KARMALINK: Movie Review

Karmalink_Final Poster

Production Year: 2021
Director: Jake Wachtel
Writers: Jake Wachtel, Christopher Larsen
Cast: Srey Leak Chhith, Leng Heng Prak, Sahajak Boonthanakit, Cindy Sirinya Bishop,       Rous Mony and Sveng Socheata
Genre: Sci-Fi, Mystery
Country: Cambodia
Language: Khmer with English subtitles
Run Time: 1 hour 42 minutes

Children are the Future!

Jake Wachtel’s KARMALINK is a fascinating tale of Srey Leak (Srey Leak Chhith) and Leng Heng (Leng Heng Prak) and a group of his friends, as they, their families and all the members of the community are being left behind with new technological advancements and at the same time, trying to save their community, the Tralok Bek neighborhood of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, from being forced to relocate, in order to make room for a speed train. They believe they must find the buried gold Buddhist statute to save them all.

Watching Srey and 13year-old Leng, along with his friends, devise a plan to save their Tralok Bek neighborhood and their determination to not be left behind with the new technology. Is a reminder, that it is the kids of today that will eventually inherit the good and the bad that is left behind by the adults currently in power, and will have to develop solutions to those problems.

It is a reminder of what the United States is called eminent domain. It gives the government the right to to force owners to sell their private property, for what is suppose to be for the public good. Be it, freeways or highways that leads to people being forced to move and also divide communities.

The backdrop of the skyscrapers hoovering over the slums where Srey Leak Chhith, Leng Heng Prak, Sahajak Boonthanakit, Cindy Sirinya Bishop, Rous Mony and Sveng Socheata call home as they go about their daily lives is a stark reminder of the class-difference between the wealthy and those living in extreme poverty that while the kids are trying to save their close-knit community.

KARMALINK brings Girl Power! into sharp focus with Srey Leak (Srey Leak Chhith). Whether it is the interaction with her older brother, who appears to be irresponsible, or leading a group of boys, who call her the detective, as they search to find a buried gold Buddhist statute.

Reminded of the gentrification of marginalized communities from around the world and how they are left behind socially, economically and technologically too. Even here in the U. S. people do not have access to the internet, something that is now considered a basic service that is denied to many.

And, commonly used by governments, eminent domain that forces private citizens to sell their private property to state and/or federal government, is used to force people from their home in order to build a speed train. A train that those in the Tralok Bek neighborhood will most likely never use.

Director Jake Wachtel weaves together the reality of life in the slums of Cambodia, the technological advancements taking place around those who are struggling for their survival and their dominate societal belief in reincarnation thorough Sci-Fi to tell a captivating narrative in KARMALINK.

Photo 1- Leng Heng Prak in Jake Wachtel's KARMALINK (Photo Credit_ Good Deed Entertainment)

Cinematographer Robert Leitzell captures a vivid picture of Heng's reincarnations through out time., the nitty gritty life in the slums, where the actors Srey and Leng Heng were born and live. The dark lighting provides the ambiance and intensity for Leng Heng’s journeys back in time.

Editors Harrison Atkins, Stephanie Kaznocha work flows effortlessly from scene to scene, helping to tell a very compelling story.

The clothes worn by the characters give a clear indication to their social and economic status within the society they live.

The use of the actual homes and conditions of the residences in the Tralok Bek neighborhood adds to the movie experience of the Set Design (does the setting influence other elements. does it add or subtract from my experience.)

KARMALINK takes place in the Tralok Bek neighborhood of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Tralok Bek is where Srey Leak Chhith, Leng Heng Prak lived and called home. Being filmed in a real place, where real actors lived depicting their actual day to day experiences gives the film a believably story line.

Composer Ariel Marx’s musical score works well with the various scenes providing the suspense needed for a mystery and travel through time.

KARMALINK is a great film, that is sure to captivate your attention, with its cast of kids ready and able to take on the world for the greater good.

