Studio Mao

HerflixLive! Streams the Better World Fund Gala Featuring Juliette Binoche and Virtuoso Lang Lang from the Cannes Film Festival

STM — Mon, 20 May 2024 13:42:04 +0000

Cannes, FRANCE – [May 19, 2024] Herflix, a leading streaming platform for movies about, for, and by women, live-streamed the 15th edition of the Better World Fund gala on its platform. The prestigious event, presided over by Manuel Collas de La Roche, President and Founder of the Better World Fund, and visionary Jacqueline Zheng, President of Bestway, reached audiences in 53 countries. A special feed was also sponsored by Herflix on MetaCannes, a virtual film festival on the blockchain powered by Theta Network. This year’s celebration honored the milestone 60th anniversary of Franco-Chinese diplomatic relations and benefited the Lang Lang Foundation. The performances by Lang Lang and Joyce Jonathan streamed live to audiences worldwide.

Stephen Mao, a board member of the Better World Fund and an advocate for global charity initiatives helping women worldwide, played a significant role in supporting this international event. Studio Mao, a dedicated supporter and sponsor of the Better World Fund, provided cutting-edge technology to enable live streaming, ensuring global accessibility for the gala. Through these initiatives, both Stephen Mao and Studio Mao contribute to advancing the mission of the Better World Fund, fostering worldwide awareness and engagement in charitable causes.

The star-studded evening at the Carlton Cannes Hotel was graced by distinguished guests, including the great actress Juliette Binoche, virtuoso pianist Lang Lang, singer-songwriter Joyce Jonathan, and members of European royalty: H.R.H Charles de Bourbon des Deux-Siciles, H.R.H Béatrice de Bourbon des Deux-Siciles, H.R.H Camilla de Bourbon des Deux-Siciles, H.R.H Maria Carolina de Bourbon des Deux-Siciles, and H.R.H Li Ran Ran – Princess of Belgium. Other notable attendees included Eric Alauzet (French Deputy and President of the Group of “Amitiés France-Chine”), Dong Guangli (General Consulate of China in Marseille), Mohamed Abou el Enein, Enaam Mayara (President of the House of Councilors of Morocco), H.E Eliza Reid (First Lady of Iceland), Kiera Chaplin, actress and director Nadine Labaki, Jessica de Mortier, and Monika Bacardi.

“Herflix delivers exciting entertainment and inspiring experiences to women worldwide, which is a mission of our business. Partnering with the Better World Fund supports Herflix’s ongoing contribution to women globally.”
— Adriana Shaw

The prestigious Better World Best Achievement Award honored remarkable individuals, including Jacqueline Zheng, Guila Clara Kessous, H.E Eliza Reid, Lady Monika Bacardi, Mohamed Abou el Enein, Alexandre Amartei, and Valentina Castellani Quinn, who received her award from Anwar Elkamony of the Hope Giver Campaign.

The event’s success was made possible by the generous support of sponsors, including Mme Jacqueline Zheng, L.RAPHAEL Geneva founder & CEO Ronit Raphael Leitersdorf, Studio Mao, 314 Casino Cannes, Squair Law Firm, Quinn Studio, Parole Paris, Joanna Plafsky, Ms. Jessica de Mortier, Hehe High Jewelry, Stephen Mao, Clinic Lémanic, Lagouarre, Quinn Studios Entertainment, Four Seasons Casablanca, Open Culture Foundation, Rai, Guy Baruche – Paris, UNESCO Ambassador and Artist for Peace – Mrs. Guila Clara Kessous, Maia Wine, Hope Giver Campaign, Sada El Balad, Cosmopolitan China, Herflix, Dubai Media TV, Qatar Media TV, IL Welcome Magazine, Fab UK, Global Magazine, We Do Sync, Breaking News Arabia, Luxury Magazine, Celebre Magazine, Chic Icon, L’Oreal, Dessange, Fashion TV, and Baron Ribeyre & Associés.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Herflix
348 W57th Street, Suite 143
New York, NY 10019

+1 (310) 428-5872
info@Herflix.com

About Herflix:

Herflix is a premium streaming platform dedicated to delivering immersive entertainment experiences worldwide for women. With a commitment to innovation and inclusivity, Herflix offers a diverse array of content tailored to the preferences of its global audience. Herflix utilizes proprietary AI/ML features to deliver highly personalized content, search results and enable community engagement. Visit Herflix at www.Herflix.com

About the Better World Fund:

The Better World Fund is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing global cooperation and sustainable development. Through initiatives spanning humanitarian aid, cultural exchange, and environmental stewardship, the Fund strives to foster a more equitable and prosperous world for future generations. Visit the Better World Fund at www.betterworld.fund

Better World Fund
178 Bd Haussmann
Paris 75008

contact@betterworld.fund

About Theta Labs

Theta Labs’ offers a unique combination of blockchain expertise and video and entertainment experience that position Theta to be the leading blockchain for media and entertainment collectively holding over a dozen patents in blockchain, video, streaming, VR and NFTs.

https://www.thetatoken.org

About Studio Mao

Studio Mao Produces “The Dubai Episode” of From Scratch at The Iconic Atlantis Hotel, Dubai

STM — Fri, 05 Jan 2024 12:55:41 +0000

Dubai, UAE – [January 5, 2024] – From Scratch, the hit Tastemade series hosted by David Moscow, is set to showcase the culinary wonders of Dubai in an extraordinary episode filmed at the world-renowned Atlantis Hotel. Produced by Studio Mao and Stephen Mao, The Dubai Episode of From Scratch Season 4 (EP 40) has been made possible with the generous support of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, Atlantis Resorts, and celebrated Executive Chef Ali El Bourji. The episode explores food producers in the Dubai region including falcon hunting and Bedouin food culture at Platinum Heritage safaris, camel milking at Cameliscious, a visit to Bustanica the largest vertical farm in the world, and fishing with Go Fishing Dubai.

