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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