Doug Rao’s DIRTY BOY Lands Sales Deal with Raven Banner & Firebook, Dubbed 'The Bastard Offspring of The Sound of Music'

Doug Rao

British actor-turned-filmmaker Doug Rao has secured a major sales deal for his debut feature, DIRTY BOY, with distributors Raven Banner and Firebook.

LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, March 13, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Acclaimed British actor-turned-filmmaker Doug Rao has secured a major sales deal for his debut feature, DIRTY BOY, with renowned North American genre distributors Raven

Banner and Firebook. Following a sold-out gala screening at Cannes and packed festival showings at San Francisco and Twin Cities, DIRTY BOY continues to generate industry buzz, recently winning Best Film at The Maverick Movie Awards.

Watch the DIRTY BOY TRAILER.

Doug Rao, an award-winning actor, screenwriter, and director, has carved a distinct path in elevated genre filmmaking. His transition behind the camera follows an accomplished acting career, having performed with the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company, starred as a series regular in the BAFTA-winning crime drama The Bill, and appeared alongside Liam Neeson and Guy Pearce in the No. 1 Amazon hit, Memory.

Now making waves as a filmmaker, Rao’s DIRTY BOY showcases his bold artistic vision, blending psychological intensity with striking visual storytelling. The film about a dark cult was shot in Styria, Austria - the location used by The Sound of Music - in fact, star Graham McTavish (The Hobbit, House of the Dragon, The Witcher and Outlander) has called Dirty Boy ‘The Bastard offspring of The Sound of Music!

With Raven Banner and Firebook representing worldwide sales, the film is poised to soon shock global audiences.

“DIRTY BOY is a dark and deeply personal descent into madness and spirituality that challenges genre conventions, and I couldn’t ask for better partners than Raven Banner and Firebook to bring this provocative tale to the world,” said Rao.

Following DIRTY BOY, Rao is already financing on his next feature, GUNN, which won Gold Prize at the prestigious PAGE Screenwriting Awards, and has attracted Neil Marshall (Dog Soldiers, The Descent) to direct, with Graham McTavish starring and LA-based Citizen Skull producing.

With his signature blend of psychological depth and genre innovation, Doug Rao is fast becoming a filmmaker to watch.