Latest news with #Abramorama
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Teaching Students, Schooling America: Robert Reich Documentary ‘The Last Class' Acquired By Abramorama
EXCLUSIVE: Abramorama has acquired North American theatrical distribution rights to The Last Class, a documentary about social media star, academic, and former Labor Secretary Robert Reich. The company plans to release the film, directed by Elliot Kirschner, in theaters beginning June 27 in New York, followed by other cities in the U.S. and Canada. The documentary from CoffeeKlatch Productions and Inequality Media Civic Action follows Reich as he prepares to deliver his final course at Cal Berkeley, capping an extraordinary academic career that has seen him teach 40,000 students across four decades. More from Deadline 'America's Burning' Duo Michael Douglas & David Smick Say They Still Have Hope For The Nation - Contenders Documentary U2's Larry Mullen Jr. & 'Left Behind' Creatives On Dyslexia Documentary, Abramorama Acquisition & Why Parents Sometimes Just Don't Understand Abramorama To Theatrically Release 'Raye: My 21st Century Symphony Live At The Royal Albert Hall' 'Over the course of the film, Reich confronts the impending finality, and his own aging, with increasing candor, introspection, and, ultimately, emotion,' notes a release. 'He displays a rawness of feeling he has never shared publicly before. Drawing on his lifetime in politics, he uses his class, 'Wealth and Poverty,' to offer us all a deeper look at why inequalities of income and wealth have widened significantly since the late 1970s, and why this poses dangerous risks to our society. One thousand students fill the biggest lecture hall on the UC Berkeley campus, the last class to receive Reich's wisdom and exhortations not to accept that the world has to stay the way it is. His belief in the next generation's ability to take on the fight is inspiring.' Reich, 78, has become a prominent critic of Donald Trump, beginning with the president's first term and now continuing into his second. He has gained a huge social media following, including 1.2 million on his YouTube channel and 1.4 million on X/Twitter. (One of his latest tweets, posted on Wednesday: 'The fundamental choice has not been as stark since World War II: democracy and freedom, or dictatorship and tyranny. Trump and his sycophants are siding with the latter.' And a post also from Wednesday: 'Why is Donald Trump stifling free speech? Because that's what every dictator does.'). In a statement, Abramorama CEO Karol Martesko-Fenster said, 'The Last Class isn't just a portrait of a great teacher and former US Secretary of Labor; it's a rallying cry for civic engagement and the enduring power of education. It unfolds on the big screen as an inspiring, timely film, and Abramorama is thrilled to collaborate with Inequality Media Civic Action, and the filmmaking team, to bring it to audiences across North America.' The documentary is produced by Heather Kinlaw Lofthouse, executive director of Inequality Media and Inequality Media Civic Action and the founder of CoffeeKlatch Productions, and Josh Melrod (Major Arcana), and executive produced by Lofthouse and Ian Cheney (Observer, The Most Unknown, King Corn). The Last Class is CoffeeKlatch's first feature-length documentary and 'marks the launch of its mission to spark dialogue and civic engagement through digital media.' Lofthouse commented, 'As a close collaborator of Bob for the past decade and as one of his 40,000 former students, I'm thrilled to offer viewers the opportunity to experience Professor Reich in his classroom—his inspirational and unexpected approaches to teaching, his profound humanity, and his unwavering belief in education's ability to triumph over cynicism.' Reich's upcoming book, Coming Up Short: A Memoir of My America, will be published on August 19. The title refers at least in part to one of his distinguishing physical features; Reich is 4'11' tall. While diminutive, his many admirers would call him an intellectual giant. The Last Class represents the directorial debut of Elliot Kirschner. His producing credits include Human Nature (2019) and The Most Unknown (2018). 'As a filmmaker and journalist, I've always been drawn to stories that I felt needed to be documented lest they be lost forever,' Kirschner said. 