I was saddened to read that Leng Heng Prak had passed away in 2021. He had the potential a future in film making

Release Date: July 15, 2022
Distributor: Good Deed Entertainment
Producer: Valerie Steinberg
Production Co: Valerie Steinberg Productions
Co-producers: Sok Visal (802 Films, Cambodia), Christopher Rompré (littleBIG Films, Cambodia)
Executive Producer(s): Todd Brown, Nate Bolotin, Joe & Freddi Felt
Run time: 1 hour 42 minutes
Cast: Srey Leak Chhith, Leng Heng Prak, Sahajak Boonthanakit, Cindy Sirinya Bishop, Rous Mony, Sveng Socheata, Sokvan So, Sreng Chear, Samneang Chea, No Mo, Ty Li, Tommy Henderson, Rando Henderson, Savern Oum, Pisey Pen, Linda Chhith, Sreyneat Chhith, Morokort Chhith, David Rithyruth Alexander, Channan Moa, Reach Hunchan, Sothun Sok, Socheata Khek, Sotereak Ouk, James Adomian
Director: Jake Wachtel
Writers: Jake Wachtel, Christopher Larsen
Cinematography: Robert Leitzell
Editors: Harrison Atkins, Stephanie Kaznocha
Sound Editor: Vincent Villa
Composer: Ariel Marx
Production Designer: Olga Miasnikova

KDMG, Inc. Brings Moving Coming of Age Drama “Icon” to Audiences Everywhere this August

KDMG, Inc. Acquires Filmmaker Tony Ahedo's Touching Feature Film “Icon”  for North American VOD/Digital & Blu-Ray/DVD August 1st Release 

(Los Angeles, CA—July 11, 2022) KDMG, Inc. (Kaczmarek Digital Media Group, Inc.) has acquired the Pretty Sweet Films’ production of filmmaker Tony Ahedo’s touching feature film debut  “Icon.” This moving coming of age drama charts the perilous journey to adulthood for our charismatic leads Sam (Parker Padgett) and Ana (Devon Hales). KDMG, Inc. will release “Icon” across all TVOD/Digital and Blu-Ray/DVD platforms throughout North America on August 1, 2022.

Young love’s the topic of so many films, but rarely is it handled with earnest, authentic grace, as we see in “Icon”. Anchored in the touching performances of Padgett and Hales, audiences will find themselves moved much like fellow beloved indie film “The Spectacular Now.” When a surprise pregnancy forces Sam to face many brutal realities of adulthood and responsibility, things spiral rapidly out of control as he simultaneously tries to fight to find his own truth: why his absent father hasn’t been in his life since he was one and is only a fading memory.

Icon” was inspired by a true story and stars Parker Padgett (“Surviving Lunch”) and Devon Hales (Netflix’s “Teenage Bounty Hunters,” “Stan Against Evil”), along with Julia Denton (“The Fundamentals of Caring,” “Geostorm”), Tony Demil (Succession,” “Zola”), Bryce Anthony Heller (“Education in Love,”  “Cobra’s World”), and the feature film debut of Ronald Sansone.

“I am excited for audiences everywhere to see the film and prompt important conversations. My intent is to show the male perspective to a pregnancy in such a way that illuminates the idealization of patriarchy and toxic masculine views of the past and how we move beyond it,” stated Ahedo.

Adapted from an award-winning short that won the presidents’ award at Ringling College of Art & Design, “Icon” was filmed in Ahedo’s hometown of Saint Petersburg, Florida, just prior to the pandemic. The story pulls elements from his childhood growing up in the mid 90’s through the early 2000s in Florida.

“It's not often we see a good coming-of-age film that breaks down the fundamentals of teen adolescence in a relatable way,” stated KDMG, Inc.’s CEO, Kyle Kaczmarek . “I felt this story had an audience and needed to be seen. On behalf of myself and the KDMG team, I am thrilled to be part of Icon's journey.”

Cinematographer Harrison Stagner (“Rosary, Fiona Humphrey: A Family Album,” “Stubbz”), utilized different cameras to best embody the film’s timelines. A Canon C200 was used for the 2010 timeline and BMCC4K with a vintage 60’s lens for the 90’s timeline. “Icon” also features a moving original score by Chris Carlone (“The Red Cocoon,” “Highway to Havasu”).

Terese Linden Kohn, Founder of Talk Global Media, negotiated on behalf of the film with Kyle Kaczmarek, CEO of KDMG.

About KDMG, Inc.:
Kaczmarek Digital Media Group, Inc. 
(KDMG, Inc.) was founded in 2012 to provide a non-traditional, outside the box, hands-on digital approach to entertainment content providers. Deeply passionate about our work, KDMG counsels individuals and companies in all areas of the entertainment industry, including producers, directors, distributors, technology companies, digital retail platforms, sales agents, and cable, telecommunications and satellite companies toward achieving their highest potential.

About Pretty Sweet Films:
Pretty Sweet Films is a full-service narrative production company founded by award-winning filmmaker Tony Ahedo based in Los Angeles. Since its inception in 2019, the company has created and collaborated on a wide variety of projects across the country. From romantic coming of age films to raunchy dark comedies to chilling horror thrillers, PSF is prepared to make any story a compelling piece for the eyes and mind. With more than a decade of production experience, PSF is here to make films pretty sweet.

