Documentary

 

Oscilloscope Laboratories has acquired worldwide rights to Jason Miller’s THE PAST IS A GROTESQUE ANIMAL, described as an intimate, enlightening portrait of the endlessly versatile indie pop band of Montreal. The film, which is currently in post-production and is set to bow later this year, is the result of a passionate fanbase that brought the project to life through a successful Kickstarter campaign that resulted in nearly $100,000 in pledges.

THE PAST IS A GROTESQUE ANIMAL is a personal, accessible look at an artist – frontman Kevin Barnes – whose pursuit to make transcendent music at all costs drives him to value art over human relationships. As he struggles with all of those around him, family and bandmates alike, he’s forced to reconsider the future of the band, begging the question – is this really worth it?

About the acquisition, O-scope’s Dan Berger and David Laub said, “As fans of of Montreal, we have been excited by this project since we first became aware of it via Kickstarter. We were exceptionally pleased when THE PAST IS A GROTESQUE ANIMAL turned out to be an incredibly well-made, relatable film and are extremely excited to come on board at this early stage to unleash it upon the masses.”

Filmmaker Jason Miller said, “I’m not sure if they actually liked the whole film, or just the scene with Kevin Barnes’ penis flapping around, but either way, I’m thrilled to release my first film with the infamous Oscilloscope Laboratories!”

of Montreal frontman Kevin Barnes said, “It is difficult for me to be totally objective about the documentary, but I feel that it is a fairly unflinching and honest portrait of my life in music over the last twenty years.”

‘THE PAST IS A GROTESQUE ANIMAL’ was produced and edited by Jason Miller and Andrew Napier (producer of the 2013 Academy Award®-winning short film ‘Curfew’), executive produced by Matt Lunsford and Seth Hubbard of Polyvinyl Records and is a production of Shrine. 

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Watch the trailer for the Matthew Shepard documentary, MATT SHEPARD IS A FRIEND OF MINE, winner of the Audience Choice Award For Best Film at the 38th Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF).  MATT SHEPARD IS A FRIEND OF MINE follows director Michele Josue, a close friend of Matt’s, as she travels to pivotal locations in Shepard’s life, interviewing other friends and family members, and gaining insight into the beautiful life and devastating loss of Matthew Shepard.

Fifteen years ago, on the night of October 6, 1998, two men lured Matthew Shepard, a gay freshman at the University of Wyoming, from a bar in Laramie, WY. He was kidnapped and driven to a field where he was tortured and tethered to a fence and left to die. Never regaining consciousness, Matthew succumbed to the severe injuries from the attack and died on October 12, 1998.

The murder of Matthew Shepard was a devastating tragedy that made countless headlines around the world. As people denounced the hatred and senseless violence that caused Matthew’s death, a much-needed dialogue about hate crimes and intolerance against the LGBT community began and continues to this day. His tragic story brought the reality of inequality and vicious, irrational contempt into the public consciousness and set the stage for the landmark Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which President Barack Obama signed into law in 2009. via official film site

http://youtu.be/aVe1mP0qugk

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Netflix has acquired the rights to 3D printing film “Print The Legend,” that premiered at the 2014 SXSW Film Festival and won the Special Jury Recognition Award for Editing & Storytelling in the Documentary Feature Competition. The Netflix original documentary goes behind-the-scenes of the top American 3D printing brands as they fight for dominance in the rapidly developing, groundbreaking field of 3D printing. The film will premiere exclusively on Netflix in 2014 and will be available to stream in all territories where Netflix is available.

3D printing is changing the world – from printing human organs to guns, to dismantling the world’s industrial infrastructure by enabling home manufacturing. It’s “the next Industrial Revolution.” “Print the Legend” follows the people racing to bring 3D printing to your desktop and into your life. For the winners, there are fortunes – and history – to be made. “Print the Legend” is both a 3D Printing Documentary, capturing a tech in the midst of its “Macintosh Moment,” and, even more so, a compelling tale about what it takes to live the American Dream.

