Cosmo DeNicola Companies News


Monday, February 27, 2023

SCREEN MEDIA ACQUIRES NORTH AMERICAN RIGHTS TO DEVIL’S PEAKSTARRING ACADEMY AWARD WINNER BILLY BOB THORNTON, ROBIN WRIGHT AND HOPPER PENN

The crime thriller is set for a February 2023 theatrical and digital release. 

 

NEW YORK – Screen Media, a Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment company (Nasdaq: CSSE), announced today the acquisition of all North American rights to the upcoming crime thriller Devil’s Peak. The film stars Academy Award winner Billy Bob Thornton (The Gray Man, Bad Santa), Golden Globe winner Robin Wright (Wonder Woman 1984, House of Cards), Hopper Penn (War Machine, The Cleaner) and Academy Award nominee Jackie Earle Haley (The Watchmen). Devil’s Peak is directed by Ben Young (Hounds of Love, Extinction) from a screenplay written by Robert Knott (Appaloosa), based on the novel Where All Light Tends to Go written by David Joy. Screen Media will release the film exclusively in theaters on February 17, followed by a digital release on February 24.

 

Set in the Appalachian Mountains, Devil’s Peak is a tense thriller about a family dominated by a crime lord (Thornton) who controls his family and his business with his fists. When his son (Penn) meets the girl of his dreams (Katelyn Nacon), desperately wanting to escape the life he is expected to lead and free himself from the clutches of his father, he is forced to go head-to-head with the terrifying man who will stop at nothing to ensure loyalty from all of those around him.

 

“Working with a cast of this stature had always been a dream of mine,” said director Ben Young. “I wanted to get back to my roots and make a movie on location that would live or die by its performances. It’s movie-making in its purest form, driven by love and passion for the medium by all involved.”

 

“We’ve been big fans of the story since we first read it,” said David Fannon, chief acquisitions and distribution officer at Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment. “Devil’s Peak is the kind of original storytelling that Screen Media can’t wait to bring it to audiences worldwide.”

 

The film was produced by Wright, Griff Furst, Josh Kesselman, Robert Knott, and Jamie Hilton. Executive producers include Ford Corbett, Seth Needle, Conor McAdam, Maurice Fadida, Angela Meredith Furst, Landon Gorman, Amanda Morrison, Brandon Powers, Anthony Standberry and David Nagelberg.

 

The deal was negotiated by Seth Needle, executive vice president of global acquisitions and co-productions, on behalf of Screen Media, with Griff Furst on behalf of the filmmakers. 

 

Screen Media recently acquired Tom DeLonge’s directorial debut Monsters of California, Renny Harlin’s action film The Bricklayer starring Aaron Eckhart and Nina Dobrev from Millennium Films, The Locksmithstarring Ryan Phillippe, Kate Bosworth, and Ving Rhames as well as the Bella Thorne-led thriller Saint Clare also starring Ryan Phillippe and Rebecca DeMornay. Recent film releases include Poker Face directed by and starring Academy Award Winner Russell Crowe, Kevin Lewis’ follow-up to Willy’s Wonderland, The Accursedstarring Alexis Knapp and Mena Suvari, The Enforcer starring Antonio Banderas and Kate Bosworth, The Immaculate Room starring Emile Hirsch, Kate Bosworth and Ashley Greene Khoury, The Nan Movie starring Catherine Tate, Code Name Banshee starring Antonio Banderas, Jaime King and Tommy Flanagan and the psychological horror film Monstrous starring Christina Ricci.

 

About Screen Media Ventures LLC 

Screen Media Ventures, LLC, a Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment (Nasdaq: CSSE) company, is a leading independent distributor of feature films, television series and documentaries in North America and supplies high-quality content to the global market through its foreign sales division. The company is the main supplier of content to the Crackle Plus streaming services, as well as to third-party streaming platforms. With its recent acquisitions of 1091 Pictures and the Sonar Entertainment library assets, Screen Media continues to expand its library of nearly 7,000 television series and motion pictures. Screen Media’s diverse slate of titles includes critically acclaimed and audience favorites: The Outpost starring Scott Eastwood, Willy’s Wonderland starring Academy Award® Winner Nicolas Cage, groundbreaking documentaries such as The Phenomenon and Grammy-Award Winner Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice, and indie film hits including Academy Award® Winner Taika Waititi’s What We Do in the Shadows and Hunt for the Wilderpeople. For more information, visit: www.screenmedia.net  

Thursday, September 8, 2022

Crackle Plus Unleashes Streaming Series ‘Pet Caves’ For PetSmart

Makeover show launches on Chicken Soup for the Soul AVOD service September 1

Cats. dogs, bunnies and more are coming to Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment’s ad-supported VOD service in Pet Caves, a new series created with sponsor PetSmart.

