Ideal Home written and directed by Andrew Fleming (The Craft, Dick, Hamlet 2) and starring Steve Coogan, and Paul Rudd, as a hilarious bickering gay couple will open in theaters and VOD on June 29th. The film also stars Jack Gore (Billions, Wonder Wheel), Jake McDorman (Lady Bird, CBS’s 2018 revival of Murphy Brown, Limitless the TV series, Shameless), and Alison Pill.
Ideal Home is the touching and humorous story of Erasmus and Paul (Steve Coogan and Paul Rudd), a bickering gay couple whose life is turned inside out when a ten-year old boy shows up at their door claiming to be Erasmus’ grandson. Neither Paul, nor Erasmus, are ready to give up their extravagant lifestyles to be parents, but maybe this little kid has thing or two to teach them about the value of family.
https://youtu.be/lK3qmEe2cJgFilms
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IDEAL HOME Starring Steve Coogan and Paul Rudd as a Hilarious Gay Couple Opens June 29th [Trailer]
Ideal Home written and directed by Andrew Fleming (The Craft, Dick, Hamlet 2) and starring Steve Coogan, and Paul Rudd, as a hilarious bickering gay couple will open in theaters and VOD on June 29th. The film also stars Jack Gore (Billions, Wonder Wheel), Jake McDorman (Lady Bird, CBS’s 2018 revival of Murphy Brown, Limitless the TV series, Shameless), and Alison Pill.
Ideal Home is the touching and humorous story of Erasmus and Paul (Steve Coogan and Paul Rudd), a bickering gay couple whose life is turned inside out when a ten-year old boy shows up at their door claiming to be Erasmus’ grandson. Neither Paul, nor Erasmus, are ready to give up their extravagant lifestyles to be parents, but maybe this little kid has thing or two to teach them about the value of family.
https://youtu.be/lK3qmEe2cJg
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LeBron James Exec-Produces Documentary STUDENT ATHLETE on ‘Uncompensated Athletes’
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LeBron James[/caption]
The HBO Sports documentary Student Athlete, illuminating the complex rules of amateur athletics in America and showing how they affect uncompensated athletes and their families, will debut on HBO on Tuseday, October 2 (10:00-11:30 p.m. ET/PT). From LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s SpringHill Entertainment and Steve Stoute’s United Masters, the feature-length presentation is directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (HBO’s Oscar(R) winners “Saving Face” and “A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness”) and Trish Dalton (“Bordering on Treason”).
Unpaid college athletes generate billions of dollars for their institutions every year. Student Athlete unveils the exploitative world of high-revenue college sports through the stories of four young men at different stages of their athletic careers, as well as a coach-turned-advocate and a whistle-blowing shoe rep who exposes the money trail. The documentary spotlights: former NCAA and NFL coach John Shoop; New Jersey high school basketball phenom Nick Richards, now at the University of Kentucky; Mike Shaw, who played at the University of Illinois and Bradley University; Shamar Graves, a former wide receiver at Rutgers University; and Silas Nacita, a walk-on who played at Baylor University.
From high-school recruiting to post-graduation, the usefulness of athletes is tied to their ability to produce revenue. Once they can no longer do that, their participation in sport ends? – ?often abruptly? – ?with virtually nothing to show for their contributions. An audited financial disclosure from the NCAA in March 2018 revealed the association had close to $1.1 billion in revenue during 2017, a total that was unimaginable in 1964, when the NCAA coined the term “Student Athlete.”
In July 2017, news reports confirmed that the Big Ten conference had reached agreement with three television partners on a six-year, $2.64 billion rights deal to carry conference athletic competition, primarily focused on football and men’s basketball. Other powerhouse conferences across the country have struck similar deals and some have even partnered with media companies to launch standalone conference network channels dedicated to increasing exposure and generating more revenue.
Huffington Post wrote, “Big-time college sports look more like their professional counterparts than they ever have with one major exception: The NCAA has restrictive rules in place that prevent schools from compensating athletes beyond the full cost of attending.”