“It’s so rare for a film to capture history in the making, and Luis Lopez and Clay Tweel have done just that in their skillful presentation of the elation and betrayals experienced by young entrepreneurs detailing the groundbreaking technology of 3D printing,” said Lisa Nishimura, Netflix VP of Original Documentary and Comedy. “This is a compelling glimpse into a game changing technology as it nears an inflection point going from the fantasy world of a few obsessed visionaries to a must-have technology that may enter every home.”

“From the day we knew the 3D printing world would be our focus, we set our sights on a SXSW premiere,” said Luis Lopez, Clay Tweel, and producer Steven Klein. “To premiere in front of the most tech savvy and entrepreneurial festival crowd in the world and partner with the Netflix documentary team – who work brilliantly at the cutting edge of distribution – is truly a dream come true.”

The film delves into the people behind the machines and asks tough questions about the industry’s creative drive to enable consumers to produce anything from trinkets to handguns, including being there with provocateur Cody Wilson as he uploads his printable-gun files to the internet, setting off a worldwide media firestorm. The film roots its core story in the rise and challenges of start-ups MakerBot and Formlabs as they vie to release consumer models and control the narrative of their market to compete with established industrial players Stratasys and 3D Systems.

“Print the Legend” was directed, shot, and edited by Luis Lopez & Clay Tweel (“Make Believe” and “The King of Kong”) and produced by Steven Klein (“Make Believe”). The project was developed, produced, and financed by Chad Troutwine (“Freakonomics”) and Audax Films, led by Co-Producer Andrew Kortschak (“Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia”) and Executive Producer Walter Kortschak. The film was also produced by Dan O’Meara (“By The People: The Election of Barack Obama”). Exhibit A Films, including producer Seth Gordon (“Undefeated,” “Mitt,” “The King of Kong”) and Executive Producer Mary Rohlich (“Make Believe”), led the filmmaking team throughout and brought on longtime collaborators Clay, Luis, and Steven.

http://youtu.be/V7uht6MUvOc

 

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Academy Award nominated director Joe Berlinger’s “WHITEY: The United States of America V. James J Bulger,” the documentary about the notorious Irish gangster James “Whitey” Bulger, that premiered earlier this year at Sundance Film Festival, has been acquired by Magnolia Pictures for release in the US. Magnolia will be giving the film a day and date theatrical and on demand release this June, followed by a broadcast on CNN later this year. 

Infamous gangster James “Whitey” Bulger wielded a mystique as the Robin Hood of South Boston. Fabricated in his hometown, Bulger’s legend captured the imagination of the entire country. Separating the man from the myth, this riveting documentary challenges conventional wisdom by detailing shocking new allegations. 

With unprecedented access, filmmaker Joe Berlinger utilizes this past summer’s sensational trial against Bulger as a springboard to explore corruption within the highest levels of law enforcement. Embedded for months with retired FBI agents, Massachusetts state police, victims, lawyers, gangsters, journalists, and federal prosecutors, Berlinger scrutinizes Bulger’s relationship with the FBI and Department of Justice—an interaction that allowed him to reign over a criminal empire for decades.Sundance Film Festival

“The filmmaking team worked very hard to gain unprecedented access, including to Bulger himself who has never before agreed to appear in any media, so we are especially delighted to be partnering with the two companies — Magnolia and CNN — that know how to reach the widest possible audience,” said filmmaker Joe Berlinger.

Joe Berlinger interviews Pat Donahue in “WHITEY: The United States of America V. James J Bulger”

Bulger extortion victim Stephen Rakes in “WHITEY: The United States of America V. James J Bulger”

Joe Berlinger and Hank Brennan in “WHITEY: The United States of America V. James J Bulger”

Steve Davis brother of murder victim Debra Davis in “WHITEY: The United States of America V. James J Bulger”

Joe Berlinger and Robert Fitzpatrick in “WHITEY: The United States of America V. James J Bulger”

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 Mark Landis at home, showing off recent works in ART AND CRAFT

ART AND CRAFT, Sam Cullman and Jennifer Grausman’s “deft, richly entertaining art caper doc” which will have its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival next month has already been snapped up by Oscilloscope Laboratories for release in the US. O-scope is planning a theatrical release in late summer/early fall.

