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View New Trailer “WORST TO FIRST: The True Story of Z100 NYC”

WORST TO FIRST THE TRUE STORY OF Z100 NEW YORK New Key Art

Director, Writer and Producer: Mitchell Stuart
Producers: Trish Hunter Shannon, Elvis Duran, David Katz and John McConnell
Cast: Scott Shannon, Elvis Duran, Jon Bon Jovi, Nile Rodgers, Clive Davis, Debbie Gibson, Joan Jett, Taylor Dayne, Tony Orlando, Joe Piscopo, “Magic” Matthew Alan, “Professor” Jonathan B. Bell, Frankie Blue, Anita Bonita, Ross Brittain, Pete Cosenza, Michael Ellis, Gavin DeGraw, Cathy Donovan, Gary Fisher, Frank Foti, Sean “Hollywood” Hamilton, David Hinckley, Donnie lenner, Jim Kerr, Steve Kingston, Ken Lane, Kenny Laguna, Jimi LaLumina, Tom Poleman, Geraldo Rivera, Trish Hunter Shannon, Patty Steele, Claire Stevens, Mitchell Stuart, John Sykes and Jim Wood.
Genre: Feature Documentary
Rating: G
Runtime: 1 hour 4 minutes

Joan Jett from Mitchell Stuart's WORST TO FIRST (Photo Credit_ Gunpowder & Sky)

WORST TO FIRST: THE TRUE STORY OF Z100 NEW YORK WILL BE RELEASED ON VOD AND CABLE IN THE UNITED STATES ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11.

VOD PLATFORMS INCLUDE: Apple/ iTunes, Amazon, GooglePlay, Vudu, Microsoft and more.

CABLE PLATFORMS INCLUDE: InDemand (Comcast, Spectrum, Charter, Cox, Frontier), DirectTV and more.

Jon Bon Jovi from Mitchell Stuart's WORST TO FIRST (Photo Credit Gunpowder & Sky)

Iconic artists who got their start on Z100 such as Jon Bon Jovi, Joan Jett, Nile Rodgers, and era superstars, Debbie Gibson and Taylor Dayne all share their personal stories of the importance of the station, their love of radio and passion for performing music.

Capturing the times, personalities and music of the era, WORST TO FIRST portrays the ultimate David and Goliath story that built the foundation for the world's biggest radio station and the people behind the legacy that endures and continues to grow, reaching eight-digit audiences daily, and continuing to influence the face of media and entertainment.

WORST TO FIRST is a feature-length documentary that portrays the against-all-odds inspirational story of the launch of the iconic and most successful radio station in history, New York City’s Z100. In 1983, Z100 launched from the swamps of New Jersey, where no artist would venture, and the DJs had to buy their own records just to have music to play on air. Fun, poignant and aspirational, the film features Scott Shannon and several other Hall of Fame radio personalities as well as industry legends like Clive Davis and Elvis Duran. Iconic artists who got their start on Z100 such as Jon Bon Jovi, Joan Jett, Nile Rodgers, and era superstars, Debbie Gibson and Taylor Dayne all share their personal stories of the importance of the station, their love of radio and passion for performing music. Capturing the times, personalities and music of the era, WORST TO FIRST portrays the ultimate David and Goliath story that built the foundation for the world's biggest radio station and the people behind the legacy that endures and continues to grow, reaching eight-digit audiences daily, and continuing to influence the face of media and entertainment.

MITCHELL STUART is a multiple film festival and Emmy-Award winning filmmaker and storyteller of compelling documentaries, groundbreaking digital series and industry-disrupting brand campaigns. Whether following his heart to tell an inspirational, against all odds story about female freedom fighters in Africa, or honoring his lifelong passion for music and filmmaking, Mitchell tells authentic stories that move and engage an audience.

Known for riveting, thought-provoking visuals and for often composing original music for the soundtracks of his films, he has been honored with 15 NY Emmy-Award Nominations for his music and entertainment documentary series, the Emmy-Award Winning Road to MSG, featuring Jay Z, Earth Wind & Fire, Chicago, Z100’s Jingle Ball concerts with Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, John Mayer, Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift and more. Dozens of film festivals throughout the world have honored him and his partner, Cheryl Halpern, winning awards for directing, best film, social justice, world peace and humanitarian efforts with their documentaries, Natsanat (Ethiopian for freedom), Fighting to be Free and Remembering Maurits Kiek.

Working closely with the Broadway community, Mitchell spearheaded the documentary-style Tony Award Campaign for Moulin Rouge the Musical resulting in 14 Tony Award nominations. He was also directed a uniquely cinematic short film on the return to Broadway of Phantom of the Opera, and Broadway’s partnership with the MTA, The Only Sure Way to Broadway.

A proud born and bred New Yorker, his natural drive for diving deeper into his research preparation has led to stellar work with a diverse and brilliant who’s who list of musicians and newsmakers including The Who, Rod Stewart, Trevor Noah, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Jon Bon Jovi, Sting and The Foo Fighters in first concert celebrating the return of live music to Madison Square Garden post COVID-19.