Pet Caves is hosted by pet behaviorist Kayla Oliver and celebrity design architect Nina Ferrer, who help animal lovers makeover rooms in their homes to accommodate their mostly furry family members.

In each episode, Oliver–who once worked at PetSmart no less–and Ferrer go to a PetSmart store for items and accessories they need to provide critter comforts.

The show will debut exclusively on the Chicken Soup for the Soul free streaming service, which is available on Vizio and Samsung smart TVs, starting September 1. Pet Caves will also be available for free on Sept. 15 via the company’s Crackle service. Redbox, recently acquired by Chicken Soup for Soul Entertainment, will also stream the show later this fall.

Darren Olive, executive VP of national sales and strategy for Crackle Plus, the Chicken Soup for the Soul division responsible for its streaming business, told Broadcasting+Cable that the idea for the show grew out of an annual meeting with PetSmart, already an ad client.

Chicken Soup for the Soul’s family-friendly programming over-indexes with pet owners and PetSmart was looking to reach audiences that no longer watch traditional television.

Crackle Plus hatched its Chicken Soup for the Soul AVOD network earlier this year, and “it really fit well into their initiative to target families in an environment that’s brand safe and trusted,” Olive said.

With streaming, Crackle is able to use pet ownership as a behavioral target to zero in on the consumers PetSmart is looking to reach.

In its discussions with Crackle Plus, PetSmart also said it was interested in integrating its brand direction into original programming, Olive said.

“We had been in development of the show Pet Caves kind of serendipitously as part of a push to do more branded content on our AVOD and fast channels,” Olive said. The show was a doggone good fit with the PetSmart tagline “Anything for Pets.”

“We said 'hey, we’ve got this show. It aligns really well with your tagline and what you’re looking to do.' It was an aha moment for us,” he said.

On top of that, Chicken Soup for the Soul has its own brand of pet food, which is sold at PetSmart. The Chicken Soup for the Soul brand pet food is being integrated into the series as well, Olive said.

“At PetSmart, we’re always seeking innovative ways to connect with pet parents and share our unrivaled expertise and love for pets,” says PetSmart senior vice president and chief marketing officer Will Smith. “Home is truly where our pets are, and what better way to show we’ll do anything for pets than by shining a light on the stories of people who revitalize their homes just for their furry, feathered, or scaly family friends? That’s exactly what Pet Caves does.”

In addition to being integrated into the show, PetSmart will be presenting the show with limited commercial interruptions. It will also get other show-adjacent opportunities, including custom billboards and pause ads (paws ads?) that show a static message from PetSmart when viewers pause the show.

Petsmart will also be featured in custom tune in ads and its commercials will run on Popcornflix and Red Box in addition to the Chicken Soup for the Soul and Crackle Channels.

Crackle Plus is also providing PetSmart with 20 short-form clips from the show it will distribute over its own social channels and internally to its employees.

Crackle Plus and PetSmart mutually agreed to have the show produced by TeamSheed Productions, a black-owned production company Crackle Plus had worked with before.

TeamSheed helped Crackle Plus and PetSmart showcase a diverse set of families as well as a broad range of pets, including a bearded iguana.

“We saw Pet Caves as a great opportunity to work with two beloved brands, Chicken Soup for the Soul Studios and PetSmart,” said Rasheed J. Daniel, principal and executive producer for Teamsheed. “As a black-owned business, we were also attracted to the diversity not only reflected in the show but also the values reflected in both of these esteemed organizations.”

It was also a stroke of luck that co-host Kayla Oliver had once worked at a PetSmart. “She had a great understanding of the brand and the company, so it was just this perfect marriage and perfect partnership,” Olive said. “We're hoping to springboard into a whole, a whole series of new shows and movies.”

Olive declined to say how much PetSmart is spending on Pet Caves, but said the retailer is now the company’s largest media partner in the pet category.

Pet Caves is executive produced by Rasheed J. Daniel of TeamSheed Productions and Michael Winter for Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment. Corey Noll and Lexi Brown serve as co-executive producers, and the series is distributed globally by Screen Media.  

Monday, March 28, 2022

Screen Media and BBC Studios Sign Multi-Year Content Deal,Bringing 2,500+ Hours of Premium Content toAll Crackle Plus Streaming Services

Several-year agreement features U.S. premieres and several exclusives,

including ‘Ripper Street’ and ‘A Life in Ten Pictures’

 

COS COB, CT – Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: CSSE), one of the largest operators of streaming advertising-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) networks, today announced a multi-year content deal with BBC Studios that will bring more than 2,500 hours of premium content to all current and future Crackle Plus streaming services including Crackle, Popcornflix, and Chicken Soup for the Soul. Crackle Plus, also a Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment company, is one of the largest operators of streaming advertising-supported video-on-demand networks. 

