Benjamin Bratt sues to collect film bonuses

LOS ANGELES - Benjamin Bratt is suing the distributor of his film, "La Mission," over an alleged failure to pay agreed-upon bonuses for the film's box office performance.

According to a complaint filed last week in Los Angeles Superior Court, Bratt and his colleagues at 5 Stick Films allege that distributor Screen Media Ventures signed a contract that entitled it to two bonus payments if the film's box office gross receipts exceeded $500,000 and $1 million.

"La Mission" was released in select theaters in May to mixed reviews but picked up the support of the Latino and gay community for positive portrayals.

The film, which was directed by Bratt's brother Peter, nabbed several honors at the Imagen Awards in August. The film has grossed more than $1 million.

The box office performance entitles 5 Stick, which produced the film, to collect $200,000 for reaching the half-million mark and another $200,000 for reaching the million mark, according to the lawsuit.

However, 5 Stick claims that the first payment was late and the second payment never came.

Joseph Kovacs, president of Screen Media says he hasn't seen the complaint yet, but says "there's a disagreement on the guidelines on how to interpret when the film reached certain results."