SALT IN MY SOUL An Unfinished Life: An Interview with Will Battersby and Diane Smith

Bottom Line: The Power in Telling Your Own Story

Director: Will Battersby
Run time: 1 hour 36 Minutes
Genre: Feature Documentary
Country: USA

Finding the Balance of Living in the Moment and Preparing For a Future

Will Battersby brings Mallory Smith's challenges and triumphs to the screen in 'SALT IN MY SOUL: An Unfinished Life', based on her book with the same name.

I had to the opportunity to talk with Will Battersby and Mallory's mother, Diane Smith to discuss the documentary 'SALT IN MY SOUL: An Unfinished Life' based on the book of the same name.

Headshot- Filmmaker Will Battersby (Credit: Giant Pictures)

Headshot- Diane Shader Smith (Credit: Giant Pictures)

YRN: Will, what did you do to prepare for this film?

WILL: Obviously I read Mallory's book. I read it a few times. I used that as a guide for myself as to who I wanted to interview.

I had several conversations with Diane, that were to make sure Diane and Mark were comfortable letting me make the film.
She is a very fierce gate keeper, quite rightly so. We had a lot of early conversations about who would be willing to be interviewed and who would not.

She put me in touch with a lot of people. I had early conversations with most of the interview subjects, just to get a sense from them about what they would be comfortable talking about and what they would not be. And to determine if they would be good interview subjects or not.

There is a big difference from Mallory writing about Mallory. She is a gifted writer that would make anyone sound good. I did a certain amount of research of cystic fibrosis, the history of it, what it is.

And then, I very much come at documentaries as a journey of discovery, as well. Then it was about jumping in and trusting the journey but take the most interesting path.

YRN: Was that different from preparation for your other documentaries?

WILL: It was. I worked on Alex Gibney's film, my first documentary, I was the head of development, "Enron, the Smartest Guy in the Room." About the Enron scandal. That was extraordinary, well planned, almost scripted. Even though they did not script the interviews. They knew before going into it almost every cut in that film, because they knew exactly what that story was.

That is sort of the approach I took in early documentaries that I produced, it was to really try and be as scripted as possible going in, because you knew what the story was and this was very different in away, because the story was important and the detail of the story were important, but I realized early on this was going to be more of a cinematic documentary. Much more character based and about the emotions of this journey and allowing the audience into Mallory's journey.

The big thing I wanted to do was to have Mallory function as the narrator even though we are not coy about what happens to her. We put it in the front of the film, she passes away. I did not want to play with people's emotions about whether she was going to live or not. I felt that it would cheap, but I wanted her as narrator.

She had passed away before we started making the film. It was a little bit more of a journey of discovery with a very clear creative intention behind it.

So, it was very different from everything I had worked on until that point, was very messagey. Messages I believe in, very political. I worked on a film about blacklisted screenwriters in the 1950s and always beating a drum.

One of the things I did differently in this film was to not beat drums. We could have gone after insurance companies, big pharma but it would not have done justice to Mallory. I am really pleased we didn't because one of the things we are seeing in reaction to the film is, by keeping it very personal, very emotional, very focused on the family.

It is all the big themes. All of our lives throw off big themes, if you actually think about what you go through on a daily basis. Mallory threw off huge themes because of going through all the medical stuff. She was going through all the mental health stuff, the physical illness plus she was growing up. So, there are all the themes and her becoming a woman.

So, I think by really focusing on character and story, we have allowed the audience to see all those themes. They are all there, but you can bring yourself into it, in a way. It was very different for me, but I really enjoyed it.

Mallory Smith in Will Battersby's SALT IN MY SOUL (Credit: Giant Pictures)

YRN: Diane, what did you do to prepare for this film?

DIANE: I grilled Will, I prodded Will. I challenged Will. I asked him a hundred times, what are you making the film about? What are we doing here? What are you focused on? What is the message? How are we going to do it.

As Will said, "this film could have been cut in any number of ways." It could have delivered hard hitting messages. It could have gone after people. It could have focused and taken a deep dive in one area.

There was so much material and so many things Mallory cared about and what is interesting to me is that there is a book, now there's a documentary and there is a talk I have given across the country 200 times and still there is a lot of material that has not been shared publicly and that's just because there was so much.

So, I think, that is the way I prepared. It was to make sure that the man we entrusted Mallory's story to was up to the job and
he had to prove that to me over a period of time, which he did, of course. It's amazing.

YRN: Diane, what was it like working with Mallory's writings, audio and videos?

DIANE: It was wonderful to have everything because it allows me to keep Mallory alive. I get to look at her pictures and read her words and hear her audio. It is quite remarkable, but the truth is, I keep going back to the film because Will has done a wonderful job of crafting a picture of her life in film and I just want to keep going back to it over and over.

(L-R) Mallory Smith and Diane Shader Smith in Will Battersby's SALT IN MY SOUL (Credit: Giant Pictures

YRN: Will, what was it like working with Mallory's writings, audio and videos?

WILL: It was a bit of a dream for me as documentarian. I read the book and that was the inspiration for me wanting to make the film.

Then discovering there was this treasure trove of her writings, her firsthand point of view but then the hours of audio she recorded, her telecasts she recorded for her own use, video she recorded and social media.

Having Diane, whose her nickname was 'Mommarazzi', she documented every aspect of Mallory and Micah's life. We had an extraordinary treasure trove of home videos. It was great for me.

