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: 28 Entertainment Takes Film Rights to “Code Name: Johnny Walker”
• Press Release: Wolfe Releasing Acquires “Tru Love”
• Press Release: Information on “The Lego Movie” Title Sequence
• Press Release: Grace Zabriskie and Brad Dourif Join “Rosemont”
• Press Release: “White House” Film Festival Announced
• Press Release: “Divergent” Advance Tickets on Sale March 4
• Press Release: Participant Media and Filmbuff Obtain Rights to “The Internet’s Own Boy”

Press Release: 28 Entertainment Takes Film Rights to “Code Name: Johnny Walker”

28 ENTERTAINMENT TAKES FILM RIGHTS TO NEW YORK TIMES BEST-SELLING IRAQ WAR THRILLER “CODE NAME: JOHNNY WALKER”

Undercover Translator for the Navy SEALs Pens Book on Life During the Iraq Insurgency

Los Angeles, CA (February 24, 2014) – 28 Entertainment announced today their acquisition of the film rights to the New York Times best-selling autobiography CODE NAME: JOHNNY WALKER, the true life account of a Navy SEALs translator in Iraq called upon to aid special forces troops during the insurgency. Written by the real life hero under the pseudonym “Johnny Walker,” the book was co-written by Jim DeFelice (co-author of the New York Times best-seller American Sniper) and was published last week by William Morrow, an imprint of Harper Collins. The project will be produced by 28 Entertainment’s Jay Hoffman, Brian A. Hoffman, and Brett Harrison with additional announcements to come shortly. The book recently debuted on the New York Times best-seller list as one of the top sellers on both the nonfiction Hardcover and Ebook lists.

Offering a unique perspective on the Iraq War, the memoir tells the story of one Iraqi who risked everything to fight with U.S. troops, in particular the Navy SEALs, becoming perhaps the only “terp” (interpreter) to be welcomed into their tight-knit fold. For the first time ever, “Walker” tells what it was like in Iraq during the American invasion and the brutal insurgency that followed. With inside details on SEAL operations and a humane understanding of the tragic price paid by ordinary Iraqis, CODE NAME: JOHNNY WALKER reveals a side of the war that has never been told before.

Development on the property is underway, as the rights were initially purchased in a pre-publication deal with the author.

“This is a new and refreshing look at the situation in Iraq, from the Iraqi perspective,” said Brian and Jay Hoffman. “When we heard of ‘Johnny’s’ story from SEALs who had worked with him on the battlefield, we were immediately inspired and knew we wanted to bring his story to the screen.”

DeFelice, in addition to American Sniper, most recently authored Omar Bradley: General at War, the first in-depth critical biography of America’s last five-star general.

About 28 Entertainment:
28 Entertainment is a Los Angeles-based film production and finance company co-founded in 2008 by the father and son team of Jay Hoffman and Brian A. Hoffman. Currently, the company is developing the GEORGE JONES BIOPIC, the story of iconic country singer George Jones. Other company credits include the family title DEEP IN THE HEART, which was directed by Christopher Cain (PURE COUNTRY, YOUNG GUNS) and CORKED, an award-winning mockumentary on the wine business.

Co-founder Brian A. Hoffman has been involved in film production for his entire professional career in various above and below the line capacities.

Co-Founder Jay Hoffman has been involved in film financing and marketing on a number of documentary and feature projects since the 1990’s.

28 Entertainment has a full slate of projects underway for 2015-16.

Press Release: Wolfe Releasing Acquires “Tru Love”

WOLFE ACQUIRES TRU LOVE

Specialty Distributor Secures U.S. VOD and DVD Rights to Co-Directors Kate Johnston & Shauna MacDonald’s Acclaimed Canadian Indie

SAN JOSE, CALIF. (February 26, 2014) — Wolfe Releasing, the world’s largest exclusive distributor of gay and lesbian films, has acquired the U.S. Digital and DVD rights to TRU LOVE by co-directors Kate Johnston and Shauna MacDonald. Named one of top ten films of 2013 by Huffington Post UK, TRU LOVE is an evocative love story involving three women whose lives intersect and are changed forever. The film will debut on VOD and DVD in late 2014.

“We are so delighted to find such a lovely film in a year when so few women’s stories have made it to the silver screen,” said Wolfe President Maria Lynn.

“TRU LOVE has been a labour of love for us, so we are thrilled to have found a home with a distribution company that is extremely passionate about the films and filmmakers they discover. We are delighted to be a part of their Wolfe pack!” said Directors Kate Johnston and Shauna MacDonald in a joint statement.

