FIFTH TITLE, FERTILE GROUND, IS ROOTED IN FEAR AND GHOSTLY FANTASY

Los Angeles, CA (August 19, 2010) — After Dark Films CEO Courtney Solomon continues the momentum of After Dark Originals “A New Brand of Fear” with his announcement of the bone-chilling 5th film, Fertile Ground. Writer/Director Adam Gierasch (Autopsy, Night of the Demons) co-wrote this film together with Jace Anderson. The film stars Leisha Hailey (The L Word) and Gale Harold (Queer as Folk, Desperate Housewives).

Emily and Nate Weaver leave the city for the rural comfort of Nate’s ancestral home in the
country. Once there, Emily is plagued by horrifying visions and haunted by the ghosts
inhabiting their isolated new home. When Nate’s behavior undergoes a strange and fearful
metamorphous, Emily fears she might be the latest target in a murderous tradition.

Producer Solomon states, “Leisha Hailey is completely convincing as a woman in peril. As the
plot thickens, twists and surprises unfold that keep the viewer engaged and in constant
suspense.”

Fertile Ground was shot in Iowa, the home state of Executive Producer Stephanie Caleb.
Release date for Fertile Ground and all eight Originals is scheduled for January 2011. The
series was developed in partnership with Lionsgate.

After Dark Films made an unprecedented commitment to the production of eight original horror
films this year under the After Dark Originals “A New Brand of Fear” label, continuing the
Company’s mantra of supporting up and coming feature directors. The creation of the Originals
slate is just another example of the Company’s commitment to the independent film industry.

Unlike After Dark’s acquisitions slate Horrorfest® – 8 Films to Die For®, After Dark Originals are
wholly financed and produced by After Dark Films. The ADO slate runs the gamut of the genre,
from paranormal phenomena, black magic, and vengeful ghosts to psychological trauma,
murderous psychopaths, vampires and the undead. After Dark polled its fans and is delivering
the kinds of movies they asked for!

After Dark Films:
Founded in 2006 by film producer/director/writer Courtney Solomon and real estate and textile
financier Allan Zeman, After Dark Films is a leader in independent film finance, production and
acquisition of genre films for theatrical release.

After Dark is perhaps best known for its creation and execution of After Dark Horrorfest® – 8
Films to Die For® (www.horrorfestonline.com). Debuting in 2006, After Dark Horrorfest ® is a one week national film festival that celebrates all areas of the horror genre. In its first year,
Horrorfest became the first film festival in history to break into the Top 10 at the national box
office, grossing over $2.5 million additionally, it reached great success with over 1.6 million
DVDs currently in circulation through distribution partner Lionsgate.

After Dark’s initial film release was the box office success An American Haunting (2006), written,
directed and produced by Courtney Solomon. An American Haunting opened at the #2 spot in
the nation, and maintained its position for four weeks. Subsequent releases include The
Abandoned; Skinwalkers, starring Jason Behr, Rhona Mitra and Matthew Knight; Captivity,
starring Elisha Cuthbert and directed by Oscar-nominee Roland Joffe (The Killing Fields), and
Frontier(s), directed by Xavier Gens (Hitman). Building upon the success of Horrorfest®, After
Dark Films has developed a second series in partnership with Lionsgate entitled After Dark
Originals, “A New Brand of Fear”. The series is set to debut in January 2011.

KPRI AIRCHECK Orlando Jones Seconds Apart Haunted Hotel ComicCon

download here

San Diego Comic-Con is just around the corner and we hope to see you there! Visit our booth anytime (Booth # 4035) starting Wednesday, July 21st through Sunday, July 25th at the San Diego Convention Center.

Pick up one of our hot new decals, or purchase an ALL-NEW After Dark Originals branded backpack. And of course, After Dark Films will once again bring you a series of signings featuring AFTER DARK ORIGINALS actors, writers and directors. So don’t miss out!!!

The Comic-Con signing schedule is as follows:

Thursday 7/22, 1:30 pm at After Dark Booth # 4035

• Adam Gierasch, writer/director of “Fertile Ground”
• Rachel Miner, star of “51″
• Steven Miller, director of “Scream of the Banshee”

Friday 7/23, 8:30 pm The Haunted Hotel, 424 Market Street, San Diego (Gas Lamp District)

• Orlando Jones, star of “Seconds Apart”
• Edmund Entin, star of “Seconds Apart”
• Gary Entin, star of “Seconds Apart”

Saturday 7/24, 1:30 pm at After Dark Booth #4035

• Orlando Jones, Edmund Entin & Gary Entin

WE’D LOVE TO HEAR WHAT YOU’RE THINKING!

