Movie News Archives - Unspool Hollywood

‘Freestyle 101 Hip Hop History’ Starring Ice T, RZA, Cypress Hill, The Game, Chuck D, and many more, Opens on Digital Platforms October 24th

Director, Writer, Editor: Frank Meyer
Producer: Robert Juster
Narrator: Chuck D
Starring: Ice T, Rza, Cypress Hill, The Game, Chuck D, And Featuring Many Other Rapper and Hip Hop Stars
Genre: Documentary
Country: U.S.
Language: English
Run time: 1 hour 41 minutes

Class is in session in director’s Frank Meyers documentary Freestyle 101 Hip Hop History that gives ani informative look at the art of freestyling and how it has evolved over time as shown by film footage of times gone by and the interviews of legendary MCs and musical artists.

The main focus of the film was on Open Mike Eagle from Los Angeles and Iron Solomon from New York and how hard they grind to make it in the business. From being their own booking agent, musical producer and distributor. Open Mike and Iron do it all to make it in this business.

Iron Solomon: Freestyle 101 Hip Hop History

Freestyle 101 takes you to its beginning in New York during the 1970s and how freestylers were break dancers and graffiti artist who performed magic with their words, Sugarhill Gang was the start of hip hop with the release of Rappers Delight, the first hip-hop party. Meyer’s documentary would not be complete without coming to Los Angeles, CA. And hearing from people long in the game like Ice T, RZA, Cypress Hill, The Game, Chuck D, and many others as they share the ups and downs of getting into the music business and what it takes to stay there.

Ice T: Freestyle 101 Hip Hop History

RZA says, “Let the lyrics flow freely through you and come off your head,”

RZA’s statement helps to explain the comparison between improvisational jazz and freestyling.

It is fascinating to hear about the ‘science of rapping and the way the mind reacts. Especially when watching the rap battles and getting a little understanding of what the freestylers are experiencing in real time.

Open Mike Eagle: Freestyle 101 History of Hip Hop - Hero

One of the rappers that stand out is Supernatural. He holds the world record for the longest freestyle that was nearly10 hours of rhyming and just a few 5-minute breaks. Supernatural gives a clinic on how to Freestyle.

Frank Meyer’s Freestyle 101 Hip Hop History gives a crash course in the art form that leaves you knowledge and greater understanding of an often-overlooked art. Must see film.

About the Team:

Digital Reacharound’s previous documentary Risen: The Story of Chron “Hell Razah” Smith was named Best Music Documentary at Film Threat's 2021 AwardThis!, won Best Music Documentary at New York’s People’s Film Festival, Best Documentary at Hollywood Verge Film Festival and was named an Official Selection by Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Awards, Los Angeles Cinefest and International Independent Film Awards.

For more information, go to: www.freestyle101movie.com

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View New Trailer -LIVING WITH CHUCKY- Cinedigm Release April 4^thon 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

2023 Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) Films to See: American Outlaws, Commitment To Life, Karen Carpenter: Starving For Perfection and Starring Jerry As Himself

“American Outlaws” (Feature Film True Crime Drama)North American Independent Cinema Sponsored By Panavision Selection (SBIFF)

Director & Writer: Sean McEwen
Starring: Emory Cohen, India Eisley, Sam Strike, Tess Harper, Cory Hardrict, and Treat Williams, joined by Mackenzie Graham, Vanessa Giselle, Lance E. Nichols, Johnny Ray Gibbs, and Troy Metcalf
Running Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

West Coast Premiere:
Friday, February 17th at 8:40pm. Followed by Q&A
Location: Metro 4, Screen 3
618 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA

2nd Screening:
Saturday, February 18th at 2:40pm. Followed by Q&A
Location: Metro 4, Screen 3
618 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA

“American Outlaws” is based on a true story and the GQ article "The Whole True Story of the Dougherty Gang" by Kathy Dobie. Written & directed by acclaimed filmmaker Sean McEwen (“Braking For Whales,” “Sick Girl”).

While the true story of “American Outlaws” encompasses the proverbial bells and whistles of compelling storytelling -- sex, drugs and rock & roll (the sister, a former stripper now toting an AK47, two brothers with a wild streak and the propensity to live life on the razor’s edge with gunplay, police chases and bank robberies galore) -- at its heart, it’s a story about family. Three siblings, on a cross-country journey, with the strongest desire to find the simplest element… Home. A place to be together. Safe. Happy. Free.

