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Clubfusion Collection |
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"The Truth Game" "Six Friends, five lies, one night..."
Rumley examines the insecurity of thirty-something relationships, where pair-bonds are like chains of pasta. "It's about the games people play and the lies they tell...and it rings very true..." |
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" Club le monde " "Fun from beginning to end, this is one of the best British indies of the year." "...some of the best young actors in Britain and an amazing soundtrack...for a complete theatrical experience." "...Rumley's portrayal of club culture is hilarious and spot-on... A classic!" |
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"Trust me on this--you want to see it. You really do." |
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"January 2nd" "No more resolutions ... January 2nd!" |
LongTale LLC is an intellectual property asset management services provider located in Los Angeles, USA. LongTale manages worldwide marketing, distribution, and collection of revenues from the licensing of rights to intellectual properties in all formats for release to theatrical, television, home video/DVD, videogames, cell phones, Internet, and other media.
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LongTale is in acquisition mode, as well as currently having productions underway in India, the U.S., Nepal, Jamaica, Canada, and Poland. Further international co-productions are in development and pre-production.
LongTale Wins Wine Country Festival Distributor Award LongTale International was named the Film Company of the Year for the 22nd Napa Sonoma Wine Country Film Festival, July 23 through August 3. Stephen Ashton, the nonprofit festival’s director and founder, made the announcement noting, “This award is given only on those occasions when we feel that there is a highly deserving recipient representing the highest standard of excellence. In this case, it is also a way of recognizing LongTale’s courageous approach to film distribution.” “I can think of no other company with such a diverse slate of films reaching such diverse and sensitive audiences,” said Ashton. LongTale’s entries to WCFF included Prince of the Himalayas, Milarepa: Magician, Murderer, Saint, and Looking for Palladin. “Prince of the Himalayas, directed by Sherwood Hu, is a film with extraordinary production values, a classic tale in a totally unexpected setting, a Tibetan Hamlet,” said Ashton. “A total crowd pleaser that should find wide audiences, it is the work of a new master director.” “Milarepa: Magician, Murderer, Saint is an exceptional action drama directed by someone who knows the legend of Tibet’s greatest yogi and spiritual warrior inside and out, Neten Chokling, a real-life Tibetan lama. I can’t wait to see the upcoming sequel. “Looking for Palladin, directed and written by Andrzej Krakowski, features a special location, Guatemala’s 400-year old city of Antigua, that is actually one of the characters affecting the protagonists,” said Ashton. “Ben Gazzara is perfectly cast as a reclusive actor with a new calling outside of Hollywood. The diverse cast including David Moscow, Talia Shire, and Vincent Pastore is an appealing one intelligent audiences will enjoy.” LongTale Announces Milarepa Distribution in Poland (Hollywood—August 3, 2008) —Milarepa: Magician, Murderer, Saint, directed by Neten Chokling, has been signed by AP Manana Films of Warsaw for distribution in Poland. The Tibetan language feature film Milarepa is the story of Tibet’s greatest yogi and spiritual warrior, a classic tale of revenge and redemption. AP Manana chief Piotr Kobus signed on at Cannes. “We expect to release Milarepa on September fifth, says Kobus. “We are working right now on our marketing strategy, and we will hold the first press screenings in early July. We have quite a few ideas and target audiences in mind, which we had already identified during a festival screening in November 2007 in Warsaw. Agencja Promocji Manana, founded by Piotr Kobus in 2001, is an independent distributor of world cinema in Poland specializing in art house films from Asia, Africa and Latin America. Praised by The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Variety, Screen International, The New Yorker, New York Magazine, and The New York Sun, Milarepa is offered worldwide by LongTale International. LongTale Helps Guatemalan Film Industry Open for Business Looking for Palladin Special Screening Set at Icaro Festival The Guatemalan Ministry of Culture and Tourism will sponsor a special screening of Looking for Palladin, the first non-native film in 70 years to be made entirely in Guatemala, at the 11th annual Icaro Festival in Guatemala City on Saturday evening, November 15. This follows Guatemala ‘s Ministry of Culture and Tourism taking center stage May 16 at the Marché du Film in Cannes as sponsor of an exclusive VIP soiree at the Grand Hotel on the Croisette, following the Cannes screening of Looking for Palladin. The Cannes party was produced by LongTale International, which represents the film for distribution. William Orbaugh, Guatemalan General Director of the Arts, and Elsa Son, Vice-minister of Culture, hosted the celebration of the Pine Hill/Tousi production, Looking for Palladin, a comedy-drama with a twist, directed and written by Andrzej Krakowski (Triumph of the Spirit, Tides of War), starring the legendary Ben