Netflix Debuts Trailer & Key Art for 'The Holiday Calendar'

A Netflix film

THE HOLIDAY CALENDAR

Launches Globally November 2

Starring Kat Graham, Quincy Brown, Ron Cephas Jones and Ethan Peck

Directed by Bradley Walsh

Produced by Brad Krevoy, Amy Krell and Amanda Phillips Atkins

Written by Amyn Kaderali and Carrie Freedle

A struggling but talented photographer inherits an antique holiday advent calendar, the contents of which seem to predict the future. Will this magical calendar lead her to love this holiday season?

THE HOLIDAY CALENDAR will launch globally on Netflix November 2.

THE CURSE OF LA LLORONA Trailer

The Curse of La Llorona

The film is produced by James Wan, Gary Dauberman and Emile Gladstone.

Michael Chaves makes his feature directorial debut.

The film stars Linda Cardellini, Raymond Cruz, Patricia Velasquez,

Marisol Ramirez, Sean Patrick Thomas, Jaynee-Lynne Kinchen and Roman Christou. 

#LaLlorona

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La Llorona.  The Weeping Woman.  A horrifying apparition, caught between Heaven and Hell, trapped in a terrible fate sealed by her own hand.  The mere mention of her name has struck terror around the world for generations.  In life, she drowned her children in a jealous rage, throwing herself in the churning river after them as she wept in pain.  Now her tears are eternal.  They are lethal, and those who hear her death call in the night are doomed.  La Llorona creeps in the shadows and preys on the children, desperate to replace her own.  As the centuries have passed, her desire has grown more voracious…and her methods more terrifying.

In 1970s Los Angeles, La Llorona is stalking the night—and the children. Ignoring the eerie warning of a troubled mother suspected of child endangerment, a social worker and her own small kids are soon drawn into a frightening supernatural realm.  Their only hope to survive La Llorona’s deadly wrath may be a disillusioned priest and the mysticism he practices to keep evil at bay, on the fringes where fear and faith collide. 

Beware of her chilling wail…she will stop at nothing to lure you into the gloom.  Because there is no peace for her anguish.  There is no mercy for her soul.

And there is no escape from the curse of La Llorona.

On April 19, 2019, this timeless Mexican legend comes to terrifying life in New Line Cinema’s “The Curse of La Llorona.”

The film is produced by James Wan (“The Conjuring” universe), Gary Dauberman (“IT” and “Annabelle” franchises) and Emile Gladstone.  Michael Chaves, who won Shriekfest’s Best Super Short Film in 2016 for “The Maiden,” makes his feature directorial debut.

The film stars Linda Cardellini (Netflix’s “Bloodline,” “Avengers: Age of Ultron,”); Raymond Cruz (TV’s “Major Crimes”); and Patricia Velasquez (TV’s “The L Word,” “The Mummy” films). The cast also includes Marisol Ramirez (TV’s “NCIS: Los Angeles”);  Sean Patrick Thomas (the “Barbershop” films, “Halloween: Resurrection”), Jaynee-Lynne Kinchen (“Selfless”) and newcomer Roman Christou.

Richard Brener, Dave Neustadter, Walter Hamada, Michelle Morrissey and Michael Clear are the executive producers. The film is written by Mikki Daughtry & Tobias Iaconis. Chaves’ behind-the-scenes team includes director of photography Michael Burgess, production designer Melanie Jones, editor Peter Gvozdas and costume designer Megan Spatz. The music is by Joseph Bishara (the “Annabelle” and “Conjuring” films).

New Line Cinema presents An Atomic Monster/Emile Gladstone Production, “The Curse of La Llorona.

RUDEBOY: THE STORY OF TROJAN RECORDS, US PREMIERE SET AT DOC NYC

Trojan Records celebrates 50th Anniversary with a new documentary on how Jamaican music launched a multicultural revolution

‘This is the label that scored a shed load of chart hits and provided a soundtrack that united the youth, black and white on the dance-floor – I know I was one of them. Recognised by any fan of Jamaican music as a mark of quality Trojan holds a special place in the hearts, minds and feet of the people and will do for generations to come.’ 

Filmmaker, DJ, Radio Broadcaster and Trojan fan Don Letts

Trojan Records’ 50th anniversary celebrations continue with the announcement that RUDEBOY: THE STORY OF TROJAN RECORDS has been unveiled as part of the line-up for DOC NYC.  The 2018 DOC NYC Festival will run Nov 8-15, 2018 – and the film’s US Premiere will take place on Wednesday, November 14. The film had its World Premiere on October 12 at the 62nd BFI London Film Festival in partnership with American Express®. 

Financed and executive produced by BMG, the Pulse Films production, RUDEBOY: THE STORY OF TROJAN RECORDS documents the origins and the ongoing love affair between Jamaican and British Youth culture – all told through the prism of one the most iconic record labels in history, Trojan Records.

Directed by Nicolas Jack Davies, RUDEBOY: THE STORY OF TROJAN RECORDS charts the rise and impact of the legendary reggae, ska and rock steady label and its influence on music and subculture in Britain from the early ‘60s through to the late ‘70s. Defining a movement that brought cultures together through the power of music, the birth and journey of Trojan Records, and its wider impact on society, feels as vital as ever 50 years later.

Named after the flatbed truck that revered producer Duke Reid used to transport his soundsystem around Jamaica, Trojan was launched in 1968 by London based, Jamaican expats Lee Gopthal and Chris Blackwell.  Growing rapidly during its’ early years - due in no small part to the development of the skinhead working class youth movement that embraced Jamaican music as part and parcel of its culture - the Trojan bandwagon quickly rolled into the 1970’s, with the likes of Desmond Dekker and The Maytals flying high in the UK Pop Charts.

This important story is effortlessly brought to life by director Nicolas Jack Davies with fascinating archive footage, alongside freshly shot drama and new interviews with legendary artists including Lee ‘Scratch' Perry, Toots Hibbert, Ken Boothe, Neville Staple, Marcia Griffiths, Dave Barker, Dandy Livingstone, Lloyd Coxsone, Pauline Black, Derrick Morgan and many more.

For more information about the film, visit the RUDEBOY website: https://trojanrecords.com/rudeboydocumentary/

For information about DOC NYC and screening tickets:

http://www.docnyc.net/film/rudeboy-the-story-of-trojan-records/

About Pulse Films

Pulse Films is an award-winning, modern-day studio encompassing the development, production, financing and distribution of content across multiple platforms and for audiences worldwide. Pulse Films was founded by Thomas Benski and Marisa Clifford in 2005, and is headquartered in London with outposts in Los Angeles, New York, Paris and Berlin.

Dedicated to creating moments of culture through innovative storytelling, the studio operates under the following divisions: Commercials, Non-Fiction and Scripted Film and TV. Pulse Films’ recent credits include feature films such as Andrea Arnold’s Cannes Jury Prize winner and BAFTA nominated AMERICAN HONEY, Sundance Award winners THE WITCH and ALL THESE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS, and 2017’s London Film Festival Hit KINGDOM OF US an TROPHY. Recent TV projects include BLACK IS THE NEW BLACK (BBC Two) BILLION DOLLAR DEALS (BBC Two) and ROCK AND ROLL, a 10-part series for Sky.