About TALK Global Media
TALK is veteran sales executive Terese Ann Linden Kohn's global sales agency whose years of indie sales and distribution experience has provided the global marketplaces with quality film, television and new media content.  Representing all genres and numerous libraries for all rights and windows, TALK takes pride in the transparency and service it provides to filmmakers, distributors and programmers around the world.

www.TALKglobalMedia.com

 

‘KARMALINK’ In Select Theaters and on VOD and Major Platforms in the US and Canada on July 15.

Karmalink_Final Poster

Director: Jake Wachtel
Cast: Srey Leak Chhith, Leng Heng Prak, Sahajak Boonthanakit, Cindy Sirinya Bishop, Rous Mony and Sveng Socheata
Year: 2021
Country: Cambodia
Language: Khmer with English subtitles
Run time: 1 hour 42 minutes

Theaters include:
Lumiere Music Hall - Los Angeles, CA
Rialto Lakeside Elmwood - Berkeley, CA
Rialto Lakeside Sonoma - Sebastopol, CA
SIFF Film Center - Seattle, WA

VOD Platforms include:
US: Apple TV/iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Vudu, XFinity Cable, and more.

Canada: Apple TV/iTunes, Google Play.

***OFFICIAL SELECTION: VENICE FILM CRITICS’ WEEK (OPENING NIGHT FILM), AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL, GLASGOW FILM FESTIVAL and many more.***

Conceived as a way to interrogate processes of neo-colonialism, and highlighting the alienating effects of technological progress, Jake Wachtel's KARMALINK is a mind-bending tale of reincarnation, artificial consciousness, and the search for enlightenment.

In near-future  Phnom Penh, the rich and privileged are augmented with nanotech, and new skyscrapers crowd the skyline. In Tralop Bek, a tight-knit community threatened with forced eviction, 13-year-old Leng Heng is having vivid dreams of his past lives. He and his friends are convinced they are meant to find a buried Buddhist statue to save their homes, and they seek out help from a street-smart girl in the neighborhood, Srey Leak. Together they follow clues across town and into the past, uncovering a link with a genius neuroscientist on a quest for digital nirvana. As Leng Heng’s dreams converge on the present, his very sense of identity begins to unravel. When it becomes clear that the stakes are higher than they imagined, the two friends must decide how far they are willing to go to find their treasure and the truth.

American-born filmmaker Jake Wachtel began his career making short documentaries for nonprofits and social impact ventures working in the global south. His work has been featured on NYTimes.com, Wired, NPR, and MSNBC. 

In 2015, he moved to Cambodia to teach a year-long class in filmmaking to children as a part of the Filmmakers Without Borders initiative. His Phnom Penh-set short film THE FOREIGNER HERE premiered at the Cambodian International Film Festival, and he has gone on to collaborate with many of the growing new wave of young Cambodian filmmakers. He also served as on-set editor for Jimmy Henderson's Cambodian-Chinese coproduction THE PREY. Phnom Penh became his home base for several years as he developed his first feature KARMALINKCambodia’s first sci-fi movie—set in the community where he taught and produced with a majority Cambodian cast and crew, including his former students.

ABOUT GOOD DEED ENTERTAINMENT

Good Deed Entertainment (GDE) is an Ohio based independent studio dedicated to producing, financing, and distributing quality entertainment for under-served audiences. Its distribution slate includes recent releases Summertime, Ma Belle, My Beauty, and Lucky Grandma, in addition to the Academy Award nominated, Loving Vincent, and Spirit Award nominated, To Dust.

Website: http://www.gooddeedentertainment.com/

SQUEAL U.S. Theatrically Release in Los Angeles and on VOD in the U.S. and CANADA on August 19th

Kevin Janssens in Aik Karapetian's SQUEAL (Photo Credit: GOOD DEED ENTERTAINMENT)
Kevin Janssens in Aik Karapetian's SQUEAL (Photo Credit: GOOD DEED ENTERTAINMENT)

SQUEAL will be released in the theatrically in Los Angeles, with more cities to be announced and on VOD in the U.S. and CANADA on August 19th

Director: Aik Karapetia
Scriptwriter: Aik Karapetian,Aleksandr      Rodionov
Cast: Kevin Janssens,Laura Siliņa,Aigars Vilims,Normunds Griestiņš,Juris Bartkevičs,Guntis Pilsums
Year: 2021
Genre: D
ark Comedy
Country: Latvia
Language: Latvian and English (with English subtitles)
Run time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Official Selection: FANTASTIC FEST 2021 and many more

