Press

Los Angeles, CA — December 20, 2016 — The Orchard announced today that the company has closed a deal for worldwide distribution rights to the documentary Monkey Business: The Adventures of Curious George’s Creators, directed by Ema Ryan Yamazaki and narrated by Academy Award-nominated actor Sam Waterston. The film, which is currently in post-production, will be released by The Orchard in 2017.

With more than 75 million copies sold in over 20 languages, the stories of Curious George have endured for 75 years. Most people know the stories of the adventurous little monkey who frequently finds himself in trouble. But, Monkey Business chronicles the largely unknown and extraordinary story of George’s creators, Hans and Margret Rey. From fleeing Nazi-occupied France on handmade bicycles to encounters with exotic animals in Brazil, the Reys lived lives of adventure that are reflected in the pages of one of the most treasured children’s book series of all time. Having arrived in America as immigrants and then ultimately attaining the American dream, the film honors the legacy of the Reys by interweaving archival footage and interviews with them, their friends and experts, along with animated sequences in a style inspired by the world of Curious George. The unique documentary captures the creative spirit and resilient attitude of the couple that produced a monkey loved by the world.

“Curious George is a universally beloved children’s icon who is familiar to millions, yet it’s the story behind his creators that is even more amazing,” said Paul Davidson, The Orchard’s EVP, film and television. “We are proud to partner with Ema to bring the inspiring story of Hans and Margret Rey to those same audiences around the world in 2017.”

Said Yamazaki: “From the moment I learned of the Reys’ journey and their inspiring approach to life, it has been my ultimate wish to share about their adventurous, creative, and resilient spirit to as many people possible. I am thrilled to be working with The Orchard in getting their incredible story out to the world.”

The deal was negotiated by Danielle DiGiacomo, vice president of acquisitions for The Orchard.

ABOUT THE ORCHARD

The Orchard is a pioneering independent film, TV and music distribution company that operates in over 25 global markets. The company, founded as a music distributor in 1997, is a groundbreaking leader in the film and television distribution space, known for its innovative technology that provides filmmakers with up-to-the minute trending data and analytics on their projects. The Orchard’s film division has enjoyed such recent successes as the Academy Award-nominated documentary Cartel Land, Taika Waititi’s The Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Roger Ross Williams’ Life, Animated, Academy Award-winner Morgan Neville’s The Music of Strangers, Alex Lehmann’s Blue Jay and Antonio Campos’ Christine. The company is currently in theaters with Pablo Narrain’s critically acclaimed Neruda.

Produced by Jeff Deutchman, Election Day Documentary Breaks Ground Across the USA

Los Angeles, CA — November 2, 2016 — The Orchard announced today that the company is partnering with producer Jeff Deutchman to produce 11/8/16, a new documentary directed by a diverse and talented group of award-winning filmmakers, including Academy Award-winner Daniel Junge (Saving Face, A Lego Brickumentary), Emmy Award-winners Eugene Jarecki (The House I Live In, Why We Fight) and Martha Shane and Lana Wilson (After Tiller), Emmy Award-nominees Lena Dunham (Girls, Tiny Furniture) and Peter Gilbert (At the Death House Door, Hoop Dreams), as well as Alison Klayman (Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry), Alma Har’el (Bombay Beach), Bassam Tariq (These Birds Walk), David Lowery (Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, Pete’s Dragon), Don Argott and Sheena Joyce (The Art of the Steal), Donal Mosher (October Country), Douglas Tirola (Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead), Henry Joost (NY Export: Opus Jazz, Catfish), Malika Zouhali-Worrall (Call Me Kuchu), Michael Tucker and Petra Epperlein (Gunner Palace), Sterlin Harjo (Four Sheets to the Wind), Vikram Gandhi (Barry), and Yung Chang (Up the Yantze) among other esteemed filmmakers. The film will be produced by Jeff Deutchman. Executive producers are Cinetic’s Dana O’Keefe and The Orchard’s Brad Navin, Paul Davidson and Danielle DiGiacomo. The producers enlisted the filmmakers to follow a varied and compelling group of American citizens across the country in over 25 states and from all walks of life, as they set out on the morning of the presidential election, throughout the course of the day, until the polls close in the evening and the results are revealed.