 

This announcement comes on the heels of another major deal between the two sides that saw the exclusive rights to the popular series Sherlock go to Crackle Plus.

 

More than 300 hours of content will be available to viewers for free on the various Crackle Plus streaming services beginning in April, including the award-winning, critically acclaimed mystery series Ripper Street starring Matthew MacFadyen (Succession), several seasons of which will be streaming only on the Crackle Plus streaming services. In addition, A Life in Ten Pictures, will have its exclusive U.S. premiere in June on the services. More content will be added each month throughout the multi-year agreement. 

 

The deal will also include: all seasons of BAFTA Award-winning series Happy Valley, starring BAFTA Award winning actress Sarah Lancashire and SAG award winning actress Siobhan Finneran; the crime mini-series From Darkness, starring BAFTA award-winning actress Anne-Marie Duff and Johnny Harris; and the first five seasons of the long running crime series Silent Witness, originally starring Amanda Burton. In addition, the 2014-16 action/drama series The Musketeers, and drama series The Coroner, created by Sally Abbott who wrote on EastEnders, will be available to audiences as part of the pact.

 

“The BBC has been producing highly sought-after content for years and we expect this content to perform exceptionally well on our streaming services,” said William J. Rouhana Jr, chief executive officer of Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment. “The long-term nature of this agreement enables us to plan ahead to maximize the value of the content to our viewers as well as our advertisers, the BBC, and us.”


“We are ecstatic to bring to the Crackle Plus audience premium content from the BBC,” said David Fannon, president of Screen Media. “With the Benedict Cumberbatch series, Sherlock, their extensive catalog of quality series and movies, and brand new titles that have yet to be released, this agreement provides Chicken Soup for the Soul with a wide array of unique and high quality content. Screen Media could not be happier than to announce this agreement with the BBC.”

 

Dina Vangelisti, executive vice president, content sales, BBC Studios said: “Through this multi-year partnership with Screen Media, we are making it even easier for customers to discover and access our robust programming catalog. The best of British content has never been easier to find in the Americas, and we’re excited by this new relationship with a leading AVOD service.”

 

Screen Media is the exclusive supplier of original content to Crackle Plus streaming services. Recent titles from Screen Media that have premiered on Crackle include the Crackle Originals Vince Carter: Legacy, Playing with Power and Insomnia, as well as the exclusives The Mercy starring Colin Firth and Rachel Weisz, Tom Hardy-led Taboo, international thriller series The Platform and disaster film Skyfire, starring Jason Isaacs.

 

 

ABOUT SCREEN MEDIA VENTURES, LLC 

Screen Media Ventures, LLC, a Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment (Nasdaq: CSSE) company, acquires the rights to high quality, independent television series and feature films. Screen Media Ventures acquires worldwide rights for distribution through theatrical, home video, pay-per-view, free, cable and pay television, video-on-demand, and new digital media platforms. The company acquires AVOD rights for third party networks and is the main supplier of content for Crackle Plus and other Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment properties. With a library of over 1,500 television series and motion pictures, Screen Media Ventures is one of the largest independent suppliers of high-quality tv series and motion pictures to U.S. and international broadcast markets, cable networks, home video outlets and new media venues. For more information, visit: www.screenmedia.net

 

Monday, May 3, 2021

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment Forms Halcyon Television Led by David Ellender

COS COB, CT – Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: CSSE), one of the leading operators of streaming advertising-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) networks, today announced at the 2021 NewFronts the formation of Halcyon Television. The company will launch Halcyon Television, a high-end premium scripted television studio led by David Ellender as CEO upon the closing of the Sonar asset acquisition that was announced on April 9th, 2020. The closing on the 1,300 title television and film library, scripted development portfolio and the existing TV series drama production is expected to occur in the near future.

 

“The formation of Halcyon Television will help accelerate our company’s strategy to build the leading independent AVOD network in three ways. It will expand our original content development pipeline with high-end content, increase our IP rights ownership and provide a faster path to growing our international TV production and distribution activities,” said William J. Rouhana Jr, CEO of Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment.   

 

Halcyon Television has a robust drama development pipeline of more than 20 projects embracing library based and original IP sourced in the U.S. and Europe. Halcyon Television will focus on development, financing and production in the U.S. as well as forging creative partnerships in Europe with financing backed by the company and distribution by Halcyon Television’s sister affiliate Screen Media.

 

“We look forward to building a valued asset library for the company and creating a new vision for the future of TV while continuing the company’s mission of positive entertainment that lifts the human spirit,” said David Ellender, CEO of Halcyon Television. 

 

Joining Mr. Ellender at Halcyon Television will be Matt Loze as President - Scripted Entertainment,  as the first of a number of executives from Sonar who will be brought to Halcyon Television. Mr. Loze added, “Halcyon Television seems a fitting name to highlight a new commitment to supporting artist's visions in telling moving stories that resonate globally.” 

