The Inbox (Jun. 15-21, 2013)

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.

Press Release: “When Comedy Went to School” Announces Release Dates
Press Release: “Arcadia” Releases on Home Video on July 23
Press Release: “Gideon’s Army” Debuts on HBO July 1

Press Release: “When Comedy Went to School” Announces Release Dates

WHEN COMEDY WENT TO SCHOOL

Directed by Ron Frank and Mevlut Akkaya

Written by Lawrence Richards

opens in NYC on Wednesday, July 31
opens on Long Island on Friday, August 2
opens in Los Angeles on Friday, August 16

Featuring: Robert Klein, Jerry Lewis, Jerry Stiller, Sid Caesar, Jackie Mason, Mort Sahl and Larry King, among others

Filmmakers, and some of the legendary comedians profiled in the film, are available for interviews

International Film Circuit is proud to present the US Theatrical release of WHEN COMEDY WENT TO SCHOOL, a documentary film directed by Ron Frank and Mevlut Akkaya, and written by Lawrence Richards. The film will have its World Premiere at the Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival on June 6 (Closing Night film), and will open theatrically at the IFC Center in New York on Wednesday, July 31; at Malverne 5 and Kew Gardens on Long Island on Friday, August 2nd; and in Los Angeles at Laemmle Theaters on August 16. A national release will follow.

This remarkable documentary presents an entertaining portrait of this country’s greatest generation of comedians – the generation that includes the likes of Jerry Lewis, Sid Caesar, Robert Klein, Jackie Mason, Mort Sahl, Jerry Stiller, Larry King, and others, all of whom make appearances in the film, telling jokes and telling their stories.

In a 1970’s survey, it was found that although Jews represented approximately 3% of the total U.S. population, they accounted for 80% of professional comedians. How did it come to pass that a nation that started the 20th century laughing at the folk humor of Will Rogers, ended being captivated by the urbane parodies of “Seinfeld”? Is there a common denominator within the generation of Jewish-Americans that produced literally dozens of comedy legends? How could that happen? And why did that happen? What is their legacy? As Butch Cassidy in awe asks The Sundance Kid regarding the posse tracking him: “Who are those guys?”

WHEN COMEDY WENT TO SCHOOL answers those questions with an entertaining portrait of this country’s greatest generation of comics. The answer is also found in update New York’s Catskill Mountains, aka the Borscht Belt, where Jewish immigrants transformed lush farmlands into the 20th century’s largest resort complex. Those Catskill hotels and bungalow colonies provided the setting for a remarkable group of young Jewish-American comedians to hone their craft and become worldwide legends. It was truly WHEN COMEDY WENT TO SCHOOL.

Documentary / USA / 76 minutes / 2013

Press Release: “Arcadia” Releases on Home Video on July 23

“ARCADIA” AWARD-WINNING DRAMA AVAILABLE ON DVD, iTUNES AND AMAZON INSTANT JULY 23rd, 2013

Beautifully crafted and acted drama starring Academy Award® nominee John Hawkes to be available across North America.

June 18th, 2013 (NY, NY) – Film Movement (www.filmmovement.com), the distributor of award-winning independent and foreign films, announces today that ARCADIA, a summertime road film starring Academy Award® nominee John Hawkes, will be released on DVD on July 23rd, 2013 in North America and will also be available via Amazon and iTunes. This debut feature from emerging filmmaker Olivia Silver centers around Tom (Hawkes) and his three children, who set out on a cross-country road trip without their mother, a journey that challenges the family dynamic and tests each of their resolve to find a better future on the west coast. The film also stars Ryan Simpkins (A Single Man), Ty Simpkins (Iron Man 3) and Kendall Toole.

All Film Movement DVD releases include a short film— this month’s release is LITTLE CANYON, filmmaker Olivia Silver’s short film that served as the inspiration for Arcadia. The film is 15 minutes in length and provides a unique glimpse into a film’s evolution from inception to feature-length execution.

Winner of the Crystal Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, Arcadia will be available on DVD at Film Movement (www.filmmovement.com), and also through major retailers such as Amazon.com. The film will be available to stream directly from Film Movement for just $3.99; online streaming begins July 23rd and can be accessed here. Additionally, Amazon Instant and iTunes will make the film available for rent or download beginning July 23rd.

