The Inbox (Sep. 21-27, 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: Romeo and Juliet

Click Here for the Gallery

Press Release: Melanie Griffith and Dot Jones Join “Drag Show 2013” as Celebrity Judges

MELANIE GRIFFITH AND DOT JONES JOIN BEST IN DRAG SHOW® 2013 AS CELEBRITY JUDGES

Los Angeles, September 23, 2013 – Best in Drag Show® – the outrageous and long-running annual fundraiser for Aid for AIDS – has announced that Academy Award nominee Melanie Griffith and Emmy Award nominee Dot Jones have joined the celebrity judges panel for the show’s 11th anniversary. Best in Drag Show® will be held on October 6, 2013 at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Los Angeles.

Griffith and Jones are joining the previously announced Emmy Award winner Holland Taylor (Two and A Half Men), Golden Globe nominee Mireille Enos (The Killing), Alan Ruck (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off), Bellamy Young (Scandal), and Kathy Kinney (The Secret Life of the American Teenager).

Event co-founder Patrick Rush will return to host the show. Jeffrey Drew, long-time lead star throughout the history of Best In Drag Show®, will once again direct, choreograph and helm the 2013 production.

The 2013 contestants include Sash Carl (Miss California: Beverly Center), D’Nez Westmoreland (Miss Michigan: Electra Caprice Riviera), Stephen Molinaro (Miss New Jersey: Vava Fanculo), Mike Cativo (Miss Puerto Rico: Mimi E), Dajuan Powns (Miss Washington DC: Ciera Lyon), and Aron Ross (Miss Wisconsin: Misty O’Portunity).

Best in Drag Show® was originally founded by Alexis Pittman with a small group of friends in his West Hollywood living room in 1989. Then called Battle for the Tiara, the event raised $400, collected from twenty people. Due to its increasing popularity, the show was moved to subsequently larger venues and has grown into a large and highly-anticipated annual beauty pageant spoof that makes fun of itself, while keeping the focus on giving back to the community. The current version has run since 2003, and has raised over $3 million for Aid for AIDS, in support of the work of the non-profit throughout Los Angeles County to prevent homelessness and hunger for men, women, children and families with HIV/AIDS.

To purchase tickets, visit: www.bestindragshow.org or call 323-344-4880

About Aid for AIDS
Aid for AIDS was founded in 1983 by a group of friends in the Hollywood gay community to provide at-home care for patients facing the end stages of the disease. Since then, AFA has become Los Angeles County’s premier, non-profit provider of direct financial assistance to those impoverished and disabled by HIV/AIDS.

To provide a robust continuum of care and meet the changing needs of the community, AFA merged with the Serra Project in 2009 to form the Alliance for Housing and Healing which works to prevent homelessness among persons living with HIV/AIDS. Our mission is to provide the basic necessities of life to men, women, children, and families living with HIV/AIDS through a safety net of essential housing and direct supportive services because housing is healthcare. 92% of all revenue goes directly to client services. More than 18,000 individuals have received assistance.

Press Release: “Generation Iron” Expands After Strong Opening Weekend

‘GENERATION IRON’ DOCUDRAMA SET TO EXPAND AFTER STRONG OPENING WEEKEND

New York, NY (September 24, 2013) – The Vladar Company has announced today that its self-distributed bodybuilding docudrama GENERATION IRON will expand into an additional 27 markets this Friday, September 27th, 2013. This news follows an impressive $245,000 gross this weekend on 55 screens with a $4,455 per-screen average, making it one of the strongest opening weekends for a documentary this year.

Vlad Yudin, writer/director of the film and Principal at The Vladar Company, says, “We are thrilled that GENERATION IRON has found an audience, as it has long been our goal to be able to bring a film about bodybuilding to the big screen. We were so honored to have these world-class athletes share their lives with us, and it is gratifying to see that their stories and their passion for the sport of bodybuilding have resonated with film goers and critics alike.”