Mark Landis at home and at work on a “Picasso” in ART AND CRAFT

ART AND CRAFT is the story of the charismatic, complex Mark Landis, perhaps the most prolific art forger in US history. For over 30 years, he’s duped curators throughout the country with precise imitations of a vast range of works, from fifteenth century masterpieces to Picasso. His actions are mysterious to many — while he could fetch millions on the open market, he donates his counterfeits for free, going so far as to pose in such guises as a Jesuit priest or a philanthropic donor. Enter Matthew Leininger, a registrar from Cincinnati who was conned by Landis years ago and who has been pursuing him obsessively ever since. What begins as a game of cat-and-mouse between Leininger and Landis eventually turns into something more surprising and complicated, proving once again that truth can be stranger than fiction.

Mark Landis on a “philanthropic” visit in ART AND CRAFT

About the acquisition, O-scope’s Dan Berger and David Laub said, “We’ve been discussing Art and Craft for some time and as excited as we were to see it, nothing could have prepared us for how blown away we’d be. Sam and Jennifer, along with co-director Mark Becker, capture these amazing characters with the perfect mixture of humor and heart, resulting in one of the most entertaining and moving documentaries we’ve seen in years. We’re honored that they have chosen to work with us on it.”

Jennifer Grausman

Filmmakers Sam Cullman and Jennifer Grausman said, “We couldn’t have dreamed of a better home for this film. O-Scope embodies the perfect mix of mensch and mischievous; like our main subject — they are art and craft.”

Sam Cullman

Cullman previously co-directed the Academy Award® nominated documentary If A Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front, which was also released by O-Scope. Grausman is the director of the acclaimed documentary Pressure Cooker, which won awards at several film festivals and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. Rounding out the filmmaking team is co-director Mark Becker, the director of Romantico (nominated for two independent Spirit Awards), Executive Producers Lisa Kleiner Chanoff and Bonni Cohen of Catapult Film Fund and Christopher Clements, Julie Goldman and Carolyn Hepburn of Motto Pictures. Marc H. 

 

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Mad Dog:  Inside the Secret World of Muammar Gaddafi

Mad Dog:  Inside the Secret World of Muammar Gaddafi premieres April 11th on Showtime.  The film pulls back the curtain on the eccentricities and horrors of Muammar Gaddafi which will undoubtedly be back in the news as the trials of his sons and his intelligence chief begins.    Among Gaddafi’s top henchmen being tried in Tripoli are his two sons – Saif and Saadi – who are seen in MAD DOG.  According to Middle East Online,  the trials begin on April 14.

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Check out the new trailer for MARAVILLA, the documentary, based on the struggle of Middleweight Champion Sergio Martinez to reclaim his crown in boxing, that will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival (TFF). Shot over two years by first time director Juan Cadaveira, the film features interviews and testimonials by international boxing personalities such as Mike Tyson, Don King, Oscar De La Hoya, Bob Arum, Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

Director Juan Cadaveira gained access to the closed doors of boxing – actual negotiations, the politics of championship organizations, TV network issues and the vulnerable physical condition of an aging champion. The 80-minute character-driven documentary is a true insider look that follows Sergio in every step of his battles inside and outside the ring.

Along with thrilling footage of Sergio’s mastery inside the ring and the persistent efforts by his team to keep him at the top, the film goes beyond the guts and glory of a common boxing tale. “MARAVILLA” reveals an unforgettable man who uses ambition, adaptability, relentless determination and integrity to navigate through a business that is attempting to control his fate.

The documentary captures the grueling physical and mental demands on Sergio. Viewers are invited into his dressing room, his physical therapy sessions, and into his inner circle. The road to his achievements is shown to be isolating at times and requires a vision far beyond what is considered possible for a man who didn’t picked up boxing gloves until he was over twenty.

“MARAVILLA” sheds light on Sergio’s childhood growing up in poverty in Buenos Aires, with personal stories from family members and archival footage and photos from his youth. Sergio reveals his inner self and his approaches to successfully overcoming disappointment, adversity and neglect.