'So it was a great privilege to be with Bob as he confronted a pivotal chapter of his life with candor, humor, and grace. His lifelong passion for teaching and how he inspires future generations of leaders is a story that the world needs to hear, especially now.' Abramorama's many documentary releases include Sam Green's 32 Sounds, Vanessa & Ted Hope's Invisible Nation; Ron Howard's Grammy-winning The Beatles: Eight Days A Week – The Touring Years; Stanley Nelson's Miles Davis: Birth of The Cool; Roberta Grossman and Nancy Spielberg's Who Will Write Our History; Amir Bar-Lev's Long Strange Trip – The Untold Story of the Grateful Dead; Brett Morgen's Jane, on primatologist and conservationist Jane Goodall; Asif Kapadia's Senna; Banksy's Academy Award-nominated Exit Through the Gift Shop; Laurie Anderson's Heart of a Dog; Showtime's Listen to Me Marlon, directed by Stevan Riley, and the Oscar-nominated The Look of Silence, directed by Joshua Oppenheimer. Best of Deadline 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery Which Colleen Hoover Books Are Becoming Movies? 'Verity,' 'Reminders Of Him' & 'Regretting You' Will Join 'It Ends With Us'
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘The Breadwinner' With Nate Bargatze Sets March 2026 Release – Film News in Brief
'The Breadwinner,' a film starring standup comedian Nate Bargatze in his first feature acting role, will premiere in theaters March 13, 2026. The comedian announced the release date via his Instagram page. Bargatze, who co-wrote the script with Dan Lagana and produces alongside Lagana and Jeremy Latcham wrote, 'Stoked to be the first to let you know that #TheBreadwinnerMovie is coming to theaters everywhere March 13, 2026.' Eric Appel directs the comedy, which will be distributed by Sony Pictures. More from Variety Nate Bargatze Rides DoorDash to Super Bowl Nate Bargatze to Host CBS Primetime Special Taped at Grand Ole Opry 'SNL' Sets Nate Bargatze to Host With Foo Fighters as Musical Guest Bargatze is known for specials like 'Your Friend, Nate Bargatze,' 'Nate Bargatze: The Greatest Average American' and 'Nate Bargatze: The Tennessee Kid.' He has hosted 'Saturday Night Live' twice, appearing in a 'Washington's Dream' sketch and its follow-up 'Washington's Dream 2.' Appel recently directed 'Weird: The Al Yankovic Story,' which featured Daniel Radcliffe as Weird Al. He has also directed Kevin Hart vehicles 'Die Hart' and 'Die Hart 2: Die Harter,' along with episodes of 'The Afterparty,' 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine,' 'Silicon Valley' and 'New Girl.' ROCO Films will handle non-theatrical and ancillary sales for the dyslexic education-focused documentary 'Left Behind,' following the company's acquisition of additional distribution rights. 'Left Behind,' directed by Anna Toomey, shows five mothers trying to launch the South Bronx Literacy Academy — New York City's first public school dedicated to teaching dyslexic children. The film traces the mothers' effort leading up to the school's 2023 opening. The company is in charge of non-theatrical and ancillary sales throughout North America and certain English language territories. The film was already released theatrically in North America by Abramorama. ROCO Films will also lead a related educational campaign across the country. 'At ROCO Films, we understand the power of documentary to spark real change, and Left Behind is exactly the kind of film that needs to be seen far and wide. We've worked with other incredible films about learning differences, so we know how much impact stories like this can have—especially when they reach the right people,' Annie Roney, ROCO Films founder and CEO, said in a statement. 'We're excited to bring Left Behind to educators, families, and communities across North America because no kid should have to struggle in silence when solutions exist. Thanks to the theatrical release by Abramorama we expect to have the wind at our back.' The musical short film 'Sea Lion Cow' has been acquired by Rolling Stone Films and released on the publication's website. Directed by Ivan Cash, the film follows musician Gideon Irving as he sings on the New York City subway. 'Sea Lion Cow' premiered at Tribeca Festival last year and can be viewed at 'The New York City subway is such a unique and dynamic environment that's prime with inspiration and experimentation, making it the perfect backdrop for a film that unfolds entirely within the subway's vibrant and always unpredictable setting,' Cash said in a statement. 