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: Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
• Press Release: ‘Donner Pass’ Available January 17 on DVD, Digital Download and On-Demand
• Press Release: Justin Kerrigan to Direct ‘Urban Hymn’
• Press Release: Yahoo! to Be First Online Broadcast Partner for ‘Electric City’
• Press Release: Accelerated Release Plan for ‘The Flowers of War’
• Press Release: Keith Urban Records Original Track for ‘Act of Valor’
• Press Release: Screen Media Picks Up ‘American Animal’

Image Gallery: Journey 2: The Mysterious Island

Journey 2: The Mysteriosu Island Gallery

Press Release: ‘Donner Pass’ Available January 17 on DVD, Digital Download and On-Demand

DONNER PASS Available January 17th on DVD, Digital Download and On-Demand From Freestyle Digital Media

SYNOPSIS
DONNER PASS tells the story of settlers in 1846 that became snowbound in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and had to resort to cannibalism to survive. Some 150 years later, a group of teens on a snowboard trip discover that the curse of the Donner Party still haunts those mountains when members of their group start turning up not only dead, but half-eaten. Nothing – and no one – is what it seems in this provocative dark thriller. And history doesn’t always stay in the past.

CAST AND FILMAKERS
Cast: Desiree Hall, Erik Stocklin, Colley Bailey Grant, and John Kassir
Directed by: Elise Robertson
Screenplay by: Scott Adams
Produced by: Jude S. Walko
Executive Producer: Mouncey Ferguson
Director of Photography: Bobby Scott
Production Designer: Alessandro Marvelli
Film Editor: Steven Friedland
Costume Designer: Kerrie Kordowski

TECHNICAL INFORMATION – DVD:
Street Date: January 17, 2012
Copyright: 2010 Donner Pass Productions LLC. All Rights Reserved
Catalog Number: FDM-DV-105
UPC Number: 850153003065
Running time: 86 minutes
Layers: Single layer
Picture Format: Widescreen
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Rating: R for bloody horror violence, language, a sexual assault, nudity and teen drinking.
Languages/Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish Subtitles
Sound: 5.1 Surround

BONUS FEATURES FOR DVD
The Making of DONNER PASS
On Set with Horror Icon John Kassir
The Makeup & FX Secrets of DONNER PASS
DONNER PASS Trailer

Press Release: Justin Kerrigan to Direct ‘Urban Hymn’

JUSTIN KERRIGAN TO DIRECT INSTINCTIVE FILM’S ‘URBAN HYMN’

London, UK (January 12, 2012) – Instinctive Film have signed Justin Kerrigan (Human Traffic, I Know YouKnow) to direct ‘Urban Hymn’, written by Nick Moorcroft (Burke & Hare, St Trinians).

Using the UK summer riots as a backdrop for the film ‘Urban Hymn’ follows a young female offender growing up in the British care system who possesses a remarkable voice and a determined social worker who inspires her to use it.

An unknown singer songwriter has been cast in the lead role after a nationwide search and has been signed by Universal Music UK who will release her debut album simultaneously with the films theatrical release.

Producer Darryn Welch says “Justin has a proven track record dealing with narratives that explore disenfranchised youth and has a distinct visual style that will elevate this project into a sophisticated film with wide commercial appeal.”

Instinctive will share producing duties with Powder Keg Pictures in association with Mighty Village and Universal Music UK. Casting is underway and principle photography is scheduled to begin May 1st on location in and around Bristol and Cardiff.

Director Justin Kerrigan added “What attracted me to Urban Hymn is that as well as being a powerful commentary on what young people are experiencing growing up in the UK today, it’s also about filling the void of lost love, a universal theme that I’m really excited about exploring”.

Instinctive’s latest production “THE DIVIDE” hits US theatres January 13th courtesy of Anchor Bay Entertainment. They are also currently in postproduction on director Eron Sheean’s suspense drama “Errors of the Human Body.”