GENERATION IRON follows the world’s leading bodybuilders as they train and compete for the coveted Mr. Olympia title. The film gives front row access to the lives of the top 7 bodybuilders in the sport, including Phil Heath, Kai Greene, Branch Warren and Dennis Wolf. Mickey Rourke narrates the film, with appearances by Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno and Jay Cutler. It is produced by Yudin and Edwin Mejia. Jerome Gary, producer of the cult classic PUMPING IRON, which helped make Arnold Schwarzenegger a household name, is executive producer.

About VLADAR COMPANY
The Vladar Company is a media and entertainment company, led by Vlad Yudin and Edwin Mejia. Since its inception in 2008, the company has catered to the market’s growing need for entertainment content across multiple platforms. The company focuses on developing, financing and packaging a library of intellectual properties with its producing partners at leading Hollywood production studios. The company is becoming a leading producer of many genres and multiple mediums in domestic and international markets.

Over the past three years, the company has produced multiple feature films and plans to produce a minimum of six feature film projects over a five-year period. The company’s mission is to focus on character-driven stories that inspire and entertain mainstream audiences. Its sales and operations will expand nationally and internationally.

About AMERICAN MEDIA INC
American Media, Inc. (AMI) owns and operates the leading celebrity and health & fitness media brands in the country. Our magazines have a combined total circulation of 7.2+ million and reach more than 60 million men and women each month. Our digital properties reach a total of 24+ million unique visitors and 183+ million page views monthly.

AMI pioneered both the celebrity and health & fitness categories. During the 1960s, the National Enquirer was the first magazine to begin publishing celebrity news and gossip on a weekly basis. Weider Publications (acquired by AMI in 2003) launched the very first health & fitness magazine, Your Physique, in 1940.

Today, AMI’s celebrity titles have the #1 market share in total newsstand circulation in the celebrity category and are the fastest growing brands online. Our health and fitness titles command the #1 market share of national magazine ad pages in their competitive set.

Press Release: Image Entertainment Acquires Rights to Dean Koontz’s “Odd Thomas”

IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT SNATCHES ODD THOMAS $30 MILLION FILM BASED ON THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING NOVEL BY DEAN KOONTZ

LOS ANGELES, September 24, 2013 – Image Entertainment, an RLJ Entertainment (NASDAQ: RLJE) brand, has acquired all U.S. rights to the thriller Odd Thomas, based on the original, critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling book by Dean Koontz under the same name. Odd Thomas is the first in a series of seven books, six of which have already been released and have sold a total of over 20 million copies worldwide. The set includes Odd Thomas, Forever Odd, Brother Odd, Odd Interlude, Odd Apocalypse and Deeply Odd. The film was written and directed by Stephen Sommers (The Mummy franchise, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Van Helsing) and stars Anton Yelchin (Star Trek Into Darkness, Fright Night), Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man franchise, Platoon) and Addison Timlin (“Californication”, “Zero Hour”). The film was produced by Sommers, John Baldecchi and Howard Kaplan. Budgeted at $30 million dollars, the film uses state of the art visual effects to bring the supernatural elements of the Koontz novels to the big screen. Image Entertainment is set to release Odd Thomas in Q1 2014. Bill Bromiley, Chief Acquisitions Officer for Image Entertainment made today’s announcement.

“Director Stephen Sommers’s spectacular style and extraordinary vision translates so well to the big screen for this material,” said Bromiley. “We are proud to distribute the film and introduce the magical world of Odd Thomas to a wider audience.”

Odd Thomas (Yelchin) tells the story of a short-order cook with clairvoyant abilities. Maybe he has a gift, maybe it’s a curse, Odd has never been sure, but he tries to do his best by the silent souls who seek him out. Sometimes they want justice and he finds himself helping police solve a crime. Occasionally, they prevent one.

One day, however, a mysterious man comes to town with a filing cabinet stuffed with information on the world’s worst killers and a pack of hyena-like shades that follow him wherever he goes. Who the man is and what he wants, not even Odd’s deceased informants can tell him. What happens next is a mysterious battle between light and darkness.

The deal was negotiated by Bromiley, Mark Ward and Jess De Leo on behalf of Image Entertainment and Paul Hudson on behalf of the filmmakers.

