Vanguard Cinema to distribute diverse feature film, "Tenderloin"

From The Hollywood Reporter:

Vanguard Cinema has acquired "Tenderloin" for direct-to-DVD and digital distribution.

Written by Ned Miller and directed by Michael Anderson, the drama stars Kurt Yaeger (pictured) as a wounded Iraq War veteran who moves into the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco, where his self-destructive drinking is interrupted by locals, including his son.

The film premiered in October at the Mill Valley (Calif.) Film Festival and is seeking a slot at the Los Angeles Film Festival in June.

"Tenderloin" is notable for its diversity; Yaeger is an amputee as a result of a motorcycle accident. According to performers unions SAG and AFTRA, the film is one of the most diverse features ever made, featuring black, Asian and Latina characters, plus several actors older than 60 and two transvestites.

As a performer with a disability, Yaeger has taken aim at breaking down barriers for disabled actors. More than 57 million Americans have a disability, but less than half of 1% of all words spoken on TV come from a disabled person.