 

In addition to aggressively building from IP and library assets, the shared vision of Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment and Halcyon Television is to build a nimble and flexible company that will be additive strategically and creatively for partners across the fast-changing TV landscape.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 



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Thursday, April 8, 2021

CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL ENTERTAINMENT’S SCREEN MEDIA RELEASES OFFICIAL TRAILER TO STREET GANG: HOW WE GOT TO SESAME STREET

THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED DOCUMENTARY WILL OPEN IN THEATERS ON APRIL 23, 2021 AND ON DEMAND MAY 7, 2021

TRAILER CAN BE VIEWED HERE

New York – Screen Media, a Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment (Nasdaq: CSSE) company, today released the first official footage of the critically acclaimed documentary, STREET GANG: HOW WE GOT TO SESAME STREET. The trailer can be viewed here.

Directed by Marilyn Agrelo (Mad Hot Ballroom) and produced by Trevor Crafts (Experimenter 2015) and Ellen Scherer Crafts, the documentary chronicles the improbable origins and expansion of the groundbreaking show that not only changed children’s television programming, but had real-world effects on equality, education, and representation worldwide. The film is inspired by Michael Davis’ New York Times best-selling book of the same name.

After world premiering at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, STREET GANG: HOW WE GOT TO SESAME STREET will be released in theaters on April 23, 2021 and on video-on-demand platforms on May 7, 2021.

 Inspired by the activism of the late 1960s, socially conscious television executive Joan Ganz Cooney and Sesame Workshop co-founder Lloyd Morrisett conducted a revolutionary experiment: to harness the burgeoning power of television and create an educational, impactful, uplifting and entertaining show that could reach children nationwide, especially those living in urban areas. Cooney recruited trailblazing Muppets creator Jim Henson and acclaimed children’s television writer and director Jon Stone to craft the iconic and beloved world of “Sesame Street.”

STREET GANG: HOW WE GOT TO SESAME STREET reintroduces this visionary “gang” of mission-driven artists, writers, and educators that audaciously interpreted radical changes in society and created one of most influential and impactful television programs in history.

With more than 20 interviews with original writers, cast, and crew, and never-before-seen behind the scenes footage, STREET GANG is told from the inside with humor and emotion, weaving together personal narratives and eyewitness accounts. The film explores the original mission of the “gang” that created this cultural phenomenon, now spanning more than 50 years and reaching more than 150 countries.

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment and Screen Media present in association with HBO Documentary Films, a Macrocosm Entertainment production, and in association with the Exchange, Bondit Media Capital, and Citizen Skull Productions. It is directed by Marilyn Agrelo; produced by, Trevor Crafts, p.g.a, Ellen Scherer Crafts p.g.a; with producer Lisa Diamond p.g.a,; executive producers, Brian O’Shea, Nat McCormick, Matthew Helderman, Luke Taylor, Mark Myers, Heather Kenyon; co-executive producer, Michael Davis; editor, Ben Gold. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 



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Monday, March 1, 2021

Screen Media Acquires Worldwide Distribution Rights to New Series The Uncommon History of Very Common Things

Breakthrough Entertainment Begins Production of Series in Association with Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment and Parkside Entertainment

Will Premiere as Crackle Original in Summer 2021

COS COB, CT – Screen Media, a Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment company, announced today the acquisition of worldwide distribution rights, excluding Canada, to the new series The Uncommon History of Very Common Things, produced by Breakthrough Entertainment in association with Parkside Entertainment and Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment. Breakthrough Entertainment has begun production of the series and will also sub-distribute the series outside of the United States and Canada.

 

The series, which just started production in Toronto, will consist of ten half-hour episodes examining the unknown, sometimes shocking, and always entertaining history of everyday items that make up our lives. What kind of beer did pregnant women drink in the Middle Ages? Audiences will learn that and more with episodes that cover topics like the uncommon history of chocolate, pirates, shaving, toilet paper, football and more.

 

“We’re excited to have partnered with Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment and Parkside Entertainment on a show that is sure to provide international audiences with fun and unusual information and that will have viewers saying, “I’m so glad I know that!” said Craig McGillivray, Breakthrough Vice President of Distribution.

 

“This series should be great fun for Crackle viewers, covering broad ranging topics and showcasing crazy histories about everyday items,” noted David Fannon, president of Screen Media. “There is something for every viewer in any part of the world to enjoy.”

 

The Uncommon History of Very Common Things is a Crackle original series and will premiere on the network in June 2021.

