GE AND CINELAN ANNOUNCE NEW PARTNERS FOR FOCUS FORWARD – DOCUMENTARY PROJECT
VIMEO TO POWER VIDEO AND PROVIDE EXCLUSIVE ONLINE AND MOBILE DISTRIBUTION PLATFORM FOR 3-MINUTE FOCUS FORWARD FILMS
International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam
to Join Sundance, Tribeca, and Toronto Film Festivals
in Support of Global Initiative
Toronto (September 13, 2011)—GE and CINELAN today announced an exclusive partnership with video-sharing site Vimeo to power the multi-platform distribution of its new documentary initiative Focus Forward, announced in August (http://www.bit.ly/focusforward). CINELAN also announced a multi-year partnership with the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), the world’s largest documentary film festival. Vimeo and IDFA will provide integrated support for Focus Forward – short films, big ideas, a series of 3-minute nonfiction films about the incredible human power of ideas and invention. The initiative was designed to educate and inspire a global audience and harness the power of filmmaking as a storytelling medium
CINELAN will be working with Oscar- and award-winning documentary filmmakers, including Joe Berlinger, Lixin Fan, Liz Garbus, Alex Gibney, Steve James, Barbara Kopple, Ross Kauffman, Morgan Spurlock and Jessica Yu, to produce 30 three-minute films that will be featured at prestigious film festivals globally, followed by day-and-date distribution online to millions of viewers.
“We are thrilled to share this inspiring program with our community and the world,” said Jeremy Boxer, Creative Director Film+Video at Vimeo. “We believe our widespread platform and audience provide the perfect forum in which to highlight this unique new collection of short nonfiction films. We can’t wait to see what kinds of stories these talented directors decide to tell.”
“Vimeo is the multi-platform video distribution partner we felt best understands that this project, above all else, is about the global community that will come together around the films,” said Douglas Dicconson, Cinelan’s Managing Director, Special Projects. “Vimeo has an intense commitment to their audience along with significant reach across web, IPTV and mobile platforms around the world. This combination makes them the ideal partner for this initiative.”
The Focus Forward films will premiere as collections curated by the programming teams at other major festivals in Asia, Australia, Europe, Africa, South America, and the Middle East beginning in 2012. The full roster of filmmakers, festival partners, and supporters will be announced throughout this fall.
“We are delighted to be partnering with Cinelan on such an exciting documentary film project,” said Ally Derks, Director of IDFA. “Our mission is to support the artistic vision of filmmakers whose creative approach to documentary informs the both style and substance of their work, so we expect great things to come from the high caliber of filmmakers involved.”
“It is a true honor to partner with IDFA, one of the world’s largest premier showcases for documentary film,” said CINELAN’s Karol Martesko-Fenster. “Their commitment to highlighting excellence and supporting the innovative work of international nonfiction filmmakers, not to mention their enthusiasm for unique initiatives like this one, makes them an ideal collaborator for Focus Forward. We are delighted to be working with them over the next two years.”
About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) is a diversified infrastructure and finance company taking on the world’s toughest challenges. From aviation and power generation to financial services, healthcare solutions, oil and gas and rail, GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs about 300,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.ge.com.
About Vimeo
Leading video sharing site Vimeo® provides the easiest way for people to host and share their videos in high quality. The site provides great privacy features and inspiring videos from a vibrant, respectful community of creative users who care about how and where they show their work. Launched in 2004 and headquartered in New York, NY, Vimeo offers users a video sharing experience that is both entertaining and easy to use. Vimeo is a 2010 & 2009 Time Magazine Top 50 Website. Vimeo, LLC is a subsidiary of IAC (NASDAQ: IACI). For more information, visit www.vimeo.com.
About IDFA
IDFA is the largest documentary film festival in the world, each year screening more than 250 international documentaries. In 2010, more than 2,400 international professionals attended the festival, with 180,000 tickets sold. IDFA is unique in terms of its international film programme, the variety of genres it programmes, its politically committed programming and the many European and world premieres that take place at the festival each year. For more information, visit
About CINELAN
CINELAN is a filmmaker-driven video publisher dedicated to delivering new audiences and opportunities to documentary filmmakers through the worldwide syndication of professionally produced, three-minute films. CINELAN’s contributors and advisory board filmmakers include co-founder Morgan Spurlock and award-winning directors Steve James, Ross Kauffman, Jessica Yu, Floyd Webb, Jerry Rothwell, and Marilyn Agrelo.
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