The Inbox (Dec. 7-13, 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.

Image Gallery: Grudge Match

See the Gallery Here

Image Gallery: Lego Movie

See the Gallery Here

Image Gallery: 2014 Warner Bros. Preview

See the Gallery Here

Press Release: Exclusive Cirque du Soleil Content Coming to Hulu and Hulu Plus

GRAVITAS VENTURES BRINGS EXCLUSIVE CIRQUE DU SOLEIL CONTENT TO HULU AND HULU PLUS ON DECEMBER 14th

“TOTEM Voices” and “FIRE WITHIN” among the programs to be made available

El Segundo, CA (December 13, 2013) – Gravitas Ventures announced today that Cirque du Soleil® will launch long-form and episodic content on the free, ad-supported Hulu and Hulu Plus subscription service. The content, which Gravitas exclusively distributes through their VOD (video-on-demand) partnership with Cirque du Soleil, will launch on Hulu and Hulu Plus on December 14th as part of “A Season of Cirque du Soleil.” KOOZA™, HATCHING, DELIRIUM, DRALION™, THE MYSTERY OF MYSTÈRE™ and FLOW: A TRIBUTE TO THE ARTISTS OF “O™” are among the feature length programs that will be available on Hulu, with more to follow as part of an ongoing rollout campaign.

All Cirque du Soleil content can be found at the following dedicated landing page on Hulu.com: www.hulu.com/cirquedusoleil. To kick off this initiative, a trailer highlighting the world of Cirque du Soleil is premiering exclusively right now for the next 72 hours on this Hulu landing page.

“We are thrilled to bring Cirque du Soleil to Hulu and Hulu Plus,” said Melanie Miller, Gravitas Ventures VP of Acquisitions & Marketing. “It’s an exciting opportunity to extend the Cirque du Soleil experience to families beyond a live performance and in their living rooms through such an innovative online video service.”

“We are delighted to extend our VOD offering to a wider audience and Hulu has provided us with an exciting platform to showcase Cirque du Soleil content with a dedicated landing page and shared marketing opportunities,” said Tracey Errico, Cirque du Soleil Director of Programming and Distribution. “We look forward to a fruitful collaboration with Hulu that will see a variety of Cirque du Soleil content brought to viewers.”

In addition to the long-form programs of show specials and documentaries two episodic series will be made available to Hulu exclusively starting with FIRE WITHIN, an Emmy Award-winning series around the touring show Varekai™, which is now in arenas throughout the country, and TOTEM™ Voices which will next open in Santa Monica, CA in January following TOTEM’s successful premiere at the Port of Los Angeles in October, with additional performances planned for early next year. These two series will be the centerpiece of the Cirque du Soleil programs arriving on Hulu and Hulu Plus. Along with the feature length and episodic content, behind-the-scenes footage and featurettes will also be available.

Starting on Saturday, December 14th, nine performances can be found at these direct links:
– FIRE WITHIN – www.hulu.com/cirque-du-soleil-fire-within
– FLOW: A TRIBUTE TO THE ARTISTS OF “O™” – www.hulu.com/cirque-du-soleil-flow-a-tribute-to-artists-of-o
– THE MYSTERY OF MYSTÈRE™ – www.hulu.com/cirque-du-soleil-the-mystery-of-mystere
– KOOZA™ – www.hulu.com/cirque-du-soleil-kooza
– A Thrilling Ride Through KOOZA™ – www.hulu.com/cirque-du-soleil-a-thrilling-ride-through-kooza
– DRALION™ – www.hulu.com/cirque-du-soleil-dralion
– HATCHING – www.hulu.com/cirque-du-soleil-hatching
– ZED in Tokyo – www.hulu.com/cirque-du-soleil-zed-in-tokyo
– ZAIA: Crossroads in Macao – www.hulu.com/cirque-du-soleil-zaia-crossroads-in-macao

ABOUT CIRQUE DU SOLEIL
From a group of 20 street performers at its beginnings in 1984, Cirque du Soleil is now a major Quebec-based organization providing high-quality artistic entertainment. The company has 5,000 employees, including more than 1,000 performing artists from close to 50 different countries.

Cirque du Soleil has brought wonder and delight to more than 100 million spectators in more than 300 cities in over forty countries on six continents.

For more information about Cirque du Soleil, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com. To find out more about the ONE DROP Foundation, visit www.onedrop.org.

ABOUT GRAVITAS VENTURES
Gravitas Ventures connects independent filmmakers, producers and distribution companies to leading cable, satellite, telco and online distribution partners. Working with more than 500 content partners, Gravitas Ventures aggregates and distributes thousands of hours of feature films, documentaries, horror films, animation, alternative sports, comedy, and music concert programming. In recent years Gravitas has expanded its operation to include theatrical releasing and Gravitas International, a new division that will focus on worldwide audiences. For more information, please go to www.gravitasventures.com and @GravitasVOD.

