The Inbox (Apr. 26-May 2, 2014)

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: Godzilla

See the Gallery Here

Press Release: XYZ Films Picks Up International Sales Rights for “Anti-Claus”

XYZ FILMS PICKS UP INTERNATIONAL SALES RIGHTS FOR KEVIN SMITH’S HOLIDAY HORROR ‘ANTI-CLAUS’

Cannes Buyers Get First Taste of the Christmas Chiller at the Upcoming Marché du Film

Los Angeles, CA (April 28, 2014) – XYZ Films has picked up all international sales rights to Kevin Smith’s ANTI-CLAUS, a Yuletide horror film populated by the stars of Smith’s TUSK, including Justin Long, Haley Joel Osment, Genesis Rodriguez and Michael Parks. The festive fright flick will be produced by Jordan Monsanto, Andy McElfresh and Jennifer Schwalbach for Smith’s SModcast Pictures, with Jason Mewes executive producing. XYZ Films will give buyers their first look at the project during the Marché du Film this May.

ANTI-CLAUS tells the tale of the centuries-old, devil-like creature known the world-over as the Krampus – the “Anti-Claus” of Alpine country folklore, infamous for eating naughty children during the season of giving.

“When I was a kid, if they wanted to make a Christmas horror movie, they’d stick an axe in Santa’s hands,” says Smith. “In ANTI-CLAUS, we leave Santa alone and creep with the Krampus through twisted tales of holly-jolly murder, desire, desperation and despair. Just in time for the holiday season.”

Principal photography begins in September. Explains Smith, “In America, we’re taught that nice kids gets presents from Santa and naughty kids get coal. But in countries like Germany, Austria, Bavaria, Romania and Hungary, Christmas is more metal than merry: Saint Nicholas brings a sack full of toys for good kids and the Krampus carries an empty bag for taking away the bad kids. I wanna see THAT Christmas movie. So rather than wait for it, we’ll make it instead.”

Robert Kurtzman, the SFX legend behind the makeup for TUSK, also returns to create the Krampus.

XYZ Films is currently handling sales for Smith’s upcoming and highly-anticipated horror-thriller TUSK, which will be released by A24 later this year. Sony Worldwide Acquisitions Group acquired several international territories at the European Film Market in February.

XYZ Films produced and is handling world sales on the recently released THE RAID 2, from writer/director Gareth Huw Evans as well as KILLERS, which is co-directed by Timo Tjahjanto and Kimo Stamboel (The Mo Brothers). They are also handling international sales on the Sundance competition film LIFE AFTER BETH, starring Aubrey Plaza, Dane DeHaan, Anna Kendrick, John C. Reilly, Molly Shannon, Matthew Gray Gubler, Cheryl Hines and Paul Reiser and the Maori actioner THE DEAD LANDS from director Toa Fraser.

WME Global is handling North American sales.

About XYZ Films:
XYZ FILMS is an LA-based film production and sales company founded in 2008 by Bolotin, Spicer and Tertzakian, with partner Todd Brown joining the company in 2009.

About SModcast Pictures:
SModcast Pictures, a division of SModCo and SModcast.com, has produced Red State, Tusk, and the animated Jay & Silent Bob’s Super Groovy Cartoon Movie, as well asCOMIC BOOK MEN for AMC. They’ve also produced a series of podcast comedy specials, including Jay & Silent Bob Go Down Under for Epix.

Press Release: Logo Patners with Las Vegas for “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Finale Viewing Party

LOGO TV PARTNERS WITH LAS VEGAS FOR OFFICIAL “RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE” FINALE VIEWING PARTY AND CROWNING OF “AMERICA’S NEXT DRAG SUPERSTAR” AT THE NEW TROPICANA LAS VEGAS ON MONDAY, MAY 19

Live Event Timed to 90-Minute “RuPersized” Season Finale of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Premiering Monday, May 19 at 10 PM ET/PT on Logo TV

NEW YORK, NY – April 28, 2014 – Logo TV, Viacom’s television, digital and social brand inspired by the LGBT community, announced today that for the first time, it will bring all the glitz and glamour of the megahit “RuPaul’s Drag Race” official finale viewing party to Las Vegas in an exclusive partnership with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) and The New Tropicana resort in Las Vegas. Timed to the on-air, 90-minute, “RuPersized” season finale of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” on May 19, the free event in the opulent Havana Room of The New Tropicana Las Vegas will feature a live screening of the finale episode, the crowning of “America’s Next Drag Superstar” and a night of show-stopping performances by this season’s star dragtestants.

