POM & Altitude announce international deal on documentary Blur: To The end and Blur: Live at Wembley Stadium Concert Film
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[Amsterdam 26 June 2024] - Piece of Magic Entertainment and Altitude Film Sales have partnered on the territory release of blur: To The End - which recently premiered to major fanfare at Sheffield Doc Fest - and blur: Live At Wembley Stadium.
Altitude will release blur: To The End in UK and Irish Cinemas from 19 July with the blur: Live At Wembley Stadium coming to cinemas on 6 September. Piece of Magic Entertainment will release blur: To The End and blur: Live at Wembley Stadium in the Benelux later in the year, as well as blur: Live at Wembley Stadium across Latin America in the Autumn. Other international release dates tbc.
blur: To The End depicts the most recent chapter in the band’s story, captured during the period in which they made a surprise - and emotional - return with their first record in 8 years, the critically acclaimed #1 album ‘The Ballad of Darren’.
The documentary follows the unique relationship of four friends - and bandmates of three decades - Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree as they came together in early 2023 to record new songs ahead of their sold-out, first ever shows at London’s Wembley Stadium in July last summer. Featuring performances of their most iconic, much-loved songs, footage of the band in the studio and life on the road, blur: To The End is an intimate moment in time with this most enduring of English bands, who have been at the heart of British cultural life and influence for over three decades.
blur: Live At Wembley Stadium is a cinematic two-hour concert film immortalising the band’s historic 2023 show which saw blur perform their iconic and much-loved songs for 150,000 fans in a transcendent, once-in-a-generation performance that delivered a sweep of ecstatic 5* reviews.
Both films are directed by Toby L and produced by Josh Connolly , via production house Up The Game , who previously collaborated on Liam Gallagher: Knebworth 22, Olivia Rodrigo: SOUR Prom, Foals: Rip Up the Road, Tonight With Arlo Parks, Bastille - ReOrchestrated, and many more titles for a wide range of artists.
ABOUT blur
Since announcing their arrival with debut album Leisure in 1991, blur went on to revolutionise the sound of English popular music with seven successive UK #1 albums Parklife (1994), The Great Escape (1995), Blur (1997), 13 (1999), Think Tank (2003), The Magic Whip (2015) and The Ballad of Darren (2023) and a string of Top 10 singles, including two #1s with Country House and Beetlebum, helping to propel the band to mass popularity at home and abroad.
One of Britain’s biggest and best loved bands, blur have released nine studio albums and collected ten NME Awards, six Q Awards, five BRIT Awards and an Ivor Novello Award, and played live to thousands of devoted fans across the globe. In 2010, the band released the Grammy-nominated documentary film ‘No Distance Left To Run’; with 1993’s ‘Starshaped’ their first documentary release, a film beloved by fans to this day.
‘The Ballad of Darren’, the latest #1 album from this most enduring of English bands, was released to critical acclaim on 21 July 2023, cementing blur’s position at the heart of British cultural life and influence for over three decades.
ABOUT PIECE OF MAGIC
Established in 2017, Piece of Magic Entertainment (POM) is a worldwide theatrical distributor specializing in prestige documentaries, feature films, anime, live gaming events, and world-class concerts. POM is always pushing the boundaries of what is possible and delivering cinematic experiences to audiences around the world.
Notable releases include award-winning box office sensations Apollo 11, The Alpinist and Sir David Attenborough’s breath-taking feature documentary A Life on Our Planet, as well as hit music documentaries: Tina, Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool and Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song, and the latest addition to the iconic Godzilla franchise produced by legendary creators TOHO: Godzilla Minus One. Last Christmas, the festive family hit Spirited, starring Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell, was also released on the big screen.
In addition, POM’s subsidiary brand POM Anime has distributed some of the biggest anime titles in recent years; including box office sensations Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train, Jujutsu Kaisen 0 and One Piece Film: RED. Most recently the anime sensation SPY X FAMILY CODE: White, and the ultimate cult classic AKIRA remastered in 4K for its 35th anniversary, hit the cinemas in multiple territories.
