Cinedigm Inks Deal for Simon Wiesenthal Center's Documentary Film Collection
By: Caryn Robbins Aug. 14, 2014
Cinedigm Corp. (CIDM) and Cinema Management Group (CMG) announced today they have entered into a multi-year home entertainment distribution deal for the award-winning Moriah Films' documentary film collection of the Simon Wiesenthal Center. Located in Los Angeles, Moriah Films has twice won Academy Awards for Best Documentary Feature, including GENOCIDE in 1981 and THE LONG WAY HOME in 1997. The deal covers home video, digital, television and non-theatrical rights in the US and all digital rights in Canada.
"Cinedigm is proud to represent this historically rich and profoundly important catalogue of films and, through Docurama, provide another outlet to those searching for beautifully produced films that tell a moving story of a people's courage, faith and unbelievable resiliency," said Susan Margolin, President of Docurama and Special Acquisitions.
"Moriah Films is excited to partner with both Cinedigm and Docurama to bring our award-winning film catalog to an even wider audience," said Richard Trank, Executive Producer and principal Writer/Director of Moriah's documentaries. "We're proud to join other esteemed documentary filmmakers who are also part of the Cinedigm/Docurama family."
In addition to distribution across all physical and digital platforms, the films will be available on Cinedigm's direct-to-consumer digital channel. An ad-supported, on-demand streaming channel, Docurama provides audiences FREE access to a vast library of award-winning, critically acclaimed documentaries covering a variety of genres.
The award-winning catalogue includes:
The Prime Ministers: The Pioneers (2013) Featuring the voices of Christoph Waltz, Sandra Bullock and Michael Douglas, The Prime Ministers: The Pioneers is the first of two parts in an epic look at six decades of Israel's history-from its founding until the early 21st century. Based on the bestselling book by Ambassador Yehuda Avner, the documentaries take the audience inside the offices of Israel's Prime Ministers, bringing to life never before revealed stories about Levi Eshkol, Golda Meir, Yitzhak Rabin, Menachem Begin, and Shimon Peres. The second part of the series, The Prime Ministers: Soldiers and Peacemakers, will be released later this year.
IT IS NO DREAM: THE LIFE OF THEODOR HERZL (2012) Narrated by Sir Ben Kingsley and starring Christoph Waltz, the film examines how Herzl, a well known journalist and playwright, an assimilated, Budapest born Jew, horrified by the Dreyfus trial in Paris and the anti-Semitism he saw spreading across Europe, took upon himself the task of attempting to create a Jewish homeland in Palestine against all odds.
WINSTON CHURCHILL: WALKING WITH DESTINY (2010) Narrated by Sir Ben Kingsley, Walking With Destiny highlights Churchill's years in the political wilderness, his early opposition to Adolf Hitler and Nazism, and his support for Jews under threat by the Nazi regime.
I HAVE NEVER FORGOTTEN YOU: THE LIFE & LEGACY OF SIMON WIESENTHAL (2007) Narrated by Nicole Kidman and an Official Selection at the Berlin Film Festival and the Tribeca Film Festival, this documentary chronicles the Austrian-Jewish architectural engineer who became a Nazi hunter after surviving the Holocaust.
EVER AGAIN (2006) Narrated by Kevin Costner, the film examines the resurgence of violent anti-Semitism in 21st century Europe and its connection to global terrorism currently threatening the entire world.
UNLIKELY HEROES (2003) For most, the idea of Jewish resistance or defiance during the Holocaust is limited to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and a few Isolated acts throughout WWII. Unlikely Heroes, narrated by Sir Ben Kingsley, highlights seven previously Unknown stories of extraordinary men and women who exemplified the highest levels of courage and human dignity during the most desperate days of the Holocaust.
IN SEARCH OF PEACE (2001) Narrated by Michael Douglas, this film tells the story of Israel's first two decades, offering new insights on the origins of the Middle East conflict. Combining a rich tapestry of rare archival film and photos, the film offers a unique global perspective on one of the seminal events in the 3,500-year history of the Jewish people. Featuring the voices of Edward Asner, Anne Bancroft, Richard Dreyfuss, Miriam Margolyes and Michael York.
THE LONG WAY HOME (1997) Winner of the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, this doc examines the critical post-WW II period from 1945-1948 and the plight of tens of thousands of refugees who survived the Nazi Holocaust, but whom most of the world left to fend for themselves. Narrated by Morgan Freeman and featuring the voices of Edward Asner, Sean Astin and Martin Landau.
LIBERATION (1994) Narrated by Sir Ben Kingsley, Patrick Stewart and Whoopi Goldberg and an official selection of the Berlin Film Festival, Liberation tells the dramatic story of the battle waged on two fronts during World War II - the Allied campaign to liberate Europe and Hitler's genocidal campaign against the Jews. The World War II documentary uses film footage, radio broadcasts, and period music gathered from archives around the world. Interwoven throughout the film are the compelling stories of the Jews of Europe - unforgettable stories of tragedy, courage, resistance, and survival.
