ARC & Victory Announce Major National Rollout for 'The Undefeated'

Palin documentary Coming to cable/satellite September 1, DVD October 4
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Big news today about "The Undefeated." From the press release:

Victory Film Group and ARC Entertainment, the distributor of “The Undefeated,” the film about Gov. Sarah Palin’s rise from obscurity to national prominence, jointly announced today that beginning on September 1st the film will be available to 75 million homes via Video on Demand and Pay-Per-View access through national and regional cable and satellite operators. The DVD will launch on October 4th and will be available at traditional and online retailers nationwide. ARC is estimating its initial unit shipment to be approximately 250,000 units. A “Special Edition” DVD will contain additional new content and will only be sold in Walmart stores. ARC will continue to expand the limited engagement theatrical release nationwide throughout August and September as demand across the country remains high.

Trevor Drinkwater, CEO of ARC Entertainment, said, “Since the film opened in select markets across the country on July 15th we have been inundated with requests from people wanting the film to be made available in their market. After methodically analyzing the most effective ways to bring this galvanizing film to the widest audience as soon as possible we have determined that continued limited theatrical distribution, Video-on-Demand, Pay-Per-View and DVD sales will be the best modalities by which to deliver this film as widely as possible. We have created partnerships with national cable, satellite and mass retailers to achieve our distribution goals.”

“This title is absolutely perfect for Video-on-Demand and Pay-Per-View backed by a traditional and significant marketing campaign. We are incredibly excited about having this film made available to the entire country earlier than expected,” said Glenn Bracken Evans, the film’s producer. “A traditional windowed release would not have allowed us to maximize viewership of this highly sought after film,” continued Evans.

“The Undefeated is a terrific case study for a digital cinema release. We have been nimble, efficient and brought this film to many eager viewers with almost no turn around time,” said Jill Newhouse Calcaterra, chief marketing officer at Cinedigm, the film’s digital distributor. “We look forward to bringing this film to many more audiences across the country during the next month.”

Filmmaker Stephen K. Bannon stated, “Given the strong audience reaction we have determined there is overwhelming demand for us to get this film out broadly enough to cover the entire nation in September and October. In a 90-day period from August to November we will be able to effectively cover the nation through multiple distribution modalities.”

The Video-on-Demand and Pay-Per-View deals with strategic partners will be backed by a multi-million-dollar advertising campaign to heighten awareness in all markets to the film’s availability.

Written and directed by Stephen K. Bannon and produced by Victory Film Group co-founder Glenn Bracken Evans and Dan Fleuette, “The Undefeated" was independently financed by Victory Film Group and its partners.

The film debuted theatrically to multiple sold-out runs and enthusiastic audience support with weekend per-screen averages above $11,000 in top markets. The film was rushed to select digital theatres in only three weeks, and was marketed entirely through social media and grass roots efforts with virtually no traditional media spend.

The film includes leading prominent political commentators Mark Levin, Tammy Bruce and Andrew Breitbart as well as conservative activists Kate Obenshain, Sonnie Johnson and Jamie Radtke. Additionally, the film features interviews with Alaskan civil servants, elected officials and advisors who were involved in Alaskan politics during Governor Palin’s tenure.

[More]

- JP

ARC: 'The Undefeated' to Expand to Additional Cities & Theaters This Weekend

Documentary film coming to Tucson, West Palm, Milwaukee, Charlotte, and Ontario
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In a move which discredits claims by the liberal media about the box office strength of the Palin documentary "The Undefeated," ARC Entertainment has announced that director Stephen Bannon's film will debut in five new markets this weekend, while it expands to additional theaters in two cities and continues in seven. Here is the press release:

Santa Monica, Calif. (July 18, 2011) ⎯ ARC Entertainment today announced “The Undefeated,” which chronicles Sarah Palin’s rise from obscurity to national prominence, will roll out to additional AMC Theatres (AMC) beginning on Friday, July 22nd.

With sold-out runs and enthusiastic audience support on opening weekend, the film will roll out to new markets including Tucson, AZ; West Palm, FL; Milwaukee, WI; Charlotte, NC; and Ontario, CA. The film will also expand into additional theatres in Atlanta, GA, and Phoenix, AZ, and will continue in theatres in Dallas, TX; Houston, TX; Denver, CO; Orlando, FL; and Orange, CA.

ARC Entertainment, the distributor of the film, announced today that the film had a stronger opening weekend than expected with the top markets, Phoenix and Orange County, achieving weekend per screen averages above $11,000 driven by multiple sold-out runs. The film was rushed to select digital theatres in only three weeks, and was marketed entirely through social media and grass roots efforts with virtually no traditional media spend.