Live events and world-class concerts are also areas of expertise for POM. Ranging wide from unmissable eSports tournaments - such as the Valorant Champions Tour, the League of Legends LEC and World finals - and concerts by world-renowned artists, including box office sensation André Rieu, Talking Heads with their epic and ground-breaking cult concert Stop Making Sense, and the 1958 historical performance of Maria Callas - CALLAS - PARIS, 1958 - carefully restored in colour, 4K and Dolby Atmos.
From offices in Amsterdam, POM can release in a handful of territories or branch out much wider a reach of thousands of screens across 60+ countries.
ABOUT ALTITUDE
Altitude Media Group is the independent UK based studio launched in 2012 by chairman Will Clarke and joint-CEO Andy Mayson. The group comprises of Altitude Film Production, Altitude Film Sales with Managing Director Mike Runagall, Altitude Film Distribution, Altitude Factual and Altitude Television with Managing Director Chris Clark. Since 2020, US based investment group 30WEST have held a significant minority stake in the group.
Altitude Film Sales’ current slate includes high-concept spider thriller, ARACHNID from the producers of the JOHN WICK franchise; Nick Love’s subversive ‘Rom-Com’, MARCHING POWDER starring Danny Dyer; Heart-stopping action thriller, TURBULENCE from the team behind NO WAY UP; PLEASE DON’T FEED THE CHILDREN, the debut feature film from Destry Allyn Spielberg; a new feature-length blur documentary and Live at Wembley Stadium concert film; SXSW winning-machinima feature documentary, GRAND THEFT HAMLET; sci-fi thriller, THE OCCUPANT starring Ella Balinska; Martin Scorsese’s personal and moving look at two of British Cinema’s greatest filmmakers in MADE IN ENGLAND: THE FILMS OF POWELL & PRESSBURGER; Sheldon Wilson’s high concept thriller, BELIEVER; feature documentary, BECOMING LED ZEPPELIN; and survival thriller, OUT COME THE WOLVES from director Adam MacDonald.
Since launching in 2013 Altitude Film Distribution have proudly supported talented filmmakers and given their films the dynamic and bold releases they deserve. To date Altitude have championed over 170 films, ranging from the Academy and BAFTA award-winners, MOONLIGHT, ROCKS, MINARI, 20 FEET FROM STARDOM, AMY, I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO through to critically acclaimed THE FLORIDA PROJECT, DIEGO MARADONA, LADY MACBETH, BEAST, THE RIDER, LES MISÉRABLES, WHITNEY and more.
Altitude’s recent releases include MADE IN ENGLAND: THE FILMS OF POWELL & PRESSBURGER, Matteo Garrone’s Oscar nominated and Venice Film Festival winner IO CAPITANO, the National Geographic feature documentary, THE MISSION, the 50th anniversary, 4k remaster of Martin Scorsese’s MEAN STREETS, 2023’s most talked about horror TALK TO ME, Georgia Oakley’s powerful BIFA-winning debut BLUE JEAN, BAFTA and Academy Award-nominee and Venice Golden Lion winner ALL THE BEAUTY AND THE BLOODSHED from Academy Award-winning director Laura Poitras, Clio Barnard’s BIFA-winning ALI & AVA, Palme D’Or winner TITANE from writer and director Julia Ducournau, HORRIBLE HISTORIES: THE MOVIE - ROTTEN ROMANS and Brian Welsh’s BEATS. In 2020 Altitude partnered with the WWF on the global event release of DAVID ATTENBOROUGH: A LIFE ON OUR PLANET, which became the widest ever released documentary in the UK and Ireland.
ABOUT UP THE GAME
Up The Game is a production house and creative agency based in London. It produces widely acclaimed, award-winning, long and short form programming with a focus on music and the arts.