Press Release: Warner Archive Instant Launches iPad App

WARNER ARCHIVE INSTANT LAUNCHES IPAD APP

WARNER BROS. STREAMING SERVICE FOR HARD-TO-FIND CLASSIC MOVIES AND TV SHOWS ALSO AVAILABLE ON ROKU®

Stream Hundreds of Vintage Titles from Warner Bros., MGM, RKO, Allied Artists, Lorimar and More

Sign Up Now for a Two-Week Free Trial of Warner Archive Instant

BURBANK, Calif., December 11, 2013 – Following the launch earlier this year of Warner Archive Instant, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment today announced that its subscription streaming service targeted to connoisseurs of classic film and TV will launch their highly-requested iPad™ app for iOS 6 and 7. Owners of iPads, iPad minis and the new iPad Air will now have instant access to rare classic films and TV shows, many of them streaming in 1080p HD, which have been curated from the largest entertainment library in the world. The Warner Archive Instant streaming service also has closed captioning, a highly requested feature.

A free two-week trial is currently being offered for Warner Archive Instant, after the trial period, monthly subscriptions are $9.99. Warner Archive Instant can also be found on the line up of channels available to the millions of consumers who own Roku players, one of the world’s most popular streaming players. The streaming service is also available on PCs and Macs.

“We’re very excited to roll out an iPad app for Warner Archive Instant as we also continue to grow the service on Roku, our first viewing platform. Both give consumers an exceptional HD viewing experience and will pave the way for broader device expansion throughout the next year,” said Justin Herz, Senior Vice President, Direct-to-Consumer, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution & General Manager, Warner Bros. Advanced Digital Services. “The new Warner Archive Instant iPad app is another step forward in our continued efforts to make the Warner Bros. library of rare, classic content available to consumers.”

Warner Archive Instant currently offers hundreds of titles from every period throughout Hollywood history, from silent films and pre-code movies to B westerns and highly sought after art house classics. Warner Archive Instant’s content presents an exciting entertainment alternative to most streaming services, which concentrate on mainstream classics, or current movies and TV shows. In addition to movies and TV shows from the Warner Bros. vault, Warner Archive Instant offers many titles that people otherwise wouldn’t have access to, from MGM, RKO, New Line, Monogram, Allied Artists and Lorimar, among others.

“Warner Archive Instant provides on-the-spot access to an extraordinary selection of movies and TV shows, many that can’t be found anywhere else and have never been available for home viewing until recently,” said George Feltenstein, Senior VP, Theatrical Catalog Marketing. “Many of the vintage rarities you’ll find here have influenced some of Hollywood’s most renowned filmmakers and we’re honored to make this magnificent and ever-growing collection available to fans of great cinema.”

A unique and very popular feature of Warner Archive Instant is the “Showcase” section, which features a monthly festival-style list of streaming movie and TV marathons built around a common theme or interest. Recent and upcoming Showcases include:

· On Location: Shot In Los Angeles (1950-79): A look at the L.A. of the past through the Hollywood lens. Films include The Loved One, Crime Wave and The Outfit
· Vincente Minnelli Directs: Comedy, Drama, Musicals. Films include Bells Are Ringing, The Long, Long Trailer, Lust For Life and Ziegfeld Follies
· Cinematic Rivalry-Bette Davis vs. Joan Crawford: Films include: A Woman’s Face, Deception, Humoresque and The Great Lie
· Screen Sleuths: Charlie Chan, The Falcon, The Saint and more: Films include Dangerous Money, The Falcon’s Brother, Marlowe and The Saint In London

Warner Archive Instant is a natural brand extension of the well-regarded Warner Archive Collection, the manufacturing-on-demand service that lets cinephiles purchase DVDs and Blu-rays™ from the vast Warner Bros. vault of classic titles spanning more than 75 years of filmmaking. Established in 2009, Warner Archive Collection is approaching 2,000 titles available for sale on disc.

About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Inc.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) brings together Warner Bros. Entertainment’s home video, digital distribution and interactive entertainment businesses in order to maximize current and next-generation distribution scenarios. An industry leader since its inception, WBHE oversees the global distribution of content through packaged goods (Blu-ray Disc™ and DVD) and digital media in the form of electronic sell-through and video-on-demand via cable, satellite, online and mobile channels, and is a significant developer and publisher for console and online video game titles worldwide. WBHE distributes its product through third party retail partners and licensees, as well as directly to consumers through WBShop.com and WBUltra.

Press Release: GKids Presents 5th Anniversary Retrospective

GKIDS 5TH ANNIVERSARY 18 TITLE RETROSPECTIVE COMES TO NYC’S IFC CENTER

“AN ANIMATED WORLD: CELEBRATING FIVE YEARS OF GKIDS CLASSICS”

11 GKIDS ANIMATED CLASSICS INCLUDING:

“THE SECRET OF KELLS”
“A CAT IN PARIS”
“CHICO & RITA”
“SUMMER WARS”
“SITA SINGS THE BLUES”

THEATRICAL PREMIERES OF 3 NEW RELEASES:
“WELCOME TO THE SPACE SHOW”
“NOCTURNA”
“ELEANOR’S SECRET”

SNEAK PREVIEWS OF 2 UPCOMING AWARDS CONTENDERS:
“A LETTER TO MOMO”
“ERNEST & CELESTINE”

