Every week, I get several press releases, screening invitations and other notifications from a handful of studio contacts. While I won’t be sharing any information regarding my screening invites, some of the press releases might be of interest to my readers, so I thought I’d start sharing them in toto with all of you. These could include new image galleries for various films or important updates to upcoming releases from various smaller studios and art house production companies.
- Image Gallery: Tammy
- Press Release: ICFilmFest Coming to Albany Park Community Center
- Press Release: AFI Docs Announces Filmmaker Enrichment Program
- Press Release: Jan Schuette Named Dean of AFI Conservatory
- Press Release: “Video Games: The Movie” Opens in July
- Press Release: Kilburn Media and The Production Office Launch “Road Show Theatrical”<
- Press Release: “Crazywise” Exceeds Kickstarter Goal
- Press Release: “My America” Debuts on Fandor July 4
- Press Release: “Man from Reno” Wins Best Narrative Feature at Los Angeles Film Fest
- Press Release: Saban Films and Roadside Attractions to Distribute “The Homesman”
Image Gallery: Tammy
Press Release: ICFilmFest Coming to Albany Park Community Center
Second Annual ICFilmFest at the Albany Park Community Center!
Festival features 21 films from 17 countries
Chicago IL/Summer 2014-The ICFilmFest, the first touring festival of world class children’s film programs, launches its festival season at the Albany Park Community Center. Two screenings on Thursday, June 26 at 4:30 and 6pm will showcase 21 films from 17 countries for children ages 4-12.
Two lively ICFilmFest shorts programs feature stories as diverse as a delightful romp through a Busby Berkely style set in Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks and a chuckling carnival full of clever monsters in Molly Monster: Circus. When a shy Australian girl gets some help eating her huge lunch, she achieves an unexpected goal in Play Lunch, and in Luminaris a disenchanted worker escapes his dull job at a light bulb factory with a high flight of fancy.
Children have the opportunity to vote for their favorite films immediately following each program. Their participation determines the winner of the “Best of the ICFilmFest” to be awarded to the film that receives the greatest number of votes.
ICMC Executive Director Nicole Dreiske comments, “The festival experience gives children the chance to start watching movies with critical thinking filters in place. It’s fun and challenging to watch 21 films, knowing that you’ll get to pick the festival winners.”
The International Children’s Film Festival is curated by Nicole Dreiske and presented by Albany Park Community Center in collaboration with the International Children’s Media Center.
APCC Childcare and Youth Director Ahsan Akbar says, “The ICFilmFest is a great way to introduce children to global culture and the voting validates their preferences and observations. We’re excited to make this program available to our families at the Albany Park Community Center.”
Tickets (per screening) are free for Albany Park Community Center families and $5 for non-members. For more information call APCC at 773-539-5907.
Play Lunch, Australia Luminaris, Argentina
Albany Park Community Center ICFilmFest 2014 Schedule:
Thursday, June 26 at 4:30 pm
CIRCLE OF FRIENDS
Ages 2-5 (60 mins)
Whether it’s reaching for the stars or a cup of hot cocoa, friends are there to give the extra boost that makes everything worthwhile. Watch as a kind moon sees a little boy safely home, giggle at Molly Monster’s special circus, and take a seat with Spot and Splodge as they learn the dentist isn’t so scary after all. Circle of Friendsfeatures 12 films from 10 countries: Ballet of Unhatched Chicks (US), Knitting Girl: The Bridge (Taiwan), Snow (US), Pim & Pom: Around the World (Netherlands), Obetomo School: Magnet (Japan), Violoncello (Russia), Molly Monster: Circus (Germany/Switzerland/Sweden), Shoelace (Australia), Rainy Day Friends (Taiwan), Kind Moon (Iran), The Red Hen (US), and Spot and Splodge: “At the Dentist” (Sweden).
