The Oscar-nominated short documentary Knife Skills has been acquired by Condé Nast Entertainment. This follows last year’s acquisition when the company acquired the Oscar-nominated short documentary Joe’s Violin, also for The New Yorker’s “The Screening Room” which features award-winning short films.

The film, directed by Thomas Lennon (The Blood of Yingzhou District), follows the launch of an haute cuisine restaurant in Cleveland staffed by men and women recently released from prison.

Knife Skills follows the launch of Edwins restaurant in Cleveland, Ohio and the challenges of men and women finding their way after being released from prison in this improbable setting, with unusual dishes and its arcane French vocabulary. We come to know three trainees intimately, as well as the restaurant’s founder, who is also dogged by his past.

Produced, directed and filmed by Lennon, Knife Skills co-produced by Nick August-Perna. Executive producers are Joan Ganz Cooney and Holly Peterson. Jannat Gargi serves as co-executive producer.

Knife Skills premiered at the 2017 Traverse City Film Festival where it won the Audience Award for Best Documentary Short.