Reviewed by Omid Arabian

Not a whole lot happens in London River, which sets it apart from Rachid Bouchareb’s other recent films — sweeping epics like Days of Glory and Outside the Law. Here, the Franco-Algerian director has elected to work on the other end of the scale, and the result is a small, subtle piece that nevertheless packs a hefty emotional punch.

Sotigui Kouyate, Brenda Blethyn

In the wake of the London bombings of 7/7/2005 Elisabeth (Brenda Blethyn), a fifty-something widowed farmer, calls her city-dwelling daughter Jane just to check up. Failing repeatedly to reach her, Elisabeth does what any mother would do—packs up a small case and heads out to look for her in London.

She arrives at the same time as Ousmane (Sotigui Kouyate), a stoic elderly African-born Muslim who in similar fashion has come in pursuit of his son Ali—who he fears is somehow involved in the attacks.

Once these two main characters are introduced, London River becomes a slow dance between them, starting out as a box-step at arm’s length and taking its time to develop into something softer and more intimate. Their connection begins when Ousmane comes across a ‘MISSING’ flyer bearing Jane’s picture, and recognizes her from a photo he has of his son. He seeks out Elisabeth and shows her the photo, which freaks her out to the point of calling the police and having Ousmane arrested.

Read full review at Levantine Cultural Center blog.

Featuring the BAFTA Award Winning actress Brenda Blethyn

and a Berlin Silver Bear performance by Sotigui Kouyaté

PREMIERES WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 7 in NEW YORK

and DECEMBER 16 in LOS ANGELES

__________________________________________________________________________________

LOS ANGELES (November 7, 2011) – Powerful performances by Brenda Blethyn and Sotigui Kouyaté drive this touching film from Rachid Bouchareb, the three-time Academy-Award nominated director of DAYS OF GLORY (Indigènes)  and OUTSIDE THE LAW (Hors La Loi). LONDON RIVER, the story of two parents looking for their respective children following the aftermath of the London bus bombings will have its American premiere at NY’s Cinema Village on Wednesday December 7 and at the Laemmle’s Royal in Los Angeles on December 16 with a platform release to follow.

Set against the backdrop of the July 7, 2005 terrorist attacks in London, LONDON RIVER follows Elizabeth (BAFTA winner, Academy Award® nominee Brenda Blethyn) from a small farming community in Guernsey, as she travels to London in the immediate aftermath of the bombings after failing to hear from her daughter. Elizabeth is disturbed by the confusion of the metropolis and above all by the predominantly Muslim neighborhood where her daughter lived. Her fear and prejudice escalate when she discovers her daughter was converting to Islam and she keeps crossing paths with Ousmane (Silver Bear winner, Sotigui Kouyaté), a West African who has come from France to find his missing son. Although they come from very different backgrounds, Elizabeth and Ousmane share the same hope of finding their children alive. Putting aside their cultural differences, they give each other the strength to continue the search and maintain their faith in humanity.

The film was inspired by the aftermath of the 7/7 bombings in London when a series of co-coordinated suicide attacks, targeting civilians using the public transportation system during the morning rush-hour, disabled the city.  Three bombs planted aboard the London Underground and a fourth on a double-decker bus exploded during rush-hour traffic, killing fifty-two people, as well as the four bombers, and wounding over 700 more. Following the explosions, the phone system became overloaded and the transportation systems were shut down, marooning Londoners from their relatives and making communication difficult. As seen in the film, kiosks popped up spontaneously across the city, where people posted “Missing” flyers seeking kin.  The city, and world, were held hostage for the next two weeks as additional bomb threats were followed by police raids and large scale evacuations after which two additional bombs were deployed on July 21.  To combat the rising tide of Islamaphobia, the British government set up a number of initiatives, including the “National Forum against extremism and Islamophobia.” There were also plans by the British government to ban incitement to “religious hatred”; however, this failed to get through the House of Commons.

Bouchareb, who says “all my films are concerned with the subject of meetings between different people, from different countries and different worlds,” shot LONDON RIVER on a small budget in 15 days.  He wrote the screenplay specifically for Kouyaté and Blethyn, whom he had seen in Mike Leigh’s SECRETS AND LIES.  “The event (7/7) is the starting point.  My film is less about the bombings themselves and more about the meeting between these two characters that takes place in its wake. That’s what is important to me, that these two people who meet are united by the same problem, which is their desire to find their children. Events such as the attacks of 7/7 naturally divide people, but at the same time, they also bring them together. They need one another.  People have to come together in the face of such crises.  It’s an obligation.”