Dean Koontz is an American author, known for his bestselling suspense thrillers. Fourteen of his novels reached the number one position on the New York Times hardcover and paperback bestsellers lists, including Odd Hours, Midnight, The Bad Place, Cold Fire, Hideaway, Dragon Tears, Intensity, Sole Survivor, From the Corner of His Eye, One Door Away From Heaven, The Husband, Relentless, What the Night Knows and 77 Shadow Street. Koontz is one of only a dozen writers that have achieved this milestone. His books have been published in 38 languages and he has sold over 450 million copies to date.

The New York Times describes Koontz writing as “psychologically complex, masterly and satisfying.” Rolling Stone hails him as “America’s most popular suspense novelist.”

Recent Image Entertainment releases include The Colony with Laurence Fishburne, Bill Paxton and Kevin Zegers, Paradise with Julianne Hough, Russell Brand, Octavia Spencer and Holly Hunter, written, directed and produced by Diablo Cody and the upcoming The Adventurer: The Curse of the Midas Box starring Michael Sheen, Lena Headey, Sam Neill and Aneurin Barnard and Rage starring Nicolas Cage and Danny Glover.

About RLJ Entertainment
RLJ Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: RLJE) is a premier independent licensee and distributor of entertainment content and programming in North America, the United Kingdom and Australia with over 5,300 exclusive titles. RLJE is a leader in numerous genres via its owned and distributed brands such as Acorn (British TV), Image (feature films, stand-up comedy), One Village (urban), Acacia (fitness), Slingshot (faith), Athena (documentaries), Criterion (art films) and Madacy (gift sets). These titles are distributed in multiple formats including DVD, Blu-Ray, digital download, digital streaming, broadcast television (including satellite and cable), theatrical and non-theatrical.

Via its relationship with Agatha Christie Limited, a company that RLJE owns 64% of, RLJE manages the intellectual property and publishing rights to some of the greatest works of mystery fiction, including stories of the iconic sleuths Miss Marple and Poirot. And through its direct-to-consumer business, RLJE has direct contacts and billing relationships with millions of consumers.

RLJE leverages its management experience to acquire, distribute, and monetize existing and original content for its many distribution channels, including its nascent branded digital subscription channels, and engages distinct audiences with programming that appeals directly to their unique viewing interests. RLJE has proprietary e-commerce web sites for the Acorn and Acacia brands, and owns the recently launched Acorn TV digital subscription service.

Press Release: GKIDS Sets Release Date for “Approved for Adoption”

GKIDS SETS RELEASE DATE FOR “APPROVED FOR ADOPTION” AWARD WINNING ANIMATED DOC OPENS NOVEMBER 8 IN NEW YORK AND NOVEMBER 22 IN LOS ANGELES

New York, NY – September 24, 2013 – GKIDS, a distributor of award-winning animation for both adult and family audiences, announced that it will release the animated documentary APPROVED FOR ADOPTION on November 8 at the Angelika Film Center in New York. The French film, directed by Jung Henin and Laurent Boileau, will also open at Los Angeles’ Laemmle Music Hall on November 22, followed by expansion to other cities. The film has won numerous festival awards including the Audience Award and Unicef Award at the prestigious Annecy Animated Film Festival.

APPROVED FOR ADOPTION traces the unconventional upbringing of filmmaker Jung Henin, one of thousands of Korean children adopted by Western families after the end of the Korean War. It is the story of a boy stranded between two cultures. Sepia-toned animated vignettes – some humorous and some poetic – track Jung from the day he first meets his new blond siblings, through elementary school, and into his teenage years, when his emerging sense of identity begins to create fissures at home and ignite the latent biases of his adoptive parents. The filmmaker tells his story using his own animation intercut with snippets of super-8 family footage and archival film. The result is a memoir like no other: clear-eyed and unflinching, humorous and wry, and above all, inspiring in the capacity of the human heart.