Mallory Smith and family in Will Battersby's SALT IN MY SOUL (Credit: Giant Pictures)

YRN: Diane, it appears Mallory got the best of both parents, Mark more reserve, happy with researching vital information and Diane, outgoing with no problem fundraising and speaking up and out. How do you think she achieve a good balance?

DIANE: Well, it is interesting because we have done a lot of interviews and talked to a lot of people, and nobody has made that perceptive comment. That is a very perspective observation that she does have a lot of Mark and a lot of me. Probably the better parts of us. She did not inherit the worse of us. It made her life more interesting to relate to us in different ways.

Whenever it was homework or anything
intellectual, it was Mark. When it was social or medical, appointments, the business of living and fundraising, that was always me. There was a division of labor and a division of intellectual content.

Mallory instinctively and intuitively understood how to take the best from people and ignore the worse. Actually, I think that was why she was so beloved by her friends and had so many friends. It is why professors and doctors loved her because she didn't focus on people's short comings or failings. She focused on people's positive quality. I think that is why she was so happy, even with all of her struggles.

Mallory Smith and friends in Will Battersby's SALT IN MY SOUL (Credit: Giant Pictures

YRN: Diane, Mallory cared deeply about you and Mark and how you both would do after her passing, how are you, Mark and Micah doing?

DIANE: ‭I would say, we are all forever altered. I will speak for myself, there is a hole in my heart, that is hard to describe if you don't have it there. It's just hard to describe. It doesn't mean you can't have moments of joy. Somebody in my grief group describe it and I think it was a really apt description and so I am going to share it. She said, 'there is a ceiling on your joy, no matter how great something is, you just can't go past it because your girl is not there but by the same token, when things happen, I really don't go that low because nothing compares to losing a child.

I might appear upset at times or I will call Will and argue with him but something. Generally, in my core, I don't' really sweat the small stuff anymore. I really don't let things bother me, I could get a traffic ticket, in the old days I would be super upset and now I'm like ok, well, I guess we will be supporting the city, because those the traffic tickets go to the police. I try to find a way to put a positive spin on it. It's not like I have to consciously try, but I also think that Mallory lives within me so deeply, that if I came home and there were dishes in the sink, I would always do them because Mallory would come home, she'll have to do treatments, no matter what time, whether it's 3am or midnight, whenever she came in, no matter how tired she was. There is nothing I have faced since Mallory died that I have not channeled her in the process of getting through it.

It was interesting that you ask that because I didn't expect to be working in service of Mallory's material three years later and what I feel like is, I have barely scratched the surface because a lot of places I speak ask me to come back and I am constantly thinking of new ways to use the materials.

People are receptive and what I say is, people reward me for my ideas and so I will keep doing that until that work is done, until either the film is so successful that I don't have to speak about it anymore, or the book is so successful, I don't have to share it anymore. But every time I do share it, people respond with such overwhelming positively. They always offer to help and they
always want to share and it propels me forward.

I also have an incredible day job. I work with Susan Gottlieb. She's in the film. She is the environmentalist. She is doing very important work using native plants to address the drought tolerant issue and garden for wildlife because of the need to attract biodiversity and that message of bringing nature home.

I do a lot of environmental work in my day job, and I've been very lucky to marry the two and so I am going to keep doing
what I do and look for new ways to share the messages because I understand that storytelling is a really powerful way,
in whatever way you choose to tell it.

Distributor: Giant Pictures
Production Co: GIANT PICTURES PRESENTS A 3 Arts Entertainment and Reno Productions film
Director: Will Battersby

ABOUT THE BOOK
SALT IN MY SOUL: An Unfinished Life, by Mallory Smith, is a powerful, intimate, and inspiring portrait of a brave young woman living with chronic illness. Mallory understood that patient voices need to be amplified in order to improve healthcare, that the intersection of human behavior and nature is critical to environmental sustainability, and that love, and friendship give life meaning. As Mallory’s body deteriorated, she sharpened her mind, crystalized her thinking, and honed her writing skills. In her 2500 pages of private journal entries, she created poetry out of prosaic experiences. Beautifully written, provocative, and peppered with insights, SALT IN MY SOUL reminds us to follow Mallory's mantra and "Live Happy."

For more information about the book SALT IN MY SOUL: An Unfinished Life please go to: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/607965/salt-in-my-soul-by-mallory-smith/

GIANT PICTURES
Giant Pictures is a leading digital distributor that is committed to empowering filmmakers to own their distribution. With offices in New York and Los Angeles, we work directly with rights owners to distribute movies and TV shows to VOD and streaming platforms in North America and worldwide. Our content partners range from first-time filmmakers to award-winning independent producers, as well as notable studios Alamo Drafthouse Films, Abramorama Selects, Participant, Tribeca Enterprises, Utopia Distribution, and XYZ Films. A division of Giant Interactive, the award-winning digital media and technology services company, we distribute across 45+ platforms, including AppleTV, Netflix, Prime Video, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, Tubi, and Peacock.
Learn more at: www.giant.pictures

THERAPY DOGS: New Trailer World Premiere at the 2022 Slamdance Film Festival January 27, 2022 – February 6, 2022

A Film by: Ethan Eng

Two best friends set out to create the ultimate senior video for their graduating class of 2019.

