SPHINX News

COMIC BOOK CONFIDENTIAL (Remastered) - Now Available on Blu Ray!

mann@sphinxproductions.com — 2012-08-03T14:38:07-04:00

Now available on blu ray, COMIC BOOK CONFIDENTIAL is a funny, smart, eye-popping history that finally gives comic books the respect they deserve.

See Marvel master Stan Lee bring Spiderman's money worries to life!
Hear underground artist Robert Crumb confess why he killed Fritz the Cat!
Wonder at congressional hearings from the 1950s "proving" the link between comic book and juvenile delinquency!

A film by Ron Mann
Year of production: 1989 - Remastered 2012
Running Time: 85 Minutes
Language: English
Country: Canada

SPECIAL FEATURES
Over 40 minutes of never-before-seen out-take footage including: Sergio Aragones, Carl Barks, Robert & Sophie Crumb, Jules Feiffer, Drew Friedman, Dave Gibbons, Archie Goodwin, Harvey Kurtzman, Caryn Leschen, Lee Mars, Paul Mavrides, Diane Noomin Gary Panter, Harvey Pekar, Trina Robbins, Gilbert Shelton, Julius Schwartz, Bill Sienkiewicz, Ron Turner, Robert Williams, S. Glay Wilson, Al Williamson.

Plus!

- Introduction by Kevin Smith
- Interview with Ron Mann
- Original theatrical trailer
- Original comic book promo comic
- The Balloon Pops: Comic Book Confidential by Geoff Pevere

Now available for purchase at DVDSWELIKE.COM.

LUNARCY! A film by Simon Ennis - World Premiere at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival

mann@sphinxproductions.com — 2012-07-30T10:59:56-04:00

July 31. 2012 – Citizen Jones and filmswelike are pleased to announce today that Lunarcy!, a film by Simon Ennis, will have its world premiere at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival.

With wry humor and affection, Lunarcy! tells the story of a disparate group of dreamers and schemers and who share one thing in common, they’ve all devoted their lives to the Moon. From the former ventriloquist who’s made millions selling Moon lots, to the young man who’s resolved to leave for Luna (permanently), Lunarcy! is a fascinating portrait of passion, obsession and quixotic dreams.

“I am unbelievably excited to be back at TIFF,” says director Ennis. “I’ve been seeing movies at the festival since high school -- before I was legally allowed in! It’s been a huge part of my personal film education and being able to launch my new feature here is an absolute thrill.”

“We discovered some truly unforgettable characters during the making of this film,” adds producer Jonas Bell Pasht, who previously produced Ennis’ feature comedy You Might As Well Live. “And we’re really excited to be bringing them to the big screen.”

To make Lunarcy!, Ennis followed the film’s eccentric subjects around North America as they pursued their various lunar goals; from Moon rituals in Brooklyn to Lunar laser shows in San Antonio, from the world’s largest science fiction convention to a dusty space port in deep in the Mojave Desert. Along the way the film took an unlikely turn as Ennis’ focus began to shift away from the Moon itself and towards each of his subject’s unique, personal, and often hilarious relationship with it. What started out as a movie about the history of the Moon became something much more -- a look at passion, obsession and what makes us human.

Lunarcy! is a Citizen Jones production and a filmswelike release, directed by Simon Ennis and produced by Jonas Bell Pasht. Ron Mann executive produces, as well as Jonah Bekhor from Citizen Jones.

About Simon Ennis: Ennis’ first feature, the dark comedy “You Might As Well Live”, premiered at the 2009 Slamdance Film Festival where it won the Dos Equis Most Interesting Film Award. The Globe and Mail called YMAWL “rude and crude but also very funny”, Variety called it “a promising first feature” and Ain’t It Cool News praised it for “making me gut laugh, which most comedies can’t”. His previous comedy shorts, The Waldo Cumberbund Story, The Canadian Shield and Up In Cottage Country all premiered at TIFF.

About Jonas Bell Pasht: Bell Pasht’s producing credits include the upcoming Stage Fright (starring Meat Loaf) for Serendipity Point Films and Ennis’ You Might As Well Live. He is repped by CAA.

About filmswelike: Founded by award-winning documentary filmmaker Ron Mann, filmswelike is a boutique distributor of documentary, independent and international films in Canada.