Thursday, June 26 at 6pm
Maybe It’s Magic
Ages 8+ (78 mins)
The characters in this shorts program invite viewers to take a closer look and notice the magic in moments both simple and sublime. Explore dazzling ice caverns with Nokomi and hold your breath as a shy girl brings compassion to the playground, celebrate Claudio’s creativity in Colored Pencils, and control the mysteries of time at the Tick Tock Emporium. Maybe It’s Magic includes 9 films from 8 countries:pl.nk! (Norway/Poland), The Toboggan (Canada), Play Lunch (Australia), Luminaris (Argentina), In a Heartbeat (Iceland), Nokomi (France), Colored Pencils (Brazil), Eyes on the Stars (US), and Tick Tock Emporium (USA).
Credits
The ICFilmFest is supported by the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation and the MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation and by Howard and Pam Conant.
Press Release: AFI Docs Announces Filmmaker Enrichment Program
AFI DOCS ANNOUNCES FILMMAKER ENRICHMENT PROGRAM
Tickets Now Available for Catalyst Screenings with Filmmakers and Policy Leaders
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Monday, June 16, 2014, Washington, DC – AFI DOCS announced details today for the AFI DOCS Filmmaker Enrichment Program, a series of professional development sessions which embody the mandate of the festival – to bring together the nation’s leaders and the nation’s leading artists.
The new program includes both a Policy Engagement Series — an opportunity for festival filmmakers to meet with congressional and federal agency staff and Impact Panels dedicated to helping filmmakers amplify their message within stakeholder communities.
Also announced today are details for the AFI DOCS Catalyst Screenings. These are film screenings followed by discussions on diverse subjects – homeless youth seeking an education, skyrocketing college tuition and government overreach. Tickets to the AFI DOCS Catalyst Screenings are now available.
“AFI’s Filmmaker Enrichment Program is our commitment to bring opportunities to artists that are unique to our location in Washington,” said Christine O’Malley, AFI DOCS 2014 Festival Director. “This year’s program will allow intimate conversations to take place not only between filmmakers and film industry experts but also with policymakers and influencers.”
In addition to the Filmmaker Enrichment Program, The Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands will host a roundtable discussion for women filmmakers. The Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands and CNN Films also will host networking receptions for festival artists.
FILMMAKER ENRICHMENT PROGRAM
POLICY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM
This second annual AFI DOCS program held at the U.S. Capitol will give festival filmmakers a behind-the-scenes look at how Washington really works and how films can have an impact. Filmmakers will have the opportunity to engage with senior policymakers across many disciplines. The program will include a strategic overview of impact points in the policymaking process, advice on how to engage leaders in different sectors and case studies of films that have influenced public policies including INVISIBLE WAR and SEMPER FI. It will help identify opportunities for filmmakers to increase the impact of their own films by building relationships with political leaders and organizations.
IMPACT PANELS
Invited documentarians from across the United States will join festival filmmakers to participate in panel discussions dedicated to helping them as artists navigate the film industry. Film distribution executives, funders and nonprofits will advise filmmakers on effectively reaching the broadest audience possible.
GETTING REAL — CREATING CHANGE FROM THE INSIDE OUT,
presented by the International Documentary Association
When: Thursday, June 19, 2014, 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Where: Naval Heritage Center – Presidents Room 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC
In conversation with two filmmaking teams, the top doc impact funder and a leading strategist, lead “live” case studies. Fledgling Fund’s Emily Verellen moderates a panel exploring the campaign around DOCUMENTED, a film by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and immigration activist Jose Antonio Vargas, which premiered at AFI DOCS 2013. Strategist Patricia Finneran – BULLY, HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE – leads a discussion with producers/directors Robin Blotnick and Rachel Lears applying the brand new BRITDOC Impact Learning Modules to THE HAND THAT FEEDS, the story of low-wage workers organizing for change, which is already causing a stir.
CONTENT THAT MATTERS, ENGAGEMENT THAT COUNTS,
sponsored by Center for Public Broadcasting (CPB)
When: Friday, June 20, 2014, 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Where: Naval Heritage Center – Presidents Room 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC
Engagement strategists share how public media content sparks dialogue and makes social impact. Panelists are Tamara Gould (moderator), Senior Vice President, National Productions and Strategic Partnerships, Independent Television Service (ITVS); Rich Homberg, President/CEO, Detroit Public Television; Eliza Licht, POV, Vice President, Community Engagement & Education; Heidi Nel, Principal, Picture Motion; Lauren Prestileo, AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, Series Manager; Duong Chi-Do, Director of Engagement & Education, ITVS; and Felicia Pride, Writer/Producer, Founder and Chief Content Officer, Pride Collaborative.