Drop by: http://forums.afterdarkoriginals.com to read what others have to say.

Be sure to fan, friend, or follow us on:

FACEBOOK
http://www.facebook.com/afterdarkfilms#!/pages/West-Hollywood-CA/After-Dark-Films/156126389608?ref=ts&__a=8&ajaxpipe=1

MYSPACE
http://www.myspace.com/afterdarkfilms

TWITTER
www.twitter.com/afterdarkfilms

You can see the latest Horrorfest 4 trailers and Miss Horrorfest videos at: http://www.youtube.com/horrorfest

After Dark Films

After Dark Films Together with Lionsgate & Syfy Produces A New Generation Of Horror With Eight ORIGINALS Set To Release Third Quarter 2010

Los Angeles, CA (March 11, 2010) – Building on the success and brand awareness of the After Dark Horrorfest 8 Films To Die For ® brand, After Dark Films, in cooperation with Lionsgate and NBC Universal’s Syfy, has created a new series, After Dark Originals (ADO).

Tapping into the vast and innovative talent of directors and filmmakers from Horrorfest’s acquisitions over the past 4 years, After Dark has taken the horror festival concept to a higher level. After Dark Originals showcases eight new cutting edge horror films spanning the genre. The mission is to create high quality horror films that provide After Dark full control from script concept through final editing. The first installment of ADO includes Husk, Fertile Ground, Scream Of The Banshee, Prowl, The Task, Re-Kill, Seconds Apart and 51. Notable directors and writers include Brett Simmons, whose short film Husk took Sundance by storm several years ago, Steven C. Miller of Automaton Transfusion fame, and previous After Dark writer/director Adam Gierasch (Autopsy). All ADO films were shot in the US and Bulgaria.

“The writers and directors in our After Dark Originals line are outstanding. We are excited to showcase their work and to give a home to all this fresh young talent that we will continue to develop over time”, says After Dark Films owner and CEO, Courtney Solomon.

Currently seven of the eight films have been filmed and are in post-production. The eighth to slated to start production this month. All eight Originals will be released in Third Quarter 2010 with a new and innovative marketing and release strategy. Additionally, the second set of Originals has already been green lit and will start production in July 2010.

About After Dark Films:
After Dark Films, an Independent motion picture studio, was formed in 2006 by director/filmmaker Courtney Solomon and Hong Kong based real estate magnate Allan Zeman. After Dark Films’ first motion picture film release was An American Haunting (2006) starring Sissy Spacek and Donald Sutherland. Co-founder and CEO Courtney Solomon wrote, produced, and directed this film under the newly formed After Dark Films banner.

After the release of An American Haunting, partners Solomon and Zeman formed a multi-year marketing and distribution deal for Horrorfest “8 Films To Die For®” between After Dark Films and Lionsgate Entertainment, with After Dark handling theatrical marketing & releases and Lionsgate handling the distribution of all ancillary forms of media (Home Video, Pay TV, Pay Per View). After Dark Films just released Horrorfest 4 in theaters on January 29, 2010.

Building on the success of Horrorfest, After Dark will release the first 8 films of originally produced horror films in September 2010 under the moniker After Dark Originals.

Publicity Contacts:

LOS ANGELES:
After Dark Films/Autonomous Films/Pi Pictures:
Sara Finder sfinder@afterdarkfilms.com
Ph: 310-270-4260 www.afterdarkoriginals.com

EXCL: Plot Details for the After Dark Originals Slate

After Dark Films is expanding its grasp on the horror genre. Not only that, it’s nourishing a starving industry, flourishing with sequels and remakes, with a spate of original productions due to hit the theatrical scene later this year under the appropriately-named banner After Dark Originals. Say what you will about the output of After Dark’s yearly Horrorfest, boasting eight acquired titles from North America and abroad, Courtney Solomon’s company is at least taking strides to separate itself from the existing horror outfits who have dipped a curious toe into the remake/sequel wellspring.

Originals has culled eight directors and screenwriters, some familiar, some new to the horror scene and some who have worked with After Dark in the past. And as Solomon describes it, the banner marks a natural evolution for the company.