“Given the audience response on our opening weekend we now know we have a film that works. Our objective is very simple⎯ to bring this film to every market and every corner of the country; starting with a limited theatrical release and then through an aggressive broader distribution strategy including streaming video, on-demand access and DVD,” stated filmmaker Stephen K. Bannon.

Trevor Drinkwater, CEO of ARC Entertainment, said, “We have been inundated with requests from around the country to have the film play in their market. Our expansion plan is being methodically analyzed and managed to allow the film to be viewed by the widest audience in the most effective manner.”

This coming Friday the film will play in the following AMC theatres:
Ahwatukee 24 4915 East Ray Road Phoenix, AZ 85044
Arizona Center 24 565 N. 3rd Street Phoenix, AZ 85004
Barrett Commons 24 Theatres 2600 Cobb Place Lane NW Kennesaw, GA 30144
Block 30 @ Orange 20 City Boulevard West Orange, CA 92868
Colonial 18 Theatres 825 Lawrenceville – Suwanee Road Lawrenceville, GA 30245
Concord Mills 8421 Concord Mills Boulevard, Concord, NC 28027
Foothills 15 7401 La Cholla Blvd. Suite 144 Tucson, AZ 85741
Grapevine Mills 30 Theatres 3150 Grapevine Mills Parkway Grapevine, TX 76051
Highlands Ranch 24 103 Centennial Road Highlands Ranch, CO 80126
Indian River 24 6200 20th Street #600 Vero Beach, FL 32966
Mayfair Mall 18 2500 North Mayfair Road Box M-146 Wauwatosa, WI 53226
Ontario Mills 30 4549 Mills Circle Ontario, CA 91764
West Oaks 14 9415 West Colonial Drive Ocoee, FL 34761
Willowbrook 24 Theatres 17145 Tomball Parkway Houston, TX 77064

“We are thrilled that The Undefeated can benefit from the digital cinema platform to quickly expand to additional markets this weekend,” said Jonathan Dern, president of Cinedigm Entertainment Group.

Written and directed by Stephen K. Bannon and produced by Victory Film Group co-founder Glenn Bracken Evans and Dan Fleuette, “The Undefeated” was independently financed by Victory Film Group and its partners.

The film includes leading prominent political commentators Mark Levin, Tammy Bruce and Andrew Breitbart as well as conservative activists Kate Obenshain, Sonnie Johnson and Jamie Radtke. Additionally, the film features interviews with Alaskan civil servants, elected officials and advisors who were involved in Alaskan politics during Governor Palin’s tenure.

“After the incredible feedback we got from enthusiastic audiences, we are very excited to bring this story of a true American hero to additional audiences across America,” said Glenn Bracken Evans.

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Theater owners are in the entertainment business to make money, not to make political statements. If you believe the critics of the film on the left, then why will the "The Undefeated" be showing next week in more markets and more theaters than it is this week? We can't wait to hear how the naysayers will spin their answer to this question.

- JP

ARC Entertainment: Strong Opening for 'The Undefeated'

"Multiple sold-out runs and vocal audience support"
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It's official: "The Undefeated," now in the third day of its opening run, is already a indisputable success. ARC Entertainment has crunched the numbers from the box offices of its ten theaters showing Stephen Bannon's Palin documentary, and the company is very pleased with the results. Here's the full press release:

Santa Monica, Calif. (July 17, 2011) - ARC Entertainment, the distributor of “The Undefeated,” the film about Gov. Sarah Palin’s rise from obscurity to national prominence, announced today that through Saturday night the film had a stronger opening than expected with the large markets trending towards weekend per screen averages above $10,000 driven by multiple sold-out runs. The film had accumulated approximately $5,000 per screen through Saturday night. Unique in the theatrical feature world, The Undefeated was rushed to select digital theatres in only 3 weeks, and was marketed almost entirely through social media and grass roots efforts, with virtually no traditional media spend. With the strong initial showing, the film is going to a wider release footprint later this month, with details being announced soon.

The film opened in 10 markets on Friday including Atlanta, GA, Dallas, TX, Houston, TX, Denver, CO, Phoenix, AZ, Orlando, FL, Indianapolis, IN, Kansas City, MO, Oklahoma City, OK and Orange, CA.

“We are extremely pleased with the audience reaction, which has been over-the-top enthusiastic and very passionate, including standing ovations at most screenings,” said Trevor Drinkwater, CEO of ARC Entertainment, the film’s distributor. “We expect word-of-mouth to keep ticket sales strong and we will definitely expand the film to a wider national audience. With merely three weeks of preparation and a virtually non-existent traditional advertising spend, the film did exceptionally well. ”

“We have been told the theaters in Phoenix, Atlanta, Denver and Indianapolis moved the film to bigger screens to accommodate oversized crowds. Because of high-ticket sales, the Phoenix theater put ‘The Undefeated’ on two screens during one showing to accommodate demand,” stated Andy Badolato, VP Marketing and Business Development of Victory Film Group and Associate Producer of “The Undefeated.”

