Frankenstein Horror-Comedy ‘Dead Lover’ Acquired Out of SXSW

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Dead Lover has become the inaugural feature acquisition from a new distribution venture between Cartuna and Dweck Productions, marking one of the first deals from the 2025 SXSW Film Festival.

The film from writer-director Grace Glowicki was purchased by Cartuna x Dweck out of SXSW, where the movie made its Texas debut on March 9 after its world premiere at Sundance’s Midnight section earlier this year. Glowicki stars alongside Ben Petrie, Leah Doz and Lowen Morrow in the Frankenstein-themed project that blends elements of horror, comedy and romance.

Dead Lover stars Glowicki as a gravedigger whose whirlwind affair with her perfect match (Petrie) ends tragically when he drowns at sea. This leads her to attempt to resurrect him through cutting-edge scientific experiments.

Cartuna x Dweck is planning a theatrical release, although details about a release date have not yet been shared. Glowicki (Tito) helmed the feature from a script she co-wrote with Petrie. Glowicki, Petrie and Yona Strauss serve as producers on the film that hails from Neon Heart Productions.

“We firmly believe that we are at the early stages of a historic creative movement,” Cartuna founder and CEO James Belfer said in a statement. “Inventive, boundary-pushing storytellers need more distribution support now than ever. This collective of producers has opted to take matters into our own hands and it’s our sincere hope that it will inspire others to do the same.”

Dweck Productions co-founder Hannah Dweck said in her own statement: “What Grace and her collaborators have dug up from their creative depths is like nothing I’ve ever seen before and we are so honored to be a part of this infinitely imaginative team. We can’t wait to set this exuberantly unrestrained, disgusting, beautiful, smelly, exhumed corpse of a rom-com loose on the world!”

Cartuna, which launched its film distribution arm last year, is known for its work on the physical release of last year’s indie hit Hundreds of Beavers and was also an investor for Broadway’s Oh, Mary! Dweck is known for producing such indie titles as Jane Schoenbrun’s We’re All Going to the World’s Fair and Tyler Taormina’s Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point.

Glowicki added, “We feel touched by kismet to be working with Cartuna x Dweck! Individually, both companies are stalwart champions of independent voices in cinema, and we’re in love with their vision for a united superfront putting out movies with a fresh, individualized approach. Ben, Yona and I are thrilled to be putting our brains together with them on rolling out Dead Lover!”