First Run Features
Encyclopedia
First Run Features is an independent film
distribution company based in New York City. First Run was founded in 1979 by a group of filmmakers in order to advance the distribution of independent film. Today First Run is one of the largest theatrical and home video distributors in the United States, releasing 12 to 15 films a year in theatres nationwide and 50 to 60 videos and DVDs annually. First Run distributes a large number of documentaries in addition to foreign films, including many films about GLBT issues, Jewish experience and political and human rights issues.
First Run is the American distributor for films by Monika Treut
, Michael Sporn
, and Radley Metzger
, in addition to many others. Among the films First Run distributes in the US are the Up Series, For the Bible Tells Me So
, A Jihad for Love, Alice
, Moving Midway, and Save Me
. Many of the films First Run Features has distributed have been endorsed by Human Rights Watch
. First Run works in collaboration with HRW to bring films dealing with human rights issues to a wider audience. First Run also has a distribution partnership with the Global Film Initiative
for the North American market, and distributes a number of GFI's Global Lens Series films in North America annually. First Run is also an American distributor for several Deutsche-Film Aktiengesellschaft post-World War II titles. The DEFA titles First Run distributes include several East German Red Westerns, including The Sons of Great Bear
, several science fiction titles, and dramas set in East Germany.
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
distribution company based in New York City. First Run was founded in 1979 by a group of filmmakers in order to advance the distribution of independent film. Today First Run is one of the largest theatrical and home video distributors in the United States, releasing 12 to 15 films a year in theatres nationwide and 50 to 60 videos and DVDs annually. First Run distributes a large number of documentaries in addition to foreign films, including many films about GLBT issues, Jewish experience and political and human rights issues.
First Run is the American distributor for films by Monika Treut
Monika Treut
Monika Treut is an openly lesbian German filmmaker.In the mid-1970s she began working with video. She founded Hyena Filmproduktion together with Elfi Mikesch in 1984, and began producing, writing, and directing independent feature films....
, Michael Sporn
Michael Sporn
Michael Sporn is an American animator who founded his New York-based company, Michael Sporn Animation in 1980, and has produced and directed numerous animated TV specials and short spots.-Career:...
, and Radley Metzger
Radley Metzger
Radley Metzger is an American filmmaker and distributor. He is also credited under the pseudonym Henry Paris, a name he adopted in the 1970s when he began to direct hardcore pornography....
, in addition to many others. Among the films First Run distributes in the US are the Up Series, For the Bible Tells Me So
For the Bible Tells Me So
For the Bible Tells Me So is a 2007 American documentary film directed by Daniel G. Karslake about homosexuality and its perceived conflict with religion, as well as various interpretations of what the Bible says about same-sex sexuality...
, A Jihad for Love, Alice
Alice (1988 film)
Alice is a 1988 Czechoslovak film directed by Jan Švankmajer. Its original Czech title is Něco z Alenky, which means "Something from Alice". It is a free adaptation of Lewis Carroll's first Alice book, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, about a girl who follows a white rabbit into a bizarre fantasy...
, Moving Midway, and Save Me
Save Me (2007 film)
Save Me is a 2007 film directed by Robert Cary about Mark , a drug-addicted homosexual man who is admitted into an ex-gay program run by Gayle and her husband Ted...
. Many of the films First Run Features has distributed have been endorsed by Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
. First Run works in collaboration with HRW to bring films dealing with human rights issues to a wider audience. First Run also has a distribution partnership with the Global Film Initiative
Global Film Initiative
The Global Film Initiative is a non-profit film organization that supports cinematic works from developing nations and promotes cross-cultural understanding through an innovative use of film and non-traditional learning resources...
for the North American market, and distributes a number of GFI's Global Lens Series films in North America annually. First Run is also an American distributor for several Deutsche-Film Aktiengesellschaft post-World War II titles. The DEFA titles First Run distributes include several East German Red Westerns, including The Sons of Great Bear
The Sons of Great Bear
The Sons of Great Bear is a German language Red Western of 1966, directed by Josef Mach. The main characters are based on the books of Liselotte Welskopf-Henrich with the same name, which have been very successful, especially in East Germany...
, several science fiction titles, and dramas set in East Germany.
