Drafthouse Films

Last updated
Drafthouse Films
Company type Private
Industry Film distribution
Founded2010;14 years ago (2010)
Founder Tim League
Headquarters,
United States
Key people
Tim League, Nick Savva
OwnerNick Savva (CEO)
Parent Giant Pictures

Drafthouse Films is an independent film distribution company based in Austin, Texas which releases "provocative, visionary and artfully unusual films new and old from around the world". It was founded in 2010 by Tim League, who had previously founded the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema chain. Drafthouse Films has released a variety of films since its inception.

Contents

Its third release, Bullhead , was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. [1] Its fourteenth release, The Act of Killing , was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, as was its sequel The Look of Silence . [2]

In March 2022, it was announced that digital distributor Giant Pictures had acquired the Drafthouse Films label. Nick Savva became the new Drafthouse Films CEO, with Alamo Drafthouse founder Tim League serving as chairman of the acquired company. Drafthouse Films' first two acquisitions under its new management were Nr. 10 , directed by Alex van Warmerdam, and Masking Threshold , a psychological horror pic from director Johannes Grenzfurthner. [3] [4]

Releases

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Killer Klowns from Outer Space</i> 1988 film by the Chiodo Brothers

Killer Klowns from Outer Space is a 1988 American science fiction horror comedy film written, directed and produced by the Chiodo Brothers, and starring Grant Cramer, Suzanne Snyder, John Allen Nelson and John Vernon. It is the only film written and directed by the Chiodo Brothers, who also created the practical effects and makeup. It concerns a clan of evil extraterrestrials who resemble clowns. They arrive on Earth and invade a small town in order to capture, kill and harvest the human inhabitants to use as sustenance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Knowles</span> American film critic and writer

Harry Jay Knowles is an American former film critic and writer known for his website Ain't It Cool News (AICN). Knowles was a member of the Austin Film Critics Association until he was removed in September 2017 "by a substantial majority vote" of the organization following allegations of sexual assault.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Filmways</span> Former American television and film production company

Filmways, Inc. was a television and film production company founded by American film executive Martin Ransohoff and Edwin Kasper in 1952. It is probably best remembered as the production company of CBS' "rural comedies" of the 1960s, including Mister Ed, The Beverly Hillbillies, Petticoat Junction, and Green Acres, as well as the comedy-drama The Trials of O'Brien, the western Dundee and the Culhane, the adventure show Bearcats!, the police drama Cagney & Lacey, and The Addams Family. Notable films the company produced include The Sandpiper, The Cincinnati Kid, The Fearless Vampire Killers, Ice Station Zebra, Summer Lovers, The Burning, King, Brian De Palma's Dressed to Kill and Blow Out, and Death Wish II.

<i>Robot Jox</i> 1990 film by Stuart Gordon

Robot Jox is a 1990 American post-apocalyptic Mecha science-fiction film directed by Stuart Gordon and starring Gary Graham, Anne-Marie Johnson and Paul Koslo. Co-written by science-fiction author Joe Haldeman, the film's plot follows Achilles, one of the "robot jox" who pilot giant machines that fight international battles to settle territorial disputes in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Octopus Project</span> American experimental band

The Octopus Project is an American experimental band formed in Austin, TX in 1999 by Toto Miranda, Yvonne Lambert & Josh Lambert. Their first album, Identification Parade, came out in 2002, setting them off on a musical path that veers through blown-out rock’n’roll, vibrant electronics, surreal pop and expansive psych landscapes. Since then, the group of multi-instrumentalists has released six studio albums and scored six feature films. Touring venues and festivals worldwide both on their own and as handpicked support for artists as diverse as DEVO and Aesop Rock, they have earned a reputation for explosive live shows and immersive audio-visual experiments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alamo Drafthouse Cinema</span> American movie theater chain

The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is an American cinema chain founded in 1997 in Austin, Texas, which is famous for serving dinner and drinks during the movie, as well as its strict policy of requiring its audiences to maintain proper cinema-going etiquette.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fantastic Fest</span> Annual film festival held in Austin, Texas, USA

Fantastic Fest is an annual film festival in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 2005 by Tim League of Alamo Drafthouse, Harry Knowles of Ain't It Cool News, Paul Alvarado-Dykstra, and Tim McCanlies, writer of The Iron Giant and Secondhand Lions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Kijak</span> American filmmaker

Stephen Kijak is an American film director. He is known for films about music and musicians, most notably the feature documentaries Scott Walker – 30 Century Man (2006), Stones in Exile (2010), We Are X (2016), If I Leave Here Tomorrow (2018), and Sid & Judy (2019). His collaborators and subjects include such musical legends and icons as David Bowie, Scott Walker, The Rolling Stones, Jaco Pastorius, Rob Trujillo, Backstreet Boys, X Japan, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Judy Garland, and The Smiths.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim's Video and Music</span>

Kim's Video and Music was a video and music retail store in the East Village of Manhattan, New York City, described as the "go-to place for rare selections" and "widely known among the cognoscenti of new, experimental and esoteric music and film". Its owner was Yongman Kim.

