A Three-Headed Distribution Partnership

Samuel Goldwyn Films, Stratosphere Releasing and CanWest Entertainment (a Canadian media company) have merged to form a new film distribution company, Independent Distribution Partnership, or IDP, a New York-based company that will specialize in independent and foreign fare. IDP’s first film release is the director’s cut of Luc Besson’s 1988 film “The Big Blue,” which will come out in Los Angeles on July 28. Other films on IDP’s slate include Liv Ullmann’s “Faithless” (which is based on a script by Ingmar Bergman and debuted at last month’s Cannes Film Festival); “Smiling Fish and Goat on Fire,” which took the Discovery Award at last year’s Toronto Film Festival; and the Spanish-language drama “Solas.”

Strange Scene

What do you get when you take comedians Eddie Griffin (“Foolish” and TV’s “Malcolm & Eddie”), Orlando Jones (the star of those cheeky “Up Yours” 7-Up television commercials), writer-director George Gallo (who wrote “Wise Guys” and “Midnight Run”) and a flock of emus and plunk them in the Lancaster desert during a sandstorm? A scene from the upcoming crime-comedy “Double Take,” about a man on the run from the law who takes refuge at a Texas emu ranch.

“It’s Sergio Leone territory out there,” Gallo quipped to producer David Permut, while waiting for the sand to settle to shoot the day’s martini shot. Sand, tumbleweeds and emus notwithstanding, Gallo was able to wrap the scene in time for the cast and crew to watch one of the NBA championship games at a local hotel. Touchstone will release “Double Take” in January.