Pulse Films’ music film credits include the 2012 documentary SHUT UP AND PLAY THE HITS, the BAFTA-nominated 20,000 DAYS ON EARTH and Beyoncé’s four-time EMMY-nominated LEMONADE.

Other recent Pulse Films projects include the feature documentary XY CHELSEA, executive produced by Oscar® winner Laura Poitras, recently picked up by Showtime for North American television distribution and is set to hit the film festival circuit later this year followed by a theatrical engagement.

The studio also recently announced the push into scripted TV led by Lucas Ochoa with the ambitious GANGS OF LONDON helmed by Gareth Evans (The Raid) for Sky Atlantic, Cinemax and HBO and ATOMIC BAZAAR helmed by Gregory Burke (’71, Entebbe). The Sundance film SKATE KITCHEN, produced by Pulse Films, will be released by Magnolia later this year.

In March 2016, VICE media acquired a majority stake in Pulse Films.

For more information see: http://www.pulsefilms.com/

About BMG

BMG is the new model music company founded by Bertelsmann in 2008, which brings together the traditionally separate businesses of music publishing and recordings under one roof and is increasingly building a presence in music related film and TV projects.

In records BMG represents artists ranging from BLONDIE, LIL DICKY, JASON ALDEAN, A PERFECT CIRCLE and JANET JACKSON to LENNY KRAVITZ, IRON MAIDEN, BLINK-182,  REJJIE SNOW, THE PRODIGY and KYLIE MINOGUE. In music publishing BMG clients include ROGER WATERS, MICK JAGGER & KEITH RICHARDS, DJ KHALED, CHRISSIE HYNDE, BRUNO MARS, POO BEAR and BEBE REXHA.

Over the past four years, BMG’s endeavour into films projects yielded its first feature-length documentary BAD REPUTATION, a film on Joan Jett, making its world premiere at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival to rave reviews. The film was recently acquired by Magnolia Pictures.

 Additional BMG films slated to debut in 2018 include THE SHOW’S THE THING - a documentary about the legendary promoters and agents who built the rock concert business in the ‘60s through the explosive business of the ‘90s; THE CHILDREN OF THE REVOLUTION, a documentary film celebrating the music of T. Rex; and RUDEBOY: THE STORY OF TROJAN RECORDS, a celebration of the music, history and cultural legacy of the pioneering British record label now owned by BMG. Further projects will be announced shortly. Owned by international media, services and education company Bertelsmann, BMG is driven by its core values of fairness, transparency service. www.bmg.com

SABAN FILMS ACQUIRES “KING OF THIEVES”

SABAN FILMS ACQUIRES STUDIOCANAL'S “KING OF THIEVES” DIRECTED BY ACADEMY AWARD® WINNING JAMES MARSH STARRING AN ALL-STAR CAST LED BY SIR MICHAEL CAINE AND JIM BROADBENT

Saban Films has taken U.S. distribution rights to Academy Award® Winner James Marsh’s (The Theory of Everything) King of Thieves starring Academy Award® Winner Sir Michael Caine (The Quiet American), Academy Award® Winner Jim Broadbent (The Iron Lady), Academy Award® Nominee Sir Tom Courtenay (45 Years), Golden Globe® Nominee Sir Michael Gambon (The King’s Speech), BAFTA Nominee Ray Winstone (The Departed), and Charlie Cox (“Daredevil”). Working Title Films’ Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner produced alongside Michelle Wright and Ali Jafaar, with STUDIOCANAL financing. King of Thieves will be released in Q1 2019.

Written by Joe Penhall and based on source material from Mark Seal’s Vanity Fair article and The Guardian’s veteran crime reporter Duncan Campbell, the drama revolves around the April 2015 Hatton Garden Safe Deposit Company burglary in which robbers allegedly stole over £14 million worth of loot in the biggest heist in UK history.

“King of Thieves is led by a stellar British ensemble cast,” said Saban Films’ Bill Bromiley. “The pedigree of Michael, Jim, Tom, as well as Working Title make a very attractive package.  We absolutely love this film!”

Bill Bromiley and Jonathan Saba negotiated the deal for Saban Films along with STUDIOCANAL and Anne Chérel and Loubna Berrada on behalf of filmmakers.

Most recently at the Toronto International Film Festival, Saban Films acquired: Richard Says Goodbye, the Wayne Roberts-directed drama that stars Johnny Depp; Sarah Daggar-Nickson’s A Vigilante starring Olivia Wilde; and Romans starring Orlando Bloom.

 

Other recent Saban Films’ acquisitions include: Stephan Rick’s elevated genre film The Super starring Val Kilmer; Between Worlds starring Nicolas Cage; the anthology Berlin, I Love You with Helen Mirren, Keira Knightley and Jim Sturgess; the Gerard Butler starrer Keepers; David L.G. Hughes’ Viking Destiny; Alexandre Moors’ The Yellow Birdsstarring Tye Sheridan, Alden Ehrenreich, Toni Collette, Jason Patric, Jack Huston and Jennifer Aniston; Eshom and Ian Nelms’ lauded feature Small Town Crime starring John Hawkes and Octavia Spencer; and Ivan Kavanagh’s Never Grow Old starring John Cusack and Emile Hirsch.

 

Since the company’s launch in 2014, Saban Films has released over 40 films with successes that have run the gamut from critically acclaimed theatrical films such as The Homesman, to one of the biggest Fathom events in 2016 with Rob Zombie’s horror thriller 31.  Saban Films, in partnership with Roadside Attractions, most recently released Craig William Macneill’s racy drama Lizzie, starring Chloë Sevigny and Kristen Stewart. Other recent releases include: Brad Silberling’s war thriller An Ordinary Man starring Academy Award® Winner Ben Kingsley; and Alexandros Avranas’ Dark Crimesstarring Jim Carrey and Charlotte Gainsbourg.

 

# # #

About Saban Films

Saban Films, an affiliate of Saban Capital Group (“SCG”), is a film acquisition and distribution company which acquires high-quality, feature films to distribute in North America.  Focusing on commercial, talent driven films, the company looks at projects in all stages of production for release across multiple platforms, including a day and date theatrical/VOD release strategy. Based in Los Angeles, Saban Films was established by Haim Saban, SCG Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and is led by Bill Bromiley who serves as President, Shanan Becker, Chief Financial Officer and Ness Saban, Vice President of Business Development.

About STUDIOCANAL

STUDIOCANAL, a 100% affiliate of CANAL+ Group held by Vivendi, is Europe’s leader in production, right acquisition, distribution and international sales of feature films and TV series. STUDIOCANAL operates directly in all three major European markets, France, the United Kingdom and Germany, as well as in Australia and New Zealand.

STUDIOCANAL owns one of the most important film libraries in the world, boasting more than 5,500 titles from 60 countries, including the iconic Terminator 2, Breathless, Mulholland Drive and Belle de jour.

STUDIOCANAL has fully-financed box office hits Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, Paddington 1 and 2, Non-Stop and Shaun The Sheep. Upcoming films backed by STUDIOCANAL include Marjane Satrapi’s Radioactive featuring Rosamund Pike, The Secret Garden produced by David Heyman starring Colin Firth, Aardman Studios’ stop-motion film Shaun the Sheep 2, and Hard Powder starring Liam Neeson.

