Featuring an All-Star Voice Cast Led by Abbi Jacobson, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Beanie Feldstein, Seth Rogen and Samira Wiley
The Deeply Personal, Hand Drawn Feature will release in select theaters for a qualifying run in 2026, followed by a theatrical expansion in early 2027
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NEW YORK – August 27, 2026 – Independent Film Company and Sapan Studio announced today that they have acquired North American rights to TANGLES, the critically acclaimed hand-drawn animated feature from first-time filmmaker Leah Nelson, ahead of its North American Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it will screen as part of the festival’s Centerpiece program.
Adapted by Nelson, Trev Renney and Sarah Leavitt from Leavitt’s widely praised graphic memoir, Tangles: A Story About Alzheimer’s, My Mother and Me, the film made its World Premiere as an Official Selection Special Screening at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. Independent Film Company will release the film in select theaters for a qualifying run in 2026, followed by a wider theatrical expansion in early 2027.
Featuring an extraordinary ensemble voice cast led by Abbi Jacobson, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Beanie Feldstein, Seth Rogen and Samira Wiley, TANGLES is a deeply personal, poignant and unexpectedly funny portrait of a family navigating profound change. Through expressive, predominantly black-and-white animation, the film explores the realities of Alzheimer’s while capturing something far larger and more universal: the complicated bonds between parents and children, the identities we build away from home, and the love, humor and resilience that can endure even as memory begins to disappear.
The film also features the voices of Pamela Adlon, Sarah Silverman, Bowen Yang, Wanda Sykes, Phil Rosenthal, Adam Shapiro, Pat Finn and Sugar Lyn Beard.
Said Director Leah Nelson, “We have found in IFC a partner who connected deeply with our film and understands what makes TANGLES so special. I’m thrilled to be working with a team that is putting their whole heart behind its release, and I couldn’t be more excited for what’s ahead.”
“TANGLES is one of those rare films that can be deeply specific and profoundly universal at the same time,” said Ayo Kepher-Maat, Vice President of IFC Entertainment Group Acquisitions and Productions. “Leah has created something visually singular, extraordinarily moving and also genuinely funny — a film that looks honestly at an experience millions of families understand while never allowing illness to define its characters. At its heart, this is a story about family, identity, love and the complicated process of growing up. After its remarkable reception at Cannes, we are incredibly proud to partner with Sapan Studio to bring TANGLES to audiences.”
Said Josh Sapan of Sapan Studio, “The restraint of the hand drawn black and white animation allows the characters and story full emotional force. Leah Nelson and team have created a film that leaves a deep mark – as the best art does. There is no one better than IFC to bring this rare delicate work to the world.”
TANGLES is produced by Vicky Patel, Steve Barnett and Alan Powell of Monarch Media; Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, Alex McAtee and Madeline Blair of Point Grey Pictures; Ross Murray, Teresa Toews, Jay Grandin and Leah Nelson through Giant Ant; Lauren Miller Rogen, Jen W. Ray and Sophie Hoegh through LYLAS Pictures; and Louis-Dreyfus. The deal was negotiated by Ayo Kepher-Maat on behalf of Independent Film Company and UTA Independent Film Group and CAA Media Finance on behalf of the filmmakers.
About Independent Film Company
Independent Film Company is a leading U.S. distributor of independent cinema at the forefront of championing boundary-pushing, thought-provoking films for 25 years, with a commitment to delivering high-quality, filmmaker-driven cinema across all genres. Independent Film Company’s slate reaches a national audience through theatrical releases, cable Video On Demand (VOD), and digital platforms.
Some of the company’s successes over the years include Andrew Haigh’s 45 YEARS, Jennifer Kent’s THE BABADOOK, Matthew Johnson’s BLACKBERRY, Richard Linklater’s BOYHOOD, Armando Iannucci’s THE DEATH OF STALIN, Noah Baumbach’s FRANCES HA, David France’s HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE, Chris Nash’s IN A VIOLENT NATURE, Colin and Cameron Cairnes’ LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL, Stephen Frears’ THE LOST KING, Adam Elliot’s MEMOIR OF A SNAIL, Olivier Assayas’ PERSONAL SHOPPER, Tran Anh Hung’s THE TASTE OF THINGS, Michael Winterbottom’s THE TRIP, and Chloe Okuno’s WATCHER.