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. Current and upcoming releases include Studio Ghibli’s From Up on Poppy Hill, 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. www.gkids.com/films

Press Release: Roadside Attractions Acquires U.S. Rights to “Gimme Shelter”

ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS ACQUIRES U.S. RIGHTS TO “GIMME SHELTER”

All-star cast led by Vanessa Hudgens in transformative dramatic role

World Premiere Opens Heartland Film Festival

(LOS ANGELES, CA) September 26, 2013 – In advance of its Heartland Film Festival’s World Premiere as the Opening Night film on October 17th, Roadside Attractions has acquired U.S. rights to the inspirational drama GIMME SHELTER from filmmaker Ronald Krauss (AMEXICA). The film stars Vanessa Hudgens, as a pregnant teen runaway, as well as Brendan Fraser, Rosario Dawson, James Earl Jones and Ann Dowd (COMPLIANCE). Roadside has targeted January 24, 2014 for national release.

Based on a true story centering on 16-year-old Agnes “Apple” Bailey (Vanessa Hudgens), GIMME SHELTER uncovers the struggle for survival and the hope of redemption through the harsh realities of life on the streets. As a pregnant teenager, Apple’s journey plummets her into a perilous struggle until finding salvation in a suburban shelter for homeless teens. With provisions of unprecedented comfort, a collective sisterhood connection and female empowerment, the shelter inspires Apple to break the shackles of her past and inspires her to embrace the future with clarity, maturity and hope not only for herself but her unborn child.

The film is inspired by a David and Goliath true story of Kathy DiFiore’s longstanding Several Sources Shelters. Kathy is played in the film by Ann Dowd. Kathy worked hand-in-hand with Mother Teresa in an effort to change the shelter laws in New Jersey.

The film was written, produced and directed by Krauss, who financed the film through his Day 28 Films banner along with producer Jeff Rice and co-producer Joshua Amir.

“Based on a true story, we were moved by Ronald’s film. He poured his heart and soul into GIMME SHELTER. And we were quite impressed with Vanessa Hudgens, who delivered a terrific, and transformative, performance,” said Roadside Co-President Howard Cohen. “We feel the film will appeal to moviegoers on many levels and hope they leave the theatre feeling uplifted.”

Ronald Krauss stated, “I have dedicated the last few years of my life to bringing GIMME SHELTER to the screen. Based on true lives of embattled young girls I encountered at the Several Sources Shelters, I was inspired by its founder and guiding force Kathy DiFiore, who is an incredible force tirelessly helping the less fortunate. For GIMME SHELTER, we could not ask for a better partner and distributor than Howard Cohen and his entire team at Roadside Attractions. We are thrilled to have them on board to release the film this winter across the United States.”

The deal was negotiated by Cohen and attorney Greg Bernstein on behalf of Roadside and by Ron Krauss and attorney Matt Galsor of Greenberg-Glusker on behalf of the filmmakers.

About ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS
Celebrating its tenth year of operation, Roadside Attractions is a film distribution company committed to championing independent films with a willingness to entertain. The company has released films grossing over $150M+ at the U.S. box office while garnering twelve Academy Award® nominations and one win. The company’s 2009 release, THE COVE, captured the Academy Award® for Best Feature Documentary, and in 2010, its 6 Oscar® nominations — four, including Best Picture, for Debra Granik’s WINTER’S BONE, and two, including Best Foreign Language Film, for Alejandro González Iñárritu’s BIUTIFUL, solidified its major position on the distributor landscape. In 2011, Roadside Attractions released J.C. Chandor’s Oscar®-nominated MARGIN CALL ; ALBERT NOBBS starring Glenn Close and Janet McTeer, which garnered three Oscar® nominations, three Golden Globe nominations and two SAG Award nominations ; Robert Redford’s THE CONSPIRATOR starring James McAvoy and Robin Wright; Oscar®-winning filmmaker James Marsh’s PROJECT NIM; Miranda July’s THE FUTURE and Maryam Keshavarz’s controversial CIRCUMSTANCE. 2012 releases include FRIENDS WITH KIDS starring Adam Scott, Jennifer Westfeldt, Jon Hamm, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Chris O’Dowd, Megan Fox and Edward Burns, and Nicholas Jarecki’s Sundance hit ARBITRAGE starring Richard Gere. 2013 releases have included Jeff Nichols’ MUD with Matthew McConaughey, Joss Whedon’s MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING and the Kristen Wiig starrer GIRL MOST LIKELY.

