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Distribution
UserpicMads Brugger and The Ambassador
Posted by Elizabeth
22.01.2012

If you are a fan of Mads Brugger, who went behind the Iron Curtain separating South and North Korea in his first doc Red Chapel, you will enjoy The Ambassador even more. As Karinna Longworth from LA Weekly notes in her Sundance review, Mads represents the latest form of gonzo journalism, following in the foot steps of Hunter S. Thompson but taking more risk to expose political corruption.

This time Mads travels to the Central African Republic under diplomatic pretense. He brings a strong fashion sensibility to his mission, like Sean O'Connory in the early Bond films if he were dressed by Helmut Lang, which climaxes in one political assassination and a failed attempt to smuggle diamonds. Mads escape back to the Congo and civilization leaves many questions unanswered except to highlight that political corruption in Africa is so entrenched that the current president of Liberia, Ellen Johnson, was banned from holding political office at one point in her career on grounds of crimes against humanity.

Hope that everybody will be able to catch the movie soon in a theater near you. Stay tuned.


Distribution
UserpicSilver Docs Round-Up
Posted by Elizabeth
27.06.2010

A little smaller this year than last year due to budget cuts, Silver Docs in its eighth year remains a favored festival for filmmakers, sales agents, distributors and audiences. Panels on funding, the craft of story telling, and the ins-and-outs of distribution were well attended. Screenings sold out to such films as Freakonomics and The Red Chapel.

Unlike SXSW, where the emphasis is on the intersection of technology and DIY distribution, Silver Docs industry panels focus on novice filmmakers. I was joined on a panel moderated by Byron Hurt with Louise Rosen, Diana Holtzberg of Films Transit International, and  Cynthia Fenneman, President, American Public Television to discuss Letting Go of Your "Baby" … or Not. Distribution in 2010, What is a Filmmaker to do? In a market with  fewer commissions, less funding, and a plethora of films for distributors to choose from, is it better to work with an agent or go solo; work with a distributor or go the DIY route?

As  a distributor, I advise all filmmakers to seek advice, from peers, agents, friends or family. Ask questions early on and plan your strategy long before your film is at rough cut. Build your audience using social media tools and grass roots outreach. Define your festival strategy. Solicit the advice of agents; understand that a savvy, established agent will have relationships with programmers at TIFF, Sundance, Sheffield, SXSW and IDFA, to name a few.They will know the deadlines and festival programmers' preferences and will share that knowledge with you.

At Kino Lorber, acceptance into a prestigious festival, or an award, can be the deciding factor in acquiring a film for release.

A year ago we screened The Red Chapel at rough cut stage. At the time, our analysis was that the challenge of releasing a subtitled doc about two Danish comedians who infiltrate North Korea would be very challenging. We look to release films that we can successfully premier in New York city theatrically, ensuring a review, and then continue to show across North America at independent theaters and calendar houses, windowing with sales to the educational market, television and eventually, direct-to-consumer and then into retail and digital. Our output deal with Netflix's Watch Now allows us to make all of our theatrically-released films available direct to the digital world,  as well as via VuDu, Amazon, Hulu and cable VOD. When The Red Chapel won the World Cinema Jury Prize at Sundance, it was no longer an obscure foreign doc but a critically recognized film that premiered at MoMA's New Directors and played to a sold-out audience at Silver Docs.

So before you approach a distributor, start to build your audience and develop a festival strategy before you even start filming. Consider working with an agent such as Diana, from whom we recently licensed The Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould or Josh Braun of Submarine, who brought another festival favorite to us, Winnebago Man, which opens July 9th at the Sunshine in New York and will roll across America throughout the summer.


Announcements, Distribution, News, Noteworthy, Offbeat
UserpicMeditate and Destroy- Now on VOD!
Posted by myfilmblog.com
22.07.2009

Meditate and DestoryMeditate & Destroy is now accessible to viewers from the comfort of their homes or on the go exclusively via Alive Mind's Video On Demand service. Meditate and Destroy is an 81-minute documentary about punk rock, spirituality, and inner rebellion. The film focuses on the bestselling author of Dharma Punx and Against the Stream, Noah Levine. Tattoos, motorcycles, and Buddha are featured in this hard-hitting look at how Buddhism has a place in the world of punks. This inspiring film opens our perception to the possibilities of finding new paths- even in our darkest hours.

This film provides an up-close look at how the driving forces in Noah’s life changed from violence, addiction and rebellion to taking on the role of dedicated meditation teacher and community leader - an individual whose candor inspires others to integrate Buddhist teachings of nonviolence and inner peace with a Western lifestyle.

Available to all U.S households or mobile devices with a high-speed Internet connection, Meditate & Destroy will inspire viewers to embrace the transformational power of Buddhism. 

Watch Meditate & Destroy now

I hope you enjoy this quirky, unconventional film. 

Love and Light,

Sarah Fisher



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