Bleythn has received two Academy Award ® nominations, two SAG Award ®nominations, two Emmy Award ®nominations and three Golden Globe® Award nominations, winning one. She is best known in the States for her roles in SECRETS AND LIES, for which she won the BAFTA for Best Actress, as well as the big-budget features PRIDE & PREJUDICE (2005) and ATONEMENT (2007).  LONDON RIVER was released in the UK in July 2010, where Derek Malcolm of The Evening Standard said her performance was worthy of an “ovation.” The film premiered in 2009 at the Berlin International Film Festival.

French-speaking Kouyaté plays an African Muslim man working in France as an arborist.  This was the final performance for Kouyaté, a theatre legend who passed away in April 2010.  A former professional footballer from Mali, he started his career on stage as a favor to a friend.  He had a long association with UK theatre director Peter Brook and was the founder of the Mandeko Theatre in the Malian capital Bamako.  Kouyaté, whose parents came from a long line of griots—or traditional storytellers—was also made an Officer of Arts and Letters by the French government in 2009. In an interview for the film, Kouyaté said, “It is a film about how we react to things, and this is what interests me. It teaches us that when you meet the other, don’t be scared to look them in the eye; for if you are brave enough to do so, you will finish by seeing yourself more clearly.”

The film also features Roschdy Zem and Sami Bouajila both of whom have starred in DAYS OF GLORY and OUTSIDE THE LAW.

Bouchareb, the Paris-born child of Algerian parents, has built a career making films that touch on issues of ethnicity, religious intolerance, displacement, kinship and community. His first film BATON ROUGE (1985) is the story of three poor Parisians who dream about a better life in America. CHEB, which won a special award after its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in 1991, is the story of a young Algerian expat, educated in Paris, who returns to Algeria to find he is no longer welcomed there.  DUST OF LIFE (Poussières De Vie) and LITTLE SENEGAL (both available for the first time on DVD and digital platforms in North America from Cinema Libre Studio) explore, respectively the bastard children of American soldiers in Vietnam and the pilgrimage of a slave museum tour guide from Africa who journeys to the United States in search of his relatives—whose ancestors were taken as slaves, the latter was filmed in the Senegalese community of Harlem in New York City.

Bouchareb has a long production partnership with producer Jean Bréhat, with whom he founded 3B Productions in 1987, and together they have produced eight films, three of them receiving Oscar® nominations for Best Foreign Film.

ABOUT CINEMA LIBRE: Cinema Libre Studio is a leader in distributing social-issue documentaries and features by passionate filmmakers.  Headquartered in Los Angeles, the Cinema Libre team has released over one hundred films including the Sundance Audience Award‐Winning FUEL, THE END OF POVERTY?, and Oliver Stone’s SOUTH OF THE BORDER. The studio is developing John Perkins’ best‐selling memoirs, CONFESSIONS OF AN ECONOMIC HIT MAN, into a major motion picture. For more information and updates, please visit: www.cinemalibrestudio.com| Updates | Facebook | Twitter .

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ADDITIONAL DETAILS:

Additional information including downloadable/embeddable clips and trailer as well as high res images can be found at www.londonriverthefilm.com

Additional updates including show times can be found at http://www.facebook.com/LondonRiverUS | Updates at: Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LondonRiverUS | Twitter: @London_River

NEW YORK EVENTS SCHEDULE: LONDON RIVER premiered Wednesday 12/7 at Cinema Village (22 East 12th Street, NYC 10003, www.cinemavillage.com)

Showtimes:

• Week 1: Weds. 12/7 – Fri. 12/9 1:10p  3:10p  5:10p  7:10p  9:20p; Sat. 12/10 & Sun 12/11**  1:10p  3:10p  5:10p  7:10p; Mon. 12/12 – Thurs. 12/15 1:10p  3:10p  5:10p  7:10p
• Week 2: Fri. 12/16 – Thurs. 12/22 1:10p, 7:10p

LOS ANGELES SCHEDULE: LONDON RIVER PREMIERES 12/16 at Laemmle’s Royal Theatre (11523 Santa Monica Blvd., West LA, 90025, www.laemmle.com) Show times: Fri – Sat 1:00, 3:10**, 5:20, 7:30* & 10:00 and Sun-Thurs @ 1:00, 3:10, 5:20, 7:30

• *Fri 12/16 – Q & A following the 7:30pm show with Jihad Turk, Director of Religious Affairs at the Islamic Center of Southern California, in conversation with Levantine Center cofounder Jordan Elgrably.