Additional filmmakers continue to be added to the project as the election draws nearer, and the current roster can be found at www.11-8-16.com.

In addition to the feature film project, which will be released in early 2017 by The Orchard, the producers will work with Periscope’s editorial team to stream live footage from the day’s events on a dedicated channel called “Election Day.”  On November 8, in between watching the news and checking social media feeds, Americans will be able to tune into things happening on the ground all over the country, as shot by some of the most exciting documentary filmmakers working today.

The filmmakers will be documenting a day-in-the-life of American citizens of all backgrounds and ideological perspectives, including journalists in the Los Angeles Times newsroom; the heads of the College Republicans and Democrats at Kent State University in Ohio; a union leader who is currently under investigation by the FBI in Philadelphia; a coal miner in West Virginia; a rancher in Bozeman, Montana; a group of black and Latino kids in Chicago; a Republican cop in Missouri; neighboring shops run by Palestinian and Caribbean families in Brooklyn; Native Americans protesting the pipeline in North Dakota; undocumented immigrants in San Francisco; and the head of a separatist movement in Oregon.

“This election has started to feel like it is testing the outer limits of the American Experiment and Election Day will be the climax.  I am thrilled and honored to be working with so many of my favorite filmmakers to create a time capsule and portrait of America at this bizarre moment in time,” said Jeff Deutchman. “The Orchard has demonstrated over the last couple of years that they are one of the independent distributors with the best taste, and I’m excited to partner with them on this project.”

“Jeff and Dana have curated a stellar group of visionary filmmakers to capture a momentous day in our country’s history, which will reflect who we are as Americans, and where we are going,” said Danielle DiGiacomo, The Orchard’s VP of Acquisitions. “We are beyond excited to become an early partner of this project, which has the potential to impact audiences worldwide through traditional means as well as new, disruptive and groundbreaking channels of distribution.”

The deal was negotiated by Danielle DiGiacomo on behalf of The Orchard with Linzee Troubh of Cinetic on behalf of the filmmakers.

About The Orchard

The Orchard is a pioneering independent film, TV and music distribution company that operates in over 25 global markets. The company, founded as a music distributor in 1997, is a groundbreaking leader in the film and television distribution space, known for its innovative technology that provides filmmakers with up-to-the minute trending data and analytics on their projects. The Orchard’s film division has enjoyed such recent successes as the Academy Award-nominated documentary Cartel Land, Taika Waititi’s The Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Roger Ross Williams’ Life, Animated, Academy Award-winner Morgan Neville’s The Music of Strangers and Alex Lehmann’s Blue Jay. Upcoming releases include Pablo Narrain’s highly anticipated Neruda and Oren Moverman’s The Dinner. The company is currently in theaters with Antonio Campos’ Christine.

About Jeff Deutchman

Jeff Deutchman is a producer and distribution executive who, at his stints with IFC Films, Paramount Pictures, and Alchemy, has been a champion for such films as Yorgos Lanthimos’s The Lobster, Richard Linklater’s Boyhood, Abdellatif Kechiche’s Blue is the Warmest Color and Werner Herzog’s Cave of Forgotten Dreams, and has discovered some of the most promising indie filmmakers working today including Barry Jenkins, Lena Dunham, Andrew Haigh, David Robert Mitchell, and Mike Birbiglia. He conceived the Election Day series, starting with 11/4/08 which world premiered at the SXSW Film Festival in 2010.

