Utopia Boards Julie Pacino’s NFT-Inspired & Funded ‘I Live Here Now’

EXCLUSIVE: Utopia has signed up to produce and distribute I Live Here Now, the psychological horror film being helmed by Julie Pacino.

The pic is inspired by Pacino’s cinematic NFT photography series by the same title, which consists of 100 photographs portraying three characters, each of which will appear in the film. The project begins production in April 2022.

It will follow a young actress, disillusioned with the conflicting demands on her body by Hollywood, who runs away to the Madonna Inn after finding out she’s pregnant. But, as she becomes aware of employees watching her every move, she finds that the hotel itself has an even darker interest in her body than Hollywood.

In association with Pablo Stanley and his company Blush Design, Pacino just released a second photography NFT project related to the film, titled I Live Here Now: Keepers of the Inn, on December 17. Funds generated from the project will go towards financing the feature.

Holders of NFTs from the two projects will have special access to the filmmaking process, including being able to weigh in on creative decisions.

The filmmaker is also launching an initiative to encourage female filmmakers to get into the NFT space, with women only accounting for 5% of total NFT sales to date. Her production company Tiny Apples will back a short film from the winner of its grant.

Pacino was also recently chosen by Time to be a contributor in its ‘Build a Better Future: Genesis’ NFT collection in September, which featured 40 artists in total.

“I’m incredibly inspired by the convergence of film, photography, and NFTs and how it will provide access to capital and community for independent filmmakers,” said Pacino. “The NFT space has changed my life by connecting me with an incredible community and enabling me to grow my body of work. I want this project to help pave the way for democratizing film financing and opening more doors for queer and female filmmakers to create and share their art.”

Utopia’s recent acquisitions include Gaspar Noe’s Vortex and Emma Seligman’s Shiva Baby.

“Like Julie, we see film as only one part of the full fan experience. Audiences want to engage in and around content in new ways, whether that’s acquiring merchandise, attending an event or having a personalized experience. Utopia loves working with filmmakers that want to disrupt the status quo while creating something unique and marketable,” added Dani Koenigsberg, VP, Development and Packaging for Utopia.

Julie Pacino is repped by CAA.