Industry Innovator Gigantic Digital Cinema Streams Package of Nine Classic Documentaries from Docurama Films 10th Anniversary Celebration
Gigantic Digital Cinema (http://www.giganticdigital.com ) again breaks new ground, streaming nine classic documentaries from Docurama Films 10th Anniversary Package. Movie fans nationwide can "attend" an exclusive New York film series via ultra-high-quality, ad-free streaming video. Package pricing includes special bonus of D.A. Pennebaker's "Bob Dylan Dont Look Back." Available online now.
New York (PRWEB) September 24, 2009 -- Gigantic Digital Cinema, the innovative industry leader in the digital exhibition of first-run independent film, has signed its latest deal to bring great movies to people all across the country. Docurama Films, one of the nation's most important champions of documentary filmmaking, is celebrating its tenth anniversary with a package of classic non-fiction titles, and it has pacted with Gigantic Digital to provide national distribution. The special series is now available online, except in New York City.
Recently cited by the press as one of "Indie Film's Top Venues," Gigantic Digital Cinema is the only true "traditional" film exhibitor online today. Under the leadership of its president Mark Lipsky, a noted industry veteran and former executive at companies including Miramax, IFC and Lot 47, and of its CEO, film/music producer Brian Devine, Gigantic Digital Cinema showcases acclaimed feature titles in ultra high-quality, commercial-free streaming video. Titles are released either exclusively online or day-and-date with theatrical engagements. Markets in which a film is or will be playing in theaters are "blacked out" in order not to compete with those engagements. To date, Gigantic Digital has exhibited "Must Read After My Death," one of 2009's most acclaimed documentaries, the eleven-time award-winning Turkish drama "Bliss" (released theatrically by First Run Features) and the new documentary "Motherland," whose exclusive run on Gigantic Digital is garnering rave reviews from coast-to-coast.
Gigantic Digital Cinema's Docurama Films' 10th Anniversary Package, a selection of gems from over 250 titles released by Docurama to date, is available online now through December 6th. Ranging from the personal to the political, the package offers an eclectic and fascinating look at the art of documentary film. (See list of films below).
Gigantic is offering a special package price of $17.99 for 21 days of unlimited viewing, or its usual ticket price of $2.99 per film for a three-day unlimited pass. As a bonus feature for two weeks only (September 22-October 5), Bob Dylan Dont Look Back, D.A. Pennebaker's unforgettable film about Bob Dylan's 1965 UK tour, will be included in the package at no extra charge.
The films will be available online nationwide except in New York, where they will be featured in a ten-week program at New York's IFC Center, in partnership with the Stranger than Fiction documentary series. (See www.ifccenter.com for more information).
Notes Mark Lipsky, "Until now, wonderful programming like Docurama's 10th Anniversary celebration would have been confined to an extremely limited audience. Partnerships like this make it possible to reach millions of people rather than a few thousand. This is the first deal in what we expect will be a long and exciting relationship with Docurama/New Video."
Gigantic Digital Cinema Presents the Docurama Films 10th Anniversary Package:
Please Note: "Bob Dylan Dont Look Back" will only be available from September 22nd-October 5th
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• "Bob Dylan Don't Look Back" - a landmark of the cinema vérité movement,, crafted by one of its pioneers, D.A. Pennebaker; one of the best rock films ever made; a study of one of the greatest artists of the 20th century, and the electrifying time in which he came of age. No matter how you look at it, this intimate portrait of a 23-year-old Dylan on his 1965 concert tour of England changed documentary film--and not a few of us in the audience--forever.
• "Southern Comfort" - Kate Davis's unique love story that follows wise-cracking cowboy Robert Eads as he falls headlong into a passionate romance with the vivacious and magnetic Lola. Robert happened to be born female, and Lola born male. Eight years after it won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, the acclaimed "Southern Comfort" seems to resonate even more in today's post-Prop 8 America.
• "Lost Boys of Sudan" - Winner of an Independent Spirit Award in 2004, Lost Boys of Sudan follows two extraordinary young men orphaned by the Sudanese civil war as they come to America, a place some Sudanese call "Heaven" because of the hope and opportunity it offers. For Peter and Santino, their first life-altering year is full of abundance and alienation, safety and loneliness. For the viewer, the film offers a gripping and sobering peek into the myth of the American Dream.
• "Genghis Blues" - A decade ago, this Oscar® nominee introduced the world to the forgotten land of Tuva through the life-changing journey of blind blues musician Paul Pena to compete in their triennial throat-singing contest. Under the spell of this intensely beautiful, seemingly impossible form of singing, Pena bridges two vastly different cultures, an experience even more poignant to witness today in the wake of his passing.