To download press notes and images go to: filmswelike.com/films/lunarcy

Running time: 80 Minutes

Media Contact: Virginia Kelly, Meghan Parnell / V Kelly & Associates - info@vkpr.ca, 416-466-9799

Ron Mann's films honoured at the 2012 Biografilm Festival, Bologna

mann@sphinxproductions.com — 2012-05-30T10:12:43-04:00

The films of Ron Mann are being honoured at the 2012 Biografilm Festival in Bologna, Italy as part of a special curated programme “Don't Say No: the Films of Ron Mann”.

COMIC BOOK CONFIDENTIAL (sabato. 16 giugno - ore 17:30, Cinema Lumière - sala Officinema / Mastroianni)
Comic Book Confidential. Is a feature-length documentary that profiles twenty-two of the most significant artists and writers working in comic books, graphic novels and strip-art in North America today. In an entertaining and informative combination of interviews, historical footage and state-of-the-art animation techniques, Comic Book Confidential provides a positive answer to that burning existential question of the late twentieth century first posed by Zippy the Pinhead: “ Are we having fun yet?”

GRASS (martedì. 12 giugno - ore 22:30, Cinema Odeon - sala A)
Grass. Ron Mann’s much-anticipated documentary presents a humorous and surprisingly balanced history of recreational marijuana use in the late 20th Century. Those who remain pure will see the degradation you’ve been missing. Those who have succumbed to temptation will learn how a nice person like yourself became a dangerous criminal. Marijuana is the most controversial drug of the 20th Century. Smoked by generations of musicians, students and workers to little discernible ill effect, it continues to be reviled by the vast majority of governments around the World. With his new film, Grass, veteran filmer Ron Mann brings his impeccable historical facility and story telling skills to recount how a relatively harmless drug has been demonized for decades.

KNOW YOUR MUSHROOMS (lunedì. 11 giugno - ore 22:30, Cinema Lumière - sala Officinema / Mastroianni)
Know You Mushrooms. Follows uber myco visionaries Gary Lincoff and Larry Evans (two of the more expert and unforgettably mercurial characters in the community) as they lead us on a hunt for the wild mushroom and the deeper cultural experiences attached to the mysterious fungi. Combining material filmed at the Telluride Mushroom Fest with animation and archival footage along with a neo-psychedelic soundtrack by the Flaming Lips, KNOW YOUR MUSHROOMS opens the doors to perception, takes the audience on a longer, stranger trip and delivers them to a brave new world where the fungi might well guide humanity to a saner, safer place... with extra cheese...

POETRY IN MOTION (sabato. 16 giugno - ore 21:30, Cinema Lumière - sala Scorsese)
Poetry in Motion. Called the “Woodstock of Poetry”, by American Film, and “Dazzling” by the Los Angeles Times, POETRY IN MOTION is an unprecedented anthology of twenty-four leading North American poets who sing, chant, anything but “read” their work. The result is a celebration of poetry’s ancient oral tradition. And an energetic demonstration that verse is alive and thriving in the media-blitzed age.

For more information visit Biografilm!

Photo credit: James Kachan

An Interview with Ron Mann on his 1982 film POETRY IN MOTION

mann@sphinxproductions.com — 2012-04-11T12:23:24-04:00

To say that Poetry in Motion, Ron Mann’s 1982 documentary, is the greatest poetry documentary of all time doesn’t really quite give the film its due. Thirty years on, the film still holds up as an anthology and time capsule, one that’s on a par with or even surpasses its print inspiration, Donald Allen’s New American Poetry: 1945-1960. It arrived in theaters and video stores at a time when poetry was reasserting itself as an oral and performance-based art, a synthesis of previous countercultural movements with free jazz, punk rock, and theater of cruelty cabaret…

Read More via the Poetry Foundation

Video profile featuring RON MANN on his distribution company Films We Like

mann@sphinxproductions.com — 2012-02-17T13:56:25-05:00

The Seventh Art: Issue 1, Section 1. A profile on the distribution company filmwelike where we talk to its founder, documentary filmmaker Ron Mann.

The Seventh Art is an independently produced video magazine about cinema with three sections: a brief profile on an interesting group/company/organization in the industry, a video essay and a long-form interview with a filmmaker.