The series, known for its immersive exploration of global cuisine, follows host David Moscow as he embarks on an extraordinary farm-to-table journey, sourcing ingredients and preparing dishes from the ground up. With Tastemade’s extensive reach across over 300 million households worldwide, this special Dubai-focused episode will bring the rich culinary traditions, innovation, and luxury of the city to an international audience.

Dubai has emerged as a global epicenter for food tourism, blending its deep-rooted culinary heritage with cutting-edge gastronomy. Atlantis Hotel, with its breathtaking architecture and unparalleled hospitality, serves as the perfect backdrop for this episode. Chef Ali El Bourji, known for his mastery in Levantine cuisine and his role as Executive Chef of Ayamna at Atlantis, brings his expertise to the show, guiding David Moscow through an unforgettable culinary experience rooted in Dubai’s diverse food culture.

“We are honored to have the support of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, Atlantis Resorts, and the incredible Chef Ali El Bourji for this special episode,” said Stephen Mao, President of Studio Mao. “Dubai is a city that thrives on innovation and excellence, and this episode will reflect its vibrant food scene, cultural richness, and commitment to sustainability.”

Tastemade, a leading global media brand, has established itself as a powerhouse in food, travel, and lifestyle content. With a vast audience spanning multiple digital platforms, streaming services, and television networks, Tastemade continues to bring culturally rich, visually stunning storytelling to food lovers around the world.

The Dubai Episode of From Scratch Season 4 will offer viewers a once-in-a-lifetime look at Dubai’s culinary artistry, stunning landscapes, and the traditions that make it a must-visit destination for food enthusiasts.

About From Scratch

“From Scratch” is a TV show hosted on Tastemade and starring David Moscow, where he embarks on global culinary adventures. In each episode, he sources raw ingredients himself—hunting, fishing, harvesting, and even crafting tools—to create meals entirely from scratch. The show highlights traditional cooking techniques, sustainability, and the cultural significance of food in different regions. Moscow’s immersive approach often leads to unique and sometimes challenging experiences as he learns from local farmers, artisans, and chefs. The series offers an adventurous and educational perspective on what it truly takes to bring a meal from nature to the table.

About Tastemade

Tastemade is a global media company delivering premium content in food, travel, and home & design. With a community of over 300 million monthly viewers, Tastemade has revolutionized the way audiences engage with lifestyle content across digital, streaming, and social platforms.

About Studio Mao

Studio Mao is a premiere global content management company founded in 2006 with a strong focus on motion picture production, development and distribution. The company produces feature films, including Guy Nattiv’s Oscar nominated (Best Live Action Short) film SKIN, the critically-acclaimed award-winning film Filth by the author of Trainspotting Irvine Welsh in which James McAvoy won Best Actor awards at the Scottish BAFTA’s, British Independent Film Awards, Empire Awards and London Critics Circle Film Awards. The film’s director Jon S. Baird also won the London Critics Circle Breakthrough British Filmmaker award and the film was nominated on multiple occasions for Best Feature Film. Filth was the highest grossing independent film in England in 2013 and was produced with Maven Pictures and Steel Mill Pictures. Studio Mao also collaborated with Maven Pictures on the Netflix acquired The Kindergarten Teacher (Maggie Gyllenhaal) that won Best Director at the Sundance Film Festival, Wilding (Bel Powley, Liv Tyler), American Honey (Shia La Beouf, Riley Keoug, Sasha Lane), Freak Show (Alex Lawther, AnnaSophia Robb, Abigail Breslin, Laverne Cox, Bette Midler), Girl Most Likely (Kristen Wiig, Darren Criss), Ten Thousand Saints (Ethan Hawke, Hailee Steinfeld, Asa Butterfield). Studio Mao is responsible for arranging distribution of the docudrama The Man Who Saved the World (Stanislav Petrov, Kevin Costner, Sergey Shnyryov, Nataliya Vdovina) in Russia/CIS on theatrical and digital platforms.

Films have premiered at major festivals including the Cannes Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Berlinale in Berlin, and the Sundance Film festival. Films have been sold at festival to major distributors for worldwide theatrical release.

The Studio Mao brand is synonymous with high quality, original and bold content that is distributed to markets around the world. The company is actively involved in developing its proprietary HD content management and video streaming platform “STP” designed to securely deliver content worldwide and on multiple platforms. Subscribers will be able to view Studio Mao movie releases and content utilizing STP technology that will further permit an interactive experience with dynamic and live HD feeds.

The company’s open-source mantra is “Leave no creative stone unturned”.