CATALYST SCREENINGS
Open to ticketholders, these powerful films, truthfully told, can serve as catalysts for artists and political leaders to confront the most critical issues of our day. AFI DOCS offers a platform to extend the issues highlighted in the films into a live forum for discussion, debate and understanding. Discussions run 40 minutes immediately following the screening.
Thursday, June 19, 2014
4:00 p.m. at the National Portrait Gallery
THE NEWBURGH STING DIRS Kate Davis, David Heilbroner. USA. Just 60 miles north of New York City sits the poverty-stricken town of Newburgh, where, in 2009, four men were arrested for a plan to bomb two Jewish centers in the Bronx. But their leader, a suspicious Pakistani businessman planted by the government as an informant, led these men straight into the hands of the authorities.
Join co-directors Kate Davis and David Heilbroner for a post-screening discussion with moderator Mark Leibovich, Chief National Correspondent, New York Times Magazine; Nihad Awad, Executive Director and Founder, Council on American – Islamic Relations; Salam al-Marayati, President, Muslim Public Affairs Council; Sam Braverman, film subject and attorney; and Mike German, Brennan Center for Justice Fellow.
4:15 p.m. at the Naval Heritage Center
IVORY TOWER DIR Andrew Rossi. USA.
IVORY TOWER questions the purpose of higher education in an era when the price of college has increased more than that of any other service in the U.S. economy since 1978. While many college graduates struggle to find menial employment waiting tables and cleaning toilets, new student loans over the next 10 years will total $184 billion. Even the once-heroic, tuition-free holdout Cooper Union in New York City now charges students, thanks in large part to hedge-fund loans and flashy facilities costing more than $170 million. Filmmaker Andrew Rossi reveals the moment in history when the United States, long regarded as the epicenter of higher education, embraced a business model promoting property expansion over quality learning. Through interviews with Andrew Delbanco, Anya Kamenetz and internet education pioneer Daphne Koller, cofounder of the revolutionary online platform Coursera, IVORY TOWER exposes the instability of traditional college education as it searches the country for alternative forms of cost-effective learning, ranging from concepts of self-governance taught at Deep Springs College in Big Pine, California, to the unofficial hacker houses of Northern California. Filmmaker Andrew Rossi will be joined by Anthony Carnevale, Center on Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University; Jeff Selingo, author, College (Un)Bound and contributing editor, The Chronicle of Higher Education; and moderator Christine Romans, EARLY START (CNN).
7:15 p.m. at the Naval Heritage Center
THE INTERNET’S OWN BOY DIR Brian Knappenberger. USA.
As a teenager, Aaron Swartz was a computer-programming prodigy with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. After emerging as a pioneer of Internet activism, education and politics, he was indicted on multiple federal charges in 2011 and 2012, setting off a complex chain of events that left the Internet community reeling. Shortly thereafter, at the age of 26, Swartz was found dead of an apparent suicide in his Brooklyn apartment. His family, friends and supporters immediately blamed the prosecutors of the case, who aimed to put him in jail for 35 years. Swartz was persecuted for the very rights and freedoms for which he stood, and that ultimately broke him. Weaving together home video footage and anecdotal interviews from Swartz’s closest confidants, Brian Knappenberger creates a dynamic portrait of a precocious boy who grew up to lead the Internet community into a new age of data sharing and free speech. Cecilia Kang, The Washington Post, will moderate a discussion with filmmaker Brian Knappenberger; David Segal, Demand Progress; Ben Wikler, host of The Good Fight.
Friday, June 20, 2014
11:00 a.m. at the Naval Heritage Center
Sponsored by Center for Public Broadcasting.
THE HOMESTRETCH DIRS Anne de Mare, Kirsten Kelly. USA.