MARCIA RESNICK'S BAD BOYS - Now Online!

mann@sphinxproductions.com — 2011-12-13T15:10:19-05:00

Now available ! “Marcia Resnick’s Bad Boys” (1985) Ron Mann's short film focuses on New York photographer Marcia Resnick and her male subjects.

Resnick is irreverent in her narration, and her portrait gallery made up of celebrities and nobodies is quotidian, ridiculous, and titillating in turn. A uniquely straightforward expression of the female gaze.

THIS WEEK ON MOVIES with Richard Crouse now available exclusively on iTunes!

mann@sphinxproductions.com — 2011-12-13T15:10:21-05:00

This Week On Movies, a video podcast hosted by Canadian film critic Richard Crouse is now available exclusively on iTunes.

An irreverent weekly video podcast highlighting and reviewing the latest movie releases available on the iTunes store, This Week on Movies offers a lively mix of reviews, facts and clips. Crouse shares his perspective on a wide variety of film content, from 'must-see' classics to current blockbusters.

Executive produced and written by award-winning documentary filmmaker Ron Mann of Sphinx Productions, and with series producer Robin Crumley overseeing, This Week On Movies is founded on Richard Crouse's history and expertise as a featured film critic for notable shows such as CTV's Canada AM and Rogers Television's Reel to Real.

"It's like having someone you know and trust recommend a movie for you, to see to help you make the right choice for you." said Mann.

In addition to Crouse's reviews, Brooklyn, NY based filmmaker Kendra Elliot will offer an offbeat installment of "Celebrity Picks".

The This Week on Movies video podcast is available for free on the iTunes Store (www.itunes.ca).

Click here to SUBSCRIBE to THIS WEEK ON MOVIES

Why Make Films When Being on a Jury is Way More Fun?

mann@sphinxproductions.com — 2011-09-15T15:50:48-04:00

Ron to attend the Woodstock Film Festival in September, and The Bergen International Film Festival. In celebration of Ron's visit, Bergen will present "Grass" and "Know Your Mushrooms".

Grass (Trailer) from filmswelike on Vimeo.

"Uke Crazy" in New York Times

mann@sphinxproductions.com — 2011-04-18T14:48:26-04:00

For the full story see Tony Coleman's "Mighty Uke"

Read it via The New York Times.

Ron Mann is one of “10 FILMMAKERS IN WHISTLER'S SPOTLIGHT”

mann@sphinxproductions.com — 2010-11-24T14:15:33-05:00

To commemorate Whistler’s 10th Anniversary, the festival will be featuring 10 Filmmakers who inspire through their art, embody important voices in the Canadian cinematic landscape and are shining examples of what we want the Whistler Film Festival to be all about.

The 2010 Filmmakers in the Spotlight inlude...

Ron Mann, documentary filmmaker, filmswelike, Toronto
Daniel Cross, documentary filmmaker, EyeSteelFilm, Montreal
Luc Dery, producer, micro_scope inc., Montreal
Atom Egoyan, film director, Toronto
Julia Kwan, film director, Vancouver
Bruce McDonald, film director, Toronto
Tygh Runyan, actor, Vancouver
Jacob Tierney, actor, film director and screenwriter, Montreal
Elizabeth Yake, film producer, True West Films Ltd., Toronto
John Zaritsky, executive producer and director, Point Grey Pictures Inc., Vancouver

Read More!

IN THE WAKE OF THE FLOOD goes to WOODSTOCK!

mann@sphinxproductions.com — 2010-09-01T11:56:15-04:00

Where: WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL, WOODSTOCK Town Hall
When: Oct 3 @ 1:45pm

SYNOPSIS:
On the eve of her 70th birthday, Canadian writer Margaret Atwood set out on an international tour crisscrossing the British Isles and North America to celebrate the publication of her new dystopian novel, "The Year of the Flood." Rather than mount a traditional tour to promote a book’s publication, Atwood conceived and executed something far more ambitious and revelatory—a theatrical version of her novel. Along the way she reinvented what a book tour could (and maybe should) be. But Atwood wasn't selling books as much as advocating an idea: how humanity must respond to the consequences of an environmentally compromised planet before her work of speculative fiction transforms into prophesy.
Atwood's odyssey is captured in Ron Mann's new film, "In The Wake of the Flood." Rendered as a fly-on-the-wall cinéma vérité, Ron Mann mixes new footage, archival materials and evocative animation in featuring Atwood on the road and at home as an aging but buoyant literary rock star spreading a message of warning and hope as she staged and participated in the novel production.