Gazzara, David Moscow (Honey, Riding in Cars with Boys, Big), two-time Oscar nominee Talia Shire (The Godfather, Rocky), Pedro Armendariz Jr. (Before Night Falls, Zorro), Mexican superstar Angelica Aragon, and Vincent Pastore (The Sopranos). “These events are our way of showing that we are happy to welcome filmmakers the world-over to Guatemala ,” said Orbaugh. “Our excellent experience with Looking for Palladin demonstrates that Guatemala is prepared to offer much. We thank the producers of Looking for Palladin for their persistence in bringing this film to Guatemala to open the way, and we hope it is the first of many such productions to come." The stars and producers of the film and their entourages were joined in the gala by more than 300 other guests ranging from international press, buyers and studio heads to curious onlookers, all of whom enjoyed Central American-themed food to Latin music provided by DJ Andres Cervero. Special guests of the evening included director Sherwood Hu and international star Purba Rgyal of the the Hus Entertainment/ Shanghai Film Studios production Prince of the Himalayas, which also screened at Cannes and Monaco (where Hu won Best Director and Purba garnered the Best Actor). Looking for Palladin also screened May 14 at the Monaco Charity Film Festival. “Truth can be found in the strangest places” is the theme of Looking for Palladin, an allegory for the conflict of generations. When young, arrogant Hollywood talent agent Josh Ross (David Moscow) goes to Guatemala reluctantly to find two-time Oscar winner and retired actor Jack Palladin (Ben Gazzara), Josh's disregard for the “old” actor mirrors his disdain for the local community whose help he desperately needs in his search for Palladin. |
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LongTale Visioneers Offer Omar Kaczmarczyk, managing director of LongTale International, originated the concept of segmented rights sales for movies and helped found the first CAM (Collection Account Manager) for independent film distribution royalties. He has been associated with some of the biggest successes in independent film (click here for bio). Now he and his team of Visioneers are introducing revolutionary new directions in distribution along with an outstanding slate of films for worldwide distribution. “LongTale’s ‘visioneers’ have created a model for motion picture distribution that accesses avenues of distribution and new revenue streams opening up all over the globe,” says Omar, who has over 30 years experience in the worldwide film marketplace. “Unlike other sales representatives, LongTale is the international asset manager of our producers’ intellectual property so that each producer’s creation becomes a perpetual wealth-builder.” “LongTale International is where motion pictures play forever,” says Omar. We are a digital democracy where every viewer is counted, and every creative vision is given platforms to be experienced. LongTale is in acquisition mode with about 20 titles already signed and is interested in seeing completed films that appeal to niche as well as general audiences. The company is leading the way in international distribution of Asian animation and dramas, important documentaries, and Spanish language titles for worldwide distribution. Other genres are coming. LongTale currently has productions underway in the U.S., India, Nepal, Jamaica, Canada, and Poland. Further international co-productions are in development and pre-production. We are transparent—LongTale never co-mingles funds and doesn’t collateralize. We have a special relationship with one of the oldest collection account managers (CAMs) in the business, who handle companies like Icon, New Line, Capitol, DeLaurentis, and LongTale and Omar (the man who invented the CAM in 1978). LongTale attends the major markets to represent its titles in person. We participate at all the major film and television markets like AFM, Cannes, Berlin, MIPCOM, Hong Kong, and NATPE. Our VP of Acquisitions is Ava B., is one of the best-known acquisitions executives in the business, whose career in motion pictures and TV has included worldwide projects with some of the best known talent in the business, directors like John Huston, Anthony Page, Maximilian Shell, and Roman Polanski, and actors like Michael Caine, Jeff Bridges, Maggie Smith, Sylvester Stallone, Christopher Plummer, Ralph Fiennes, and Nicholas Cage, as well as leading TV and film interests like Kanal 2, VIASAT3, RTL (Europe’s largest radio and TV company), Cinequest Distribution, Jaman, and York Entertainment, Producers are entitled to more than just distribution. To make contact for your film, email |
LongTale International distributes theatrical motion pictures and documentaries throughout the world. Many fine LongTale titles are found just a click back on our website home page. LongTale was founded two years ago by distribution legend Omar Kaczmarczyk, recognized internationally as a pioneer of innovative motion picture licensing techniques. In 1984, he challenged industry frontiers with a segmented-licensing system, which while revolutionary at the time, is now the industry standard. LongTale attends the major markets to represent its titles in person. We participate at all the major film and television markets like AFM, Cannes, Berlin, MIPCOM, Hong Kong, and NATPE. Feel fee to contact us about distribution of any of our titles: |
The Amazing Journey & Adventure of the 21st Century Story Teller
Film is dead.
