David Redmon and Ashley Sabin start CARNIVALESQUE FILMS DVD

So Matthew Curtis (Programming Director) at the Enzian Theater and the Florida Film Festival keeps me updated on the films that have passed their offices from year to year. I have attended their festival for a decade now, and worked with them for 7 or 8, wow, how the time is flying. So when new news comes in for Matthew, usually I am the first to know. But, the best news came in this week for Florida and my friends over at Carnivalesque Films, David Redmon and Ashley Sabin. The two have started their own DVD label!!! For those who know David and Ashley are asking, “when the hell do they have time to do all this?”



In 2005, their documentary and the first release on their label, “Mardi Gras: Made In China” hit festivals, and hit HARD. A doc that follows the (teenage girls) workers of a bead-making factory in China. Beads made for necklaces that are thrown to woman who show their boobs at the annual New Orleans fest, Mardi Gras. Well, if it’s a doc, and it deals with teenage girls making next to worse than nothing, the film needs to be extremely riveting, and WOW! Their film won awards EVERYWHERE, including the (shameless plug) Grand Jury Award at Florida. Then…
2007, Redmon and Sabin made “Kamp Katrina” and they return to Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina passes through, destroying homes, shops, cities, but not the hopes of survivors trying to survive day by day. Kamp Katrina portrays survivors of the devastating storm, and a closed camp who have hopes, but some scary problems at the same time. Brilliant film. A+
2008 comes and the kids are back with a new survival film of a different kind. “Intimidad” is a love film that follows a Mexican couple trying to make ends meet, just so they can get back to their daughter, who’s living with the grandparents in America. The film is still playing fests, so I won’t go too much into it. Just SEE IT! Well we asked before “how the hell do they do it?”
Ashley and David have to be in the hardest working company in film. Three massively award winning films in four years…still attending fests to meet the audience and accept their awards. Now have their own DVD LABEL, which other amazing award winning films will be distributed, and now you can finally see Mardi Gras: Made In China” on DVD, coming out on July 29th.
From their website: New news..
“Carnivalesque Films is a new production and distribution company whose goal is to explore how personal stories relate to complex social issues. David Redmon and Ashley Sabin - directors of the award winning films KAMP KATRINA and INTIMIDAD - founded Carnivalesque Films and will release three award winning films ORPHANS (Ry Russo-Young), THE HOLY MODAL ROUNDERS: BOUND TO LOSE (Paul Lovelace and Sam Douglas), and MANHATTAN, KANSAS (Tara Wray) on September 28, October 30, and November 16, 2008. “
Tara Wray’s Manhattan, Kansas is a must see. Tara was great at the IFP Market in NYC 3 years ago, looking for funding for the doc, and great to see how far she has come since her debut at SXSW in 2006, winning her the Audience Award.
You’ll be able to pick up Mardi Gras: Made In China (and we think you BETTER!) from Amazon, Best Buy, Borders, buy.com, etc. Also, rent online at Netflix!
Congrats KIDS! Love ya! See you soon!!!!

b.quain