SPHINX PRODUCTIONS TO PRODUCE ALTMAN, A FEATURE-LENGTH DOCUMENTARY ON AMERICAN FILM DIRECTOR ROBERT ALTMAN

Authorized Doc to be Produced by Sphinx Productions, 

AN EPIX ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARY

 in Association with Astral’s The Movie Network and Dakota Group Ltd.

Submarine Entertainment to Handle Worldwide Sales at the Upcoming Cannes Film Market

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Cannes, France – May 17, 2012 – Sphinx Productions, EPIX, the multiplatform premium entertainment service, Astral’s The Movie Network and Submarine Entertainment announced today they will partner on the production of ALTMAN, a feature length documentary about the life and art of American film director Robert Altman (1925 – 2006) to be directed & produced by filmmaker Ron Mann. The deals were negotiated by David Koh, Dan Braun & Josh Braun and Stanley Buchthal on behalf of Submarine Entertainment & Dakota Group Ltd. along with Ron Mann of Sphinx Productions. From M*A*S*H McCabe and Mrs. Miller, Nashville, The Player, Short Cuts, Gosford Park, to A Prairie Home Companion, Robert Altman’s naturalistic and prophetic movies reinterpreted every conceivable genre to chronicle a post-war America in transition. Sphinx and EPIX have partnered on the production with Submarine Entertainment to handle Worldwide Sales.

Robert Altman’s extraordinary life — from growing up in Depression-era Kansas City to his receiving in 2006 an honorary Oscar “in recognition of a career that has repeatedly reinvented the art form and inspired filmmakers and audiences alike” — will be woven together from interviews with key actors, his collaborators and family members, along with archival footage of Altman himself and clips from his groundbreaking films.

ALTMAN will be produced and directed by award-winning documentary filmmaker Ron Mann (GrassComic Book Confidential, Twist, Go Further). Consultants to the production include Kathryn Reed Altman, widow of Robert Altman and Matthew Seig, film producer who worked closely with Robert Altman.

“I am pleased and honoured to have acclaimed documentarian Ron Mann shepherd this long overdue project”, said Kathryn Reed Altman. ”Ron’s prodigious, challenging, engaging, and one-of-a-kind films revealed him to be the perfect choice to examine and celebrate Bob’s monumental life and art. I have no doubt Bob would be happy and may well be smiling right now.”

Filmmaker Ron Mann stated, “Robert Altman reinvented not only what a movie might be, but how we might view ourselves. His films continue to inspire us today.”

“This documentary will offer a moving point of view on the iconic filmmaker Robert Altman and we’re thrilled to be working with Ron Mann, Kathryn Altman and Matthew Seig to create an EPIX Original Documentary our viewers will enjoy on TV, online, and on EPIX apps,” said Mark Greenberg, CEO and President of EPIX.

Koh & Buchthal & the Braun Brothers of Submarine & Dakota stated, “We are extremely honored and excited to work on and support this new film with our friend and filmmaker Ron Mann and the family of Robert Altman to celebrate the life and work of a true artist and iconoclast.”

ALTMAN is produced by Sphinx Productions. The EPIX ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARY, in association with Astral’s The Movie Network and Dakota Group Ltd.  Submarine Entertainment will be presenting the film to buyers at the 2012 Cannes Film Market. Completion date is scheduled for mid-2013.  Accompanying the documentary will be a touring exhibit, an illustrated companion book, and music soundtrack.

About Sphinx Productions:

For over 30 years, Toronto based Sphinx Productions has produced award-winning feature documentaries focusing on significant contributors to cultural history. For more information see: www.sphinxproductions.com

About EPIX

EPIX, a joint venture between Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA and VIA.B), its Paramount Pictures unit, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM) and Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), is a premium entertainment service available on television, video-on-demand, online and on consumer electronic devices. With access to more than 15,000 motion pictures spanning the vast libraries of its partners and other studios, EPIX provides a powerful entertainment experience with more feature films on demand and online and more HD movies than any other service.  It is the only premium service providing its entire monthly line-up of new Hollywood hits, classic feature films, documentaries and original concerts, comedy and sporting events on all platforms.  EPIX delivers more than 3,000 titles to authenticated subscribers on EpixHD.com and on hundreds of devices including Xbox 360 consoles, Android™ tablets and mobile phones, Roku® players, Samsung® Smart TVs and Blu-ray™ players, Apple® iPads®, iPhones® and more. EPIX is available to over 30 million homes nationwide through distribution partners including Charter Communications, Cox Communications, DISH Network, Mediacom Communications, NCTC, Suddenlink Communications and Verizon FiOS.

For more information about EPIX, go to www.EpixHD.com. Follow EPIX on Twitter @EpixHD and on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/EpixHD.

About The Movie Network

The Movie Network is an Astral Television Network, Astral is a leading Canadian media company, active in specialty and pay television, radio, outdoor advertising and iMedia. Astra’s solid and dynamic presence in the country’s major markets rests on its commitment to offer a unique combination of high-quality, targeted media for all its audiences.

About Submarine Entertainment

Submarine Entertainment is a hybrid sales, production and distribution label. Its recent films include Searching for Sugar Man, The Imposter, Queen of Versailles, Black Rock, Me at the Zoo, Chasing Ice, The Comedy, Your Sister’s Sister, That’s What She Said, How to Survive a Plague, Marina Abramović the Artist is Present, Woody Allen Documentary, Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters, Diana Vreeland the Eye Has to Travel, Bully, Last Call at the Oasis, Bill Cunningham New York, Project Nim, Buck, Page One: Inside the New York Times, Being Elmo, Nobody Walks, Cave of Forgotten Dreams, Tabloid, First Position, among numerous others. Submarine has also signed a development deal with Spike TV. Submarine’s Dan & Josh Braun are leading the development of the comic book series Creepy and Eerie across all platforms.

About Dakota Group Ltd.

Dakota Group Ltd. is an independent production & distribution label based in NY and has been involved in numerous films including: Marina Abramovic the Artist is Present, Herb & Dorothy, Bobby Fischer Against the World, LennoNYC, Marilyn Monroe Fragments, Jean-Michel Basquiat: the Radiant Child, Sketches of Frank Gehry, Lou Reed’s Berlin, Hairspray, Spanking the Monkey, among numerous other films.

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Press contact:

For Submarine Entertainment:  David Koh T: (646) 929-3468  dk@submarine.com

For Sphinx Productions : Virginia Kelly T: (416) 466-9799   virginia@vkpr.ca

For EPIX: Jamie Colunga  T: (212) 846-1843  jcolunga@epixhd.com

www.sphinxproductions.com

www.filmswelike.com

www.dvdswelike.com