High school can be tough under any circumstances, as each generation works to carve out a promising future through education. But what if there is the added burden of having no consistent place to call home? This powerful film follows three homeless teens – Kasey, Anthony and Roque – as they share their struggles and victories while navigating their way through the Chicago public school system and clearing the challenging hurdles of life. Filmmakers Kirsten Kelly and Anne de Mare will be joined by subjects Maria Rivera and Anthony Lynch for a post-screening discussion with Darla Bardine, National Network for Youth; Ja’Sent Brown – Homeless Education State Coordinator, Division of Elementary and Secondary Education – DC Public Schools
AT&T is the presenting sponsor of AFI DOCS 2014. American Airlines is the official airline of AFI and a proud sponsor of the festival. The Washington Post is proud to be a major media sponsor. Additional major sponsors include ABC News, Center for Public Broadcasting, Stephanie and Hunter Hunt and Stella Artois.
Press Release: Jan Schuette Named Dean of AFI Conservatory
JAN SCHUETTE NAMED DEAN OF AFI CONSERVATORY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, LOS ANGELES, CA, JUNE 17, 2014 – The American Film Institute (AFI) announced today the appointment of director, producer and academic leader Jan Schuette as the new Dean of the AFI Conservatory. Concluding a global search to lead the world-renowned program into the future, Schuette comes from the German Film and Television Academy, Berlin, the production-based conservatory where he has served as Director since 2010.
“The AFI Conservatory was born nearly 50 years ago – inspired by the European conservatory model,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI President and CEO. “Today it remains unique in that we promise MFA candidates that they will make at least four films in two years. And so we searched the world for an academic leader who has also made movies – who has lived it. We are proud to say we found that person in Jan Schuette and look forward to his tenure beginning in the fall.”
“To serve as the Dean of the AFI Conservatory, one of the top film schools in the world, is a huge honor and an enormous challenge at the same time” stated Schuette. “I am delighted about the opportunity to continue my work on a new level and look forward to this next chapter of my life in film.”
Schuette’s background also includes tenures at Harvard University and Dartmouth College, in addition to teachings at Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg where he established the internationally recognized master class program Atelier Ludwigsburg Paris.
Schuette is an international filmmaker whose work as a director and producer spans over three decades. Schuette’s films have premiered in Cannes, Venice, Locarno, San Sebastian and Toronto, and have won numerous national and international awards. Schuette has served on prestigious festival juries, including the Cinéfondation Jury at the Cannes Film Festival and the International Drama Jury at the Sundance Film Festival. Schuette is a member of the Akademie der Künste Berlin Brandenburg and of the European Film Academy. He studied Literature, Philosophy and Art History in Hamburg, Tübingen, and Zürich.
As previously announced, current AFI Conservatory Dean Robert Mandel is stepping down after nine years in the role. He will continue to be involved with the AFI Conservatory as a member of the Directing discipline staff, while also returning to directing in the entertainment community.
About the AFI Conservatory
The American Film Institute is America’s promise to preserve the history of the motion picture, to honor the artists and their work and to educate the next generation of storytellers. The AFI Conservatory offers a two-year Master of Fine Arts degree in six filmmaking disciplines: Cinematography, Directing, Editing, Producing, Production Design and Screenwriting. Aspiring artists learn from the masters in a collaborative, hands-on production environment with an emphasis on storytelling. AFI Conservatory’s alumni have been consistently recognized with all of the major industry awards – Academy® Awards, Emmy® Awards, Guild Awards – and even the Tony® Award. Esteemed director, producer and screenwriter James L. Brooks serves as Artistic Director of the AFI Conservatory where he provides creative leadership for the elite film program. Sony is a proud supporter of the AFI Conservatory.
Press Release: “Video Games: The Movie” Opens in July
VARIANCE FILMS PRESSES START ON VIDEO GAMES: THE MOVIE OPENING IN THEATERS, ON DEMAND, AND ON iTUNES THIS JULY
Zach Braff-produced documentary chronicles the history and future of the cultural phenomenon of video games
New York, NY – June 17, 2014 – Variance Films, a division of Amplify, has acquired distribution rights for the documentary feature VIDEO GAMES: THE MOVIE. The film will be released theatrically in the United States and Canada starting July 18th, and available on iTunes and other digital platforms starting July 15th.