Los Angeles, CA — November 1, 2016 — The Orchard announced today that it has acquired North American rights to the comedy Carrie Pilby. The film, which stars Bel Powley (Diary of a Teenage Girl), premiered to critical acclaim at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. Directed by Susan Johnson from a script by Kara Holden, the film is based on the internationally best-selling novel by Caren Lissner and stars Powley, Nathan Lane, Gabriel Byrne, Vanessa Bayer, Colin O’Donoghue, William Moseley and Jason Ritter. Carrie Pilby was produced by Suzanne Farwell, Johnson, Susan Cartsonis, Brent Emery and Lisa Wolofsky. The Orchard plans an early 2017 release for the film.

2016 SXSW Award-Winner to be Released Theatrically on November 16, 2016 and on Digital Platforms January 2017

New York, NY — October 14, 2016 — The Orchard announced today that they have acquired rights to Hunter Gatherer, the debut film from filmmaker Josh Locy. Rough House Pictures will release the film in theaters in NYC and LA on November 16 with a theatrical rollout to follow. The Orchard will release the film via digital platforms in January 2017.

Written and directed by Josh Locy, Hunter Gatherer is produced by Sara Murphy, April Lamb, Isaiah Smallman, and Michael Covino. It was Executive Produced by Mama Bear Studios and Unbundled Underground in association with Rough House Pictures.

Hunter Gatherer made its world premiere at the 2016 SXSW Film Festival to rave reviews. The film’s star Andre Royo (“The Wire,” “Empire”) garnered the Jury Award for “Best Actor” at the festival.

In the film, Royo stars as Ashley Douglas, a man recently released from prison who finds out, much to his chagrin, that everyone and everything has moved on without him. With the hope of winning back his girlfriend, he enlists the aid of a fellow loner (George Sample III) as a business partner and eventually starts to experience the unexpected.

“The Orchard has a proven track record of guiding films to their audience in an effective way. I’m humbled and thrilled to be included in their slate with so many other great films,” said Locy.

Executive producer David Gordon Green said, “Hunter Gatherer is a rare independent film that isn’t loaded with sentiment or cynicism, but has a beautiful balance of humor and heart. Josh Locy’s first feature is our introduction to a fresh filmmaking voice and cements Andre Royo as a magnetic actor that defies all expectation. I’m excited for audiences to experience this one-of-a kind film.”

“Hunter Gatherer is a film that startled and enthralled us with its combination of originality, pathos, surrealism and true heart,” said Danielle DiGiacomo, VP of Acquisitions for The Orchard. “We are so excited to partner with its creators and bring it to audiences around the world, who we know will be universally touched by this film.”

The deal was negotiated by Linzee Troubh of Cinetic Media on behalf the filmmakers and Danielle DiGiacomo on behalf of The Orchard.

ABOUT THE ORCHARD

The Orchard is a pioneering independent film, TV and music distribution company that operates in over 25 global markets. The company, founded as a music distributor in 1997, is a groundbreaking leader in the film and television distribution space, known for its innovative technology that provides filmmakers with up-to-the minute trending data and analytics on their projects. The Orchard’s film division has enjoyed such recent successes as the Academy Award-nominated documentary Cartel Land, The Overnight, Dior & I and What We Do in the Shadows. Recent and upcoming releases include Academy Award-winner Morgan Neville’s The Music of Strangers, Taika Waititi’s The Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Roger Ross Williams’ Life, Animated Udi Aloni’s Junction 48, Antonio Campos’ Christine and Pablo Narrain’s Neruda. The company is currently in theaters with the Duplass brothers’ Blue Jay. For more information on The Orchard, please visit www.theorchard.com.

This comprehensive deal will bring The Orchard’s catalog to local Chinese digital services and Taihe Music Group’s music to all international outlets ex-China.