Do not lament or cry out. Celebrate!!!
Everyone I speak with wishes to be a “film” maker. Riches, fame, the red carpet, festivals, travel, recognition!
How many of you are burning from within to tell The Story?
Since I was initiated into the distribution business in the mid-`70s, every aspect has changed. We are now a Digital-Media Art form. Certainly there are labs still processing film and film loaded cameras are lighter and easier to use than ever before, but the format is a century old. For the first time in the history of mankind we have a pallet of thousands of colors, an infinite screen with multiple dimensions, including 360 degree holographic, and a cornucopia, a box, of inconceivable tools which allow the Artist to create on all art platforms and communication media.
21st Century Story telling can be a cosmic journey, the means of visually becoming a Universal Translator, beginning with a Global audience that has a more diverse spectrum, and a more complex choice of subject matter.
We begin exchanging stories of our lives, our needs, our desires and sharing ideas of a world worth transforming. We have democratized the way stories are shared again for the first time in the history of mankind. A staggering number of platforms create 5 ubiquitous Screens: The Cinema screen, the Large & small format TV screens, the Desktop Computer Screen, the IPad screen and the mobile phone screen. Once fragmented and complex applications now unite to deliver every type of story in its own and particular style.
During the 1920s when film learned to talk, stories were often taken from stage plays and filmed as such. In the 1930s, novels, being published in greater numbers than ever before, and Yellow Journalism dominated the filmed story. In the 1940s news and propaganda about the war filled the screen, the `50s & `60s saw New Wave cinema, bold and adventurous story telling. The 1970s inaugurated the Independent Movement artists breaking down the traditionally studio controlled distribution systems and finding new outlets with TV, the beginnings of Cable and the Video Cassette. The ‘80s & `90s were generally repeats and sequels with some technical innovation in sound and computerized assisted camera. We had more sequels in the first decade of the 21st Century and new technical innovations like mo-cap and CGI beginning to influence story telling for the first time. Animation entered 3-Dimensions and became an entirely new form. And now, the 21st century enters into Multi-Dimensions and Global story telling fusions. Cross-cultural. The Mahabharata influences Lucas and others. The Bible's treasured "7 Stories" are enriched with interpretations and story forms from other "Holy Books".
Eleventh Century Rumi becomes the largest selling poet in modern times, on a Global basis. Hollywood is no longer the center of the universe. And we no longer have to imitate books, magazines, newspapers. Creating digital motion pictures allows us to use fewer words and more images; the clarion call in past writing courses has always been Show! Don’t tell. Now, every well produced story will begin to earn and reach the diverse audience it deserves, without thought as to length, language, or even style. Digital delivery side steps the question of how digital media is produced and places zero limitation on format.
The “new tools” will reach the largest collaborative & positive group of DMedia responders in recorded history, 1.3 Billion on-line subscribers around the world. Already intelligent and informed by nature of being on-line, they know they have choice in the matter.
The web has evolved to a simple and inevitable nature of absolute access to absolutely everything. We must now learn to embrace the new platforms and delivery systems --creating outside the Box and pushing through the walls, without totally abandoning the old.
All things flow, nothing stays, the journey of each day begins with infinite possibility for the creator, the Artist.
- Omar Kaczmarczyk.