About DAY 28 FILMS
Day 28 Films was launched in 2009 by filmmaker Ronald Krauss with a primary focus on producing and releasing high quality independent films with production budgets ranging from 7-10 million dollars. GIMME SHELTER, starring Vanessa Hudgens, Brendan Fraser, Rosario Dawson and James Earl Jones, is the second film released under the Day 28 Films banner. It was written, produced and directed by Ronald Krauss alongside producer Jeff Rice and co-producer Joshua Amir. The company is currently in final negotiations on their next project, the Anthony Hopkins’ starrer GO WITH ME which will be produced by Krauss as well as producers Gregory Jacobs and Gotham Group’s Ellen Goldsmith-Vein & Lindsay Williams and executive produced by Day 28’s Joshua Amir. GO WITH ME is slated to begin production in January 2014.

Press Release: Zendaya and Tori Kelly Perform at 20th Annual Dream Halloween

ZENDAYA AND TORI KELLY TO PERFORM AT 20TH ANNUAL DREAM HALLOWEEN

Keep a Child Alive’s Annual Fundraiser to Honor HIV/AIDS Activist Cristina Jade Peña with inaugural Joe Cristina Humanitarian Award on Saturday, October 26, 2013

Los Angeles, CA (September 26, 2013) – Peter Twyman, CEO of Keep a Child Alive, and its Board of Directors today announced that Hollywood Records recording artist and Disney’s “Shake It Up” star Zendaya will perform, as well as singer/songwriter Tori Kelly, at the 20th Annual Dream Halloween on Saturday, October 26, 2013 at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. Dream Halloween benefits Keep a Child Alive, which brings dignified treatment, care, and support to children and families affected by HIV.

Dream Halloween’s performer, Zendaya, became a favorite amongst millions of fans worldwide with her role on “Shake It Up”. She is now beginning her biggest and boldest chapter with the release of her self-titled 2013 debut album for Hollywood Records. Her debut single “Replay” proved to have seismic impact. Its music video garnered more than 4 million YouTube/VEVO views in merely four days. The remix debuted at #2 on the Billboard Dance Chart, proving she has made her imprint in music.

Performing along with Zendaya, is 20-year old singer/songwriter Tori Kelly. Kelly started writing songs in the bedroom of her Southern California home and when she began sharing those songs online she quickly won over internet audiences with her YouTube channel boasting more than 50 million views and 600,000 subscribers. Tori is set to release her second EP, FOREWORD on October 22nd and will follow the release with a North American tour that kicks off October 28th in Los Angeles. Additionally, Kelly will perform to a sold out crowd at Madison Square Garden on November 1st when she opens for Ed Sheeran.

This year, Keep a Child Alive is pleased to honor HIV/AIDS activist Cristina Jade Peña with the charity’s inaugural Joe Cristina Humanitarian Award, named after Joe Cristina, Founder of the Children Affected by AIDS Foundation (CAAF) and current member of the Keep a Child Alive Board of Directors. Peña became an HIV/AIDS advocate and educator at age 10, shortly after learning she had been born HIV positive, and attended Dream Halloween as a child from 1997 – 2001. Peña’s numerous achievements include collaborating with the White House Office of National AIDS Policy to craft policy recommendations specific to youth and HIV/AIDS, serving as an Ambassador to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, and participating in the Empowered Campaign featuring Alicia Keys, Keep a Child Alive’s Global Ambassador. In July 2012, she was invited to meet President Obama at the White House Reception: “Courage on the Frontlines,” celebrating people living with HIV/AIDS and leadership in the fight against AIDS. She is currently working with Keep a Child Alive to build a dialogue between young people living with HIV in the United States and Keep a Child Alive’s local partners in Uganda, Rwanda, and South Africa. In 2007, she received her Bachelor of Arts in Communication & Journalism from the University of Southern California and is currently enrolled in a Master’s program in Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley.