New York, NY & Singapore – September 19, 2016 – The Orchard, a pioneering independent music, film and TV distribution company, and Taihe Music Group (TMG), the largest label group and music service provider in China, have partnered in an exclusive digital deal that will bring The Orchard’s complete music catalog to a wide selection of Chinese services and TMG’s local catalog internationally outside of China. The Orchard first entered the Chinese market in 2014 and strengthening its reach into local retail is the next phase of its strategy. The Orchard’s music will now be available on services including Ali Music, Kugou, Kuwo, NetEase Cloud Music, QQ Music and Baidu Music, which TMG owns.

“We have been monitoring the Chinese market and its enormous potential for years now, waiting for the perfect opportunity for a strong entrance” says Tom Wheeley, VP of Global Business Development at The Orchard. “Working with Taihe Music Group to mutually expand the reach of our artists and labels is exciting not only because of the new audiences we stand to connect with, but also because TMG are as relentless champions of independent music as we are.”

Taihe Music Group represents the leading C-Pop artists in the country through top labels Taihe Rye Music and Ocean Butterflies Music as well as Touch Music Publishing. The group also recently merged with Baidu Music, the largest Chinese-language music search platform, making TMG the most comprehensive music company in the country. Artists including Chen Jieyi (陈洁仪), Xu Song (许嵩), Fang Datong (方大同) and Zhang Shaohan (张韶涵) will land on international streaming and download services ex-China via The Orchard, which now represents one of the most extensive catalogs of Chinese labels outside of China.

“The Orchard, with its strong global distribution channels and transparent reporting, has been on our radar for several years,” says Michael Tseng (曾志中), GM of International Digital Music at TMG. “We completely trust them to bring the best C-Pop music to the world outside of China.”

“We are very excited for this win-win partnership and foresee it will be a significant milestone for the global digital music industry,” says Qianshimu (钱实穆), CEO of TMG.

With a population of 1.38 billion people who currently contribute less than 1% of global annual recorded music revenue, the Chinese market is ripe for growth. This new partnership will not only help Chinese listeners access more international content than ever before, it will also bring top local music from China to the rest of the world.

ABOUT THE ORCHARD

The Orchard is a pioneering music, film and TV distribution company that operates in more than 25 global markets, including Singapore. With a holistic approach to sales and marketing combined with industry-leading technology and operations, The Orchard amplifies reach and revenue across hundreds of digital, physical and mobile outlets around the world. The Orchard streamlines content owners’ business complexity with an intuitive client dashboard, comprehensive rights management and tailored client support. Founded in 1997, The Orchard empowers businesses and creators in the entertainment industry. For further information, please visit www.theorchard.com.

ABOUT TAIHE MUSIC GROUP

Taihe Music Group, a global music service provider, is also the representing brand of China’s cultural and creative industries. The perpetual mission and duty of Taihe Music Group is to guide the development of the music industry. For years, depending on excellent influence and creativity, Taihe Music Group has established an ecological system of pan-entertainment which focuses on comprehensive artist services, copyright management, audio-visual services, live performance, interactive fan community, entertainment, integrated marketing and more, providing diversified services for a vast number of users, famous brands and stars and promoting cross-border integrations. Based in mainland China, Taihe Music Group comprises top music labels such as Taihe Rye Music, Ocean Butterflies Music and Touch Publishing as well as interactive service platforms such as Baidu Music, Baidu Musician, Baidu Lebo, Xiudong and Heyinliang.

Reveals Unprecedented Access to Revenue for Academy Award®-Nominated Film CARTEL LAND

New York, NY — September 9th, 2016 — The Orchard announced today that they are taking the next step in providing filmmakers and producers an unprecedented level of data and transparency around the lifecycle of their films. The Orchard’s current platform, already in use by its growing stable of award-winning independent filmmaker and producer clients, provides real time performance data and P&A tracking throughout a film’s release that is rarely made available by distributors. With the latest iteration of their transparency offering, to be released over the next six months, The Orchard will integrate a more holistic, contextual look at a film’s overall success and audience reach, as well as its recoupment positing and timing. With this evolving product, The Orchard aims to pull back the curtain on an area of the business that is shrouded in mystery and often unavailable to filmmakers. In partnership and transparency, The Orchard aims to realign the incentives of filmmakers and distributors to optimize film release strategies with respect to both revenue performance and cost. For access to the portal, please visit: transparency.theorchard.com.