STUDIOCANAL is actively developing and distributing high-end TV series through its network of award-winning European production companies, including TANDEM in Germany (Take Two) and the UK’s RED Production Company (Safe). STUDIOCANAL is also an associate of Danish-based SAM Productions founded by Søren Sveistrup and Adam Price (Ride Upon The Storm) as well as of UK-based GUILTY PARTY PICTURES; Benedict Cumberbatch’s production company SUNNYMARCH TV; URBAN MYTH FILMS and Spain’s BAMBÚ.

NEW TRAILER: Tasha Smith & RonReaco Lee in 'RUNNING OUT OF TIME'

Here's the trailer for Footage Films upcoming film, “Running Out of Time,” starring Tasha Smith, RonReaco Lee and Telma Hopkins. The film premieres on BET on Nov. 17 and then goes to digital/VOD on Nov. 19. The film is directed by Chris Stokes and co-written with Marques Houston. “Running Out of Time” is about newly widowed Brenda Harper (Smith) and her family being taken hostage over something from her late husband's (Lee) past.

Running Out of Time

Genre: Suspense Thriller

Synopsis: Brenda Harper (Tasha Smith) recently suffered the loss of her husband from a sudden death. Newly widowed, taking care of her teenage daughter and ailing mother (Telma Hopkins), Brenda is the sole beneficiary of her husband's assets, which include millions of dollars, property, and most importantly, a secret file that she has yet to discover. Brenda finds out from her husband's closest friend, Cain (RonReaco Lee) that the file is hidden inside their home, so they think, when they are all taken hostage at Brenda’s Summer home by two masked men, who are now threatening to kill them all one by one if they don't turn over the file. Having no answers, Brenda, her daughter, mother and Cain are tied up and held hostage until these masked men get what they want. With time running out, Brenda has to do whatever she can to ensure her family's survival and fight for their lives.

AQUAMAN New Extended Trailer | In Theaters Dec. 21st

What could be greater than a King?

Take a deep dive into WARNER BROS. action-packed adventure AQUAMAN, starring Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Nicole Kidman, Djimon Hounsou, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and more!

AQUAMAN reveals the origin story of half-human, half Atlantean Arthur Curry and takes him on the journey of his lifetime – one that will not only force him to face who he really is, but to discover if he is the heir to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis.

View the extended trailer HERE!

In theaters December 21st

AQUAMAN Official Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AquamanMovie/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/aquamanmovie

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aquamanmovie/

Mundoloco CGI award-winning animation ‘Ian’ is based on a true story of a young boy battling disability loneliness

The emotional animated short film shares a true story about a disabled boy called IAN. This award-winning film produced by Oscar winner Juan José Campanella’s Buenos Aires based animation studio, took home the top prize (Oscar qualifying) at LA Shorts International Film Festival and several major international awards. 

Ian was born with cerebral palsy. All he wants is to make friends, although it seems impossible to achieve when discrimination and bullying keep him away from his beloved playground.  However, this young boy is determined and won’t give up easily. 

The film is based on Ian, a young Argentinian boy who suffers from cerebral palsy. He can only talk with the help of a machine and was teased daily when he visited his rehabilitation center by children from a nearby school. His mother went to the school to tackle this issue and found the school had no tools to teach the children that bullying is wrong, so she wrote a book aimed at children, about a disabled boy. Penguin published this inspiring book, which is simply titled Ian.

Director Abel Goldfrab was born in Buenos Aires in 1979. He studied Film Direction at the prestigious University of Cinema (FUC) in BA. At the tender age of 17, he won his first screenplay contest. Since 2010 he has worked with Oscar winner Juan José Campanella and has been a lecturer since 2004.

Writer/Producer Gastón Gorali is an award winning author, screenwriter and producer.  He produced and co-wrote the animated film Metegol. He has created, written and produced Films, TV shows and illustrated novels for Universal, Fox, Discovery Kids and Penguin Random House. He's co-founder of Mundoloco CGI Animation Studios.

Latin-American filmmaker Juan José Campanella has written, directed and produced box-office hits, like “The Son of the Bride”, “Metegol”, and Academy Award winner “The Secret in her Eyes”. He is also a two-time EMMY award winner.

In October Ian can be seen at Edmonton International Film Festival, Warsaw International Film Festival, Hamptons International Film Festival, Chelsea Film Festival, Austin Film Festival and Naples International Film Festival.

Roadside Attractions Acquires THE LAST FULL MEASURE From Foresight Unlimited

ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS ACQUIRES ‘THE LAST FULL MEASURE’ FROM FORESIGHT UNLIMITED

Wide Theatrical Release Planned for Todd Robinson’s Film starring Sebastian Stan, Christopher Plummer, William Hurt, Samuel L. Jackson and Ed Harris

LOS ANGELES (September 6, 2018) – Roadside Attractions, a sister company of Lionsgate, has acquired the U.S. distribution rights to Todd Robinson’s The Last Full Measure, which recounts an extraordinary, untold story about the heroism of American soldiers in Vietnam.  The film features an all-star cast that is led by Sebastian Stan, Academy Award Winner Christopher Plummer, Academy Award® Winner William Hurt, Academy Award® Nominee Samuel L. Jackson, Academy Award® Nominee Ed Harris, Academy Award® Nominee Peter Fonda, Academy Award® Nominee Diane Ladd, Academy Award® Nominee Amy Madigan, Jeremy Irvine, and Golden Globe® Nominee Bradley Whitford among others.

 

The acquisition was jointly announced today by Mark Damon of Foresight Unlimited and Roadside Attractions co-founders Howard Cohen & Eric d’Arbeloff.  Roadside Attractions is planning a wide theatrical release in early 2019.

 

“Todd Robinson’s riveting drama chronicles one man’s sacrifice and valor on the battlefield, and we believe it also highlights an aspect of American patriotism overdue for recognition.  Everyone should know about William Pitsenbarger’s bravery and life, and it’s a privilege to bring this film to theaters where it should be seen,” said Cohen and d’Arbeloff.

 

Mark Damon, CEO of Foresight Unlimited said: “The Last Full Measure has an emotional impact on people that I’ve rarely seen before. I’m so proud that Roadside Attractions feels the same, and has committed to giving this film the wide release that it deserves.”

 

The Last Full Measure tells the true story of William Pitsenbarger (Jeremy Irvine), an Air Force medic who saved over sixty men in one of the harshest battles of the Vietnam War. Offered the chance to escape on the last helicopter out of the combat zone, Pitsenbarger stayed behind to save and defend the lives of his fellow soldiers. Twenty years later, Pitsenbarger’s comrade in arms (William Hurt) and father (Christopher Plummer) seek the help of investigator Scott Huffman (Sebastian Stan) and other surviving veterans of the battle to finally procure him The Congressional Medal of Honor he deserved.

