World Dramatic Competition
TORONTO – Canadian indie sales and distribution outfit 108 Media is pacting with Mark Urman’s Paladin to jointly distribute films in North America.
The new venture will start with an initial five-film release slate from 108 Media, led by Sally El Hosaini’s festival favorite My Brother the Devil.
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After that, Urman said he and Abhi Rastogi’s 108 Media will pursue indie films together as Paladin moves beyond theatrical distribution to release product across an expanding array of digital platforms.
“There are a lot of wonderful films that are finding difficulty securing the right home. We’re hoping that by working together, we can get our hands on a broad range of worthy, and potentially remunerative films,” Urman told The Hollywood Reporter on Friday.
New York-based Urman knows the Canadian distribution market well as launched Paladin in late 2009 with former ThinkFilm associates, and completed an earlier stint at Lionsgate Releasing.
Before launching 108 Media, Rastogi was managing director of Cinesavvy Inc., a film finance and sales company, and executive produced indie titles like the Halle Berry-starrer Frankie & Alice.
El Hosaini’s My Brother the Devil portrays a British Arab teenager played by James Floyd who is idolized by his younger brother (Fady Elsayed).
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The UK film, which took home awards a Sundance and the Berlin International Film fest, is slated for a March 2013 release.
The 108 Media/Paladin slate, to begin rolling out into the commercial marketplace later this year, also has two Slamdance documentaries: Alexandra Berger’s Danland, about amateur pornographer Dan Leal, and Todd Kellstein’s Buffalo Girls, an exposé of child boxing in Thailand.
Rounding out the slate is Myn Bala: Warriors of the Steppe, Akan Satayev’s historical epic from Kazakhstan, and the animated feature Leafie, by Korean director Seong-yun Oh that is to be dubbed into English for its North American release.
108 Media and Paladin going forward will jointly acquire new films, and will be picking up product at the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival.
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Partnering with Paladin will also enable 108 Media to guarantee North American distribution to its international sales prospects and to pre-buy domestic rights.
Current world sales titles from 108 Media include Myn Bala and Zack Bernbaum’s And Now a Word From Our Sponsor, starring Bruce Greenwood and Parker Posey.
