News

There will be some events on the ground in San Sebastian.

As the Donostia-San Sebastian International Film Festival kicks off in Spain, the festival is ensuring its industry activities are available online to those international delegates who are not able to travel this year.

“It is very important to continue maintaining the industry activities. They have been a fundamental part of our festival for years now and also San Sebastian is a bridge between Latin America and Europe, which has to be preserved,” explained festival director Jose Luis Rebordinos.

The Industry Office, headed by Saioa Riba and Esperanza Luffiego, has...

There will be some events on the ground in San Sebastian.

As the Donostia-San Sebastian International Film Festival kicks off in Spain, the festival is ensuring its industry activities are available online to those international delegates who are not able to travel this year.

“It is very important to continue maintaining the industry activities. They have been a fundamental part of our festival for years now and also San Sebastian is a bridge between Latin America and Europe, which has to be preserved,” explained festival director Jose Luis Rebordinos.

The Industry Office, headed by Saioa Riba and Esperanza Luffiego, has...

by Seth Metoyer,

MoreHorror.com

#FromJennifer is the third installment of James Cullen Bressack's Jennifer franchise. It stars Tony Todd, Derek Mears and Danielle Taddei as the new Jennifer. Check out all the details below as well as the trailer for #FromJennifer.

From The Press Release

Horror icons Tony Todd (Candyman, the Final Destination series) and Derek Mears (Friday the 13th, Predators) join Aaron Abrams (Hannibal, Blindspot), Meghan Deanna Smith (Sharknado: Heart of Sharkness), Trae Ireland (13/13/13) and Danielle Taddei (Pretty Little Liars) in #FromJennifer, the latest feature film from writer/director Frank Merle (The Employer).

#FromJennifer follows a struggling actress named Jennifer as she tries to navigate the high-pressure world of social media stardom. When she gets dropped by her manager for not having a big enough social media following, Jennifer loses her grip on reality and sets out on a bizarre revenge plan, designed to be filmed and...

While most of the industry is ramping up for awards season campaigns, casting director Carmen Aiello is starting his own campaign – against auditioning. The Chicago transplant is trying to bring back the human element to casting. Aiello has worked in TV (“CSI: Miami, “Scare Tactics”) and film (“Excision,” “The Employer”) casting, as well as spending time at an agency and as a junior manager, giving him an understanding of the casting process from all sides. “If you have a name you don’t have to audition, you just have to meet with them, but if you don’t have a name and you don’t have credits you have to audition in order to validate your career. In order to validate your talent.” Aiello says the process of bringing in hundreds of actors to “see if they can act in a cold room” with people staring at them was excruciating.

Here's our first bit of Ant-Man casting since Yes Man director Peyton Reed took the reigns on the troubled Marvel flick. We'd thought all of the actors were in place, but now Deadline report that David Dastmalchian has signed on to play an "unspecified role", which Marvel is said to be keeping under wraps. Of course it could just be a minor role, but if there's secrecy around it there's also a good chance that he'll be playing an established Marvel character. Any ideas? Dastmalchian has also appeared in the multiple-award winning psychological thriller The Employer, Sushi Girl and Prisoners. He was most recently seen on the FX comedy The League, and Showtime's Ray Donovan.  Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, con-man Scott Lang must embrace his inner-hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit...

Our International Sales Agent (Isa) of the Day coverage is back again for this year's Cannes Film Festival. We will feature successful, upcoming, innovative and trailblazing agents from around the world, and cover the latest trends in sales and distribution. Beyond the numbers and deals, this segment will also share inspirational and unique stories of how these individuals have evolved and paved their way in the industry, and what they envision for the new waves in global cinema.

Isa's of the Day will be posted regularly during Cannes, but the buzz has already begun with the recent release of the festival lineup -- so expect to see Isa updates over the coming weeks.

The first Isa of the Day is Lise Romanoff, Managing Director and CEO of Worldwide Distribution at Vision Films. Based in Sherman Oaks, California, Vision Films is an independent Worldwide Sales Agent and VOD Aggregator of over 500 Feature Films, 500 Documentaries and 100 different Music Programs from some of the most prolific independent film producers in the world.