 

Timothy Scott Bogart, Mark Damon, Nicholas Cafritz, Robert Reed Peterson Shaun Sanghani, Michael Bassick, Adi Cohen, and Lauren Selig produced the film. Executive producers include Clay Pecorin, Russell Geyser, Cesare Fazari, Jessica Martins, Wilson da Silva, Habib H. Paracha, Tamara Birkemoe, Jenna Sanz-Agero, and Sidney Sherman. Foresight Unlimited is handling international sales and produced the film in association with Rainmaker Films, Lightbox Pictures, Provocator, SSS Entertainment, and BCL Finance Group. The deal was negotiated by ICM Partners and Foresight’s Mark Damon, while Roadside Attractions was represented by Cohen.

 

Most recently, Roadside Attractions partnered with LD Entertainment and Lionsgate on the U.S. distribution rights to the powerful and highly-anticipated family drama Ben Is Back, written and directed by Academy Award® nominee Peter Hedges, and starring Academy Award® winner Julia Roberts and Academy Award® nominee Lucas Hedges.  The film will make its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival this month and be released on Dec. 7th.  TIFF will also mark the premiere of Roadside’s Viper Club, starring Matt Bomer and Susan Sarandon, Lola Kirke and Edie Falco to be released on Oct. 26th.

In addition to Last Full Measure, Foresight Unlimited’s slate includes: We Die Young, directed by Academy-Award nominated Lior Geller; and Avi Nesher’s The Other Story, which will make its debut at TIFF in the Contemporary World Cinema section.

 

# # #

 

 

ABOUT ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS

Since its founding in 2003, ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS films have grossed over $300M and garnered nineteen Academy Award® nominations.  Roadside has released such critical and commercial hits as I Can Only Imagine, the highest grossing film in Roadside history and the highest grossing independent film of 2018, as well as Manchester by the Sea,Beatriz at Dinner, Stronger, Love & Friendship, Hello My Name is Doris, Mr. Holmes, Love & Mercy, A Most Wanted Man, Dear White People, The Skeleton Twins, All Is Lost, Mud, Winter’s Bone, The Cove, Arbitrage, Margin Call and Super-Size Me. Its upcoming slate includes Lizzie, starring Chloë Sevigny and Kristen Stewart, Jesse Peretz’s romantic comedyJuliet, Naked starring Rose Byrne, Ethan Hawke and Chris O’Dowd, Ike Barinholtz’s hilariously dark directorial debut The Oath, starring Barinholtz and Tiffany Haddish, Peter Hedges’ Ben Is Back, starring Julia Roberts and Lucas Hedges, and Maryam Keshavarz’s new drama Viper Club, starring Susan Sarandon, Matt Bomer, Lola Kirke, Adepero Oduye, Sheila Vand, and Edie Falco.

 

ABOUT FORESIGHT UNLIMITED

Foresight Unlimited is one of the industry’s leading independent film production, sales, and distribution companies.  With a pioneering entertainment career spanning over 50 years, CEO, Mark Damon is considered to be one of the leading authorities on international film financing, distribution and marketing strategies as well as being a successful independent producer. The company’s management group is helmed by President Tamara Birkemoe who oversees all aspects of the company’s slate.

“ROMANS” STARRING ORLANDO BLOOM LANDS U.S. DISTRIBUTION DEAL WITH SABAN FILMS

TORONTO (September 6, 2018) – Saban Films has acquired U.S. distribution rights to Ludwig and Paul Shammasian’s Romans, starring Orlando Bloom (The Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean), Janet Montgomery (“Salem”, Black Swan), Charlie Creed-Miles (“Silent Witness”, The Fifth Element), Josh Myers (I am Soldier) and Anne Reid (Hot Fuzz, “Last Tango in Halifax”).  The drama is written by Geoff Thompson (The Pyramid Texts) and produced by Jasper Graham of Dreamscape along with James Harris and Mark Lane of The Fyzz Facility and Sheetal Vinod Talwar of Vistaar Film Fund, in association with Zee International. 

 

Romans is the story of Malky (Bloom), a man who struggles to come to terms with the abuse he suffered by a local priest during his childhood.  Now set on demolishing the church in which the abuse took place, he finds himself on the unlikely path towards forgiveness.

 

“This is a heart-rending and sobering film,” said Saban Films’ Bill Bromiley. “Ludwig and Paul have a powerful and timely story here, and Orlando really takes it home.”

 

“Romans is a brave film that tells a very delicate story and has strong performances that put you in the midst of it. We applaud the producers for taking the risk and are excited to have Saban Films as our domestic partner” says Moring of DDI.

 

The film made its World Premiere at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, where Anne Reid took home the prize for Best Performance in a British Feature Film, and then went on to the Rome Film Festival.

 

Bill Bromiley and Ness Saban negotiated the deal for Saban Films with Double Dutch International’s Jason Moring, on behalf of filmmakers.

 

Saban Films continues to be active in the acquisition and distribution space, most recently landing Stephan Rick’s elevated genre The Super starring Val Kilmer, and following its recent activity acquiring a slew of films out of the Cannes Film Festival, including: Between Worlds starring Nicolas Cage; the anthology Berlin, I Love You with Helen Mirren, Keira Knightley and Jim Sturgess; the Gerard Butler starrer Keepers; and David L.G. Hughes’ Viking Destiny. Its current slate also includes: Craig William Macneill’s racy drama Lizzie, starring Chloë Sevigny and Kristen Stewart; and Ivan Kavanagh’s Never Grow Old starring John Cusack and Emile Hirsch.

 

Since the company’s launch in 2014, Saban Films has released over 40 films with successes that have run the gamut from critically acclaimed theatrical films such as The Homesman, to one of the biggest Fathom events in 2016 with Rob Zombie’s horror thriller 31.  Recent releases include: Alexandre Moors’ The Yellow Birds starring Tye Sheridan, Alden Ehrenreich, Toni Collette, with Jason Patric, Jack Huston and Jennifer Aniston; Alexandros Avranas’ Dark Crimes starring Jim Carrey and Charlotte Gainsbourg; Roland Joffe’s The Forgiven starring Forest Whitaker and Eric Bana; Taran Killam’s Killing Gunther starring Arnold Schwarzenegger; Ric Roman Waugh’s Shot Caller starring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Lake Bell; War on Everyone starring Alexander Skarsgård, Michael Peña, and Theo James; The Girl with All the Gifts starring Gemma Arterton and Glenn Close; Brad Silberling’s war thriller An Ordinary Man starring Academy Award® Winner Ben Kingsley; and Ethan Hawke action thriller 24 Hours to Live.

 

# # #

 

About Saban Films

Saban Films, an affiliate of Saban Capital Group (“SCG”), is a film acquisition and distribution company which acquires high-quality, feature films to distribute in North America.  Focusing on commercial, talent driven films, the company looks at projects in all stages of production for release across multiple platforms, including a day and date theatrical/VOD release strategy. Based in Los Angeles, Saban Films was established by Haim Saban, SCG Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and is led by Bill Bromiley who serves as President, Shanan Becker, Chief Financial Officer and Ness Saban, Vice President of Business Development.

 

About Double Dutch:

Double Dutch International (DDI) is a globally recognized sales company, representing high level, cast driven features with strong commercial viability worldwide, across all media platforms. DDI brings a fresh look to sales, uniquely blending experience with the flexibility to adapt in today's market reality. We firmly believe passion breeds results and our goal is to find enthusiastic distribution partners for our producers ensuring maximum return on their investment.