Ethan and his best friend Justin are students trying to make sense of their high school existence. In what will be the last chapter of their teenage lives and the beginning of adulthood beyond, they decide to make the ultimate senior video in their search for answers. Exploring teenage suburbia in a no-brakes adventure, questions arise whether there’s more to their lives than simply growing up.

A headstrong and experimental feature, THERAPY DOGS is more than a coming-of-age film, it’s a time capsule for the rebellious. For the ones that pushed the boundaries when deciding to leave their childhood behind.

THERAPY DOGS is executive produced by Matthew Miller and Matt Johnson, who took Slamdance by storm in 2013 with their debut feature “The Dirties”, and Sundance in 2016 with “Operation Avalanche”.

THERAPY DOGS will be having its World Premiere in competition, in the Narrative Features section at the 2022 Slamdance Film Festival.

To purchase a festival pass, please visit https://slamdance.com/2022- passes/

VIEW TRAILER BELOW!

SALT IN MY SOUL: An Unfinished Life: Review

Director: Will Battersby
Run time: 1 hour 36 Minutes
Genre: Feature Documentary
Country: USA

The Power in Telling Your Own Story and Finding the Balance of Living in the Moment and Preparing for a Future

Will Battersby brings Mallory Smith's challenges and triumphs to the screen in 'SALT IN MY SOUL: An Unfinished Life', a documentary based on her book with the same name.

Faced with her own possible death because of cystic fibrosis, Mallory captures her thoughts, feelings and emotions in writing, audio and video recordings that are woven together to tell her remarkable and inspiring story with the love and support of her mother Diane, her father Mark, her friends and doctors. A remarkable support system.

One of the things that really stands out for me is, Mallory's ability to take a difficult and brutally honest conversation, for anyone of any age, that she had with her father at the age of 9 years old and used it to find her voice and to use her own word start documenting her thoughts and feelings.

She had the challenge of trying to live life to the fullest while at the same time, fighting for her life. Helping to achieve that balance are her parents Diane and Mark. Diane, a determined, outgoing, people person, who oversees appoints and direct interactions with the public including fundraising for Mallory's Garden. You cannot be shy and raise funds at the same time.

And there is her father Mark, who is in charge of all research. He is dedicated to researching all things cystic fibrosis and committed to staying on top of the latest treatments and developments with cystic fibrosis. An important component that he can accomplish mostly on his own, without the constant and direct face-to-face interactions.

It appears Mallory had the best of both her parents and together are instrumental in helping her to achieve the balance she sought in her life. Being happy with what you have and at the same time, thriving for more, working toward dreams and goals.

Having actual video footage of Mallory's hospitalizations and treatment and having narrate her story, brings you in, in an impactful and meaningful way. The opportunity for Will Battersby to use her actual days and weeks spent in the hospital is powerful, sharing her struggles. The footage of the challenges she faces, especially during her hospitalizations, really adds to the movie experience.

Learning early of the importance of being good stewards of our bodies and the earth and out environment. And how they are
both connected. As seen in the benefits of the Hawaiian salt water. As well as the great benefit of that sports played in helping to extend her life.

I must say, Mallory was very fortunate to have her mom Diane, her dad Mark and brother Micah by her side and the same can be said for them.

SALT IN MY SOUL is a good film that is sure to enlighten and inspire its viewers. A valuable lesson in finding your voice, passion and purpose in life.

Distributor: Giant Pictures
Production Co: GIANT PICTURES PRESENTS A 3 Arts Entertainment and Reno Productions film
Director: Will Battersby

Learn more at: www.giant.pictures

Dennis Hopper’s OUT OF THE BLUE: Review

When Life Comes At You Like A Big-Rig Truck

Original Release: April 1982
Director: Dennis Hopper
Writers: Leonard Yakir, Brenda Nielson, Dennie Hopper
Starring: Linda Manz, Dennis Hopper, Sharon Farrell, Don Gordon , Raymond Burr
Presented by Chloë Sevigny & Natasha Lyonne
Genre: Drama
Country: Canada
Language: English

Dennis Hopper's 1980 film 'OUT OF THE BLUE' is as powerful now, as it was 40 years ago. Presented by Chloë Sevigny & Natasha Lyonne at Discovery Production, who restored the film and bringing it to a whole new generation of movie goers.

This raw and in-your-face film shows the struggles of Don Barnes (Dennie Hopper), a truck driver and alcoholic, who serves a five-years prison for driving under the influence and crashing his big rig truck into a school bus and taking the lives of children, his wife, Kathy (Sharon Farrell), a drug addict, and mother of his teenage daughter, Cebe (Linda Manz), who is obsessed with her dad, Elvis Pressley and the Sex Pistol and carries the burden and struggles of her parents on her shoulders and there is Charlie (Don Gordon) his best friend and Dr. Brean (Raymond Burr),
a psychologist who treats an out-of-control Cebe.

OUT OF THE BLUE- Dennis Hopper (Whiskey) (Photo Credit: Discovery Productions

As Cebe said, "I don't wanna to hear about you, I wanna hear from you. A statement that gives insight to her belief in the importance of finding your voice. Something she struggled with and expressing herself through her love of Elvis Pressly and the Sex Pistols.