BIO:
Ron Mann's exuberant films are anthologies which give voice and vision to an array of articulate artists underrepresented by mainstream pop media. Mann established his international reputation while in his 20s with a series of award-winning theatrical documentaries including "Imagine the Sound," "Poetry in Motion," "Comic Book Confidential," "Twist" and "Dream Tower."
Mann is best known for the 1999 documentary "Grass" which presents a balanced history of recreational marijuana use in the late 20th century. The success of "Grass" was followed with "Go Further," "Tales of Rat Fink" and "Know Your Mushrooms."

In addition to making films, Mann and veteran Toronto film and music promoter Gary Topp distribute films in Canada under the banner "Films We Like."

IN THE WAKE OF THE FLOOD will open PLANET IN FOCUS, 2010

mann@sphinxproductions.com — 2010-08-04T15:53:24-04:00

In the Wake of the Flood, Toronto filmmaker Ron Mann's documentary about Margaret Atwood's unusual book tour for her novel The Year of the Flood, will open this year's Planet in Focus film festival in Toronto.

The festival also plans to honour Atwood and fellow novelist and partner Graeme Gibson with the Canadian Eco Hero Award given annually for outstanding contribution to environmental awareness.

Read Complete Article via CBC

The Atwood Blend, FTO Bird Friendly Coffee

mann@sphinxproductions.com — 2010-07-29T11:09:56-04:00

Inspired by one of Canada's most treasured artists and her love for Birdlife. This blend of Latin American Organic, Shade Grown coffees sets your taste buds aflutter with a mild and gracious backdrop allowing a supple caramel finish.

How lovely it is to enjoy your delicious coffee while knowing that you are helping to protect birdlife and the environment. Balzac's is delighted to partner with Canadian author and bird lover Margaret Atwood in creating The Atwood Blend, a Smithsonian Institute certified BIRD FRIENDLY® blend. $1.00 from each pound sold will be donated to the Pelee island Bird Observatory.

Purchase via Balzac’s Website - $15.50

Margaret Atwood on CBC Radio's Q feat. The Sadies

mann@sphinxproductions.com — 2010-07-28T12:51:39-04:00

Interview with Margaret Atwood, with special guests The Sadies on CBC Radio Q - July 28, 2010.

Listen Now! (Mp3 Format)

BlogTO Q&A with Ron Mann

mann@sphinxproductions.com — 2010-04-22T12:22:22-04:00

Ron Mann said a couple years ago: "Eric Dolphy once said that when you hear music through the air it's gone, and you can never capture it again. So, if all this culture in the air was ephemeral, I started to think if I didn't document it then it would be like it never happened, and it would just disappear."

This quote applies not only to his fantastic jazz movie Imagine the Sound (1981) which he was referring to, but to basically every other cultural movement or figure he's covered.

Read More!

SXSW 2001 - Video Bumpers by Ron Mann

mann@sphinxproductions.com — 2010-03-26T14:21:04-04:00

We’ve just found some old SXSW video bumpers that played the festival in 2001 in our archive.

Watch them here and enjoy!

FLAK & DREAM TOWER to premiere at BAFICI, Argentina

mann@sphinxproductions.com — 2010-03-10T11:03:11-05:00

FLAK and DREAM TOWER will premiere at the Buenos Aires International Film Festival between April 7 and 18th. We will announce screening dates as soon as we have them.

Ron Mann & Catherine Tait Exec Produce LUNARCY

mann@sphinxproductions.com — 2010-03-10T10:57:16-05:00

Ron Mann & Catherine Tait team up to executive produce LUNARCY by Simon Ennis.

What do you see when you look at the Moon? A man? A toad? A business opportunity? An outpost for future space exploration or the portent of all that’s sinister? The cure for our energy needs or the next vacation hot spot?

LUNARCY! is an out-of-this-world look at the past, present and future of humanity’s always fascinating, and often bizarre and hilarious, obsession with the Moon. From scholars to space tourists, billionaire entrepreneurs to fashion designers, science fiction folk singers to Saturday scientists, this film will spotlight an unforgettable group of geniuses, mystics, con men, academics, obsessives and oddballs.