 

About Vistaar / WSG:
We have always tried to stay the course of telling socially relevant stories and producing meaningful cinema - and the critically successful “Dharm”, “The Eichmann Show”, “ The Joneses”, “Romans” and “Rann” are representative of this.

ALEXANDRA DADDARIO AND KEEAN JOHNSON TO STAR IN MARC MEYERS’ “WE SUMMON THE DARKNESS"

ALEXANDRA DADDARIO AND KEEAN JOHNSON TO STAR IN MARC MEYERS’ “WE SUMMON THE DARKNESS”

Maddie Hasson, Logan Miller, Amy Forsyth, and Austin Swift round out the ensemble cast; Highland Film Group to launch international sales in Toronto

Toronto (September 5, 2018) – Highland Film Group announced today that Alexandra Daddario (Baywatch, “True Detective”) and Keean Johnson (Alita: Battle Angel, “Nashville”) will star in Marc Meyers’ (My Friend Dahmer) upcoming horror film We Summon the Darkness, penned by Alan Trezza (Burying The Ex). Maddie Hasson (“Impulse,” Novitiate), Logan Miller (Love, Simon, Before I Fall), Amy Forsyth (Beautiful Boy, Rise), and Austin Swift (Live by Night, I.T.) will round out this all-star cast. Robert Jones, James Harris and Mark Lane (47 Meters Down, The Strangers: Prey at Night, Three Seconds) of The Fyzz will produce and finance alongside Magna Entertainment, with Kyle Tekiela (Mudbound) and Jarod Einsohn of Common Enemy, Christian Armogida of Nightshade Entertainment and Thomas E van Dell of Iconic Media One producing. Andrew Kotliar, Elizabeth Zavoyskiy, Joshua Sason, Rebecca Schaper, Lee Broda, Mike Donovan, Eytan Rockaway and Robert Girard are Exec-Producing with Jody Girgenti serving as co-producer.  Highland Film Group will introduce the film to worldwide buyers in Toronto. 

The killing spree of murderous Satanists has already led to 18 deaths throughout America’s Heartland. Three best friends embark on a road trip to a heavy metal gig. Naive, they bond with three seemingly fun-loving guys and the group heads off to Alexis’ secluded country home for an afterparty. What should be a night of fun and youthful debauchery may instead take a dark, deadly turn. With killers on the loose, can anyone be trusted? Principal photography is currently under way in Winnipeg.

Daddario recently starred alongside Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron and Priyanka Chopra in Paramount Pictures’ Baywatch. She can next be seen starring in the mystery thriller We Have Always Lived in the Castle, which is based on the 1962 novel of the same name by Shirley Jackson. Keean will next be seen starring in Robert Rodriguez’s Alita: Battle Angel by producer James Cameron which will be released by 20th Century Fox in December 2018, followed by RZA’s Cut Throat City in early 2019. He recently completed production on the films Low Tide and Emperor, and will next begin filming Roland Emmerich’s Midway alongside Woody Harrelson, Patrick Wilson and Aaron Eckhart.

Hasson stars in the YouTube Premium series “Impulse,” and has appeared in the Sony Pictures Classics films Novitiate and I Saw the Light. Miller recently co-starred in the hit Love, Simon for FOX and will next be seen as a lead in the Sony thriller The Escape Room. Forsyth stars in the highly anticipated Beautiful Boy which will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. Credits include NBC’s “Rise,” and Gregory Plotkin’s upcoming Hell Fest. Swift turned heads in his big screen debut working with Pierce Brosnan in John Moore’s thriller I.T. and in Ben Affleck’s feature film Live By Night, for Warner Bros. Pictures. Most recently, he appeared in Cover Versions alongside Katie Cassidy and Drake Bell.

Meyers fourth feature film, My Friend Dahmer, premiered to critical acclaim at last year’s Tribeca Film Festival. The film tells the story of a young Jeffrey Dahmer as he struggles to fit in in high school, before he became a serial killer. Meyers is also the writer and director of the romance feature How He Fell in Love, which was released by Orion Pictures. 

Daddario is represented by UTA and Untitled Entertainment; Keean is represented by CAA and Management 360; Hasson is represented by UTA and Coast to Coast; Miller by Innovative Artists, Open Bar Entertainment and Atlas Artists; Forsyth by The Gersh Agency and David Dean Management; Swift by UTA and Mosaic; and Meyers is represented by UTA and Aperture Entertainment.

The Highland Film Group slate also includes: Michael Cristofer’s The Night Clerk starring Tye Sheridan; Joe Carnahan’s Boss Level starring Frank Grillo and Mel Gibson; the star-studded Berlin, I Love You with Helen Mirren, Keira Knightley, Jim Sturgess, Mickey Rourke, Diego Luna, and Jenna Dewan Tatum; Lin Oeding’s thriller Braven starring Jason Momoa; and Vaughn Stein’s Terminal starring Margot Robbie, which released earlier this year.

In TIFF, The Fyzz Facility will also debut Matthew Heineman’s A Private War starring Rosamund Pike and Jamie Dornan which Aviron Pictures is releasing in the U.S., and the closing night film, Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy directed by Justin Kelly and starring Kristen Stewart and Laura Dern. In addition, TIFF will mark the Canadian premiere of Elizabeth Chomko’s What They Had starring Hilary Swank and Taissa Farmiga which Bleeker Street will release.

# # #

About Highland Film Group

Led by Arianne Fraser and Delphine Perrier, Highland Film Group (HFG) is an independent worldwide sales, production and film financing company. HFG provides financing through a combination of pre-sales to help cover senior and subordinated debt, gap, tax credit, and facilitates capital for mezzanine and equity financing.

About The Fyzz

Based in London and Los Angeles, The Fyzz is a prolific production and financing company specializing in feature film content and international television drama series.

The company has invested more than $300m into over 225 feature films with an aggregate production spend in excess of $2bn. As well as co-financing such titles as Taylor Sheridan’s Wind River and Martin Scorsese’s Silence, recent in-house productions include US box office smash hit47 Meters Down, The Strangers: Prey at Night starring Christina Hendricks and Martin Henderson and Jackie Chan’s The Foreigner, which has notched up over $140m box office worldwide.

Upcoming projects financed and produced by The Fyzz include thriller Three Seconds starring Rosamund Pike, Joel Kinnaman, Ana de Armas, Common and Clive Owen, Destination Wedding starring Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder and Final Score starring Dave Bautista and Pierce Brosnan due for theatrical release via Sky Originals this September.

THE PREDATOR | Final Red Band Trailer Released!

In two weeks, the Hunt is On!

20th Century Fox has released a new red band trailer for THE PREDATOR! Directed by Shane Black, the film stars Boyd Holbrook, Trevante Rhodes, Jacob Tremblay, Keegan-Michael Key, Olivia Munn, Sterling K. Brown, Alfie Allen, Thomas Jane, Augusto Aguilera, Jake Busey and Yvonne Strahovski. Purchase advance tickets for the film at www.ThePredatorTix.com.

For fans headed to TIFF, THE PREDATOR will kick-off the Midnight Madness screenings on September 6th. For more information, please visit: www.tiff.net/midnightmadness.

