ABRAMORAMA and ABOVE & BEYOND PARTNER ON GLOBAL RELEASE OF PAUL DUGDALE AND MYLES DESENBERG’S FILM ABOVE & BEYOND ACOUSTIC – GIVING UP THE DAY JOB
Abramorama and Above & Beyond announced a deal for all rights, including a global theatrical rollout, to Above & Beyond Acoustic – Giving Up The Day Job, a concert documentary about the award-winning British electronic act Above & Beyond. The film is directed by award-winning directors Paul Dugdale and Myles Desenberg. Paul Dugdale with Scheme Engine (Ed Sheeran: Jumpers For Goalposts, The Rolling Stones Olé, Olé, Olé!: A Trip Across Latin America) directed the live concert at The Hollywood Bowl, and Myles Desenberg of BAFTA-nominated production company Archer’s Mark, directed the behind-the-scenes documentary of the act on tour.
Over the past few years, Abramorama has emerged as the go-to distributor for music-driven documentaries, working with the Beatles, Green Day, Neil Young, and Pearl Jam among others, as well as with Apple Music, Atlantic Records, Concord Bicycle Music, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group. Abramorama will release Above & Beyond Acoustic – Giving Up The Day Job theatrically at the beginning of 2018 in conjunction with Above & Beyond’s US tour and continue to roll out the film around the world in the months to follow. Above & Beyond’s latest electronic album “Common Ground” is due in the first quarter of 2018.
In 2016, GRAMMY-nominated trio Jono Grant, Tony McGuinness, and Paavo Siljamäki left the electronic world behind, risking it all to go acoustic. Above & Beyond Acoustic – Giving Up The Day Job, follows the group’s unlikely journey from the DJ booth to the Hollywood Bowl. From the re-imagining of songs in Abbey Road Studios to their presentation in iconic global venues from the Sydney Opera House to New York’s Beacon Theater, San Francisco’s Greek Theater and finally the Hollywood Bowl. With a traveling party of 17 musicians, and an additional 34 of Los Angeles’ finest classical players, the new film is an intimate behind the scenes look at one of the world’s biggest electronic dance groups as they separate the song from the beats and try something new.
Above & Beyond were the first British DJs to sell out Madison Square Garden and the Forum in Los Angeles and have previously sold out the Hollywood Bowl, Sydney Opera House, Royal Albert Hall, O2 Arena, Wembley Arena, Alexandra Palace, Ziggo Dome (Amsterdam), All Phones Arena (Sydney), Sidney Myer Music Bowl (Melbourne), Red Rocks (Denver) and The Greek Theatre (Los Angeles and San Francisco), as well as the 23,000 capacity Gorge Amphitheatre in September. Over the course of three electronic artist albums, two acoustic albums and 13 mixed compilations, the trio has built one of the most passionate and dedicated fanbases in the global dance music scene.
Above & Beyond commented, “The acoustic project was a huge undertaking for us but the end result was massively rewarding. We look forward to collaborating with Abramorama on the release of the film and sharing our acoustic experience with fans around the world.”
Abramorama’s CCO & EVP Karol Martesko-Fenster and West Coast Head of Acquisitions & Business Development Evan Saxon, added, “We are thrilled to be working with Above & Beyond to bring Paul Dugdale and Myles Desenberg’s superb feature documentary to their huge global fanbase. The band’s highly coveted sold-out show at Hollywood Bowl jumps to life on the big screen. Working closely with Above & Beyond’s team James Grant and Steve Heaver at Involved Management, we’ve structured a targeted theatrical campaign and ancillary rollout dovetailing with Above & Beyond’s much-awaited upcoming headlining tour.”
Paul Dugdale is a multiple Grammy nominated filmmaker who has directed documentaries and concert films for some of the world’s biggest acts including The Rolling Stones, Ed Sheeran, Adele, Coldplay, and Sam Smith. Films include Ed Sheeran: Jumpers For Goalposts and The Rolling Stones Stones Olé, Olé, Olé!: A Trip Across Latin America.