Directors Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Trish Dalton say, “We embedded in the world of men’s college basketball and football, capturing athletes’ hopes and dreams being shattered by the harsh reality of what it means to be a ‘Student Athlete’ in a billion-dollar industry.”
The production team is spearheaded by NBA superstar and three-time world champion LeBron James, one of today’s most socially responsible and community-minded athletes.
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Elaine McMillion Sheldon’ RECOVERY BOYS, An Intimate Look at Opioid Crisis, to Debut on Netflix [Trailer]
Four men attempt to reinvent their lives in the heart of America’s opioid crisis in the new Netflix original documentary Recovery Boys directed by Academy Award-Nominee Elaine McMillion Sheldon.
Recovery Boys which had its World Premiere as an Official Selection of the 2018 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, will launch globally on Netflix June 29, 2018 and in NY at the Metrograph and in LA at Laemmle Music Hall.
In the heart of America’s opioid epidemic, four men attempt to reinvent their lives and reenter society after years of drug abuse. Academy Award-nominated director Elaine McMillion Sheldon (Heroin(e)), returns to her native West Virginia for her feature film debut. Recovery Boys is an intimate look at the strength, brotherhood, and courage it takes to overcome addiction and lays bare the internal conflict of recovery. In an effort to break the cycle of generational addiction and trauma, four young men let go of painful pasts as they live in the present and build a new community in a farming-based rehab. After rehab, they experience life’s trials and tribulations sober but struggle to find their place and purpose in an often-unforgiving society. In today’s world, where shocking statistics about the opioid crisis make headlines daily, Recovery Boys offers a deeply personal look into the unseen lives of those working toward transformation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSS9kYipRLk
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NEVER STEADY, NEVER STILL Starring Shirley Henderson to Open in NYC in Late June
Never Steady, Never Still, the feature film debut of writer/director Kathleen Hepburn, and starring Shirley Henderson & Théodore Pellerin will open in NYC on June 22nd at AMC Empire 25.
Never Steady, Never Still is a tender and heartbreaking story of a physically disabled mother and discontent son – each alienated from their world and struggling to manage in the face of grief, guilt and chronic disease. The film is set in the rugged and unforgiving rural north of British Columbia, Canada and the story spans an entire year in the lives of the characters. Having lived with Parkinson’s disease for almost two decades, Judy (Shirley Henderson) is faced with the heightened challenges of daily life when her husband and caregiver dies of a sudden heart attack on their isolated property on the shores of Stuart Lake. Meanwhile, her teenage son Jamie (Théodore Pellerin), pushed by his father to get a job on the oil fields, is terrified by the idea of filling his shoes at too young an age, and grappling with the daunting task of becoming a man in world that has no apparent room for weakness.
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FOX Sports Films Acquires Boxing Documentary THEY FIGHT Produced by Common
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Common at 2017 Tribeca Talk: Storytellers, Tribeca Film Festival[/caption]
FOX Sports Films has acquired the boxing documentary “They Fight,” directed by Andrew Renzi and produced by actor/rapper Common. The documentary follows Coach Walt Manigan’s Lyfe Style Boxing, an after-school program in Washington, D.C.’s Ward 8 – a community rife with inequity. Walt mentors young boxers, “Peanut” Bartee and Quincey Williams on the path to the 2017 Junior Olympics, while he also fights to find a permanent home for his program to help young fighters avoid the troubles he found in his own youth.
“It is important to share Coach Walt’s story and seeing how he overcame extreme hardships and now serves as a mentor to the youth in Ward 8,” said Common. “It is a true example as to how we can take the most challenging of situations and turn them into a positive, not only for ourselves but for others. Boxing is more than just a sport to these kids, it empowers and unifies them to fight for a better life.”
This project is the newest in the Sports Emmy(R)-nominated “MAGNIFY” series from FOX Sports Films. The series leverages sports as a lens for exploring important cultural stories and investigates the challenges, change, and unity they bring to communities. Since its November 2017 launch, the MAGNIFY series’ roster of influential contributors includes: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chance the Rapper; and, most recently, Kevin Durant.