Production Co: Narrator Entertainment, Big Cat Productions and Charlie Baby Productions
Producers: McEwen, Cassidy Lunnen , Alexandre Dauman, John Papsidera
Executive Producer: Takashi Cheng
Co-producers: Danyelle Foord and Jessica Wilde
Runtime: 1 hour 39 minutes

“COMMITMENT TO LIFE” (Feature Film Documentary)

DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION Selection (SBIFF)

Director:
Writer:
Interviewees: Jewel Thais-Williams Co-founder, Minority AIDS Project; Phill Wilson HIV/AIDS Activist; Karamo Brown “Queer Eye” Cast Member & HIV/AIDS Educator; Dr. Michael Gottlieb Physician and Former APLA Board Member; Bruce Vilanch Writer and Comedian; Jeffrey Katzenberg Former Chairman, Walt Disney Studios and APLA Board Member; Bill Misenhimer Former APLA Executive Director; Robert Contreras Co-Founder, Bienestar; Torie Osborn Former Executive Director, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force; Rev. Steve Pieters Former Field Director of AIDS Ministry, Metropolitan Community Churches; and Bamby Salcedo President, TransLatin Coalitio.

West Coast Premiere:
Saturday, February 11th at 7:40pm followed by Q&A
Location: Fiesta 5 Multiplex, Screen 4
916 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA

2^nd Screening: Sunday, February 12^th at 10:20am. Followed by Q&A
Location: Fiesta 5 Multiplex, Screen 4
916 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA

Against a rich Hollywood backdrop, “Commitment to Life” documents the true story of the fight against HIV/AIDS in Los Angeles — and how an intrepid group of people living with HIV/AIDS, doctors, movie stars, studio moguls and activists changed the course of the epidemic.

Director & Editor: Jeffrey Schwarz
Producers: Aimée Flaherty, p.g.a. and Jeffrey Schwarz, p.g.a.
Executive Producer: Ron Sylvester,
Co-Executive Producer: Robert James Wood II
Co-Producer: Taki Oldham
Associate Producer: Michael Stabile
Executive Producer: Craig Thompson
Supervising Producer: Craig Bowers
Composer: Allyson Newman
Cinematographer: Adam Jason Finmann
Running Time: 1 hour 55 minutes

“Karen Carpenter: Starving For Perfection” (Feature Documentary Film)

CINEMATIC OVERTURES/PERFORMING ARTS Selection (SBIFF)

Director Randy Martin
Producer & Writer: Randy Schmidt
Interviewee: Olivia Newton-John, Cynthia Gibb, Suzanne Somers, Kristin Chenoweth, Carnie Wilson, Bob James, Carol Burnett, Belinda Carlisle, Cubby O’Brien, Tom Nolan, Karen Tongson, Cherry Boone O’Neill, Louis Virtel, Randy Schmidt, Barry Morrow, Frankie Chavez, Doug Haverty, Maria Galeazzi, and Mike Curb.

West Coast Premiere:
Friday, February 10^th at 8:20pm. Followed by Q&A
Location: Metro 4, Screen 2
618 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA

2^nd Screening: Sunday, February 12^th at 11:20am. Followed by Q&A
Metro 4, Screen 2
618 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA

About the Film: Karen Carpenter was the first in a long line of celebrities to suffer from an eating disorder during an era when the vastly misunderstood disease brought shame and public humiliation. For the first time, we hear Karen Carpenter's personal struggle in her own voice through never-before released recordings and through the legendary voices of those who knew her and were inspired by her music. As the #1 American musical act of the 1970s, the Carpenters were on “top of the world," producing a string of pop masterpieces, including "Close to You," "We've Only Just Begun," and "Rainy Days and Mondays." But behind closed doors, Karen's quest for perfection resulted in low self-esteem, a disheartening love life, and a public battle with anorexia nervosa, which ended with her untimely death at the age of only 32. Forty years after her death comes “Karen Carpenter: Starving For Perfection,” a captivating, revealing, and unvarnished documentary providing astounding new insight into the singer's tragically short life and enduring musical legacy.

