CANNES / NEW YORK – MAY 20, 2019– Screen Media announced today the acquisition of all North American rights to Charlie Lightening and Gavin Fitzgerald’s feature documentary Liam Gallagher: As It Was which premiered in the Cannes Market this week. The deal was negotiated on the ground in Cannes by Seth Needle, SVP, Worldwide Acquisitions at Screen Media, with Mike Runagall at Altitude Film Sales on behalf of the filmmakers. The film is set for release in the U.K. and Ireland on June 7, 2019 including a special event at the legendary Alexandra Palace venue, which sold out in 90 seconds. Screen Media plans a fall release, timed to the release of Liam Gallagher’s upcoming second album.
LIAM GALLAGHER: AS IT WAS documents the musical comeback of the decade; an honest and emotional story of how one of the most iconic rock ‘n’ roll frontmen went from the dizzying heights of his champagne supernova years in Oasis to finding himself ostracized and on the periphery of the rock ‘n’ roll world.
Starting again alone, stripped bare and with nowhere to hide, Liam risks everything to make the greatest rock ‘n’ roll comeback of all time, battling against the odds to return to the top of the charts.
Needle commented, “Liam is one of the most influential and accomplished musicians of the last 30 years. Liam Gallagher: As It Was showcases his talent and personality like nothing before.”
Charlie Lightening previously directed the video for Gallagher’s video “Chinatown,” and he and his co-director Gavin Fitzgerald obtained unprecedented behind the scenes access. Lightening previously directed projects around Paul McCartney and Jamiroquai, amongst others. Fitzgerald directed Conor McGregor: Notorious, as well as The Fighting Irish, about MMA fighters, and The Truth About Irish Hip Hop.
Liam Gallagher: As It Was is produced by Steven Lappin.
About Screen Media Ventures, LLC
Screen Media Ventures, LLC, a Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: CSSE) company, acquires the rights to high quality, independent television series and feature films for the US and Canada. With a library of over 1,500 television series and motion pictures, Screen Media Ventures is one of the largest independent suppliers of high-quality tv series and motion pictures to U.S. and international broadcast markets, cable networks, home video outlets and new media venues. For more information, visit: www.screenmedia.net
ALTITUDE FILM ENTERTAINMENT
The Altitude Film Entertainment group comprises of the vertically integrated Altitude Film Production led by Will Clarke chairman and joint-CEO with Andy Mayson; Altitude Film Sales with Managing Director Mike Runagall; and Altitude Film Distribution with Head of Distribution Hamish Moseley.
Altitude’s sales slate includes:
Diego Maradona; the third film from the Academy Award® and multi BAFTA-winning team led by director Asif Kapadia which will premiere Out of Competition in the Cannes Official Selection; Billie directed by award-winning filmmaker James Erskine and produced by Victoria Gregory and Barry Clark-Ewers; Chasing Chaplin from BAFTA and Sundance nominated filmmakers Peter Middleton and James Spinney; Calm with Horses directed by Nick Rowland and starring Cosmo Jarvis; Barry Keoghan, Ned Dennehy and Niamh Algar; Horrible Histories the Movie: Rotten Romans directed by Dominic Brigstocke and starring Craig Roberts, Kim Cattrall, Nick Frost, Kate Nash and Sir Derek Jacobi; Tina Turner directed by Academy® and Emmy® filmmakers Dan Lindsay and TJ Martin; Girls Untitled Film (working title) directed by BAFTA-nominated filmmaker Sarah Gavron and starring Bukky Bakay-Odeyemi, Kosar Ali and Shaneigha Greyson; Simon Bird’s directorial debut Days of the Bagnold Summerstarring Monica Dolan, Earl Cave, Rob Brydon, Alice Lowe and Tamsin Greig; Sulphur and White directed by BAFTA-nominated Julian Jarrold and starring Mark Stanley, Emily Beecham, Anna Friel and Dougray Scott; Hallelujah! directed by Chris Addison and starring Academy Award® nominated Ralph Fiennes; Great White directed by Martin Wilson; Guns Akimbo directed by Jason Lei Howden and starring Daniel Radcliffe and Samara Weaving; Liam Gallagher: As It Was directed by Charlie Lightening and Gavin Fitzgerald; and Black Water Abyss directed by Andrew Traucki; SAS: RED NOTICEdirected by Magnus Marten and starring Sam Heughan, Ruby Rose, Andy Serkis, Hannah John-Kamen, Tom Hopper, Noel Clarke and Tom Wilkinson.