Monday, January 14, 2013

AFFRM Launches Multi-Platform Label, ARRAY

 BETTER MUS' COME

First Acquisition is Storm Saulter’s Jamaican Epic
“Better Mus’ Come”

Los Angeles, CA, January 14, 2013 – African-American Film Festival Releasing Movement (AFFRM) today announced the launch of its new label, ARRAY, dedicated to multi-platform distribution of black independent film.  The label’s first acquisition is the award-winning drama, Better Mus’ Come, the debut feature from writer/director Storm Saulter. ARRAY has acquired all U.S. distribution rights. The announcement was made by AFFRM Founder Ava DuVernay.

A landmark in Caribbean filmmaking, Better Mus’ Come is a stunning love story unfolding at one of the most violent moments in Jamaican history, when rival gangs were enlisted by warring political factions to disrupt the democratic process - and bloodshed was unleashed on the streets. Winner of Best Feature Awards at Trinidad & Tobago Film Festival and Bahamas Intl Film Festival, Best Director Award at Pan-African Film Festival and Best Actor Award at American Black Film Festival, the film has screened at Toronto International Film Festival, Film Society of Lincoln Center and British Film Institute. The producer is Paul Bucknor, with executive producers Joshua Bratter and Samantha Bratter.

“AFFRM’s new label ARRAY is build to serve the tremendous burst of black cinematic talent across the globe, filmmakers who are embracing new technologies to tell their stories by any means necessary.  The goal is to expand the brand cultivated over our first four theatrical releases by reaching new audiences via both digital and traditional platforms,” explained DuVernay. “Storm’s work on Better Mus’ Come as director, writer and cinematographer is wildly impressive, incredibly important and deserves to be seen by as many filmlovers as possible. We’re proud that his gem will launch ARRAY.”

The deal was negotiated by Gordon Bobb of Del, Shaw, Moonves, Tanaka Finkelstein & Lezcano on behalf of AFFRM with the producers.

About AFFRM
Founded in 2011, AFFRM is the African-American Film Festival Releasing Movement, a distribution collective of black film organizations dedicated to quality black independent films. AFFRM’s founding organizations include Urbanworld (NYC), Imagenation (NYC), Reelblack (Philadelphia), Langston Hughes Film Festival (Seattle), BronzeLens (Atlanta) and DVA (Los Angeles). AFFRM's theatrical releases to date include: 2012 Sundance Best Director Award Winner MIDDLE OF NOWHERE; 2011 Sundance World Cinema Audience Award Winner KINYARWANDA, 2011 Sundance Film Festival Official “Next” Selection RESTLESS CITY; and 2011 NAACP Image Award nominee for Best Independent Picture, I WILL FOLLOW.

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