• *Sat. 12/17 – Q & A following the 7:30pm show featuring writer-professor Jawad Ali,
• **Sun 12/18 – Q&A following the 3:10pm with Shakeel Syed, executive director of the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California and Munia Syeda, from the Council on American Islamic Relations.

To request a screener or inquire about interview opportunities, please contact press@cinemalibrestudio.com

What: A FREE film series – Power to the People Film Series – To thank all LA Occupy-ers and activists

When: Starts Friday, November 11, 2011.  Additional screenings per schedule below.

Where: The Last Bookstore (453 S Spring St, Downtown LA)

Why: To show support for the 99% protesting in Los Angeles (and across the world) against the inequities in our   economic system caused by the control the multi-national corporations wield in our lives. By sharing these films, we hope to open eyes and minds.

Who: Presented by the LA Progressive,  Hollywood Progressive, The Last Bookstore and Cinema Libre Studio with support from the Levantine Cultural Center and KPFK radio with special thanks to Pharaoh MC and the proceeds from his album, Terrorism Era.

Schedule & Details:

A FREE screening of the following films will occur followed by Q&A with filmmakers and special guests.  All screenings start at 4:00pm and discussion will end by 7:00pm.

Ed Rampell, a film historian/critic (Hollywood Progressive.com) and  author of “Progressive Hollywood, A Peoples Film History of the United States” will also participate in the panels.

Donations will be accepted at the door or via Eventbrite, where RSVPs can be made as seating is limited http://www.eventbrite.com/event/2484683756/mcivte

For additional information please visit:

-          FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=264606690251620

-          LA PROGRESSIVES.com http://www.laprogressive.com/category/featured-event/

MEDIA CONTACT:

Beth Portello, bportello@cinemalibrestudio.com, 818-349-8822, cell: 310-780-4008

By: Stephen SPAZ Schnee

For decades, the news headlines have been filled with horror stories about hazardous and harmful child labor practices in countries all over the world. We’ve read about the terrible working conditions, the long hours and the low pay, yet these articles have always concentrated on countries that seemed light years away from our comfy, cozy world. If you think that you aren’t affected by the exploitation of child laborers, think again.

From Executive Producer Eva Longoria and Shine Global
THE HARVEST/LA COSECHA

DOCUMENTARY EXPOSES PLIGHT OF CHILD MIGRANT WORKERS IN THE UNITED STATES

“STRAIGHTFORWARD, INTIMATE and HEARTBREAKING.”Susan Linden, The Los Angeles Times

“In its modest way, calls to mind The Grapes of Wrath .”Mike Hale, The New York Times

WINNER
Outstanding Filmmaker
&
Audience Award – Best Documentary

San Antonio Film Festival
Coming to DVD and Digital Download Platforms on October 11, 2011
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LOS ANGELES, CA (September 7, 2011) – After a national theatrical run in July followed by screening events across the country, THE HARVEST/LA COSECHA will be broadcast nationally on EPIX, the multiplatform media service, and EpixHD.com on October 5, 2011 and then released on DVD and digital download platforms such as; iTunes, Amazon, Xbox, Playstation, Vudu, & Blockbuster on October 11, 2011. This Shine Global production, directed by U Roberto Romano and Executive Produced by Eva Longoria, examines the lives of child migrant laborers. The film focuses on three Latino youths; Zulema Lopez, 12, Perla Sanchez, 14 and Victor Huapilla,16, who are among the 400,000 children who work as migrant laborers on America’s farms.

Zulema Lopez, 12, thinks of nothing but working in the fields, and one of her earliest childhood memories is of her mother teaching her how to pick and clean strawberries. Having attended eight schools in the last eight years, she struggles to keep up and is afraid she may not make it to high school. When asked what her dreams are, she replies that she doesn’t have time for them.

Perla Sanchez, 14, travels with her large family to pick crops across the United States. She watches as her classmates forge special bonds that she will never share with them as they advance from one grade to the next and she is left behind. And just when it seems that her father has found a job that will allow them to stay in one place and have some stability, a decline in his health sends them back on the road. She dreams of becoming a lawyer so that she can help other migrant workers who struggle to make ends meet.

