Cinedigm's Screambox Acquires the Highest-Rated Horror Movie of the Year 'History of the Occult' from FilmSharks
LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / August 1, 2022 / Cinedigm has acquired all North American rights to the critically acclaimed Latin horror film History of the Occult from FilmSharks, set for a US & Canada release this December. The film achieved significant recognition, being the highest-rated horror movie of 2021 on Letterboxd and winning multiple awards at prestigious film festivals. This acquisition allows Cinedigm to feature the film exclusively on its SCREAMBOX platform, enhancing its horror content offerings and expanding market reach.
- Acquisition of a high-demand horror film expected to boost subscriber engagement on SCREAMBOX.
- Strong festival recognition with multiple awards, enhancing Cinedigm's reputation in the horror genre.
- Release scheduled for December 2022, coinciding with increased holiday streaming viewership.
- Heavy competition in the horror streaming space may limit viewership.
- Potential integration challenges of a newly acquired title into existing streaming platform.
- No financial metrics disclosed regarding acquisition costs, leaving uncertainty about financial impact.
LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / August 1, 2022 / Cinedigm announced today that the Company has acquired all North American rights to one of the most successful Latin horror films of all times, History of the Occult, from FilmSharks. The film, which was successfully released across Latin America, Europe and Asia, is now ready to make its debut in the US & Canada this December.
History of the Occult was notably the highest-rated horror movie of 2021 on Letterboxd's Year in Review roundup, as rated by Letterboxd users.
The Lovecraftian horror film, which premiered at the Cannes' Blood Window sidebar and was also an Official Selection at the Mar del Plata & Sitges Film Festivals, has also been picked up internationally by Netflix and HBO MAX. FilmSharks snapped up worldwide and remake rights to the film with a major U.S. genre producer eyeing it for a remake. A throwback in style and setting, Cinedigm plans to release History of the Occult exclusively on its horror streaming service SCREAMBOX, which is powered by Bloody Disgusting.
From writer/director Cristian Ponce (creator of the animated series "The Kirlian Frequency"), History of the Occult pulls viewers deep into a world of conspiracy and witchcraft. Producers of the nightly show '60 minutes to Midnight's have been dutifully planning a riveting final broadcast, but even they could not have predicted what their guest, Adrian Marcato, has in store. As the final frames of the legendary show flicker from televisions across the country, Marcato readies himself to expose a conspiracy that could shake the very foundation of their nationhood; that the government is aligned with a dangerous supernatural coven.
During its festival run, the bone-chilling film won the Le Film Français prize at Cannes' Blood Window sidebar, Best Argentine Breakthrough Performance Actor and the Special Jury Award for Best Latin American First Feature at the Mar del Plata Film Festival. In addition, History of the Occult was nominated for Best Motion Picture at Sitges, Spain's premier festival specializing in fantasy and horror films.
"Mystery, conspiracy and the supernatural, intrigues and excites something in all of us," said Brad Miska, Managing Director of Bloody Disgusting. "Cristian (Ponce) melds these themes together in such a brilliant way, making History of the Occult the kind of film viewers can't look away from. We are thrilled to bring this horror film, which ended up as the highest rated horror film of 2021 on Letterboxd, to our SCREAMBOX viewers!"
Says Guido Rud, CEO of FilmSharks, "History of the Occult is not the kind of film you come across every day. The old rule is now more valid than ever: it's all about the script, and no matter the size of the film, it can immerse you in less than 10 minutes if a great story is told. When we discovered this gem and it became Spain's #1 most-watched digital film of the year during 2020/2021, we were able to sell this genre-defining film to major studios around the world in 45 territories. We are elated to strike this deal with one of the best genre labels in North America because of their dedication to the horror genre and its fans."
History of the Occult stars veteran Argentine actor Germán Baudino ("Abrakadabra," "Los Olvidados"), Nadia Lozano, Victor Díaz, Héctor Ostrofsky and Agustín Recondo. The film was produced by Pedro Saieg.
The deal was negotiated by Brandon Hill, Manager of Acquisitions, on behalf of Cinedigm and Matias Fontenla, Valeria Fanego and Rud on behalf of FilmSharks.
ABOUT CINEDIGM
For more than 20 years, Cinedigm (NASDAQ:CIDM) has led the digital transformation of the entertainment industry. Today, Cinedigm entertains consumers around the globe by providing premium feature film and television series, enthusiast streaming channels and technology services to the world's largest media, retail and technology companies. As a leader in the rapidly evolving streaming ecosystem, Cinedigm continues its legacy as an innovator through its adoption of next-generation technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, through its proprietary, highly-scalable Matchpoint™ technology platform. For more information, visit cinedigm.com.
ABOUT FILMSHARKS
FilmSharks is one of the long-standing Iberoamerican Companies in the Audiovisual entertainment business. Our operations are focused in 3 main business models: Production, World-Sales and Remakes Distribution. On the Production side: we are touched by compelling stories that can captivate our hearts and minds. Our current Production Slate includes top tier Directors and Writers. We have over 25 producing credits, including world hits such as Gustavo Hernandez (The Silent House) "You Shall Not Sleep" released by 20th Century Fox, "All About My Wife": #1 comedy in Korea; Executive Producer Credit on "Padre No Hay Mas Que Uno" released by Sony Spain #1 film of the year in 2019 , "The Son" by Sebastian Schindel (The Boss) released by Netflix, "10 Jours Sans Maman" by Ludovic Bernard and Released by StudioCanal, and as Executive Producers on "Morgue" with Eric Heisserer's Chronology to be released by Paramount. On the World Sales side: we are veteran players on the International Sales arena. We have been handling World-Sales for major production companies and Studios such as: Sony Intl' Productions, Fox Intl' Productions, Disney owned Patagonik; Antena3 owned Atresmedia, DLO (part of Banijay Group's Magnolia), Televisa owned Videocine, Cattleya (part of ITV Studios), Movistar+, Amiguetes/Bowfinger, Alazraki films; Arcadia Motion Pictures and Pampa Films, among others. On the Remake side: under a FilmSharks sub-label called "The Remake Co." (created more than 12 years ago), we have distributed the very best high concepts worldwide including: Alejandro Amenabar's "The Others" and "Thesis", Alex de la Iglesia's "The Commonwealth", Juan Taratuto's "A Boyfriend for my wife", Ariel Winograd's "Ten Days without Mom", "No Kids" and "That's Not Cheating", "Morgue" (#1 Box Office Hit), "The Noble Family (aka We are The Nobles)", and "Good Life Delivery", among other high success titles.
PRESS CONTACT FOR CIDM/FILMSHARKS :
Don Ciaramella / Matt Biscuiti
The Lippin Group
don@lippingroup.com / matt@lippingroup.com
High Touch Investor Relations
Cinedigm@htir.net
FilmSharks:
guido_rud@filmsharks.com / alpha@filmsharks.com
SOURCE: Cinedigm Corp.
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