SOUTH-BY-SOUTHWEST FILM FESTIVAL and VOD.
March 15th 2010 06:08
IFC Films, the leading foreign and independent film distributor and an innovator in the movies-on-demand alternative film distribution movement, announced today its second annual partnership with Austin's South By Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival, one of America's most vibrant and exciting film festivals, in which three films screening at SXSW will simultaneously be available nationwide via the movies-on-demand platform of major national cable systems.
Following last year's partnership, which helped bring Joe Swanberg's ALEXANDER THE LAST significant national attention, this year's program offers simultaneous festival and on demand premieres of three new films: Bryan Poyser's LOVERS OF HATE, Shane Meadows' LE DONK & SCOR-ZAY-ZEE and Emmett Malloy's THE WHITE STRIPES UNDER GREAT WHITE NORTHERN LIGHTS. Also available exclusively on demand are two acclaimed films from SXSW 2009: Daryl Wein's BREAKING UPWARDS and John Bryant's THE OVERBROOK BROTHERS.
Beginning simultaneously with the start of SXSW, the films featured in the "Direct From SXSW" partnership will be available on the movies-on-demand page of most major cable systems, including Cablevision, Comcast, Cox Communications, Time Warner and Bright House, and will be available in approximately 40 million homes.
Jonathan Sehring, President of IFC Entertainment, said, "Last year's collaboration with SXSW was both groundbreaking and successful, and we are thrilled to be partnering with them again to bring an exceptional new selection of films from one of the country's very best film festivals to a wide national audience."
Janet Pierson, Conference & Festival Producer, SXSW, said: "We're all thrilled to be working with IFC Films again to bring the SXSW experience to a national audience. It's important to us to continue to help filmmakers find bigger audiences both during and after the festival and this is a great opportunity."
Films selected for "Direct from SXSW" are:
Premiering at SXSW on Monday, March 15th is Austin-based Bryan Poyser's acclaimed LOVERS OF HATE, which IFC Films recently bought international rights to following its world premiere at Sundance 2010. A savage comedy about deceit and sibling rivalry, LOVERS OF HATE centers on two estranged brothers, Rudy (THE CASSIDY KIDS' Chris Doubek) and Paul (BEESWAX's Alex Karpovsky), who have nothing in common but their love for the same woman, Rudy's soon-to-be ex-wife Diana (THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE's Heather Kafka). When opportunistic Paul whisks Diana away to a romantic mountain retreat, he has no idea that Rudy has made it there first, and from the shadows of the posh chalet, Rudy tries desperately to sabotage the relationship. LOVERS OF HATE, which had its world premiere in January at the Sundance Film Festival, and played there in
competition, is produced by Megan Gilbride (THE CASSIDY KIDS) and executive produced by Athina Rachel Tsangari (DOGTOOTH), and Jay Duplass & Mark Duplass (THE PUFFY CHAIR, CYRUS). LOVERS OF HATE is the 2nd feature directed by Bryan Poyser to be showcased at SXSW. His first, DEAR PILLOW, earned him an Independent Spirit Award nomination in 2005.
Making its North American premiere at SXSW on Tuesday, March 16 is the comedy LE DONK & SCOR-ZAY-ZEE from acclaimed British director Shane Meadows (THIS IS ENGLAND). In the spirit of SPINAL TAP and A MIGHTY WIND, the film is a highly improvised comedy about rock roadie and failed musician Le Donk (IN AMERICA's Paddy Considine). Le Donk is a bit of a loser; he's recently lost his girlfriend (Olivia Colman), his career is dead-in-the-water, and his life has completely gone down the tubes. So he tries to turn his life around by making rap prodigy Scor-zay-zee (real life Nottingham-based rapper also known as Dean Palinczuk) a star, with a little help from the rock band the Arctic Monkeys. Meadows' film, which follows the duo on a hilarious journey to improbable rock stardom, is an unpredictable, irrepressible ode to spontaneous filmmaking. Made in five days, LE DONK is the first in what Meadows hopes will be a wave of five-day features designed to encourage first-time filmmakers.
LOVERS OF HATE director Bryan Poyser commented, ""I'm thrilled that LOVERS OF HATE has found a home at IFC Films, which has been at the forefront of developing new ways to get great films to audiences. I'm doubly thrilled that the film's unique release will coincide with what is, without a doubt, my favorite 10 days of the year - the SXSW Film Festival, a home for my work for years."
Also included as part of the initiative are two celebrated films from the 2009 SXSW Festival: BREAKING UPWARDS, Daryl Wein's acclaimed romantic comedy centering on a young New York couple who decide to strategize their own break up; and John Bryan's road-trip comedy THE OVERBROOK BROTHERS, about two bitter, arch rival brothers who discover
they're adopted and begin a hilarious cross-country journey in search of their biological parents. These films will also be available in the special "SXSW" branded section on each cable company's main movies-on-demand channel. BREAKING UPWARDS will be released theatrically in NY on April 2nd; LA on April 9th; with other cities to
follow.