Accolades for ARCADIA:
“Ms. Silver’s ability to … catch those moments between innocence and knowing, childhood and adulthood, unforgiving and forgiving, makes her someone to watch.”
– Manohla Dargis, The New York Times

“…a nicely-honed sense of poignancy…Silver’s sensitively written and directed scenario make Arcadia feel fresh…” –Christopher Bourne, TwitchFilm.com

Synopsis of ARCADIA:
A coming-of-age story set in a vast, cross-country landscape, Arcadia begins when twelve-year-old Greta’s (Ryan Simpkins) dad Tom (John Hawkes) wakes her up before dawn and crams her and her two siblings in the family’s dented station wagon. They set off on a 3,000 mile journey from the New England woods to the California desert. On the way, Tom tells enchanting stories, paints pictures of a California paradise and assures his kids that Mom will soon join them. Greta believes him at first, mesmerized by the strange new scenery and clinging to her stuffed bunny, Harrison. Older sister Caroline (Kendall Toole) nonchalantly accepts his stories, more focused on the boyfriend she’s left behind. And nine-year-old Nat (Ty Simpkins), too young to suspect anything awry, is eager to see the epic Grand Canyon. But Tom’s mood shifts as often as the landscape outside their window, and the kids soon find themselves in increasingly unpleasant – and even dangerous – situations, all while Mom’s presence recedes with every mile they travel.

Acclaim for ARCADIA:
WINNER – Crystal Bear at the BERLIN FILM FESTIVAL
WINNER – Best Children’s Film at the Oulu International Film Festival
Official Selection – Sarasota Film Festival
Official Selection – Woodstock Film Festival
Official Selection – Indianapolis International Film Festival
Official Selection – Chesapeake Film Festival
Official Selection – Wroclaw American Film Festival
Official Selection – Gijon International Film Festival

About Film Movement:
Launched in 2003, Film Movement is a full-service North American distributor of award-winning independent and foreign films, based in New York City. Film Movement has released more than 250 feature films and shorts from 50 countries on six continents, including top prize winners from Sundance, Cannes, Venice, Toronto, Berlin, Tribeca and other prestigious festivals. Film Movement releases its films through numerous distribution channels, including thousands of art-house cinemas, universities and libraries; home video (Netflix and Amazon); television outlets (Sundance Channel, HBO, IFC and Showtime); Cable Video on Demand (including its very own branded cable VOD platform—Film Festival on Demand—available in over 40 million US homes); In-flight Entertainment (Alaska Airlines, Air Canada and United/Continental,) and broadband outlets (iTunes, Hulu, Amazon and YouTube). For more information, please visit www.filmmovement.com.

Press Release: “Gideon’s Army” Debuts on HBO July 1

GIDEON’S ARMY, AN INSIDE LOOK AT the criminal justice system THROUGH THE EYES of IDEALISTIC YOUNG PUBLIC DEFENDERS IN THE SOUTH, DEBUTS JULY 1 ON HBO

——–

Documentary Won 2013 Sundance Editing Award

——–

In 1961, Clarence Earl Gideon was arrested for stealing soda and a few dollars from a pool hall. Unable to afford an attorney, he was convicted after representing himself at trial. Gideon appealed his conviction to the Supreme Court, which ruled unanimously that the right to counsel in a criminal case is fundamental to the American system of justice.

More than 12 million people are arrested in the United States each year. Fiftyyears after the landmark Gideon v. Wainwright case, most of them will be represented by one of the United States’ 15,000 public defenders.

Directed by attorney Dawn Porter and winner of the 2013 Sundance Film Festival Editing Award for U.S. Documentary Competition, GIDEON’S ARMY follows a group of idealistic young public defenders in the Deep South, where lawyers face particularly difficult challenges due to high bonds, minimum mandatory sentencing and a culture that is traditionally “tough on crime.” The thought-provoking film debuts MONDAY, JULY 1 (9:00-10:45 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO.

Other HBO playdates: July 1 (5:20 a.m.), 7 (1:05 p.m.), 9 (4:00 p.m., 12:15 a.m.), 13 (9:45 a.m.) and 19 (8:15 a.m.)

HBO2 playdate: July 3 (11:15 a.m., 8:00 p.m.)

HBO Documentary Films presents another weekly series this summer, debuting provocative new specials every Monday through August 12. Other July films include: “Gasland Part II” (July 8); “The Crash Reel” (July 15); “The Cheshire Murders” (July 24); and “First Comes Love” (July 29).

