Official Press Release

Hey LCLs,

The official press release came out yesterday and I thought you all might be interested in seeing it. So I've included it below. FYI, there was also a write-up about the sale in Variety but it got certain elements of the release incorrect. As a reminder, the film is opening in theaters in San Fran, Seattle, Portland, Chicago and Austin. Press Release below. Happy Friday! d

P.S. Check out our lead, Jeremy Strong in theaters TODAY in the blockbuster, "The Happening"!

Magnolia Pictures smokes out HUMBOLDT COUNTY

NEW YORK – June 12, 2008 – Magnolia Pictures announced today the acquisition of U.S. rights to SXSW favorite HUMBOLDT COUNTY, co-written and co-directed by Darren Grodsky and Danny Jacobs. A classic fish out of (bong) water story, HUMBOLDT COUNTY tracks the progress of Peter (Jeremy Strong), a tightly-wound medical student, whose one-night stand with free-spirited Bogart (Fairuza Balk) leaves him stranded among a community of Northern California pot-growers living a decidedly different way of life. The cast includes Peter Bogdanovich, Frances Conroy, Brad Dourif, and Chris Messina.

“HUMBOLDT COUNTY has the sweet whiff of a populist hit. It’s a comedic, out-of-the-box drama that we think will speak to a large, underserved segment of the audience,” said Magnolia president Eamonn Bowles.

Magnolia plans a September theatrical rollout beginning in several regional markets preceded by exclusive airings via HDNet’s Ultra VOD program. Magnolia Pictures and HDNet are both part of the Wagner/Cuban Companies, a vertically integrated group of media properties co-owned by Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban.

The deal was negotiated by Magnolia Pictures Senior Vice President, Tom Quinn and Head of Business Affairs, Jason Janego with David Garber of Lantern Lane representing the filmmakers. HUMBOLDT COUNTY was produced by Jason Weiss.

"We are incredibly thrilled that this picture -- a personal project that began with nothing more than two unshowered writers, one second-hand computer and an unhealthy amount of diet cola -- will soon be accessible to film audiences around the country. Working with a company like Magnolia Pictures, whose instincts on both a creative and business level are so impeccable, is a better outcome than we could have ever imagined. Other than living in a castle made of cookies, that is,” added co-writer/directors Darren Grodsky and Danny Jacobs.

Lantern Lane Entertainment is a full service marketing, distribution and consulting entertainment company. We offer complete solutions for entertainment properties in the United States and throughout the world. The company has been conceived to offer strategic planning, sales, marketing and consulting for all genres of films and television programs. We offer hands-on service and implementation of strategic plans, sales and marketing to production companies and individual producers.

Magnolia Pictures (www.magpictures.com) is the theatrical and home entertainment distribution arm of the Wagner/Cuban Companies, a vertically integrated group of media properties co-owned by Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban that also include the Landmark Theatres chain, the production company 2929 Productions, and high definition cable networks HDNet and HDNet Movies.