“What better place to bring the finale of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ than Las Vegas?” asked Amy Wigler, Senior Vice President, Integrated Marketing, Logo and MTV. “Aside from being an LGBT visitor’s dream destination, it’s a city driven by big dreams, bigger hair and sequins…lots and lots of sequins. Our queens will fit right in.”

“Partnering with ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race,’ provides a unique opportunity to showcase the welcoming atmosphere and excitement of the destination,” said Cathy Tull, Senior Vice President of Marketing for the LVCVA. “Once ‘America’s Next Drag Queen Superstar’ is crowned, Las Vegas will provide the perfect atmosphere for fun and celebration.”

“We are excited to partner with Logo TV and the LVCVA to host the ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ finale viewing party at The New Tropicana Las Vegas,” said Fred Harmon, Chief Marketing Officer of The New Tropicana Las Vegas. “We are a strong advocate for the LGBT community through a variety of efforts including our recently launched Saturday LGBTQ beach party Xposed!, so this event aligns perfectly with our property’s commitment to the LGBT community.”

The event is free to fans over 21 years of age, but registration is required at: www.DragRaceTickets.com. Registration is limited to venue capacity.

After 12 weeks of grueling challenges that pitted drag elites Adore Delano, April Carrión, BenDeLaCréme, Bianca Del Rio, Courtney Act, Darienne Lake, Gia Gunn, Joslyn Fox, Kelly Mantle, Laganja Estranja, Magnolia Crawford, Milk, Trinity K. Bonet and Vivacious in a wig-to-wig battle, RuPaul is about to declare her ultimate queen. The winner of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” will walk away with a $100,000 cash prize and the coveted title of “America’s Next Drag Superstar.”

This season featured some of the hottest celebrities in pop culture today who judged every second of the face primping, wig snatching and tuck tightening action. Celebrity judges included: Neil Patrick Harris, Adam Lambert, Khloe Kardashian, Lena Headey, Linda Blair, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Heather McDonald, Eve, Trina, Leah Remini, Jaime Pressly, Paula Abdul, Mike Ruiz, David Burtka and Bob Mackie alongside show regulars Michelle Visage and Santino Rice.

“RuPaul’s Drag Race” is produced by World of Wonder Productions with Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato, Tom Campbell, Mandy Salangsang, Steven Corfe and RuPaul Charles serving as Executive Producers. Pamela Post serves as Executive Producer for Logo.

For more information on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and sneak preview clips, go to LogoTV.com. For up-to-date “RuPaul’s Drag Race” news and exclusives, join the “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Facebook page or follow the series on Twitter at @RuPaulsDragRace and #DragRace. Follow along with the live gifs from the show on Tumblr and see photos on the show’s Instagram page.

ABOUT LOGO
Logo TV is a leading entertainment brand inspired by the LGBT community and reflects the creative class across television, digital and social platforms. Logo features one-of-a-kind personalities, shows, specials, and unique stories. Logo is part of MTV’s network of brands including MTV, MTV2, MTV.com, mtvU, MTV Hits and MTV Jams.

ABOUT WORLD OF WONDER
Award-winning production company World of Wonder has been creating groundbreaking, non-fiction film and television for more than two decades and is responsible for over 1,200 hours of provocative, original programming. WOW’s TV series include “Million Dollar Listing LA” & “Million Dollar Listing NY” (Bravo), “Life With La Toya” (OWN), “Island Hunters” & “A Sale of Two Cities” (HGTV) and “Big Freedia: Queen of Bounce” (Fuse). Future programming includes “Million Dollar Listing Miami” (Bravo), “#CandidlyNicole” (VH1), starring Nicole Richie premiering in July 2014, and “Friends To Lovers” (Bravo) premiering in October 2014.