“During the acquisitions for the past Horrorfests, we’ve worked with so many great young filmmakers and read so many great scripts,” he explains from New York. He’s just returned from Bulgaria where he supervised the finishing touches on an Original production. “There’s always a give and take, you love this, you don’t like that. So why not figure out a way to give some of these guys an opportunity and make eight new films every year? That was the impetus. Take it to the next level. Still do the festival and the acquisitions, but move into the originals.”

The eight films currently in the works will debut in September – and are currently being promoted via flyers enclosed in DVD copies of the films that comprise Horrorfest 4. Another eight films – wave two – roll in July. “We always do eight for whatever reason,” Solomon laughs. “To do all eight – shoot, post-production, market – it takes a year. We haven’t picked the scripts or directors for the next eight, but we need to start now to get into production.”

As for the first wave, not much is known about the films other than the talent involved, so Shock Till You Drop has asked Solomon to break down some of the titles for us.

Scream of the Banshee: “We were just in Bulgaria doing the opening sequence set during medieval times. This is one of our co-productions with SyFy. Two of the eight Originals are co-productions with SyFy. We co-developed the stories with them and brought in a writer and they worked with us to pick the filmmaker [in this case Steven Miller of Automaton Transfusion]. They get approval over the cast and work with us. Many of the Horrorfest movies have played on SyFy so they’ve become a good partner. They’ve given us bit more money so that makes it a bigger film. It’s a creature horror film because it’s SyFy. They don’t want just a suspense movie, but it’s really within their mold.”

Husk: “I don’t know if you saw the short film [by Brett Simmons], but the feature is an expansion. Traditional horror about kids on a trip who stop in the wrong place and end up going somewhere where something isn’t right. The movie turned out fantastic and is better than the short, I would say. We were in the corn fields of Iowa for about 20 days. It’s intense, well-directed, it’s got a Hitchcock suspense to it but there’s a slasher element you’d find in Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It’s intelligent. There’s nothing in the movie where you go, ‘This is lame. Why did they do that?’ It’s got a great pace. The corn field is such a character in the movie that lends a hold aura of creepiness. The house in the middle of this corn field, they said there was the ghost of a girl in the attic so the crew wouldn’t go up there. I can’t confirm or deny the ghost is true, but it was cool. This film has young guys and a girl, but we changed the final girl aspect of it, I’ll tell you that much.”

Prowl: This is the first one we shot and director Patrik Syverson is great and super-talented. I like the movie. If you saw Rovdyr (Manhunt), it’s got a European feel to it. Here he’s created a vampire subculture that we haven’t seen before. He did it in a raw, European style. It’s not glitzy and overdone. He threw in a nice twist. It turned out very well and I like it because it’s different than the other seven films.”

Re-Kill: “It’s a brand new take on a zombie film. It’s in the vein of 28 Days Later in so much that the zombies are in hyper-drive. The virus, we explain, has mutated the people and taken the carnal, hunting instincts of survival. Even though they’re zombies they actually try to hunt you like pack animals. They’re vicious and smart. They come up with simple traps. The movie takes place five years after the outbreak. It’s done docu-style, not like Diary of the Dead, but truly wartime docu-style.

You find out the movie is an episode of a television show, LA COPS, five years after an outbreak that kills 85% of the population. Now they have units that go around to keep the hot zones in check. You follow this unit like a COPS episode, with two camera men. So you get interviews while they’re out on their various calls. What you witness is a possible incident that might start outbreak number two. You’ve even got commercial breaks cut into the film, [like Robocop]. They’re funny because they have to do with how you deal with zombies in the world. Like ‘Have sex, it’s good for him, it’s good for her, it’s good for America. Paid for by the Coalition to Repopulate America.’ Or pills that you take if you’re bitten that can slow down the zombie process so maybe you’ll survive. This one turned out really good. We’ve got shots in this movie with 20 thousand zombies in them. I’m not claiming these are all big movies, but this one is cool.”

The Task: “Simon Fellows directed this and it’s a horror angle on a reality show. It’s a game show where a bunch of contestants are put into a supposedly haunted place. They have to spend the night and what’s supposedly haunted is actually haunted. People you thought were fake dying because it’s all a show, might be really dying. There’s a cool twist.”

The second SyFy/After Dark co-production is 51 which begins shooting in a few weeks. Rounding out the other titles there is: Seconds Apart, starring Orlando Jones, and Adam Gierasch’s Fertile Ground.

