Blog

In 1974, the most celebrated American R&B acts of the time came together with the most renowned musical groups in Southern Africa for a 12-hour, three-night long concert held in Kinshasa, Zaire. The pipe dream of musician Hugh Masekela and producer Stewart Levine, this music festival became a reality when they convinced boxing promoter Don King to combine the event with “The Rumble in the Jungle”, the epic fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, previously chronicled in the Academy Award winning documentary When We Were Kings.

Soul Power is a verité documentary, entirely composed of footage shot in 1974 at the legendary music festival (dubbed “Zaire ’74”). It shows the experiences and performances of such musical luminaries as James Brown, BB King, Bill Withers, Celia Cruz, Miriam Makeba, among a host of others. At the peak of their talents and the height of their careers, these artists were inspired by this return to their African roots, as well as the enthusiasm of the Zairian audience, to give the performances of their lives. The concert has achieved mythological significance as the definitive Africa(n)-American musical event of the 20th Century.

Soul Power has been crafted from the extensive footage which remained after the making of When We Were Kings, which famously documented the epic title fight, but only briefly touched upon the Zaire ’74 music festival. This footage has remained vaulted for the past 35 years, unused, unseen, until now.

An unbridled musical journey for the ages.

The ONLY Japanese Film to ever win the ‘BEST FILM’ award in the Orrizonti of the Venice Film Festival!

Starring famous Japanese folk singer COCCO!

Shinya Tsukamoto, the cult director of the cyberpunk Tetsuo series, presents an unnerving film about mental instability. Kotoko (folk-singer Cocco), a young single mother, lives alone with her baby son. Suffering from an unknown illness that makes her see double – especially people – and not knowing which version of the person is real, it severely impacts her day-to-day life, often leading to her to lash out violently. As her situation worsens and she becomes a liability, her son is taken from her a put in the care of her sister. Kotoko is left alone with her own thoughts – and for a person with an already broken mind that is a very scary place indeed.

Out on DVD October 8th, 2012.

A new British film, currently in pre-production, links an unlikely group of participants – rock group Oasis, Cardiff City Football Club, the city of Los Angeles, the Funky Chicken, and animated hero Super Ted – combining to introduce the world to an extraordinary man….  His name is Robin Friday.

A few years ago, while on tour with Oasis in America, former bass player Paul “Guigsy” McGuigan came across an article about this wild man from Acton in West London, who had ridiculous talent and a shockingly entertaining life. A life of outrageous excess is soon to be celebrated on the big screen in THE GREATEST FOOTBALLER YOU NEVER SAW, based on the hit biography penned by McGuigan and celebrated author Paolo Hewitt – THE GREATEST FOOTBALLER YOU NEVER SAW: THE ROBIN FRIDAY STORY.

Robin Friday played professional football for just three years. But he wasn’t only a footballer who scored the greatest goal that legendary international referee Clive Thomas ever witnessed. He became the all-time cult hero for the fans that adored him – fans who weren’t corporate executives or lazy armchair experts, but rather the folk he lived and drank with on the working class streets of Reading and Cardiff. His story wasn’t just one of spectacular goals and outrageous skill, it was a story of the Seventies – of bell-bottoms, LPs, interracial marriage, social struggle, drugs, sex and the Funky Chicken.

Now, multiple Emmy-winning and BAFTA winning producer Mike Young (creator of another cultural icon…Super Ted) has partnered with Paolo Hewitt and Los Angeles-based British producers Marc Ambrose (Ambergreen Entertainment) and Marc Benardout and Julian Stone (Tasty Films) to bring this wild and brilliant story to the screen. And, with the generous and creative support of Film Agency for Wales, the screenplay for THE GREATEST FOOTBALLER YOU NEVER SAW has been written by Stone and Hewitt.

On making the announcement Paolo Hewitt commented “When I was writing the book with Guigsy all those years ago, I kept saying to him this would make such a great film. The fact that this is now happening is the proverbial dream come true. Spurs will win the Premiership at this rate.” Los Angeles based Mike Young said “I have been a life-long Cardiff City fan (and have the lines to prove it) and saw John Charles, Trevor Ford play but the firefly that was Robin Friday’s career was both breathtaking and sadly incredible to behold.

The project is funded by the multi-Emmy® and IFTA award winning studio Telegael, one of Europe’s leading animation and television production houses, Film Agency Wales and Mike Young, CEO of Moonscoop USA. An additional high profile financier is in final negotiations to be involved.

The ball is rolling…

Two of the most talked-about Japanese cult films of all time makes their way onto a double-disc blu-ray set for the first time in the world with a brand new high definition transfer supervised by Shinya Tsukamoto!

This 2 disc blu-ray and DVD set will include a brand new exclusive interview with Shinya Tsukamoto as well as the first English-subtitled release in the world of his 45 minute pre-Tetsuo student film ‘The Adventures of Electric Rod Boy’ which has also been remastered

The release will feature both a slipcase as well as a reversible sleeve so fans can choose whether they’d rather have an image from Tetsuo I or II on the front of their box.

DVD/BLU-RAY Special Features:

New High Definition Transfer supervised by Shinya Tsukamoto
Exclusive interview with Shinya Tsukamoto
‘The Adventures of Electric Rod Boy’ – Shinya Tsukamoto’s early film
New UK Trailer
Japanese Theatrical Trailers for both Tetsuo I & II