Annie Berman’s timely documentary THE FAITHFUL premieres at www.The-Faithful.com March 19th, 7PM EST, and will be available on streaming services March 22nd.
THE FAITHFUL explores the public’s connection to and deep veneration of Elvis Presley, Pope John Paul II and Princess Diana--and what it means in terms of memorabilia, copyright law, and memory. Over the course of 20 years, Berman profiles these figures’ biggest fans, makes numerous pilgrimages to Vatican City, Graceland, and Kensington Palace--and sees the film itself increasingly entwined with her daily life and identity.
Thanks to support from Grant for the Web, THE FAITHFUL also hosts its own online screening platform, bypassing traditional gatekeepers. To join the live premiere event, viewers pay, watch and interact with the filmmakers on our site: the-faithful.com
As the first feature film receiving a Grant for the Web, THE FAITHFUL is excited to function as a test case in making alternative film monetization models a reality. Following release, the film’s team is committed to sharing this model with the filmmaking community in order to strengthen the independent, direct-to-audience distribution ecosystem.
Check out the trailer here: the-faithful.com
Screening links and interviews are available by emailing info@the-faithful.com
***FULL INFORMATION BELOW***
THE FAITHFUL
THE KING, THE POPE, THE PRINCESS
Documentary Feature, 90 mins. HD. Stereo. Color.
SYNOPSIS
A Pope John Paul II lollipop. An Elvis Presley shower curtain. A Princess Diana teacup. These are just some of the countless pieces of memorabilia that these pop culture icons’ most devoted fans collect and cherish… but why? The Faithful‘s director, Annie Berman, explores the deep veneration and legacies of the Pope, the Princess, and the King. Over the course of 20 years, Berman profiles these figures’ biggest fans and makes numerous pilgrimages to Vatican City, Graceland, and Kensington Palace. As the years go by, the film itself becomes increasingly entwined with Berman’s daily life and identity, much like how these officially-licensed knick-knacks define the fans she filmed.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
ANNIE BERMAN (Producer, Director, Writer, Cinematographer, Narrator, Co-Editor) is a media artist living and working in New York City, Annie Berman was named one of Independent Magazine’s 10 Filmmakers to Watch, her films, videos, performances, and installations have shown internationally in galleries, festivals, universities, and conferences, including the MoMA Documentary Fortnight, Rooftop Films, Galerie Patrick Ebensperger Berlin, Kassel Hauptbahnhof, Spring / Break Art Show, Flux Factory, Babycastles Gallery, and the Rome Independent Film Festival where she was awarded the Best Experimental Film Prize. Her work has received support from the Puffin Foundation, the New York State Council on the Arts, Wave Farm, Grant for the Web, the Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Arts, the Center for Independent Documentary, Signal Culture, The Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and UnionDocs. She holds an MFA in Integrated Media Art from Hunter College, and is a member of the Brooklyn Filmmakers Collective.
ABOUT THE RELEASE
In the current COVID era, even while our beloved cinemas and film festivals remain largely shuttered, home entertainment demand continues to grow. Now is the time for experimentation and innovation in independent film distribution. Even before the pandemic, the consolidation of the streaming giants and Amazon and Netflix producing their own content meant that independents recognized the need of finding alternative modes of connecting directly with audiences.
With the generous support of Grant for the Web, our team is finding a new way to introduce films to global moviegoers--and is using The Faithful to pave this path forward. Grant for the Web is a $100M fund created to boost an open, fair, and inclusive internet for all creators. The Faithful is the only feature film supported by this grant to date. Together, we are launching a worldwide DIY virtual release this March and releasing our data to the filmmaking community to strengthen the ecosystem of independent distribution direct to audiences.
A virtual theatrical release will be followed by an SVOD release debuting on Cinnamon.video, an alluring new video sharing platform that delivers immediate revenue for creators, and fair treatments for all parties, without resorting to advertising.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
“The film’s voice is at once intimate, humorous, human, and insightful. A very ambitious undertaking, and yet so rewarding. An incredible romp. I loved it.” - Vivian Kleiman, filmmaker, educator, activist
"I was both fascinated and very moved by the human spirit evident in the film, the contemplation of connection, imagery, love and loss. An epic journey, both intimate and global. A work of art." -Anne Flatté, filmmaker
"Deeply thoughtful - like a Ross McElwee film with a hint of Jewish sensibility" - Amy Geller and Gerald Peary, filmmakers, curators, educators
“An extraordinary compendium, and accomplishment... entirely resonant with our moment in time. -Judith Tolnick Champa, Independent International Curator
“A brilliant film. Much more than can be captured in a log line. A meditation and exploration on our complicated relationships to images, icons and institutions.” -Anna Feder, Curator and educator at Emerson College
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A Fish in the Hand Production
Produced in association with The Center for Independent Documentary and The Brooklyn Filmmakers Collective
The Faithful: The King, The Pope, The Princess
The Faithful, LLC. Annie Berman. 175 Claremont Avenue, Suite 63. NY, NY 10027. 917-436-6601
info@the-faithful.com. www.the-faithful.com