Victor Huapilla is a 16 year-old living in Florida. His family migrated to the US when he was young looking for a better life and is on the path to full citizenship. To help support his family, Victor has had to balance his time between harvesting and going to school and his education suffers. While Victor is often in the fields, he’s glad his younger sisters are still spared the ordeal of picking up to 1500 pounds of tomatoes a day. But the expenses of legally bringing his two older sisters to America bankrupts the family and they can’t afford to migrate for work.

Directed by award-winning photographer and filmmaker U Roberto Romano, THE HARVEST/LA COSECHA tells the stories of three adolescents who travel with their families across thousands of miles to pick crops in southern Texas, northern Michigan and northern Florida during the harvest season. Along the way, they face back breaking labor in 100-degree heat, physical hazards from pesticides, the emotional burden of helping their families through economic crises when work opportunities dry up, separation from their families and peer groups and dwindling hope for their educational and economic advancement.

Scenes from THE HARVEST/LA COSECHA have been presented to the US Department of Labor and members of Congress, including Rep. Roybal-Allard, who hopes that the film will raise public awareness of the issues surrounding young farm workers.

THE HARVEST/LA COSECHA is a production of Shine Global, Inc. in association with Globalvision, Inc., Romano Film and Photography, Inc., UnbeliEVAble Productions and EPIX. Albie Hecht and Susan MacLaury: executive producers for Shine Global, Inc. Eva Longoria: executive producer for UnBeliEVAble Productions, Rory O’Connor: executive producer for Globalvision, Inc. and producer. Alonzo Cantu and Raul Padilla, Executive Producers

ABOUT SHINE GLOBAL: Founded in 2005, Shine Global, a non-profit production company has given voice to some of the world’s most at-risk children, shared their stories and inspired millions of viewers. Their goal is to end the abuse and exploitation of children worldwide through the production of films. They have won more than 20 major film awards, including an Academy Award-nomination for the film War/Dance, two Emmys, and Best Director Documentary at Sundance.

SYNOPSIS: Every year there are more than 400,000 American children who are torn away from their friends, schools and homes to pick the food we all eat. Zulema, Perla and Victor work as migrant farm laborers, sacrificing their own childhoods to help their families survive. THE HARVEST/LA COSECHA profiles these three as they journey from the scorching heat of Texas’ onion fields to the winter snows of the Michigan apple orchards and back south to the humidity of Florida’s tomato fields to follow the harvest. From the Producers of the Academy-Award® nominated film WAR/DANCE and Executive Producer Eva Longoria, this award-winning documentary provides an intimate glimpse into the lives of these children who struggle to dream while working 12-14 hours a day, 7 days a week to feed America. www.theharvestfilm.com | Facebook | Twitter |

SRP: $24.95 | TRT: 80 minutes
Street Date: 10/11/11 | UPC: 881394113527
Catalog: CLS 1135 | Genre: Documentary
DVD EXTRAS:
• Deleted scenes: Interviews with other child migrant workers – Crystal, James and Aaron – not featured in the film
• Educational tools
• Footage from the MALDEF Conference featuring Eva Longoria and the Shine Global co- founders Susan MacLaury and Albie Hecht

Hi-Res DVD Box Art: http://www.cinemalibrestudio.com/clscatalog/2011/Harvest_3D_HR.jpg
Low-Res DVD Bow Art: http://www.cinemalibrestudio.com/clscatalog/2011/Harvest_3D_LR.jpg

ABOUT CINEMA LIBRE STUDIO: Cinema Libre Studio is a leader in the distribution of social-issue documentaries and features by passionate filmmakers. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the Cinema Libre team has released over one hundred films including the Sundance Audience Award‐Winning FUEL, THE END OF POVERTY, and Oliver Stone’s SOUTH OF THE BORDER. The studio is developing John Perkins’ best‐selling memoirs, CONFESSIONS OF AN ECONOMIC HIT MAN, into a major motion picture. For more information and updates, please visit: www.cinemalibrestudio.com

For screener and interview requests contact:
Cassie Brewer, Publicity Coordinator at Cinema Libre Studio, 818.349.8822, cbrewer (at) cinemalibrestudio (dot) com

EYE OF THE FUTURE
Imaginative Documentary Inspires a Global Audience to Reduce our Carbon Foot Print.