• "Blue Vinyl" - Winner for Best Cinematography at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival and a "green" cult classic way before these oh-so-green times, critics' darling "Blue Vinyl" begins in front of co-director Judith Helfand's parents' house as she earnestly pleas with her father not to replace their wood clapboard with vinyl siding. And so begins a sobering exploration into the underside of the vinyl industry, from Long Island to Venice, Italy. Balancing horror with humor, the film takes viewers on a unique exploration into what it takes to be a truly educated consumer.
• "The Atomic Cafe" - Considered a nuclear "Reefer Madness," this pitch-black comedy and timeless classic took the nation by storm upon its release. Through an artfully presented collage of newsreel footage, government archives, duck-and-cover propaganda and fifties music, "The Atomic Cafe" perfectly captures the atomic age. More than a quarter of a century later, with nuclear nonproliferation in the headlines once again, it's still perversely topical.
• "Best Boy" - This Oscar® winner for "Best Documentary" (1979) is a triumphant tale of love, courage and dignity, following filmmaker Ira Wohl and his family as they embark on a mission to enable his developmentally disabled adult cousin Philly to become more independent. Thirty years after its theatrical premiere (and with Philly now in his 80s!), it remains one of the most profoundly touching and life-affirming stories to be captured on film.
• "The Weather Underground" - Special screening at Stranger Than Fiction followed by a panel discussion with filmmakers Sam Green and Bill Siegel and Weathermen founder Mark Rudd. Nominated for an Academy Award®, "The Weather Underground" tells the incredible story of the group of young American radicals who, fueled by outrage over the Vietnam War and racism in America, attempted to incite a national revolution in the 1970s. This compelling portrait of a troubled era bears striking connections to present-day America as the Iraq War continues and presidential election campaigns name-check WUO members.
• "The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill" - Audiences and critics alike always seem to swoon when they mention this heartwarming, wondrous film--for good reason. Packed with romance and comedy, the film follows endearing aging bohemian Mark Bittner as he befriends and defends the flock of red-and-green parrots which has taken up residence in San Francisco. As David Edelstein remarked, "It thaws the soul"… something even the most cynical of us could use once in a while.
About Gigantic Digital Cinema
Gigantic Digital Cinema (www.giganticdigital.com) is the innovator and industry leader in the digital exhibition of new, first-run independent and foreign language films. Gigantic Digital streams films in ultra high quality and commercial-free either exclusively or as a dramatic extension to traditional theatrical engagements. The price at Gigantic Digital is $2.99 for a three-day, unlimited viewing ticket. Markets in which the film is or will be playing in theaters are 'blacked out' so that the digital release does not compete with or cannibalize those engagements. Gigantic Digital Cinema is a unit of the Gigantic Entertainment Group, an indie studio which also includes Gigantic Pictures, a film/television production arm with over 20 titles to its credit including the recent "Dare" and "Goodbye Solo";Gigantic Music, one of New York's premiere recording facilities and a record label which recently released The Walkmen's Billboard-charting "You & Me"; and Gigantic Studios, a state of the art post-production facility, slated to open shortly. Film producer and musician Brian Devine founded Gigantic in 1996 and continues to serve as CEO of its companies.
About Docurama Films®
Docurama Films (www.docurama.com) is dedicated to making critically acclaimed and cutting-edge documentaries available digitally and on DVD. The collection unites both classic and contemporary docs from award-winning filmmakers whose work continues to astound and enlighten. Since being launched by parent company New Video in 1999, Docurama Films has released over 250 award-winning and highly acclaimed titles.
2009 marks the 10th anniversary of the label. Among releases for 2009: Academy Award®-winning director James Moll's hauntingly profound film Inheritance; a moving portrait of Estonia's fight for freedom in The Singing Revolution; and Stacy Peralta's gripping Crips and Bloods: Made in America.
Films in the library include the Academy Award®-winning Murder on a Sunday Morning, Marjoe and Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision. In addition, Docurama Films specializes in definitive films like D.A. Pennebaker's seminal work Bob Dylan: Dont Look Back and The Brandon Teena Story (the true story behind the Oscar®-winning movie Boys Don't Cry), as well as films of enormous sociocultural relevance including Hacking Democracy and the Academy Award® nominee Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience. Docurama Films has also released the critically acclaimed The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill and Andy Goldsworthy's Rivers and Tides. In 2007, Docurama Films had its exciting first theatrical release with Air Guitar Nation, and in 2008, release highlights included Gypsy Caravan with Johnny Depp, the fun and engrossing expose King Corn, and the Emmy Award-winning Autism: The Musical.
Contact: Kahn Media Strategies, Tel: 212-678-0821
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Contact Information Sharon Kahn
Kahn Media Strategies, Inc.
http://www.giganticdigital.com
212-678-0821
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