From executive producer Zach Braff and director Jeremy Snead, VIDEO GAMES: THE MOVIE is an epic feature length documentary chronicling the meteoric rise of video games from nerd niche to multi-billion dollar industry. Narrated by Sean Astin and featuring in-depth interviews with the godfathers who started it all, the icons of game design, and the geek gurus who are leading us into the future, VIDEO GAMES: THE MOVIE is a celebration of gaming from Atari to Xbox and an eye-opening look at what lies ahead.
“Everyone loves a great video game, but in recent years, they’ve evolved into something way beyond what any of us who grew up playing an 8-bit system could imagine,” said Dylan Marchetti of Variance Films. “But regardless of whether you’re up gaming until 3 a.m. or haven’t played a video game in decades, there’s something for you in this film, and we think audiences will be delighted.”
“Games are a part of the human experience and permeate our culture now more than ever before,” said director Jeremy Snead. “I’m thrilled that my film will expose the world to a never-before-told story of the men and women who built this industry as well as what it has become and what it will continue to evolve into, and I’m thrilled to be partnering with Variance to bring it out to the world.”
Before it hits theaters and various digital platforms, fans can pre-order the movie at www.videogamesthemovie.com.
VIDEO GAMES: THE MOVIE was directed by Jeremy Snead, executive produced by Zach Braff, and produced by Cliff Bleszinski (aka CliffyB), and Jeremy Snead. The film features interviews with Zach Braff, Chris Hardwick, Wil Wheaton, Nolan Bushnell, Hideo Kojima, Cliff Bleszinski, and Alison Haislip. Narrated by Sean Astin. The trailer, which debuts today, can be viewed at http://youtu.be/ETSKGdtrMK8.
ABOUT AMPLIFY
Amplify is a bi-coastal all-rights distribution company that aims to bring the best in global independent film to theaters and beyond. Formed in 2014 from a merger of innovative theatrical distributor Variance Films (Sound City, Red Hook Summer, Go For Sisters) and leading digital distributor GoDigital, Amplify uses cutting edge marketing and distribution techniques with a focus on working directly with filmmakers to craft hand-tailored release campaigns for each film. Led by an executive team comprised of GoDigital’s Logan Mulvey, Variance Films’ Dylan Marchetti, and former Focus Features executive Kent Sanderson, Amplify is financed by Preferred Ventures.
Press Release: Kilburn Media and The Production Office Launch “Road Show Theatrical”
KILBURN MEDIA PARTNERS WITH THE PRODUCTION OFFICE TO LAUNCH LEGIT VENTURE ‘ROAD SHOW THEATRICAL’
First production out of the gate to be “The Illusionists™ – Witness the Impossible™”
Los Angeles, CA (June 17, 2014) — Kilburn Media announced today the launch of Road Show Theatrical, a joint venture with The Production Office to produce and fully finance live theatrical productions. The announcement was made today by Kilburn’s CEO Mark Manuel and The Production Office’s Managing Partner Gregory Young. The long term goal of Road Show Theatrical is to build a well-financed and trusted destination for live theatrical projects, much the same way feature film projects currently make their way to Kilburn Media.
The first project to be financed by Road Show Theatrical is THE ILLUSIONISTSTM – Witness the ImpossibleTM, a mind-blowing spectacular that showcases seven of the most incredible Illusionists on earth. From producers Simon Painter, Tim Lawson and Magicspace Entertainment
THE ILLUSIONISTSTM – Witness the ImpossibleTM has shattered box office records across the globe and dazzles audiences of all ages with a powerful mix of the most outrageous and astonishing acts ever to be seen on stage.
The U.S. inaugural run will debut at the Marquis Theater on Broadway and run from Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2014 – Sunday January 4, 2015.
“This is an exciting expansion of the business model of Kilburn Media into live theatrical productions,” said Manuel. “It further develops our model as a producer and financier of entertainment content, in all of its various formats.”
“For years we have been eager to expand our entertainment expertise to the world of Hollywood, but we want to do it right and most importantly with the right people. We have been fortunate to have found great partners in Kilburn Media,” added Young.
