Category: Feature
American Fiction: Review
No Matter What Challenges and Stereotypes You Face in Life, You Are Not Immune from the Challenges Within Your Own Family
Release dates: December 15, 2023 (United States)
Director: Cord Jefferson
Screenplay:Cord Jefferson
Based on Erasure by Percival Everett
Starring: Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Adam Brody, Keith David, Issa Rae, Sterling K. Brown
Genre: Comedy, drama
Run time: 1 hour 57 minutes
Country: United States
Language: English
Director and writer Cord Jefferson theatrical directorial debut ‘American Fiction’, based on the 2001 novel Erasure by Percival Everett, tells the challenges of writer and academic Thelonious "Monk" Ellison Jeffrey Wright) as he tries to comes to terms with the success and fame of writers/authors, especially Sinatra Golden (Issa Rae) whose books are full of all the stereotypes about African American while at the same time trying to cope with family dynamic with his sister Lisa Ellison (Tracee Ellis Ross), brother Clifford "Cliff" Ellison (Sterling K. Brown), his mother Agnes Ellison Leslie Uggams and affairs of the heart with Coraline (Erika Alexander).
American Fiction takes you through the up and downs of family life. You can share in the tough times of loss and the good times of celebration. It shows that being educated with financial means does not shield you from life’s trials and tribulations.
We are reminded of the importance of being seen and having our humanity acknowledged during a conversation between Monk and Cliff.
Monk said, “what if he rejected you? Referring to their father. Cliff, “at least he would have rejected the real me.”
Cord’s script finds a visually interesting way of bringing Monk’s characters Willey the Wonker (Keith David) along with his son, to life as he drafts his book full of African American stereotypes. It is like a live play within the film. This style used through-out brought added dimension to the film
The beautiful setting of his home state of Massachusetts, his family home and beach house shows without words the upper middle-class lifestyle that Monk and his family enjoyed.
As Monk struggles to understand the value in Sinatra Golden’s successful book He has a conversation with Sinatra and refers to the potential of a writer when Sinatra said, “potential is what they see when they think a person is not good enough.”
There is so much truth in her statement. It makes you think about the stereotype people hold that lets you know they do not think highly of the people they demean. how non-minorities think of people of color
About Jefferey Cord
Jefferey Cord’s T.V. credits include Succession, The Good Place, Master of None, and his 2020 Emmy winning episode This Extraordinary Being. He began his writing career with publications The Ringer, GQ, the New Yorker, and later serving as the editor of Gawker .
Production companies: Orion Pictures, MRC Film, T-Street Productions, 3 Arts Entertainment
Distributors: Amazon MGM Studios
Release dates: December 15, 2023 (United States)
Run time: 1 hour 57 minutes
Country: United States
Language: English
Director: Cord Jefferson
Screenplay:Cord Jefferson
Based on Erasure by Percival Everett
Producers: Cord Jefferson, Jermaine Johnson, Nikos Karamigios, Ben LeClair
Starring: Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Adam Brody, Keith David, Issa Rae, Sterling K. Brown
Cinematographer: Cristina Dunlap
Editor: Hilda Rasula
Music: Laura Karpman
Watch the First Official trailer from writer and director Cord Jefferson’s Theatrical Directorial Debut American Fiction Premiering in the United States December 15th
Release dates: December 15, 2023 United States
Director: Cord Jefferson
Screenplay:Cord Jefferson
Based on Erasure by Percival Everett
Starring: Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Adam Brody, Keith David, Issa Rae, Sterling K. Brown
Genre: Comedy, drama
Run time: 1 hour 57 minutes
Country: United States
Language: English
Writer and director Cord Jefferson's theatrical directorial debut American Fiction debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 8th and makes its limited theatrical release in the United States on December 15, 2023.
Cord Jefferson's romantic comedy film American Fiction shares the story of Monk, a writer , who becomes fed up with Black Americans being stereotyped in entertainment,as he goes on a quest to prove his point and writes a book full of all those kinds of exploitation and the results it has on his life.Starring in American Fiction is Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Adam Brody, Keith David, Issa Rae, and Sterling K. Brown.