The SXSW Film Conference and Festival is a uniquely creative environment.
Over the first five days, the Film Conference buzzes as world-class speakers, creative minds, and notable mentors tackle the latest filmmaking trends amidst the unmatched social atmosphere of the SXSW experience. Simultaneously, the internationally acclaimed, nine-day Festival celebrates raw innovation and emerging talent, with a truly diverse program ranging from provocative documentaries to subversive Hollywood comedies.
For more information, visit www.sxsw.com/film
Source: 42West
Beginning simultaneously with the start of SXSW, the films featured in the "Direct From SXSW" partnership will be available on the movies-on-demand page of most major cable systems, including Cablevision, Comcast, Cox Communications, Time Warner and Bright House, and will be available in approximately 40 million homes.
Jonathan Sehring, President of IFC Entertainment, said, "Last year's collaboration with SXSW was both groundbreaking and successful, and we are thrilled to be partnering with them again to bring an exceptional new selection of films from one of the country's very best film festivals to a wide national audience."
Janet Pierson, Conference & Festival Producer, SXSW, said: "We're all thrilled to be working with IFC Films again to bring the SXSW experience to a national audience. It's important to us to continue to help filmmakers find bigger audiences both during and after the festival and this is a great opportunity."
Films selected for "Direct from SXSW" are:
Premiering at SXSW on Monday, March 15th is Austin-based Bryan Poyser's acclaimed LOVERS OF HATE, which IFC Films recently bought international rights to following its world premiere at Sundance 2010. A savage comedy about deceit and sibling rivalry, LOVERS OF HATE centers on two estranged brothers, Rudy (THE CASSIDY KIDS' Chris Doubek) and Paul (BEESWAX's Alex Karpovsky), who have nothing in common but their love for the same woman, Rudy's soon-to-be ex-wife Diana (THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE's Heather Kafka). When opportunistic Paul whisks Diana away to a romantic mountain retreat, he has no idea that Rudy has made it there first, and from the shadows of the posh chalet, Rudy tries desperately to sabotage the relationship. LOVERS OF HATE, which had its world premiere in January at the Sundance Film Festival, and played there in
competition, is produced by Megan Gilbride (THE CASSIDY KIDS) and executive produced by Athina Rachel Tsangari (DOGTOOTH), and Jay Duplass & Mark Duplass (THE PUFFY CHAIR, CYRUS). LOVERS OF HATE is the 2nd feature directed by Bryan Poyser to be showcased at SXSW. His first, DEAR PILLOW, earned him an Independent Spirit Award nomination in 2005.
Making its North American premiere at SXSW on Tuesday, March 16 is the comedy LE DONK & SCOR-ZAY-ZEE from acclaimed British director Shane Meadows (THIS IS ENGLAND). In the spirit of SPINAL TAP and A MIGHTY WIND, the film is a highly improvised comedy about rock roadie and failed musician Le Donk (IN AMERICA's Paddy Considine). Le Donk is a bit of a loser; he's recently lost his girlfriend (Olivia Colman), his career is dead-in-the-water, and his life has completely gone down the tubes. So he tries to turn his life around by making rap prodigy Scor-zay-zee (real life Nottingham-based rapper also known as Dean Palinczuk) a star, with a little help from the rock band the Arctic Monkeys. Meadows' film, which follows the duo on a hilarious journey to improbable rock stardom, is an unpredictable, irrepressible ode to spontaneous filmmaking. Made in five days, LE DONK is the first in what Meadows hopes will be a wave of five-day features designed to encourage first-time filmmakers.
LOVERS OF HATE director Bryan Poyser commented, ""I'm thrilled that LOVERS OF HATE has found a home at IFC Films, which has been at the forefront of developing new ways to get great films to audiences. I'm doubly thrilled that the film's unique release will coincide with what is, without a doubt, my favorite 10 days of the year - the SXSW Film Festival, a home for my work for years."
Also included as part of the initiative are two celebrated films from the 2009 SXSW Festival: BREAKING UPWARDS, Daryl Wein's acclaimed romantic comedy centering on a young New York couple who decide to strategize their own break up; and John Bryan's road-trip comedy THE OVERBROOK BROTHERS, about two bitter, arch rival brothers who discover
they're adopted and begin a hilarious cross-country journey in search of their biological parents. These films will also be available in the special "SXSW" branded section on each cable company's main movies-on-demand channel. BREAKING UPWARDS will be released theatrically in NY on April 2nd; LA on April 9th; with other cities to
follow.
The SXSW Film Conference and Festival is a uniquely creative environment.
Over the first five days, the Film Conference buzzes as world-class speakers, creative minds, and notable mentors tackle the latest filmmaking trends amidst the unmatched social atmosphere of the SXSW experience. Simultaneously, the internationally acclaimed, nine-day Festival celebrates raw innovation and emerging talent, with a truly diverse program ranging from provocative documentaries to subversive Hollywood comedies.
For more information, visit www.sxsw.com/film
Source: 42West
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