“From the opening minutes of this powerful film, we knew it was a perfect fit for our ‘Magnify’ series,” said Gabe Spitzer, Senior Vice President and Executive Producer, FOX Sports Films. “The power of sports as a community builder is visible throughout the documentary.”
“They Fight” will premiere this fall as a FOX Sports broadcast. Other “MAGNIFY” films, past and future:
2018 Sports Emmy(R)-nominated “89 Blocks,” executive produced by James and Carter for Uninterrupted, along with Sports Illustrated (November 2017)
“Shot in the Dark,” executive produced by Wade and Chance the Rapper (February 2018)
“Nossa Chape,” from award-winning directors Jeffrey Zimbalist and Michael Zimbalist (The Two Escobars, Pele: Birth of a Legend) focuses on the 2016 plane crash involving Brazilian soccer club Chapecoense. It premieres June 23rd at 4:15 pm ET on FOX immediately following 2018 FIFA(TM) World Cup coverage.
The recently announced, “Q Ball,” from Executive Producer Golden State Warriors All-Star Durant, follows the lives of the San Quentin Warriors — teammates and inmates at “The Q”, California’s San Quentin State Prison. Set to premiere in early 2019
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Horror Sequel 14 CAMERAS Sets July 27 Release Date [Trailer]
14 Cameras, the highly-anticipated sequel to the critically-acclaimed horror title 13 Cameras, will be released in theaters and on demand nationwide on July 27th by Gravitas Ventures
When a family of four rent a beautiful house for their summer vacation, the price seems too good to be true. Unbeknownst to them, the lascivious owner (Archambault) has set up a series of spy cams throughout the house, documenting their most intimate moments and live-streaming them to the dark web.
The horror-thriller 14 Cameras is directed by Scott Hussion and Seth Fuller; and stars Neville Archambault (13 Cameras), Amber Midthunder (“Legion”), Chelsea Edmundson (Thunder Road) along with Brianne Moncrief (13 Cameras). The film was written by Victor Zarcoff; and produced by Fuller and Hussion, with Andrew van den Houten (The Ranger), Jordan Rudman (Funeral Kings) and The McManus Bros. (writers of Netflix’s “American Vandal”) executive producing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HqBKYe0DqA image via screenshot
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Watch First Trailer for HBO Documentary ROBIN WILLIAMS: COME INSIDE MY MIND
HBO has released the first trailer for the documentary Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind, described as “an intimate look into the life and work of Robin Williams, the master of stage and comedy.” The film directed by Marina Zenovich and produced by Alex Gibney and Shirel Kozak, will premiere on HBO on July 16, 2018.
Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind explores his extraordinary life and career, revealing what drove him to give voice to the characters in his mind. With previously unheard and unseen glimpses into his creative process through interviews with Williams, as well as home movies and onstage footage, this insightful tribute features in-depth interviews with those who knew and loved him, including Billy Crystal, Eric Idle, Whoopi Goldberg, David Letterman, Steve Martin, Pam Dawber and his son, Zak Williams.
The documentary underscores what made Williams so unique, ranging from his youthful days in the San Francisco Bay area, to his time in New York at The Juilliard School, åto his rocket-propelled fame on TV’s “Mork & Mindy,” to his profound impact on the American cultural landscape. Such career high points as his landmark comedy show at the Metropolitan Opera, his Broadway debut in “Waiting for Godot,” his Academy Award(R)-winning performance in “Good Will Hunting” and his classic confessional bits about his alcohol and drug issues and 2009 heart surgery capture the spark that made him stand out across four decades in entertainment. Williams’ tragic death in 2014, which revealed he had been suffering from the disease Lewy Body Dementia, left fans around the world heartbroken.
The genius of Robin Williams lay in his ability to make a room, a comedy club, a concert hall or the whole world laugh. Family, friends and film crews often saw a man who wasn’t happy unless everyone else was having a good time? – ?but the dualities Williams embodied were present inside him at all times.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caIFNg_JRL4
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NATHAN’S KINGDOM, Coming-of-Age Film on Autism, Premieres at Dances With Films Festival [Trailer]
Nathan’s Kingdom, a dramatic motion picture about one young man’s battle with autism and the fantasy world to which he and his sister escape, premieres on the West Coast at this year’s acclaimed Dances With Films Festival on Wednesday, June 13, 7:15 PM at TCL Chinese Theatres, Auditorium 1, 6925 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028. Actors from the film, including writer-director Olicer Muñoz, will be in attendance.