COMING TO DVD SEPTEMBER 27, 2011

LOS ANGELES, CA (September 12, 2011) — The world’s climate activists are gearing up for Climate Week NYC (September 19 – 26), which will then lead to the United Nation’s Climate Change Convention in Durban, South Africa (November 28 – December 9). EYE OF THE FUTURE, a one-hour documentary directed and produced by educator, Catherine Cunningham and her company, Eikosphere, is set to inspire the world’s youth to become the guardians of Earth. Cinema Libre Studio will release EYE OF THE FUTURE, on DVD and digital platforms beginning on September 13, 2011.

EYE OF THE FUTURE shows audiences numerous ways in which we can individually and collectively be environmental stewards of the planet and reduce our carbon footprint. This documentary-drama features five children of UN Ambassadors, whom are all nine years old. As the “eyes of the future”, they are called upon by Earth to share their stories and further expand their visions into inspiring, game-changing global scenarios for reducing our global carbon footprint. They are challenged to reduce global carbon from 390 ppm (parts/million) carbon in the atmosphere to 320ppm by exchanging stories of real carbon-saving solutions from their home countries around the globe. The film introduces examples of clean technologies and sustainable design from around the world.

The children explore the growing solar industries in China, Spain and Australia, the latest wind turbine technology in Europe and the US, and greenhouses in the Middle East. They see the new eco-designed commercial complexes in China with rooftop gardens and how the people in Africa use bio- charcoal to nitrify the soil and produce energy. They learn about the programs in India and Brazil that convert waste into valuable resources and create “green jobs”. Ultimately, the children imagine what it would be like to live in Eco-Cities, where all energy, transportation, waste, and water systems are monitored and optimized; where the city thrives like a natural ecosystem. They envision these cities are built with dense, tall buildings, with light-colored surfaces to reduce heat. They imagine people happily commuting on fast and efficient Maglev trains and earning money by recycling. As the children’s stories accumulate, the Earth calculates their carbon savings to where they reach their goal, 320ppm. However, their challenge is not over yet, the Earth communicates to to them that their final challenge is to open the eyes of the future. Only then will they meet their goal.

EYE OF THE FUTURE is the feature length directorial debut for Catherine Cunningham, founder of Eikosphere, LLC, a multi-media company that creates educational content focused on sustainable solutions by assembling leading artists, scientists, and technologists from around the world.

SYNOPSIS: Five children of UN ambassadors from around the world are called by Earth to imagine a new sustainable future for our global society. As they are playing happily in the UN gardens, they discover a magic portal that draws them into an adventure where they must work together to reduce the global carbon footprint. Soon they learn that the only way they can succeed is to share their stories about how their cultures and communities save carbon; and how they can collectively take those clean energy solutions to scale. Just when they are about to reach their carbon-savings goal, the carbon counter starts to tick in the wrong direction. Earth tells them that to avert a climate crisis they must also communicate globally the importance of protecting our forests and oceans from further degradation. Join us as the eyes of the future meet the greatest global challenge we face today.

SRP: $19.95 | TRT: 45 minutes
Street Date: 9/13/11 | UPC: 881394113428
Catalog: CLS 1134 | Genre: Documentary/ Environmental

DVD EXTRAS:• “Re-work the World” featuring international leaders at the 5th GLOBAL YES CONFERENCE.
• “World Wisdom on Climate Change”, features other global leaders and their perspectives on how to transition to a New Sustainable world.
• Featured speakers include:
o Barak Obama, President of the United States
o Gordon Brown, Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
o Ricardo Lagos, former President of Chile; former Director Club of Madrid, UN Envoy on Climate Change
o Dir Han Seung Soo, Former Prime Minister of South Korea, UN Envoy on Climate Change
o Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland, VC Club of Madrid, Dr. Ethical Globalization Initiative
o Dr. Rajendra Pachuari, Chair of the IPCC, DG of TERI, India
o Herbert Girardet, Co-Founder, World Future Council
o Dr. Jacqueline McGlade, Executive Director, European Environment Agency

HI-RES BOX ART: http://www.cinemalibrestudio.com/clscatalog/2011/EyeOfTheFuture_3D_HR_RGB.jpg

LOW-RES BOX ART: http://www.cinemalibrestudio.com/clscatalog/2011/EyeOfTheFuture_3D_LR.jpg

ABOUT CINEMA LIBRE: Cinema Libre Studio is a leader in distributing social-issue documentaries and features by passionate filmmakers. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the Cinema Libre team has released over one hundred films including the Sundance Audience Award‐Winning FUEL, THE END OF POVERTY, and Oliver Stone’s SOUTH OF THE BORDER. The studio is developing John Perkins’ best‐selling memoirs, CONFESSIONS OF AN ECONOMIC HIT MAN, into a major motion picture. For more information and updates, please visit: www.cinemalibrestudio.com