The Production Office is a top tier innovative, collaborative artist managing production company who has produced over 30 national and international Broadway theatrical touring shows such as the seasonal Donny & Marie Holiday Tour, the Broadway bound “Mozart,” a rock opera acquired while in Paris about Mozart’s life, as well as unique Las Vegas music residencies with popular recording artists.
Kilburn Media specializes in innovative financial solutions to the media and entertainment industry. Its privately managed film fund makes debt and equity investments in filmed entertainment.
Press Release: “Crazywise” Exceeds Kickstarter Goal
Phil Borges exceeds $75K Kickstarter goal for “CRAZYWISE” film
Documentary explores a paradigm shift in American mental health crisis
SEATTLE — Filmmakers Phil Borges and Kevin Tomlinson have exceeded the fundraising goal of a $75,000 Kickstarter campaign for “CRAZYWISE: Rethinking Madness” — a documentary that uses Borges’ experience with shamans and indigenous cultures to explore alternative approaches to mental illness diagnosis and treatment.
More than 500 people have backed the Kickstarter project so far, with pledges totaling $78,684. The campaign ends this Friday, June 20 at midnight Pacific Time.
The filmmakers yesterday announced a “Stretch Goal” of $95,000 total to cover additional production and post costs including sound design, color correction, archival photos and footage licensing.
Borges wrote a guest column for Mad In America this week titled “A Look at Madness Through the Lens of Culture.” http://www.madinamerica.com/2014/06/look-madness-lens-culture/
ABOUT THE FILM
A 20-year fascination with shamanism leads photographer and filmmaker Phil Borges to question how Western culture defines and treats severe mental disorders. Borges meets Adam Gentry, a former wakeboard champion who has struggled with mental health issues and pharmaceutical treatments, opting to experiment with alternative treatment methods.
Realizing the severity of the mental health crisis in America, Borges sets out to explore a new mental health movement led by renowned doctors, survivors and activists. He and Tomlinson conducted interviews with more than 35 experts including Robert Whitaker, Gabor Mate, M.D., Mary Olson, Ph.D., E. Fuller Torrey, M.D., Will Hall, M.A. Dipl.PW, and Sandra Ingerman, M.A., in an attempt to understand what methods may help diagnose and treat patients in the future.
In the wake of recent mass shootings in Seattle and Santa Barbara, many experts have wondered whether these tragedies could be prevented or mitigated by increasing our mental health focus in America. The common thread appears to be undiagnosed or untreated mental illness in the shooters.
1 in 5 Americans will suffer a psychological crisis in their lifetimes.
75% of crises occur before the age of 24.
Psychopharmaceuricals spending increased from $500 million in 1988 to $40 billion in 2008.
The number of people on mental disability insurance went from 1.25 million in 1988 to 4 million in 2008.
Source: National Institute of Mental Health
The mission statement of “CRAZYWISE” embodies the need for additional education and community treatment resources for those struggling with mental health issues.
The extended “CRAZYWISE” trailer is streaming and embeddable on the film’s official YouTube Channel, where the filmmakers have released more than a dozen extended expert interviews and bonus features.
Please direct media inquiries to the contacts listed at the top of this release. Directors Phil Borges and Kevin Tomlinson are available for interviews.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
Phil Borges – Social Documentary Photographer and Filmmaker
For more than 25 years, Phil Borges has been documenting indigenous and tribal cultures, striving to create an understanding of the challenges they face. His work is exhibited in museums and galleries worldwide, and his award winning books have been published in four languages. Borges has hosted television documentaries on indigenous cultures for Discovery and National Geographic. As an experienced lecturer, he has spoken at multiple TED talks, including TED in 2007, TEDxRainier in 2012 and TEDxUMKC in 2013. Borges directed 13 short documentaries between 2004-2012 focusing on gender issues around the world for UN Women, CARE, ReSurge, joinFITE, Foundation for Women and One Heart.