World of Wonder has also created award-winning films and documentaries such as “Inside Deep Throat,” “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” “Party Monster,” “Monica in Black and White” and “The Last Beekeeper,” which won a 2010 Emmy® Award for Outstanding Nature Programming, and “The Strange History of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” for HBO, which chronicles the repeal of the controversial military policy. The 2011 Sundance Film Festival hit “Becoming Chaz” and HBO special “Wishful Drinking” both garnered a total of five Emmy® nominations. “Becoming Chaz” went on to win the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Documentary. “In Vogue: The Editor’s Eye” brings to life the stories behind the most iconic images from the past 120 years of Vogue magazine, premiered on HBO last December. The documentary “Esquire’s 80th” launched the Esquire Network in September 2013. And most recently, “I Am Britney Jean” offers an intimate look into Britney Spears’ journey to her residency in Las Vegas premiered on E! in December 2013.

In celebration of 21 years of storytelling, World of Wonder published its first book, “The World According To Wonder” – featuring 300 never-before-seen portraits and exclusive interviews from the world’s most controversial, exposed and fascinating personalities, available now on Amazon. With offices in Hollywood and London, the company has produced cutting-edge fiction and non-fiction programming for HBO, Showtime, VH1, TLC, IFC, Discovery, MTV, E! Entertainment, Oxygen, BBC, PBS, Channel 4 UK, and other digital outlets that can be found online at http://worldofwonder.net/. The World of Wonder blog, The WOW Report receives more than 300,000 visitors a month.

ABOUT LAS VEGAS CONVENTION AND VISITORS AUTHORITY (LVCVA)
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) is charged with marketing Southern Nevada as a tourism and convention destination worldwide, and also with operating the Las Vegas Convention Center and Cashman Center. With more than 150,000 hotel rooms in Las Vegas alone and 10.8 million square feet of meeting and exhibit space citywide, the LVCVA’s mission centers on attracting ever increasing numbers of leisure and business visitors to the area. For more information, go to www.lvcva.com or www.LasVegas.com.

ABOUT THE NEW TROPICANA LAS VEGAS
The New Tropicana Las Vegas is surprising LGBT visitors with a recently completed $200 million transformation and a mission to exceed the expectations of every guest, every day – and we do mean every guest. The exceptional experience that we provide originates from the diversity of our Team Members. Our inclusive, friendly team is thrilled to welcome the LGBT community to our newly transformed property, where we know you will feel embraced. Intimate in size, we offer personalized guest interactions, allowing you unforgettable moments at each and every point throughout your stay. From our best-in-class rooms and suites to the 50,000-square-foot casino, acclaimed restaurants, new bars, the award-winning pool, and Glow®, a Mandara Spa and fitness center, our property will transport you to the comfort of a beach getaway that is attentive to your specific interests and desires.Coming spring 2014, the Tropicana Theater will be home to the smash hit musical MAMMA MIA!

Press Release: MTV Launches Campaign to Help Youth Accelerate Fight Against Inequality

MTV LAUNCHES MULTI-YEAR CAMPAIGN TO HELP YOUTH ACCELERATE FIGHT AGAINST RACIAL, GENDER & LGBT INEQUALITY

New MTV Study Finds Equality and Fairness to be Hallmark Millennial Values, Yet a Lack of Historical Perspective Can Cloud their Vision; 2/3rds of White Millennials Believe Having a Black President Proves People of Color Now Have the Same Opportunities as Whites

Initial On-Air Programming Addresses “Whiteness,” Microaggressions and Privilege; Online Elements Include Racial Bias Cleanse and Implicit Bias Quiz

New York, NY, April 30, 2014 – Today, MTV – in partnership with a coalition including the Anti-Defamation League, NAACP, National Council of La Raza, National Partnership for Women & Families, The Trevor Project and many others – launched “Look Different,” a multi-year campaign empowering America’s youth to better counter the hidden racial, gender and anti-LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) biases all around us. The campaign reflects Millennials’ deep commitment to the principles of equality and fairness, while inviting them to look differently at subjects like privilege, prejudice and “colorblindness.” Original research MTV conducted over the last year shows that a commitment to fairness, coupled with lack of historical perspective, can result in a clouded view; as an example, half of white Millennials now believe discrimination against whites has become as big a problem as discrimination against people of color.