<i>Blood Beach</i> 1981 American horror film by Jeffrey Bloom

Blood Beach is a 1981 American horror film written and directed by Jeffrey Bloom and starring David Huffman, John Saxon, and Burt Young. The premise, conceived by Steven Nalevansky, involves a creature lurking beneath the sand of Santa Monica Beach that attacks locals and vacationers. The film's tagline is: "Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water—you can't get to it."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim League</span> American film producer

Tim League is an American entrepreneur and film producer based in Austin, Texas. He is the founder of the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema chain and the founder of Drafthouse Films, a film distribution company, where he produced The ABCs of Death and other films He is co-founder of Fantastic Fest, a film festival, Mondo, an entertainment merchandise company, and Neon, a film production and distribution company.

Video Violence, also known as Video Violence... When Renting is Not Enough, is a 1987 American horror film directed by Gary Cohen and starring Gary Schwartz and Chick Kaplan. The film was shot entirely on a VHS camcorder.

<i>Road to Hell</i> (film) 2008 American film

Road to Hell is a 2008 action-fantasy film directed by Albert Pyun. It was inspired by Walter Hill's Streets of Fire and began shooting that same year in June at Los Angeles. Pyun states that the genesis of Road to Hell began when he and Paré attended a film festival in Spain.

<i>Klown</i> 2010 Danish film

Klown is a 2010 Danish comedy film directed by Mikkel Nørgaard, and written by and starring Frank Hvam and Casper Christensen. It was developed from the successful Danish television series of the same name, in which Hvam and Christensen play fictionalized versions of themselves.

<i>Miami Connection</i> 1987 American film directed by Y.K. Kim

Miami Connection is a 1987 independent martial arts film starring Y.K. Kim, who also wrote and produced the feature. Originally, the film was critically maligned and received poor box office return upon release. It remained unseen for decades until Drafthouse Films restored the film for a proper release in 2012. The film was released on DVD, Blu-ray, limited-edition VHS, and various digital download options on December 11, 2012. Since then, the film has been better received by audiences and has garnered a cult following.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neil Breen</span> American filmmaker and actor

Neil Breen is an American filmmaker and actor. Since 2005, he has written, directed, independently produced, and starred in six theatrical feature films. Breen's films have garnered a cult following for their low-budget production values, acting, writing, and editing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Insurge Pictures</span>

Insurge Pictures was an American production company that was the specialty label belonging to the American film studio Paramount Pictures. It focused on Micro-Budget films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mondo (American company)</span> American screen printed posters company

Mondo is an American company known for releasing limited edition screen printed posters for films, television shows, and comics, as well as vinyl movie soundtracks, clothing and apparel, toys, and re-issues of VHS releases. Founded in 2004 as Mondo Tees, the company is a former subsidiary of the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema chain in Austin, Texas, and currently hosts a permanent gallery space there which features original artwork and custom posters.

Masking Threshold is a 2021 English-language Austrian horror film directed by Johannes Grenzfurthner, and produced by art group monochrom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giant Pictures</span> American film distribution company

Giant Pictures is an American independent film distribution company founded by Nick Savva and Jeff Stabenau with offices in New York City and Los Angeles. The company releases feature films, documentaries and series on streaming platforms, with an emphasis on flexibility and customization for filmmakers. Giant Pictures owns and operates specialty theatrical label, Drafthouse Films. Giant is the distribution and technology partner of the Tribeca Festival.

References

  1. "Oscar Nominations 2012: Full List". ABC News . January 24, 2012. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  2. "2014 Oscars: The nominees' list". CNN . January 16, 2014. Retrieved May 11, 2015.
  3. "Drafthouse Films Sells to Giant Pictures, Sets Nick Savva as CEO". Variety. 2022-03-09. Retrieved 2022-03-09.
  4. "Drafthouse Films Label Sold to Giant Pictures". The Hollywood Reporter. 2022-03-09. Retrieved 2022-03-09.
  5. "Drafthouse Films Buys 'Mister Organ,' 'The YouTube Effect,' 'Everyone Will Burn' (EXCLUSIVE)". 16 May 2023.