June 29, 2009 – Here Media announced today the launch of Here Films, the new acquisition and distribution division of Here Media, Inc. All current staff of Regent Releasing will be folded into the newly formed parent company Here Media effective immediately. Here Films staff will oversee all remaining Regent releases through 2009 with all new films being released through the Here Films banner. Here Films recently acquired several high profile films including Cannes Directors’ Fortnight winner “I Killed My Mother” (J’ai tué ma mère), Berlin Silver Bear Winner “About Elly” (Darbareye Elly), and the Kenneth Branagh made for cinema opera “The Magic Flute.” Here Films will distribute all these pictures in select U.S. theaters, on DVD and via here! Networks in 2010.
“This launch marks an important evolution for us as a company and a distributor by allowing us to effectively utilize all our brands and maximize our cross-platform distribution capabilities to bring award-winning world cinema with universal appeal to U.S. audiences across multiple platforms,” said Paul Colichman and Stephen P. Jarchow, CEO and Chairman of parent company Here Media.
Mark Reinhart, EVP, Distribution and Acquisitions will continue to lead the Here Films distribution team with staffers John Lambert, SVP, Theatrical Distribution, Liz Mackiewicz, SVP, Sales and Distribution and Jonathon Aubry, VP, Marketing and Distribution reporting to him directly.
Here Films will release 8-12 films a year with the following films among its newest acquisitions:
“I Killed My Mother” (J’ai tué ma mère)
Here Media has acquired U.S. distribution rights from international sales agent REZO. “I Killed My Mother” (“J’ai tué ma mère”) was written, produced and directed by 20-year old Xavier Dolan making his feature film directorial debut. The film swept the 41st Directors’ Fortnight section at this year’s Cannes Film Festival collecting 3 of the 4 main awards including the Prix Regards Jeunes 2009, the Art Cinema Award, and the SACD Prize. The film stars Xavier Dolan, Anne Dorval (“Le Coeur a Ses Raisons”), Suzanne Cle’mont (“L’audition”), Francois Arnaud and Monique Spaziani (“Les Portes Tournantes”).
A semi-autobiographical story from filmmaker and star Xavier Dolan, “I Killed My Mother,” focuses on a sixteen-year old boy from Montreal who has a complicated love/hate relationship with his mother. He drifts through the mysteries of an adolescence of artistic discoveries, illicit experiences, friendship, sex and ostracism.
“The Magic Flute”
Here Media has acquired U.S. distribution rights from Celluloid Dreams for “The Magic Flute,” an English language made-for-cinema film adaptation of Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” co-written and directed by acclaimed director/actor, Kenneth Branagh. Stephen Fry co-wrote the film with Branagh and did the English libretto translation. As a writer, director and actor Branagh claimed three Academy Award® nominations for his work on the 1990 “Henry V” and the 1997 “Hamlet.” “The Magic Flute” was produced by Pierre-Olivier Bardet and executive produced by the Peter Moores Foundation, which encourages the creation of new work and strives to attract new audiences to opera. Acclaimed musical director James Conlon, who was awarded France’s Legion d’Honneur in 2001, conducted the Chamber Orchestra of Europe for the film. “The Magic Flute” stars Joseph Kaiser (Tamino), Amy Carson (Pamina), Benjamin Jay Davis (Papageno), Silvia Moi (Papagena), Rene Pape (Sarastro) and Lyubov Petrova (Queen of the Night).
“The Magic Flute” takes place on the eve of World War I and unfolds as a young soldier waiting for the command to go to battle is transported into a twilight world between a dream and nightmare. He is sent on a deadly mission to rescue the daughter of the Queen of the Night from the dark lord Sarastro.
“About Elly” (Darbareye Elly)
Here Media has acquired North American distribution rights from Dreamlab to “About Elly” (Darbareye Elly), directed by Asghar Farhadi and starring Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani as Sepideh. “About Elly” centers around a group of middle-class Iranians who drive to the shores of the Caspian Sea for a short break from Tehran. The film has won numerous festival awards including the Silver Bear for Best Director at the 59th Berlin Film Festival, the Best Narrative Feature at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival and the Crystal Symorgh for best directing at the 27th Fajr International Film Festival in Tehran.
“I Killed My Mother,” “The Magic Flute” and “About Elly” mark significant additions to an impressive slate of first-rate and thought-provoking world cinema Here Media and its affiliates have acquired in recent months. Current and upcoming releases from Here Films and Regent Releasing include the Academy AwardÒ winner for Best Foreign Language Film, “Departures,” the Cannes Un Certain Regard Jury prize winner “Tokyo Sonata,” Iran’s Official entry for the 81st Academy AwardsÒ, “The Song of Sparrows,” two-time Annie Award nominee, “$9.99,” “Little Ashes,” which focuses on the romance between Salvador Dali and Federico García Lorca starring Robert Pattinson (“Twilight”) and Javier Beltrán, 2009 Sundance entry “Zion and His Brother” and 2009 Berlin entry “El Nino Pez.”
Mark Reinhart, EVP Distribution and Acquisitions for Here Media negotiated the acquisition deals for all three films.