Production Co.: AMS Pictures
Director Randy Martin
Producer & Writer: Randy Schmidt
Producer & Editor Brad Osborne
Executive Producers Carnie Wilson & Andy Streitfeld
Director of Photography: Osman Tello
Editors Chuck Brown & Paul Ellison
Running Time: 1hour 40 minutes

“Starring Jerry As Himself” (Feature Film Docu-Fiction Hybrid)
REEL LIVES Selection (SBIFF)

Recently having won the Slamdance Film Festival Grand Jury Documentary Feature, Audience Award Documentary & Acting Award for Jerry Hsu with sold out screenings and standing ovations, “Starring Jerry As Himself” is a docu-fiction hybrid that blurs the lines of reality while staying true to Jerry Hsu, the title subject and his unique story. Jerry is the father everyone wants to have as their own, and his journey is one that rivals that of Alice following the white rabbit into another world. Employing a variety of creative filmmaking techniques to capture the world from Jerry’s perspective, the film is a genre bending meta experience as Jerry deals with a wild tale of international intrigue in which he inexplicably finds himself a lynchpin with his family none the wiser...or has he?

West Coast Premiere:
Wednesday, February 15^th at 4:20pm. Followed by Q&A
Location: Fiesta 4 Multiplex, Screen 4
916 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA

2^nd Screening:
Friday, February 17^th at 8;30am. Followed by Q&A
Location: Fiesta 4 Multiplex, Screen 4
916 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA

Director & Editor Lawrence Chen
Co-Writers Jerry C. Hsu & Lawrence Chen
Producers: Jonathan Hsu & Lawrence Chen
Composer Eric Hölljes
Cinematography by Tinx Chen and Lawrence Chen

2023 Pan African Film and Arts Festival Film Guide

Over 150 films from 40 countries, in 19 languages, including 50 World and 22 North American premieres!

Today, the PAFF announced its full lineup for its upcoming in-person festival Feb. 9-20, 2023. Now in its 31st year, the Festival is returning to the Cinemark Baldwin Hills and XD and the adjacent Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza will host its renowned fine art show featuring over 100 established and emerging fine artists and quality craftspeople from all over the Black Diaspora. This year’s film festival features over 150 films from 40 countries, in 19 languages, including 50 World and 22 North American premieres. Of the films selected for the Festival, 39% are helmed by female, queer or non-binary filmmakers.

The Festival film guide is available here.

Passes on sale now and can be purchased here.

Individual tickets go on sale on January 31, 2023.

20th Digital Studio’s BITE SIZE HALLOWEEN Brings
20 Spooky Shorts from Diverse, Emerging Filmmakers for Huluween

Tatiana Maslany, Brigette Lundy-Paine, & Kate Nash Included in Cast

In celebration of Huluween, 20th Digital Studio’s Bite Size Halloween series of spooky shorts is back for a third season! Twenty new shorts from exciting emerging filmmakers premiere October 1 on Hulu, blending genres like horror, comedy, sci-fi, thriller, and more.

Shot in seven different countries, this season takes on topical issues such as racism, gender, parenthood, sexuality, and identity. SNATCHED (dir. Michael Schwartz) features Tatiana Maslany (“She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law”) in her first on-screen role with husband Brendan Hines (“Locke & Key”). Misha Osherovich (“Freaky”) stars as their son.

Other shorts feature familiar faces like Brigette Lundy-Paine (“Atypical”), Lin Shaye (“Insidious”), David Costabile (“Breaking Bad”), and former “Glow” co-stars Rebekka Johnson and singer-songwriter Kate Nash who co-wrote/directed/star in a short featuring Nash’s original music.

David Worthen Brooks, 20th Digital Studio head commented: “As we launch the first feature films developed with our incredibly talented Bite Size Halloween filmmaker alums, we are thrilled to introduce the next wave of dynamic filmmaking talent and their ingenious short films. We take great pride in showcasing these vital, diverse voices and their very personal twists on horror, thriller and sci-fi.”