Kevin Tomlinson – Producer, Director and Cinematographer
Kevin Tomlinson has earned numerous Emmy and Telly Awards for his network news camerawork with NBC, ABC, CBS, PBS and Discovery. He has worked with clients ranging from Microsoft, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Ford, Cineplex Odeon to Nickelodeon and the Nationally broadcast PBS series, “Travels in Europe” with Rick Steves. Tomlinson directed and co-produced the award-winning feature documentary “Back to the Garden,” which premiered at SIFF (2009) and played at more 30 international film festivals, airing both locally and nationally on PBS.
Press Release: “My America” Debuts on Fandor July 4
HAL HARTLEY’S “MY AMERICA” TO DEBUT EXCULSIVELY ON FANDOR THIS JULY 4th
SAN FRANCISCO (JUNE 18, 2014) – Fandor announced today that the streaming service will exclusively host the world premiere of MY AMERICA, the latest feature film from renowned filmmaker, Hal Hartley on Fandor this July 4th.
Fandor is fostering a community of filmmakers and film enthusiasts online and throughout the world. With the debut of MY AMERICA, Fandor continues to provide unique and original films to wider audiences through its subscription streaming service. Earlier this month, Fandor debuted Agnieszka Holland’s critically acclaimed BURNING BUSH day-and-date with its theatrical run in New York City at Film Forum.
Originally commissioned by Centerstage (the State Theater of Maryland), MY AMERICA is comprised of twenty-one inventively staged monologues by leading American playwrights; the film addresses the variety and complexity of America’s current anxieties.
The debut of this new work by Hartley reflects both Fandor’s mission to offer new films from the most exciting cinematic voices but also marks another collaboration with long-time colleague Ted Hope, celebrated producer and Fandor CEO. “I owe a large part of both my career and critical eye to Hal Hartley,” said Hope, “So it is a true joy to host the exclusive premiere of Hal’s latest film.”
“Working with some of our best playwrights, Hal gets at the core of NOW,” continued Hope, “And like every thing Hal has done, MY AMERICA is bold, funny, insightful, and formally daring — and isn’t that what we all always want from OUR America and our filmmakers, actors, and writers? Thankfully we have Hal (and Fandor) to deliver it directly to you.”
“It was great to work with such an array of talents – the writers and the actors,” said Hartley. “And to use my skills and sensibility to render these very heart-felt and sometimes hilarious insights into a portrait of the nation.”
Continued Hartley, “I’m excited to be distributing MY AMERICA on Fandor as it offers such an uncomplicated and direct outlet for the film to connect with audiences.”
These twenty-one monologues, written by some of the nation’s most exciting playwrights including Neil LaBute, Danny Hoch, Dan Dietz, Marcus Gardley, form a sort of fractured portrait of the American collective psyche. Ranging from the sad to the hilarious, from the angry to the tentatively celebratory, many of the major and recurrent issues associated with our fraught but beloved union are reconsidered with elegance, wit, brutal honesty, and a little outright insanity. The keenly observed and crafted monologues are performed by notable actors from Jefferson Mays to Kathleen Chalfant, as well as Hartley regular Thomas Jay Ryan.
Hartley is a prolific American filmmaker whose work has won numerous awards at Cannes and Sundance. His work includes such feature films as SIMPLE MEN starring Bill Sage and Robert John Burke, NO SUCH THING with Sarah Polley and Helen Mirren, and FAY GRIM with Parker Posey and Jeff Goldblum. Hartley’s works off-screen have included various acclaimed theater productions and MY AMERICA marks the first of Hartley’s films to capture stage-work on film.
With the release of MY AMERICA on Fandor, Hope is once again reunited with Hartley, for their eleventh film collaboration (not including music videos). Their first film together was THE UNBELIEVABLE TRUTH (1989), an unconventional love story about a teenager falling in love with a mechanic with a criminal past, which was Hartley’s first film. They have been frequent collaborators and colleagues since.
Additionally, Fandor will host a special screening and Q&A of the film with Hartley and Hope on Wednesday, July 9th at IFC Center in New York City.
MY AMERICA will become available on Fandor starting Friday, July 4th.