SYNOPSIS: At 37, Tru (Shauna MacDonald) finds herself a serial bed-hopping lesbian who cannot commit to a relationship or a job for long. Then she meets Alice (Kate Trotter), 60, a beautiful widow, who has come to town at the last minute to visit her daughter Suzanne (Christine Horne), who is Tru’s friend. Sparks fly as Alice and Tru begin forging an unlikely friendship …and more. As Suzanne becomes increasingly alarmed at the growing bond between Tru and her mother, Suzanne tries to sabotage the budding romance.

About Wolfe Releasing
The largest exclusive distributor of lesbian, gay, bi and transgender (LGBT) films, Wolfe has been serving customers since 1985. Major Wolfe releases in 2014 include the award-winning lesbian romantic drama, Reaching for the Moon (co-starring Miranda Otto and Gloria Pires); the 2013 Sundance Film Festival hit, Pit Stop; and the highly acclaimed documentary I Am Divine. Wolfe is also well known for the DVD releases of such beloved modern classics as Kiss Me, Undertow, Desert Hearts and Big Eden. Wolfe’s acclaimed motion picture library can be found at WolfeVideo.com as well as at national retailers such as Netflix, Barnes & Noble, Amazon and VOD destinations such as Comcast, Time Warner, YouTube Movies, Hulu, iTunes and, of course, WolfeOnDemand.com.

Press Release: Information on “The Lego Movie” Title Sequence

Animation studios STOOPID BUDDY STOODIOS and ALMA MATER unite using handmade stop-motion animation for THE LEGO® MOVIE Title Sequence

February 26th, 2014 – As the LEGO craze continues (THE LEGO MOVIE has been the #1 film 3 weekends in a row, grossing over $270 million worldwide), people are drawing more attention to the technical process behind the amazing digital tools used, which is no easy feat. Emmy and Annie award winning animation production house STOOPID BUDDY STOODIOS, founded by Matthew Senreich, Seth Green, John Harvatine IV and Eric Towner joined forces with visual studio ALMA MATER to create the exciting and unique end credits sequence.

While the animation in THE LEGO MOVIE was created using digital techniques, the team at Stoopid Buddy Stoodios used traditional stop-motion animation to realize the intricate end credits. The sequence was conceived and directed by Alma Mater’s Brian Mah, who collaborated with Stoopid Buddy Stoodios’ Ethan Marak to oversee the animation. The work is notable for being one of the largest and most intricate stop-motion LEGO animations ever attempted.

The final shot of the sequence took four motion control passes to complete, with three animators working simultaneously to increment hundreds of individual LEGO bricks. With an average of four objects moving per set that totals around 10,000 animated increments to create this twelve second shot!

Says Stoopid Buddy co-founder Matthew Senreich, “It’s astonishing how much work goes into such a short sequence. Animator Benny Zelkowicz had to move 150+ LEGO pieces per frame!”

“It was a great collaboration” says Alma Mater Director Brian Mah. “Ethan was constantly finding ways of making the sequence stronger. With the help of his DP, Helder Sun, the team did a fantastic job bringing the scenes to life with animation and cinematic lighting (which isn’t easy on miniature sets with super intricate and reflective plastic parts).”

STOOPID BUDDY STOODIOS is a state of the art animation production house founded in 2012 by Stoopid Monkey Production’s Seth Green and Matthew Senreich, and Buddy Systems’ John Harvatine IV and Eric Towner. The facility is a two-building complex located in Burbank, CA, and is home-base for both individual and joint ventures for the partners, as well as regularly hosting outside projects. The first production under the new company’s banner was the Robot Chicken/DC Comics Special followed by Season 6 of Adult Swim’s top-rated, Emmy and Annie Award-winning series Robot Chicken. Upcoming projects include another DC Comics Special as well as Robot Chicken Season 7.

ALMA MATER is a visual studio founded in 2012 by Brian Mah, James Anderson and Kathy Kelehan, dedicated to a tradition of beautifully executed and thoughtfully considered design, live action, and animation. In addition to their work on THE LEGO MOVIE, recent projects have included commercial campaigns for clients including Patrón, McDonald’s, and Sonicare, and promos for The Science Channel.

Press Release: Grace Zabriskie and Brad Dourif Join “Rosemont”

GRACE ZABRISKIE AND BRAD DOURIF JOIN ENDERBY ENTERTAINMENT’S SNOW-BOUND DRAMA ROSEMONT WITH DANIEL PETRIE JR. DIRECTING

Company Set to Ramp Up Production in Salt Lake City in March

Los Angeles, CA (February 27, 2014) – Enderby Entertainment announced today that they have added Grace Zabriskie (TWIN PEAKS) and Brad Dourif (ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST) to the cast of ROSEMONT, a new drama directed by Enderby co-founder Daniel Petrie Jr. Written by Petrie and based on an original screenplay by Bill Rebane, the film also stars Brendan Coughlin and Ayla Kell. Producing will be Petrie alongside Enderby partner Rick Dugdale. The film will shoot this March in Salt Lake City.