 

THE PREDATOR opens in theaters on September 14, 2018!

THE PREDATOR

Release: September 14, 2018

Director: Shane Black

Written by Fred Dekker & Shane Black. Based on the characters created by Jim Thomas & John Thomas.

Producers: John Davis, Larry Gordon, Joel Silver

Cast: Boyd Holbrook, Trevante Rhodes, Jacob Tremblay, Keegan-Michael Key, Olivia Munn, Sterling K. Brown, Alfie Allen, Thomas Jane, Augusto Aguilera, Jake Busey, Yvonne Strahovski 

SYNOPSIS 

From the outer reaches of space to the to the backwoods of southern Georgia, the hunt comes home in Shane Black's explosive reinvention of the Predator series. Now, the universe's most lethal hunters are stronger, smarter and deadlier than ever before. And only a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and an evolutionary biology professor can prevent the end of the human race.

THE PREDATOR Official Channels

OFFICIAL WEBSITE: www.ThePredatorMovie.com
INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/Predator
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/PredatorMovies
TWITTER: www.twitter.com/Predator
HASHTAG: #ThePredator

Access more on the Predator Official Fan App. Free to download on iOS and Android: http://smarturl.it/3gvsj3

 

Lebron James in SMALLFOOT - NEW VIDEO

In case you missed it, Lebron James tweeted a fun 20-second video, giving a behind-the-scenes look at the voice over of Gwangi – his character in the film who is all about the truth!

In theaters September 28th, SMALLFOOT tells a story about what happens when a young yeti stirs up his community after discovering what he thought didn’t exist – a human.  

In theaters September 28!

Only In Theaters September 28, 2018 -- www.smallfootmovie.com www.facebook.com/smallfootmovie www.instagram.com/smallfootmovie www.twitter.com/smallfootmovie An animated adventure for all ages, with original music and an all-star cast, "Smallfoot" turns a myth upside down when a bright young yeti finds something he thought didn't exist-a human.

Synopsis: A Yet is convinces that the elusive creatures known as “humans” really do exist.

Director: Karey Kirkpatrick 

Writers: Glenn Ficarra, Karey Kirkpatrick, Sergio Pablos, John Requa

Cast: Zendaya, Channing Tatum, Yara Shahidi, Common, LeBron James, Gina Rodriguez, Danny DeVito, James Corden, Jimmy Tatro, Ely Henry 

SOCIAL POST LINKS

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SMALLFOOTMovie/videos/2059775930932221/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SMALLFOOTMovie/status/988940792935862272
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh-PhbslnBB/?taken-by=smallfootmovie

Usher Raymond star as Frozone's biggest fan in INCREDIBLES 2

Grammy-Award winning artist, Usher, announced his cameo role  in Disney’s upcoming film INCREDIBLES 2 hitting theaters Friday, June 15.

Usher will voice the number #1 fan of Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson). Frozone, the retired superhero, is most famous for his “Where is my Super Suit!?” clip with his wife. In the soon-to-be-released sequel, he returns for more action with the rest of The Incredibles.

INCREDIBLES 2

In “Incredibles 2,” Helen (voice of Holly Hunter) is called on to lead a campaign to bring Supers back, while Bob (voice of Craig T. Nelson) navigates the day-to-day heroics of “normal” life at home with Violet (voice of Sarah Vowell), Dash (voice of Huck Milner) and baby Jack-Jack—whose super powers are about to be discovered. Their mission is derailed, however, when a new villain emerges with a brilliant and dangerous plot that threatens everything. But the Parrs don’t shy away from a challenge, especially with Frozone (voice of Samuel L. Jackson) by their side. That’s what makes this family so Incredible.

Released in 2004, “The Incredibles” grossed more than $633 million worldwide. Earning more than $70 million opening weekend, “The Incredibles” posted the second-largest opening at the time for an animated feature.

Watch the brand new trailer for Disney/Pixar's Incredibles 2, coming to theatres in 3D June 15! Website: http://disney.com/incredibles2 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DisneyPixar Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PixarTheIncredibles/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheIncredibles Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theincredibles/ In "Incredibles 2," Helen (voice of Holly Hunter) is called on to lead a campaign to bring Supers back, while Bob (voice of Craig T.

U.S. Release Date: June 15, 2018

Voice Cast: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, Huck Milner, Samuel L. Jackson, Brad Bird, Bob Odenkirk, Catherine Keener, Jonathan Banks, Sophia Bush, Isabella Rossellini

Director: Brad Bird

Producers: John Walker, Nicole Paradis Grindle

Website:  http://disney.com/incredibles2

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DisneyPixar

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PixarTheIncredibles/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheIncredibles

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theincredibles/

BUMBLEBEE | Official Teaser Trailer and Poster

In Theatres December 21st, 2018

DIRECTED BY

Travis Knight

 PRODUCED BY

Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Tom DeSanto & Don Murphy, Michael Bay

EXECUTIVE PRODUCED BY

Steven Spielberg, Brian Goldner, Mark Vahradian, Chris Brigham

STARRING

Hailee Steinfeld, John Cena, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., John Ortiz, Jason Drucker, Pamela Adlon, Stephen Schneider

#BumblebeeMovie

Every adventure has a beginning. Watch the official teaser trailer for Bumblebee, starring Hailee Steinfeld and John Cena. Directed by Travis Knight. #BumblebeeMovie hits theatres this Christmas.

BLOCKCHAIN STREAMING PLATFORM BINGE TAKES WORLDWIDE RIGHTS TO MACON BLAIR’S DARK COMEDY “THE SHITHEADS”

Slate Entertainment Group (SEG) has acquired worldwide distribution rights to Macon Blair’s The Shitheads starring Luke Wilson and Ron Funches, for its blockchain video on demand platform BINGE. Danny McBride, David Gordon Green and Jody Hill’s Rough House Pictures, Alex Orr (“Atlanta”), and filmscience will produce alongside Jeremy Saulnier, Blair’s Bonneville Films and XYZ Films.  SEG is fully financing the darkly comedic road movie with production to commence at the beginning of 2019.

Although a global streaming platform, SEG is committed to supporting the theatrical experience and will give selected films on the Binge platform theatrical windows.

Written and to be directed by Blair, The Shitheads, based on a story by Blair and Orr, follows a pair of deeply unqualified bozos who’ve been hired to transport a troubled teenage millionaire to rehab. While mayhem and general shenanigans do in fact ensue, it has not been confirmed at this time whether or not important life lessons are also learned. 

“I’ve been carrying this movie in my head for years now which probably accounts for my pronounced physical deterioration,” Blair says, “So I am very delighted to have the opportunity to get it out of my brain and into the world with the help of these collaborators I admire so much. It’s dynamite to be working with SEG, who’ve been so supportive and enthused about the movie. I’m grateful to be a part of their new platform, a place I think indie film is really going to flourish.”

“We have a deep respect for Macon’s work.  It’s an honor for us to work with such a talented individual and launch The Shitheads on BINGE” said SEG Co-Founder and CEO Michael Moyal.  “Our platform aims to tell great stories and collaborate with unique and talented filmmakers.  We’re excited for the journey ahead as we continue to build the Binge library.”