Look Different will help young people better recognize and respond to bias – which most encounter on a daily basis and most find difficult to discuss openly – by leveraging MTV’s core assets, including on-air programming, social media reach, innovative digital tools, celebrity engagement and much more. Select elements unveiled today include: “Untitled Whiteness Project,” a documentary-style program that will explore how America’s “minority-majority” future is complicating white Millennials’ views on race and what’s fair; “True Life: I’m a Gay Athlete”; a PSA series on microaggressions; an Implicit Bias Quiz that helps unearth unconscious biases; and a seven day Racial Bias Cleanse, scientifically-grounded and designed to help people begin unlearning biases that have built up over years.

“Millennials are the most diverse generation in history and it’s inspiring to see how equality and fairness serve as their bedrock values,” said Stephen K. Friedman, President, MTV. “However, that very faith in equality can also cloud their perception of historical and institutional inequities. Rooted in powerful storytelling, Look Different will offer our audience a new forum and tools to more deeply explore these issues, while supporting their fight for a more equal future.”

MTV has convened a world-class coalition of expert partners to help steer the “Look Different” campaign, including the Anti-Defamation League, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC, Council on American-Islamic Relations, Council on Contemporary Families, Define American, GLAAD, GLSEN, Kirwan Institute, NAACP, National Council of La Raza, National Partnership for Women & Families, Project Implicit, Southern Poverty Law Center and The Trevor Project.

Press Release: AFI Names Alex Gibney a Guggenheim Honoree

ALEX GIBNEY NAMED 2014 GUGGENHEIM HONOREE BY THE AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE

Filmmakers and Policy Leaders to Attend June 20, 2014 AFI DOCS Charles Guggenheim Symposium at the National Archives in Washington, DC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, May 1, 2014, WASHINGTON, DC – The American Film Institute announced today that AFI DOCS will pay tribute to Academy Award® winning documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney as its 2014 AFI DOCS Charles Guggenheim honoree during its 12th edition held June 18-22, 2014 in Washington, DC and Silver Spring, MD.

The AFI DOCS Charles Guggenheim Symposium honors masters of the non-fiction art form who inspire audiences by documenting and exploring the human experience. The Guggenheim Symposium will be held on Friday, June 20 at the National Archives’ William G. McGowan Theater and includes a presentation of Gibney’s work and a moderator-led discussion and Q&A with Gibney.

“Alex Gibney’s personal drive to find and expose truth in film makes him one of the most important documentarians of this and any generation,” said Christine O’Malley, Interim Director, AFI DOCS. “His films have etched a place in American history, both as compelling independent storytelling and journalism, so it particularly fitting that AFI pay tribute to him in Washington and at the National Archives.”

Gibney’s 2007 film, TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE, received an Oscar® for Best Feature-Length Documentary, a Best Director nomination from the Director’s Guild of America, as well as a Writers Guild of America Award for Best Documentary Screenplay. His devotion to telling the story of the central character Dilawar earned not only the enduring respect of the filmmaking community, but of policymakers grappling with the issue of torture and the conduct of the U.S. military in the last decade.

Gibney received his first Academy Award® nomination for ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM (2005). He also served as an Executive Producer on the Academy Award®-nominated NO END IN SIGHT (2007), the same year TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE won the Oscar® for Best Feature-Length Documentary.