LONGTALE PERSPECTIVE
LongTale is moving the independent content popularization and monetization business (Motion Pictures in all forms) into the 21st century. This means two things, principally:
1. Setting up to work into every possible “platform” of value for the IP Intellectual Property), and,
2. Taking the risk out of the representation business - which implies lowering the cost.
Intellectual Property management is a multi-dimensional effort. There are various forms of sponsorship that are engaged prior to production (or even after in some cases). There are various forms of exhibition - some say four screens. There's all manner of creatively finding the audience where they sit (or lay or stand, for that matter): service deals, promotional give-aways (a misnomer - there's actually income there), direct sales to an established customer base, as well just good old fashioned license sales. It begins with an informed plan that is regularly updated. It is implemented through a capable network of specialists. Regardless of how it is done, it begins and ends with marketing.
3.
These days, for the independent distributor, a marketing venue of immense size and power is immediately accessible - it is the internet. It's a big place and it must be addressed with a plan, skills, and capabilities. What's more, compared to P&A financing, new media can be inexpensive by orders of magnitude, if done well. To put it simply, new media promotion is where it's at. Every content producer, must, absolutely must, build the foundation of personal branding, content branding, and social positioning in order to succeed.
4. To take the risk out of the representation, two disciplines are necessary, volume and efficiency.
The Motion Picture industry has shifted from a model of limited supply with narrow exhibition options in which exclusive access was the key to success, to one of over-supply and multiple exhibition windows in which multiple competencies are the key to success. As a result, the traditional trade is not paying up-front money at anywhere near the levels it did at one time. This means only a very few independent content projects have hope of ever recovering production costs by accessing the traditional trade. Representatives, on the other hand, until recently could survive making bets on selective content choices, pumping money into markets and trade promotion, and relying upon enough bets paying off to stay in business. No more. Ironically, at the same time, more people are watching more content through more means than ever before and the numbers and options are growing. Because content will not earn it's meat by a few big deals in a single mode of transaction (i.e. film markets), but by many small deals – some genres at film markets, some in many other ways - the representation business must first and foremost become more efficient. In a world where a few big deals carried the day, efficiency didn't matter much. It was all about access - with enough access one would make enough money that operational efficiency beyond a very low threshold was insignificant. This is no longer true. Many specialists, knowledgeable of technologies, territories, content, and trends, must work very effectively for modest earnings. But these aggregated earnings will earn the production budget for clients and a profit for the representative - if only they are done at a high threshold of efficiency. This means two things: Internet based services to accomplish in an automated way what used to take a cadre of specialists to accomplish and, a reduction of transaction costs by collapsing the number of intermediaries involved in moving content into exhibition. By setting up those automated services, and establishing the network of specialists, the representative then becomes not only capable of handling greater volume, but, given the expected margins, it becomes necessary to engage higher volume.
Put these two together: 1) informed content monetization planning, marketing execution, and ceaselessly searching for income opportunities for not only the content but its underlying intellectual property rights; and, 2) efficiency and volume in representation. Now you have Intellectual Property Management, the approach to independent content management designed by LongTale, and the right approach for the 21st century. There is one other factor to observe in this powerful combination - mitigation of risk for producers and for the representative, or better put, Intellectual Property Manager. Producers can be sure that their content will get the full potential exploitation of monetization opportunity. Their risk will not and cannot be removed - they must create something that people want to watch. Being assured that the content will be presented to the audience, a producer's risk lies in quality of the content - where it should be. For the IP Manager risk is substantially eliminated. Any competently produced content will be handled in a way that reduces market risk to close to nil, and assures appropriate expense assignment. With volume, efficiency, and effective marketing, power in the distribution channel will accrue to the IP manager and exposure will be assured. Now, the intrinsic unknown of entertainment content value will be averaged over a very wide base.
This is the foundation of LongTale’s 21st Century planning. We have our history and both feet planted in the traditional brick and mortar business, knowing full well that as all things flow, nothing stays. For the first time in the history of mankind we can instantly reach over 1.3 billion people around the globe, in their language, and market B 2 B AND B 2 C on a scale never before known. It only gets better.
- Omar Kaczmarczyk.