Theaters Include:
Lumiere Music Hall - Los Angeles

VOD Platforms Include:
US: Apple TV/iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Vudu, XFinity Cable, and more.
Canada: Apple TV/iTunes, Amazon, Google Play

Filmmaker Aik Karapetian's dark fairy tale SQUEAL  centers on Samuel (Kevin Janssens), who is far from home, searching for his father. Lost in remotest Eastern Europe, on the edges of a mythical forest, a minor road accident leads to a chance meeting with a pig-farmer’s daughter Kirke (Laura Siliņa). Sam soon learns that his priorities must change if he wants to survive. Her initial hospitality is a smoke screen to capture him and make him a forced laborer on the farm. Alone, unable to speak the language, and chained up 24/7 with the pigs, he learns to adapt. Fortunately, a seemingly magical piglet gains Sam’s confidence and shows him the way to freedom and true love. 

Filmmaker Aik Karapetian is a graduate of the Latvian Academy of Culture and has a master’s degree in film direction from the Académie Internationale des Arts – ESEC (Paris). His first feature film, PEOPLE OUT THERE gained international acclaim after its premiere at the Karlovy Vary film festival in competition in 2012. After the successful horror feature THE MAN IN THE ORANGE JACKET (Fantastic Fest 2014, BFI London Film Festival), Aik released the thriller FIRSTBORN (Sitges, Fantastic Fest, Paris International Film Festival 2017). 

Aik has also staged two successful opera productions at the Latvian National Opera house, THE BARBER OF SEVILLE, which was awarded as the Best stage production of the season in 2011 and FAUST, which premiered in September 2016. His version of Bizet's CARMEN premiered at the Opera National de Montpellier (France) in 2018 followed by Gounod's FAUST at the Trondheim Symfoniorkester & Opera (Norway) in 2019.

ABOUT GOOD DEED ENTERTAINMENT
Good Deed Entertainment (GDE) is an Ohio based independent studio dedicated to producing, financing, and distributing quality entertainment for under-served audiences. Its distribution slate includes recent releases Summertime, Ma Belle, My Beauty, and Lucky Grandma, in addition to the Academy Award nominated, Loving Vincent, and Spirit Award nominated, To Dust.

Website: http://www.gooddeedentertainment.com/

View New Clip for KARMALINK Open in Select Theaters and on VOD in the U.S. and Canada on Major Platforms on July 15th

Photo 1- Leng Heng Prak in Jake Wachtel's KARMALINK (Photo Credit_ Good Deed Entertainment)

Director: Jake Wachtel
Cast: Srey Leak Chhith, Leng Heng Prak, Sahajak Boonthanakit, Cindy Sirinya Bishop, Rous Mony and Sveng Socheata
Year: 2021
Country: Cambodia
Language: Khmer with English subtitles
Run time: 1 hour 42 minutes

VIEW TRAILER CLIP BELOW!

Theaters include:
Lumiere Music Hall - Los Angeles, CA
Rialto Lakeside Elmwood - Berkeley, CA
Rialto Lakeside Sonoma - Sebastopol, CA
SIFF Film Center - Seattle, WA

VOD Platforms include:
US: Apple TV/iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Vudu, XFinity Cable, and more.
Canada: Apple TV/iTunes, Google Play.

***OFFICIAL SELECTION: VENICE FILM CRITICS’ WEEK (OPENING NIGHT FILM), AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL, GLASGOW FILM FESTIVAL and many more.***

Conceived as a way to interrogate processes of neo-colonialism, and highlighting the alienating effects of technological progress, Jake Wachtel's KARMALINK is a mind-bending tale of reincarnation, artificial consciousness, and the search for enlightenment.

In near-future  Phnom Penh, the rich and privileged are augmented with nanotech, and new skyscrapers crowd the skyline. In Tralop Bek, a tight-knit community threatened with forced eviction, 13-year-old Leng Heng is having vivid dreams of his past lives. He and his friends are convinced they are meant to find a buried Buddhist statue to save their homes, and they seek out help from a street-smart girl in the neighborhood, Srey Leak. Together they follow clues across town and into the past, uncovering a link with a genius neuroscientist on a quest for digital nirvana. As Leng Heng’s dreams converge on the present, his very sense of identity begins to unravel. When it becomes clear that the stakes are higher than they imagined, the two friends must decide how far they are willing to go to find their treasure and the truth.