The goal of 20th Digital Studio’s short film programs is to continue to guide and finance the growth of these artists’ careers and to transition some of the shorts into longer features. The first two films developed in this way will premiere this month for Huluween: “Grimcutty” from John William Ross on Oct. 10 and “Matriarch” from Ben Steiner on Oct. 21. Shorts from past seasons have played at festivals such as SXSW, Sundance, Tribeca, Fantasia, and more.

20th Digital Studio’s focus on diversity and inclusion continues as prestigious filmmakers from the festival world are featured, including Nuhash Humayun (“Moshari,” SXSW Grand Jury Prize), Sam Max (“Chaperone,” Sundance), Michelle Krusiec (“Bite,” AFI DWW), Zoey Martinson (“Cupids,” Tribeca), and many more.

About 20th Digital Studio

20th Digital Studio focuses on funding and producing award-winning short-form genre content together with up-and-coming filmmakers from the digital and film festival worlds. 20th Digital develops select shorts into longer form content, packaging new voices with established producers and offering opportunities for growth and representation; always with a goal to create innovative character narrative, voice-driven filmmaking with a social message, cultural impact and box-office or streaming success. Set up in 2008 as a nimble entrepreneurial group within Fox Filmed Entertainment, 20th Digital is now a part of Disney General Entertainment Content. For more information visit: https://www.20thdigitalstudio.com/ or follow: @20thDigital on Instagram & Twitter, or facebook.com/20thdigitalstudio.

PR CONTACT:

EMMA GRIFFITHS PR Emma Griffiths
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YOUNG PLATO will have a Theatrical release in NEW YORK (Angelika Film Center) and Boston (Dedham Community Theater) on Friday, September 23

SOILSIÚ FILMS PRESENTS

YOUNG PLATO WILL OPEN THEATRICALLY IN NEW YORK (ANGELIKA FILM CENTER) ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 WITH A REGIONAL EXPANSION TO FOLLOW ON SEPTEMBER 30 IN WASHINGTON DC (ANGELIKA POP UP), DALLAS (ANGELIKA DALLAS), SAN DIEGO (ANGELIKA CARMEL MOUNTAIN), SACRAMENTO (TOWER THEATER), PLANO, TX (ANGELIKA PLANO),FAIRFAX, VA (ANGELIKA MOSAIC) AND MORE.

OFFICIAL SELECTION: DOC NYC, CPH DOX, SYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL, SEATTLE FILM FESTIVAL AND MANY MORE.

WINNER! NINE AWARDS AND CURRENTLY SHORTLISTED FOR UK GRIERSON AWARD FOR BEST CINEMA DOCUMENTARY.

At Holy Cross Boys School in Belfast, Northern Ireland schoolyard conflicts are resolved at the Philosophy board where the youngsters learn to reason and think for themselves. School Principal Kevin McArevey, a Stoic who sings along to Elvis Presley, is rocking the status quo by teaching Philosophy to students in a community plagued by urban decay, sectarian violence, poverty and drugs. In an atmosphere of deep caring and support, his students learn new ways to manage their emotions based on Ancient texts. YOUNG PLATO deftly addresses the social division and intergenerational trauma of a city divided by Peace Walls where "the troubles" are more than a memory in a story filled with the mischievous charm of young boys learning to question the mythologies of war and violence. "Young Plato" shines a positive light on contemporary Northern Ireland, offering a model for building a culture of peace in these troubling times.

YOUNG PLATO - Awards and Festivals
World Premiere at DOC NYC 2021. Winner of nine (9) international and Irish awards, including the Irish Film & Television Academy Award for Best Feature Doc 2022, presented by Michael Moore. Selected for nearly 40 festivals worldwide.

Neasa Ní Chianáín (Director) is one of Ireland's most established documentary talents and has directed four features, four shorts and a TV series. Neasa was named one of Europe's 10 most promising women directors at the Sydney Film Festival's 'Europe! Voices of Women in Film' program. Immediately prior to “Young Plato” Neasa directed 'In Loco Parentis' (aka 'School Life' ) a Magnolia Pictures release which premiered at IDFA 2016 and Sundance 2017. Awards: Special Jury Prize, Golden Gate Awards, San Francisco Film Festival; Audience Award, Visions du Réel, Nyon. Directing credits: ‘Frank Ned & Busy Lizzie,’ ‘Fairytale of Kathmandu,’ and 'The Stranger.' Neasa is currently in post-production on a new feature documentary, 'The Alexander Complex.’