Jacob Lince, 24, takes away any preconceived notion of what an actor on the spectrum should “act” like, as his character, Nathan, leads the audience into a dark fantasy while he struggles with his teenage opiate-addict sister, Laura, (played by Madison Ford), his sole and loving caregiver.
Rather than surrender to social services, Nathan and Laura risk it all to find “Nathan’s Kingdom” — as they battle monsters, endure mythical wars, and confront an underground civilization of ghouls — in hope of finding a fictitious kingdom with the potential to transform their lives forever.
”I was adamant that the title role of Nathan be played by an actor on the autism spectrum,” says the film’s writer-director-producer Olicer J. Muñoz, 38, who contacted the Performing Arts Studio West (PASW), a one of a kind non-profit and state-funded training facility for adults with developmental disabilities. Through the organization, Muñoz auditioned dozens of actors and discovered his lead actor, Lince.
Muñoz began writing the script upon graduating with an M.F.A. from the prestigious American Film Institute (AFI). Earlier in his career, the bi-lingual (Spanish) filmmaker worked with Academy Award winner (“Scared Straight”), Emmy and Peabody Award winning producer Arnold Shapiro who instilled in Muñoz the golden rules of filmmaking. “Shapiro taught me how to master a story and allow the narrative to take on a life of its own. It was under his watch that I began writing and developing Nathan’s Kingdom,” says Muñoz, whose family hails from Mexico. Muñoz counts Oscar-winning directors Guillermo del Toro, Peter Jackson and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu as his directing role models.
Nathan’s Kingdom was co-produced by Michelle Opitz who received her B.F.A. from Chapman University where she met Muñoz and later studied at the American Film Institute (AFI). Emily Beach (Brown Eyed Girls Productions) is also co-producer under Opitz’s and Beach’s banner. Visual effects, CGI animation, combined with live action and unique sound design enhance the highly stylized fantasy film sequences that reflect the inner workings of Nathan’s imagination.
Nathan’s Kingdom had its world premiere in March 2018 at the Sedona International Film Festival where it won its prestigious “Director’s Choice – Heart of The Film Festival Award.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuDbF42I5l8
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BELIEVER Follows Imagine Dragons’ Dan Reynolds on His Quest for LGBTQ Acceptance in the Mormon Community
Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons at Rock im Park 2013 in Nuremberg, Germany Imagine Dragons frontman and Mormon Dan Reynolds recently embarked on a new mission: to explore and influence how The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints treats its LGBTQ members.
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Wrestling Documentary ‘350 DAYS’ Starring Bret Hart and ‘Superstar’ Billy Graham, in U.S. Cinemas July 12 Only [Trailer]
The wrestling documentary “350 Days” starring former world champions Bret Hart and “Superstar” Billy Grahams “350 Days” hits movie theaters nationwide this summer for a one-night event on July 12. The documentary provides a behind-the-scenes look at the grueling life they led on the road and the effect that lifestyle had on their marriages, family, physical and mental health. Featuring Greg Valentine, Tito Santana, Paul “Mr. Wonderful” Orndorff, Abdullah The Butcher, Wendi Richter, Bill Eadie, Nikolai Volkoff, Lanny Poffo, Stan Hansen, Angelo Mosca, Lex Luger, and more, the event also includes some of the last interviews ever done with George “The Animal” Steele, Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka, Ox Baker, The Wolfman, “Pretty Boy” Larry Sharpe, Don Fargo, and 99-year-old Angelo Savoldi.
In addition to the documentary, this special one-night event will also present an exclusive introduction and interview with legendary wrestling manager JJ Dillon of The Four Horsemen to discuss the impact of the film and the current state of professional wrestling.