For screener and interview requests contact:
Cassie Brewer | Publicity Coordinator | Cinema Libre Studio | cbrewer (at) cinemalibrestudio (dot) com

FROM THE ACADEMY-AWARD® NOMINATED DIRECTOR RACHID BOUCHAREB
LITTLE SENEGAL

“Evocative soundtrack…complements the lush imagery in this intelligent and intriguing look at some quintessentially American themes and problems.”- Variety

AVAILABLE ON DVD AUGUST 30, 2011

LOS ANGELES (August 19, 2011) – From the multi- award winning director and three-time Oscar® nominee, Rachid Bouchareb, comes the heart-breaking drama about an African man who heads to America in search of his past and his future. LITTLE SENEGAL is the second Bouchareb release from Cinema Libre Studio and will be available on DVD and digital platforms on August 30, 2011.

Shot in the Senegalese community of Harlem in New York City, LITTLE SENEGAL tells the story of Alloue (Sotigui Kouyaté), a slave museum tour guide who journeys on a pilgrimage from Africa to the United States in search of his relatives — those whose ancestors were taken as slaves. Through his search, he ends up in the projects of New York City. In this film, Bouchareb touches on themes of racism and discrimination between African- Americans and their native African cousins, the pursuit of the American dream while adapting to the cultural differences and the desire for family and community. Originally released in France in 2001, and never released in the U.S., it was an official selection to the Berlin International Film Festival and received numerous Jury Prizes for Best Film and Best Actor.

Born in Paris to an immigrated Algerian family, Bouchareb was long seen as a curio within French cinema. In 1987, with his friend Jean Bréhat, he founded 3B Productions and together they have produced eight films, three of them receiving Oscar® nominations for Best Foreign Film. His first nomination was in 1995 for DUST OF LIFE (Poussieres De Vie). In 2006, DAYS OF GLORY (Indigènes) earned him a second Oscar® nomination and his most recent film, OUTSIDE THE LAW (Hors La Loi), was his third nomination and also in Official Competition at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.

SYNOPSIS: After many years as a tour guide in the slave museum in Senegal, Alloune, 65, a widower living alone, decides to go to America in search of his ancestors who were taken away from his village 200 years ago and sold as slaves in the New World.
From Charleston to Little Senegal in New York, he searches for his relatives and also for an ideal vision of an African family. He soon discovers the tensions between the African and the African-American communities embodied by his nephew Hassan, a cab driver, his girlfriend Biram, an African with modern views on love and marriage and Ida, an older woman faced with seeing her pregnant grand-daughter destroyed by hard life on the street.

SRP: $19.95 | TRT: 93 minutes
Street Date: 8/30/11 | UPC: 881394112124
Catalog: CLS 1121 | Genre: Drama/ Foreign

Hi-Res Box Art: http://www.cinemalibrestudio.com/clscatalog/2011/LittleSenegal_3D_HR.jpg

Low Res Box Art: http://www.cinemalibrestudio.com/clscatalog/2011/LittleSenegal_3D_LR.jpg

Link to Trailer and Clips: http://www.vimeo.com/album/1671012

ABOUT CINEMA LIBRE: Cinema Libre Studio is a leader in distributing social-issue documentaries and features by passionate filmmakers. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the Cinema Libre team has released over one hundred films including the Sundance Audience Award‐Winning FUEL, THE END OF POVERTY, and Oliver Stone’s SOUTH OF THE BORDER. The studio is developing John Perkins’ best‐selling memoirs, CONFESSIONS OF AN ECONOMIC HIT MAN, into a major motion picture. For more information and updates, please visit: www.cinemalibrestudio.com | Updates | Facebook | Twitter |Affiliate Programs

For screener and interview requests contact:
Cassie Brewer, Publicity Coordinator
Cinema Libre Studio
818.349.8822
cbrewer (at) cinemalibrestudio (dot) com

For screenings, grassroots and educational use contact: screening (at) cinemalibrestudio (dot) com

A COMPELLING DOCUMENTARY SUPPORTING THE LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA
A NORML LIFE

“Penalties against drug use should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself. Nowhere is this more clear than in the laws against the possession of marijuana in private for personal use.” – President Jimmy Carter

AVAILABLE ON DVD AUGUST 16, 2011
LOS ANGELES (July 20, 2011)- The war on drugs has been an uphill battle for decades but recent legislation, which was modeled after the Repeal of Alcohol Prohibition, could very well end prohibition against marijuana. The National Organization of the Reform for Marijuana Laws, also known as “NORML”, has been a forefront leader on this issue along with many of its standout supporters. On August 16, 2011, Cinema Libre Studio proudly releases A NORML LIFE on DVD which tells the story of the advocates fighting for the legalization of cannabis.