Notable films
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2011 2011 in film The year 2011 is notable for containing the release of the most film sequels in a single year, at 27 sequels. The following tables list films that are in production or have completed production and will be released in the United States and Canada at some point in 2011.- Highest-grossing films :... |
The Man Nobody Knew The Man Nobody Knew The Man Nobody Knew: In Search of My Father, CIA Spymaster William Colby is a 2011 American documentary film exploring the life and career of former CIA director William Egan Colby. It is narrated and directed by Carl Colby and produced by David Johnson.... |
| 2010 2010 in film The year 2010 saw many new films released worldwide. 2010 saw a dramatic increase and prominence in the use of 3D-technology in filmmaking and film releases after the success of Avatar in the format, with releases such as Alice in Wonderland, Clash of the Titans, Jackass 3D, all animated films and... |
The Most Dangerous Man in America |
| 2009 2009 in film The year 2009 saw the release of many films. Seven made the top 50 list of highest-grossing films, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that as of this year, their Best Picture category would consist of ten nominees, rather than five .- Highest-grossing films :Please note... |
Crude |
| 2009 | Ballerina Ballerina (documentary) Ballerina is a 2006 documentary film that follows the training sessions, rehearsals, and everyday lives of five Russian ballerinas at different stages in their career. The film features footage of classes at the Vaganova Ballet Academy as well as performances in the Mariinsky Theatre.... |
| 2009 | Altiplano Altiplano (film) Altiplano is a film by Peter Brosens and Jessica Woodworth starring Magaly Solier, Jasmin Tabatabai and Olivier Gourmet. It takes places on three continents in five different languages... |
| 2009 | A Wink and a Smile |
| 2008 2008 in film This is a list of all major films made in 2008.-Highest-grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2008... |
Moving Midway |
| 2008 | A Jihad for Love |
| 2008 | Constantine's Sword Constantine's Sword Constantine's Sword: The Church and the Jews - A History is a book by James Carroll, a former priest, which documents the role of the Roman Catholic Church in the long European history of anti-Semitism... |
| 2007 2007 in film This is a list of major films released in 2007.-Top grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2007... |
For the Bible Tells Me So For the Bible Tells Me So For the Bible Tells Me So is a 2007 American documentary film directed by Daniel G. Karslake about homosexuality and its perceived conflict with religion, as well as various interpretations of what the Bible says about same-sex sexuality... |
| 2007 | Save Me Save Me (2007 film) Save Me is a 2007 film directed by Robert Cary about Mark , a drug-addicted homosexual man who is admitted into an ex-gay program run by Gayle and her husband Ted... |
| 2007 | The Power of Forgiveness |
| 2007 | Please Vote for Me Please Vote for Me Please Vote for Me is a 2007 documentary film following the elections for class monitor in a 3rd grade class of eight year old children in the Evergreen Primary School in Wuhan, China... |
| 2007 | Breaking the Maya Code |
| 2004 2004 in film The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol... |
Howard Zinn: You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train |
| 2003 2003 in film The year 2003 in film involved some significant events. Releases of sequels took place with movies like The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, Pokémon Heroes, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,... |
Bonhoeffer |
| 2002 2002 in film The year 2002 in film involved some significant events. The first significant releases of sequels took place between The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Men in Black II, Analyze That, Spy Kids 2: The Island of... |
The Butterfly |
| 2001 2001 in film The year 2001 in film involved some significant events, including the first of the Harry Potter series and also the first of The Lord of the Rings trilogy... |
The Fluffer The Fluffer The Fluffer, a 2001 U.S. independent film, is a triangular story of obsessive love set against the backdrop of the adult video industry. The film was written by Wash West and co-directed by West and his life partner Richard Glatzer... |
| 1999 1999 in film The year 1999 in film involved several noteworthy events and has been called "The Year That Changed Movies". Several significant feature films, including Stanley Kubrick's final film Eyes Wide Shut, Pedro Almodóvar's first Oscar-winning film All About My Mother, science fiction The Matrix, Deep... |
After Stonewall After Stonewall After Stonewall is a 1999 documentary film directed by John Scagliotti about the 30 years of gay rights activism since the 1969 Stonewall riots. It is the sequel to the Scagliotti-produced 1986 film Before Stonewall and is narrated by musician Melissa Etheridge... |
| 1995 1995 in film -Top grossing films:-Events:* March 22 - The Dogme 95 movement is officially announced in Paris by Danish directors Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg.* March 28 - Actress Julia Roberts and singer Lyle Lovett announce their plans for separation.... |
Whitewash Whitewash (TV special) Whitewash is a 1994 special show on American television channel HBO Family based on a true story. It was released onto video by HBO Kids Video and distributed by First Run Features as well. The program was produced and directed by Michael Sporn with a screenplay by Ntozake Shange... |
| 1993 1993 in film The year 1993 in film involved many significant films, including the blockbuster hits Jurassic Park, The Fugitive and The Firm. -Events:... |
Speak Up! It's So Dark Speak Up! It's So Dark Speak Up! It's So Dark is a 1993 Swedish drama film directed by Suzanne Osten.-Plot:An elderly Jewish man befriends a young neo-nazi on a train and invites him to his home... |
| 1991 1991 in film The year 1991 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*April 28 - Bonnie Raitt marries actor Michael O'Keefe in New York* Terminator 2: Judgment Day, became one of the landmarks for science fiction action films with its groundbreaking visual effects from Industrial Light & Magic.*November... |
The Architecture of Doom The Architecture of Doom Undergångens arkitektur is a 1989 documentary directed by Swedish director Peter Cohen and narrated by Rolf Arsenius... |
| 1984 1984 in film -Events:* The Walt Disney Company founds Touchstone Pictures to release movies with subject matter deemed inappropriate for the Disney name.* Tri-Star Pictures, a joint venture of Columbia Pictures, HBO, and CBS, releases its first film.... |
Before Stonewall Before Stonewall Before Stonewall: The Making of a Gay and Lesbian Community is a 1984 American documentary film about the LGBT community prior to the 1969 Stonewall riots. It was narrated by author Rita Mae Brown, co-produced by John Scagliotti and Robert Rosenberg, and co-directed by Rosenberg and Greta Schiller... |
| 1975 1975 in film The year 1975 in film involved some significant events, with Steven Spielberg's thriller Jaws topping the box office.-Events:*March 26 - The film version of The Who's Tommy premieres in London.... |
A Boy and his Dog A Boy and His Dog A Boy and His Dog is a cycle of narratives and films including or stemming from works of science fiction author Harlan Ellison.Ellison began the cycle with the 1969 short story of the same title, and a revised and expanded novella-length version was published in Ellison's story collection The Beast... |