The film features interviews and testimonials by international boxing personalities such as Mike Tyson, Don King, Oscar De La Hoya, Bob Arum, Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Dan Rafael, the late WBC president Jose Sulaiman. Those closest to Sergio figure prominently in the film, including his long-time promoter Lou DiBella, advisor Sampson Lewkowicz, trainers and family members, including his mother.

Director Juan Pablo Cadaveira, MARAVILLA

First time director Cadaveira, shot the film over two years in four countries: Argentina, Spain, Mexico and the United States, and in many different cities, from Quilmes to Las Vegas, via New York, Atlantic City, Los Angeles, and Mexico DF.

http://youtu.be/m5UfkYbMkRQ

via eastsideboxing

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Another award-winning film from this year’s Sundance Film Festival is set for release in theaters. Jesse Moss’ documentary TheOvernighters which made its World Premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and received a “Special Jury Award for Intuitive Filmmaking” has been acquired by Drafthouse Films for release later this year. The New York Premiere is set to take place at the upcoming Tribeca Film Festival.   The film chronicles the plight of desperate men as they chase their dreams and run from their demons in the North Dakota oil fields while a devoted Pastor risks everything to help them. 

 Filmmaker Jesse Moss spent 18 months in North Dakota as a one-man-documentary-crew intimately capturing extraordinary portraits of broken men and examining the tension between the moral imperative to “love thy neighbor,” and the response of one small town congregation and community when confronted by an influx of desperate strangers.

In the midst of the struggling economic climate of the United States, the oil business in small town Williston, North Dakota is booming. Thousands of desperate men and women are flocking to the region in search of work with little more than the clothes on their backs or the cars they arrived in. The great demand for housing has overwhelmed the community with many of those who have found employment without a place to live. Pastor Jay Reinke of Concordia Lutheran Church is under fire from the City Council, his community and the local newspapers for his heartfelt desire to open the church’s doors to allow the “overnighters” – as he calls them – to stay for a night, a week or sometimes even longer, sleeping on the floor, in the pews and in their cars in the Church parking lot. When the town learns that Reinke is housing men with criminal records, and a mounting controversy peaks within the pastor’s personal life, even his diehard quest for humanity can’t stop things from spiraling vastly out of control.

via comingsoon

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Check out the official poster and trailer for the Afghanistan war documentary, The Hornet’s Nest, directed by Christian Tureaud and David Salzberg, and scheduled to be released nationally in theaters on May 23rd, 2014.  Armed only with their cameras, Peabody and Emmy Award-winning conflict Journalist Mike Boettcher, and his son, Carlos, provide unprecedented access into the longest war in U.S. history. Mike and Carlos Boettcher are the only reporters devoted to full time coverage of U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. They began their embed with U.S. forces in August 2008. 

The film is described as the story of an elite group of U.S. troops sent on a dangerous mission deep inside one of Afghanistan’s most hostile valleys, told through the narrative of Journalist Mike Boettcher, and his son, Carlos attempting to reconnect under unimaginable circumstances, who are assigned to cover the conflict for one of the United States’ major broadcast networks.

The Hornet’s Nest is a groundbreaking and immersive feature film, using unprecedented real footage to tell the story of an elite group of U.S. troops sent on a dangerous mission deep inside one of Afghanistan’s most hostile valleys.

The film culminates with what was planned as a single day strike turning into nine intense days of harrowing combat against an invisible, hostile enemy in the country’s complex terrain where no foreign troops have ever dared to go before. Two embedded journalists, a father and son, bravely followed the troops through the fiercest and most blood-soaked battlegrounds of the conflict. What resulted is an intensely raw feature film experience that will give audiences a deeply emotional and authentic view of the heroism at the center of this gripping story.

 http://youtu.be/qBt-GTfgLh4

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The Rijksmuseum is a Dutch national museum dedicated to arts and history in Amsterdam in the Netherlands.  Built in 1895 by architect Pierre Cuypers, it is considered one of the world’s preeminent art museums. If you’ve visited Amsterdam, you’ve probably been to the Rijksmuseum, U.S. President Obama is scheduled to visit the Rijksmuseum this coming Monday, March 24, 2014. But if you live in Portland Oregon, the Northwest Film Center will screen the film THE NEW RIJKSMUSEUM, April 12 to 13, 2014 at Northwest Film Center’s Whitsell Auditorium Portland Art Museum. The film follows the renovation of the museum that took ten long and expensive years and described as a messy, complicated story but one with a glorious ending.