For more information about Studio Mao, please visit www.studiomao.com

For press inquiries, interviews, or additional information, please contact:

Contact:

Steve Kent
asst@studiomao.com
+1 (212) 961-6882

Ola Pankratova’s Movie Solo Acquired by MVD Entertainment Group Following World Premiere

STM — Sat, 07 May 2022 08:45:00 +0000

Los Angeles, California, May 7, 2022 — MVD Entertainment Group has picked up North American streaming and physical distribution rights for Ola Pankratova’s documentary film Solo.

Solo is a film that makes people think about the meaning of life and happiness. It follows six dancers who – over the course of three years. They share their true-to-life stories of obsession and dreams told through dance. The Solo heroes are incredibly sincere, daring, talented, and ambitious performers. The movie explores six different dance styles (classical ballet, pole dance, contemporary, krump, hip-hop & vogue). Dancers living with a single dream – to conquer the stage. Solo is about overcoming oneself, circumstances, awareness of one’s capabilities amid fierce competition. The acceptance by the jury and the public, euphoria from victories and support of like-minded people is the goal.

The pic is the second directorial film of Ola Pankratova (Yes, Chef!) and stars Alena Bonchinche, Alex Torgunakov, Lady Whiphead, Mikhail Kryuchkov, Dmitry Politov, and Kristy. “Solo is completely original and an incredible achievement for Ola Pankratova in her documentary feature career,” said Stephen Mao, President of Studio Mao. “The film meets the criteria for audiences clamoring for original high-impact content”, and sold out its world premiere on February 14, 2022.

The film was produced by Ola Pankratova and Evgeniy Subochev, with executive producer Anastasiya Alekseeva, co-producers Natalia Domoratskaya (A Mouthful of Air), Stephen Mao (Skin), and associate producer Christopher S. Burke (The Kindergarten Teacher). MVD Entertainment Group Director of Acquisitions Eric D. Wilkinson negotiated the deal with Studio Mao President Stephen Mao who packaged Solo on behalf of the filmmakers. Russian World Vision (RWV) released the film theatrically in Russia. RWV holds worldwide rights to the film, except North America.

About MVD Entertainment

MVD Entertainment Group is a full service music and movie distribution firm, exclusively representing thousands of audio and visual products for DVD, Blu-ray, CD, vinyl, and digital rights, worldwide. MVD also exclusively distributes a growing line of merchandise, including limited edition collectibles, tee shirts, and more.

“Serving Artists and Audiences” is MVD’s purpose statement; it represents a commitment to the interests of the musicians, filmmakers, record labels, producers, managers, and every link in the supply chain. The customers are the Audience, from wholesalers, sub-distributors, major retail chains, online retailers, specialists, and independent mom and pop stores, all the way to the consumer.

MVD Entertainment Group was founded in 1986 by Tom Seaman, an industry veteran with prior experience with The Record Hunter, Sam Goody, CBS Retail, and JEM Distribution. Tom, along with his family, Elinor, Eve and Ed, initially focused on music videotapes.

At the turn of the century, with the advent of DVD, MVD built a large catalog of exclusively distributed audiovisual content on DVDs, with special strength in music concert films, horror movies, documentaries, comedy, cult classics, and much more. In 2006, at the request of many of MVD’s label partners, MVD entered the audio distribution business. Soon thereafter, MVD merged with Big Daddy Music Distribution, and picked up a large catalog of CDs, vinyl and digital audio rights.

MVD continues to look for new and exciting content and sees a bright future in the entertainment business. Serving artists and audiences, the driving principle at MVD, allows us to consider a wide spectrum of opportunities and change with this ever-evolving industry.

About Studio Mao

Studio Mao is a premiere global content management company founded in 2006. It was built with a strong focus on motion picture production, development and distribution. The company produced Guy Nattiv’s Oscar winning 2019 film SKIN (Best Live Action Short). Other films include the critically-acclaimed award-winning film Filth by the author of Trainspotting Irvine Welsh. James McAvoy won Best Actor awards at the Scottish BAFTA’s, British Independent Film Awards, Empire Awards and London Critics Circle Film Awards. The film’s director Jon S. Baird also won the London Critics Circle Breakthrough British Filmmaker award. Filth was nominated on multiple occasions for Best Feature Film. It became the highest grossing independent film in England in 2013. Filth was produced with Maven Pictures and Steel Mill Pictures.

Studio Mao collaborated with Maven Pictures on the Netflix acquired The Kindergarten Teacher (Maggie Gyllenhaal) that won Best Director at the Sundance Film Festival, Wilding (Bel Powley, Liv Tyler), American Honey (Shia La Beouf, Riley Keoug, Sasha Lane), Freak Show (Alex Lawther, AnnaSophia Robb, Abigail Breslin, Laverne Cox, Bette Midler), Girl Most Likely (Kristen Wiig, Darren Criss), Ten Thousand Saints (Ethan Hawke, Hailee Steinfeld, Asa Butterfield). The docudrama The Man Who Saved the World (Stanislav Petrov, Kevin Costner, Sergey Shnyryov, Nataliya Vdovina) was distributed in Russia/CIS on theatrical and digital platforms by Studio Mao.

Studio Mao movies have premiered at major festivals. These include the Cannes Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Berlinale in Berlin, and the Sundance Film festival. Films have been sold at festival to major distributors for worldwide theatrical release.