The film tells the tale of four souls trapped in the once-vibrant Rosemont Lodge during a blizzard just before Christmas: Lisa (Kell), a pregnant woman on the run from her past, Brad (Coughlin), a professional snowboarder who slowly falls in love with her and the two residents of the resort, Josephine (Zabriskie), the reclusive owner and Abe (Dourif), the property’s caretaker. Over the next several days the lives of these four people are transformed as they contend with life-threatening isolation and the birth of Lisa’s baby.

“This is a project that has been a labor of love for many years and after completing Dawn Patrol, it only made sense to follow it up with Rosemont. This is a very compelling and engrossing story that we can’t wait to bring to audiences,” said Petrie.

Petrie, who received an Academy Award™ nomination for penning BEVERLY HILLS COP, also wrote THE BIG EASY and most recently directed the surfer thriller DAWN PATROL, which is currently in post-production and stars Scott Eastwood, Rita Wilson, and Jeff Fahey. Petrie began his directing career by helming the film TOY SOLDIERS with Sean Astin, Wil Wheaton and Louis Gossett Jr.

Enderby Entertainment’s latest projects include the independent drama ABOUT CHERRY, starring James Franco and Heather Graham, which was released nationwide by IFC Films.

Foreign sales on the film are being handled by Red Sea Media.

About Enderby Entertainment
Los Angeles-based Enderby Entertainment, an independent film, television and digital media company, with an old-fashioned emphasis on storytelling from the creative side and transparency from the financial side, was founded in 2006 by partners Rick Dugdale and Academy Award Nominee Daniel Petrie Jr. In 2012, the Austin Film Festival announced the addition of a new Enderby Entertainment Award to the festival’s screenwriting competition. The new award is open to feature screenplays in all genres with an original concept and distinctive voice that can be independently produced with a production budget under $5 million. Finalists and winners are selected by Petrie and Dugdale.

Press Release: “White House” Film Festival Announced

THE WHITE HOUSE AND THE AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE CO-SPONSOR FIRST-EVER “WHITE HOUSE FILM FESTIVAL”

President Obama Introduces the White House Student Film Festival Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, FEBRUARY 27, 2014, LOS ANGELES, CA – The American Film Institute announced today its collaboration with the White House on its first-ever film festival. With President Obama delivering opening remarks on February 28, 2014, the White House Film Festival will be held inside the East Room of the White House where the winning short films created by K-12 students on the subject of technology in education will be screened.

The AFI’s work with the White House marks a continuation of its presence in the nation’s capital where the Institute was founded in 1965. In 2012, AFI celebrated the 50th Anniversary of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD with President Obama, who introduced the film both at the White House and before a national televised screening of the classic film. Annually, the Institute presents its highly regarded documentary festival, AFI DOCS in landmark venues throughout Washington, DC and the historic AFI Silver Theatre. This year, AFI DOCS is June 18-22.

“AFI is proud and honored to support the White House in its celebration of tomorrow’s storytellers, ” said Bob Gazzale, President & CEO of AFI. “Here they have shown that film and technology will help lead the nation forward – an enduring reminder that movies matter.”

Last November, the White House announced the first-ever White House Film Festival, a video competition created for K-12 students to create short films on how technology is used in their classroom, the role technology will play in education in the future, and to support learning in key fields such as science, technology, engineering, and math. More than 2,000 videos were submitted and finalists have been invited to the White House for a film festival where they will have their short films screened.

The White House Student Film Festival highlights the Administration’s commitment to getting high-speed Internet connectivity and educational technology into classrooms, and into the hands of teachers trained to take advantage of it. As part of the event, the President will deliver remarks on his ConnectED goal of transforming American education by connecting 99% of students to next-generation broadband and wireless technology within five years.

About the American Film Institute
AFI 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. AFI provides leadership in film, television and digital media and is dedicated to initiatives that engage the past, the present and the future of the moving image arts. AFI programs include the AFI Catalog of Feature Films and AFI Archive, which preserve film heritage for future generations; the AFI Life Achievement Award – the highest honor for a career in film – now in its 42nd year; AFI Awards, honoring the most outstanding motion pictures and television programs of the year; AFI’s 100 Years…100 Movies television events and movie reference lists, which have introduced and reintroduced classic American movies to millions of film lovers; year-round and special event exhibition through AFI Fest presented by Audi, AFI Docs and the AFI Silver Theatre; and educating the next generation of storytellers at the world renowned AFI Conservatory, recognized for the quality of its instructors and speakers, and its notable alumni.