American-born filmmaker Jake Wachtel began his career making short documentaries for nonprofits and social impact ventures working in the global south. His work has been featured on NYTimes.com, Wired, NPR, and MSNBC. 

In 2015, he moved to Cambodia to teach a year-long class in filmmaking to children as a part of the Filmmakers Without Borders initiative. His Phnom Penh-set short film THE FOREIGNER HERE premiered at the Cambodian International Film Festival, and he has gone on to collaborate with many of the growing new wave of young Cambodian filmmakers. He also served as on-set editor for Jimmy Henderson's Cambodian-Chinese coproduction THE PREY. Phnom Penh became his home base for several years as he developed his first feature KARMALINK—Cambodia’s first sci-fi movie—set in the community where he taught and produced with a majority Cambodian cast and crew, including his former students.

ABOUT GOOD DEED ENTERTAINMENT

Good Deed Entertainment (GDE) is an Ohio based independent studio dedicated to producing, financing, and distributing quality entertainment for under-served audiences. Its distribution slate includes recent releases Summertime, Ma Belle, My Beauty, and Lucky Grandma, in addition to the Academy Award nominated, Loving Vincent, and Spirit Award nominated, To Dust.

Website: http://www.gooddeedentertainment.com/

View New Clip “FALL” (Lionsgate) – In Theaters Only on August 12, 2022

FALL- POSTER (Courtesy- Lionsgate)

 Cast:  Grace Caroline Currey, Virginia Gardner, Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Director: Scott Mann
Writers:   Scott Mann, Jonathan Frank  ProducersChristian Mercuri, James Harris, Mark Lane, Scott Mann
Genre: Thriller
Rating:  Not Yet Rated
Running Time: 1 hour 47 minutes

For best friends Becky (Grace Caroline Currey) and Hunter (Virginia Gardner), life is all about conquering fears and pushing limits. But after they climb 2,000 feet to the top of a remote, abandoned radio tower, they find themselves stranded with no way down. Now Becky and Hunter’s expert climbing skills will be put to the ultimate test as they desperately fight to survive the elements, a lack of supplies, and vertigo-inducing heights in this adrenaline-fueled thriller costarring Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

Lionsgate Films and Capstone Global Present a Tea Shop Production and Capstone Studios Production in Association with Flawless and Cousin Jones.

OFFICIAL SITE:  http://www.lionsgate.com/movies/fal

FOLLOW FALL ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
https://www.instagram.com/fallmovie/

https://twitter.com/fallmovie

 FREESTYLE MEDIA ACQUIRES STEPHEN EDWARDS’ “SYNDROME K” FOR NORTH AMERICAN TVOD/DIGITAL RELEASE

The Final Film Narrated by Ray Liotta, the Fascinating Syndrome K” Illuminates Heroic WWII Doctors for North American TVOD/Digital Platform Release on August 16th, 2022

Los Angeles, CAJune 24, 2022) Freestyle Digital Media the digital film distribution division of Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group has acquired North American rights from Insanely Practical Productions the second documentary film directorial effort from filmmaker Stephen Edwards’  (acclaimed composer of “Requiem for My Mother”, and musical contributor to award-winning films such as “Nomadland”, “Dallas Buyer’s Club”), captivating new documentary “Syndrome K.” “Syndrome K” will be available to rent and own on U.S. digital HD internet, and satellite platforms on August 16th, 2022 through Freestyle Digital Media.

The last film to be narrated by acclaimed screen icon Ray Liotta (“Goodfellas,” “Field of Dreams”), Syndrome K” shines a light on the truly amazing story of three Roman Catholic doctors, who created a highly contagious f ake disease during the Nazi Occupation of Rome to save Roman Jews in a Vatican-affiliated hospital from deportation to Auschwitz during WWII.

When Nazis invaded Rome in 1943, they immediately targeted the Roman Jews. Against Vatican orders, three doctors at Fatebenefratelli, the Vatican-affiliated Catholic hospital hid many Jews who had sought refuge, disguising them as sick patients infected with a wildly touted, highly contagious fake disease they dubbed  Syndrome K to fool the Nazis, who were quite fearful of falling victim to disease.  The doctors “quarantined” the “infected” Jews to protect them. As Nazi suspicions mounted, they were forced to elaborate and maintain this ruse to keep their countrymen alive until the Allied forces under Gen. Mark Clark began the harrowing fight to liberate Rome from the South. Syndrome K might be the only horrible disease in history that actually saved lives – because it didn’t really exist.  

