Boat Rocker to Finance & Distribute New Documentary

Boat Rocker is financing and handling global sales for the upcoming feature documentary The Merchants of Joy (w.t.).

From Dial Tone Films and Epic Magazine and directed and produced by Celia Aniskovich (Call Me Miss Cleo, Fruitcake Fraud), the doc delves into the fiercely competitive Christmas tree trade in New York City, where hundreds of thousands of trees are sold on the sidewalks each holiday season.

Todd Lubin (Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry, War Game) and Jack Turner (War Game, BS High, Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields) will executive produce for Boat Rocker’s Matador Content, alongside Ivan Schneeberg and David Fortier for Boat Rocker. Aniskovich and Zoe Vock (Escaping Twin Flames, Fruitcake Fraud) will produce for Dial Tone, along with Arthur Spector, Joshua Davis and Josh Bearman for Epic Magazine.

Lubin, president of unscripted at Boat Rocker Studios, said, “From turf wars to trade secrets, the intrigue, and personalities featured in The Merchants of Joy should make this an instant holiday classic.”

Turner, senior VP of scripted and documentary content for Matador, added, “Much like her previous films, Celia has assembled an unconventional and endearing cast of characters; we’re so happy to be partnering with her and Epic on this evergreen film.”

“This film began as a tell-all article Epic published from inside the Christmas tree trade in December 2022,” said Davis, co-founder of Epic Magazine. “What we didn’t realize is that the Christmas tree business is a year-round, white-knuckled hustle, which Celia began filming with extraordinary passion in January of 2023.”

“I founded Dial Tone Films to tell stories of human connection,” said Aniskovich. “The Merchants of Joy is a love letter to the people that make Christmas happen in New York City year after year. I’m thrilled to be partnering with Boat Rocker and Matador Content to shake up this snow globe in the greatest city on earth.”