Press Release: Yahoo! to Be First Online Broadcast Partner for ‘Electric City’

Hanks and Yahoo! Are ‘Electric’ at CES

Yahoo! to be the First Online Broadcast Partner for Hanks’

Groundbreaking Futuristic Series ‘Electric City’ from Playtone and Reliance Entertainment

LAS VEGAS, NV (CES) – (January 10, 2012) – Yahoo! the premier digital media company, and Reliance Entertainment, announced this evening that they have joined forces to bring Playtone’s ambitious animated series “Electric City” to Yahoo! in 2012. “Electric City” was created by and stars Tom Hanks. As the online broadcast home for “Electric City,” Yahoo! will bring Hanks’ vision and storytelling to a global audience. Set in a futuristic society, “Electric City” is a new action-packed sci-fi adventure series, which is approximately 90 minutes in length and marks Yahoo!’s first foray into original scripted programming.

The introduction of “Electric City” took center stage at a private, intimate event at CES with Tom Hanks and Ross Levinsohn, EVP Americas, Yahoo! on January 10 in Las Vegas.

What is “Electric City”?

The world as we know it has ended and out of the rubble, the Electric City stands as a symbol of peace and security. Yet under the veneer of order lies a world full of secrets and violence. Secret police, back alley dealings, daring chase and murder all find a home in the “Electric City.” Through the lens of a functioning, yet dystopian metropolis, “Electric City” touches upon relevant global issues and themes including energy consumption, freedom of information, crime and punishment and more.

The story unfolds gradually, layering mystery upon mystery, inviting viewers to interact with the content and each other. Metaphors and symbols are woven throughout, creating a perfect environment for puzzle-solving and community interaction. Like good science fiction, “Electric City” raises provocative questions about our own way of life and value systems. Short-form connecting storylines combined with vivid animation and a compelling score will keep audiences watching, while metaphors and range of subject lines will keep them guessing—and reflecting.

Press Release: Accelerated Release Plan for ‘The Flowers of War’

WREKIN HILL ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES An ACCELERATED RELEASE PLAN for THE FLOWERS OF WAR

Following a successful December qualifying run, the Christian Bale-starrer will now open in the top U.S. markets on January 20.

New York, NY (January 10, 2012) – Los Angeles-based distributor Wrekin Hill Entertainment announced today that the company, in association with Row 1 Productions, will be pushing up the nationwide theatrical release for THE FLOWERS OF WAR, starring Christian Bale and directed by renowned Chinese director Zhang Yimou. The film – a blockbuster in China – will now open on Friday, January 20th, 2012 in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and 10 other cities.

The accelerated distribution plan follows strong box office grosses during the film’s U.S. qualifying run in late December. The film averaged over $30,000 per screen and was among the top grossing films of the year in the three theaters in which it opened. In just a few weeks after its mid-December release in China, the film became the highest grossing Chinese film of 2011, and is still going strong. The film has been nominated for a Golden Globe as Best Foreign Language Film.

“We had an incredible response to the film during our one-week qualifying run, with sell-out shows and increasing demand as the week unfolded,” Wrekin Hill President and CEO Chris Ball said. “As the exceptional grosses in the US and China have shown, this is a film that audiences are passionately embracing and that has real staying power.”

In THE FLOWERS OF WAR, Director Zhang Yimou (RAISE THE RED LANTERN, JU DOU, HERO, HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS) tells an epic story of love and sacrifice. The film, set during Japan’s 1937 invasion of China, is told from a young girl’s point of view, not as a history lesson, but as an intimate, elemental and paradoxically universal celebration of the human spirit. Bale stars as a dissolute Westerner who seeks refuge in a Catholic church. There he meets a beautiful Chinese courtesan who helps him rescue a group of schoolgirls from a terrible fate at the hands of the Japanese.

THE FLOWERS OF WAR was adapted by Liu Heng and Geling Yan from the novel by Geling Yan. The film is produced by Zhang Weiping (marking his tenth collaboration with Zhang Yimou) under his New Pictures Film banner. The executive producers are Chaoying Deng, David Linde, and Bill Kong.

THE FLOWERS OF WAR, which is being released by Wrekin Hill Entertainment in association with Row 1 Productions, will open in the following cities on January 20th: New York, Los Angeles (including Orange County), Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Philadelphia, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, and Washington DC.

