Documentary Production and Distribution News

(Philadelphia, PA) - Philadelphia-based advertising and digital media company Lunchbox Communications announced today the launch of Lunchbox Dox, a new division dedicated to production of documentary films, docu-series and related cross-platform projects. The formation of the division reflects the success the company has achieved in this area over the past five years, most recently with its feature documentary, Digital Dharma. The film will have its New York City premiere later this year at the Rubin Museum of Art.

�We decided to establish a separate division for our work on long format and docu-series to ensure that our increased focus in that area receives the additional investments in time and resources required for continued success,� said Dafna Yachin, Lunchbox�s Chief Creative Officer. �The experience we are gaining through this work will also help us develop more strategic and sophisticated marketing communications for our advertising, marketing and nonprofit clients. We recognize that video is increasingly at the forefront of how people are getting information online and off, and we�re excited to be growing our company in that direction on both the marketing and editorial sides.�

Digital Dharma was first introduced at Realscreen�s �So You Think You Can Pitch?� and received a highly praised sneak preview at the 2011 Sedona International Film Festival. Its New York City premier will be July 25 through September 5, 2012, on Wednesday evenings beginning at 7:00 p.m. Tickets include a 6:15 p.m. pre-screening guided tour of the Rubin Museum�s current exhibition, Illuminated: The Art of Sacred Books. Lunchbox has entered into a contractual relationship for worldwide distribution of the film with Off the Fence, a leading global distribution and production company headquartered in Amsterdam, and plans for additional screenings are in development.

Digital Dharma tells the story of E. Gene Smith, the Mormon from Utah who saved Tibetan Buddhism. The Documentary chronicles Smith�s 50-year journey with renowned scholars, lamas and laypeople as they struggle to find, preserve and digitize more than 20,000 volumes of ancient Tibetan text after the devastation of China�s Cultural Revolution. Crossing multiple borders � geographic, political and philosophical � Digital Dharma is an epic story of a cultural rescue and how one man�s mission became the catalyst for an international movement to provide free access to the story of a people.

�This project is precisely what makes Lunchbox Dox so exciting and refreshing in this industry,� said Bill Harris, former head of production for A&E Television and the History Channel, who is now an Executive Producer with Lunchbox. �I�m very excited to be working with the team here as we actively explore the role of socially conscious content in the evolving world of filmmaking.�

Lunchbox Dox�s next project will be the development and marketing of a cross-platform series combining the intellectual appeal of documentaries with the interpersonal appeal of reality shows, thereby targeting two large and very different audiences. The series will take viewers to remote areas of the world, where they can experience increasingly important cultural and political environments on a personal level. The company is in production and development of several other ideas for series and one-offs for selected cable networks.

With the addition of a separate division devoted to long-format production comes an increase in available resources. Lunchbox will expand its operations in its Atlanta office, which has been primarily responsible for producing advanced animation. The company will also continue working closely with the Philadelphia Film Office.





Resources:

www.lunchboxcity.com