“The renovation of Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum went on for ten long, expensive years, so it is fitting that a documentary on this torturous (and often inadvertently hilarious) process should turn into not one but two feature-length movies. Spanish architects Antonio Cruz and Antonio Ortiz have designed an ingenious new entryway, but the Dutch Cyclists Union won’t tolerate reduced access for the 13,000 bicyclists who ride through the passageway daily. The museum’s magisterial director, Ronald de Leeuw, and his successor, the younger, scrappier Wim Pijbes, battle with curators, politicians, designers, city bureaucrats, and the public as the price of construction soars to $500 million. It’s a messy, complicated story, but fortunately, one with a glorious ending.”—Film Forum.

http://youtu.be/fk6R_UfBjmI

http://youtu.be/JRw8B9ch_yc

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James D. Cooper’s directorial debut LAMBERT & STAMP, which premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival have been acquired by Sony Pictures Classics for release in North America, Australia and NZ, Asia, Eastern Europe and Russia.  The film stars Chris Stamp and Kit Lambert, and features Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey and Terence Stamp.  LAMBERT & STAMP tells the story of Chris Stamp and Kit Lambert, aspiring New Wave filmmakers from opposite sides of the tracks who set out to find a subject for their underground movie, leading them to discover, mentor and manage the iconic band that would become known as The Who.

In the crazy, chaotic gospel of chance that is LAMBERT & STAMP, aspiring filmmakers Chris Stamp and Kit Lambert set out to find a subject for their underground movie, one that will reflect the way it feels to be young and dissatisfied in postwar London. This brilliant, but unlikely, partnership of two men from vastly different backgrounds was inspired by the burgeoning youth culture of the early 1960s. Lambert and Stamp searched for months and finally found in a band called the High Numbers a rebellious restlessness that was just what they were looking for. Abandoning their plans to make a film, they instead decided to mentor and manage this group, which evolved into the iconic band known as the Who. The result was rock ‘n’ roll history. Sundance Film Festival

“’Lambert & Stamp’ is the greatest untold story in rock. The movie captures a very unlikely partnership and the hailstorm of creativity that comes with it. Sony Pictures Classics is truly the ideal partner for distributing the film which I’ve been honored to make, and for the legacy with which I’ve been entrusted,” said James D. Cooper.

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The Alice Cooper documentary, SUPER DUPER ALICE COOPER, will premiere at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival and will be released in theaters nationwide beginning April 30.  SUPER DUPER ALICE COOPER is the twisted tale of a teenage Dr. Jekyll whose rock ‘n’ roll Mr. Hyde almost kills him. It is the story of Vincent Furnier, a preacher’s son who struck fear into the hearts of parents as Alice Cooper, the ultimate rock star of the bizarre. From the advent of Alice as frontman for a group of Phoenix freaks in the ’60s to the hazy decadence of celebrity in the ’70s to his triumphant comeback as ’80s glam metal godfather, we will watch as Alice and Vincent battle for each other’s souls. Alice’s story is told not only by the man himself, but through exclusive interviews with members of the original Alice Cooper band, Elton John, Iggy Pop, John Lydon and Dee Snider.

SUPER DUPER ALICE COOPER is the creation of Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn at Banger Films, producers of 2009 SXSW Audience Choice Winner, IRON MAIDEN: FLIGHT 666 and 2010 Grammy-nominated and Tribeca Audience Choice Winner, RUSH: BEYOND THE LIGHTED STAGE, and much-lauded filmmaker Reginald Harkema, winner of the TIFF Special Jury Prize for his film “Monkey Warfare”.