“The idea,” explains Solomon, “is to do eight different types of horror movies that are representative of the sub-genres. Vampires, zombies, ghosts, there’s a big of cross-over too. The scripts are good to begin with and we’re making stuff studios might not ordinarily make. When I look at these movies in various stages of edits, I’m really proud of what these guys have been able to accomplish. If you compare the quality of Horrorfest and After Dark Originals, I feel so much better about Originals because everyone has put their hearts and souls into it.”

When September arrives, however, the question arises: Where will you see the films? Solomon says that’s still being ironed out. Right now there are plans for a limited theatrical run and a possible “huge VOD launch. Where ever you are, you can order it up and watch it at your leisure over a two week period. That way people have an easy way of seeing these movies.” Lionsgate Home Entertainment will handle the inevitable DVD releases which will boast more special features than the Horrorfest titles. One more perk to the Originals banner. “We had a crew on every film doing behind-the-scenes,” Solomon says. “When we acquire films for Horrorfest, sometimes there’s no bonus material, you get what you get.”

PROWL CREEPS CENTER STAGE AS ONE OF EIGHT FILMS IN THE NEW “AFTER DARK ORIGINALS” SLATE

Los Angeles, CA (March 30, 2010) — After Dark Films CEO Courtney Solomon announced the first of eight movies in the AFTER DARK ORIGINALS series in partnership with Lionsgate & Syfy, and in association with Dobre Films. A new take on a classic creature, PROWL is written by Tim Tori (Hysteria, Trespassers) and directed by Patrik Syversen (Manhunt). Bruce Payne (Bernard), Courtney Hope (Amber), and Saxon Trainor (Veronica) star.

“Amber dreams of escaping her small town and persuades her friends to accompany her apartment-hunting in the big city. When their transportation breaks down, Amber and friends gratefully accept a ride in the back of a semi. But when the driver refuses to stop and they discover the cargo is cartons of blood, they panic. Soon, panic turns to terror when the truck disgorges into a dark, abandoned warehouse where blood-thirsty creatures learn to hunt human prey, which the friends realize is what they have now become…”

Prowl was Executive Produced by Courtney Solomon and produced by Chris Milburn, Borislav Ranghelov, Lucy Mukerjee, Michael Klein, Christopher D’Elia & Zachary Bryan as a United Kingdom/Bulgarian co-production. Release dates for all eight After Dark Originals are scheduled for Fall, 2010.

"Dobré Films jumped at the opportunity to produce PROWL with a company that has set the bar for branding and creating unique and great horror films. PROWL and all the new Originals will be a great addition to an already celebrated brand and won’t disappoint" states Dobré Films CEO Christopher D’Elia.

The 8 Originals represent After Dark’s unwavering commitment to emerging writers and directors as the focus of its creative vision. The creation of the Originals slate is yet another example of After Dark’s belief in the economics and artistry of independent film production.

Unlike After Dark’s “8 Films To Die For®”, After Dark Originals are wholly financed and produced by After Dark Films. The ADO slate runs the gamut of the genre, from paranormal and supernatural phenomena, to psychological trauma and the undead. After Dark polled its fans and is delivering the kinds of movies they asked for!

About After Dark Films:
Founded in 2006 by film producer/director/writer Courtney Solomon and real estate and textile financier Allan Zeman, After Dark Films is a leader in independent film finance, production and the acquisition of genre films for theatrical release.

After Dark is perhaps best known for its creation and execution of After Dark Horrorfest® – 8 Films to Die For® (www.horrorfestonline.com). Debuting in 2006, After Dark Horrorfest ® is a one week national film festival that celebrates all areas of the horror genre. In its first year, Horrorfest became the first film festival in history to break into the Top 10 at the national box office, grossing over $2.5 million. After Dark reaches millions more fans in the home video marketplace, with over 1.6 million DVDs in circulation, courtesy of distribution partner, Lionsgate.

After Dark Films’ initial release was the box office success An American Haunting (2006), written, directed and produced by Courtney Solomon. An American Haunting opened at the #2 spot in the nation and maintained its position for four weeks. Subsequent releases include The Abandoned; Skinwalkers, starring Jason Behr, Rhona Mitra and Matthew Knight; Captivity, starring Elisha Cuthbert and directed by Oscarnominee Roland Joffe (The Killing Fields), and Frontier(s), directed by Xavier Gens (Hitman). Building upon the success of Horrorfest®, After Dark Films has developed a second series in partnership with Syfy and Lionsgate entitled After Dark Originals. The series debuts in the Fall of 2010.