The Studio Mao brand is synonymous with high quality, original and bold content that is distributed to markets around the world. The company is developing “STP” a proprietary HD content management and video streaming platform . “STP” will securely deliver content worldwide and on multiple platforms. Subscribers will be able to view Studio Mao movie releases and content utilizing STP technology. Integration of “STP” will enhance user interactive experience with dynamic and live HD feeds.

The company’s open-source mantra is “Leave no creative stone unturned”.

For more information about Studio Mao, please visit www.studiomao.com

Contact:

Steve Kent
asst@studiomao.com
studiomao.com
+1 (212) 961-6882

Audrey Faine
MVD Entertainment Marketing Director
audrey@mvd.cc or 510-207-2002

Special Screening of Warning at VGIK

STM — Thu, 11 Nov 2021 22:50:14 +0000

Moscow, Russia, November 9, 2021– VGIK will host a special screening of the Sci-Fi near-future dystopia film Warning as part of the 41^st VGIK International Film Festival on Thursday, November 18, 2021. Executive producer and president of Studio Mao will be present to introduce the film and chair a Q & A session after the film. The session will include the director of Dona Art Natalia Domoratskaya the film’s distributor in Russia, also present for the Q & A will the Russian team that localized the film; Vadim Pudnikov (sound engineer), and Natalia Dubrovskaya (project director).

Warning is a Sci-Fi thriller produced by Anova Pictures in association with Studio Mao about the relationship between humans and technology. In the near future, virtual assistants and other smart machines have become indispensable: they save the planet from loneliness, take up free time, and help keep the home and to-do list in order. They, like humans, are vulnerable and prone to aging, but in their search for the meaning of life, even the smartest gadgets are still powerless. When on Earth, due to an interplanetary storm all electronics fail, several heroes of this anthology get a unique opportunity to wake up from digital sleep and look at their life with a fresh look, not obscured by numerous digital programs.

Warning won the Méliès d’argent and the Audience Award at the Trieste Science + Fiction Film festival. It also won Best Script and a special Media Prize at the Sochi Russian/British International Film Festival.

Warning is currently available exclusively on the Okko multimedia platform.

The film features an ensemble cast featuring Alex Pettyfer, Alice Eve, Annabelle Wallis, Benedict Samuel, Charlotte Le Bon, Kylie Bunbury, Thomas Jane, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Rupert Everett, Tomasz Kot, Garance Marillier, and James D’Arcy as the voice of God.

VGIK

The 41 VGIK International Student Festival https://vgikfestival.com/ is hosted with support from the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, the President’s Grants Fund, the National Fund for rights holders. The main goal of the Festival is to recognize and stimulate young talents. Through the years among the winners have been people who later became highly significant individuals in international cinema: Andrey Konchalovskiy, Andrey Tarkovskiy, Vasiliy Shukshin, Nikita Mikhalkov, Vadim Abdrashitov, Pyotr Buslov, Boris Akopov, Aleksandr Hunt and others.

OKKO

Okko multimedia service Okko.tv is one of the largest Russian VoD services. The project started in 2011 and today is presented on all key platforms: Smart TV, mobile (IOS and Android), Apple TV, PlayStation 3, 4 and 5, web (PC).

Okko users can buy and download the movie they like in high quality (8K, 4K, HDR), rent content for 48 hours, or buy a subscription and watch it on any popular platform. The collection of the service includes more than 100 thousand units of popular content from world film studios Walt Disney Pictures, Paramount Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros, Sony Pictures, Universal Pictures, as well as leading European and Russian film and TV series producers.

Okko subscribers have access to the popular Amediateki and START series, Russian cinema and world blockbusters, art house and children’s content, as well as educational programs and content from the field of art. Okko offers subscriptions “Optimum”, “Premium” and “Light”, which open access to 90, 100 and 85 thousand units of content respectively. “Light” and “Optimum” are available in Sberprime and Sberprime + subscriptions.

The Okko platform also offers the Okko Sport live streaming service, offering viewing of the English Premier League, MLS, Argentina Cup and Championship, and CONCACAF qualifiers for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Okko Sport shows MMA tournaments Bellator, Brave CF, PFL and tennis tournaments ATP 250. Subscribers of Okko will also have access to broadcasts of the final stage of the Davis Cup.

The Okko multimedia service is part of the SberIntervention group of companies, which unites the entertainment assets of the Sberbank ecosystem.

Anova Pictures

Anova Pictures https://www.anovapictures.com/, run by Cybill Lui Eppich, produces elevated genre and prestige features. The Silencing, a thriller/action film starring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game of Thrones), Annabelle Wallis (Peaky Blinders) and Hero Fiennes Tiffin (After) directed by Robin Pront (The Ardennes) was a bonafide smash hit. Released across all platforms in summer 2020, Indiewire called it a “breakout success” and Variety reported the “hit” as the top-grossing new film release with the highest per-screen average playing in 79 theaters and was the #1 rental for weeks continuing to top the charts two months into its domestic release while the film continued its international run as Universal Pictures’ top-performing PVOD title.

The Anova Pictures board consists of American Entertainment Investor’s Joseph N Cohen and studio marketing veteran Andrew Fogelson, who have a proven track record of identifying, assisting, and supporting successful companies in the media and entertainment space.

