FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – New York (March 20, 2014) – Kino Lorber, Inc. announced today that it has acquired the documentary film Big Joy: The Adventures of James Broughton for North American distribution. The sale includes educational, digital, TV and home video rights.
Kino Lorber’s subsidiary label Alive Mind is planning a multi-tiered release this summer that includes a release across select digital platforms, DVD, and outreach to the educational market via Kino Lorber Edu. The film’s Frisky Divinity Productions is planning a limited theatrical release this summer in key markets.
Big Joy premiered at the 2013 SXSW Film Festival, screened at the Tribeca Film Festival, and then played over thirty-five festivals worldwide. Co-directed by Eric Slade, Stephen Silha, and Dawn Logsdon, Big Joy is the first documentary about longtime Bay Area poet and filmmaker James Broughton, a defining artistic voice of the 60’s & 70’s sexual and artistic revolution.
Deal was negotiated by Elizabeth Sheldon, Kino Lorber Senior Vice-President, and Stephen Silha, film’s co-director and founder of Frisky Divinity Productions.
Said Sheldon, “Big Joy is an exquisite documentary with universal appeal, critical acclaim, and a dedicated grass-roots audience that the filmmakers have carefully built over a year of successful festival screenings. It’s the perfect fit for our hybrid distribution model, and we look forward to collaborating with Stephen Silha and his team across our many release platforms.”
“We could not have found a better partner to reach and expand our audience and maximize the film’s legacy to Broughton,” said Silha. “Kino Lorber intuitively understands our film’s unique pedigree and our many audiences.”
Big Joy: The Adventures of James Broughton opens theatrically in New York City March 21st at Anthology Film Archives. Additional summer theatrical dates will be announced shortly.
About Kino Lorber, Inc.
With a library of 800 titles, Kino Lorber Inc. has been a leader in independent art house distribution for over 30 years, releasing over 25 films per year theatrically under its Kino Lorber, Kino Classics, and Alive Mind Cinema banners, including four Academy Award® nominated films in the last six years. In addition, the company brings over 70 titles each year to the home entertainment market with DVD and Blu-ray releases under its 5 house brands, distributes a growing number of third party labels, and is a direct digital distributor to all major platforms including iTunes, Netflix, HULU, Amazon, Vimeo and others.
About Frisky Divinity Productions:
Frisky Divinity Productions LLC was created to produce the Big Joy Project, a multimedia project featuring the work of James Broughton. The name came from one of his poems: “Relish your frisky divinity”. The company plans to produce more inspiring films.