A NORML LIFE, directed by Rod Pitman and produced by Doug Ross, is based on the same principals that the nonprofit organization, NORML, holds. The documentary presents the case that the use of medicinal marijuana is effective and that it is a safe alternative to pharmaceutical medicine. Through first hand interviews with physicians, patients suffering from chronic illness and a great amount of evidence provided by clinical case studies—the filmmakers prove that there are in fact both physical and psychological benefits produced by marijuana that dramatically affect a patients condition.

In the film we meet NORML founder R. Keith Stroup, ESQ and NORML’s Executive Director Allen St. Pierre whom are both widely known in the media as leaders in the movement for marijuana policy reform. Jodie Emery, the activist and wife of the “Prince of Pot” Marc Emery, appears in the film leading the “Free Marc” campaign and fighting to appeal her husbands conviction for marijuana trafficking— while carrying on Marc’s mission to “Plant the Seeds of Freedom and Overgrow the Government”. This is in hopes that one day people will be able to grow their own cannabis for medicine. We also see Independent candidate for Governor of Kentucky, Gatewood Galbraith, whose determination and strive is a force for cannabis advocates everywhere. Other personalities from all walks of life share their views on the benefits of marijuana and the challenges they face to legalize it.

-MORE-

Rod Pitman has produced television shows, music videos and the recently released film HEMPSTERS: PLANT THE SEED, also distributed by Cinema Libre Studio. Doug Ross, founder of Honolulu Municipal Television, is a recognized video professional who has worked on acclaimed projects such as Global View series on History Channel International and China: Engineering an Empire on History Channel. These two men, who have known each other for approximately 50 years, collaborated on this project to carry out the repeated message from the personal stories of these activists: when western medicine fails and the only solution to end pain and suffering is medicinal marijuana then something needs to be done to end the war on drugs.

SYNOPSIS: NORML or National Organization of the Reform for Marijuana Laws has long advocated for the decriminalization of cannabis for over 40 years. Its founder, current leaders and nationwide chapter representatives describe the patchwork of state and municipal laws that allow the sale of medical marijuana, while the federal government still regards cannabis as a dangerous narcotic.

Voters in the U.S. are increasingly recognizing the positive aspects of accepting and controlling medical marijuana in their communities for its medicinal benefits, as well as for its potential to generate needed tax revenue.

Hear personal stories and testimonies to the efficacy of medicinal marijuana from those who are suffering from chronic illnesses. To what extent should we allow the government to legislate over personal freedoms and liberties with regard to our health and treatment?

SRP: $19.95 | TRT: 60 minutes
Street Date: 8/16/11 | UPC: 881394113329
Catalog: CLS 1133 | Genre: Documentary/ Health

DVD SPECIAL FEATURE:
Interview with Ray Manzarek, Co-Founder and Keyboardist of The Doors
plus an introductory video, “About NORML.”

Hi-res 3d box art: http://www.cinemalibrestudio.com/clscatalog/2011/NormlLife_3D_HR.jpg

Low res 3d box art: http://www.cinemalibrestudio.com/clscatalog/2011/NormlLife_3D_LR.jpg

Find updates at: www.anormllifethemovie.com | Facebook | Twitter
ABOUT CINEMA LIBRE: Cinema Libre Studio is a leader in distributing social-issue documentaries and features by passionate filmmakers. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the Cinema Libre team has released over one hundred films including the Sundance Audience Award‐Winning FUEL, THE END OF POVERTY, and Oliver Stone’s SOUTH OF THE BORDER. The studio is developing John Perkins’ best‐selling memoirs, CONFESSIONS OF AN ECONOMIC HIT MAN, into a major motion picture. For more information and updates, please visit: www.cinemalibrestudio.com | Updates | Facebook | Twitter |Affiliate Programs
For screener and interview requests contact:
Cassie Brewer, Publicity Coordinator
Cinema Libre Studio
818.349.8822
cbrewer@cinemalibrestudio.com