 

ABOUT SCREEN MEDIA

Screen Media Ventures, LLC, a Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment (Nasdaq: CSSE) company, acquires the rights to high quality, independent television series and feature films. Screen Media Ventures acquires worldwide rights for distribution through theatrical, home video, pay-per-view, free, cable and pay television, video-on-demand, and new digital media platforms. The company acquires AVOD rights for third party networks and is the main supplier of content for Crackle Plus and other Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment properties. With a library of over 1,500 television series and motion pictures, Screen Media Ventures is one of the largest independent suppliers of high-quality tv series and motion pictures to U.S. and international broadcast markets, cable networks, home video outlets and new media venues. For more information, visit: www.screenmedia.net.

 

ABOUT BREAKTHROUGH ENTERTAINMENT

Founded 35 years ago, Breakthrough Entertainment is an award-winning producer and distributor of original, premium content for audiences around the world.  It is also one of Canada’s most established and respected production companies.  Breakthrough’s library now boasts 50-plus feature films and 3,000 television episodes which air on major networks and digital channels worldwide. 

breakthroughentertainment.com

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 



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Friday, February 5, 2021

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment’s THE OUTPOST Wins Outstanding Song – Independent Film at Hollywood Music In Media Awards

Film also named one of the Top Ten Independent Films of the Year by National Board of Review 

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment’s THE OUTPOST won “Outstanding Song – Independent Film” at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards this week. The win went to the song “Everybody Cries” written by Rod Lurie, Larry Groupé and Rita Wilson and performed by Rita Wilson. The critically acclaimed film was also named one of the “Top Ten Independent Films” by the 111-year-old prestigious voting group, National Board of Review.  

Directed by award-winning filmmaker Rod Lurie (The Contender, The Last Castle) and adapted by Oscar-nominated screenwriting duo Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson (The Fighter) from Jake Tapper’s best-selling nonfiction book The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor, the real-life military thriller stars Scott Eastwood, Caleb Landry Jones, Orlando Bloom, Jack Kesy, Cory Hardrict, Taylor John Smith, Jacob Scipio, and Milo Gibson.

Screen Media Ventures, a Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment company, released THE OUTPOST on July 3rd and the film quickly shot to #1 on several VOD platforms after its debut, including Amazon, iTunes, GooglePlay, Spectrum and FandangoNOW, where it remained in the #1 spot for three weeks. THE OUTPOST remained at the top of the charts throughout the summer and resurfaced as #1 on iTunes in September. It is “Certified Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 92% rating.

In this military thriller, a tiny unit of U.S. soldiers, alone at the remote Combat Outpost Keating, located deep in the valley of three mountains in Afghanistan, battles to defend against an overwhelming force of Taliban fighters in a coordinated attack. The Battle of Kamdesh, as it was known, was the bloodiest American engagement of the Afghan War in 2009 and Bravo Troop 3-61 CAV became one of the most decorated units of the 19-year conflict.

Three soldiers who fought at COP Keating appear in the film including Medal of Honor recipient Ty Carter (whom Caleb Landry Jones portrays). THE OUTPOST was produced and financed by Millennium Media with producers Paul Merryman, Paul Tamasy, Marc Frydman, Jeffrey Greenstein, Jonathan Yunger, Les Weldon and Yariv Lerner; and executive produced by Avi Lerner, Trevor Short, Rob Van Norden, Boaz Davidson, John Kalafatis, Tommy Vlahopoulos, Joanna Kalafatis, Jake Tapper, Eric Johnson and Andrey Georgiev.

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 



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Tuesday, September 15, 2020

SCREEN MEDIA AND FILM MODE BRINGING BRUCE WILLIS-THRILLER ANTI-LIFE TO MARKET

Action packed sci-fi/feature makes TIFF 2020 Market Premiere with numerous confirmed sales across the globe

 

TORONTO  – In partnership with Screen Media, a Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment company, Clay Epstein’s Film Mode Entertainment is thrilled to announce the market premiere of ANTI-LIFE (aka BREACH) at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival. After making waves in the international marketplace, the action-packed sci-fi feature will be available to TIFF buyers.

 

“The marketplace will not be disappointed with the highly anticipated screening of Anti-Life.  Bruce Willis and Thomas Jane are at their best in this action-packed adventure,” said Epstein.

 

Over the span of his decades long career, Bruce Willis has amassed a giant global following and has box office earnings totaling upwards of $3.6B domestically. While he’s widely known for being an action hero, Willis’ extensive skillset consistently results in celebrated roles across most every genre. His talent and personality has consistently kept global audiences along with his dedicated and expansive following captivated for years.