Set in the northwest of Canada with its beautiful surroundings, the rebelliousness of Cebe, who constantly runs away from home, making her way to Vancouver. During her time out on the streets, she lives out her dream of playing drums with a Punk rock band, steals a car and get arrested.

Struggling with her father's incarceration and her mother's drug addiction, has her growing up before her time and taking on the role of the parent. A huge burden for any teenage to deal with.

OUT-OF-THE-BLUE-Dennis-Hopper-Jail-Phone-Photo-Credit: DiscoveryP roductions-

Watching this gripping film, it becomes clear why 'OUT OF THE BLUE' did not get a U.S release in 1980. The film is full of graphic and intense subject, topics and lifestyle choices that many in society where not ready to see on the big screen at the time.

The title of the film comes from to Neil Young's 1979 album 'Rust Never Sleeps' and includes songs from it as well.

The steady trauma experienced by Don, Cebe and Kathy comes so fast and steady, it makes you wonder how a person survives and thrive in such an environment.

OUT OF THE BLUE is definitely a film worth seeing, just be sure to hold onto your seats.

Presented by Chloë Sevigny & Natasha Lyonne
Production Co: Discovery Production, Robson Street
Run time: 1 hour 34 minutes
Starring: Linda Manz, Dennis Hopper, Sharon Farrell, Don Gordon, Raymond Burr
Director Dennis Hopper
Writers: Leonard Yakir, Brenda Nielson, Dennie Hopper
Cinematography: Marc Champion
Editor: Doris Dyck
Music: Tom Lavin

OUT OF THE BLUE Opening Next Week in Los Angeles at American Cinematheque January 6th and Atlanta at Plaza Theatre January 7th

POSTER - 4K Restoration -OUT OF THE BLUE (1)

Director: Dennis Hopper
Starring: Linda Manz, Dennis Hopper, Sharon Farrell, Don Gordon, Raymond Burr
Presented by Chloë Sevigny & Natasha Lyonne

The 4K Restoration of Dennis Hopper's OUT OF THE BLUE, timed to its 40th Anniversary, will soon have a regional expansion: Los Angeles, Toronto, Vancouver, Chicago, Seattle, Atlanta, New Orleans, Nashville and more.

Photo 1-OUT OF THE OUT OF THE BLUE-Dennis Hopper (Photo Credit_ Discovery Productions)

Confirmed cities:

Los Angeles: American Cinematheque January 6th
Vancouver: The Polygon Gallery, January 6th, Special Event and VIFF Centre January 14th
Atlanta: Plaza Theatre January 7th
New Orleans: Broad Theatre January 14th
Rhinebeck, NY: Starr Cinema - Upstate Films January 21st
Nashville: Belcourt Theatre January 28th
Toronto: Revue January 28th
Winnipeg: Winnipeg Cinematheque February 1st
Chicago: Music Box Theatre February 4th
Seattle: Beacon Theatre February 11th

Photo 4- OUT OF THE BLUE- Linda Manz, Dennis Hopper (Punk)(Photo Credit_ Discovery Productions)

Official Selection: Cannes Film Festival, Venice Film Festival and SXSW Film Festival.

"Thumbs Up! Bitter, unforgettable. An unsung treasure." - Roger Ebert

“In many ways, it’s maybe my best film.” - Dennis Hopper

“If a masterpiece comes along, people ought to see it.” - Jack Nicholson

Shocking. Controversial. Unforgettable. - Dennis Hopper’s brilliant punk rock masterpiece of adolescent rebellion is ready for a new, long overdue close-up!

A kind of spiritual sequel (and cautionary counterpoint) to Hopper’s own Easy Rider, OUT OF THE BLUE chronicles the idealism of the sixties decline into the hazy nihilism of the 1980’s.

Don Barnes (Dennis Hopper) is a truck driver in prison for drunkenly smashing his rig into a school bus. Linda Manz (Days of Heaven) plays Cebe, his daughter, a teen rebel obsessed with Elvis and The Sex Pistols. Her mother (Sharon Farrell) waitresses, shoots up drugs and takes refuge in the arms of other men. Cebe runs away to Vancouver’s punk scene and ends up on probation under the care of psychiatrist Raymond Burr. After Don’s release, the family struggles to re-connect before the revelation of dark secrets leads to a harrowing conclusion.

ABOUT DENNIS HOPPER: Born in Dodge City, Kansas, May 17,1936: Actor-director Dennis Hopper’s “Out of the Blue” premiered at Cannes in 1980. His directorial debut, “Easy Rider “(1969, Cannes Award “Best First Work,” was a countercultural landmark whose success helped spark the New Hollywood era of seventies filmmaking). His follow-up “The Last Movie” (1971) won the CIDALC Critics Prize Award at the Venice Film Festival. He went on to direct “Out of the Blue,"(1980) - Official Cannes selection; “Colors," (1988) “Backtrack,” (1990) and “The Hot Spot,” (1990). His 200+ acting roles include “Rebel Without a Cause,” “Giant,” “Mad Dog Morgan,”
“Apocalypse Now,” “Blue Velvet,” and “Hoosiers” (Academy Award nomination, Best Supporting Actor).
Also a renowned photographer and artist, Hopper died in Los Angeles, May 29, 2010.