With a sense of both wonder and humour, this funny, illuminating and irreverent documentary will explore all these aspects of this otherworldly subject. It will engage humanity’s enduring lunar obsession, delving equally into the ridiculous and the sublime.

PURE PWNAGE Premieres on Showcase, March 12th

mann@sphinxproductions.com — 2010-03-10T10:50:56-05:00

The only show on TV that doesn't lick balls.

Jeremy is a leet gamer, but he still lives in his mom’s basement. His n00b brother Kyle, an aspiring filmmaker, documents Jeremy’s life as he is forced to get off his ass and get a "real" job.

The Pure Pwnage web series has been spanking TV since 2004. Now that the show is an Internet phenomenon with millions of fans worldwide, it's time to pwn TV as well. Pure Pwnage on Showcase is the next step for this universe of uber gamers.

Premieres Friday March 12th at 10pm ET/PT

Visit the TV series at Showcase.ca

CANNIBAL GIRLS to Premiere at SXSW

mann@sphinxproductions.com — 2010-03-10T10:40:07-05:00

They do EXACTLY what you think they do! A Canuxploitation classic, Ivan Reitman's Cannibal Girls is being resurrected for another bloody go-round by filmswelike!

Second City TV regulars Eugene Levy and Andrea Martin star in this Canadian horror spoof as a couple on a romantic holiday who settle into a quaint little bed-and-breakfast run by a trio of flesh-eating ladies who fancy them for tomorrow's menu. Clifford Sturges (Levy) and Gloria Wellaby (Martin) are a happy new couple on vacation. When they take an unexpected stop in the quiet and secluded town of Farnhamville, they encounter a horrific world of blood and bed-and-breakfasts. This Canadian grindhouse classic has been re-mastered and restored from the original 35mm to HD!

Director Bio
Director/Producer Ivan Reitman has been the creative force behind films beloved by audiences around the world from comedies like Animal House, Stripes and Ghostbusters, to more sophisticated delights like Dave and Twins. Recently Reitman has completed 4 films: Hotel For Dogs, Uninvited, I Love You Man, and Post Grad, as well as Up in the Air starring George Clooney and directed by his son Jason.

Showtimes: Alamo Ritz 2, Saturday, March 13 at 11:30 PM

Visit the film over at the SXSW website!

FLAK Now on DVD!

mann@sphinxproductions.com — 2009-11-30T13:33:40-05:00

FLAK is now available on DVD! Purchase for only $9.99 from DVDSWELIKE.COM!

Made by Ron Mann when he was 16, FLAK is a look into an unpolished Toronto of the past, and an insightful window onto current social predicaments.

“It cannot be doubted that we live in a complacent time..." So says the introduction to this recently re-released work of angry, political drama, which Ron Mann made when he was just 16 years old. In 1970s Toronto, a group of young men living in the shadows of a gypsum plant discuss the political options availble to average citizens in a post-1960s world. To combat the befouling of their air, some advocate for "proper channels," others for bombs. Through raw, 16mm black-and-white footage of heated arguments, distractions and daily routines, and with a mournful soundtrack, Mann gives us a portrait of political frustration from 30 years ago which looks eerily like a cross-section of the same attitudes and issues that fuel today's headlines. BOUNUS SHORT: "Ron Mann's Lost Film"

25% Off Everything at DVDSWELIKE.COM!

mann@sphinxproductions.com — 2009-11-30T11:17:31-05:00

FOR 2 WEEKS ONLY!

Purchase anything at DVDSWELIKE.COM and get 25% off the original price!

Starts FRIDAY NOV 27th, 2009
Ends FRIDAY DEC 11th, 2009

"Toronto director Ron Mann has some personal reasons for mourning The End at the Cineplex Odeon Carlton movie house." - Toronto Star

mann@sphinxproductions.com — 2009-11-23T16:01:53-05:00

Zoom in to read!

Cinefest Sudbury honours filmmaker RON MANN, "Tribute Canadiana"

mann@sphinxproductions.com — 2009-09-08T15:23:43-04:00

Cinefest Sudbury honours filmmaker RON MANN with a retrospective of his works.

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Flak - Tuesday, September 22, 4:00pm
Ron Mann, Canada, 1976, 30 Minutes
Made by Ron Mann when he was only 16 years old, FLAK captures the apolitical spirit of the 1970s – a drastic change from the intense activism of the 1960s – by following a group of roommates as they wander the city, work, play street hockey, and sit around debating political change.