25-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF STUDIO GHIBLI’S DOUBLE FEATURE MASTERPIECES:
“MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO”
“GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES”

DEC 20 TO JAN 2

FOR ADVANCE TICKETS GO TO: WWW.GKIDS.TV/TICKETS

New York, New York – December 9, 2013 – GKIDS, a distributor of award-winning feature animation for both adult and family audiences, announced that New York’s IFC Center is presenting a fifth anniversary retrospective of their films over two holiday weeks, starting Friday, December 20 and running through Thursday, January 2. The program, titled AN ANIMATED WORLD: CELEBRATING FIVE YEARS OF GKIDS CLASSICS, will feature 18 films, including the return of 11 animated classics like Oscar® nominated The Secret of Kells, A Cat in Paris, and Chico & Rita; the US theatrical premieres of three new releases, Welcome to the Space Show, Nocturna, and Eleanor’s Secret; sneak preview showings of GKIDS’ upcoming awards contenders, Ernest & Celestine and A Letter to Momo; and a 25th anniversary presentation of the original Studio Ghibli double feature, My Neighbor Totoro and Grave of the Fireflies.

For a complete list of films, go to www.gkids.tv/tickets.

ABOUT GKIDS
GKIDS is a distributor of award-winning filmed entertainment specializing in animation for both adult and family audiences. The company has scored three Best Animated Feature Oscar® nominations, with The Secret of Kells in 2010 and both A Cat in Paris and Chico & Rita in 2012 – marking the first time an independent distributor has had two simultaneous nominations in the category. Upcoming releases include Ignacio Ferreras’ Wrinkles, featuring Martin Sheen, Matthew Modine and George Coe, as well as the animated Oscar®-contenders Ernest & Celestine, from producers Les Armateurs, and A Letter to Momo, from Japan’s Production I.G. GKIDS also handles North American theatrical distribution for Oscar®-winner Hayao Miyazaki’s famed Studio Ghibli library of films, one of the world’s most coveted animation collections with titles Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke and others. GKIDS is producer of the New York Int’l Children’s Film Festival, an Oscar®-qualifying event and North America’s largest festival of film for children and teens.

Press Release: “Ernest & Celestine” Named Best Animated Feature at LAFCA

“ERNEST & CELESTINE” BEST ANIMATION WINNER AT THE LOS ANGELES FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION AWARDS

*****

“E&C” IS COMPETING FOR OSCARS, ANNIES AND GOLDEN GLOBES

New York, New York – December 9, 2013 – GKIDS, a distributor of award-winning animation for both adult and family audiences, has announced that the Los Angeles Film Critics Association has awarded ERNEST & CELESTINE its Best Animation award for 2013.

ERNEST & CELESTINE is the charming and beautifully hand-drawn new feature from the creators of the Academy Award® nominated Triplets of Belleville and The Secret of Kells. The film premiered at Cannes, is the winner of France’s Cesar Award for Best Animated Feature, and currently has a 100% rating on RottenTomatoes.com. GKIDS is qualifying the film for the 2014 Academy Awards® in the Best Animated Feature category, where the company has had past success with The Secret of Kells, A Cat in Paris, and Chico & Rita. The film is qualifying for awards consideration in the original French language version. It was nominated for six Annie Awards earlier this month, the most for any independent or internationally produced film. In addition to Best Animated Feature, the film received Annie Awards nods for directing, writing, production design, character animation and editing in an animated feature.

An English language version of ERNEST & CELESTINE will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 18. The film opens theatrically on March 14 in New York and Los Angeles, followed by national expansion to all major US markets. The voice cast includes Forest Whitaker (Lee Daniels’ The Butler), Mackenzie Foy (Twilight: Breaking Dawn), Lauren Bacall (The Big Sleep), Paul Giamatti (John Adams), William H. Macy (Fargo), Megan Mullally (Will and Grace), Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation), and Jeffrey Wright (Boardwalk Empire).

ABOUT ERNEST & CELESTINE
From the creators of the Academy Award®-nominated Triplets of Belleville and The Secret of Kells comes a visually stunning, enormously entertaining new film with generation-spanning appeal. Deep below snowy, cobblestone streets, tucked away in networks of winding subterranean tunnels, lives a civilization of hardworking mice, terrified of the bears who live above ground. Unlike her fellow mice, Celestine is an artist and a dreamer – and when she nearly ends up as breakfast for ursine troubadour Ernest, the two form an unlikely bond. But it isn’t long before their friendship is put on trial by their respective bear-fearing and mice-eating communities.

Fresh from standing ovations at Cannes and Toronto, ERNEST & CELESTINE joyfully leaps across genres and influences to capture the kinetic, limitless possibilities of animated storytelling. Like a watercolor painting brought to life, a constantly shifting pastel color palette bursts and drips across the screen, while wonderful storytelling and brilliant comic timing draw up influences as varied as Buster Keaton, Bugs Bunny and the outlaw romanticism of Bonnie and Clyde. Based on the Belgian book series by Gabrielle Vincent, ERNEST & CELESTINE is winner of the Cesar Award for Best Animated Feature and numerous festival prizes.