Freestyle Digital Media Picks Up Documentary SAMSARA, Set for DVD Release, 1/8

Freestyle Digital Media (FDM) announced yesterday that they have acquired Digital and Television rights to SAMSARA, the highly acclaimed documentary from filmmakers Mark Magidson and Ron Fricke ("Baraka," "Chronos"). In addition to directing and photographing the film, Fricke wrote the screen treatment with Magidson, who also produced. SAMSARA which was the number one per screen average film in the USA when it opened on August 31, 2012, has now exceeded $2 million box office on a theatrical release covering the entire country, becoming Oscilloscope's most successful release to date. The film will be available on VOD beginning January 8th, 2013.

Taking its name from the Sanskrit word for "the ever turning wheel of life," SAMSARA explores the wonders of our world, from the mundane to the miraculous. Filmed over a period of almost five years in twenty-five countries on five continents, and in the 70mm film format, SAMSARA transports us to sacred grounds, disaster zones, industrial sites, and natural wonders. By dispensing with dialogue and descriptive text, SAMSARA subverts our expectations of a traditional documentary and encourages new interpretations, inspired by breathtaking images and transcendent music.

The deal was negotiated by Freestyle's CEO Susan Jackson and Mark Magidson of Magidson Films.

"Freestyle Digital Media is honored to release this extraordinary picture to VOD," said Jackson. "This is the kind of filmmaking which reminds us why we love cinema."

"We have worked hard to ensure that all the resolution and richness of the 70mm imagery that we painstakingly captured over the course of filming Samsara is contained in our digital release. We think this release will represent a completely new level of quality for the consumer's home viewing experience," said Magidson.

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