AFTER DARK FILMS ANNOUNCES FOURTH FILM OF NEW SERIES

THE TASK TAKES TO REALITY AS THE LATEST

“AFTER DARK ORIGINALS” FILM

Los Angeles, CA (April 21, 2010) —After Dark Films CEO Courtney Solomon announces The Task as Film #4 in the AFTER DARK ORIGINALS series, in partnership with Lionsgate and Syfy.  This gritty film, written by Kenny Yakkel (Exorcism Diaries, Dead Air), stars Texas Battle (Final Destination 3), Alexandra Staden (Basic Instinct 2), and Jonas Talkington (Harpies).

Something diabolical is taking place on the set of The Task, a new reality show in which players complete terrifying missions within the confines of an abandoned prison hoping to win a hefty cash prize.  As six young students explore their new environment, malicious spirits make their presence known in the most gruesome ways imaginable.  Unable to escape the labyrinthine prison, the contestants become unwitting pawns caught at the center of a blood-soaked night of terror.

The Task, from Producers Courtney Solomon and Chris Milburn, was shot in Bulgaria and is currently in post-production.  Release date for all eight Originals is scheduled for fall, 2010.

“We are all xenophobic to some degree”, says Solomon.  “The question this film really poses is, ‘Does anyone have the guts or strength to face those fears with blind faith, without knowing what lay on the other side’”.

The creation of the After Dark Originals slate is just another example of the company’s commitment to the indie film industry, supporting first time independent film writers and directors.

Unlike After Dark’s 8 Films To Die For®, After Dark Originals is wholly financed and produced by After Dark Films.  The After Dark Originals slate runs the gamut of horror genre, from paranormal phenomena, black magic, space aliens and vengeful ghosts to psychological trauma, murderous psychopaths, vampires and the undead.  After Dark polled its fans and is delivering the kinds of movies they asked for!

About After Dark Films:

Founded in 2006 by film producer/director/writer Courtney Solomon and real estate and textile financier Allan Zeman, After Dark Films is a leader in independent film finance, production and the acquisition of genre films for theatrical release.

After Dark is perhaps best known for its creation and execution of After Dark Horrorfest® – 8 Films to Die For® (www.horrorfestonline.com). Debuting in 2006, After Dark Horrorfest ® is a one week national film festival that celebrates all areas of the horror genre. In its first year, Horrorfest became the first film festival in history to break into the Top 10 at the national box office, grossing over $2.5 million. After Dark reaches millions more fans in the home video marketplace, with over 1.6 million DVDs in circulation, courtesy of distribution partner, Lionsgate.

After Dark Films’ initial release was the box office success An American Haunting (2006), written, directed and produced by Courtney Solomon. An American Haunting opened at the #2 spot in the nation and maintained its position for four weeks. Subsequent releases include The Abandoned; Skinwalkers, starring Jason Behr, Rhona Mitra and Matthew Knight; Captivity, starring Elisha Cuthbert and directed by Oscarnominee Roland Joffe (The Killing Fields), and Frontier(s), directed by Xavier Gens (Hitman). Building upon the success of Horrorfest®, After Dark Films has developed a second series in partnership with Syfy and Lionsgate entitled After Dark Originals. The series debuts in the Fall of 2010.

Writer/Director: Brett Simmons
Cast:Wes Chatham (Brian), C.J. Thomason (Chris), Devon Graye (Scott), Tammin Sursok (Natalie)

SYNOPSIS:

When a murder of crows smash into their car windshield, a group of young friends are forced to abandon the vehicle, leaving them stranded beside a desolate cornfield. Hidden deep within the cornfield they find a crumbling farmhouse – but they soon discover that instead of a sanctuary, the house is actually the center of a terrifying supernatural ritual that they are about to become a part of…

Writer: George Richards
Director: Antonio Negret (Towards Darkness)
Cast: Orlando Jones (Det. Lampkin), Gary & Edmund Entin (Seth & Jonah Trimble)

SYNOPSIS:

Seth and Jonah are murderous twins who share an evil kinship. Damned from the moment of their births, the brothers possess a gruesome talent for telekinesis – a power they use in the most horrific ways imaginable. As their fellow students meet gory fates, the local law enforcement begin to suspect the twins’ connection to the depraved murders. What started as a jealous rage escalates into a supernatural showdown – pitting brother against brother, evil against evil.