The Inbox (Jul. 13-19, 2013)

Every week, I get several press releases, screening invitations and other notifications from a handful of studio contacts. While I won’t be sharing any information regarding my screening invites, some of the press releases might be of interest to my readers, so I thought I’d start sharing them in toto with all of you. These could include new image galleries for various films or important updates to upcoming releases from various smaller studios and art house production companies.

Press Release: “La Sirga” Heading to DVD on August 6, 2013

Press Release: “La Sirga” Heading to DVD on August 6, 2013

“LA SIRGA” – CANNES DIRECTORS’ FORTNIGHT SELECTION AVAILABLE ON DVD AUGUST 6, 2013

Stirring, elegant story from first-time filmmaker William Vega played Toronto, Santa Barbara and Miami International Film Festivals

To request a copy of LA SIRGA on DVD for review, please CLICK HERE.

July 12, 2013 (NY, NY) – Film Movement (www.filmmovement.com), the distributor of award-winning independent and foreign films, announces today that LA SIRGA, the poignant debut feature from Colombian filmmaker William Vega, will be released on DVD on August 6th, 2013 in North America. This quiet, highly-visual narrative centers on Alicia, a war refugee who seeks solace in her uncle’s quiet village in a swampy, misty corner in the highlands of the Andes Mountains.

All Film Movement DVD releases include a short film — this month’s release is SIMIENTE, filmmaker William Vega’s short film that served as the inspiration for La Sirga. The film is 14 minutes in length; it follows youthful Ana, a young child she discovers while on a quest for candles and the deafening silence between them.

Nominated for the prestigious Camera d’Or award at Cannes Film Festival, La Sirga also screened at the Toronto and Miami International Film Festivals, among others. The film will be available on DVD at Film Movement (www.filmmovement.com), and also through major retailers such as Amazon.com. The film will be available to stream directly from Film Movement for just $3.99; online streaming begins August 6th and can be accessed here.

Accolades for LA SIRGA:
“Thoroughly engrossing! Critical acclaim awaits.” – Rob Nelson, Variety
“Impeccably elegant [and] quietly devastating…Vega’s mastery of old-school arthouse technique is impressive.” – Stephen Dalton, The Hollywood Reporter
“Vega’s sparse direction casts a hypnotic ominous spell.” – Loren King, The Boston Globe

Synopsis of LA SIRGA:
Alicia is helpless. Traumatizing war memories invade her mind like a ceaseless storm. Uprooted from her destroyed village by the armed conflict, Alicia tries to tstart a new life in La Sirga, a hostel on the shores of a great lake in the highlands of the Andes. The house belongs to Oscar, her only family member alive, and an old, solitary hermit. There, on a swampy and murky beach, she will try to settle down until her fears and the threat of war surface again.

Acclaim for LA SIRGA:
WINNER of Cinema In Construction Award & Cine Award – TOULOUSE Latin American Film Festival
WINNER, Coral Award for Best First Feature Film – NEW LATIN AMERICAN Film Festival (Havana)
WINNER, Special Jury Award and Best Photography – LIMA Film Festival
WINNER, Best Director – VLADIVOSTOCK International Film Festival
WINNER, Best Feature Film – BRATISLAVA International Film Festival
WINNER, FIPRESCI Award for Best Feature Film – MAR DE PLATA Film Festival
WINNER, Best Director and Best Cinematography – RIVERRUN International Film Festival
SPECIAL JURY MENTION, Best First Feauture Film – CUENCA International Film Festival

OFFICIAL SELECTION
CANNES Film Festival (Director’s Fortnight)
SAN SEBASTIAN Film Festival
TORONTO International Film Festival
SAN JUAN International Film Festival
ST. LOUIS International Film Festival
SANTA BARBARA International Film Festival
MIAMI International Film Festival

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