Press Release: “Divergent” Advance Tickets on Sale March 4

ADVANCE TICKETS FOR SUMMIT ENTERTAINMENT’S DIVERGENT ON SALE MARCH 4th

Those Who Purchase Tickets on March 4th will Receive a Free Download of Veronica Roth’s Novel* Sweepstakes to Reward Two Lucky Moviegoers with Walk-on Roles in INSURGENT

Santa Monica, CA February 27, 2014 – Summit Entertainment, a LIONSGATE® company, announced today that advance tickets for the action adventure DIVERGENT will go on sale beginning Tuesday, March 4th at 12:00pm EST / 9:00am PST. Moviegoers who purchase advance tickets before March 21st on Fandango or MovieTickets.com will have the opportunity to be entered in to a sweepstakes for the chance to win a walk-on role in the film’s sequel INSURGENT. Additionally, those who purchase tickets online through Fandango and MovieTickets.com on the first day they are on sale – March 4th only – will receive a free download of the book Divergent.*

DIVERGENT will be released in theatres and IMAX® nationwide on Friday, March 21, 2014. The film stars Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Ashley Judd, Jai Courtney, Ray Stevenson, Zoë Kravitz, Miles Teller, Tony Goldwyn, Ansel Elgort, Maggie Q, and Kate Winslet, and is directed by Neil Burger from a screenplay by Evan Daugherty and Vanessa Taylor.

DIVERGENT is a thrilling action-adventure film set in a world where people are divided into distinct factions based on human virtues. Tris Prior (Shailene Woodley) is warned she is Divergent and will never fit into any one group. When she discovers a conspiracy by a faction leader (Kate Winslet) to destroy all Divergents, Tris must learn to trust in the mysterious Four (Theo James) and together they must find out what makes being Divergent so dangerous before it’s too late. Based on the best-selling book series by Veronica Roth.

In the sequel to DIVERGENT, INSURGENT continues the journey of Tris Prior as war now looms. Sides will be chosen, secrets will emerge, and to uncover the truth about her world, Tris must be stronger than ever because shocking choices and sacrifices lie ahead. INSURGENT is scheduled for release on March 20, 2015.

The Divergent book series was written by Veronica Roth and has already sold more than 15 million copies worldwide. The Divergent books have topped the New York Times best-seller list since the first novel was published by Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollins, in April 2011, and the three books ranked one-two-three on the USA Today best-seller list for 2013. Divergent was written by Roth while she was earning her undergraduate degree at Northwestern University. She followed her first novel with Insurgent, which also rose to #1 on the New York Times Best Seller list and Allegiant, the third book in the series, set a HarperCollins record when it was released in October 2013.

This film is not yet rated.

*Gift with purchase for a limited time only, while supplies last. Other restrictions may apply. Void where prohibited.

ABOUT LIONSGATE
Lionsgate is a leading global entertainment company with a strong and diversified presence in motion picture production and distribution, television programming and syndication, home entertainment, family entertainment, digital distribution, new channel platforms and international distribution and sales. Lionsgate currently has 34 television shows on 22 networks spanning its primetime production, distribution and syndication businesses, including such critically-acclaimed hits as the multiple Emmy Award-winning Mad Men and Nurse Jackie, the comedy Anger Management, the network series Nashville, the syndication success The Wendy Williams Show and the critically-acclaimed series Orange is the New Black.

Its feature film business has been fueled by such recent successes as the blockbuster first two installments of The Hunger Games franchise, The Hunger Games and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, A Madea Christmas, Now You See Me, Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain, Warm Bodies, The Expendables 2, The Possession, Sinister, Roadside Attractions’ Mud and Pantelion Films’ breakout hit Instructions Not Included, the highest-grossing Spanish-language film ever released in the U.S.

Lionsgate’s home entertainment business is an industry leader in box office-to-DVD and box office-to-VOD revenue conversion rate. Lionsgate handles a prestigious and prolific library of approximately 15,000 motion picture and television titles that is an important source of recurring revenue and serves as the foundation for the growth of the Company’s core businesses. The Lionsgate and Summit brands remain synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the world.