Over the weekend reports also documented the strong ticket sales and enthusiastic audience reaction. Reuters reported, “It may not be ‘Harry Potter,’ but another film featuring a bespectacled protagonist is racking up strong pre-sales before its national roll-out this weekend.” AOL’s Patch reported, “Reactions from filmgoers attending the screening were overwhelmingly positive.” The Brisbane Times of Australia reported, “‘The Undefeated,’ a documentary tracing Sarah Palin’s rise to political power, has opened in US theatres to overwhelmingly positive opinion.”

“ARC Entertainment and its digital distribution partner Cinedigm did an incredible job opening weekend,” said Stephen K. Bannon, the film’s writer and director. “This was a high risk bet- a national release in ten disparate markets with only three weeks preparation supported solely by social media. What would have taken months and cost millions in P & A, ARC Entertainment and Cinedigm accomplished within a month with negligible costs. This film will find its audience because of its appeal and our savvy distribution partners.”

“The Undefeated is the perfect example of how digital cinema can benefit both producers and audiences,” said Jill Newhouse Calcaterra, chief marketing officer at Cinedigm. “Starting with theatre location selection, we worked quickly – with precision accuracy- to generate a terrific box office result with virtually no marketing dollars. This is a new model that is going to benefit the entire entertainment industry and audiences who want to see unique products.”

“The combination of passionate audience response, sustained standing ovations and in-theater Twittering convinces us that this is a special film that will have incredible word-of-mouth,” said Glenn Bracken Evans, Victory Film Group co-founder. “The film’s website www.theundefeatedmovie.com has received hundreds of thousands of hits. I am truly amazed that in certain markets we will hit or exceed the $10,000 per screen mark given that we had absolutely no electronic media spend and only booked the theaters weeks ago. I’m particularly amazed we accomplished this in Phoenix and Orange County, two of the country’s most competitive markets during one of the toughest summer weekends and up against Harry Potter.”

Written and directed by Bannon and produced by Victory Film Group co-founder Glenn Bracken Evans and Dan Fleuette, “The Undefeated” was independently financed by Victory Film Group and its partners.

The film includes leading prominent political commentators Mark Levin, Tammy Bruce and Andrew Breitbart as well as conservative activists Kate Obenshein, Sonnie Johnson and Jamie Radtke. Additionally, the film features interviews with Alaskan civil servants, elected officials and advisors who were involved in Alaskan politics during Governor Palin’s tenure.

About ARC Entertainment

ARC Entertainment provides brand marketing, retail strategy, physical distribution and sales services for consumer products, with an emphasis on entertainment-based products. ARC Entertainment is a “solutions-based” distribution company. ARC Entertainment’s unparalleled relationships with national retailers, coupled with strong sales and marketing expertise, enables the Company to explore unique programs and business models for its content partners. The company develops creative and profitable retail marketing programs by connecting Intellectual Property and Content owners directly with retailers. This enables ARC Entertainment to truly align content development, investment and distribution with the requirements of retailers and their customers. ARC Entertainment monetizes Content in multiple revenue streams including: Theatrical Distribution, DVD, Blu-Ray, Digital, Electronic Sell-Through, Streaming, VOD, PPV, Pay and Free TV. ARC Entertainment.

About Cinedigm

Cinedigm is a leader in providing the services, experience, technology and content critical to transforming movie theaters into digital and networked entertainment centers. The company partners with Hollywood movie studios, independent movie distributors, and exhibitors to bring movies in digital cinema format to audiences across the country. Cinedigm’s digital cinema deployment organization, software, satellite and hard drive digital movie delivery network; pre-show in-theater advertising services; and marketing and distribution platform for alternative content such as CineLive ® 3-D and 2-D sports and concerts, thematic programming and independent movies is a cornerstone of the digital cinema transformation. Cinedigm ™ and Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp. ™ are trademarks of Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp. Cinedigm.com (CIDM-G)

About Victory Film Group

Victory Film Group develops, produces and distributes films that address today’s leading political, socio-economical and cultural issues from a conservative perspective.www.victoryfilmgroup.com

For More Information

www.TheUndefeatedMovie.com

www.victoryfilmgroup.com

www.cinedigm.com/theUndefeatedMovie

Good news for all concerned with the notable exception of the left wing, lamestream meadia, which is doing everything within its power to suppress turnout for the film.

- JP