| Inaugural Selections Announced
for Launch of The Spiritual Cinema Circle's Membership Home Delivery DVD Service
The Spiritual Cinema Circle (The Circle) announces its inaugural DVD selections in the much-anticipated launch of this subscription-based home delivery DVD club. In a commitment to entertainment that enriches the human spirit, The Spiritual Cinema Circle has selected four original, inspiring, and powerful films for April / May delivery. The Circle's Members receive three to five films comprised of shorts, documentaries, and feature films per month on DVD, hand-picked from an array of under-exposed inspiring flicks that never reached worldwide distribution, despite critical acclaim and film festival success. Beginning June 2004, members will automatically receive new films each month on DVD that are theirs to keep. Among the inaugural film selections is Jillian's Vantage directed by Geno Andrews. This romantic mystery brings two very different people together under very unusual circumstances. Winner of "Best in Show" in 2002 at Seattle Art Museum's Damah Film Festival, Jillian's Vantage depicts a date between Jillian, a blind therapist, and John, an emotionally wounded man. The Circle's members also receive The Limited among the April / May delivery, a powerful short film that takes viewers on a mysterious train ride. In the sole animated piece of the April / May Cinema Circle selections, Match Scratch Fever uniquely explores achieving your purpose in life. SCC co-founder Stephen Simon predicts "you'll be screening this little treasure for a long time." A serendipitous discovery from Down Under rounds out the The Circle's inaugural selections. Australia's first digitally screened multi-cinema released film, Finding Joy, is a unique romantic comedy led by husband and wife team Billie Dean and Andrew Einspruch. Dean is director, lead actor, and writer, while husband Einspruch, of Laughing Owl Productions, produces and acts. This uplifting, offbeat love story was a hit with audiences in screenings at Ausfest and Australia's National Folk Festival in the capital city of Canberra. In the tradition of 1998's indie hit, "Little Voice," starring Jane Horrocks, Ewan McGregor, and Michael Caine, Finding Joy showcases the magic in finding your own voice. Joy, a 40-something woman in a mid-life crisis, cannot sing but is obsessed with becoming a singer / songwriter. Joy's life changes when she takes in Raffi, a stray dog, and meets Peter, another would-be musician. "I thought it would be fun to watch a nervous person as they grow on their performing and personal journey," says writer / director Dean. "But at the same time, I wanted it to be real. If someone's not a singer, she's not going to suddenly sound like Mariah Carey at the end of the film. I wanted the story told and shot very naturally, and I feel we've achieved this." Dean says of the film's selection by The Circle, "I wanted to write something fun and uplifting. I'd had enough of dark, gritty movies. I felt some audiences must surely feel the same. Now is the time for heart movies with a little extra substance." The film ties in naturally to the efforts of The Spiritual Cinema Circle, which was launched as a vehicle to showcase under-exposed films that uplift the spirit and open the heart. The Circle is the first of its kind, putting films with substance into the homes of under-served, spiritually oriented moviegoers worldwide. Stephen Simon, co-founder of The Circle and producer of such films as "Somewhere in Time," "What Dreams May Come," director/producer of the current "Indigo," and President of The Institute for Spiritual Entertainment, Inc. says: "Billie Dean's warm, witty, insightful first feature is everything that we look for in a film. The characters are real human beings with deeply felt emotions, hopes, and dreams. Their humanity triumphs over all adversity. Along the way, we become so involved with the characters' various challenges that we lose ourselves in the universality of the story and feel better about being human when the film ends. And THAT'S as great a gift as a filmmaker can give to an audience." About The Spiritual Cinema Circle: The Spiritual Cinema Circle is a subscription-based home-delivery DVD service, founded in October 2003. Industry experts comprise The Circle selection team. With their combined expertise and know-how, the team unearths hidden gems from the independent cache and delivers them directly to members' doors. All DVDs become property of subscribers; there is no return required. Members may cancel membership at any time. Note to Filmmakers: The Circle is actively looking for completed feature, short, and documentary films that have terrific production value, are entertaining, and most importantly, have a redeeming message that is in some way uplifting to the viewer. Filmmakers can print a submission form from The Circle's Web site: www.SpiritualCinemaCircle.com and then send their films to: The Spiritual Cinema Circle, LLC, 369 Montezuma Avenue, #234, Santa Fe, NM 87501 For more information on The Circle, or to join, visit: www.SpiritualCinemaCircle.com |
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April 2004 |
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