This interactive experience will also provide an unparalleled look at filmmakers’ revenue for past releases, including complete data for the Academy Award®-nominated Best Documentary, “Cartel Land.” Combining The Orchard’s industry-leading digital analytics with the addition of data across all revenue streams, including theatrical box office, alongside the detailed breakdowns of P&A expenses, this new product allows users to track P&A spending against revenue performance; gives context on how minimum guarantees affect profit; provides a true understanding of film revenue potential in the marketplace; and generates a clear picture of recoupment potential which is increasingly critical.

“Filmmakers and producers alike often come into a distribution partnership expecting a lack of transparency and data because of their past experiences in the industry,” said Paul Davidson, The Orchard’s EVP, Film and Television. “Our current and future iterations of this amazing dashboard seek to rewrite the way distributors and filmmakers collaborate, evaluate success and strategize the lifecycle planning of their movies.”

“It has always been our goal to establish transparent and effective film distribution that would mirror what we have done so successfully with our global music distribution platform,” said Brad Navin, The Orchard’s CEO. “We are thrilled to be able to deliver such thorough analytics to our filmmakers, arming us all with the most possible information, and giving each film the chance at success it deserves.”

The Orchard’s film division has seen tremendous growth in a very short time. 2015 saw the release of the company’s first Academy Award contender, “Cartel Land,” as well as the releases of Sundance favorite “The Overnight,” “Dior & I” and “What We Do in the Shadows.” More recently, the company released critically-acclaimed Sundance titles “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” and “Life, Animated,” as well as Academy Award-winner Morgan Neville’s “The Music of Strangers.” Upcoming releases include fall’s highly anticipated films “Neruda,” “Christine,” and “Demon.”

About The Orchard

The Orchard is a pioneering independent film, TV and music distribution company that operates in over 25 global markets. The company, founded as a music distributor in 1997, is a groundbreaking leader in the film and television distribution space, known for its innovative technology that provides filmmakers with up-to-the minute trending data and analytics on their projects.

Early 2017 release planned for UFO documentary

Los Angeles, CA — September 1, 2016 — The Orchard announced today that the company has acquired worldwide digital and broadcast rights to groundbreaking documentary Unacknowledged: An Exposé of the Greatest Secret in Human History featuring Dr. Steven Greer, an emergency doctor and founder of the global Disclosure Movement who has briefed many senior government officials, including the CIA Director, Pentagon Admirals and Generals and senior members of Congress. Unacknowledged was directed by Michael Mazzola and produced by Greer under Star Unacknowledged LLC. The film features numerous government sources including a former special agent for the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Richard Doty. The Orchard plans a release in early 2017.

Unacknowledged takes the viewer behind the veil of secrecy and into the corridors of real power where UFO secrets reside. The film tackles the historic files of the Disclosure Project and how UFO secrecy has been ruthlessly enforced — and why. The best evidence of extraterrestrial contact dating back decades is presented, with over 100 hours of top-secret military, corporate and intelligence whistleblower testimony, documents, and UFO footage. Unacknowledged vividly paints a picture of the profound existential crisis and choice now facing humanity and the earth: Continue with the status quo and face a near extinction event, or embrace a new world free of poverty, pollution and an interstellar future.

“There’s no question, no matter your beliefs, that Dr. Greer has tirelessly and consistently exposed startling revelations about UFOs, technology and the secrets being kept from the American public,” said Paul Davidson, EVP Film and Television for The Orchard. “We are thrilled to be partnering with him to bring his most stunning work to the widest audience possible.”