Declan McGrath (Director) is a Belfast based filmmaker and a Director of the feature documentary YOUNG PLATO. Declan is also the Director of the award-winning 'Lomax in Éirinn ' (TG4) which screened at festivals worldwide and 'Mary McAleese & The Man Who Saved Europe '(RTE, BBC). He has written two books on the craft of filmmaking (Screencraft: Editing & Post Productions and Screencraft: Scriptwriting), both translated into 5 languages. He is also a regular contributor to the New York film journal Cineaste. Additional directing credits include: 'My Struggle For Life,' Tír Eoghain: The Unbreakable Bond’ 'Women Of The Oireachtas.”

Kevin McArevey (Protagonist) has been Headmaster at Holy Cross Boys School in Ardoyne, North Belfast, Northern Ireland for the last 10 years.

US Theatrical release supported by Screen Ireland and Meath County Council, and by our coproduction partners, Aisling Productions, Clin D’Oeil Films and Zadig Productions.

PR CONTACT:

Emma Griffiths (EG PR)
E: emma@eg-pr.com

Dark Star Pictures has acquired the North American distribution rights to crime thriller MISSING

DARK STAR PICTURES

September 13, 2022- Los Angeles-- Dark Star Pictures has acquired the North American distribution rights to crime thriller MISSING as part of its ongoing collaboration with Bloody Disgusting. Dark Star and Bloody Disgusting plan a US theatrical release for MISSING on November 4, 2022, an On Demand release on November 18, 2022, and the Blu Ray release for the film to follow on December 6, 2022.

MISSING had its World Premiere at Busan International Film Festival, before screening at Fantasia International Film Festival and will have its US Premiere at Fantastic Fest in September 2022.

MISSING is written and directed by Shinzô Katayama. The movie stars Aoi Ito (Her Love Boils Bathwater, KASANE-Beauty and Fate, Gangoose), Jiro Sato (Brothers in Brothel, New Interpretation Records of the Three Kingdoms, Gintama) and Hiroya Shimizu (The World of Kanako, Hot Gimmick: Girl Meets Boy, Sadako).

Depressed and in debt following the death of his wife, Santoshi (Jiro Sato) tells his young daughter he has found a way out. Pointing to a reward note, he vows to find the infamous serial killer “No Name” (Hiroya Shimizu) and cash in, claiming to have seen the man in the flesh a few days earlier. Kaeda (Aoi Ito) cannot take her aloof father serious. But when he goes missing without a trace, she starts to fear the worst—and must begin looking for him.

After working as an assistant director for Japanese films, including Nobuhiro Yamashita’s works, filmmaker Shinzô Katayama crossed paths with Bong Joon-Ho while shooting “TOKYO!” (2008) and served as his assistant director on “Mother” (2009). In 2019, his debut feature, “Siblings of the Cape ” was selected by numerous domestic and international film festivals. He now is one of the most promising, emerging directors in Japan, and his second feature, MISSING (“Sagasu /さがす”) will be his commercial film debut.

“Director Shinzô Katayama has beautifully crafted a story that will keep audiences on their toes. We could not be more excited to spotlight this emerging talent and add this gem to our ongoing partnership with our friends at Bloody Disgusting.” said Dark Star Pictures President, Michael Repsch.

Bloody Disgusting's Brad Miska continued: "MISSING is a nonstop engaging thriller that erupts into a helluva shocking finale. We can't wait to play this game of cat-and-mouse with horror fans."

Dark Star Pictures President Michael Repsch negotiated the deal with Gabrielle Rozing at Fortissimo Film Sales on behalf of the filmmakers.

ABOUT DARK STAR PICTURES
Dark Star Pictures is a new-age North American distribution company, focused on bringing unique and targeted content to audiences across the country. We are committed to releasing auteur-driven, original cinema in the theatrical, digital, and home video space.