 

ANTI-LIFE/BREACH has been met with an overwhelmingly positive response from the international marketplace. Recent sales include Benelux – Dutch Film Works, France – Metropolitan, Portugal – Films4You Ltd., Scandinavia – Scanbox, Spain – Twelve Oaks Pictures, United Kingdom – Signature Entertainment, Bulgaria – bTV Media Group, CIS – Paradise Film, Ex-Yugoslavia – Blitz, Hungary – RTL Hungary, Poland – Monolith, Romania – Programs4Media, Cambodia, Malaysia and Brunei – Suraya, Indonesia – PT Falcon, Japan – Presidio, , Pan-Asian PTV – Disney Networks, South Korea – Storm Pictures Korea, Middle East – Eagle Films Entertainment, Australia/New Zealand – Eagle Entertainment, Airline – Terry Steiner International.

 

ANTI-LIFE/BREACH stars Bruce Willis who’s known worldwide for his performances in the DIE HARD franchise and GLASS, as well as Rachel Nichols (STAR TREK, G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA), and Thomas Jane (THE PREDATOR (2018), THE PUNISHER). The film also stars Cody Kearsley, who has developed an immense following and fan-base from his role in RIVERDALE.

 

A hardened mechanic (Bruce Willis) is one of a few chosen to stay awake and maintain an interstellar arc fleeing a dying planet Earth with a few thousand lucky souls on board… the last of humanity. Unfortunately, humans are not the only guests on board. A shape-shifting alien creature has also taken residence and its only goal is to kill as many people as possible. Now, the crew must think quickly and try to stop this menace before it destroys humanity.  

Stay tuned for additional sales and release dates.

Screening opportunities available per request and by appointment.

Film Mode Entertainment is handling international rights on the film.

 

About Screen Media Ventures, LLC

Screen Media Ventures, LLC, a Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment (Nasdaq: CSSE) company, acquires the rights to high quality, independent television series and feature films for the US and Canada. Screen Media Ventures acquires worldwide rights for distribution through theatrical, home video, pay-per-view, free, cable and pay television, video-on-demand, and new digital media platforms. The company acquires AVOD rights for third party networks and is the main supplier of content for Crackle Plus and other Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment properties. With a library of over 1,500 television series and motion pictures, Screen Media Ventures is one of the largest independent suppliers of high-quality tv series and motion pictures to U.S. and international broadcast markets, cable networks, home video outlets and new media venues. For more information, visit: www.screenmedia.net.

 

About Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: CSSE) operates streaming video-on-demand networks (VOD). The company owns a majority stake in Crackle Plus, a company formed with Sony Pictures Television, which owns and operates a variety of ad-supported and subscription-based VOD networks including Crackle, Popcornflix, Popcornflix Kids, Truli, Pivotshare, Españolflix and FrightPix. The company also acquires and distributes video content through its Screen Media subsidiary and produces original long and short-form content through Landmark Studio Group, its Chicken Soup for the Soul Originals division and APlus.com. Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment is a subsidiary of Chicken Soup for the Soul, LLC, which publishes the famous book series and produces super-premium pet food under the Chicken Soup for the Soul brand name.    

 

About Film Mode Entertainment 

Film Mode Entertainment is a leading worldwide sales agent, production entity and distribution company, focusing on commercially driven feature films of all genres and budget sizes. Film Mode represents projects at all stages of the filmmaking process, often as Executive Producer, with the aim of helping producers and distributors achieve maximum exposure for their films. Film Mode’s recent titles include CRYPTO starring Kurt Russell, Luke Hemsworth and Alexis Bledel, HOOKING UP starring Brittany Snow, Sam Richardson and Vivica A. Fox, STAGE MOTHER starring Academy Award nominee Jacki Weaver, Lucy Liu and Adrian Grenier, and BURN starring Josh Hutcherson and Suki Waterhouse.

 

Previous releases include SUGAR MOUNTAIN starring Jason Momoa, and THE GOOD NEIGHBOR starring Academy Award nominee James Caan. Film Mode accelerated their growth and expanded their capabilities by entering into a partnership with SCREEN MEDIA, representing their catalogue of more than 1500 titles, including WHAT’S EATING GILBERT GRAPE starring Leonardo DiCaprio, who was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for his performance, and MONSTER, starring Charlize Theron who won an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Actress for the film. The company also has its own distribution arm, as well as a documentary label, DocMode. Film Mode is based in Beverly Hills, CA.

 

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Monday, September 14, 2020

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment's Screen Media and Great Point Media Establish a Film Acquisition Fund

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment’s Screen Media and Great Point Media Establish a Film Acquisition Fund

 

$10M Initial Film Acquisition Fund Is Next Step in Growing Relationship

 

COS COB, CT - Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment Inc. (Nasdaq: CSSE), one of the largest operators of streaming advertising-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) networks, today announced that its subsidiary Screen Media Ventures and Great Point Media have closed a new film acquisition facility initially funded at $10M.

