HC Newsletter - July 15, 2008

As the release date for HUMBOLDT COUNTY approaches, the excitement and intensity is mounting. Take, for example, last week, when Danny & Darren sat on a panel with Peter Bogdanovich and Mark Cuban for the Television Critics Association annual event. It was a treat for us to reconnect with Mr. Bogdanovich, and hearing Mark Cuban (who owns -- among many other entities -- Magnolia Pictures) repeatedly extol the virtues of our film to dozens of reporters was spectacular. And a bit surreal. Details and pictures can be found on the Directors' Blog.

For the last several weeks, we have been preparing the marketing campaign for the film's public debut. We shot a promotional video (which ended up being a short film) that included cameos from several of our more recognizable cast members. We also began the process of recutting our trailer and redesigning our poster, both of which are necessary if we want an MPAA rating. In addition, we are converting the film to video, compiling our DVD extras, and finalizing innumerable other details, including a roadshow of pre-release screenings around the country to increase awareness of the film.

Now for the news for which many of you have been waiting: it appears that the theatrical release date for HUMBOLDT COUNTY will be Friday, September 26th, 2008. Mark your calendars, tell your friends, and save up your allowance because we expect to see all of you there.More to come as that date inches towards us.

Best,

Jason

HC Newsletter - June 5, 2008

Friends,

Apologies for the radio silence for the past, wow, nearly eight weeks. Rest assured, however, that we have been cooking up something special for you...

We are pleased -- no, make that ecstatic -- to officially announce that MAGNOLIA PICTURES has picked up HUMBOLDT COUNTY for distribution in the U.S.

What does this mean? It means that any of you who have not yet seen the film (and those of you who want to see it again) will soon have the chance to do so. Possibly on a Big Screen near you. And if not, then on Video On Demand, DVD, your favorite cable station, iTunes, an airplane, cruise ship, etc.

The current plan is to release the film in theaters in five cities late this summer, likely in September. Those cities will be:
- Austin
- Chicago
- Portland
- San Francisco
- Seattle

We will roll out to at least five additional cities in the following weeks. At the same time the film is playing in theaters, it will also be available on Video On Demand for those of you who may not live where the film will be playing theatrically. Several months thereafter, the film will be released on DVD and other mediums for your rental or purchase. Obviously as the details are finalized, they will be made widely public.

Magnolia is a brilliant and highly respected company, and we are thrilled to be in business with them. The marketing campaign we are collective planning with them is going to be heavily grassroots. So, though the film's public debut is still a few months away, we are soon going to need your help (yes, that means YOU) to spread the word about the film's release, especially in those cities where it will be playing in theaters. We need the attendance during the first weekend in those five markets to be monstrous if we want it to play in as many cities across the county as we believe it should.

Keep your eye on our website and the Directors' Blog for updates.

We are grateful for your continued support.

Best,

Jason

Also, For those of you who live in Humboldt County itself, listen up: We are hoping to screen the film at the WildRivers 101 Film Festival in August. We appreciate how eager you all are to see the film, but please be patient just a tad longer, so we can nail down the specifics. Stay tuned.

HC Newsletter - April 11, 2008

A quick note to let you know that there is a mention (albeit small) of HUMBOLDT COUNTY in this week's Entertainment Weekly. Our first piece of national print exposure. Kind of exciting.

We're mentioned in an article called "Going to Pot," which illuminates the recent uptick of films where marijuana plays a role. It starts on page 38.

More to come,

Jason

HC Newsletter - March 14, 2008

Friends,

The SXSW Film Festival has nearly come to a close, and everyone from the "Humboldt County" team who was involved considers our experience to have been nothing short of spectacular.

As I mentioned in the last update, the premiere was incredible. We figured that night would be the highlight of the festival for us. But there were other moments that turned out to be even more memorable.

