Freestyle Digital Media (FDM) announced today that they have acquired Digital and Television rights to SAMSARA, the highly acclaimed documentary from filmmakers Mark Magidson and Ron Fricke ("Baraka," "Chronos"). In addition to directing and photographing the film, Fricke wrote the screen treatment with Magidson, who also produced. SAMSARA which was the number one per screen average film in the USA when it opened on August 31, 2012, has now exceeded $2m box office on a theatrical release covering the entire country, becoming Oscilloscope's most successful release to date. The film will be available on VOD beginning January 8th, 2013.
Taking its name from the Sanskrit word for "the ever turning wheel of life," SAMSARA explores the wonders of our world, from the mundane to the miraculous. Filmed over a period of almost five years in twenty-five countries on five continents, and in the 70mm film format, SAMSARA transports us to sacred grounds, disaster zones, industrial sites, and natural wonders. By dispensing with dialogue and descriptive text, SAMSARA subverts our expectations of a traditional documentary and encourages new interpretations, inspired by breathtaking images and transcendent music.
The deal was negotiated by Freestyle's CEO
Susan Jackson and Mark Magidson of Magidson Films.
"Freestyle Digital Media is honored to release this extraordinary picture to VOD," said Jackson. "This is the kind of filmmaking which reminds us why we love cinema."
"We have worked hard to ensure that all the resolution and richness of the 70mm imagery that we painstakingly captured over the course of filming Samsara is contained in our digital release. We think this release will represent a completely new level of quality for the consumer's home viewing experience," said Magidson.
Freestyle Digital Media's recent slate of releases includes the critically-acclaimed Filipino horror-thriller THE ROAD from director Yam Laranas. In addition, DEADHEADS, the acclaimed horror-comedy from directors Brett and Drew Pierce, SWINGING WITH THE FINKELS starring
MAndy Moore and directed by Jo
Nathan Newman, and TOMORROW, WHEN THE WAR BEGAN directed by Stuart Beattie, which also marked the first feature film to debut on Facebook and "You May Not Kiss the Bride" starring
Katherine McPhee,
Kathy Bates, David Annable and
Rob Schneider.
Freestyle Digital Media, LLC was launched in November 2011 by its CEO
Susan Jackson who is Co-President and founder of independent theatrical distributor Freestyle Releasing, LLC and North American sales company Turtles Crossing, LLC. Freestyle Digital Media supplies quality commercial film and TV content directly to all US VOD/SVOD rental DVD/Kiosks, Television and theaters using the latest cloud-based technologies to automate digital workflow. Freestyle's goal is to provide fresh, well-marketed product and stay on the cutting edge of the ever-compressing windows to ensure that their partners benefit from a platform that delivers an anytime-anywhere capability in the medium of their choice and a positive digital viewing experience on any device in any location.