My favorite documentaries are those that speak about ordinary people doing extraordinary things. When I happened on the story of Syndrome K, I began researching the story immediately – learning about the three heroic doctors who successfully fooled Nazis saving hundreds of lives. Their bravery is an extraordinary lesson for every generation and one that we can’t wait to share with audiences everywhere,” states filmmaker Stephen Edwards.

Syndrome K” is the true story about a highly contagious, highly fictitious disease created by three Roman Catholic doctors – Adriano Ossicini, Giovanni Borromeo, & Vittorio Sacradoti, during the Holocaust to hide Jews from Occupying Nazis in a Vatican-affiliated hospital during World War II. When over 1,000 Jews from the Jewish Ghetto in Rome were deported to Auschwitz on 16 October 1943, many other Jews sought refuge in the Fatebenefratelli Hospital, directly across the Tiber River from the Ghetto and Syndrome K became a way to save them.

The live action narrative version of this extraordinary story is currently out to directors in Hollywood, written by Gregory Ballard  (“Bodysnatch”), and produced by Chip Diggins (“Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase”, “Equals” and “Last Knights”) and Lannette Turicchi (“Waking Mathilda: A Memoir of Childhood Narcolepsy) .

Syndrome K” is led by a vastly talented team of filmmakers beginning with directed & produced Stephen Edwards; narrated by Ray Liotta; executive produced by Lannette Turicchi (Waking Mathilda: A Memoir of Childhood Narcolepsy”); Patrick Olson (“Love and Honor”), and James Duda; associate producers Christopher LovaszPeter J. D’Arruda (“Space Command”); and Maisy-Kay Kendrick; story by Stephen Edwards; written by Gregory Ballard (“Bodysnatch”); with re-creations produced & directed by Greg Hunter; Directors of Photography Robert DuncanCraig Smith and Ilija Gavran (“Lost Treasure of the Valley”); edited by Greg Hunter (“Relationship Status,” “Kaboom”); with an original score by Stephen Edwards.

Freestyle Digital Media negotiated the deal to acquire “Syndrome K” directly with filmmaker Stephen Edwards of Insanely Practical Productions.      

Syndrome K” website: www.syndromek.com

Syndrome K” trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3ob_cpjL0E

About Insanely Practical Productions
Insanely Practical Productions is the production company set up by director/producer Stephen Edwards for all of his feature film and and documentary projects.  Two projects upcoming include a documentary about an iconic 1960s musical group, and a second film about a concert violinist coming back from a traumatic injury.

About Freestyle Digital Media 
The digital distribution unit of Byron Allen’s 
Allen Media GroupFreestyle Digital Media, is a premiere multi-platform distributor with direct partnerships across all major cable, digital and streaming platforms. Capitalizing on a robust infrastructure, proven track record and a veteran sales team, Freestyle Digital Media is a true home for independent films. Recent releases include BEST SUMMER EVER the teen musical featuring a fully integrated cast and crew of people with and without disabilities, produced by Jamie Lee Curtis, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Mary Steenburgen and Ted Danson, THE WEDDING YEAR starring Sarah Hyland and Anna Camp, THE LAST PHOTOGRAPH starring Danny Houston, BERSERK starring Nick Cannon, UNTOGETHER starring Jamie Doran, Jemima Kirke, Ben Mendelsohn, Alice Eve and Billy Crystal. Other Freestyle titles include the action-comedy BETTER START RUNNING starring Academy Award-winner Jeremy Irons and Maria Bello, THE BACHELORS starring Academy Award-winner J.K. Simmons, Julie Delpy and Odeya Rush, the award-winning documentary HONDROS produced by Jamie Lee Curtis and Jake Gyllenhaal, horror documentary DEMON HOUSE starring Zak Bagans, host of Travel Channel’s highest rated show Ghost Adventures, sci-fi thriller THE RECALL starring Wesley Snipes, MILES starring Molly Shannon and Paul Reiser and the animated feature HELL & BACK starring Nick Swardson, Mila Kunis and Bob Odenkirk.  

For more information, visit:
www.entertainmentstudios.com 
www.freestyledigitalmedia.tv  

View The New Clip for ‘THE STORY WON’T DIE’, Out On VOD in US, Canada, UK and Worldwide on June 21, World Refugee Day

TSWD_POSTER_FINAL

Director: David Henry Gerson
Producer: Odessa Rae (NAVALNY)
Co-Producers: Abdalaziz Alhamza, Colleen Ritzau Leth and Martin Marquet
Featuring: Medhat Aldaabal, Tammam Azzam, Diala Brisly, Abu Hajar, Bahila Hijazi, Omar Imam, Lynn Mayya, Anas Maghrebi and Mhd Sabboura
Genre: Feature Documentary
Rating: Not Yet Rated
Run Time: 1 hour 23 minutes
Country: USA/Germany

VOD PLATFORMS INCLUDE: Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Google TV, Vimeo + and more|

OFFICIAL SELECTION: Hot Docs, AFI Docs, Watch Docs and many more!