About Studio Mao

The company’s open-source mantra is “Leave no creative stone unturned”.

For more information about Studio Mao, please visit www.studiomao.com

Contact:

Steve Kent
asst@studiomao.com
+1 (212) 961-6882

Lionsgate Releases Official Warning Movie Trailer

STM — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 13:22:00 +0000

Los Angeles, CA., September 7, 2021– Lionsgate released the official Warning movie trailer for the Anova Pictures/Studio Mao film that will screen in theaters and online October 22nd, 2021 followed by BluRay and DVD on October 26th. The release will be day-date for all platforms including international territories. Set in the not too distant future, this intense sci-fi thriller explores the repercussions that mankind faces when their omniscient technology becomes a substitute for human contact. The meaning of life explored through multiple interconnected lives. But life begin to unravel when a global storm causes electronics to go haywire, leading to terrifying, deadly consequences.

The film features an ensemble cast featuring Alex Pettyfer (I Am Number Four), Alice Eve (Star Trek Into Darkness), Annabelle Wallis (Malignant), Benedict Samuel The Walk), Charlotte Le Bon (Anthropoid), Thomas Jane (The Expanse), Patrick Schwarzenegger (Midnight Sun), Rupert Everett (My Best Friends Wedding), Tomasz Kot Cold War), Kylie Bunbury (WhenThey See Us), and Garance Marillier (Titane).

Warning Movie Trailer: Official Trailer

Anova Pictures

Anova Pictures, run by Cybill Lui Eppich, produces elevated genre and prestige features. The Silencing, a thriller/action film starring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game of Thrones), Annabelle Wallis (Peaky Blinders) and Hero Fiennes Tiffin (After) directed by Robin Pront (The Ardennes) was a bonafide smash hit. Released across all platforms in summer 2020, Indiewire called it a “breakout success” and Variety reported the “hit” as the top-grossing new film release with the highest per-screen average playing in 79 theaters and was the #1 rental for weeks continuing to top the charts two months into its domestic release while the film continued its international run as Universal Pictures’ top-performing PVOD title.

About Studio Mao

The company’s open-source mantra is “Leave no creative stone unturned”.

For more information about Studio Mao, please visit www.studiomao.com

Contact:

Steve Kent
asst@studiomao.com
+1 (212) 961-6882

Amanda Seyfried Movie ‘A Mouthful of Air’ Acquired by Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions

STM — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 12:48:13 +0000

Los Angeles, California, April 28, 2021 — Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions has acquired global rights to Maven Screen Media’s A Mouthful of Air based on Amy Koppelman’s novel of the same name. Koppelman also wrote and directed the movie starring Mank Oscar nominee Amanda Seyfried, American Horror Story‘s Finn Wittrock, Amy Irving, Paul Giamatti, Jennifer Carpenter, Britt Robertson, Josh Hamilton, Michael Gaston, Darren Goldstein and Alysia Reiner.

Seyfried plays Julie Davis — warm, kind, loving to her husband and child — who writes bestselling children’s books about unlocking your fears. But she has yet to unlock the dark secret that has haunted her own life. When her second child is born, that trauma is brought to the fore, and with it, a crushing battle to survive.

“Amanda Seyfried and I hope that — in some small way — Julie’s story will help remove the stigma of mental illness from motherhood or at the very least help women talk more openly about how scary it is to be a mom. We are so grateful to everyone who helped bring this meaningful story to the screen,” said Koppelman.

The movie mirrors Studio Mao’s key initiatives of supporting women in film, highlighting underrepresented causes such as postpartum depression. Maven Screen Media produced the movie in association with Studio Mao with Stephen Mao co-producing. Studio Mao also executive produced the movie’s closing song Pure Imagination sung by Ruth B.

Amanda Seyfried recently received both Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for her portrayal as Marion Davies in David Fincher’s critically acclaimed Netflix movie, Mank. Seyfried will star as Elizabeth Holmes in Hulu’s The Dropout. Her feature credits include Les Miserables, Mamma Mia, Mean Girls and Dear John.

Koppelman is represented by Cinetic. Amanda Seyfried is repped by Innovative, Relevant and Frankfurt Kurnit Klein. Wittrock is represented by CAA, Weissenbach Management, Relevant, and Schreck Rose Dapello Adams Berlin & Dunham. Irving is repped by Rugolo Entertainment and TalentWorks. Giamatti is repped by UTA and Kipperman Management. Carpenter is repped by WME, Untitled Entertainment and Jackoway Tyerman. Robertson is repped by Innovative Artists. Hamilton is repped by Innovative Artists and MGMT Entertainment. Gaston is repped by APA and Principal Entertainment LA. Goldstein is repped by Cornerstone Talent Agency & Suskin Management. Reiner is repped by A3 Artists Agency, Authentic Talent and Literary Management.

About Maven Screen Media

Maven Screen Media is a London, U.K. based film development, production and financing company co-founded by Oscar-nominated producer and veteran film executive Celine Rattray and BAFTA-nominated producer, filmmaker, actress and human rights activist Trudie Styler. Styler, a BAFTA-nominated and BIFA-winning producer (Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Moon) and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Rattray (Golden Globe for The Kids Are All Right) focus on innovative storytelling with premiere talent. Together, they work to produce high quality independent films and working with top tier filmmakers.