Echoes Without Saying - Tuesday, September 22, 4:00pm
Ron Mann, Canada, 1983, 28 Minutes
ECHOES WITHOUT SAYING celebrates the development of Coach House Press, an innovative Toronto-based publishing and printing house that since 1965 has produced distinctive and experimental books of poetry, fiction and visual art.

Dream Tower - Tuesday, September 22, 4:00pm
Ron Mann, Canada, 1994, 47 Minutes
Rochdale College was one of the most controversial experiments ever to have taken place in Canada. Intended to be a radical educational institution, Rochdale rapidly became a meeting place for North America’s burgeoning drug culture and a focal point for the best and worst dreams of the Canadian generation of baby boomers.

Grass - Monday, September 21, 3:30pm
Canada, 2001 80 Minutes
Ron Mann’s much-celebrated GRASS presents a humorous and surprisingly balanced history of recreational marijuana use. The most controversial drug of the twentieth century – smoked by generations of musicians, students and workers to little discernible ill effect – marijuanacontinues to be reviled by the vast majority of governments around the world. With a rueful yet incisive script, extraordinary production values, narration by Woody Harrelson and an impressive soundtrack featuring original songs by Mark Mothersbaugh, GRASS charts the terrible loss in imprisoned lives and billions of dollars wasted fighting a drug that refuses to go away.

Know Your Mushrooms - Sunday, September 20, 3:30pm
Canada, 2008 73 Minutes English
In Ron Mann’s latest feature documentary, we follow uber myco visionaries Gary Lincoff and Larry Evans (two of the more expert and unforgettably mercurial characters in the community) as they lead us on a hunt for the wild mushroom and the deeper cultural experiences attached to the mysterious fungi. Combining material filmed at the Telluride Mushroom Fest, along with animation and archival footage and a neo-psychedelic soundtrack by the Flaming Lips, KNOW YOUR MUSHROOMS opens the doors to perception, takes the audience on a longer, stranger trip and delivers them to a brave new world where the fungi might well guide humanity to a saner, safer place... with extra cheese...

Now in development with Margaret Atwood, "In the Wake of the Flood"

mann@sphinxproductions.com — 2009-09-04T12:01:33-04:00

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Now in development with Margaret Atwood. “In the Wake of the Flood" a literary event with music. Up on the roof with Margaret Atwood, filming an interview being filmed by Reuters. (Photo credit : Leslie HIlls, London).

Watch the video teaser/ more info!

For more info on Atwood's tour see yearoftheflood.com.

KNOW YOUR MUSHROOMS: Special Edition - Now Shipping!

mann@sphinxproductions.com — 2009-09-01T14:01:18-04:00

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The first film released on a 4GB re-usable USB flash drive!

includes:
• Mushroom Themed Mimobot
• Alaska Morel Mushroom
• Special Edition Booklet
• Hand-Crafted Collectable Wooden Box

Buy it only through dvdswelike.com!

Pre-Order KNOW YOUR MUSHROOMS

mann@sphinxproductions.com — 2009-08-06T11:58:39-04:00

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We are now taking pre-orders for KNOW YOUR MUSHROOMS “Special Edition Box” and traditional DVD!

Click here to pre-order KNOW YOUR MUSHROOMS!

KNOW YOUR MUSHROOMS - A film by Ron Mann
Special Edition Collectors Box (USB) - Pre-Order Now ($59.95) - Ships Sept 1, 2009
Traditional DVD Version - Pre-Order Now ($24.95) - Ships Sept 25, 2009

In celebration of the highly-anticipated release of Ron Mann’s latest film Know Your Mushrooms, comes a Limited Special Edition Collector’s Box.

KNOW YOUR MUSHROOMS follows uber myco visionaries Gary Lincoff and Larry Evans (two of the more expert and unforgettably mercurial characters in the community) as they lead us on a hunt for the wild mushroom and the deeper cultural experiences attached to the mysterious fungi.

Also available on traditional DVD.

Pure Pwnage: Showcase Annoucement Video

mann@sphinxproductions.com — 2009-08-06T11:48:58-04:00

Pure Pwnage is based on the hit web series on www.purepwnage.com which receives over 10,000 unique visitors a day. This site has an incredible fan base who have been following the antics of Jeremy for over 4 years.