Other films include GONZO: THE LIFE AND WORK OF DR. HUNTER S. THOMPSON; CLIENT 9: THE RISE & FALL OF ELIOT SPITZER and PARK AVENUE: MONEY, POWER AND THE AMERICAN DREAM. WE STEAL SECRETS: THE STORY OF WIKILEAKS won the Producer’s Guild Award for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures and the WGA’s prestigious Paul Selvin Award. The film was also nominated for British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) best documentary. CATCHING HELL, produced for ESPN, was nominated for a Sports Emmy® for Outstanding Sports Documentary. MEA MAXIMA CULPA: SILENCE IN THE HOUSE OF GOD, won a 2013 Peabody Award, was shortlisted for a 2012 Academy Award® and won three Primetime 2013 Emmy® Awards. Gibney’s latest film, THE ARMSTRONG LIE, was nominated for the BAFTA’s best documentary. He is also currently producing a four-hour documentary about Frank Sinatra for HBO.

Gibney joins a legendary list of Guggenheim honorees, each a master of documentary film: Charles Guggenheim (2003), Barbara Kopple (2004), Martin Scorsese (2006), Jonathan Demme (2007), Spike Lee (2008), Albert Maysles (2009), Frederick Wiseman (2010), Chris Hegedus and D A Pennebaker (2011), Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky (2012) and Errol Morris (2013).

The Guggenheim Symposium is one of many unique facets of AFI DOCS’ robust program that includes screenings of the year’s best documentaries across a wide variety of topics. For the past 11 years, AFI DOCS has built a solid reputation with filmmakers, industry leaders and audiences as a leading festival known for its programming and superior exhibition experience.

Tickets to the Guggenheim Symposium and festival events will be available in June. At AFI DOCS this year, screenings and discussions will continue to connect audiences, artists, issue experts, film subjects and policy leaders. Programs customized for filmmakers will be offered to unite the documentary community. Details will be announced in the coming weeks at AFIDOCS.com.

American Airlines, the official airline of AFI, is a proud sponsor of AFI DOCS.

The Washington Post is proud to be a major media sponsor of AFI DOCS.

About the National Archives and Records Administration
The Charles Guggenheim Center for the Documentary Film at the National Archives was established in 2004 in honor of four-time Oscar®- winner and past president of the Foundation for the National Archives, Charles Guggenheim. The Center’s mission is to advance public understanding of the process, challenges, and social impact of documentary filmmaking and to promote the education of young people and professionals. The Center is both a living legacy of an internationally acclaimed producer and director and an extension of America’s premier resource for documentary film research.

The National Archives is an independent Federal agency that preserves and shares with the public records that trace the story of our nation, government, and the American people. From the Declaration of Independence to accounts of ordinary Americans, the holdings of the National Archives directly touch the lives of millions of people. The National Archives, as the nation’s record keeper, holds one of the world’s largest moving image repositories, with more than 360,000 reels of motion picture film titles. The National Archives carries out its mission through a nationwide network of archives, records centers, and Presidential Libraries, and online at http://www.archives.gov.

About AFI DOCS
AFI DOCS is the American Film Institute’s annual documentary festival in the Washington, DC, area. Presenting the year’s best documentaries, AFI DOCS is the only festival in the U.S. dedicated to screenings and events that connect audiences, filmmakers and policy leaders in the seat of our nation’s government. The AFI DOCS advisory board includes Ken Burns, Davis Guggenheim, Chris Hegedus, Werner Herzog, Barbara Kopple, Spike Lee, Albert Maysles, Errol Morris, D A Pennebaker and Frederick Wiseman. Now in its 12th year, the festival will be held June 18-22, 2014 in landmark Washington, DC, venues and the historic AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring, MD. Visit AFI.com/AFIDOCS and connect on twitter.com/AFIDOCS, facebook.com/AFIDOCS and youtube.com/AFI.

About the American Film Institute
The American Film Institute, founded in the White House Rose Garden in 1965, is an educational arts organization committed to excellence in film. 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 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; year-round 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.