Rattray and Styler recently rebranded the ten-year-old film and TV company Maven Pictures to Maven Screen Media as the company looks to focus more on UK film projects, TV and digital content. The company, whose credits include Academy Award winning Skin, the remake of Sundance best director The Kindergarten Teacher and Cannes jury prize winner American Honey, is aiming to increase its work with female content creators and on female-centered stories, which has already been a priority for the firm.

About Studio Mao

The company’s open-source mantra is “Leave no creative stone unturned”.

For more information about Studio Mao, please visit www.studiomao.com

Contact:

Steve Kent
asst@studiomao.com
studiomao.com
+1 (212) 961-6882

Skin Wins Oscar in the Category of Best Live Action Short

STM — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 12:07:30 +0000

Skin Wins Oscar in the Category of Best Live Action Short

Los Angeles, California, February 26, 2019 — Israeli filmmaker Guy Nattiv’s short film “Skin” on Sunday won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short. Guy Nattivc credited his Holocaust survivor grandparents as being the motivation for the film focusing on race relations. Nattiv said “bigotry is all around us today” and that was one of the key motivations for making a film about divisions in society. Studio Mao collaborated with New Native Pictures to produce and promote the film that was executive produced by Studio Mao president Stephen Mao.

The other Oscar nominees for Best Live Action Short film were “Detainment” by Vincent Lambe, “Fauve” by Jeremy Comte, “Marguerite” by Marianne Farley and “Mother” by Rodrigo Sorogoyen.

With the win, together with Nattiv’s wife, actress Jaime Ray Newman, the Academy said history was made with 13 women capturing Oscars. The Academy said the previous record was set in 2007 and matched in 2015.

Skin was produced by Jaime Ray Newman, Andrew Carlberg, Tim Harms, Guy Nattiv. Executive producers are Stephen Mao, Matt Luber, Joanna Plafsky, Jessica Sherman, Peter Sobiloff, Celine Rattray and Trudie Styler. New Native Pictures produced the film in association with Studio Mao. ICM Partners repped the film and Fox Searchlight acquired US distribution rights.

Skin is available on Fox Searchlight social media channels and OnDemand + ShortsTV.

About the Academy

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a global community of more than 10,000 of the most accomplished artists, filmmakers, and executives working in film. In addition to celebrating and recognizing excellence in filmmaking through the Oscars, the Academy supports a wide range of initiatives to promote the art and science of the movies, including public programming, educational outreach, and the upcoming Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.

About Maven Pictures

Maven Pictures is a New York-based film development, production, and financing company co-founded by Oscar-nominated producer and veteran film executive Celine Rattray and BAFTA-nominated producer, filmmaker, actress and human rights activist Trudie Styler. Styler, a BAFTA-nominated and BIFA-winning producer (Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Moon) and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Rattray (who won a Golden Globe for The Kids Are All Right) focus on innovative storytelling with premiere talent. Together, they work to produce high-quality independent films while taking advantage of cultural resources in New York and London and working with top-tier filmmakers.

Maven finances development and provides equity for films across a wide range of budgets and for distribution across all platforms. Maven Pictures produced SKIN (Jamie Bell), THE KINDERGARTEN TEACHER (Maggie Gyllenhaal), GIRL MOST LIKELY, – directed by Oscar-nominated duo Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini (AMERICAN SPLENDOR) and starring Kristen Wiig (star of BRIDESMAIDS, the highest grossing R-rated female comedy ever), Annette Bening, Darren Criss and Matt Dillon. The film premiered In Toronto and was released by Lionsgate Films. Maven also produced FILTH, starring James McAvoy, Jim Broadbent, and Jamie Bell, recently released in the UK, and becoming the country’s second highest grossing R-rated film of the year. Maven’s also produced, BLACK NATIVITY is a modernized take on Langston Hughes’ classic musical and stars Forest Whitaker, Angela Bassett, Jennifer Hudson, Tyrese Gibson and Mary J Blige. Fox Searchlight released wide. Maven produced TEN THOUSAND SAINTS, an adaptation of the best-selling novel (NY Times Notable Book of 2011, finalist for LA Times’ Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction) by award winning author Eleanor Henderson. The film was directed by Pulcini and Berman, starring Ethan Hawke, Emile Hirsch, Hailee Steinfeld, and Asa Butterfield. TEN THOUSAND SAINTS premiered at Sundance 2015, and was sold to Screen Media. Maven executive produced the UK film MISS YOU ALREADY, directed by award winning Catherine Hardwicke, written by Morwenna Banks, and starring award winning actresses Drew Barrymore and Toni Collette. Lionsgate will release in the fall after it’s premiere at the Toronto Film Festival. Rattray and Styler also executive produced STILL ALICE, directed by award winning duo Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland, based on the novel by Lisa Genova, for which Julianne Moore won an Oscar for Best Actress. Maven is in post on Andrea Arnold’s AMERICAN HONEY, starring Shia Labeouf.

About Studio Mao

The company’s open-source mantra is “Leave no creative stone unturned”.