Website:https://darkstarpics.com

ABOUT BLOODY DISGUSTING
Bloody Disgusting is the world’s largest destination for horror fans with an audience of over 20MM dedicated fans. Trusted since 2001 as the first source for breaking and in-depth coverage of all things horror. The Chicago-based media company produces the award-winning namesake website and mobile app, with a social footprint of more than 2MM engaged fans and a podcast network featuring CREEPY, SCP, Boo Crew, Horror Queers, Knight Light, Halloweenies, The Losers’ Club, Bleeder’s Digest, and the Official Bloody Disgusting Podcast. In 2020 the company launched the television channel BDTV, a linear programmed 24/7 streaming service available everywhere you find your favorite streams. Bloody Disgusting has also both produced and distributed films including the Sundance Film Festival hits V/H/S, V/H/S/2, and THE WOMAN, as well as the TIFF Midnight Madness breakout SOUTHBOUND. The more recent V/H/S/94 was Shudder’s biggest movie premiere ever. V/H/S/99 had its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. Bloody Disgusting has positioned itself as the most important place for producers of genre film, television, games, events and comics to connect with their fans.

Website: https://bloody-disgusting.com

PR CONTACT- FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
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EMMA GRIFFITHS PR
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“Icon” Available Now Across All Platforms on August 1st: KDMG, Inc. Releasing Filmmaker Tony Ahedo’s Touching Feature Film “Icon” Starring Parker Padgett and Devon Hales

KDMG, Inc. (Kaczmarek Digital Media Group, Inc. ) release of Pretty Sweet Films’ production of filmmaker Tony Ahedo’s touching feature film debut “Icon” is available today across all TVOD/Digital and Blu-Ray/DVD platforms throughout North America.

This moving coming of age drama charts the perilous journey to adulthood for our charismatic leads Sam (Parker Padgett) and Ana (Devon Hales).

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 Parker Padgett and Devon 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.

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.

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”).

Where to follow the film and its journey—
Website: www.iconfeature.com
Facebook: @iconthemovie
Instagram: @iconthemovie

Adventure Entertainment Brings Digitally Remastered 50th Anniversary of “Five Summer Stories” To Theatres Across the U.S. & Canada Beginning on August 12th

Greg MacGillivray’s Iconic Surf Film Offers Cultural Time Capsule To Cinema Audiences in Over 50 Markets

(Laguna Beach, CA—July 29, 2022) Adventure Entertainment continues to bring extraordinary stories to North American audiences this summer with MacGillivray Freeman Films (MFF), the world’s foremost independent producer of original giant-screen films for IMAX® theatres, and co-founder Greg MacGillivray’s 50^th Anniversary special release of the company’s digitally remastered classic surf documentary, “Five Summer Stories” (1972), widely considered the greatest surf film ever made, beginning on August 12^th. A cultural touchstone and time capsule from a truly watershed era when the world was at a critical crossroads, “Five Summer Stories” captures the state of surfing on the verge of creative transition, raising the surf film art form to a new level and setting the genre’s artistic standards for the next two decades.

Adventure Entertainment will bring this beloved epic documentary to audiences theatrically across North America (U.S. and Canada) in cinemas in more than 50 markets. This 50^th Anniversary theatrical release is perfectly timed to coincide with the U.S. Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach, when surfing captures the imagination of viewers around the world. Filmmakers will be in attendance for Q&As at screening events in select markets, and community partnerships with the Surfrider Foundation, a grassroots nonprofit ocean conservation organization, as well as Quiksilver, a heritage surf brand, will support these events in select locations. Quiksilver will be releasing a limited edition t-shirt for the film’s release, available soon.

Says director Greg MacGillivray: “With Five Summer Stories, Jim and I sought to make a state-of-the-art surf film that would reflect the broader cultural shifts happening in the late 60s and early 70s, when youth culture was experimenting in so many creative ways and surfing was going through its own pivotal transition. The film really took the surfing world by storm, and I think today’s audiences will find it relevant and exciting in ways we couldn’t have imagined fifty years ago.”

“Five Summer Stories” first premiered in 1972 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium and was quickly deemed “the greatest surf film ever made.” The film’s unusual format—a montage of five-plus stories or vignettes—perfectly captured a fractured era in which an explosion of creativity and revolutionary change was shaking down the old order, taking the sport of surfing off into new and unknown territory. Although the film went through several (and increasingly popular) incarnations as it played in theaters over a seven-year span from 1972 to 1979, its fundamental story remained the same—that the pure, innocent joy of surfing was symbolic of humankind’s best possibilities on Earth without war or politics or environmental destruction. The film features music by the Beach Boys and Honk.