WINNER! Best Director at Doc LA and Best Feature Doc at FIC Autor Guadalajara.

THE STORY WON’T DIE, from Award-winning filmmaker David Henry Gerson, is an inspiring, timely look at a young generation of Syrian artists who use their work to protest and process what is currently the world’s largest and longest ongoing displacement of people since World War II. The film is produced by Sundance Award-winning producer Odessa Rae (Navalny).

Rapper Abu Hajar, together with other celebrated creative personalities of the Syrian uprising, a post-Rock musician (Anas Maghrebi), members of the first all-female Syrian rock band (Bahila Hijazi and Lynn Mayya), break-dancer (Bboy Shadow), choreographer (Medhat Aldaabal), and visual artists (Tammam Azzam, Omar Imam and Diala Brisly), use their art to rise in revolution and endure in exile in this new documentary reflecting on a battle for peace, justice and freedom of expression. It is an uplifting and humanizing look at what it means to be a refugee in today’s world and offers inspiring and hopeful vantages on a creative response to the chaos of war. 

DAVID HENRY GERSON  is a filmmaker whose work has won prizes from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Sundance Film Festival, and has been acquired into the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in NY. He is a graduate of Columbia University and the American Film Institute, where he was the recipient of the AFI Richard P. Rodgers Award for Creative Excellence. His film, ALL THESE VOICES, won the Student Academy Award®. David’s spec screenplay, ABOVE KINGS, was nominated to the Tracking Board Hit List and was a semifinalist for the Academy’s Nicholl Fellowship. His documentary film ULTRA VIOLET FOR SIXTEEN MINUTES (“Totally engaging” - Al Maysles), screened at festivals worldwide, the Pompidou Museum in Paris, and was acquired into the permanent collection of the MoMA. THE STORY WON’T DIE is his debut feature. 

See New Trailer for ‘KARMALINK’ Theatrical Release in the US and on VOD in the US and Canada July 15th

Leng Heng Prak in Jake Wachtel's KARMALINK (Photo Credit_ Good Deed Entertainment)
Leng Heng Prak in Jake Wachtel's KARMALINK (Photo Credit_ Good Deed Entertainment)

Director: Jake Wachtel
Cast: Srey Leak Chhith, Leng Heng Prak, Sahajak Boonthanakit, Cindy Sirinya Bishop, Rous Mony and Sveng Socheata
Year: 2021
Country: Cambodia
Language: Khmer with English subtitles
Run time: 1 hour 42 minutes

VOD Platforms include:
US: Apple TV/iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Vudu, XFinity Cable, and more.

Canada: Apple TV/iTunes, Google Play.

***OFFICIAL SELECTION: VENICE FILM CRITICS’ WEEK (OPENING NIGHT FILM), AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL, GLASGOW FILM FESTIVAL and many more.

(L-R) Cindy Sirinya Bishop and Leng Heng Prak in Jake Wachtel's KARMALINK (Photo Credit_ Good Deed Entertainment)
(L-R) Cindy Sirinya Bishop and Leng Heng Prak in Jake Wachtel's KARMALINK (Photo Credit_ Good Deed Entertainment)

Conceived as a way to interrogate processes of neo-colonialism, and highlighting the alienating effects of technological progress, Jake Wachtel's KARMALINK is a mind-bending tale of reincarnation, artificial consciousness, and the search for enlightenment.

In near-future  Phnom Penh, the rich and privileged are augmented with nanotech, and new skyscrapers crowd the skyline. In Tralop Bek, a tight-knit community threatened with forced eviction, 13-year-old Leng Heng is having vivid dreams of his past lives. He and his friends are convinced they are meant to find a buried Buddhist statue to save their homes, and they seek out help from a street-smart girl in the neighborhood, Srey Leak. Together they follow clues across town and into the past, uncovering a link with a genius neuroscientist on a quest for digital nirvana. As Leng Heng’s dreams converge on the present, his very sense of identity begins to unravel. When it becomes clear that the stakes are higher than they imagined, the two friends must decide how far they are willing to go to find their treasure and the truth.