“Cristina is an inspiring young woman who has fought tirelessly most of her life against HIV stigma and for the rights of children and youth affected by HIV. She embodies the spirit of Keep a Child Alive’s work and we are so pleased to honor her with the Joe Cristina Humanitarian Award,” said Twyman. “We also are thrilled to have Zendaya and Tori perform at this year’s Dream Halloween, two amazing young artists who recognize the power of giving and want to help change the world for the better. This twentieth anniversary is sure to be extra special and we are so grateful for all of our supporters as we continue our mission of transforming the lives of children and families affected by HIV/AIDS.”

“Dream Halloween carries so many special meanings. It’s about family and friends, having fun and building memories, and about people coming together in support of children affected by HIV,” said Peña. “Dream Halloween is very much a part of my childhood and I am so proud to be honored at this event, and to know that together we are helping children to access the care and treatment they need to become healthy adults.”

Dream Halloween will once again transform the Barker Hangar into a Halloween extravaganza where imagination and fun will run wild. Children and their families are encouraged to arrive in costume to navigate the legendary Trick-or-Treat Lane, collecting toys from our generous sponsors. Guests will enjoy live performances including a special show from Le Petit Cirque. Unique activations will fill the hangar, including a 3D Bat Cave housing the authentic Batman Tumbler (featured in films), racing on a 40-foot Hot Wheels track, face painting by MAC artists and opportunities to take photos with character favorites including Barbie, Po from “Kung Fu Panda”, Alex from “Madagascar”, and Mr. Potato Head.

Keep a Child Alive has partnered with online auction house Gavel & Grand, to allow supporters to bid from afar and in advance on auction items for Dream Halloween. The auction will feature amazing opportunities such as a four-night stay for two at the beautiful Grace Bay Club in Turks & Caicos and four VIP Meet & Greet concert tickets with the fabulous Ariana Grande. Online bidding will be available beginning October 14th through the close of the Dream Halloween auction at 7:00pm on October 26. Follow Keep a Child Alive on Facebook and Twitter for updates on the auction.

Dream Halloween was created in 1994 by the Children Affected by AIDS Foundation (CAAF) and has since raised more than $16.2 million in support of children affected by HIV. Keep a Child Alive was proud to acquire CAAF in 2012 and continue the legacy of Dream Halloween. Over the last twenty years, mother-to-child transmission of HIV has become almost unheard of in the United States. Yet, the need for support is still urgent in countries that Keep a Child Alive serves: Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, South Africa and India.

Mattel, Inc.® is the Founding and Presenting Sponsor of Dream Halloween. Additional sponsors include American Airlines as the Exclusive and Official Airline of Dream Halloween, HisVision Foundation, Nickelodeon, and Arey Jones Educational.

For more information and tickets, please contact: Lauran Huff, LPA Events, 310.201.5033, or visit www.keepachildalive.org.

About Keep a Child Alive
Keep a Child Alive believes that every person has the right to health care and deserves a future. Founded in 2003 by long-time AIDS activist Leigh Blake and co-founded by 14-time Grammy® Award winner Alicia Keys, Keep a Child Alive was born out of outrage over the injustice of children and families dying due to a lack of access to drugs that were widely available in wealthier countries. The organization’s focus has been to raise global awareness about the urgent and unmet need for HIV treatment in sub-Saharan Africa, and to grant funds to community-based organizations to provide free, life-saving treatment to keep children living with HIV from needlessly dying.

Ten years later, Keep a Child Alive’s core mission is unchanged. Their work has since grown to include the care components that we know are necessary to support successful, life-long HIV treatment: comprehensive clinical care, psychosocial support, nutritious food, and loving care.

Currently, Keep a Child Alive provides financial and programmatic support to nine innovative, community-based partners in Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda, and India, who work tirelessly to provide loving services for children and families living with and affected by HIV. With Alicia Keys as Global Ambassador, Keep a Child Alive uses its voice to raise awareness, mobilize people to take action, and rally resources in the global response to HIV.

For more information on Keep a Child Alive, please visit: www.keepachildalive.org. Follow Keep a Child Alive on Twitter: @keepachildalive #KCADreamHalloween, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/keepachildalive.