'For an independent short film like ours, securing a partnership with an iconic publisher like Rolling Stone is an absolute dream come true and we're excited to share 'Sea Lion Cow' with a wider audience.' Maggie Roberts produced the film. Jamal Solomon was the film's cinematographer, and Dave Harrington is credited for music. Bella Fratkin contributed an original song. 'We're thrilled to acquire such a unique and compelling short film,' Jason Fine, senior vice president of Rolling Stone Films who executive produced the film alongside other Rolling Stone staff members, said in a statement. 'Sea Lion Cow takes viewers on a magical andsurprising journey, and we're proud to use our platform to amplify it.' Best of Variety What's Coming to Disney+ in April 2025 New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week The Best Celebrity Memoirs to Read This Year: From Chelsea Handler to Anthony Hopkins
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kim Chiu, Paulo Avelino Rom-Com ‘My Love Will Make You Disappear' Scores Robust North American Opening Weekend
Filipino superstars Kim Chiu and Paulo Avelino have proven their chemistry translates to theatrical gold with their debut film pairing 'My Love Will Make You Disappear,' which pulled in approximately $500,000 during its opening weekend across North America. The ABS-CBN Star Cinema romantic comedy, released by Abramorama, is now tracking for a projected $1.3M-$1.5 million theatrical run, positioning it among the top five highest-grossing Filipino films in North America since the pandemic. More from Variety Mikhail Red's 'Lilim' Leads Viva Films' Horror Slate at Hong Kong FilMart (EXCLUSIVE) Filipino Stars Kim Chiu and Paulo Avelino on Big Screen Romance 'My Love Will Make You Disappear': 'It's the Best Time for People to Watch This in Cinemas' (EXCLUSIVE) Filipino Rom-Com 'My Love Will Make You Disappear' Sets North American Bow (EXCLUSIVE) This promising performance follows the distribution team's recent success with 'Hello, Love, Again,' another record-breaking ABS-CBN release. Industry veterans Amorette Jones, Evan Saxon and Joe Garel spearheaded the North American rollout, leveraging the considerable star power of the film's leads. Chiu and Avelino, with a combined social media following exceeding 40 million, had previously established their on-screen chemistry in two hit television series, 'Linlang' and 'What Happened to Secretary Kim.' While both actors have individually headlined successful films, 'My Love Will Make You Disappear' marks their first time co-starring in a feature film. The theatrical marketing campaign strategically targeted core Filipino-American audiences while expanding its reach to Asian-American, Hispanic and general moviegoers. The campaign capitalized on the stars' robust fan base to drive social media engagement, formed strategic partnerships with ABS-CBN Global's flagship platform for overseas audiences, and deployed a mix of digital, social and in-platform promotions. Directed by Chad Vidanes from an original screenplay by Patrick Valencia and Isabella Policarpio, the film continues ABS-CBN's mission of bringing Filipino storytelling to global audiences. The story centers on universal themes of love, resilience and fate while showcasing 'kilig' — the uniquely Filipino feeling of romantic exhilaration — as a cultural export. In the film, Chiu plays Sari, a woman who believes she's cursed because every man she loves mysteriously disappears. To protect herself from heartbreak, she swears off romance until meeting Jolo (Avelino), a brooding landlord struggling with personal failures and the burden of a failing apartment complex. As they work together to save the community from displacement, their bond deepens, forcing Sari to decide whether she's willing to risk Jolo disappearing too. Chiu brings her signature charm to the role, drawing on her extensive experience across genres including romantic comedies ('Bride for Rent'), drama ('Etiquette for Mistresses') and horror ('The Ghost Bride'). Avelino, acclaimed for his intense performances in films like 'Heneral Luna' and 'Fan Girl,' balances brooding charisma with humor as Jolo. The film's strong opening continues ABS-CBN and Star Cinema's momentum in expanding Filipino cinema internationally, following the studio's global success with 'Rewind,' the highest-grossing Filipino film worldwide. Best of Variety What's Coming to Disney+ in April 2025 New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week The Best Celebrity Memoirs to Read This Year: From Chelsea Handler to Anthony Hopkins