XYZ Films, an SEG strategic partner, will oversee production on behalf of SEG and brokered the deal with CAA Media Finance, which also packaged and arranged financing for the film.

Blair previously collaborated with filmscience and XYZ on his directorial debut, the Netflix Original I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore, which won the 2017 Sundance Grand Jury Prize. He has been developing The Shitheads with Fake Wood Wallpaper Films’ Orr since the two worked together on 2013’s Blue Ruin.

Blair, Wilson, Funches and Rough House Pictures are represented by CAA. Orr is represented by UTA.

At Cannes this year, SEG recently acquired worldwide distribution rights to the much-anticipated cryptocurrency documentary Beyond Bitcoin, directed by Jake Witzenfeld. In addition to The Shitheads, SEG is building out a slate of original content and acquisitions across film and series.

 

# # #

ABOUT ROUGH HOUSE PICTURES

Rough House Pictures was created as a joint venture between David Gordon Green, Jody Hill and Danny McBride. Following its success with the hit comedy series “Eastbound and Down”, which ran for four seasons on HBO, Rough House has gone on to establish itself as a hub for bold voices in both comedy and drama. Rough House has produced films like Manglehorn, Joe, Flower, The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter & Arizona, as well as television shows like FX’s “Chozen”, HBO’s “Vice Principals” and TBS’s animated series, “Tarantula”.

ABOUT FILMSCIENCE

filmscience has produced numerous features that have been nominated for six Independent Spirit Awards and screened at festivals around the world, including Cannes, Toronto, Sundance and Venice. These films include Kelly Reichardt’s Certain Women, Meek’s Cutoff and Wendy and Lucy, Joe Swanberg’s Hannah Takes the Stairs, Jeremy Saulnier’s Green Room and Blue Ruin and Macon Blair's I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore. A number of projects by emerging and established independent filmmakers are currently in development and production, including Saulnier's Hold the Dark and Ritesh Batra's Photograph.

 

 

ABOUT SLATE ENTERTAINMENT GROUP (SEG)

 

Slate Entertainment Group (SEG) is a highly-skilled amalgamation of entertainment, business, and technical expertise. SEG has developed a multi-layer entertainment ecosystem powered by blockchain technology and driven by cryptocurrency designed for mainstream adoption. SEG has a mission to disrupt the entertainment industry using a blend of technology and integrity through a series of blockchain platforms. BINGE, is a blockchain video on demand platform; SLATIX, a blockchain electronic ticketing application; and SLATE, a blockchain entertainment utility protocol.   

The company is led by Co-Founder and CEO Michael Moyal and Co-Founders Marino Kulas and Cody Hackman. Respected industry banners such as XYZ Films, as well as senior film executives originating from leading companies such as eOne, serve on the company’s Business Development and Advisory Board.

For more information on the Slate Ecosystem, visit: www.slate.io

Watch “Scoundrels,” an exciting, brand-new SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY featurette!

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU!!!

IT’S STAR WARS TIME! 

Board the Millennium Falcon and journey to a galaxy far, far away in “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” an all-new adventure with the most beloved scoundrel in the galaxy. Through a series of daring escapades deep within a dark and dangerous criminal underworld, Han Solo befriends his mighty future copilot Chewbacca and meets the notorious gambler Lando Calrissian, in a journey that will set the course of one of the Star Wars saga’s most unlikely heroes.

The film stars Alden Ehrenreich, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover, Thandie Newton, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Joonas Suotamo, and Paul Bettany.

Ron Howard directs “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” and Kathleen Kennedy, Allison Shearmur and Simon Emanuel are the producers. Lawrence Kasdan, Jason McGatlin, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller serve as executive producers. Jonathan Kasdan & Lawrence Kasdan wrote the screenplay.

Website and Mobile site: http://www.starwars.com/films/solo
Like us on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/starwarsmovies
Follow us on Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/starwars
Follow us on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/starwarsmovies

Watch this behind-the-scenes look at Solo: A Star Wars Story and see the film in theaters TONIGHT.

Hulk Hogan + Gawker + Freedom of the Press = New Netflix Trailer - "Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press"

Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press is directed and executive produced by Brian Knappenberger; produced by Luminant Media and SubLA; in association with The Filmmaker Fund and Field of Vision.

Background:

When the online tabloid Gawker posted a surreptitiously filmed sex tape of professional wrestler Hulk Hogan, it ignited a high stakes legal battle that pit privacy rights against the first amendment. The staggering verdict bankrupted Gawker and its founder Nick Denton, but also exposed a shadowy figure behind the scenes -- Silicon Valley venture capitalist Peter Thiel. Nine years earlier Gawker had outed Thiel on its site and the furious billionaire had been waiting for his chance to destroy them.

The Florida trial happened against the backdrop of a contentious election. Thiel’s battle with Gawker, along with Sheldon Adelson’s secretive purchase of the Las Vegas Review–Journal and President Trump’s treatment of journalists, portend a sinister trend threatening a free press and has brought to light a potential threat to democracy. Are the very wealthy thwarting the First Amendment to silence critics? In an age of extreme inequality, how vulnerable is a free press that has lost most of its traditional sources of income? Perhaps most frightening, what could a billionaire with the executive branch at his command do to those who have angered him?

Check out the new trailer for the upcoming Netflix original documentary Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press, launching globally June 23.

Journalists are trained to look for stories behind the stories. The reporters investigating the Hulk Hogan sex tape and the sale of the Las Vegas Journal-Review, however, found something unprecedented: billionaires covertly using their fortunes to silence the media.

Academy Award and Seven-Time Emmy-Nominated Filmmaker Joe Berlinger Completes “Intent to Destroy”

Academy Award and Seven-Time Emmy-Nominated Filmmaker Joe Berlinger Completes “Intent to Destroy,” a Definitive Documentary on the Armenian Genocide and the legacy of Turkish Denial

Hard-Hitting Film to World Premiere at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival, timed to Coincide with Annual Global Commemoration of the Mass Killings

(New York, April 19, 2017) Survival Pictures announced today the completion of Academy Award-nominated and multiple-Emmy winning filmmaker Joe Berlinger’s feature documentary “Intent to Destroy.” The film uses the on-set production of Oscar-winning director Terry George’s feature film, “The Promise,” as a springboard to explore the violent history of the Armenian Genocide and the legacy of Turkish suppression and denial over the past century.

 

“Intent to Destroy” is dedicated to the estimated 1.5 million victims of the Armenian Genocide and to all victims of mass slaughter around the world. The film has been timed to world premiere at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival on Tuesday, April 25th, which coincides with the 102nd Armenian Genocide Commemoration. There will be three additional public festival screenings in New York on April 27, April 28, April 29th - festival ticket information: http://bit.ly/2oEOJt5 - followed by a theatrical release later this year.

 

"When Joe Berlinger came to us with the idea of using the making of ‘The Promise’ as a device to pull back the veil and explore the historical reality of the Armenian Genocide, as well as the legacy of Turkish denial of this horrific reality over the last hundred years - we were convinced that this was the perfect opportunity to make a definitive stand-alone documentary on the topic in a way that would be accessible to a 21st century audience,” said Eric Esrailian, Survival Pictures co-Manager and producer of “The Promise.”