Press Release: “Man from Reno” Wins Best Narrative Feature at Los Angeles Film Fest
DAVE BOYLE’S “MAN FROM RENO” WINS LOS ANGELES FILM FEST BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE AWARD
Los Angeles, CA (June 19, 2014) – Filmmaker Dave Boyle’s cross-cultural mystery MAN FROM RENO received the Best Narrative Feature Award today at the 2014 Los Angeles Film Festival. The film follows a Japanese crime novelist (Ayako Fujitani) as she investigates a murder in San Francisco. MAN FROM RENO was produced by Ko Mori of Eleven Arts Inc and written by Dave Boyle, Joel Clark, and Michael Lerman. The film also stars veteran actor Pepe Serna (SCARFACE) and popular Japanese film & television star Kazuki Kitamura (THE RAID 2). Making its world premiere at this year’s LA Film Festival, MAN FROM RENO received high praises from festival attendees and critics alike this week and became one of the festival favorites selling out both screenings.
Director Dave Boyle’s reaction: “It’s an incredible honor and a wonderful surprise to receive this award. The LA Film Fest experience has been so wonderful, and I didn’t think it could get any better. I want to thank Doug Jones, Maggie Mackay and David Ansen for championing the film and the hard work of many people. I can’t thank our cast and crew enough for believing in this project. It’s an amazing feeling to see their work on the film honored this way, and a treat to receive the award from a jury of filmmakers whose work I admire so much.”
Producer Ko Mori adds: “I still can’t believe that we won the best narrative film at Los Angeles film Festival. I’m so honored. An independent film like ours is always not easy to be recognized to wide audience so this is so encouraging. Great work from the director Dave Boyle and the whole team! I’d like to thank LAFF to have given us this opportunity.”
U.S. and select international territory rights are still available.
Press Release: Saban Films and Roadside Attractions to Distribute “The Homesman”
SABAN FILMS TO PARTNER WITH ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS TO DISTRIBUTE ACADEMY AWARD® WINNER TOMMY LEE JONES’ “THE HOMESMAN”
Saban Films’ First Acquisition Targets a November 7th Release
LOS ANGELES – June 20, 2014 – Saban Films will partner with Roadside Attractions to handle the U.S. theatrical distribution of THE HOMESMAN, which had its world premiere in competition at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. The film stars Academy Award® winners Tommy Lee Jones and Hilary Swank, with a supporting cast featuring Grace Gummer, Miranda Otto, Sonja Richter, Academy Award® nominee Hailee Steinfeld, James Spader and Academy Award® winner Meryl Streep. Saban Films and Roadside Attractions plan to release the film this fall on November 7th and will forge an aggressive awards campaign. As proven in their track record, Roadside has garnered 13 Oscar nominations over the past 4 awards seasons.
Saban Films, the recently launched entertainment venture from Haim Saban, acquired the North American distribution rights to THE HOMESMAN out of Cannes last month. This is the first acquisition for Saban Films and the second collaboration between Saban President Bill Bromiley, Tommy Lee Jones and Michael Fitzgerald following 2008’s In the Electric Mist. In addition to partnering with Roadside to handle the theatrical release, Saban Films will also manage sales on all other U.S. distribution platforms for THE HOMESMAN. Saban Films will release 8 to 10 high-quality, feature films per year and distribute in North America via another major studio distribution partner, who they’re currently in talks.
“THE HOMESMAN is a bold and gripping film anchored with outstanding performances by an all-star cast,” said Saban Films’ President Bill Bromiley. “We are so pleased to collaborate with Roadside on our first release and share this film lauded film with U.S. audiences.”
“The brilliant Tommy Lee Jones, aided by Hilary Swank’s amazing performance has done nothing less than reinvent the Western from a woman’s perspective,” said Roadside Co-Presidents Howard Cohen and Eric d’Arbeloff. “This major work is a dream project for Roadside.”
THE HOMESMAN is a Tommy Lee Jones/Michael Fitzgerald production, directed by Tommy Lee Jones and produced by Peter Brant, Brian Kennedy and Luc Besson. The screenplay was written by Jones, Kieran Fitzgerald and Wesley A. Oliver, based on the novel by Glendon Swarthout. EuropaCorp is the international distributor of the picture.
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