About Wrekin Hill Entertainment
WREKIN HILL ENTERTAINMENT is a Los Angeles-based production and distribution company, founded by the former Newmarket Films team of Chris Ball and Rene Cogan. Ball and Cogan built a reputation at Newmarket for producing and distributing such indie classics as MEMENTO, DONNIE DARKO, WHALE RIDER, MONSTER, and THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST. Wrekin Hill has a multi-year US home entertainment distribution deal with Lionsgate, and a three-year multi-platform output deal with Canadian distributor eOne. The company aims to distribute four to five quality theatrical releases each year, in addition to its ancillary driven output with a focus on the same kind of director-driven specialty films on which the team has built its reputation. During 2011, Wrekin Hill theatrically released such films as Peter Weir’s THE WAY BACK, and Spencer Susser’s HESHER starring Joseph Gordon Levitt and Natalie Portman. Upcoming releases in 2012 include Academy Award®-nominated Morgan Spurlock’s fanboy documentary COMIC-CON EPISODE IV – A FAN’S HOPE.

About Row 1 Productions
Row 1 Productions was founded by a group of private investors including world-renowned Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Rick Lehman. In addition to his prestigious medical practice, Lehman also has several holdings which include entertainment, medicine and an ownership stake in the NHL’s Florida Panthers. Row 1 Production’s investments include domestic rights acquisition and early stage bridge financing for production. Row 1 has provided financing for Stephen Frears’ LAY THE FAVORITE, FROZEN GROUND starring Nicholas Cage, and BROKEN CITY starring Mark Wahlberg and Russell Crowe. Row 1 Productions is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California.

Press Release: Keith Urban Records Original Track for ‘Act of Valor’

Four-Time Grammy® Award-Winner Keith Urban Records Original Track for a Motion Picture, Relativity Media’s Navy SEAL Thriller Act of Valor

“For You” Marks Urban’s First Song Ever Written and Recorded Specifically For a Motion Picture

(Beverly Hills, Calif.) January 10, 2012 – Relativity Media is pleased to announce its upcoming collaboration with Grammy® Award-winner Keith Urban for the heart-pounding Navy SEAL action-thriller Act of Valor. Urban’s “For You,” co-written by Urban and Monty Powell, marks the first time that Urban has written and recorded a song specifically for a motion picture, and it will be featured during the film’s end credits. In theatres February 24, 2012, the Bandito Brothers’ Act of Valor stars a group of active-duty Navy SEALs along with Roselyn Sanchez, Alex Veadov, Jason Cottle and Nestor Serrano and tells a powerful story of contemporary global anti-terrorism. Urban’s current single “You Gonna Fly” is currently #10 on the country radio charts and climbing.

“I loved the challenge of writing for a film,” said Urban. “I’ve never done that before. After seeing Act Of Valor, my co-writer (Monty Powell) and I wanted to capture the essence of not only what these men and women do so extraordinarily, but how that relates to all of us. ‘Valor’ shows us what they are willing to give their all for, which made me wonder, ‘what am I willing to give my life for?’ ‘For You’ is intended to allow the listener to define who that is for them.”

“For You” was co-produced by Dan Huff and Urban and was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee at Starstruck Studios. The song was engineered by Mark Dobson and Todd Tidwell, mixed by Mike Shipley at Animal House, and mastered by Brent Blackwood at Euphonic Masters.

The Act of Valor soundtrack, featuring the song “For You” by Urban, will be available digitally on iTunes® and physically in music retail locations on Tuesday, February 21st. Also to be announced, are additional original songs inspired by the film from more of today’s top country music artists.

Produced and directed by former Baja 1000 champion Mike “Mouse” McCoy and former stuntman Scott Waugh, and written by Kurt Johnstad (300), Act of Valor takes audiences deep into the secretive world of the most elite, highly trained group of warriors in the modern world. When the rescue of a kidnapped CIA operative leads to the discovery of a deadly terrorist plot against the U.S., a team of SEALs is dispatched on a worldwide manhunt. As the valiant men of Bandito Platoon race to stop a coordinated attack that could kill and wound thousands of American civilians, they must balance their commitment to country, team and their families back home. Inspired by true events, the film combines stunning combat sequences, up-to-the minute battlefield technology and heart-pumping emotion for the ultimate action adventure.