About Cord Jefferson
Cord’s T.V. credits include Succession, The Good Place, Master of None, and his 2020 Emmy winning episode This Extraordinary Being. He began his writing career with publications The Ringer, GQ, the New Yorker, and later serving as the editor of Gawker
Release dates: December 15, 2023 (United States)
Production companies: Orion Pictures, MRC Film, T-Street Productions, 3 Arts Entertainment
Distributors: Amazon MGM Studios
Run time: 1 hour 57 minutes
Country: United States
Language: English
Director: Cord Jefferson
Screenplay:Cord Jefferson
Based on Erasure by Percival Everett
Producers: Cord Jefferson, Jermaine Johnson, Nikos Karamigios, Ben LeClair
Starring: Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Adam Brody, Keith David, Issa Rae, Sterling K. Brown
Cinematographer: Cristina Dunlap
Editor: Hilda Rasula
Music: Laura Karpman
Production companies: Orion Pictures, MRC Film, T-Street Productions, 3 Arts Entertainment
Distributors: Amazon MGM Studios
Release dates: December 15, 2023 United States
Run time: 1 hour 57 minutes
Director: Cord Jefferson
Screenplay:Cord Jefferson
Based on Erasure by Percival Everett
Producers: Cord Jefferson, Jermaine Johnson, Nikos Karamigios, Ben LeClair
Starring: Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Adam Brody, Keith David, Issa Rae, Sterling K. Brown
Cinematographer: Cristina Dunlap
Editor: Hilda Rasula
Music: Laura Karpman
KING OF KILLERS- Available on Blu-ray™ and DVD on October 31st Lionsgate
Release Date:Available on Blu-ray™ and DVD on October 31
Genre: Action
Rating: R
Runtime: 1 hour 32 minutes
Written & Directed by: Kevin Grevioux
Cast: Alain Moussi (Nobody), Marie Avgeropoulos (“The 100,” 50/50), Georges St-Pierre ( Captain America: The Winter Soldier), Stephen Dorff (Blade, Old Henry), Frank Grillo (Captain America: The Winter Soldier), Kevin Grevioux (Underworld)
Based on a graphic novel by writer-director Kevin Grevioux, King of Killers follows former Agency hit man Marcus Garan (Alain Moussi) as he attempts to unravel the mystery behind a tragic incident. When offered a $10 million contract to eliminate the world’s greatest assassin, Marcus travels to Tokyo to meet the client (Frank Grillo), but discovers other professional killers have been invited as well. Now Marcus and the others must confront this deadly, mythical assassin…or die trying.
Finding Her Beat released theatrically September 26th in Vancouver, Canada, before launching its USA theatrical release through Sonder Entertainment in October 2023
Cinema Verite style documentary “Finding Her Beat” is a moving and immersive cinematic experience from LGBTQ filmmakers and co-directors Dawn Mikkelson (“Minnesota Mean,” “Risking Light,” “The Red Tail”) and Keri Pickett (“Ribbon Skirt Warriors,” “First Daughter and the Black Snake,” “The Fabulous Ice Age”) who is also the director of photography. “Finding Her Beat” made by a predominantly female/non-binary, largely Asian-American and LGBTQ+ filmmaking team and cast is a feel good music documentary.
“Finding Her Beat” is directed by Dawn Mikkelson (“Minnesota Mean,” “Risking Light,” “The Red Tail”) and Keri Pickett (“Ribbon Skirt Warriors,” “First Daughter and the Black Snake,” “The Fabulous Ice Age”)who is also the director of photography; produced by Jennifer Weir (Executive Director of TaikoArts Midwest, Artistic Director of Enso Daiko) and Dawn Mikkelson; additional cinematography by Shiho Fukada (“Mosaic Street”), Caroline Mariko Stucky (“Caissa”), and Dawn Mikkelson; with original music by Me-Lee Hay (“Better Watch Out,” “Last Tree Standing”) and edited by Dawn Mikkelson, Sam Kaiser (“Road to Damascus,” “Inside”), Keri Pickett , and Carrie Shanahan (“Irv de Toilette,” Goodbye Hello”).