 

Esrailian continued, “Joe’s unparalleled two decade-long track-record of making landmark films about social justice combined with his passion for tenacious investigative reporting, assured us that he was the perfect filmmaker to thoroughly examine this underreported, yet undeniable, dark chapter in recent human history.”

 

Although the documentary takes us behind-the-scenes of the first mainstream Hollywood production to challenge the taboo of making these kinds of films due to US State Department and Turkish interference, “Intent to Destroy” vastly transcends the behind-the-scenes genre. The film thoroughly explores the complex history of the genocide and its post-World War I denial by western powers and Turkish campaigns right up through present day. A wide variety of activists and scholars provide insight through thoughtful interviews, including those who maintain an opposing view.

 

“I am indebted to Survival Pictures for not only allowing me unfettered access to the set of ‘The Promise,’ but for also encouraging me to dig deeply into the history of the Armenian Genocide and its repercussions for today,” said Joe Berlinger. “United States government policy has aided and abetted the sweeping of this morally repugnant chapter of history under the rug. In this current age of alternative facts and fake news, it has never been more important to showcase the truth, not just as a way to understand the complexity of Middle East politics, but also to bring a sense of healing and closure to the families of both the victims and the perpetrators.”

 

According to the Tribeca Film Festival catalog: “Historians, scholars, and high-profile filmmakers come together in Berlinger’s cinematic exploration of the tangled web of responsibility that has driven a century of denial by the Turkish government and its strategic allies. ‘Intent to Destroy’ is a timely reckoning with the large-scale suppression of a historical tragedy. Berlinger confronts the fraught task of shedding light on the Armenian Genocide — whose witnesses and descendants are still fighting to be officially acknowledged as such by the international community — how it was carried out during World War I as the reign of the Ottoman Empire drew to a close, and how it laid the groundwork for the genocides that followed.”

 

The world premiere screening will be followed by a panel conversation with director/screenwriter Joe Berlinger; author and Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Peter Balakian; singer, composer, activist and lead member of Grammy-winning metal band, System of a Down, Serj Tankian; producer Eric Esrailian; author/actor Eric Bogosian; and former US Ambassador to Armenia, John Marshall Evans. The panel will be moderated by the executive director at Human Rights Watch, Sarah Leah Whitson.

 

Survival Pictures presents a RadicalMedia and Third Eye Motion Picture Company Production in Association with Bloom Project. Directed and produced by Joe Berlinger with Eric Esrailian and Chip Rosenbloom also serving as producers; Anthony Mandekic, Patricia L. Glaser, Dan Taylor, Sheri Sani, Jon Kamen, Dave O’Connor, and Justin Wilkes are executive producers; Joe Berlinger co-wrote the film with Cy Christiansen, who also served as editor; Music composed by Serj Tankian; Bob Richman served as the cinematographer.

 

About Survival Pictures

Survival Pictures was established in 2012 by the late legendary businessman and humanitarian Kirk Kerkorian – who appointed his mentees Eric Esrailian and Anthony Mandekic as co-managers. With a mission of creating unique and specific content with social impact, Esrailian and his team at Survival Pictures developed and produced “The Promise,” directed by Terry George and starring Oscar Isaac and Christian Bale. “The Promise” debuts in theaters nationwide on April 21, 2017.

 

 

About Joe Berlinger

Academy Award®-nominated and Emmy® and Peabody-winning filmmaker Joe Berlinger has been a leading voice in nonfiction film and television for two decades, with a particular emphasis on the criminal justice system. Berlinger’s films include the landmark documentaries “Brother’s Keeper” (PBS), a Sundance audience award winner; the “Paradise Lost Trilogy” (HBO), which helped lead to the release of the wrongfully-convicted West Memphis Three after 18 years of incarceration; and most recently, “Whitey: United States of America vs. James J. Bulger,” a searing investigation into law enforcement corruption at the highest levels (CNN). Six of Berlinger’s documentary features have premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, earning three Grand Jury Prize nominations. Berlinger has been a creator on numerous nonfiction television series, including six seasons of the critically-acclaimed Sundance Channel series “Iconoclasts;” the Emmy®-winning “Ten Days That Changed America for The History Channel;” the Emmy®-nominated series “Oprah's Master Class” and “The System with Joe Berlinger” for Al Jazeera America. “Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru” premiered on Netflix in July 2016. Berlinger’s most recent TV series is “Killing Richard Glossip,” a world premiere two-night event, that kicked off Monday, April 17 on Investigation Discovery that details the plight a death row inmate who many believe is innocent and has run out of legal options with an execution looming. Third Eye Motion Picture Company, Joe Berlinger’s film and television development company, partners with RadicalMedia on his nonfiction productions.

 

About RadicalMedia

RadicalMedia is an Oscar-, Emmy-, Peabody- and Grammy Award-winning studio, with recent credits that include “MARS” for National Geographic; “Stan Against Evil” for IFC; “Hamilton’s America” for PBS’ Great Performances; Netflix’s “Abstract: The Art of Design,” which had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival; and “May It Last: A Portrait of the Avett Brothers,” which won the Audience Award: 24 Beats Per Second at SXSW 2017 and was acquired by HBO. RadicalMedia's vast body of work also includes the Oscar-winning documentary “The Fog of War”; Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning “What Happened, Miss Simone?” for Netflix; “Keith Richards: Under the Influence” for Netflix; and Epix’s docuseries “America Divided;” as well as numerous Joe Berlinger directed projects, including the Oscar-and Emmy-nominated “Paradise Lost: Purgatory” for HBO; “Metallica: Some Kind of Monster”; “Under African Skies” for A&E; “Whitey: The US vs. James J. Bulger” for CNN and the 4-part docuseries “Killing Richard Glossip,” debuting this month on Investigation Discovery. See more at RadicalMedia.com and find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

GHOST IN THE SHELL - Check out the new Character Posters!

See GHOST IN THE SHELL in theaters nationwide on March 31, 2017 in REALD 3D and IMAX 3D

Directed by: Rupert Sanders

Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Pilou Asbæk, Takeshi Kitano, Michael Pitt & Juliette Binoche

In the near future, Major (Scarlett Johansson) is the first of her kind:  A human saved from a terrible crash, who is cyber-enhanced to be a perfect soldier devoted to stopping the world’s most dangerous criminals.    When terrorism reaches a new level that includes the ability to hack into people’s minds and control them, Major is uniquely qualified to stop it.   As she prepares to face a new enemy, Major discovers that she has been lied to:  her life was not saved, it was stolen.   She will stop at nothing to recover her past, find out who did this to her and stop them before they do it to others.   Based on the internationally acclaimed Japanese Manga, “The Ghost in the Shell.”

#GhostInTheShell

Instagram:@GhostInTheShell

Twitter: @GhostInShell

Facebook: /GhostInTheShellMovie

Tumblr: GhostInTheShell.tumblr.com

"They created me, but they cannot control me." GHOST IN THE SHELL starring Scarlett Johansson opens in theaters nationwide on March 31, 2017. In the near future, Major (Scarlett Johansson) is the first of her kind: A human saved from a terrible crash, who is cyber-enhanced to be a perfect soldier devoted to stopping the world's most dangerous criminals.