Brandy Alexander, Travis Williams and June Hardwick have dedicated themselves to defending those who otherwise would not receive representation, contending with a day-to-day life of low pay, long hours and staggering caseloads. Despite these obstacles, with the help of the Southern Public Defender Training Center (SPDTC), these young professionals are inspired to take on this unique challenge in the name of public service.

Travis Williams is a Gainesville, Ga. lawyer whose client, Branden Lee Mullin, has been accused of armed robbery and faces a minimum of ten years to a maximum of life in prison. Brandy Alexander has served as a public defender in both Georgia and Florida and is preparing to go to trial on behalf of her client, Demontes Regary Wright, a young man also charged with armed robbery.

The demands on these public defenders can be overwhelming: The average caseload for a public defender in Miami Dade County, Fla. is 500 felonies and 225 misdemeanors. Not surprisingly, many public defender offices across the nation have an incredibly high turnover rate. The pace is exhausting, and the legal wrangling intense, but these young public defenders persevere. Knowing the stakes are high – and their clients’ lives will be deeply affected by what they do, or fail to do – they push themselves to the limit over and over again.

Does their work have to be this difficult? Experts cite the nation’s approach to criminal justice to explain the dire state of indigent defense. In many southern states, bonds for misdemeanor crimes are exorbitantly high, as much as $40,000 for misdemeanor crimes like shoplifting, which most defendants cannot afford. This leads to a high rate of pretrial detention for indigent clients, with many serving months or even years in prison without a trial. Another factor is the rate of plea bargaining intended simply to end pretrial detention. Notes Brett Willis, a senior public defender featured in the film, “The reality is 90% or 95% of the people who get charged with something plead guilty…because the system is designed to force them to plead guilty and it punishes their failure to comply.”

In addition to lengthy prison sentences, clients found guilty can face severe civil sanctions, which can result in such extreme punishments as: losing eligibility for public benefits, such as federal student loans; losing the ability to live in public housing with one’s family; losing the right to vote; and, in some regions, losing the right to hold a driver’s license, which can be a severe obstacle to finding post-incarceration employment.

Along with the perilous circumstances facing the accused, public defenders typically face a multitude of trying professional and personal circumstances, for which no amount of training can prepare them. Notes Travis Williams, “I have huge student loan debt. After I pay my student loans and my rent, all I have left is probably $300 a month to pay extra bills like gas and the car, all that kind of stuff, groceries. But I don’t see how you can do this work for any period of time and not begin to love it. If you don’t, then it’ll just drive you insane.”

These committed attorneys are backed by mentor Jonathan Rapping,the dynamic leader of the Atlanta-based Southern Public Defender Training Center (SPDTC), designed to fill a void in the training currently available to young public defenders. The center offers a comprehensive curriculum designed specifically for public defenders and geared toward the improvement of indigent defense representation and raising the standard of practice in jurisdictions nationwide. The group often provides emotional support, in addition to practical instruction, as the young public defenders talk about their work and empathize over similar situations.

As Rapping states in one of their seminars, “This will be a battle that will be won, and your children will look back on this struggle to save people from this unjust, cruel, inhumane criminal justice system. And you all will be the foot soldiers, you will be the ones who brought that about.”

The U.S. incarcerates more citizens annually than any other industrialized nation. At the beginning of 2008, 2.3 million Americans were behind bars, followed by China with 1.5 million. Director Dawn Porter explains, “Americans are fascinated with crime, and yet few know the truth about how the criminal justice system really works. GIDEON’S ARMY presents a rare true look at the criminal justice system from the vantage point of the accused. I wanted to be sure the inspiring, challenging nature of the work these public defenders do, which involves a tremendous amount of personal sacrifice in service to our constitutional rights, was given the attention it deserved.”

The film is produced in association with the Ford Foundation.

For more information on the documentary, visit: Facebook: facebook.com/hbodocs; and Twitter: @HBODocs #GideonsArmy.

GIDEON’S ARMY is directed and produced by Dawn Porter; producer, Julie Goldman; editor, Matthew Hamachek; co-producer, Summer Damon; original music, Paul Brill. For HBO: senior producers, Nancy Abraham and Jacqueline Glover; executive producer, Sheila Nevins.