In inquire about film’s availability for NORML chapters and at specialty retail accounts:
Stephanie Bishop
Heart Brain Media
(206) 697-2374
Stephanie@heartbrainmedia.com

LIFE AFTER DJANGO REINHARDT
100 GUITARISTS GATHER IN A TRIBUTE TO THE ULTIMATE JAZZ IMPRESARIO

COMING TO DVD AUGUST 16, 2011
LOS ANGELES, CA (July 22, 2011)—Django Reinhardt was a jazz pioneer known for creating an idiom of jazz called “Gypsy Jazz” or “Gypsy Swing”. He was the original “guitar hero” in the sense that he invented a radical new way to play guitar, commonly known as “hot guitar.” This film celebrates the 100th birthday of Django Reinhardt by documenting the “Django 100” a group of a 100 musicians whom have gathered together to honor the talented guitarist as a tribute to his life. Cinema Libre Studio proudly presents LIFE AFTER DJANGO REINHARDT, coming to DVD and digital platforms on August 16, 2011.

Django Reinhardt is known as a master, creator and “pure ecstasy” to his devotees. These 100 musicians gather to pay homage to the man, who paved the way for them. Without Reinhardt “Gypsy Jazz” may never have been realized. There is an inexplicable passion and obsession that is brought to life by this film, as conveyed by they way the guitarists have given up words in exchange for melodies.

Reinhardt’s musical style of “Gypsy Jazz” has influenced many musicians. Some of these musicians featured in the film include; David Reinhardt, the grandson of the Django Reinhardt who now leads his own trio inspired by his grandfather. Angelo Debarre, an accomplished guitarist who has performed in several significant jazz festivals, including Birdland’s “Django Festival.” Boulou Ferre, who was a child prodigy who began playing professional at the age of twelve and has incorporated Django’s “Gypsy Jazz” with other musical styles such as bebop and classical. Tchavolo Schmitt, who began playing at the age of six is another renowned “Gypsy Jazz” guitarist.

THE LIFE AFTER DJANGO director, Olivier Kowalski, is a classically trained musician, whose passion led him to make this film. Kowalski formed a group called Komintern, who is renowned for the album, The Ball of the Dead Rat, which became a collector’s item. It was his love for film though that changed the direction of his career. Kowalski became the director of a music publishing company and later the head of Davout Studios, which is one of the top studios to record music for French cinema. In 1994, he bought the studio, which he currently manages today.

SYNOPSIS:
LIFE AFTER DJANGO REINHARDT pays tribute to Django Reinhardt, the Roma genius, born to Gypsy parents in 1910, is considered by many to be the single most important guitarist in the entire history of jazz. To honor the 100th anniversary of Django’s birth, one hundred of his disciples, including his grandson David Reinhardt, have gathered together for the “Django 100 Centennial Tour” — traveling the world to pay homage to this exceptional type-setter who marked the 20th century. Hear stories of the influence and passion by some of the more notable jazz guitarists including, Elios and Boulou Ferré, Angelo Debarre and Tchavlo Schmitt, as they prepare for the tour. Listen to the familiar songs performed by these renowned musicians — all of whom have dedicated their lives and their careers to the legend. www.lifeafterdjango.com

SRP: $19.95 | TRT: 54 minutes
Street Date: 8/16/11 | UPC: 881394112827
Catalog: CLS 1128 | Genre: Documentary/ Music | Language: French with English subtitles

DVD SPECIAL FEATURE:
Performance of “Minor Swing” by the Django 100

HI-RES BOX ART: http://www.cinemalibrestudio.com/clscatalog/2011/Django_3DNew_HR.jpg

LOW-RES BOX ART: http://www.cinemalibrestudio.com/clscatalog/2011/Django_3DNew_LR.jpg

ABOUT CINEMA LIBRE:
Cinema Libre Studio is a leader in distributing social-issue documentaries and features by passionate filmmakers. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the Cinema Libre team has released over one hundred films including the Sundance Audience Award‐Winning FUEL, THE END OF POVERTY, and Oliver Stone’s SOUTH OF THE BORDER. The studio is developing John Perkins’ best‐selling memoirs, CONFESSIONS OF AN ECONOMIC HIT MAN, into a major motion picture. For more information and updates, please visit: www.cinemalibrestudio.com | Updates | Facebook | Twitter |Affiliate Programs

For screener and interview requests contact:
Cassie Brewer, Publicity Coordinator
Cinema Libre Studio

August 5th, 2011 by Naivasha D