Highland Film Group takes international rights to Timur Bekmambetov’s cyber heist thriller LifeHack following its SXSW premiere and critical acclaim.
Digital Mayhem Meets Movie Momentum
The Cyber Heist Thriller LifeHack is crashing the 2025 American Film Market with all the precision of a high-stakes digital break-in. Highland Film Group (HFG) has landed international rights to Timur Bekmambetov’s newest screen-life creation — a move that underscores how the intersection of innovation and entertainment economics is reshaping global film markets.
Premiering at SXSW Film Festival to a 100 % Rotten Tomatoes score, LifeHack earned instant street cred. Its blend of digital tension, smart storytelling, and fun-loving style makes it the kind of project buyers chase from Santa Monica to Berlin.
Screen-Life 2.0: Timur Bekmambetov’s Digital Frontier
Timur Bekmambetov has long been Hollywood’s quiet disruptor. The filmmaker-producer behind Searching and Missing turned screen-life storytelling — where the entire movie unfolds across digital screens — into a full-fledged genre. His earlier hits turned micro-budgets into multi-million-dollar box-office success, proving that tech-driven narratives could also be commercially delicious.
With LifeHack, Bekmambetov expands the format again, giving it flavor, fun-loving mischief, and a timely edge. The story follows Kyle and his crew of cyber Robin Hoods who hack scammers and target the internet’s favorite villains. When their latest scheme hits a crypto billionaire, their virtual heist sparks real-world chaos.
It’s a cocktail of cyber warfare, moral ambiguity, and pulse-pounding rhythm — the kind of high-concept story that excites both distributors and audiences from Los Angeles to Seoul.
Highland Film Group: Market Smarts Meet Movie Muscle
“LifeHack is a riveting heist film. We are delighted to collaborate with producer Timur Bekmambetov…”
CEO Arianne Fraser
Highland Film Group
“…who invented the screen-life genre as it stands today and has made it highly profitable with many global successes including Searching, Missing and Unfriended.”
“This is such a smart and entertaining project with cross-generational reach.”
COO Delphine Perrier
Highland Film Group
“…it connects all generations with its strong emotional pull and unexpected plot twists.”
HFG has a track record of spotting sharp-edged, high-energy stories with international potential — from Land of Bad to Sleeping Dogs. With its established network across Cannes’ Marché du Film, Berlin’s EFM, and the American Film Market, Highland Film Group is quietly building a catalogue that feels like the cinematic version of a good espresso — bold, fast, and global in flavor.
The Market Context: From AFM to Cannes and Beyond
Deals like LifeHack remind us that film markets are where global cinema truly happens. The American Film Market (AFM) in Los Angeles joins the Marché du Film in Cannes, the European Film Market in Berlin, and the Hong Kong FILMART as key global trading floors. These events aren’t just about glamour — they’re about financing, distribution rights, and connecting filmmakers with risk-tolerant investors.
Timur Bekmambetov’s cyber heist thriller LifeHack Goes Global
If you’ve ever navigated the polished chaos of Cannes or sipped an over-priced flat white in Santa Monica while re-writing your pitch deck, you know the thrill. It’s business, but with flavor — a reminder that the film world, even at its most serious, still loves to play.
(Learn more about major film markets on StudioBinder.)
Behind the Scenes: Creative Team & Cast
Directed by Irish filmmaker Ronan Corrigan in his feature debut, and co-written with Hope Elliot Kemp, LifeHack brings together a mix of rising stars and internet-age icons:
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Georgie Farmer (Wednesday)
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Yasmin Finney (Heartstopper, Doctor Who)
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Roman Hayeck-Green (Sex Education)
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James Scholz, YouTube influencer
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Jessica Reynolds (House of Guinness)
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Charlie Creed-Miles (Peaky Blinders)
Michael Fassbender executive-produces through DMC Film alongside Daniel Emmerson and Conor McCaughan (Kneecap, The Kitchen).
It’s a line-up that mirrors the story’s cross-platform DNA — traditional acting craft mixed with influencer culture — a fun-loving and modern flavor that fits today’s audience reality.
Industry Takeaway: Smart Stories, Global Strategies
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Screen-Life Is Profitable. Timur Bekmambetov’s proven formula keeps production lean and returns high.
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Early International Positioning Counts. By announcing global sales at AFM, Highland Film Group shows confidence in global appetite.
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Cross-Generational Casts = Cross-Market Reach. From Gen Z to Gen X, LifeHack connects through digital storytelling that feels fresh yet universal.
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Fun-Loving Storytelling Sells. A heist with humor travels faster than another grimdark crime tale.
Mini FAQ
Q: What is the screen-life genre?
A: It’s a storytelling method where the entire film unfolds through digital screens — laptops, phones, video calls — pioneered by Timur Bekmambetov and used in Searching and Missing.
Q: Why is the Cyber Heist Thriller LifeHack important for Highland Film Group?
A: It aligns with HFG’s strategy of backing high-concept, globally marketable thrillers with strong emotional appeal.
The Future of Thrills Is Digital
The cyber heist thriller LifeHack isn’t just a film — it’s a statement. It signals how the digital-screen format, under Timur Bekmambetov’s direction and Highland Film Group’s global engine, is redefining what a smart, entertaining thriller looks like in 2025.
If you’re producing, investing, or programming for the next festival circuit, keep an eye on LifeHack. It’s where clever tech storytelling meets human emotion — and where the future of film might just get hacked, beautifully.