FILM PRESERVATION

Working from the original 35mm negative restored by Discovery in 2010, John Alan Simon and Elizabeth Karr’s Discovery Productions undertook the digital scan and mastering of Out of the Blue to premiere as an official selection at the Venice Film Festival in 2019, preserving Hopper’s landmark film to make it available to new audiences.The New 4K restoration was shown for the first time on the big screen theatrically at Metrograph in November, 2021 in New York.

Despite critical acclaim at its original Cannes premiere in 1980, OUT OF THE BLUE went unreleased because it was considered too bleak for U.S. audiences.
John Alan Simon, then a film critic/journalist, rescued the film from the shelf, secured distribution rights and took it on the road with Dennis Hopper back in 1982 to art house theaters across the U.S. including a 17-week record-breaking run at the Coolidge Corner Cinema in Boston and then NYC and Los Angeles theatrical releases.

“It’s incredibly important to us that OUT OF THE BLUE be preserved for future generations to experience its emotional impact and as the artistic achievement that helped re-establish Dennis Hopper as an important American director,” commented Elizabeth Karr on behalf of Discovery Productions.

"For me, this restoration project was pay-back for all I learned from Dennis Hopper when we originally took OUT OF THE BLUE on the road in 1982 after I rescued it from the shelf. He was an amazing artist and friend and OUT OF THE BLUE remains as unforgettable as he was and serves as an indelible tribute to the talents of Linda Manz,” John Alan Simon from Discovery Productions concluded.

Chloë Sevigny and Natasha Lyonne came onboard as presenters for Discovery Productions’ OUT OF THE BLUE 4K restoration and 40th Anniversary Theatrical Re-release.

"Out Of The Blue" - what a great movie! Linda Manz in that movie, mama mia!” - Natasha Lyonne on NPR interview with Terry Gross

“I love actress Linda Manz! As Cebe in “Out of the Blue”, arguably one of the best teen characters ever portrayed on film.” - Chloë Sevigny (from her Instagram)

SOCIAL MEDIA/ WEB:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OutOfTheBlueDennisHopper/
Twitter: @HopperMovieOOTB https://twitter.com/HopperMovieOOTB
IG: outofthebluefilm https://www.instagram.com/outofthebluefilm/
Web: www.outofthebluedennishopper.com

ABOUT DISCOVERY PRODUCTIONS

The distribution arm of Discovery Productions has released independent films, including RADIO FREE ALBEMUTH, the adaptation of
the sci-fi novel by Philip K. Dick, directed and adapted by John Alan Simon and Dennis Hopper’s OUT OF THE BLUE, currently embarking on
its 4K digital restoration and 40th Anniversary

Dennis Hopper’s OUT OF THE BLUE Regional Expansion

Director: Dennis Hopper
Starring: Linda Manz, Dennis Hopper, Sharon Farrell, Don Gordon, Raymond Burr

Dennis Hopper's OUT OF THE BLUE Regional Expansion including: Los Angeles, Toronto, Chicago, Seattle, Atlanta, New Orleans and more.

Los Angeles: American Cinematheque - January 6th
Atlanta: Plaza Theatre - January 7th
New Orleans: Broad Theatre - January 7th
Toronto: Revue - January 28th
Chicago: Music Box - Late January, date TBD
Nashville: Belcourt Theatre - Late January, date TBD
Winnipeg: Winnipeg Cinematheque - February 1st
Seattle: Beacon Theatre - February 11th

OUT OF THE BLUE-Dennis Hopper (Jail Phone) (Photo Credit-Discovery Productions)

Presented by Chloë Sevigny & Natasha Lyonne

Official Selection: Cannes Film Festival, Venice Film Festival and SXSW Film Festival.

"Thumbs Up! Bitter, unforgettable. An unsung treasure." - Roger Ebert

“In many ways, it’s maybe my best film.” - Dennis Hopper

“If a masterpiece comes along, people ought to see it.” -
Jack Nicholson

OUT OF THE BLUE- Linda Manz, Dennis Hopper (Punk) Photo Credit: Discovery Productions

Shocking. Controversial. Unforgettable. - Dennis Hopper’s brilliant punk rock masterpiece of adolescent rebellion is ready for a new, long overdue close-up!

A kind of spiritual sequel (and cautionary counterpoint) to Hopper’s own Easy Rider, OUT OF THE BLUE chronicles the idealism of the sixties decline into the hazy nihilism of the 1980’s.

ABOUT DENNIS HOPPER: Born in Dodge City, Kansas, May 17,1936: Actor-director Dennis Hopper’s “Out of the Blue” premiered at Cannes in 1980. His directorial debut, “Easy Rider “(1969, Cannes Award “Best First Work,” was a countercultural landmark whose success helped spark the New Hollywood era of seventies filmmaking). His follow-up “The Last Movie” (1971) won the CIDALC Critics Prize Award at the Venice Film Festival. He went on to direct “Out of the Blue,"(1980) - Official Cannes selection; “Colors," (1988) “Backtrack,” (1990) and “The Hot Spot,” (1990). His 200+ acting roles include “Rebel Without a Cause,” “Giant,” “Mad Dog Morgan,” “Apocalypse Now,” “Blue Velvet,” and “Hoosiers” (Academy Award nomination, Best Supporting Actor). Also a renowned photographer and artist, Hopper died in Los Angeles, May 29, 2010.