The series is written by Jarett Cale, Geoff Lapaire and Mark Steinberg with showrunner Derek Harvey (Testees and The Tom Green Show).

Exectutive produced by Catherine Tait and Ron Mann.

Link to announcement on Showcase’s blog.

Far out! Woodstock, Planet in Focus & BAFICI selects FLAK

mann@sphinxproductions.com — 2009-07-27T13:32:36-04:00

FLAK will have its U.S. premiere at the 10th annual Woodstock Film Festival and Ron will be on this years documentary jury.

Made by Ron Mann when he was 16, Flak is a gritty improvised drama screening for the first time in 30 years as part of this retrospective. Influenced by John Cassavetes' Shadows, Michelangelo Antonioni's The Red Desert, and above all, Robert Kramer's classic film Ice, Mann's working title was Viva La Dynamite, a phrase borrowed from Anaïs Nin.

But Flak isn't about blowing stuff up-it's about inaction. The film emphasizes boredom, inertia, and our tendency to talk about problems while being unable or unwilling to act.

As the film progresses, its ragtag protagonists wander the city, work, play street hockey, and sit around debating political change. Suffering because of polluted air from a nearby gypsum plant, one young man registers a protest with his member of Parliament; another advocates bombing. Both efforts appear impotent. For Mann, Flak was a metaphor for the apolitical spirit of the 1970s. Raw, direct, restrained, and impressive,

Flak is a look into an unpolished Toronto of the past, and an insightful window onto current social predicaments. - Astra Taylor.

UPCOMING SCREENINGS:

Woodstock Film Festival - Woodstock Community Center Oct. 2, 2009 at 5:15pm

Planet In Focus (Toronto) - Oct 21 - 25, 2009

BAFICI (Buenos Aires)

Ron Mann Win's "Premier’s Award for Excellence in the Arts".

mann@sphinxproductions.com — 2009-07-10T17:13:20-04:00

Ron Mann Win's "Premier’s Award for Excellence in the Arts".

KNOW YOUR MUSHROOMS: Limited Special Edition Collector’s Box

mann@sphinxproductions.com — 2009-06-17T16:12:47-04:00

Download the PDF Press Release!

In celebration of the highly-anticipated release of Ron Mann’s latest film Know Your Mushrooms, comes a Limited Special Edition Collector’s Box.

For the first time in North America, a feature film is being released on a 4-gigabyte re-usable Mimobot(R) USB flash drive!

Ron Mann has always been on the cutting edge of film distribution. He worked with the Voyager Company, which pioneered CD-ROM production in the 1980s and early 1990s, and published The Criterion Collection, a pioneering home video collection of classic and important contemporary films. As digital technology began to revolutionize the film distribution model, Mann’s seminal documentary Poetry in Motion was one of the first films to be digitized with Quicktime.

“We fight piracy every day,” says Mann. “So we figured, why not cut out the middle-man (DVDs) and give the media-pirates exactly what they want? A movie as a digital download. DVD and Blu-Ray are simply optical disc storage. So why not use a Mimobot(R) flash drive? It’s more compact and you can re-use the stick after you transfer the film to a hard drive device.”

In a revolutionary move, Mann and his independent distribution company Filmswelike are releasing Know Your Mushrooms on commercial DVD as well as a Special Edition Collector’s Box.

a Mushroom-themed 4 GB reusable USB flash drive (plugs into your computer’s USB port) Portable, re-usable and great for storage!
Flash drive contains the feature film Know Your Mushrooms, Formatted for Mac and PC. AppleTV and iPod. Quicktime 7 required.
Dried Alaska Morel mushrooms hand-picked by the film’s star, Larry Evans, the “Indiana Jones of Mushrooms”
A booklet with an original essay about the film by Canadian film critic, Jennie Punter
Packaged in a hand-crafted collectable wooden box

Spread the Spores!
Coming August 2009

Ron's Films Now Available on iTunes USA!

mann@sphinxproductions.com — 2009-05-29T15:14:42-04:00

A slew of Ron’s films are now available on iTunes USA.

Click on the iTunes links below to visit the film’s site on the iTunes store! Coming soon to Canada!