Sahajak Boonthanakit in Jake Wachtel's KARMALINK (Photo Credit_ Good Deed Entertainment)
Sahajak Boonthanakit in Jake Wachtel's KARMALINK (Photo Credit_ Good Deed Entertainment)

American-born filmmaker Jake Wachtel began his career making short documentaries for nonprofits and social impact ventures working in the global south. His work has been featured on NYTimes.com, Wired, NPR, and MSNBC. 

In 2015, he moved to Cambodia to teach a year-long class in filmmaking to children as a part of the Filmmakers Without Borders initiative. His Phnom Penh-set short film THE FOREIGNER HERE premiered at the Cambodian International Film Festival, and he has gone on to collaborate with many of the growing new wave of young Cambodian filmmakers. He also served as on-set editor for Jimmy Henderson's Cambodian-Chinese coproduction THE PREY. Phnom Penh became his home base for several years as he developed his first feature KARMALINKCambodia’s first sci-fi movie—set in the community where he taught and produced with a majority Cambodian cast and crew, including his former students.

Srey Leak Chhith in Jake Wachtel's KARMALINK (Photo Credit_ Good Deed Entertainment)
Srey Leak Chhith in Jake Wachtel's KARMALINK (Photo Credit_ Good Deed Entertainment)

ABOUT GOOD DEED ENTERTAINMENT

Good Deed Entertainment (GDE) is an Ohio based independent studio dedicated to producing, financing, and distributing quality entertainment for under-served audiences. Its distribution slate includes recent releases Summertime, Ma Belle, My Beauty, and Lucky Grandma, in addition to the Academy Award nominated, Loving Vincent, and Spirit Award nominated, To Dust.

Website: http://www.gooddeedentertainment.com/

David Henry Gerson’s Award-winning Documentary ‘THE STORY WON’T DIE’ Opens Theatrically Today in Los Angeles the LAEMMLE CINEMAS and in New York at Cinema Village on June 17th

TSWD_POSTER_FINAL

Director: David Henry Gerson
Producer: Odessa Rae (NAVALNY)
Co-Producers: Abdalaziz Alhamza (Subject of Matthew Heineman's CITY OF GHOSTS), Colleen Ritzau Leth and Martin Marquet (EPICENTRO, THE BALLAD OF GENESIS AND LADY JAYE)
Featuring: Medhat Aldaabal, Tammam Azzam, Diala Brisly, Abu Hajar, Bahila Hijazi, Omar Imam, Lynn Mayya, Anas Maghrebi and Mhd Sabboura (BBoy Shadow)
Genre: Feature Documentary
Rating: Not Yet Rated
Run Time:
1 hour 23 Minutes

Worldwide VOD release on major platforms June 21st . Timed for World Refugee Day VOD Platforms include: Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Google TV, Vimeo + and more

OFFICIAL SELECTION: Hot Docs, AFI Docs, Watch Docs and many more.

WINNER! Best Director at Doc LA and Best Feature Doc at FIC Autor Guadalajara. 

 Lynn Mayya in THE STORY WON'T DIE (Photo Credit_ RaeFilm Studios)
Lynn Mayya in THE STORY WON'T DIE (Photo Credit_ RaeFilm Studios)

THE STORY WON’T DIE, from Award-winning filmmaker David Henry Gerson, is an inspiring, timely look at a young generation of Syrian artists who use their work to protest and process what is currently the world’s largest and longest ongoing displacement of people since World War II. The film is produced by Sundance Award-winning producer Odessa Rae (Navalny).

Bboy Shadow (aka Mhd Sabboura) in THE STORY WON'T DIE (Photo Credit_ RaeFilm Studios)
Bboy Shadow (aka Mhd Sabboura) in THE STORY WON'T DIE (Photo Credit_ RaeFilm Studios)

DAVID HENRY GERSON  is a filmmaker whose work has won prizes from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Sundance Film Festival, and has been acquired into the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in NY. He is a graduate of Columbia University and the American Film Institute, where he was the recipient of the AFI Richard P. Rodgers Award for Creative Excellence. His film, ALL THESE VOICES, won the Student Academy Award®. David’s spec screenplay, ABOVE KINGS, was nominated to the Tracking Board Hit List and was a semifinalist for the Academy’s Nicholl Fellowship. His documentary film ULTRA VIOLET FOR SIXTEEN MINUTES (“Totally engaging” - Al Maysles), screened at festivals worldwide, the Pompidou Museum in Paris, and was acquired into the permanent collection of the MoMA.

THE STORY WON'T DIE (Photo Credit_ RaeFilm Studios)
THE STORY WON'T DIE (Photo Credit_ RaeFilm Studios)

Website/ Social Media
www.thestorywontdie.com

@thestorywontdie