Current list of U.S. theatrical and venue screenings, sorted by their original screening date.  Check your local listings for more information.

April 30:

Fairfax, VA – Angelika Mosaic
Dallas, TX – Angelika Film Dallas
Plano, TX – Angelika Film Plano
San Diego, CA – Gaslamp 15
Honolulu, HI – Ward Stadium 16
Sacramento, CA – Tower Theatre
La Mesa, CA – Grossmont Center 10
Rohnert Park, CA – Rohnert Park 16
Bakersfield, CA – Valley Plaza 16
New York, NY – Village East
Manville, NJ – Manville 12-Plex
Murrieta, CA – Cal Oaks 17
Cleveland, OH – Capitol Theatre
Cleveland, OH – Shaker Square Cinemas
Pittsburgh, PA – Southside Works Cinema
Peoria, AZ – Arrowhead Fountains 18
Oklahoma City, OK – Bricktown 16
Chandler, AZ – Chandler Fashion 20
Moreno Valley, CA – Moreno Valley 16
Denver, CO – Northfield 18
Phoenix, AZ – Scottsdale 101
Arlington, MA – Regent Theatre
Claremont, CA – Claremont 5
North Hollywood, CA – NoHo 7
Pasadena, CA – Playhouse 7
Amherst, NY – The Screening Room Inc.
Chestnut Hill, MA – Showcase SuperLux
Millbury, MA – Blackstone Valley 14 Cinema de Lux
Dedham, MA – Showcase Cinema de Lux Legacy Place
Bridgeport, CT – Showcase Cinemas Bridgeport
White Plains, NY – City Center 15: Cinema De Lux
Whitestone, NY – College Point Multiplex Cinemas
Edgewater, NJ – Edgewater Multiplex Cinemas
Farmingdale, NY – Farmingdale Multiplex Cinemas
Holtsville, NY – Island 16: Cinema De Lux
Lowell, MA – Showcase Cinemas Lowell
Foxboro, MA – Showcase Cinema de Lux Patriot Place
Providence, RI – Providence Place Cinemas 16
Springdale, OH – Springdale 18: Cinema De Lux
Warwick, RI – Showcase Cinemas Warwick
Randolph, MA – Showcase Cinema de Lux Randolph
Revere, MA – Showcase Cinema de Lux Revere
Elmsford, NY – Greenburgh Multiplex Cinemas
Yonkers, NY – Showcase Cinema de Lux Ridge Hill
Bonita Springs, FL – Prado Stadium 12

May 1:

San Francisco, CA – Balboa Theatre
Cincinnati, OH – Esquire Theatre
Columbus, OH – Gateway Film Center
Sparta, NJ – Digiplex Sparta
Mechanicsburg, PA – Digiplex Mechanicsburg
Camp Hill, PA – Digiplex Camp Hill
Williamsport, PA – Digiplex Williamsport
Bloomsburg, PA – Digiplex Bloomsburg
Selinsgrove, PA – Digiplex Selinsgrove
Reading, PA – Digiplex Fairgrounds
Solon, OH – Digiplex Solon Cinema 16
Surprise, AZ – Digiplex Surprise Pointe 14
Bloomfield, CT – Digiplex Bloomfield
Lisbon, CT – Digiplex Lisbon
Torrington, CT – Digiplex CINEROM Torrington
Temecula, CA – Digiplex Temecula Tower 10
Apple Valley, CA – Digiplex Apple Valley 14
Bonsall, CA – Digiplex River Village
Oceanside, CA – Digiplex Mission Marketplace 13
Poway, CA – Digiplex Poway 10
Westfield, NJ – Digiplex Rialto Westfield
San Rafael, CA – California Film Institute

May 2:

Phoenix, AZ – FilmBar

May 7:

Athens, OH – Athena Grand

May 13:

Tuscon, AZ – The Loft Cinema

May 19:

Bridgeport, CT – Bijou Theatre

http://youtu.be/65LiL6R9L3I 

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