In early 2013, Vision Films expanded into the world of domestic distribution with the creation of their own DVD/ VOD label, releasing films day-and-date on DVD and VOD through all cable and digital platforms such as Comcast, Directv, Dish, At&T, iTunes and Amazon, and retailers including RedBox, Walmart, Best Buy and Target. It is one of the few independent companies with a worldwide presence to also have a domestic division. Vision Films works directly with all its platforms and has no middlemen, releasing at least 2 - 3 titles on DVD and 3 - 4 titles on VOD every month.

Since opening their doors as a DVD/ VOD label, Vision Films has released an array of independent feature films including Hamlet And Hutch with Burt Reynolds; Wreckers, a coming-of-age story starring Benedict Cumberbatch; The Employer, an intense thriller starring Malcolm McDowell; Contract Killers is a non-stop martial arts action picture; and Sunset Strip, a music and pop culture documentary that chronicles Strip from its origins in the 1920s through today featuring Slash, Johnny Depp, Mickey Rourke, Dan Aykroyd, Keanu Reeves, Ozzy Osbourne, Hugh Hefner, and music from Jane’s Addiction, Smashing Pumpkins, and more.

The Vision Films catalog also has stories of global consciousness, including Comedy Warriors, a documentary where Zach Galifianakis, Lewis Black and Bob Saget help disabled soldiers heal through humor by teaching them stand-up comedy; Finding Happiness by Ted Nicholaou, a spiritual journey starring Elisabeth Röhm; Femme: Women Healing The World with Sharon Stone by Emmanuel Itier; and Shirin In Love, a romantic comedy starring Nazanin Boniadi by Ramin Niami about a quirky Iranian-American young woman who goes against tradition to follow her heart.

Lise Romanoff recently took the time to speak with SydneysBuzz:

What are buyers looking for?

2014 has been a vibrant year! Buyers are looking for product that can play across all channels of distribution: Theatrical, Home Video, VOD and Television. VOD has opened up a lot of doors for “niche” product because the Internet is the best way to find a specific fan base. We are offering star-studded feature films and top-notch documentaries that entertain and inspire. We attend all of the film markets, as well as the TV markets, and even the specialty territory-specific regional markets.

Where are the strongest markets?

U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia, Germany, France, Italy and Japan are the strongest countries, but for the most part, sales are evenly spread around the world.

How are sales going?

Sales are up about 30% this year, but we are working harder than ever. Many of the films that we started pre-selling last year are now completed.

What are your intentions for Cannes?

We're looking to sell the films we are bringing to Cannes, and we're looking to acquire new family, action and animated features.

What is your line-up for Cannes?

Vision Films’ Cannes line-up includes God Loves Caviar, the journey of Ioannis Varvakis from humble Greek pirate to international caviar millionaire with Catherine Deneuve and John Cleese; The Identical, earmarked for a wide screen theatrical release this fall in the U.S. stars Ashley Judd, Seth Green and Ray Liotta and introduces Blake Rayne as the identical twin of the biggest rock star in the world; As Dreamers Do, a bio pic about the early years of Mr. Walt Disney; 10 Things I Hate About You is the sequel to Gil Junger’s 10 Things I Hate About Life starring Evan Rachel Wood and Thomas McDonell; Fear Clinic with Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger) will bring a new meaning to phobias this fall; and Mantervention, a sexy comedy with Chloe Bridges, where Travis Van Winkle shows Nick Roux how to get over his ex and #ontothenext.

Why include globally conscious films in your catalog?

A lot of documentaries make you think. It's important to take a few minutes and look at the world around us. Documentaries traditionally don’t garner as much revenue as feature films, but it makes me feel very good to have them in our catalog. I also feel that if I have this type of product, I'll attract other companies that have the same mission to release films that give back to the world.

We'll always continue to sell good horror or action films, but selling films with good messages makes me very happy at this point in my career.