To learn more please visit www.herbeatfilm.com or to book the film in your market please contact Henry Lystad of Sonder Entertainment at: henrysonder8@gmail.com
See New Clip – Lionsgate’s The Re-Education of Molly Singer”- Opens in Theaters and Digital/On Demand on September 29th, 2023
Director: Andy Palmer
Writer: Todd Friedman, Kevin Haskins
Cast: Britt Robertson, Ty Simpkins. Nico Santos, Cierra Ramirez, Holland Roden, Wendie Malick, Jaime Pressly
Rating: R for sexual content, pervasive language and some drug use.
Genre: Comedy
In college, attorney Molly Singer (Britt Robertson) was the life of every party. Now, she’s about to be fired because she can’t leave her partying ways behind. Molly’s boss, Brenda (Jaime Pressly), tells Molly there’s one way to save her job: re-enroll at her old alma mater, befriend Brenda’s socially awkward son, Elliot (Ty Simpkins), and take him from zero to campus hero. Aided by her best friend (Nico Santos), Molly goes to battle with stuck-up hall monitors, boozed-up frat brothers, and her old archenemy in a hilarious quest through the past to save her future. Run Time: 120 minutes
Distributor: Lionsgate
Documentary Feature Film “Odd Hours, No Pay, Cool Hat” TVOD/Digital Release on July 27th
Sub-Genre Media engaging documentary “Odd Hours, No Pay, Cool Hat, ” a Vignette Production and Hold Fast Features Project from filmmaking co-directing team Gary Matoso & Cameron Zohoori will be released in North American on TVOD/Digital platforms July 27th, 2023.
“Odd Hours, No Pay, Cool Hat” is inspired by an original story by Peter Yoakum and takes audiences behind the lines of America’s volunteer fire service community. The film is truly a tribute to the nearly 700,000 volunteer firefighters around the country – highlighting their selfless bravery, compassion, motivation, and unfaltering sense of community. The film is presented by John Deere in association with the National Volunteer Fire Council, Hold Fast Features, and Vignette. “Odd Hours, No Pay, Cool Hat” is both a non AMPTP project and distributor, the film is a complete independent.
The 90-minute film grants audience’s exclusive access to follow the inspiring journey of the most remarkable neighbors whose help you hope you never need - volunteer firefighters - as they encounter heart-breaking challenges and exhilarating triumphs to fulfill a single mission: serving their community. Heart-warming, humorous, and thrilling, this sweeping portrait of bravery will capture your heart and inspire.
The “Odd Hours, No Pay, Cool Hat” filmmaking team is led by Co-Director, DP & Producer Gary Matoso, Co-Director & Editor Cameron Zohoori, Executive Producer Peter Yoakum, Casting Director & Associate Producer Louise Colette Matoso, and Composer Dillon Byron.
To support the film in theatres and follow it's journey: www.oddhoursfilm.com
View New Trailer: “august at twenty-two” Starring Ali Edwards, Lilli Kay, Jorge Felipe Guevara, and Clay Singer with a Release on July 25th
Director: Sophia
Writer: Ali Edwards
Starring; Ali Edwards
Runtime: 1 hour 28 minutes
august at twenty-two will be released July 25th across North American in USA & Canada for a TVOD/Digital on all platforms through Gravitas Ventures
Cal, a floundering actress, must reevaluate her priorities when she discovers that her childhood “soulmate,” Jacob, has a serious girlfriend, Emily. Feeling unfulfilled by disappointing auditions, pressure to succeed (whatever that means), and failed attempts to reconnect with Jacob, Cal seeks a new companion in Emily. As Cal gets swept up in her exciting new social life, she begins neglecting her best friend Bobby, who is becoming increasingly concerned about her rapidly changing focus. As Bobby and Cal's friendship disintegrates, so does Cal's sense of self. Meanwhile, her relationship with Em develops in unexpected and incendiary ways.