TALES OF THE RAT FINK
GRASS
COMIC BOOK CONFIDENTIAL
GO FURTHER
TWIST
POETRY IN MOTION
BRAKHAGE

"FLAK" 33 Years in the Making!

mann@sphinxproductions.com — 2009-05-28T13:26:18-04:00

Made by Ron Mann when he was 18, Flak is a gritty improvised drama which will soon be available on DVD.

Influenced by John Cassavetes' Shadows, Michelangelo Antonioni's The Red Desert, and above all, Robert Kramer's classic film Ice, Mann's working title was Viva La Dynamite, a phrase borrowed from Anaïs Nin. But Flak isn't about blowing stuff up-it's about inaction. The film emphasizes boredom, inertia, and our tendency to talk about problems while being unable or unwilling to act. As the film progresses, its ragtag protagonists wander the city, work, play street hockey, and sit around debating political change. Suffering because of polluted air from a nearby gypsum plant, one young man registers a protest with his member of Parliament; another advocates bombing.

Both efforts appear impotent. For Mann, Flak was a metaphor for the apolitical spirit of the 1970s. Raw, direct, restrained, and impressive, Flak is a look into an unpolished Toronto of the past, and an insightful window onto current social predicaments - Astra Taylor.

Ron Mann Finalist for "Premier’s Award for Excellence in the Arts"

mann@sphinxproductions.com — 2009-05-27T14:21:32-04:00

The Ontario Arts Council nominates Ron for the "Premier’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts"

“This year’s finalists for the Premier’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts showcase the enormous impact artists have on our province’s economy, and our quality of life. Our artists help us exchange ideas, images, stories and experiences that are uniquely Canadian.” - Culture Minister Aileen Carroll

Read the Press Release!

SXSW Electric Kool-Aid Mushroom Test

mann@sphinxproductions.com — 2009-02-23T12:57:44-05:00

To celebrate the US premiere of Ron Mann's newest flick "Know Your Mushrooms", Mann and the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema have literally cooked up a tasty treat for audiences .

Calling it "The Electric Kool-Aid Mushroom Test", the Alamo will serve up slices of pizza topped with freshly picked wild mushrooms. The cultish director of "Grass" is also handing out kool-aid while playing music by the Flaming Lips.

Wait, what kind of mushrooms are those again?

Details : "Know Your Mushrooms" screens Friday 13th, 930pm
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema 320 E 6th St.

Experience the film, then walk (if you can) to the opening party!

Facebook Invite!

Ron Mann’s “Know Your Mushrooms” selected for SXSW 2009

mann@sphinxproductions.com — 2009-02-21T15:21:11-05:00

We're elated to announce Canadian director Ron Mann’s “Know Your Mushrooms” is selected for the 2009 SXSW Film Festival.

Every March, thousands of film fans, industry and press descend on Austin, TX for the SXSW Film Festival for the very best of international independent cinema, essential docs and cutting-edge storytelling. Over 9 days, from March 13-21, 108 features, including 54 world premieres, will screen over various sections and sidebars.

Know Your Mushrooms is one of three films to represent Canada, along with RIP a remix manifesto and Iron Maiden: Flight 666.

Mann’s mushroom doc, a surprise critical hit, is currently playing in movie theaters across Canada.

For more information contact :
Nancy Yu nancy@vkpr.com

Know Your Mushrooms

mann@sphinxproductions.com — 2008-12-19T10:46:53-05:00

filmswelike presents
Opening Night Co-Presented by Hot Docs

KNOW YOUR MUSHROOMS
A film by RON MANN

Opens in Toronto at The Royal on Friday, January 30, 2009

From the award winning director of Comic Book Confidential, Grass, Go Further and a host of paradigm-shifting films reappraising the backwaters of popular culture, Ron Mann investigates the miraculous, near-secret world of fungi with his newest piece of cinema, Know Your Mushrooms.

Examined Life

mann@sphinxproductions.com — 2008-12-18T12:52:59-05:00

filmswelike presents

EXAMINED LIFE
A film by Astra Taylor
A Thoughtful Way to Begin the New Year

Opens in Toronto at The Royal – Friday, January 23, 2009

Thurs Dec 18, 2008: An intimate, engaging conversation with some of the greatest minds of our era, Examined Life conveys the wonderment and curiosity that drive philosophical thought. This feature length documentary also introduces the world's most formidable thinkers and some of the most compelling theoretical debates taking place today.