THE LAST WINTER at a (home) theater near you

One of my favorite filmmakers working today, Larry Fessenden looks to continue cutting his own path with his latest eco-horror fable, The Last Winter. IFC Films has stepped in to distribute Winter this fall, and will be doing so in a not-entirely-new but relatively novel fashion. The film will roll out under IFC's "First Take" imprint, meaning it'll hit theaters and video-on-demand services at the same time, allowing audiences a choice about where they can view the film.

It wasn't that long ago that a simultaneous three-tiered release for Steven Soderberg's Bubble (theatrical, home video, on-demand) generated a good deal of buzz which quickly dissipated in the obtuse film's wake. IFC pushed ahead with their "First Take" initiative, however, and have seen a number of interesting launches under the banner, including Ken Loach's The Wind that Shakes the Barley and the well-received New Zealand creature feature Black Sheep.

A previous discussion on the topic of the future of film distribution here at Twitch, posted in anticipation of Bubble's release, can be found here.

Having grown up in a very small town and lived in a relatively conservative city for a sizable portion of my life, IFC's strategy with "First Take" seems great to me - making smaller films available day-and-date to wider audiences that might otherwise have to wait many months to see them.

The Last Winter is scheduled for release in the US this September.

Press release from IFC
The Last Winter online