Press Release: Participant Media and Filmbuff Obtain Rights to “The Internet’s Own Boy”

PARTICIPANT MEDIA AND FILMBUFF LICENSE NORTH AMERICAN DISTRIBUTION RIGHTS IN ALL MEDIA TO “THE INTERNET’S OWN BOY: THE STORY OF AARON SWARTZ” FOR THEATERS AND VOD IN JUNE 2014

Participant’s TV Network Pivot to Air Film in First TV Window

Los Angeles, CA – February 27, 2014 –Participant Media and FilmBuff have licensed all North American rights to Brian Knappenberger’s acclaimed documentary “The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz.” A day-and-date theatrical and VOD release is tentatively scheduled for June 2014, followed by a broadcast television premiere on Participant’s television network, Pivot, in Q4 of 2014.

The film, which received critical praise at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and will be screening at the upcoming SXSW Film Festival, was directed, written and produced by Knappenberger (“We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists”). Executive producers are Charles Annenberg Weingarten, Zach Braff and Mason Fink. John Dragonetti composed the score.

“The themes presented in ‘The Internet’s Own Boy’ clearly resonated with us as a digitally driven company,” said FilmBuff’s Head of Content Partnerships Steven Beckman. “Having worked on Brian’s earlier film ‘We Are Legion,’ the opportunity to partner together again is incredibly exciting – he is a very talented filmmaker with a unique voice, wrestling with culturally relevant issues. We are thrilled to be working with Participant to bring this timely and important film to audiences in an innovative way.”

Diane Weyermann, Participant Media’s EVP, Documentary Films commented, “‘The Internet’s Own Boy’ is a deeply moving story that explores the incredible power of one individual to inspire change and the complexity and importance of freedom of information – all of which are right at the core of what our company is about. We look forward to teaming with FilmBuff and launching a robust social action campaign to start with theatrical and extend through the Pivot airings.”

“From the moment I started filming I wanted to find a way to both bring Aaron’s story to the widest possible audience and to use the film to advance the principles he cared about. “ Knappenberger said “Teaming with Participant and FilmBuff is exciting because their focus has been on supporting great films that have at their core social change with strategic action campaigns, which is critical for a story like this. We’re thrilled to engage audiences and carry on Aaron’s fight by moving forward on the broad range of internet and social justice causes Aaron cared about.”

“The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz” follows internet activist and programming pioneer Aaron Swartz from his teenage emergence on the internet scene and involvement in RSS and Reddit, to his increased interest in political advocacy and the controversial actions he allegedly took in downloading nearly four million academic articles from the online service JSTOR. The film explores Aaron’s arrest, the prosecution’s tactics in bringing the case to trial through the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), and the impact a seemingly small hacking gesture had on Aaron’s life and the possible future of information access on the internet.

The deal was negotiated by FilmBuff CEO Janet Brown and Head of Content Partnerships Steven Beckman, Participant COO Jeff Ivers, Pivot SVP of Acquisitions and Operations Jennie Morris, and Cinetic Media Founder John Sloss on behalf of the filmmakers.

About Participant Media
Participant (www.participantmedia.com) is a global entertainment company founded in 2004 by Jeff Skoll to focus on feature film, television, publishing and digital content that inspires social change. Participant’s more than 45 films include GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK, SYRIANA, AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH, FOOD, INC., WAITING FOR ‘SUPERMAN’, THE HELP, CONTAGION and LINCOLN. Through its films, social action campaigns, digital network TakePart.com and Pivot, its new television network for Millennials, Participant seeks to entertain, encourage and empower every individual to take action.

About FilmBuff
Founded in 2007, New York-based FilmBuff is the leading distributor of incomparable digital entertainment. The Company draws upon its deep relationships within the film industry to curate content that consistently informs, entertains and inspires. FilmBuff designs innovative digital strategies to supply content to all on-demand outlets. Serving as a bridge between filmmakers and audiences, FilmBuff actively engages in conversations with fellow entertainment lovers through its exclusive access, original content and unique voice. Find FilmBuff content on all cable, satellite and telco services, game consoles, online retailers, wireless platforms and hardware manufacturers worldwide. Connect with FilmBuff at www.FilmBuff.com and @filmbuff.

About Pivot
Pivot (Pivot.tv), which launched nationally August 1, is a television network from Participant Media serving passionate Millennials (18-34) with a diverse slate of talent and a mix of original series, acquired programming, films and documentaries. Pivot focuses on entertainment that sparks conversation, inspires change and illuminates issues through engaging content and, through its website TakePart.com, connects audiences to a wealth of content and customizable actions. Pivot is also changing the media landscape available via traditional Pay TV subscription and integrating a Live and on demand streaming option via its interactive, downloadable Pivot APP.