About Zendaya
Hollywood Records recording artist Zendaya recently released her self-titled debut album. She also stars in the Disney Channel Original Series “Shake It Up” which has aired in 164 countries and reached over 150 million viewers worldwide. Zendaya impressed judges and fans alike on ABC’s “Dancing With The Stars” this spring, reaching nearly 13 million households every week. Zendaya was featured on three soundtracks from the “Shake It Up” series with combined sales of nearly 1 million. This summer, she released her first book, “Between Me & You” on Hyperion. Zendaya is already a formidable force online with millions following her socials, including 3 million on Facebook, 3.3 million on Twitter, 2.1 million on Instagram and over 135 million views on her videos on VEVO.

About Tori Kelly
When she was fourteen, Tori Kelly started writing songs in the bedroom of her Southern California home. Within years she began sharing those songs online, and quickly won over Internet audiences with her sweetly soaring vocals, graceful guitar-playing, and knack for blending breezy melodies with boldly heart-on-sleeve lyrics. A musical purist who began singing at age three and learned to play drums and guitar by the time she was 16, Kelly wrote, produced, mixed, and self-released an EP titled Handmade Songs By Tori Kelly in May 2012—then saw the EP debut at #6 on Soundscan’s New Artist chart and at #9 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart. Earlier that same year, Kelly’s online popularity skyrocketed when a YouTube video of her stripped-down, goosebump-inducing rendition of Frank Ocean’s “Thinkin Bout You” went viral, and to date has garnered over 16 million views. Kelly is set to release her second EP, FOREWORD, on October 22nd which she wrote, produced, and mixed herself. The EP is due out October 22nd and Kelly also announced a U.S. tour that will kick off in Los Angeles on October 28th. Additionally, Kelly will perform to a sold out crowd at Madison Square Garden on November 1st when she opens for Ed Sheeran.

Press Release: “Dislecksia” Opens October 17

DISLECKSIA: THE MOVIE TO OPEN NATIONWIDE ON OCTOBER 17

AREA 23A, SCREENVISION, AND CAPTURED TIME PRODUCTIONS TEAM UP TO PRESENT A SPECIAL ONE NIGHT CINEMATIC EVENT

Select Screenings Will Be Followed by Q&As with Local Dyslexia Awareness Groups – Visit www.DISMovie.org for details and ticketing

Los Angeles, September 26, 2013 – Event based distribution company Area 23a and Captured Time Productions have teamed up with Screenvision, a leading innovator in cinema advertising and alternative content, to present a unique, nationwide cinematic event in which theaters across the country will screen the award-winning documentary DISLECKSIA: THE MOVIE on October 17, in conjunction with National Dyslexia Awareness Month. Select screenings will be followed by Q&As with local dyslexia awareness groups. A complete list of participating theaters is available at: www.dismovie.org DISLECKSIA: THE MOVIE will also open traditional theatrical runs in New York City on October 4th and Los Angeles on October 11th.

DISLECKSIA: THE MOVIE is an engaging documentary that weaves vintage classroom footage, celebrity interviews and the comedic touch of dyslexic director Harvey Hubbell V into an engrossingly entertaining film on a serious subject. The film features interviews with a wide range of successful individuals with dyslexia including entertainment industry people such as Billy Bob Thornton, Joe Pantoliano, and Stephen J. Cannell; business moguls such as real estate guru Barbara Corcoran and celebrated neuroscientists and top educators within the dyslexia field. As the first film to offer an alternative perspective of dyslexia as a learning difference, rather than a disability, DISLECKSIA: THE MOVIE emphasizes the importance of positive messaging and the power of family and community.

“We are very proud to make this film available and excited that we are working with Screenvision and Area 23a to bring it out to the widest possible audience,” commented Harvey Hubbell V. “After many years of being painfully misunderstood during my schooling, I knew I had to make a film to create the greatest awareness for dyslexia for the countless individuals of all ages that are unnecessarily struggling to thrive and be understood. I believe that all humans learn differently and that we have the power and opportunity to create a better society by empowering individuals and organizations to recognize, honor and grow the gifts that each of us possess. This film has the power to change lives and it is an honor to launch it during National Dyslexia Awareness Month,” Hubbell continued.