OUT OF THE BLUE- Linda Manz Photo Credit: Discovery Productions

FILM PRESERVATION

Despite critical acclaim at its original Cannes premiere in 1980, OUT OF THE BLUE went unreleased because it was considered too bleak for U.S. audiences.

John Alan Simon, then a film critic/journalist, rescued the film from the shelf, secured distribution rights and took it on the road with Dennis Hopper back in 1982 to art house theaters across the U.S. including a 17-week record-breaking run at the Coolidge Corner Cinema in Boston and then NYC and Los Angeles theatrical releases.

Chloë Sevigny and Natasha Lyonne came onboard as presenters for Discovery Productions’ OUT OF THE BLUE 4K restoration and 40th Anniversary Theatrical Re-release.

"Out Of The Blue" - what a great movie! Linda Manz in that movie, mama mia!” - Natasha Lyonne on NPR interview with Terry Gross

“I love actress Linda Manz! As Cebe in “Out of the Blue”, arguably one of the best teen characters ever portrayed on film.” - Chloë Sevigny (from her Instagram)

OUT OF THE BLUE- NEW 4K Restoration/ 40th Anniversary Trailer

OUT OF THE BLUE- Dennis Hopper (Whiskey) (Photo Credit: Discovery Productions

SOCIAL MEDIA and Website:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OutOfTheBlueDennisHopper/

Twitter: @HopperMovieOOTB https://twitter.com/HopperMovieOOTB

IG: outofthebluefilm https://www.instagram.com/outofthebluefilm/

Web: www.outofthebluedennishopper.com

ABOUT DISCOVERY PRODUCTIONS

John Alan Simon and Elizabeth Karr are the nucleus of Discovery Productions, an indie writing/directing/producing team. Discovery’s development slate includes prestigious literary works from authors Philip K. Dick, Jim Thompson, Lucius Shepard and Ian Watson. The distribution arm of Discovery Productions has released independent films, including RADIO FREE ALBEMUTH, the adaptation of the sci-fi novel by Philip K. Dick, directed and adapted by John Alan Simon and Dennis Hopper’s OUT OF THE BLUE, currently embarking on its 4K digital restoration and 40th Anniversary re-release.

VIEW TRAILER BELOW!

10th Annual Key West Film Festival Announces Awards

November 22, 2021, Key West, FL – The 10th Annual Key West Film Festival announced its awards today. The festival showed more than 75 films during the 5-day festival, which ran November 17-21 and celebrated its 10th Anniversary.

The award winners for the 10th annual Key West Film Festival were presented Saturday evening, November 21, with many awardees in attendance.

KWFF 2021 Awards 20 November 2021 Full-5821

The feature film winners were as follows:

Best Documentary - "Bernstein's Wall" directed by Douglas Tirola

Best International film - "The Hand of God" directed by Paolo Sorrentino

Best LGBTQ Film - "Firebird" directed by Peeter Rebane

Best Narrative Film - "Parallel Mothers" directed by Pedro Almodovar

KWFF Annual Critics Award - "Red Rocket" directed by Sean Baker, with a Special Mention for "Jockey" directed by Clint Bentley

KWFF 2021 Awards 20 November 2021 Full-5894

The short film winners were as follows:

Best Florida Short Film: Like the Girls Who Wear Pink, directed by Jennifer Msumba

Best Dramatic Short Film: Feeling Through, directed by Doug Roland

Best Comedy Short: Your Monster, directed by Caroline Lindy

Best Documentary Short: Voice Above Water, directed by Dana Frankoff

Best Animated Short: Mila, directed by Cinzia Angelina

Best World Student Short Film: Bambirak, directed by Zamarin Wahdat

Best Florida Student Short Film: Soundproof, directed by Gabriela Lima

This marks the first year that a non- English language film took home the Best Narrative Feature Award. All feature awards are audience based, except for the KWFF Critics Award, which is voted on by a jury of critics including Carlos Aguilar of the Los Angeles Times, Josh Rothkopf of Entertainment Weekly, David Fear of Rolling Stone, Tomris Laffly of Variety, Shirrel Rhodes of the Key West Citizen, Eric Kohn of Indiewire and Monica Castillo of Colorado NPR.

The 11th Annual Key West Film Festival will take place November 16-20, 2022.

ABOUT THE KEY WEST FILM FESTIVAL

Honoring creativity, diversity, sustainability and beauty, the Key West Film Festival is an annual celebration of film and filmmakers set to take place November 17-21, 2021.

A diverse, entertaining and artistically rigorous selection of films will be represented through a broad array of categories that offer opportunities for filmmakers, both aspiring and established, to commune and exchange ideas while showing their work to audiences in an historic and artistically vibrant tropical paradise.

Films that have been showcased in the last five years of the festival have amassed over SIXTY FIVE Academy Award nominations - five of which were for Best Picture - and 15 Oscar wins, including two for Best Picture (Spotlight and Shape of Water).