As far as distribution is concerned, VOD is a good type of niche for this programming. On the long-term view... as the Internet develops, and people have go-to sites for these types of films, it will work. We will be able to develop these channels, bring like-minded communities together, and generate more money for the filmmakers so they can continue to produce these kinds of films.

How did Vision Films start?

Founded in 1997 and based in Sherman Oaks, California, Vision Films started in the garage of it founder, and now has grown to become an independent Worldwide Distributor and VOD Aggregator of thousands of feature films, documentaries and music Programs. Vision Films manages all available rights from Theatrical, Video, Television and VOD/ Digital Media in both the International and domestic marketplaces. Vision works closely with producers to develop a special marketing plan as well as a strategy to license their film(s) to the right distributors around the world through relationships cultivated over nearly 24 years.

*Additional Information for Vision Films

Mission Statement

Vision Films’ mission is to provide top-notch independent feature films, documentaries and music programming that entertain, inspire, and informs audiences. Vision Films invests time and effort to keep on top of the latest cutting-edge technological innovations of the rapidly growing digital domain. We treat each release as special and unique. We respect our filmmakers and involve them in the release of their films, as today it’s all about reaching the core audience and we believe producers know how to do just that.

Principles

Lise Romanoff is the Managing Director/ CEO of Worldwide Distribution and has been in the feature film and television distribution business for more then 20 years. Lise specializes in North America (U.S. and Canada), U.K., France, Italy, Australia/ N.Z., and Africa markets, focuses on the company’s expansion into domestic DVD and Video On Demand (VOD) distribution. Lise also serves as a Chairperson/ Secretary to Ifta’s Executive Committee and Board of Directors. Adam Wright is the Executive Vice President/ International Sales and Acquisitions who specializes in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America markets. Adam was formerly President of Regent Worldwide Sales and a sales executive at Porchlight and Turner. Alexandra Sparer is a Sales Associate who specializes in Eastern and Central Europe including Russia, as well as Scandinavia, India, Turkey, Greece markets. Alex Saveliev is the Director of Domestic Distribution for Vision Films’ DVD/ VOD label. Nathan Ross is the Director of Servicing and Digital Operations.Jasmine Abrams is the Contracts Manager.Monique Green is the Director of Finance.Jennifer Schultz is the Sales and Marketing Coordinator.

Vision Films has launched a DVD and Video on Demand label to buttress its traditional distribution business, the company announced on Monday. Vision has secured partnerships with both cable and satellite providers like Dish, Comcast and Time Warner Cable, as well as digital storefronts such Amazon and iTunes. Its VOD service launches with titles such as "Wreckers," a coming-of-age saga starring Benedict Cumberbatch, and "The Employer," a thriller starring Malcolm McDowell and Paige Howard. Vision Films' DVD label will release titles, including "The Employer," on a monthly basis to assorted physicals retailers...

The worldwide sales company announced on Monday [10] its DVD and VoD label, formalising an expansion that has been operational since April.

Among Vision Films’ digital channels are Dish Network, iN Demand for Comcast, Verizon Fios Suddenlink, Amazon Prime, Hulu, iTunes and Xbox, Playstation and YouTube.

From April through August the roster of digital releases includes coming-of-age story Wreckers [pictured] starring Benedict Cumberbatch, sci-fi Cloned: The Recreator Chronicles and thriller The Employer with Malcolm McDowell.

Vision Films’ DVD label, distributed through Millennium Media Services, will release titles on a monthly basis to retailers such as RedBox, Walmart, Best Buy and Target.

The Employer will be the first release on Jul 2 and upcoming titles include Astronaut: The Last Push in September, and Amy in October.

“Contrary to popular opinion, Vision Films does not believe that DVD is dead,” commented Vision Films managing director and CEO of worldwide distribution, Lise Romanoff. “We believe in maximising revenue for our producers and are...

Legendary thespian Malcolm McDowell will again be in the middle of another creepy tale when The Employer is released next month by First Look Pictures. McDowell sat down with Dread Central to talk about the film and some other current projects.