“We are thrilled that Area 23a and Captured Time Productions have chosen Screenvision to partner on this exciting project. We are delighted to use our national network to encourage theater-goers to view dyslexia in a new light, in order to benefit so many who are dealing with and are impacted by dyslexia,” stated Darryl Schaffer, Screenvision’s Executive Vice President, Operations & Exhibitor Relations.

ABOUT AREA23A
Area23a is a bi-coastal, independently owned “event” based theatrical distribution company, co-founded by distribution specialists Richard Abramowitz and Kirt Eftekhar. The company focuses on event driven films, providing value-added distribution through alternative ways to reach audiences across the country, releasing films in convention and community centers, night clubs, casinos, libraries, museums, and college campuses, in addition to traditional venues like theaters, cinematheques and festivals. Area23a distributes award-winning films such as Dan Sturman and Bill Guttentag’s SOUNDTRACK FOR A REVOLUTION, Michael Paul Stephenson’s BEST WORST MOVIE, Gerardine Wurzburg’s WRETCHES and JABBERERS, Adrian Grenier’s TEENAGE PAPARAZZO , Chris Paine’s REVENGE OF THE ELECTRIC CAR and BURN directed by Tom Putnam and Brenda Sanchez. For more information please visit: http://area23a.com/

About Screenvision
Headquartered in New York, N.Y., Screenvision is a national leader in cinema advertising, offering onscreen advertising, in-lobby promotions and integrated marketing programs to national, regional and local advertisers, and providing comprehensive cinema advertising representation services for its theatrical exhibitor partners. The Screenvision cinema advertising network is comprised of over 15,000 screens in 2,400+ theatre locations across all 50 states and 94% of DMAs nationwide; delivering through more than 150 theatrical circuits, including 10 of the top 15 exhibitor companies. http://www.screenvision.com

ABOUT CAPTURED TIME PRODUCTIONS
Working in partnership with The Hubbell Difference Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, Captured Time Productions makes documentaries that bring to life topics of current and relevant social value that transform lives, build community, drive innovation and encourage positive social change. Captured Time Productions has produced films on topics ranging from human reproductive rights, American culture and identity, globalization, and most currently, learning differences and dyslexia.

Press Release: Icarus Films Acquires “Lost Rivers”

Icarus Films acquires LOST RIVERS; Acclaimed Documentary on Urbanism and Ecology is “Important as well as Inspiring” (Science Magazine)

Interviews and online preview screeners available for covering journalists and film programmers.

September 26, 2013, New York: Today, Icarus Films announced its acquisition of all North American distribution rights to LOST RIVERS directed by Caroline Bacle, here making her feature film debut. The deal was signed by Jonathan Miller, president of Icarus Films, and producer Katarina Soukup for Catbird Productions, for all U.S. rights including non-theatrical, theatrical, home video, digital and broadcast markets.

The film is a strong addition to Icarus Films’ extensive collections of documentaries on Environmental Studies, Architecture, Urban Planning & Design, and Urban Studies. It is currently available for engagements including film festivals, theatrical and non-theatrical bookings, and television broadcast.

About the Film
Unbeknownst to today’s city-dwellers, buried beneath nearly every major metropolis are a network or convergence of rivers. As urban living grew with the Industrial Revolution, these rivers became conduits for disease and pollution. The 19th-century solution was the merge them with sewer systems and hide them underground. These rivers still run through the cities of today, but they do so out of sight. LOST RIVERS examines hidden waterways around the world from the United States to the United Kingdom, from Korea to Italy. Viewers are introduced to environmentalists and urban explorers re-discovering their city’s network of medieval rivers. As climate change forces us to reconsider the relationship between built and natural environments, a fascinating secret of contemporary ecology is revealed.

LOST RIVERS has been an official selection of over twenty documentary, urbanism and environmental film festivals, including CPH:DOX in Cophenhagen, DOXA Documentary Film Festival in Vancouver, Planet in Focus Environmental Film Festival in Toronto, the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital in Washington, D.C., the Miami Beach Environmental Film Festival in Florida, FIFE Environmental Film Festival in Paris, the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in Montana, the Architecture Film Festival in Rotterdam and the Eco Film Festival in Kula Lumpur.