For more information about Studio Mao, please visit www.studiomao.com

Contact:

Steve Kent
asst@studiomao.com
+1 (212) 961-6882

Oscar Nominated Short Film “SKIN” Acquired by Fox Searchlight

STM — Fri, 08 Feb 2019 12:17:00 +0000

Los Angeles, California, February 8, 2019 — Guy Nattiv’s Oscar-nominated short film Skin has been acquired by Fox Searchlight Pictures. The acquisition was announced today by Fox Searchlight Pictures’ Chairmen Nancy Utley and Stephen Gilula and EVP, Global Acquisition & Co-Prod, TCF Acquisitions Ray Strache. “We’re thrilled to work with Guy Nattiv on his brilliant short film Skin. It has a powerful message with excellent direction and acting,” said Gilula and Utley. Said Nattiv: “I’m incredibly grateful that Skin, a little short film that I made after moving to America from Israel, and literally shot in my own garage, is getting a wide audience through Fox Searchlight. The filmmaking team wanted to shine a light on racism and the cycle of violence, and hopefully start a conversation about how to end discrimination and hate.

Written by Nattiv and Sharon Maymon, the film tells the story of a young boy who has an innocent encounter with a black man at a supermarket and his parents react to the exchange with racial violence. The two families find themselves in a clash with shocking consequences. The film stars Danielle Macdonald (Patti Cake$, Dumplin’), Jonathan Tucker, Jackson Robert Scott, Lonnie Chavis and Ashley Thomas.

Produced by Jaime Ray Newman, Andrew Carlberg, Tim Harms and Guy Nattiv, Skin was executive produced by Matt Luber, Joanna Plafsky, Stephen Mao, Jessica Sherman, Peter Sobiloff, Celine Rattray and Trudie Styler. New Native Pictures produced the film in association with Studio Mao.

The deal was negotiated on behalf of the filmmakers by Celine Rattray (Maven Pictures), ICM Partners and Salaud Morisset which is also handling the international sales for the title. Nattiv is represented by ICM Partners and Luber Roklin and ADD Agency (Israel). Newman is represented by ICM Partners and The Burstein Company.

Skin will be available on Fox Searchlight social media channels.

The Oscars 2019 air live Sunday, February 24 at 8e|5p on ABC.

About Maven Pictures

Maven Pictures is a New York-based film development, production and financing company co-founded by Oscar-nominated producer and veteran film executive Celine Rattray and BAFTA-nominated producer, filmmaker, actress and human rights activist Trudie Styler. Styler, a BAFTA-nominated and BIFA-winning producer (Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Moon) and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Rattray (who won a Golden Globe for The Kids Are All Right) focus on innovative storytelling with premiere talent. Together, they work to produce high quality independent films while taking advantage of cultural resources in New York and London and working with top tier filmmakers.

About Studio Mao

Films have premiered at major festivals including the Cannes Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), , Berlinale in Berlin, and the Sundance Film festival. Films have been sold at festival to major distributors for worldwide theatrical release.

The company’s open-source mantra is “Leave no creative stone unturned”.

For more information about Studio Mao, please visit www.studiomao.com

Contact:

Steve Kent
asst@studiomao.com
+1 (212) 961-6882

Guy Nattiv’s SKIN Oscar Nominated in the Category Short Film (Live Action)

STM — Tue, 22 Jan 2019 14:20:36 +0000

Los Angeles, California, January 22, 2019 — SKIN the short film directed by Guy Nattiv and produced by Jamie Ray Newman received an Academy Award nomination for Best Live-Action Short film today. The 20-minute short was a proof of concept film for the feature length movie of the same name that was acquired by A24/DirecTV at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The film was selected from a total of 120 entries, named to a shortlist of ten films, and nominated as one of five films that will compete for the Oscar. New Native Pictures in association with Studio Mao was the company producing Skin.

Skin the short follows the lives of Jeffery (Jonathan Tucker), Christa (Danielle Macdonald) and their son Troy (Jackson Robert Scott). After spending the day shooting guns and relaxing at the lake with several white supremacist friends, they head home together stopping at a grocery store. Jeffrey is irate when Jaydee (Ashley Thomas), an African-American man is friendly to Troy. Jaydee’s innocent act results in bloodshed and a horrible gang war ensues.

The Oscars 2019 air live Sunday, February 24 at 8e|5p on ABC.

About Maven Pictures

About Studio Mao

The company’s open source mantra is “Leave no creative stone unturned”.

For more information about Studio Mao, please visit www.studiomao.com

Contact:

Steve Kent
asst@studiomao.com
+1 (212) 961-6882

$50,000 Award to Stanislav Petrov for Helping Avert WW III

STM — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 12:09:30 +0000

New York, NY, September 26, 2018 – To celebrate that today is not the 35th anniversary of World War III, Stanislav Petrov, the man who helped avert an all-out nuclear exchange between Russia and the U.S. on September 26 1983 was honored in New York with the $50,000 Future of Life Award at a ceremony at the Museum of Mathematics in New York.

Former United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said: “It is hard to imagine anything more devastating for humanity than all-out nuclear war between Russia and the United States. Yet this might have occurred by accident on September 26 1983, were it not for the wise decisions of Stanislav Yevgrafovich Petrov. For this, he deserves humanity’s profound gratitude. Let us resolve to work together to realize a world free from fear of nuclear weapons, remembering the courageous judgement of Stanislav Petrov.”

