‘A Father’s Legacy’ to Get One-Night Theatrical Screening June 17, Ahead of Digital Rental Release in July

Cinedigm on June 15 announced that A Father’s Legacy will receive a one-night theatrical presentation on June 17, ahead of the Father’s Day weekend, with a digital rental release planned for July.

The film will be screened in conjunction with Fathom Events in theaters nationwide, beginning at 7 p.m. After the movie, the event features a conversation with director and star Jason Mac and Pastor Brannon Shortt from Bayside Church about the importance of fatherhood, how the choices you make have consequences and additional key takeaways from the film.

A Father’s Legacy is an inspirational story that follows a young man (Jason Mac) on the run after an armed robbery. Hiding from the law, he sets out to find the father he never knew. Venturing further away from the city streets, he finds himself at the secluded home of a stranger (Tobin Bell). As the days pass and the secrets about their past are revealed, they learn that they might not have been looking for each other — but they may have been brought together for a reason.

“This film was born out of one of the most difficult times in my life,” says writer-director Mac. “My father was my protector; a guardian I knew would always be there, and then one day he wasn’t. The loss forced me to look inside and really explore what it was to be a father. Too many young men have no male role model growing up, so I hope that becomes a lesson and learning from this film.”

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Aside from Bell and Mac, the film stars, Rebeca Robles (Reprisal, Ambitions) and Gregory Alan Williams (Remember the Titans). A Father’s Legacy was produced by Mac and John Lerchen, under his Forever Safe Productions banner.

A Father’s Legacy (previously titled The Old Man & The Pond) was the Official Selection of the Heartland International Film Festival and the Official Selection of the Soho International Film Festival.

“The theater-going experience is about community, and the enjoyment that comes from experiencing stories with our friends and family,” said Yolanda Macias, chief content officer at Cinedigm. “Working with Fathom has given us the opportunity to share A Father’s Legacy with audiences all over the country. It is a story of redemption and unlikely kinship, and it challenges us to look at the relationships we have built in our life. We could not think of a better way to honor Father’s Day than by sharing this film with our audiences.”

Cinedigm Inks Distribution Deal with China’s CMC Pictures

Cinedigm March 19 announced a partnership with CMC Pictures, distributor of Chinese movies and television shows. Under the deal, Cinedigm will release select CMC Pictures theatrical titles on DVD/Blu-ray Disc, digital, and television.

CMC Pictures titles include sci-fi title The Wandering Earth, Pegasus, Wolf Warrior 2, Detective Chinatown 2, and Animal World, among others.

“CMC Pictures represents the highest caliber of Chinese productions across a wide range of genres and with cast recognizable to international audiences,” Yolanda Macias, EVP of acquisitions and digital sales at Cinedigm, said in a statement.

Established in 2016, the studio operates as the international sales and distribution arm of China Media Capital Inc., a Chinese state-backed media and entertainment conglomerate producing movies and TV content, in addition to related businesses such as artist and sports agencies, cinemas, urban recreational complexes and theme parks.

Last summer CMC raised $1.5 billion in venture funding from China’s Alibaba Group Holding and Tencent Holdings, among other investors. CMC owns a stake in English Premier League soccer franchise Manchester United and a separate joint venture with Warner Bros. Entertainment.

The company is headed by Ruigang Li, often considered China’s Rupert Murdoch.

CMC Inc. founder/CEO Li Ruigang

The first picture under the Cinedigm deal includes The Road Not Taken, an offbeat road picture, following a bumbling ostrich farmer (Wang Xuebing), who journeys across the Gobi Desert in hopes of reconciling with his estranged wife, but ends up forming a makeshift family along the way.

The picture, directed by first time filmmaker Gaopeng Tang, screened as a selection of the “Focus on China” event at the 2018 Venice Film Festival, and was an official Golden Globe submission in the Foreign Language film category for China.

The pact reflects Cinedigm’s increasing role as go-to distributor for the distribution of Chinese content in North America. Majority-owned by Bison Capital, a Hong Kong based investment firm, Cinedigm recently announced the launch of Bambu, a digital channel which will be focused on Chinese content. Bambu will be available via major streaming devices and pay-TV carriage later this year in the US.