Myles Desenberg has been documenting the Above & Beyond journey since 2010,when he first started filming their live performances and UK tours. Having cut his teeth directing visually distinctive work for the likes of Nike, Beats, and Red Bull, Desenberg is known for his stylized commercials and short form documentaries. Giving Up The Day Job will be his debut feature.
About Abramorama
Abramorama is the preeminent theatrical distributor of music films today and is recognized for the consistent high quality of its work on award winning feature films. An innovator in the focused, personalized form of film distribution and event cinema, Abramorama provides invaluable alternatives to filmmakers and content owners. An industry leader in marketing, promotion, and rights management, Abramorama continues to trail-blaze exciting new pathways for filmmakers to find their audience. Over the course of more than 15 years, Abramorama has successfully distributed and marketed hundreds of films, including Ron Howard’s Grammy Award®-winning The Beatles: Eight Days A Week – The Touring Years; Danny Clinch and Pearl Jam’s Lets Play Two; Amir Bar-Lev’s Long Strange Trip – The Untold Story of the Grateful Dead; Corbett Redford and Green Day’s Turn It Around: The Story of East Bay Punk, John Scheinfeld’s Chasing Trane –The John Coltrane Documentary; Scott Rosenbaum’s Sidemen – Long Road to Glory; Brett Bern’s BANG! The Bert Berns Story; Brett Morgen and National Geographic’s seminal Jane; Tomer Heymann’s Mr. Gaga; Dawn Porter’s Trapped; Charles Ferguson’s Time To Choose; Asif Kapadia’s Senna; Neil Young’s Greendale; Cameron Crowe’s Pearl Jam Twenty; Sacha Gervasi’s Anvil! The Story Of Anvil; Banksy’s Academy Award® nominated Exit Through the Gift Shop; the surprise indie hit Awake: The Life of Yogananda; Laurie Anderson’s astonishing New York Times critics’ pick, Heart of a Dog, Showtime’s National Board of Review Winner Listen to Me Marlon and Draft House Releasing’s 2016 Documentary Academy Award®-nominee and IDA Best Documentary Winner The Look of Silence. Abramorama is a founding partner of The Seventh Art Stand program, an act of cinematic solidarity against Islamophobia, that ran in more than 50 theaters across the United States in May of 2017. For more information visit www.abramorama.com
About Above & Beyond
Over their four critically acclaimed studio albums, along with their acoustic project, ABOVE & BEYOND—aka Jono Grant, Tony McGuinness and Paavo Siljamaki–have continually been celebrated for placing real musicianship and songwriting at the heart of what they do. While their famed club mixes have resonated with the dance generation, the songs behind them have touched fans of all ages across the globe. As influenced as much by Jeff Buckley or Bon Iver as they are by their deep love of electronic music, ABOVE & BEYOND’s songs and lyrics have been sung back to them at the world’s biggest stadiums and stages – from Alexandra Palace, to Madison Square Garden, to LA’s Forum, to their famed one million people gig at Barra Beach in Rio de Janeiro in 2007 and their recent sold out weekender at the 23,000 capacity Gorge Amphitheatre in Washington State.
About Archer’s Mark
Archer’s Mark is BAFTA-nominated production company co-founded by producer/directors Mike Brett and Steve Jamison. Since launching their film division in 2014, Archer’s Mark have released three features (Next Goal Wins, War Book, Notes on Blindness) and collected a number of international awards, including two BIFAS (Best Documentary 2014, 2016) and one EMMY. For more information please visit www.archersmark.co.uk
About Scheme Engine
Scheme Engine is a modern film production studio for a digital-first world. With offices in New York and Los Angeles, we specialize in digital media, sports, lifestyle, commercials, documentaries, concert films and branded content. We help influential clients succeed in creating projects that inspires action. For more information visit www.schemeengine.com
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