August 31st, 2012
Team Dogwoof are very proud to announce that The Queen of Versailles will be Dogwoof’s 100th film to screen theatrically. We have lots of exciting competitions and posts lined up to celebrate this milestone, but to kick us off here's some highlights from our journey to the 100!
Over the years we have distributed a wide range of films, before finding our niche in documentary films. From these early days, with the Golden Bear winning Esma`s Secret to Hungarian drama Fateless starring Daniel Craig, we were the earliest distributor to pioneer digital and recognise the possibilities of online audiences. 2005's EMR was the first ever film to be simultaneously released in cinemas, on DVD and online. The same year, King’s Game was the first screening in the U.K. Film Council's groundbreaking Digital Screen Network project, screening from a digital print rather than 35mm.
In 2007 we turned to documentaries with Black Gold - highlighting the plight of coffee farmers, the film led to Starbucks changing their policies on prices for the Ethiopian farmers. In 2009 The Age of Stupid was a huge hit, with a satellite "People's Premiere" which saw the film screen simultaneously around the country at over 60 venues. Huge one day premieres have followed over the years with films like The End of the Line and Burma VJ (the first film to ever screen at 10 Downing St), and more and more we saw social changes occur from a result of these issue led documentaries.
In 2010 we launched we launched Ambassadors Screenings, now Popup Cinema. A DIY distribution scheme which allows individuals to screen Dogwoof films from the day of release, we have seen tremendous uptake from a wide range of groups, screening in diverse settings from rooftop farms and school halls to big business offices. In 2011 we also expanded into sales, with the Dogwoof Global team working on selling distribution rights for selected titles internationally.
Recent highlights have seen Errol Morris give the David Lean lecture at BAFTA ahead of the release of Tabloid, the runaway success of London Film Festival hit Dreams of a Life and 2012 has seen us release our first Oscar winning documentary, the American Football film Undefeated. So raise a glass to our 100 releases, and here's to the next 100.
Over the next week we will be blogging on more of our (and our directors) favourite moments during the Dogwoof 100 and celebrating on our social media with some exciting competitions. You can join the celebrations by telling us your favourite Dogwoof film and why, and could end up winning yourself £100 credit in the Dogwoof shop. Head over to our Facebook page to see all 100 releases and vote for your top Dogwoof title. To enter the comp, just leave a facebook comment telling us why you chose that film under its picture in the Dogwoof 100 photo album. You can also browse through the Dogwoof 100 on this IMDB list