The next film on the studio’s growing slate is Oscar®-winner Steven Soderbergh’s dynamic Haywire debuting in theatres January 20, 2012. This highly anticipated action-thriller stars Channing Tatum, Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, Michael Angarano, Antonio Banderas, Michael Douglas, Bill Paxton and introduces mixed martial arts (MMA) star Gina Carano in a demanding lead role that has her performing her own high-adrenaline stunts. Haywire tells the story of Mallory Kane, a highly trained operative who works for a government security contractor in the dirtiest, most dangerous corners of the world. After successfully freeing a Chinese journalist held hostage, she is double crossed and left for dead by someone close to her in her own agency. Suddenly the target of skilled assassins who know her every move, Mallory must find the truth in order to stay alive. Using her black-ops military training, she devises an ingenious – and dangerous – trap. But when things go haywire, Mallory realizes she’ll be killed in the blink of an eye unless she finds a way to turn the tables on her ruthless adversary. The release marks Soderbergh’s 25th film.

Relativity’s expansive upcoming slate also includes the magical adventure comedy Mirror Mirror (in theatres March 16, 2012), starring Oscar®-winner Julia Roberts, Lily Collins, Nathan Lane, and Armie Hammer. The studio just wrapped production on the comedy 21 and Over and is currently in pre-production on Nicholas Sparks’ gripping love story Safe Haven and the international espionage thriller Hunter Killer.

ABOUT RELATIVITY MEDIA
Relativity Media is a next-generation studio engaged in multiple aspects of entertainment, including full-scale film and television production and distribution, the co-financing of major studio film slates, music publishing, sports management and digital media. Additionally, the company makes strategic partnerships with, and investments in, media and entertainment-related companies and assets.

To date, Relativity has produced, distributed, and/or structured financing for more than 200 motion pictures. Released films have accumulated more than $16.9 billion in worldwide box office receipts. Relativity’s recent films include: Immortals, Tower Heist, Bridesmaids, Hop, Limitless, Anonymous, Machine Gun Preacher, Cowboys & Aliens, Battle: Los Angeles, Season of The Witch, Little Fockers, The Fighter, The Social Network, Salt, Despicable Me, Grown Ups, Dear John, It’s Complicated, Couples Retreat and Zombieland. Upcoming films for Relativity include: Haywire, Act of Valor, The Raven, Mirror Mirror, 21 Jump Street, American Reunion, and The Bourne Legacy. Thirty-eight of the company’s films have opened to No. 1 at the box office. Relativity films have earned 60 Oscar® nominations, including nods for The Fighter, The Social Network, The Wolfman, A Serious Man, Frost/Nixon, Atonement, American Gangster and 3:10 to Yuma. Sixty-two of Relativity’s films have each generated more than $100 million in worldwide box-office receipts.

Relativity also owns and operates Rogue Pictures, a company that specializes in films targeted to the 13-25 year old audience, and RogueLife, Relativity’s digital studio which is developing original content for the Web and creating sustainable online platforms and communities. RelativityREAL, Relativity’s television arm, has 67 projects in production, including 17 original series that are currently airing or will air in the upcoming television season including Police Women for TLC, Coming Home for Lifetime and The Great Food Truck Race for Food Network. For additional information, please visit www.relativitymedia.com.

ABOUT KEITH URBAN
New Zealand-born and Australia-raised, Keith Urban settled down his country music roots in Nashville, Tennessee in 1992. Urban helped rewrite the rules of contemporary country music and appealed to a wide audience which helped pave the way for a successful career in America. His first American album came as a member of The Ranch (1997), followed by an increasingly accomplished series of multi-Platinum-selling solo albums including the self-titled “Keith Urban,” “Golden Road,” “Be Here,” “Love, Pain and the Whole Crazy Thing,” as well as two greatest hits albums, and the cross-over smash album “Defying Gravity.” Urban’s latest album “Get Closer” scored 2 No. 1 hit songs “Without You” and “Long Hot Summer.” Urban has been honored with multiple Grammy® Awards, Country Music Association Awards, Academy of Country Music Awards, a People’s Choice Award, American Music Award and Australia’s coveted Aria Award.