Fathom Events, Rivalry Championship Wrestling and Happy Fish Productions present “350 Days” in nearly 450 U.S. cinemas for one night on Thursday, July 12 at 7:00 p.m. local time, through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network (DBN). For a complete list of participating theaters, visit the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).
“’350 Days’ pulls back the curtain to give fans a unique look at the personal side of one of America’s most-watched sports – professional wrestling,” said Fathom Events CEO Ray Nutt. “There is no better way to experience this thrilling documentary than in a movie theater with other wrestling enthusiasts.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvcnVv55cQk
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PBS POV Acquires Award Winning Documentaries ON HER SHOULDERS and THE SILENCE OF OTHERS
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Nadia Murad and Murad Ismael appear in On Her Shoulders by Alexandria Bombach.[/caption]
Two of the year’s top award-winning and critically-acclaimed documentary feature films that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and Berlin International Film Festival – On Her Shoulders by Alexandria Bombach and The Silence of Others by Almudena Carracedo and Robert Bahar – have been acquired by PBS television series POV.
On Her Shoulders (Tim Hetherington Award Nominee) and The Silence of Others (Grand Jury Award Nominee) will both screen at the Sheffield Doc/Fest in the UK this weekend as well as at the AFI Docs film festival in Washington, DC and the Human Rights Films Festival in New York this month.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lT6EgVIGwDY
On Her Shoulders, following a 23-year-old Yazidi genocide and ISIS sexual slavery survivor, premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Directing Award for a U.S. Documentary. It won a special jury award at SXSW Film Festival and was a Top Ten Audience Favorite at Hot Docs in Toronto.
Synopsis: Nadia Murad, a 23-year-old Yazidi, survived genocide and sexual slavery committed by ISIS. Repeating her story to the world, this ordinary girl finds herself thrust onto the international stage as THE VOICE of her people. Away from the podium, she must navigate bureaucracy, fame and people’s good intentions.
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The Silence of Others[/caption]
The Silence of Others, which captures the first attempt in 77 years to prosecute crimes of Spain’s 40-year dictatorship under General Franco, took the Audience Award (Panorama) as well as the Peace Prize at its world premiere at the 2018 Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), was a Top Ten Audience Favorite at Hot Docs in Toronto.
Synopsis: The Silence of Others reveals the epic struggle of victims of Spain’s 40-year dictatorship under General Franco, who continue to seek justice to this day. Filmed over six years, the film follows victims and survivors as they organize the groundbreaking “Argentine Lawsuit” and fight a state-imposed amnesia of crimes against humanity, in a country still DIVIDED four decades into democracy.
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Cinedigm to Release Action-Thriller SILENCER Starring Johnny Messner, Danny Trejo
Silencer, a new action-thriller starring Johnny Messner (Weaponized), Danny Trejo (Machete) and MMA Rivals Tito Ortiz (Former UFC Champion, Boo 2! A Madea Halloween) and Chuck Liddell (Former UFC Champion & Hall of Famer, War Pigs) has been acquired by Cinedigm Corp for release in the US.
From director Timothy Woodward Jr. (Gangster Land, Hickok), Silencer follows a retired hitman who must resurrect all of his deadly skills and fight a one-man war against his former employer who has kidnapped his step-daughter. The film is set to be released this September.
“Status Media delivers another potent picture. Silencer is an explosive actioner with strong production values, high dramatic stakes and the added bonus of pitting legendary MMA rivals, Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell, against one another,” said Yolanda Macias, Cinedigm’s EVP of Acquisitions. “Timothy and his team are excellent partners, and we are thrilled to be working with them on Silencer.”
“Cinedigm collaborates well with indie filmmakers and has been a strong distribution partner for us,” said Woodward. “We appreciate their wide distribution reach and their dedicated/collaborative marketing and sales teams, and we look forward to another success with Silencer.”
Silencer was produced by Woodward, Lauren de Normandie, Johnny Cleveland and Terence Sims. Executive Producers include Matthew Helderman, Luke Taylor, Joe Listhaus, Patrick DePeters, Kirk Shaw, Drew Ryce, James Shavick, and Jared Safier. The script was written by Sean Mick.