KINO LORBER TO RELEASE KEITH MAITLAND’S ANIMATED DOCUMENTARY TOWER NATIONWIDE
EXECUTIVE PRODUCED BY MEREDITH VIEIRA & LUKE WILSON,
THE FILM’S RELEASE MARKS THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY
OF AMERICA’S FIRST MASS SCHOOL SHOOTING
SXSW GRAND JURY PRIZE WINNING DOC TO BE GIVEN A THEATRICAL RELEASE THIS FALL WITH AN AWARDS PUSH TO FOLLOW
Kino Lorber announced on June 20 that they have acquired the U.S. distribution rights to Keith Maitland’s animated documentary "TOWER."
The film explores the tragic story of America’s first mass school shooting, where a lone gunman climbed a clock tower at the University of Texas in 1966, shooting 49 people and killing 17.
Executive Produced by Meredith Vieira and Luke Wilson, the film had its world premiere at SXSW 2016, winning the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award for best documentary feature.
Executive Produced by Meredith Vieira and Luke Wilson, the film had its world premiere at SXSW 2016, winning the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award for best documentary feature.
"TOWER" has won awards at numerous festivals including Dallas International, Montclair, RiverRun, and DeadCenter Film Festival.
Kino Lorber will release "TOWER" theatrically on October 12 at New York’s prestigious Film Forum, to be followed by a national rollout, marking the 50th anniversary of the shooting.
Kino Lorber will release "TOWER" theatrically on October 12 at New York’s prestigious Film Forum, to be followed by a national rollout, marking the 50th anniversary of the shooting.
The company is also mounting an aggressive awards campaign for the doc, as the issue continues to be as urgently pressing as ever.
On August 1, 1966, a sniper rode the elevator to the top floor of the University of Texas Tower and opened fire, holding the campus hostage for 96 minutes.
On August 1, 1966, a sniper rode the elevator to the top floor of the University of Texas Tower and opened fire, holding the campus hostage for 96 minutes.
When the gunshots were finally silenced, the toll included 17 dead, three dozen wounded, and a shaken nation left trying to understand.
Director Keith Maitland mixes archival footage with rotoscopic animation to create a dynamic, never-before-seen combination.
An action-packed and humanistic film, "TOWER" reveals the untold stories of the witnesses, heroes and survivors of America’s first mass school shooting, when the worst in one man brought out the best in so many others.
About Kino Lorber
With a library of more than 1,400 titles, Kino Lorber Inc. has been a leader in independent art house distribution for over 30 years, releasing 25 films per year theatrically under its Kino Lorber, Kino Classics, Alive Mind Cinema and new Silk Road Cinema banners, including five Academy Award® nominated films in the last seven years.
In addition, the company brings over 200 narrative and documentary titles each year to the home entertainment, educational and digital markets with in-house DVD and Blu-ray distribution and direct sales to all major platforms digital platforms.
Variety named Keith Maitland to their list of “10 Documakers to Watch”, this spring and hails the film as “A gripping dramatic reconstruction, a tribute to the heroes and the fallen…Keith Maitland’s film weaves rotoscopic animation, archival footage and present-day interviews into a uniquely cinematic memorial”, while Indiewire said “Keith Maitland’s strikingly original ‘TOWER’ recreates the drama with a mixture of animation and contemporary interviews, imbuing the catastrophe with renewed immediacy.”Producers include Megan Gilbride and Susan Thomson, Executive Producers Steve Eckelman, Amy Rapp, Sandy Boone, Louis Black, Pamela Colloff and Lois Vossen.
“Tower is that rarest of documentaries, seamlessly melding artistry and advocacy,” Richard Lorber, CEO of Kino Lobber, said. “In Keith’s brilliant filmic strategy animation distances us from the numbing historical reality that began as a painful unprecedented news event. Watching this graceful, immersive work of art, we let down our defenses to fully absorb the meaning of the nightmare and deeply feel the emotions of his characters. It could not be a more important and timely contribution to the coming congressional confrontation over gun control, in light of the latest tragedy in Orlando—it’s a must see for every community in America and we could not be more committed to help make that happen.”
“After fifty years of history, and four years of production, the untold stories of the Tower shooting can finally be revealed – I am very excited to partner with Kino Lorber as we bring TOWER to national audiences this fall,” Keith Maitland, "TOWER" director, said.Linzee Troubh of Cinetic negotiated the sale with Kino Lorber’s Wendy Lidell, Sr. VP of Acquisitions. Cinetic will launch international sales for the film at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
About Kino Lorber
With a library of more than 1,400 titles, Kino Lorber Inc. has been a leader in independent art house distribution for over 30 years, releasing 25 films per year theatrically under its Kino Lorber, Kino Classics, Alive Mind Cinema and new Silk Road Cinema banners, including five Academy Award® nominated films in the last seven years.
In addition, the company brings over 200 narrative and documentary titles each year to the home entertainment, educational and digital markets with in-house DVD and Blu-ray distribution and direct sales to all major platforms digital platforms.