A Lady Parts Productions presents august at twenty-two, is in many ways a cinematic sibling to the work of Greta Gerwig, Sofia Coppola, and Lena Dunham’s revolutionary HBO series Girls. Written by Ali Edwards ; Directed by Sophia Castuera; Produced by Mary Elizabeth Monda; with Director of Photography Melina Valdez; and Edited by Amir Mosallaie.
Lady Parts Productions was founded by Ali Edwards, Mary Elizabeth Monda and Sophia Castuera, three fierce advocates for creating positive social change through their work.
View New Trailer -LIVING WITH CHUCKY- Cinedigm Release April 4th on VOD in US and Canada
Director & Writer: Kyra Elise Gardner
Cast: Abigail Breslin, Adam Hurtig, Alex Vincent, Billy Boyd, Brad Dourif, Christine Elise McCarthy, Dan Povenmire, David Kirschner, Don Mancini, Elle Lorraine, Fiona Dourif, James A. Janisse, Jennifer Tilly, John Waters, Kyra Gardner, Lin Shaye, Marlon Wayans, Tony Gardner, Tony Timpone and many more.
Genre: Horror
Rating
Country: U.S.
Language: English
Cinedigm and Bloody Disgusting will premiere the horror documentary Living With Chucky on its horror streaming service SCREAMBOX and on all major digital platforms on April 4 in the US and Canada.
Official Selection: Popcorn Frights Film Festival 2022, Fantastic Fest 2022, and Screamfest Horror Film Festival 2022.
Living with Chucky takes an in depth look at the groundbreaking Child’s Play franchise from the perspective of a filmmaker who grew up within it. Featuring interviews with cast and crew such as Brad Dourif, Jennifer Tilly, Alex Vincent, creator Don Mancini, and much more, this personal film recounts the dedication, creativity and sacrifice that went into making the franchise and its long-lasting impact on the horror community.
Storming into pop culture in the late 1980s, the three-foot menace known as Chucky, proved that Child’s Play was anything but. The horror film went on to spawn six sequels, a television series, a reboot, comic books, a video game and merchandise.
Written and directed by Kyra Elise Gardner, daughter of legendary special effects artist Tony Gardner, Living With Chucky looks back at the groundbreaking horror franchise by those there from the beginning. The documentary details the history of the Child’s Play films by the cast and crew, in addition to Gardner’s own relationship with the series and the impact it had on her family. Gardner, who grew up alongside Chucky the killer doll, seeks out other families involved with the Child's Play films as they recount their experiences working on the franchise and what it means to be a part of the "Chucky" family.
LIVING WITH CHUCKY Director Kyra Elise Gardner Headshot
FILMMAKER KYRA ELISE GARDNER
With a dad in special effects makeup, blood and guts became a normality for Kyra at a young age. Combat nursing was her first goal, but she soon discovered that real blood is way grosser than the fake stuff. She's been pursuing a career in directing since attending Florida State's film program and plans on creating quirky fantastical films from the lore of her unconventional childhood.
SCREAMBOX, which is powered by Bloody Disgusting, features a broad mix of content for casual and die-hard horror fans alike. The service is refreshed monthly with content from the Company’s extensive genre library with films and episodes delivering every type of terror imaginable -- Supernatural, Slashers, Zombies and more. SCREAMBOX currently features classic horror films like Slumber Party Massacre and the original House on Haunted Hill, the blockbuster indie horror films The Outwaters and Terrifier 2 as well as horror series such as “The Island” and “Master of Horror.” Documentaries Pennywise: The Story of It & Unearthed & Untold: The Path to Pet Sematary are also currently available. SCREAMBOX is available to stream on iOS, Android, Prime Video, YouTube TV, Comcast, Cox and screambox.com
ABOUT CINEDIGM
For more than 20 years, Cinedigm (NASDAQ: CIDM) has led the digital transformation of the entertainment industry. Today, Cinedigm entertains consumers around the globe by providing premium feature film and television series, enthusiast streaming channels and technology services to the world’s largest media, retail and technology companies. As a leader in the rapidly evolving streaming ecosystem, Cinedigm continues its legacy as an innovator through its adoption of next-generation technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, through its proprietary, highly-scalable Matchpoint™ technology platform. For more information, visit cinedigm.com.
