“Test,” the award-winning gay bodybuilding drama from director Sam McConnell, has been acquired by Dark Star Pictures for U.S. and Canadian distribution.
Written by and starring Brock Yurich (“Goat”), the film also features Tammy Blanchard (“Into the Woods”), Matthew Morrison (“Glee”), Paloma Garcia-Lee (“West Side Story”), Evan Hall (“Orange Is the New Black”) and Mike Edward (“M3GAN 2.0”).
The film had its world premiere at SXSW London earlier this year and has since garnered numerous accolades on the international and domestic festival circuit.
Set against the competitive world of amateur bodybuilding, “Test” follows Eddie (Yurich), a closeted young man from small-town Ohio who dreams of achieving physical perfection and pursuing a career in bodybuilding. Living with his emotionally demanding, devoutly religious mother (Blanchard) and earning money as a cam model, Eddie channels his frustrations and desires into an obsessive devotion to his body. When he begins training under a renowned coach and rekindles an old romance, his future appears promising. But as he navigates an unexpected queer awakening, the pressures of competition, religious guilt and the dangerous world of performance-enhancing drugs threaten to unravel everything he’s worked toward.
Following its world premiere at SXSW London, “Test” has enjoyed an acclaimed festival run, with screenings at Provincetown International Film Festival, Frameline, Outfest Los Angeles and Deauville American Film Festival. The film earned the Audience Award for best narrative feature at Provincetown, the Jury Award for outstanding first narrative feature at Frameline, the Emerging Narrative Feature Award at Queer Screen in Sydney and the Canal+ Jury Prize at Deauville.
“Test” will next screen at NewFest in New York City on Oct. 21.
Written by Yurich in his feature screenwriting debut, “Test” is a production of Tandem Pictures and Hardball Entertainment, produced by Julie Christeas, Daryl Freimark and Yurich, with Jim McCauley, McConnell and Derek Strum serving as executive producers.
“‘Test’ is a bold and compelling film that offers a fresh perspective on the traditional sports drama,” said Michael Repsch, president of Dark Star Pictures. “Sam McConnell has crafted a powerful story about identity, ambition and the pressures of living up to expectations, anchored by outstanding performances from Brock Yurich and Tammy Blanchard. We’re thrilled to bring this film to audiences across the country.”
McConnell said, “‘Test’ is a film about finding the strength to be your true self and recognizing your own worth — themes that resonate deeply with me and make this story especially meaningful. Sharing the film with audiences at festivals around the world has been the most rewarding experience of my career, and I’m thrilled to partner with Dark Star Pictures, whose belief in ‘Test’ and commitment to a robust theatrical release will allow even more audiences to discover the film as we intended — on the big screen.”
Dark Star is planning a 2027 theatrical release.
The deal was negotiated by Repsch and Bill Straus of Bridge Independent on behalf of the filmmakers.