Greg MacGillivray holds a very unique place in filmmaking history with a career that spans more than 60 years, first as an innovative filmmaker who revolutionized surf movies with classic surf documentaries like A Cool Wave of Color and Five Summer Stories with creative partner Jim Freeman, to working in Hollywood with such celebrated filmmakers as Stanley Kubrick on The Shining and on films like Big Wednesday, The Towering Inferno, Blade Runner, Jonathan Livingston Seagull and Koyaanisqatsi, then becoming a pioneer and champion of the 70mm IMAX® format and creator of some of the most iconic cinematography ever captured for giant screen films, including Everest, the highest-grossing IMAX film of all time.

"Five Summer Stories” is directed and produced by Greg MacGillivray and Jim Freeman, and photographed by MacGillivray, Freeman, Bud Browne (“Going Surfin’”) and George Greenough, with narration written by Drew Kampion and music composed by the 1970s rock/surf band Honk and featuring songs by the Beach Boys.

Key Premiere Dates

Aug 3 Regency Wharf Cinema, Lahaina, HI

Aug 5 Regent Theatre, Arlington, MA

Aug 5 Magic Lantern, Bridgton, ME

Aug7&10 CMX Theatres in 6 Florida markets

Aug 7&10 CMX Pinnacle, Gulf Shores, AL

Aug 7 Manship Theatre, Baton Rouge, LA

Aug 9 Jane Pickens Theater, Newport, RI

Aug 9 Hopewell Theatre, Hopewell, NJ

Aug 12 La Paloma Theatre, Encinitas, CA

Aug 23 Regency South Coast Village, Costa Mesa, CA

Aug 25 Laemmle Monica Film Center, Santa Monica, CA

Sep 3 Arena Theater, Point Arena, CA

Sept 4 Southampton Arts Center, Southampton, NY

Sept 12 Metrolux 10, San Clemente, CA

Additional screenings will be held through the U.S. and Canada through September. View the complete list of screening dates here: http://fivesummerstories.com/

The publication of MFF company co-founder Greg MacGillivray’s visual memoir, Five Hundred Summer Stories, will follow the theatrical release of “Five Summer Stories” and will be released on November 15^th, 2022. Illustrated with more than 500 photographs and filmmaking artifacts from MacGillivray’s extensive archive, as well as story contributions by legendary surfers Gerry Lopez and Bill Hamilton, and filmmakers such as Stephen Judson, Brad Ohlund and Howard Hall. https://500summerstories.com/

About Greg MacGillivray & MacGillivray Freeman Films
Greg MacGillivray is one of the most prolific and successful documentary filmmakers of all time, with 60 films to his credit. He started making surf films when he was just 13 and later partnered with Jim Freeman to form MacGillivray Freeman Films in 1966. Since the 1976 production of their first IMAX film, To Fly!, Greg has produced some of the most enduring films in the giant-screen genre and has received two Academy Award^® nominations for Best Documentary Short Subject for The Living Sea and Dolphins. MacGillivray Freeman Films is the first documentary production company to reach the $1 billion benchmark in worldwide gross ticket sales. Greg is also a passionate ocean conservationist, and with his wife Barbara founded the MacGillivray Freeman Films Educational Foundation. https://macgillivrayfreeman.com/.

About Adventure Entertainment:
Sydney-based, and operating in more than a dozen countries on 4 continents, Adventure Entertainment is making literal and metaphorical waves in the adventure film world with over 10 film touring platforms, and dozens of feature films in recent distribution. Specializing in producing live, eventized, theatrical film screenings, AE is leading the way in innovative, community-based marketing and generating pre, and post-show buzz in the entertainment industry. In addition to "Rookie Season," other 2021/22 titles include National Geographic's " Torn, " Red Bull Media House's "La Liste: Everything or nothing, " and "Buried, ” from Oscar-winning producers Evan Hayes and Michael Sugar. See more at adventureentertainment.com

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.

“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.

“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.”

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.