Director and Writer: Kyra Gardner
Cast: Abigail Breslin, Adam Hurtig, Alex Vincent, Billy Boyd, Christine Elise McCarthy, Dan Povenmire, David Kirschner, Don Mancini, Elle Lorraine, Fiona Dourif, James A. Janisse, Jennifer Tilly, John Waters, Kyra Gardner, Lin Shaye, Marlon Wayans, Tony Gardner, Tony Timpone
PRESS CONTACT FOR CIDM:
Emma Griffiths
EMMA GRIFFITHS PR
E: emma@eg-pr.com
Cinematographer: Scott Marino
Additional Cinematography: Evan Butka, Bryan Davis, Tanner Bloom
Producer: Kyra Gardner
Executive Producer: Ash T
Associate Producer: Tony Gardner
Editor: Kyra Gardner
Additional Editor: Dave Terman
Sound Mixer: Jeff Hannan
Boom Operator: Andrew Walton, Tanner Bloom
Production Assistant: Holly Amato
Visual Effects Artists: Andrew Walton, Kyra Gardner
Chucky Doll Manufacturing: Josh Schneider, Day Blackmon, Frank Minaya, Anne Richardson Collection
THE FIRST STEP opening theatrically in Los Angeles February 24th
(Photo Credit:Meridian Hill Pictures and Magic Labs Media)Website:https://www.firststepfilm.com
In a divided America, Van Jones controversially works across party lines on landmark criminal justice reform and a more humane response to America's addiction crisis. Attempting to be a bridge builder in a time of extreme polarization takes him deep into the inner workings of a divisive administration, internal debates within both parties, and the lives of frontline activists fighting for their communities.
Facing fierce opposition from both political parties in a climate where bipartisanship has become a dirty word, Jones and his team enlist the support of justice-impacted individuals, faith leaders, grassroots activists and cultural figures — including Kim Kardashian — to pass legislation that would fix some broken aspects of the justice system and bring thousands of incarcerated people home early. The bill’s champions immediately find themselves navigating a high-stakes game of political chess in Washington, D.C. Their quest brings them face-to-face with progressive champions like Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, U.S. Senators Kamala Harris and Bernie Sanders, as well as conservative figures like U.S. Senator Rand Paul, Kellyanne Conway, Jared Kushner — and ultimately, Donald Trump himself.
While trying to pass a bipartisan bill through a deeply polarized Congress, Jones is condemned by the right for his progressive beliefs — and by the left for working with conservatives. The film reveals an intimate portrait of an activist’s isolation and internal struggles, what it takes to make change in a divided nation, and everyday people in both political parties drawn into a historic fight for freedom and justice.
Van Jones and #cut50 national organizer Louis L. Reed walk through downtown Washington DC in a
scene from THE FIRST STEP.
Image courtesy of Meridian Hill Pictures and Magic Labs Media
THE FIRST STEP is an independent production of Meridian Hill Pictures (CITY OF TREES, PBS, Netflix) and Magic Labs Media
(THE MESSY TRUTH, Webby Award Winner), in association with Kartemquin Films (MINDING THE GAP, Hulu, Oscar Nomination)
and Big Mouth Productions (DICK JOHNSON IS DEAD, Netflix) and the editorial talent behind KING IN THE WILDERNESS (HBO,
Sundance) and BIRTH OF THE COOL (PBS, Sundance).
An 8 Above Theatrical Release: Opening theatrically in New York on February 17 (DCTV Firehouse), Washington, D.C. on February 19 (JxJ Theater), Los Angeles on February 24 (Laemmle Royal Theater) with additional screenings in key cities in February and March 2023.
VOD Release details to follow.
Theaters:
New York - February 17 - DCTV Firehouse (1 week run)
Washington, D.C. - February 19 - JxJ Theater (1 week run)
Los Angeles - February 24 - Laemmle Royal Theater (1 week run)
Van
Jones, Sheriff Martin West, and Virgie Walker walk through downtown Welch, West Virginia in a
scene from THE FIRST STEP.