Producer's Bill of Rights 1. Producers should be professionally represented (not represent themselves) A membership to sell at film markets and the actual staging of a market presentation is expensive and requires a great deal of detailed preparation, generally beginning six months before each market. The basic cost of participating in just one of the major markets (AFM, Cannes Market, MIFED, MIPCOM, etc.) is between $75,000 to $250,000 U.S. and about $35,000 for each of the interim markets. There are costs exclusive of advertising, preparation for at-market or in-competition film screenings, and many additional marketing costs. But selling a motion picture is only the tip of the iceberg. After “making a deal” for distribution in a territory or nation, there are actual motion picture delivery, account servicing, and revenue collection. This is a process that is extensive, time consuming, and tedious. Finally, consider the problems of accounting for the different tax treaties and tariffs for each international sale. Withheld taxes alone can chew up substantial amounts of the revenue if the transactions are not “routed” properly to reduce liabilities. Producers need to do what they do best: produce. Professional representation is needed to set up the distribution matrix that will provide the maximum revenue. 2. Producers have a right to not be abused Little matters if the producer never sees any “real money” from each licensee distributor. Aside from first revenue derived by direct licensing sales initiated by meetings at a film market, each license obliges the distributor to pass net revenue through to the producer. But the motion picture industry provides many tales of the successful release of audience pleasing films that were overcharged by distributors for hidden, unauthorized service fees, which reduce the revenue due to the Producer, resulting in the over use of the accounting term “net negative revenue.” Briefly put, the biggest problem between the producer and infamous distributors is the “creative accounting” prevalent in the industry. The problem applies both to domestic and international distribution sales. It really does not matter what the upfront “distribution” or “sales” fee is against the distributor’s gross revenue: Most distribution and sales agreements provide first for the deduction of that fee (whether or not it is 20% or 50% is immaterial), and then require the recoupment of all associated “costs and expenses of distribution services” performed by and now owed to the distributor, letting the distributor interpret exactly what costs and expenses should be recouped before paying the Producer. It is an interesting fact that there is an appearance of a direct correlation between the distributor’s “costs and expenses” and the amount of gross revenue generated through its sales: In the past, the amount of “expenses” assessed against the picture’s revenues is always just a little more than the revenue that could have been received by the distributor, so that virtually nothing is passed back to the producer. The film business just doesn’t have to be like this. 3. Producers deserve trustworthy, experienced representation that knows the business LongTale, LLC, is a team of “visioneers,” established participants in each of these markets. International sales, like so much of the entertainment industry, is based on personal relationships. It takes time to become established with reputable buyers in the international market and to gain their confidence and loyalty. It obviously helps that LongTale is known as an established seller of licensing rights who can service international motion picture buyers. Negotiating favorable terms, and then collecting what is due, near to “on-time,” is much easier when buyers can depend on receiving the motion picture they want, when they want it, and in the format and quality they require. LongTale’s involvement is a guarantee to buyers that the pros are on board. An additional valuable service LongTale provides to producers at the international film markets is the reduction of investor risk through either actual presales prior to production (as long as this can be accomplished at prices equivalent to what would be realized after completion of the film), by “pricing” of the future product through “offers” prior to film production in order. This can determine the value of cast, story, and other creative elements prior to committing to them in production. It is established relationships that can make “pre-sales” positioning of a new production possible. LongTale’s chief advantage is its International Entertainment Business Consultant and Managing Director, Omar Kaczmarczyk, who is a well-established member of the international independent film production and distribution communities. He has been involved in international sales for over 30 years and is accredited with facilitating the world-wide sales of The Three Musketeers, The Four Musketeers, Superman—The Movie, Superman 2, Superman 3, Supergirl, Santa Claus—The Movie, The New Adventures of Pinocchio, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World, and more. LongTale has designed a unique business process to ensure the greatest possible share of the actual revenue, in any territory, is passed directly through to the Producer. LongTale’s visioneers process buyer orders, manage marketing services, and administer all phases of product delivery and revenue collection. LongTale manages the necessary tier of international transaction companies who hold the proper tax treaty affiliations to avoid this potentially costly pitfall. That is what we do, and once signed with LongTale, it is what a producer has a right to expect. |

