Press Release: Content to Handle Worldwide Sales for Janis Joplin Documentary

CONTENT TO HANDLE WORLDWIDE SALES FOR AMY BERG’S DOCUMENTARY ON LEGENDARY SINGER-SONGWRITER JANIS JOPLIN

Academy Award® winner Alex Gibney to Produce Janis: Little GirL BLUE with Sales Beginning at the Cannes International Film Festival Next Month

Los Angeles, May 1, 2014 – Content announced today that Disarming Films’ Academy Award® nominated Amy Berg (DELIVER US FROM EVIL, WEST OF MEMPHIS) is directing and producing the upcoming Janis Joplin documentary, JANIS: LITTLE GIRL BLUE. Academy Award® winner Alex Gibney (TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE, THE ARMSTRONG LIE) is producing under his Jigsaw Productions banner with Jeff Jampol (THE DOORS: WHEN YOU’RE STRANGE) from JAM, Inc and Billy McMillin (WEST OF MEMPHIS, IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS) is editing. The documentary is executive produced by Noah Haeussner, Susan Lacy, Michael Kantor and Michael Raimondi. Content will be handling worldwide sales and introducing the documentary to buyers at the Cannes International Film Festival.

Disarming Films, Jigsaw Productions and THIRTEEN Productions LLC’s AMERICAN MASTERS are co-producing JANIS: LITTLE GIRL BLUE in association with Sony Music Entertainment and UEG (Union Entertainment Group). The film will have its U.S. broadcast premiere on the AMERICAN MASTERS series on PBS.

Currently in production, Berg’s documentary strips away Janis’ rock ‘n’ roll persona to reveal the gentle, trusting, innocent, but powerful woman behind the legend, in the quintessential story of the short, turbulent and epic existence that changed music forever.

Director Amy Berg said: “I’m thrilled that I have the opportunity to tell Janis’ story. She’s an amazing rock icon who paved the way for generations of women to come. We have a great producing team coming together to make this film and I hope we make her proud.”

Content’s Jamie Carmichael said: “I’m a great fan of Janis Joplin, but I don’t think I’d ever heard her real story until now. The incomparable Amy Berg is showing us the woman behind the myth, and the result is fascinating, tragic, amusing and very emotional. Janis’ talent was extraordinary, and she paid for it with her life.”

Janis Joplin was a rock icon and a goddess of sound, but there was actually far more to her than that. Janis serves as the narrator for her own life story – intimate, personal letters she wrote to her family, friends and lovers take us on a journey starting from her childhood. Her talent and magnetism is self-evident in rare and never-before-seen footage. We follow Janis performing at Monterey Pop in 1967, Woodstock in 1969, and Festival Express in 1970 as well as witness interviews with her family, friends and rock star contemporaries who paint a new, intimate portrait of Janis the woman and tell the heartbreaking tale of her demise.

Featuring a soundtrack of Janis’ greatest hits – Cry Baby, Mercedes Benz, Piece of My Heart and many more, JANIS: LITTLE GIRL BLUE will join the pantheon of great music documentaries by providing a glimpse into the private life and inner struggles of one of the world’s most influential rock icons.

The Content sales slate also includes: JIMI: ALL IS BY MY SIDE directed by John Ridley and starring Andre Benjamin which premiered in Toronto; the family adventure PUDSEY: THE MOVIE, the supernatural horror DARK SUMMER directed by Paul Solet; the intense horror THE DIABOLICAL starring Ali Larter; the Steve McQueen documentary The Man & Le Mans; Dan Bush’s supernatural heist thriller THE TRUST; and Caradog James’ psychologically terrifying DON’T KNOCK TWICE.

# # # #

About Content
Content Film is the worldwide film and library sales arm of Content Media Corporation Ltd., which owns and distributes a significant library of high quality and commercial feature films, television and digital assets. In addition to handling worldwide sales, marketing, and publicity — the company assists film producers in securing finance. The Feature Film Library arm also manages international sales on over 255 titles. Content Film is being managed in an executive capacity by Jamie Carmichael, President – Film Division.

Content Media most recently closed a multi-faceted deal with Bruno Wu’s Beijing-based Seven Stars Entertainment and Media, Ltd., in which Content acquired the Alive Group of companies allowing Content to distribute its extensive library of film and television rights through the Alive Group to the Chinese market, as well as a direct equity investment by Seven Stars into Content.