 

“This financing allows us to build on our momentum in delivering higher-profile movies and TV series at a significantly lower cost of capital. Since Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment acquired Screen Media and Crackle, producers have been bringing us higher profile film and TV projects, like The Outpost, and the original series On Point, both of which have been phenomenal successes for the company,” said David Fannon, president of Screen Media. “We have a solid track record of identifying content that will be successful and this fund enables us to significantly expand our library by acquiring that type of content when it is available.”

 

“We are excited to again be working with Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment. We had previously financed two of their upcoming films, Willy’s Wonderland starring Nicolas Cage which has been completed and Trigger Point which will begin production shortly,” said Robert Halmi, chairman of Great Point Media. “We are already looking forward to expanding our relationship even further and expect to do so in the near future.”

 

“Our company, and our Screen Media business specifically are differentiated by a capital-efficient, lower-risk approach to acquiring content. This new fund which is 100% funded by Great Point Media, is structured with that approach front and center, creating a great opportunity to accelerate our content acquisition activities,” said William J. Rouhana Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment. “We look forward to continue expanding our relationship with Great Point Media.”

 

ABOUT CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL ENTERTAINMENT

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: CSSE) operates streaming video-on-demand networks (VOD). The company owns a majority stake in Crackle Plus, a company formed with Sony Pictures Television, which owns and operates a variety of ad-supported and subscription-based VOD networks including Crackle, Popcornflix, Popcornflix Kids, Truli, Pivotshare, Españolflix and FrightPix. The company also acquires and distributes video content through its Screen Media subsidiary and produces original long and short-form content through Landmark Studio Group, its Chicken Soup for the Soul Originals division and APlus.com. Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment is a subsidiary of Chicken Soup for the Soul, LLC, which publishes the famous book series and produces super-premium pet food under the Chicken Soup for the Soul brand name.    

 

ABOUT SCREEN MEDIA VENTURES, LLC                                                            

Screen Media Ventures, LLC, a Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment (Nasdaq: CSSE) company, acquires the rights to high quality, independent television series and feature films for the US and Canada. Screen Media Ventures acquires worldwide rights for distribution through theatrical, home video, pay-per-view, free, cable and pay television, video-on-demand, and new digital media platforms. The company acquires AVOD rights for third party networks and is the main supplier of content for Crackle Plus and other Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment properties. With a library of over 1,500 television series and motion pictures, Screen Media Ventures is one of the largest independent suppliers of high-quality TV series and motion pictures to U.S. and international broadcast markets, cable networks, home video outlets and new media venues. For more information, visit: www.screenmedia.net.

 

ABOUT GREAT POINT MEDIA GROUP

Founded in 2013 by Robert Halmi and Jim Reeve, Great Point Media specializes in the development, investment, distribution and sales of intellectual property in entertainment media. The U.K.-based company has produced and helped bring to the screen such acclaimed films as Damsel, Love After Love, The Party and Lady Macbeth.

 

Co-founder Robert Halmi is an Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award-winning film and television producer with over 300 production credits, including Tin Man, Farscape and Lonesome Dove.

Co-founder Jim Reeve is an Emmy Award-winning producer with 25 years’ experience in production finance and distribution with credits including Foyle’s War and Jack Higgins’ On Dangerous Ground.

 

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks (including those set forth in the Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 30, 2020) and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ from the forward-looking statements. The company expressly disclaims any obligations or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the company’s expectations with respect thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any statement is based. Investors should realize that if our underlying assumptions for the projections contained herein prove inaccurate or that known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from our expectations and projections.

 

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Friday, August 21, 2020

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment’s Screen Media Announces the Exclusive Nationwide Cinema Premiere of BLACKBIRD

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment’s Screen Media Announces the Exclusive Nationwide Cinema Premiere of BLACKBIRD with Fathom Events on September 14th and September 15th

 

 Film Starring Susan Sarandon and Kate Winslet to be Released in Additional Select Theaters and On Demand September 18th

 

COS COB, CT –Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment’s (Nasdaq: CSSE) Screen Media announced today that ahead of their limited theatrical and VOD release of Roger Michell’s BLACKBIRD on September 18th, they have partnered with Fathom Events for an exclusive nationwide cinema premiere on September 14th and September 15th. Each screening will be accompanied by a special introduction from Roger and exclusive behind-the-scenes footage.

 

Roger Michell, having worked extensively for the National Theatre, the Royal Court and the Royal Shakespeare Company directing plays such as “Waste,” “Landscape with Weapon,” “Honour,” and “Blue/Orange,” made his directorial splash with his 1995 adaptation of the Jane Austen novel, Persuasion. He has since directed many beloved films such as My Cousin Rachel, Notting Hill, Venus, The Mother, Tea with the Dames and the upcoming The Duke starring Helen Mirren and Jim Broadbent. He has also just signed on to direct Good Morning, Mr. Mandela based on Zelda La Grange’s bestselling novel.