Press Release: Screen Media Picks Up ‘American Animal’

SCREEN MEDIA GOES WILD FOR MATT D’ELIA’S EXISTENTIAL COMEDY “AMERICAN ANIMAL”

Screen Acquires U.S. Theatrical and Home Entertainment Distribution Rights

Film Premiered In Competition At 2011 SXSW Film Festival & Conference; Theatrical Release Set For March 2012

New York (NY) (January 5, 2012) – Screen Media, one of the leading American distributors of independent films, announced today it has acquired U.S. distribution rights to AMERICAN ANIMAL, a film that premiered in competition at the 2011 SXSW Film Festival & Conference written, directed by and starring Matt D’Elia. A wild and personal existential comedy, AMERICAN ANIMAL centers on an eccentric and terminally ill young man who descends into madness when he finds out that his best friend and roommate is leaving for a new job in the morning.

D’Elia, a graduate of NYU’s film program, also stars in the film which was shot on a microbudget in his downtown Los Angeles apartment. The supporting cast of AMERICAN ANIMAL features an impressive array of up-and-coming actors including Brendan Fletcher (HBO’s “The Pacific”), Mircea Monroe (Showtime’s “Episodes”) and Angela Sarafyan (THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN Part II”)

AMERICAN ANIMAL takes viewers on a unique and intense journey of self-discovery as it acerbically and humorously examines themes of friendship, madness, sex and death. When Jimmy (D’Elia) finds out his best friend and roommate (Fletcher) is leaving, he sees this as a betrayal of their perfect way of life. Over the course of a night full of drinks, drugs and women, the two men engage in a classic battle of wills as James prepares to enter the real world and Jimmy falls deeper and deeper into his world of isolation and make-believe.

At its SXSW premiere AMERICAN ANIMAL was embraced by critics and audiences alike. Drew McWeeney from HitFix called it “intense, outrageous, larger than life…AMERICAN ANIMAL deserves to be seen, but more than that, it deserves to launch D’Elia as a filmmaker of note.” The film went on to play at other prominent film festivals including Gen Art, Starz Denver, Napa Valley, Little Rock and New Hampshire.

The deal for AMERICAN ANIMAL was negotiated by Suzanne Blech on behalf of Screen Media with Asher Goldstein and Maren Olsen at Traction Media.

Suzanne Blech, President of Screen Media said, “AMERICAN ANIMAL is one of the more striking directorial debuts of 2011 and we are very excited to be working with Matt to bring it to audiences across the U.S.”

Matt D’Elia said, “”We’re beyond happy to be working with Screen Media on the release of AMERICAN ANIMAL. From writing the script to premiering at SXSW, we’ve gone with passion first, everything else second. Screen Media stepped up and showed how much they loved the film, and that was all we needed. We are thrilled to give them the reigns to take this crazy little film to the next level: a wider audience.”

Screen Media will release AMERICAN ANIMAL theatrically in March 2012.

About Screen Media
Screen Media Films acquires the rights to high quality, independent feature films for the US and Canada. Screen Media’s theatrical releases include Jig, The Irish Dance Documentary; John Gray’s “White Irish Drinkers” starring Stephen Lang; James Ivory’s “The City of Your Final Destination,” starring Anthony Hopkins and Laura Linney; “Lymelife” and “The Private Lives of Pippa Lee” starring Robin Wright and Keanu Reeves. Since 2001, Screen Media has released more than 250 titles including “Noel,” starring Penelope Cruz and Susan Sarandon; “Sherrybaby,” starring Maggie Gyllenhaal; Kevin Bacon’s directorial debut, “Loverboy; and Emmy nominated “Dog Whisperer” with Cesar Millan. Screen Media Films is a wholly owned division of Screen Media Ventures, LLC. With a library of over 1000 motion pictures, Screen Media Ventures is one of the largest independent suppliers of high quality motion pictures to U.S. and international broadcast markets, cable networks, home video outlets and new media venues. For more information, visit www.screenmediafilms.net.