Press Release: Rooftop Films Announces Opening Weekend Tickets and Program Details

Rooftop Films Announces 2014 Opening Weekend Tickets and Full Program Details

(New York, NY | May 2, 2014) To launch the 18th Annual Rooftop Films Summer Series, presented by Industry City, Rooftop Films has set out to prove once again that the short film is the medium best suited to showcase the power of a freewheeling imagination. Rooftop Films is proud to announce the selection of short films to be screening on opening night, Friday, May 16th. THIS IS WHAT WE MEAN BY SHORT FILMS will highlight some of the most exciting and original short films from around the world, and will screen at Industry City, premier venue and presenting sponsor of the 18th annual Summer Series.

The following night, Rooftop Films will present a special sneak preview screening of the international festival favorite and upcoming A24 Films release OBVIOUS CHILD, a subversive, modern-day romantic comedy from writer/director Gillian Robespierre.

Both evenings will feature live music before each screening and a post-screening after party, presented by our exclusive Gin and Vodka sponsor, New Amsterdam Spirits.

Rooftop Films will be returning to Industry City throughout the summer for numerous screenings at their main rooftop location. For one weekend only, they are moving the celebration to a spectacular and undiscovered space — affectionately dubbed “Secret Party Cove” — tucked away amongst Industry City’s massive complex along the Sunset Park Waterfront.

——————————————————————————–

THIS IS WHAT WE MEAN BY SHORT FILMS

Date: Friday, May 16

Venue: Industry City, 39th Street and First Avenue, Sunset Park, Brooklyn

Directions: Take the D, N, or R trains to 36th Street

Tickets: $13

8:00PM: Doors Open
8:30PM: Live Music
9:00PM: Films Begin
11:30PM: After party celebration with DJs and dancing

The Rooftop Films Summer Series is nothing if not wild, and this selection of dynamic short films encapsulates the adventurous spirit of the organization. This is a short film program that will inspire you to pump iron, smack your friends’ butts, launch yourself into space, question the concepts of time and life, and then go home to share an egg sandwich and recharge. Sounds fun? It will be.

Bunda Pandeiro (Carlo Sampietro | 3’)

In Brazilian slang, the phrase “Bunda Pandeiro” is used to describe attractive buttocks by referring to them as a tambourine. This film blurs lines between gender and race, reducing each participant to the utilitarian role of a musical instrument.

Filmmaker in Attendance.

Rhino Full Throttle (Nashom im Galopp) (Erik Schmitt | 15’)

A young man uses art to reshape the city around him in search of its soul, but a beautiful tourist overtakes his mission in this imaginative love story.

Symphony No. 42 (Réka Busci | 10’)

47 observations in the irrational connections between human and nature.

An Extraordinary Person (Quelqu’un d’Extraordinaire) (Monia Chokri | 28’)

A 30-year-old scholar, intelligent and beautiful yet socially crippled, is forced to attend a bachelorette party where her quest for authenticity leads to an unavoidable confrontation with old acquaintances. Winner of SXSW Jury Prize.

Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared II: Time (Becky Sloan, Joe Pelling | 4’) Rooftop Alumnus

Eventually everyone runs out of time – but before that happens to you, make some time to go on a journey, a journey through directorial duo Becky & Joe’s existentialist universe of temporal confusion, TV guides and bathtime.

Afronauts (Frances Bodomo | 13’) Rooftop Alumnus

It’s July 16, 1969: America is preparing to launch Apollo 11. Thousands of miles away, the Zambia Space Academy hopes to beat America to the moon in this film inspired by true events.

Filmmaker in Attendance.

Master Muscles (Efren Hernandez | 13’)

Veronika and Efren take a trip.

Filmmaker in Attendance.

Person To Person (Dustin Guy Dega | 18’) Rooftop Alumnus

Waking up the morning after hosting a party, a man discovers a stranger passed out on his floor. He spends the rest of the day trying to convince her to leave.