Although the U.N. General Assembly, just blocks away, heard politicians highlight the nuclear threat from North Korea’s small nuclear arsenal, none mentioned the greater threat from the many thousands of nuclear weapons in the United States and Russian arsenals that have nearly been unleashed by mistake dozens of times in the past in a seemingly never-ending series of mishaps and misunderstandings.

One of the closest calls occurred thirty-five years ago, on September 26, 1983, when Stanislav Petrov chose to ignore the Soviet early-warning detection system that had erroneously indicated five incoming American nuclear missiles. With his decision to ignore algorithms and instead follow his gut instinct, Petrov helped prevent an all-out US-Russian nuclear war, as detailed in the documentary film “The Man Who Saved the World”, which will be released digitally next week. Since Petrov passed away last year, the award was collected by his daughter Elena. Meanwhile, Petrov’s son Dmitry missed his flight to New York because the U.S. embassy delayed his visa. “That a guy can’t get a visa to visit the city his dad saved from nuclear annihilation is emblematic of how frosty US-Russian relations have gotten, which increases the risk of accidental nuclear war”, said MIT Professor Max Tegmark when presenting the award. Arguably the only recent reduction in the risk of accidental nuclear war came when Donald Trump held a summit with Vladimir Putin in Helsinki earlier this year, which was, ironically, met with widespread criticism.

In Russia, soldiers often didn’t discuss their wartime actions out of fear that it might displease their government, and so, Elena only first heard about her father’s heroic actions in 1998 – 15 years after the event occurred. And even then, Elena and her brother only learned of what her father had done when a German journalist reached out to the family for an article he was working on. It’s unclear if Petrov’s wife, who died in 1997, ever knew of her husband’s heroism. Until his death, Petrov maintained a humble outlook on the event that made him famous. “I was just doing my job,” he’d say.

But most would agree that he went above and beyond his job duties that September day in 1983. The alert of five incoming nuclear missiles came at a time of high tension between the superpowers, due in part to the U.S. military buildup in the early 1980s and President Ronald Reagan’s anti-Soviet rhetoric. Earlier in the month the Soviet Union shot down a Korean Airlines passenger plane that strayed into its airspace, killing almost 300 people, and Petrov had to consider this context when he received the missile notifications. He had only minutes to decide whether or not the satellite data were a false alarm. Since the satellite was found to be operating properly, following procedures would have led him to report an incoming attack. Going partly on gut instinct and believing the United States was unlikely to fire only five missiles, he told his commanders that it was a false alarm before he knew that to be true. Later investigations revealed that reflections of the Sun off of cloud tops had fooled the satellite into thinking it was detecting missile launches.

Last years Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Beatrice Fihn, who helped establish the recent United Nations treaty banning nuclear weapons, said,“Stanislav Petrov was faced with a choice that no person should have to make, and at that moment he chose the human race — to save all of us. No one person and no one country should have that type of control over all our lives, and all future lives to come. 35 years from that day when Stanislav Petrov chose us over nuclear weapons, nine states still hold the world hostage with 15,000 nuclear weapons. We cannot continue relying on luck and heroes to safeguard humanity. The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons provides an opportunity for all of us and our leaders to choose the human race over nuclear weapons by banning them and eliminating them once and for all. The choice is the end of us or the end of nuclear weapons. We honor Stanislav Petrov by choosing the latter.”

University College London Mathematics Professor Hannah Fry, author of the new book “Hello World: Being Human in the Age of Algorithms”, participated in the ceremony and pointed out that as ever more human decisions get replaced by automated algorithms, it is sometimes crucial to keep a human in the loop – as in Petrov’s case.

The Future of Life Award seeks to recognize and reward those who take exceptional measures to safeguard the collective future of humanity. It is given by the Future of Life Institute (FLI), a non-profit also known for supporting AI safety research with Elon Musk and others. “Although most people never learn about Petrov in school, they might not have been alive were it not for him”, said FLI co-founder Anthony Aguirre. Last year’s award was given to the Vasili Arkhipov, who singlehandedly prevented a nuclear attack on the US during the Cuban Missile Crisis. FLI is currently accepting nominations for next year’s award.

About Future of Life Institute

The Future of Life Institute (FLI) is a scientific think tank that looks at all the ways in which today is better than the stone age, and technology is likely to keep improving at an accelerating pace. FLI is a charity and outreach organization working to ensure that tomorrow’s most powerful technologies are beneficial for humanity. With less powerful technologies such as fire, the world learned to minimize risks largely by learning from mistakes. With more powerful technologies such as nuclear weapons, synthetic biology and future strong artificial intelligence, planning ahead is a better strategy than learning from mistakes, so FLI supports research and other efforts aimed at avoiding problems in the first place.

FLI is currently focusing on keeping artificial intelligence beneficial and we are also exploring ways of reducing risks from nuclear weapons and biotechnology. FLI is based in the Boston area and welcomes the participation of scientists, students, philanthropists, and others nearby and around the world.

FLI was founded by Max Tegmark, Jaan Tallinn, and has hosted on its scientific advisory board the late Stephen Hawking, Alan Alda, Morgan Freeman, and Elon Musk.

About Studio Mao

The company’s open-source mantra is “Leave no creative stone unturned”.

For more information about Studio Mao, please visit www.studiomao.com

Contact:

Steve Kent
asst@studiomao.com
+1 (212) 961-6882