Although The Employer is not a dyed-in-the-wool horror film, more of a genre-bender according to the actor, it certainly will entertain audiences with a chilling story. "It's not an out and out horror film per se," McDowell said. "Sort of a psychological thriller/horror. It's a little bit fuzzy as to what genre it is. But it's a fun piece. We did it on a very modest budget. I liked the script. It's definitely a character-driven piece, and our director, Frank Merle, did a great job. It's a fun ride."

And speaking on the director, McDowell continued with the accolades. "This is his first feature film, but it certainly won't be his last,...

*full disclosure: an online screener of this film was provided by Vision Films. It is hard to recommend a film that borrows so heavily from others. The Employer, from director Frank Merle, is an almost complete adaption of Stuart Hazeldine's United Kingdom shot Exam (2009). Both films deal with anonymous corporations and strange hiring practices. While it is not unusual to see a horror film borrow from another, The Employer is a film that this critic has seen many times before. And, The Employer does not bring anything new to the claustrophobic style of filmmaking, which has been seen in films such as The Steam Experiment, 247°F and many others. Instead, this film is very predictable, with Malcolm McDowell's performance as the boss, the only reason to watch. Exam and The Employer have very comparable stories. Both films deal with some very ambitious job seekers. Their ambition is turned...

Let's face it: It's not easy making it nowadays. The economy sucks, and the concept of steady work is like chasing a mythical unicorn. That being said, how far would you go to get a job? How badly do you want one? The Employer wants to know!

Written and directed by Frank Merle, The Employer stars Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange, Halloween, Silent Night, "The Mentalist,” “Entourage,” “Franklin & Bash”), Paige Howard (Adventureland), Billy Zane (Titanic, Back to the Future, Dead Calm), and David Dastmalchian (The Dark Knight, Saving Lincoln, Prisoners). Merle and Chris Roe produce.

Look for it to be released on June 7th.

Synopsis

Director/writer/producer Frank Merle (Carnage, Chaos & Creeps; Gnaw) and his new psychological thriller The Employer show just how far five applicants are willing to go for a job at the mysterious Carcharias Corporation. Anticipating their final interview, they find themselves trapped in a room...

Even with Albert Pujols and a slew of Red Sox coming to town this year, Los Angeles won't be seeing the World Series, but judging by the film lineup for the 12th Annual Shriekfest, La is getting something even better.

Every horror fan is sure to find something to their liking at Shriekfest, which is going on right now. Read on for the details, and for more visit the official Shriekfest website, "like" Shriekfest on Facebook and follow Shriekfest on Twitter (@Shriekfest).

From the Press Release

Festival goers will once again enjoy the finest in independent cinema from around the globe, selected from submissions that came in everywhere from London to New York, from Utah to Denmark. From our opening night screening of The Employer, featuring Malcolm McDowell and Billy Zane; to the shorts from Australia, Denmark, United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, and Mexico; and finally to the Shriekfest premiere of...

We’re heading smack bang into festival season, and the latest event to announce their line-up is a big (and growing) player on the horror world Shriekfest, and here’s the press release with some of the juicy details....Shriekfest International Horror/Sci Fi Film Festival is thrilled to announce the full, expanded schedule for the Twelth annual horror film festival, returning to Raleigh Studios Chaplin theatres, October 4-7th, 2012. Festival goers will once again enjoy the finest in independent cinema from around the globe, selected from submissions that came in everywhere from London to New York; from Utah to Denmark. From our opening night screening of The Employer, featuring Malcolm McDowell and Billy Zane, to the shorts from Australia, Denmark, United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Mexico, and finally to the Shriekfest Premiere of Scooter Downey's It's In The Blood, starring Lance Henriksen! The 12th Annual Shriekfest Horror/SciFi Film...

Here we have our first look at a new indie thriller starring Malcolm McDowell and Billy Zane called The Employer (previously "Death Method"). Reminiscent of a great UK horror flick called Exam, the film is about a group of job applicants who wake up together in a room and realize they're in for the final interview of their lives.

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