Image courtesy of Meridian Hill Pictures and Magic Labs Media
THE FIRST STEP-Social Media/ Website:
-
- Website: https://www.firststepfilm.com
- Instagram: @firststepmovie
- Twitter: @firststepmovie
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/firststepmovie
Van Jones, Kim Kardashian, Alice Johnson, Louis L. Reed and
Alex Guditch of #cut50 huddle over acell phone to watch president Trump deliver a speech on the First Step Act in a scene from THE FIRST STEP. Image courtesy of Meridian
Director: Brandon Kramer
Producer: Lance Kramer
8 Above Presents A Meridian Hill Pictures and Magic Labs Media Production In association with Fork Films, Artemis Rising Foundation, Hidden Empire Film Group, Kartemquin Films and Big Mouth Productions
Director of photography: Emily Topper
Editors: Steven Golliday, Natasha Livia Mottola, Leslie Simmer
Composer: Joshua Abrams
Executive producer: Jana Carter
Executive producers: Abibail E. Disney, Regina K. Scully, Robert F. Smith, Deon & Roxanne Taylor, Brad Buhr and Bryanna Sapp, Christina & David Arquette, Daniel S. Loeb
Co-executive producers: Clara Wu Tsai, Felicia & Jules Horowitz
Director of photography: Emily Topper
Original music: Joshua Abrams
Original song: Aloe Blacc
a film by Meridian Hill Pictures, Magic Labs Media in association with Fork Films Artemis Rising Foundation, Hidden Empire Film Group, Kartemquin Films and Big Mouth Productions
Louis L. Reed is the Sr. Director of Membership and Partnerships for the REFORM Alliance. He brings to the REFORM Alliance years of experience in government, criminal justice expertise, policy advocacy, public health, and personal impact, serving nearly 14 years in federal prison and several years on supervision. Louis is a board-certified addictions counselor and licensed alcohol & addictions practitioner.
More information: https://www.louislreed.org
Van Jones is a media personality, an entrepreneur and change maker — who has dedicated his career to bringing people together in clean energy solutions, criminal justice reform and racial inclusion in the tech sector. In 2007, Van was the primary champion of the Green Jobs Act, signed into law by George W. Bush. In 2009, he worked in the Obama White House as the Special Advisor for Green Jobs. Over the past 25 years, Van has founded and led social enterprises including REFORM Alliance, Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Color of Change, Green For All and the Dream Corps. He worked with Prince to launch #YesWeCode (now called Dream Corps TECH) to get jobs in the tech sector for low-opportunity young people. Van is also a CNN host, an Emmy Award-winning producer and a 3X New York Times best-selling author.
Brandon Kramer (Director)
Brandon is a Washington, DC-based filmmaker and co-founder of Meridian Hill Pictures. Brandon directed CITY OF TREES (Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, national broadcast on PBS' America Reframed, Netflix); and the Webby Award-winning documentary series THE MESSY TRUTH. Brandon won Best Director at the 2016 Chesapeake Film Festival and Indie Capital Awards, received the Audience Choice Award at the 2015 American Conservation Film Festival and was a 2022 and 2015 DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities Individual Arts Fellow. Brandon has directed over 30 short documentaries commissioned by public agencies and nonprofits including AARP and US Institute of Peace. Before starting MHP, Brandon served as a teaching artist for the John F. Kennedy Center’s national media education program. Brandon holds a bachelor’s degree in film and cultural anthropology from Boston University.
About 8 Above (Distributor)
8 ABOVE is a theatrical distributor and rights management partner dedicated to connecting award-winning independent films with audiences. Working in close partnership with filmmakers, 8 ABOVE develops strategies that build community and social impact around unique theatrical experiences. Founded by distribution pioneer Jon Reiss, 8 ABOVE has developed bespoke audience-building strategies and theatrical campaigns for independent films, specialty films, and documentaries, including Hooligan Sparrow, Two Gods, The Disrupted, Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise, Sweetheart Dancers, Surviving Sex Trafficking, Nasrin, and No Small Matter.
Publicity/ For further information please contact: Emma Griffiths PR // emma@eg-pr.com