Refinery29 Expands Into Feature Films Through New Partnership With Neon
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- Published on Wednesday, 01 August 2018 06:01
Refinery29, the leading digital media and entertainment company for young women, today announced a new partnership deal with NEON, the award-winning studio responsible for the release of I, Tonya, Sundance- and Spirit Award Winner- Ingrid Goes West.
NEON will join forces with Refinery29 to identify, purchase and co-distribute films that align with both companies’ missions to work with rule-defying storytellers that continue to challenge the audience.
NEON and Refinery29 will purchase and co-distribute films. The launch slate that Includes Assassination Nation and Little Woods.
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This partnership marks Refinery29’s first foray into feature films, further expanding the breadth and scope of the company’s video and entertainment business, allowing it to reach new and existing audiences wherever they are consuming premium content.
As Refinery29 continues to see growth and success with its current slate of entertainment offerings -- including Shatterbox, the award-winning short-form video initiative created to support female filmmakers -- long-form feature films is a natural evolution for the company, and another opportunity to celebrate raw innovation and emerging talent within the industry.
“Since its inception, NEON has established itself as a major player in the industry, disrupting the way the next generation consumes and views films, which aligns with how we speak to and challenge our audience and the media industry as a whole,” said Amy Emmerich, Chief Content Officer, Refinery29. “Following the success of our short film series, Shatterbox, we are excited to expand our storytelling and experiential offerings and make our mark on the feature film business.”
The first films distributed by NEON and Refinery29 will be Assassination Nation and Little Woods. Assassination Nation, which will debut September 21st, is directed by Sam Levinson and stars Hari Nef, Odessa Young, Suki Waterhouse and Abra, along with Bella Thorne and Maude Apatow. Little Woodswas awarded the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival Nora Ephron Award and is written and directed by Nia DaCosta, and stars Tessa Thompson and Lily James.
“We’re excited to be working with Refinery29 and launching films like Assassination Nation and Little Woods for the company’s smart, passionate audience of women and to bolster our shared dedication to female filmmakers and female-driven films,” remarked NEON Senior Vice President, Christina Zisa. “We couldn’t think of a better brand and partner to align with than Refinery29, as their commitment to creating and supporting content that speaks to young women today is unparalleled.”
This partnership further advances Refinery29’s video and entertainment strategy from short form digital storytelling to participating in the in-theater experience. NEON will distribute select Shatterbox short films by Refinery29. Since the launch of Shatterbox in August 2016, the initiative announced the directorial debut of Chloe Sevigny's short ‘Kitty,’ which premiered at Cannes Film Festival, Kristen Stewart’s short film, “Come Swim,” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and Anu Valia’s short film, “Lucia Before and After,” which won the Sundance Jury Prize for the Short Film category. To date, there have been over 5 million views of these films across the Refinery29 platform.
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For more information on Refinery29 and NEON please visit: https://www.refinery29.com/
About Refinery29
Refinery29 is the leading next-gen media and entertainment company focused on women with a global audience of 425 million across all platforms. The company’s mission is to be a catalyst for women to feel, see, and claim their power by providing optimistic and diverse creativity, storytelling, and unconventional points of view. We deliver style and substance to a highly engaged audience with our original video, editorial features, live experiences and social storytelling.
About NEON
Founded in 2016, NEON is an award winning independent film distribution studio. Its debut film was Nacho Vigalondo’s Colossal, starring Anne Hathaway and Jason Sudeikis. NEON was an active player at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, acquiring Reinaldo Marcus Green’s Monsters & Men, winner of the Sundance Dramatic Special Jury Award for Outstanding First Feature; Sam Levinson’s Assassination Nation; and Tim Wardle’s Three Identical Strangers, winner of the Sundance Special Jury Award for Storytelling.
NEON had a record breaking year with the release of the runaway hit winner I, Tonya, directed by Craig Gillespie, starring Margot Robbie and 2018 Oscar Winner for Best Supporting, Actress Allison Janney. Eliza Hittman’s Sundance Award Winner Beach Rats, Matt Spicer’s Sundance and Spirit Award Winner Ingrid Goes West; Laura Poitras’s RISK, Ana Lily Amirpour’s Venice Award Winner The Bad Batch and Errol Morris’, The B-Side. Other recent NEON releases include Aaron Katz’s Gemini; and the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival Opening Night film by Janus Metz, Borg Vs McEnroe; and Coralie Fargeat’s groundbreaking feature film debutRevenge.
After their successful collaboration on I, Tonya, in January 2018, 30WEST (Dan Friedkin’s and Micah Green’s strategic venture) partnered with NEON’s Tom Quinn (Founder & CEO) and Tim League (Co-Founder) to become the majority investors in the company.