“We are excited to have the support and distribution heft of The Orchard for this historic documentary film that establishes that we are not alone in the Universe,” said Dr. Steven Greer. “It is time for the truth to be known and we are honored to have The Orchard as a partner in this effort.”

ABOUT THE ORCHARD

The Orchard is a pioneering independent film, TV and music distribution company that operates in over 25 global markets. The company, founded as a music distributor in 1997, is a groundbreaking leader in the film and television distribution space, known for its innovative technology that provides filmmakers with up-to-the minute trending data and analytics on their projects. The Orchard’s film division has enjoyed such recent successes as the Academy Award-nominated documentary Cartel Land, The Overnight, Dior & I and What We Do in the Shadows. Recent and upcoming releases include Academy Award-winner Morgan Neville’sThe Music of Strangers, Udi Aloni’s Junction 48, Antonio Campos’ Christine and Pablo Narrain’s Neruda. The company is currently in theaters with Taika Waititi’s The Hunt for the Wilderpeople, and Roger Ross Williams’ Life, Animated.

The label kicks off digital compilation series “Live from the Outside” with indie rock-focused first volume, out now

New York, NY – August 9, 2016 – BalconyTV, an online video channel of musicians performing on balconies around the world, announces the creation of BalconyTV Records, a label dedicated to producing compilations of the best live recordings from BalconyTV performances around the world. The Orchard, which acquired BalconyTV in March 2014, will distribute these albums to digital stores and streaming services globally.

BalconyTV Records is launching with a compilation series titled Live from the Outside. Each installment will focus on a specific genre, pooling recorded performances from BalconyTV’s 60+ international locations. The collection’s first release, Live from the Outside Vol. 1, focuses on indie rock and is now live on all digital stores and services. Vol. 2 and Vol. 3 are due out later this month.

“BalconyTV is always focusing on finding new artists and showcasing them to a worldwide audience,” said Jeff Clyburn, President & GM of BalconyTV. “Live from the Outside allows us to highlight the finest performances from up-and-coming musicians of all genres and share them with the world in a new medium.”

Live from the Outside Vol. 1 compilation features the following artists:

Moon – “I Got a Fever”
Slow Club – “Tears of Joy”
Ivan & the Parazol – “Love is Like (Bourbon on the Rocks)”
Haunted Summer – “All Around”
Gothic Tropic – “Underwater Games”
Biddlewood – “Young & Foolish”
Stone Cold Fox – “American”
Pola Rise – “Did You Sleep Last Night”
Barbarastahl – “A Bit”
Red Axes – “Kicks Out of You”

“Knowing BalconyTV’s worldwide audience and great reputation, we were thrilled to play for the Los Angeles crew,” said Chelsea Davis, frontwoman of the band Moon. “After having won the BalconyTV 2016 Editor’s Choice Award, we are stoked to be working with the BalconyTV family once again on the upcoming compilation.”

ABOUT BALCONYTV

Launched in 2006 on a balcony in Dublin, BalconyTV has grown into a 21st century online music network. Our producers scour the globe for the best local talent, tape them performing a single song live on a balcony and post the performance online to be enjoyed by a worldwide audience. We post over 50 performances per week from over 60 stunning locations in 30 different countries spanning the globe. Notable artists who have appeared on BalconyTV include Ed Sheeran, Jessie J, Mumford & Sons, Kaiser Chiefs, Joss Stone, Little Green Cars, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, and many more.

ABOUT THE ORCHARD

The Orchard is a pioneering music, video and film distribution company and top-ranked Multi Channel Network operating in more than 25 global markets. With a holistic approach to sales and marketing combined with industry-leading technology and operations, The Orchard amplifies reach and revenue across hundreds of digital, physical and mobile outlets around the world. The Orchard streamlines content owners’ business complexity with an intuitive client dashboard, comprehensive rights management and tailored client support. Founded in 1997, The Orchard empowers businesses and creators in the entertainment industry.

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