 

Blackbird stars Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslet, Mia Wasikowska, Sam Neill, Rainn Wilson, Bex Taylor-Klaus, Anson Boon, andLindsay Duncan and tells the story of Lily (Susan Sarandon) and Paul (Sam Neill) who summon their loved ones to their beach house for one final gathering after Lily decides to end her long battle with ALS on her own terms. The couple is planning a loving weekend complete with holiday traditions, but the mood becomes strained when unresolved issues surface between Lily and her daughters Jennifer (Kate Winslet) and Anna (Mia Wasikowska). Joining the collective farewell are Lily’s son in law (Rainn Wilson), her lifelong friend (Lindsay Duncan), daughter’s partner (Bex Taylor-Klaus) and grandson (Anson Boon). Her story is ultimately one of hope, love and a celebration of life. The film was produced By Millennium Media with Producers Sherryl Clark, David Bernardi and Rob Van Norden and Executive Producers Andrew Kotliar, Elizabeth Zavoyskiy, Joshua Sason, Mike Donovan, Avi Lerner, Trevor Short, Andrey Georgiev, Jeffrey Greenstein, Jonathan Yunger, Heidi Jo Markel and Boaz Davidson.

 

Tickets and a list of participating theater locations will be available at www.FathomEvents.com.

 

“Fathom is honored to premiere this heartfelt film by the award-winning Director Roger Michell and a superstar cast that brings a relevant story of life to the big screen,” says Ray Nutt, CEO of Fathom Events.

 

“We are thrilled to partner with Fathom Events to help bring Roger Michell’s beautifully crafted film to as many audiences as possible,” said David Fannon, President of Screen Media. "This heartfelt and honest story of hope, love and a celebration of life is one that everyone can relate to and we are so glad that people will have the chance to see this group of talented actors tell this story on the big screen.”

 

 

ABOUT CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL ENTERTAINMENT

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: CSSE) operates streaming video-on-demand networks (VOD). The company owns a majority stake in Crackle Plus, a company formed with Sony Pictures Television, which owns and operates a variety of ad-supported and subscription-based VOD networks including Crackle, Popcornflix, Popcornflix Kids, Truli, Pivotshare, Españolflix and FrightPix. The company also acquires and distributes video content through its Screen Media subsidiary and produces original long and short-form content through Landmark Studio Group, its Chicken Soup for the Soul Originals division and APlus.com. Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment is a subsidiary of Chicken Soup for the Soul, LLC, which publishes the famous book series and produces super-premium pet food under the Chicken Soup for the Soul brand name.    

 

ABOUT SCREEN MEDIA VENTURES, LLC                                                             

Screen Media Ventures, LLC, a Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment (Nasdaq: CSSE) company, acquires the rights to high quality, independent television series and feature films for the U.S. and Canada. Screen Media Ventures acquires worldwide rights for distribution through theatrical, home video, pay-per-view, free, cable and pay television, video-on-demand, and new digital media platforms. The company acquires AVOD rights for third party networks and is the main supplier of content for Crackle Plus and other Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment properties. With a library of over 1,500 television series and motion pictures, Screen Media Ventures is one of the largest independent suppliers of high-quality TV series and motion pictures to U.S. and international broadcast markets, cable networks, home video outlets and new media venues. For more information, visit: www.screenmedia.net.

 

ABOUT FATHOM EVENTS

Fathom is a recognized leader in the entertainment industry as one of the top distributors of content to movie theaters in North America. Owned by AMC Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: AMC); Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK); and Regal Cinemas, a subsidiary of the Cineworld Group (LSE: CINE.L)., Fathom operates the largest cinema distribution network, delivering a wide variety of programming and experiences to cinema audiences in all of the top U.S. markets and to more than 45 countries. For more information, visit www.FathomEvents.com.

 

ABOUT MILLENNIUM MEDIA, INC

Millennium Media. Inc. is a part of one of the longest-running independent film companies in the history of Hollywood, with 28 years and more than 325 movies to its credit. The company now finances, produces, and sells worldwide five to eight star-driven films per year, with budgets between $20 and $80 million.

Millennium is best known for The Expendables franchise ($800M), Olympus Has Fallen and London Has Fallen ($375M), The Hitman’s Bodyguard ($175M), and Mechanic: Resurrection ($125M). Recent box-office hits include Angel Has Fallen ($186M) and Rambo: Last Blood ($95M).

Please visit: http://millennium-media.net/

 

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks (including those set forth in the Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 30, 2020, as updated by the risks included in the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 13, 2020) and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ from the forward-looking statements. The company expressly disclaims any obligations or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the company’s expectations with respect thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any statement is based. Investors should realize that if our underlying assumptions for the projections contained herein prove inaccurate or that known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from our expectations and projections.

 

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