NEW YORK, NEW YORK (September 9, 2003) – Rainbow Media Holdings, Inc., the programming subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation, and Miramax Films announced today a major licensing agreement that will include television distribution rights to 84 films, including the award-winning titles Chicago, Gangs of New York and Chocolat. The overall deal – aligning two innovative entertainment forces – provides Rainbow with the rights to cablecast select Miramax and Dimension titles on its AMC, IFC (The Independent Film Channel), and WE: Women’s Entertainment networks over the next ten years. With fourteen Best Picture nominations over the past eleven consecutive years and twenty-one Best Foreign Language Film nominations over the past fifteen years, Miramax’s stellar library delivers programming that complements Rainbow’s networks and audience reach.
From the total of 84 titles, 52 will be allocated to air on IFC, with 44 serving as newly released films never aired on the IFC network. The remaining 32 titles will appear on the AMC and WE: Women’s Entertainment networks.
In addition, the licensing agreement allows for the post pay-television premieres of Frida, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Halloween: Resurrection and Mimic 2.
“This important programming partnership between Rainbow and Miramax greatly enhances our distribution outlets, while providing Miramax with an unparalleled television audience for these films,” stated Kathleen Dore, Rainbow’s president of Entertainment Services, which encompasses AMC, IFC and WE: Women’s Entertainment. “Representing three powerful multi-media brands, Rainbow is committed to investment in the long-term growth of our networks and today’s agreement provides some of the biggest and most important motion pictures in recent memory to further solidify the position of AMC, IFC and WE: Women’s Entertainment in the entertainment industry.”
“This deal represents a terrific opportunity for Miramax Films in that it offers jewels from our library as well as more current programming to television viewers,” said Rick Sands, chief operating officer of Miramax Films. “AMC, IFC and WE: Women’s Entertainment are respected cable channels, and our films are certain to become must-see viewing for their audiences.”
The agreement will begin in 2004, and titles covered by today’s announcement include: Chocolat (2000), Chicago (2002), Gangs of New York (2002), The English Patient (1996), The Cider House Rules (1999), Good Will Hunting (1997), Shakespeare in Love (1998)
A Price Above Rubies (1998), Birthday Girl (2002), Jackie Brown (1997), Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002), The Shipping News (2001), The Scream Trilogy (1996, 1997, 2000),
Frida (2002), In the Bedroom (2001), ” O ” (2001), The Faculty (1998), Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002), The Quiet American (2002), The Wings of the Dove (1997), From Dusk Till Dawn (1996), She’s So Lovely (1997) and Happy Texas (1999).
The deal was negotiated for Miramax by Rick Sands, chief operating officer, and Gary Perchick, vice president of domestic television sales; and for Rainbow by George Lentz, vice president of acquisitions for IFC and Judith Orlowski, vice president of acquisitions for AMC.
About Rainbow Media Holdings, Inc.
A leader in sports, news and entertainment programming, Rainbow Media Holdings, Inc. is a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation. Rainbow owns and manages national networks: AMC, Fuse, IFC (The Independent Film Channel) and WE: Women’s Entertainment, as well as Mag Rack, a collection of on-demand video magazines. Rainbow’s other businesses include its regional programming services — MetroChannels, News 12 Networks and Rainbow Sports Networks – in addition to the Rainbow Advertising Sales Corporation and Rainbow Network Communications. Rainbow is a 50 percent partner in Fox Sports Net.
About Miramax Films
Miramax Films, founded by Bob and Harvey Weinstein in 1979, has released some of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful independent feature films, with a record fourteen Best Picture nominations over the past eleven consecutive years: Chicago, Gangs of New York, The Hours, In the Bedroom, Chocolat, The Cider House Rules, Shakespeare In Love, Life Is Beautiful (La Vita