For more information visit: http://rooftopfilms.com/2014/schedule/this-is-what-we-mean-by-short-films-5/

OBVIOUS CHILD

Date: Saturday, May 17

Venue: Industry City, 39th Street and First Avenue, Sunset Park, Brooklyn

Directions: Take the D, N, or R trains to 36th Street

Tickets: $13

8:00PM: Doors Open
8:30PM: Live Music
9:00PM: Films Begin
10:30PM: Q&A with filmmaker Gillian Robespierre
11:30PM: After party celebration

Brooklyn comedian Donna Stern gets dumped, fired, and pregnant just in time for the best/worst Valentine’s Day of her life in this film festival favorite. Courtesy of A24 Films. Winner of the Rooftop Films Eastern Effects Equipment Grant.

***

Rooftop Films is a non-profit organization whose mission is to engage and inspire the diverse communities of New York City by showcasing the work of emerging filmmakers and musicians. In addition to their annual Summer Series – which takes place in unique outdoor venues every weekend throughout the summer – Rooftop provides grants to filmmakers, teaches media literacy and filmmaking to young people, rents equipment at low-cost to artists and non-profits, and produces new independent films. At Rooftop Films, we bring underground movies outdoors.

Press Release: “Out to Win” Enters Production

Sundance alum Malcolm Ingram tackles the world of LGBT pro athletes in doc “Out to Win” Now in Production

Filmmaker Malcolm Ingram (“Small Town Gay Bar”) takes on the history and future of professional LGBT athletes in his new documentary, “Out to Win”

Production began in early 2014 on “Out to Win,” the newest documentary feature from director Malcolm Ingram that examines and celebrates the lives and careers of aspiring and professional LGBT athletes from all over the world.

Chronicling the present day victories for LGBT athletes framed within a historical context of those that have come before, Out To Win will highlight the experiences of athletes who have fought and struggled, both in and out of the closet, to represent the LGBT community and their true selves.

This rich history is told through the voices of pioneers, present day heroes, tomorrow’s superstars and the people who’ve helped them get to where they are, including former NFL, MLB and NBA players, as well as respected pundits, fans, team mates, coaches, organizations and members of the media.

“The closet has been a complicated burden for so many throughout the history of professional sports, so it has been a privilege to speak with these athletes and have them share their powerful and fascinating stories with me,” Ingram said. “I hope audiences will find the experience of hearing them as enriching as I have, and I’m honored to be a part of telling them.”

Filled with heartbreaking personal stories and uplifting victories for both the LGBT and sports communities, Out to Win will premiere in early 2015.

Director Biography
MALCOLM INGRAM (Director / Producer) While on assignment for Film Threat magazine, Ingram met filmmaker Kevin Smith (Chasing Amy, Dogma, Clerks), who soon became his mentor. Smith financed Ingram’s first feature film, Drawing Flies, starring rising talent Jason Lee. Shot in the summer of 1995, the comedy found success on the Festival circuit and was released on DVD. Ingram’s next feature, the delirious action-comedy-drama Tail Lights Fade featured a cast including Denise Richards, Jake Busey, Elizabeth Berkeley and Margot Kidder. The film was released by Trimark/Lions Gate in 1999.

His third film, the documentary Small Town Gay Bar, has screened at over 100 film festivals around the globe. The film made its world premiere at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival and received a GLAAD Media Award nomination for Best Documentary. It also garnered multiple prizes including the Grand Jury Award at Outfest in Los Angeles and the HBO Award for Best Documentary at the Miami LGBT Film Festival. Ingram’s next film, Bear Nation, premiered at the 2010 SXSW Film Festival and played over 50 film festivals before winning Best Documentary at the Atlanta International Film Festival.

His most recent documentary Continental, which tells the story of the infamous NYC gay landmark – the Continental Baths – that started the careers of Bette Midler, Barry Manilow, Patti LaBelle and Frankie Knuckles while serving as a cultural and political hub, premiered to sell-out audiences at the 2013 SXSW Film Festival. It has since gone on to win awards and screen at festivals including the Hot Docs International Documentary Festival, Outfest, Frameline, Palm Springs International Film Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival and 2013 BAM Cinemafest.