ECHOES THAT REMAIN (1991) Narrated by Martin Landau and Miriam Margolyes, Echoes That Remain is a warm and rich documentary portrait of Jewish Shtetl life before the Holocaust.
GENOCIDE (1982) Winner of the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature and narrated by Elizabeth Taylor and Orson Welles, Genocide is a chilling, heartbreaking testament to the strength and suffering of the Jewish people and the courage and heroism of those who came to their aid. The film begins by providing a look at the flourishing Jewish community in pre-war Europe and then traces the grim trajectory through the ghettos, camps, and prisons of the Nazi regime, introducing the lost victims and Brave heroes along the way.
Edward Noeltner, President of Cinema Management Group, represented Moriah Films in the negotiation with Cinedigm's Director of Acquisitions, Melody Fowler.
About The Simon Wiesenthal Center:
The Simon Wiesenthal Center is a global Jewish human rights organization that confronts anti-Semitism, hate and terrorism, promotes human rights and dignity, stands with Israel, defends the safety of Jews worldwide, and teaches the lessons of the Holocaust for future generations. With a constituency of over 400,000 households in the United States, it is accredited as an NGO at international organizations including the United Nations, UNESCO, OSCE, Organization of American States (OAS), the Latin American Parliament (PARLATINO) and the Council of Europe. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the Simon Wiesenthal Center maintains offices in New York, Toronto, Miami, Chicago, Paris, Buenos Aires, and Jerusalem.
About Moriah Films:
Moriah Films is the documentary filmmaking division of the Simon Wiesenthal Center. Its documentaries focus on the 3,500 year old Jewish experience as well as contemporary human rights and ethical issues. Moriah's goal is to produce theatrical documentaries on a regular basis that both enlighten and educate while at the same time reach national and international audiences. Two of Moriah's films have been recipients of Academy Awards for Best Feature Documentary, GENOCIDE (1981) and THE LONG WAY HOME (1997).
About CMG:
CMG is a full service international sales company, headed by veteran sales and distribution executive, Edward Noeltner. CMG was launched in 2003 with the exclusive international sales on "Hoodwinked - The True Story of Little Red Riding Hood," the hit animated feature which went on to gross over US $110 million in its world-wide theatrical release. Since 2003, CMG has added over 100 titles to its line-up which includes quality feature films of all genres, 3-D animated features and series as well as award winning feature length documentaries and series.
Over The Past 25 years, Noeltner has had the privilege of licensing some 16 Oscar nominated features (many of them Oscar winners) and has worked with some of the most creative individuals in the industry. Films like Scott Hicks' SHINE, Carlos Saura's TANGO, Liv Ullmann's FAITHLESS or Rob Marshall's CHICAGO are just some of the many memorable feature films Noeltner has been associated with in terms of international sales.
Since its inception, CMG has been known for offering original, commercial properties. CMG co-executive produced the cult animated series HAPPY TREE FRIENDS and licensed both DVD and Television rights to the series in over 40 international territories, including the US and Canada. Today, CMG offers an array of exciting new 3-D digital CGI animated features, all independently produced with amazing voice talents such as Jeff Goldblum, Samuel L. Jackson, Abigail Breslin, Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne and Liam Neeson, along with some of the finest animators working in the business. CMG's collaboration with Triggerfish Animation - ADVENTURES IN ZAMBEZIA - garnered over US $37 million in its theatrical run.
About Cinedigm:
Cinedigm is a leading independent content distributor in the United States, with direct relationships with over 60,000 physical retail storefronts and digital platforms, including Wal-Mart, Target, iTunes, Netflix, and Amazon, as well as the national Video on Demand platform on cable television. The company's library of over 52,000 films and TV episodes encompasses award-winning documentaries from Docurama Films, next-gen Indies from Flatiron Film Company, acclaimed independent films and festival picks through partnerships with the Sundance Institute and Tribeca Films and a wide range of content from brand name suppliers, including National Geographic, Discovery, Scholastic, WWE, NFL, Shout Factory, Hallmark, Jim Henson and more.
Additionally, given Cinedigm's infrastructure, technology, content and distribution expertise, the company has rapidly become a leader in the quickly evolving over-the-top digital network business. Cinedigm's first channel, DOCURAMA, launched in May 2014, and is currently available on over 165 million consumer devices including Roku, Xbox and Samsung, with additional platforms currently being rolled out. Earlier this year, Cinedigm also announced 'Con TV in partnership with WIZARD WORLD, for launch in Q4 2014. The Company recently announced its third OTT channel via a partnership with The Dove Foundation. DOVE MOVIE CHANNEL will be a digital streaming subscription service targeted to families and kids seeking high quality and family friendly content approved by Dove.
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