The word-of-mouth around Austin about the film was so strong that for our second screening, we had hundreds more people waiting in line than could fit into the theater. So, rather than turn away a multitude of eager film-goers, the festival decided -- at the urging of our resourceful sales rep -- to take-over an adjacent theater and show the film on two screens simultaneously. We proceeded to sell out the second theater as well and had to turn away scores of others still in line.

For our third screening, which was in the middle of the day after most of the festival attendees had left town or had their fill of movies, we tempered our expectations. But again we sold out our assigned theater and had to project in a second one to accommodate the crowd. (And many were still turned away.)

If all of that wasn't enough reward for the last 4-5 years of work, the response from the audiences and the critics who have written about the film thus far has been overwhelming. While we try not to pay too much attention to reviews, it is gratifying to know that your efforts to make a compelling film are appreciated, even by those who are inclined to be a bit jaded. Though we are awaiting more, I will include a sampling of the press we received (thanks in large part to our amazing publicity team) below, in case you are interested.

For our next trick, we will try to secure a distributor for the film, so those of you who couldn't make it to Austin, or were unable to attend a screening, can see it in the comfort of your local theater or home.

Best,

Jason

NB: As always, you can find a more colorful play-by-play of our experiences at the Directors' Blog.


REVIEWS

• "...a pitch perfect directing debut"
  The Austin Chronicle
  


• "Good things ahead, no doubt, for both the film and its creators."
  Twitch
  
  
• "Humboldt County is just the type of small film that, if given a chance to be seen by audiences, could become somewhat of a hit for grownups ala Sideways or The Squid and the Whale."
  FilmThreat
  
  
• "...a singularly enjoyable coming-of-age story"
  IndieWire
  
  
• "...the film is genial and pleasant"
  IFC
  
  
• "...it's nice to see a film were you can actually see a character grow and change throughout a movie."
  Newsvine

ARTICLES/INTERVIEWS

• The Hollywood Reporter


• IFC TV (video)


• MSNBC


• Wired


• Huffington Post
  
• Twitch

HC Newsletter - March 12, 2008

A brief update on our momentum at SXSW: last night's screening (the second of the fest) was oversold by hundreds of people, so -- after some finagling by our resourceful sales rep -- we convinced the director of the festival and the manager of the theater to show HUMBOLDT COUNTY on a second screen simultaneously. This allowed another couple hundred people to see the film, and we still had to turn away many eager audience members.

The buzz is significant and the reviews are strong (more on that in the next few days). Now the sales process begins...

Best,

Jason

HC Newsletter - March 8, 2008

Friends,

It is hard to summarize the past 24 hours. It has been a whirlwind of emotion for all of us in Austin. Our sales and publicity reps did a fantastic job getting many prospective buyers (distributors) and film critics in to the premiere, and they -- with many family, friends, and film loving strangers -- seemed to have an overwhelmingly positive reaction to the film. We feel bad for the people who weren't able to get into the screening,

We likely won't have any definitive news on the sales side for several weeks or possibly longer, but the reviews are starting to trickle in. Here is another one. Also, IFC News did an interview with Darren & Danny that will air tonight (Saturday) and for the next five days at 8:15pm EST, 5:15pm PST on IFC TV.

Lot of other details to share, but those are the important ones for the moment.

Best,

Jason

HC Newsletter - March 7, 2008

As most of you know, tonight is the long-anticipated public premiere of "Humboldt County." Danny, Darren and I are in Austin for the screening -- along with many others who played key roles -- and the excitement and anxiety are a tad overwhelming.

Those of you who have been with us most of the way can attest that this film require countless man (and woman) years of effort from literally hundreds of people, but we are proud of the result and hope that everyone who helped will be, too.

Yesterday, we received our first printed review of the film. It appeared in the Austin Chronicle, which is the town's culturally-oriented weekly paper. Let's hope it is an indication of many reviews to come.

More to come over the next few days. In the meantime, if you have a burning desire to track Danny & Darren's every move, keep an eye on their blog.

Regards,

Jason