, The Space Program and Dark Rabbit ProductionsStory Ave won a Special Jury Award for Cinematography at SXSW upon its world premiere at the Austin, TX festival. Torres and Bonsu Thompson wrote the film also starring Melvin Gregg (Snowfall), Alex R. Hibbert (Moonlight) and Coral Peña (For All Mankind).

Said Kino Lorber’s SVP of Theatrical Distribution and Acquisitions, Wendy Lidell, “Story Ave is a New York story unlike any we’ve seen before. Aristotle Torres shines an authentic light on the South Bronx, its beauty never eclipsed by its hardships, and offers audiences the true gift of a complex and worthy role for the immensely talented Luis Guzmán.”

Added Torres in his statement, “I am incredibly honored that my first film has been acquired by Kino Lorber. This partnership with such a renowned distributor is a dream come true, and I am grateful for their recognition of my work.”

Continued the filmmaker, “The team and I invested our hearts and souls into this project, and I am thrilled to see it find a home with such a prestigious brand. I am excited to collaborate with Kino Lorber to bring my film to audiences on a wider scale and share the unique vision we’ve created. This is just the beginning of an exciting journey, and I can’t wait to continue creating meaningful stories that resonate with audiences everywhere.”

Zion & Lennox Sign Worldwide Booking Deal with Magnus Talent Agency

Zion & Lennox are going global…

The Puerto Rican reggaeton duo have signed a worldwide booking deal with Magnus Talent Agency, the bookings division of Marc Anthony‘s Magnus Media, according to Billboard.

Zion & Lennox

Effective today, MTA will act as the exclusive worldwide booking agency for the duo for all concerts and personal appearances.

“Zion & Lennox are true pioneers in urban music and their dynamic live performances filled with chart hits have captivated fans on multiple continents. We are thrilled to become a part of their team as they embark on this next phase of their career, and it’s an honor to welcome them to the Magnus family” commented Michel Vega, CEO, Magnus Talent Agency.

“We trust the experience and professionalism of Magnus and we are confident that this new partnership between Zion & Lennox will strengthen our careers in this great moment we are living as music creators,” added Zion & Lennox.

Zion & Lennox have 22 entries on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart including five top 10.

La Mega 97.9’s Alex Sensation Signs with Magnus Talent Agency

Alex Sensation has new representation…

The Colombian DJ, who hosts two programs on SBSLa Mega 97.9 FM, the most-listened-to station in New York City, has signed with Magnus Talent Agency for exclusive booking.

Alex Sensation

Alex Sensation’s performances as a recording artist and DJ (as well as other public appearances) will now be handled by Magnus in the national and international markets.

He’s the latest addition to MTA, which was launched in January as a division of Magnus Media, the entertainment company founded by Marc Anthony.

He joins a roster that already includes Gente de Zona, Motiff, Nacho, Il Volo for Latin America and, Anthony, among other acts.

“I’m very grateful to Marc and his team for making me feel at home and for being part of an exciting new chapter in my career,” said Sensation in a statement.

The Colombian-born DJ is also signed as a recording artist with In-Tu-Linea, the indie label distributed by UMLE, and is slated to release a solo album soon.

Magnus was launched in early 2015 and aside from its talent agency, also includes a label, management, publishing, merchandising and distribution divisions. MTA is run directly by Michel Vega, Magnus’ CEO, who as the longtime former head of Latin music at WME booked some of Latin music’s premiere acts for years.

“Opening an agency made complete sense to us as part of our overall portfolio,” Vega told Billboard. “And we absolutely want to grow. This is a big focus of ours.”