For more information, visit our website: https://kwfilmfest.com

Twitter - @keywestfilmfest
Instagram - @keywestfilmfestival
Facebook - Key West Film Festival

#kwff #kwff2021 #tropiccinema

LABYRINTH OF CINEMA an End of Year and Best of 2021 Consideration

Director: Nobuhiko Obayashi (House)
Writers: Nobuhiko Obayashi, Tadashi Naito, Kazuya Konaka
Cast: Takuro Atsuki, Takahito Hosoyamada, Yoshihiko Hosoda, Rei Yoshida, Riko Narumi, Hirona Yamazaki, Takako Tokiwa
Genre: Fantasy, Drama, War
Country: Japanese
Language: Japanese with English subtitles
Runtime: 2 hours 59 minutes

Maverick filmmaker Nobuhiko Obayashi's LABYRINTH OF CINEMA continues to expand regionally in the US:

Full list of regional dates: https://crescendo.house/pages/ labyrinth-of-cinema including:
San Francisco- November 4
Seattle- November 5
Dallas- November 7
Portland- November 7
New Orleans- November 19
Cleveland- December 12
Houston- December 31

The final film by Nobuhiko Obayashi finds the late director returning to the subject of Japan’s history of warfare following the completion of his “War Trilogy,” which ended with Hanagatami. On the last night of its existence, a small movie theater in Onomichi—the seaside town of Obayashi’s youth where he shot nearly a dozen films—screens an all-night marathon of Japanese war films. When lightning strikes the theater, three young men are transported into the world onscreen where they experience the violent battles of several wars leading up to the bombing of Hiroshima. A breathless cinematic journey through Japan’s past, Labyrinth of Cinema finds Obayashi using every trick in his book to create an awe-inspiring, visually resplendent anti-war epic that urges us to consider cinema as a means to change history. The culmination of an exceptional 60-year career worth celebrating.

Born in Hiroshima in 1938, Nobuhiko Obayashi was a director, screenwriter and editor of films and television advertisements. He began his filmmaking career as a pioneer of Japanese experimental films before transitioning to directing more mainstream media, and his resulting filmography as a director spanned almost 60 years.

He was notable for his distinct surreal filmmaking style, as well as the anti-war themes commonly embedded in his films. He died on 10 April 2020 at the age of 82, from lung cancer in Tokyo.

Filmmaker Nobuhiko Obayashi

“Forget a swan song: Nobuhiko Obayashi’s final film is a shriek, a tirade, a lecture and a rollicking action-adventure stuffed into a three-hour pop-art package.”

—The New York Times

ABOUT CRESCENDO HOUSE

Crescendo House is a new boutique distribution company that aims to reinvigorate the American film landscape with a new model for distribution. Our goal is to expand the mainstream visibility of international or otherwise underrepresented films in order to provide viewers with an array of choices that more accurately reflects the diverse world we inhabit.

For more information: https://crescendo.house/

VIEW TRAILER BELOW!

Finding Kendrick Johnson Premiering on STARZ

Director: Jason Pollock
Narrator: Jenifer Lewis
Producer: Malcolm D. Lee
Runtime: 1 hour 42 minutes
Rating: Not Yet Rated
Genre: Documentary

FINDING KENDRICK JOHNSON will be premiering on STARZ in December 2021. Available Now on VOD.

VOD Platforms: https://linktr.ee/findingkendrickjohnson

Finding Kendrick Johnson “Paints a picture with the evident lack of care on behalf of Georgia law enforcement, in addition to discovering a possible FBI coverup happening behind the scenes.” -
Valerie Complex, Deadline

“There are forces actively burying the facts of this case.”
- Alan Ng, Film Threat

“One of the best documentaries you never heard of.”
- Linda Cook, Our Quad Cities

On January 11th, 2013, Kendrick Johnson was found dead in his high school gymnasium rolled up in a gym mat. The state of Georgia ruled his death as an accident, having died from positional asphyxia. When the family hired their own Forensic Pathologist, not only did he find KJ’s organs missing from his body during the autopsy, he determined the cause of death to be from non-accidental blunt force trauma. To this day, no one knows where KJ’s organs have gone.. So what really happened to KJ?

FINDING KENDRICK JOHNSON is the feature documentary product of a 4-year undercover investigation into the facts of this case. From the creator of 'Stranger Fruit', this new documentary hopes to shed light on one of the most important American stories of our time.

Told through the eyes of KJ's family and close friends, Narrated by Hollywood legend, Jenifer Lewis, Directed by 'Stranger Fruit' creator, Jason Pollock, with an amazing team of Producers including Actor Hill Harper, and Space Jam 2 Director Malcolm D. Lee, FINDING KENDRICK JOHNSON shares this truly historic, heartbreaking, and unbelievable story with the world for the first time.

“The case of Kendrick Johnson is one the most important cases in U.S. history,” says writer/director Jason Pollock. “KJ deserves justice, and hopefully our film will help his family get one step closer to that outcome.”

"This is the most important film I've ever worked on,” says actor and activist Jenifer Lewis. “What this family has gone through is unspeakable but we must speak it so the public knows the truth. Jason has done a brilliant job on this vital story of injustice.”

FINDING KENDRICK JOHNSON screened in U.S. theaters in October 2021 and will be premiering on STARZ in December 2021. Available Now on VOD.

VOD Platforms: https://linktr.ee/findingkendrickjohnson