Legion M, the world’s first fan owned entertainment company, has joined forces with the famed Alamo Drafthouse in a partnership that will bring more quality content to theater screens and film festivals.
Legion M made headlines earlier this year by announcing it would allow fans to invest and take shares of the company. The entity is co-founded by Paul Scanlan and Jeff Annison, creators of MobiTV and the New York Rock Exchange. The pair already have an Emmy win to their names, and the strategic partnership with Alamo Drafthouse and its Academy Award nominated Drafthouse Films division could raise the profile of both companies significantly.
I had a few questions for Scanlan and Annison who answered these questions over email. The press release follows after the interview.
HyperGeeky: How did this partnership come about, and what do both companies stand to gain through it?
Legion M: Alamo Drafthouse is the cool new kid in the distribution space, and we have been huge fans of theirs since day one. They have a hot hand in theaters and genre development and are innovating in a part of the business where innovation has been rare. They’re also movie lovers like we are, and everything they do is for their customers who are the ultimate movie fans. We share that passion, as Legion M is created by fans for the fans. They heard about Legion M through our relationship with Meltdown Comics and the great media coverage we have been receiving. We initially met with their chief branding officer and we completely hit it off with him. After that we met with Tim League, their founder and CEO, and from the beginning it has been a total and complete mind-meld. Both companies put fans at the center of everything we do and fundamentally believe in supporting the creative side of the movie business.
HG: It’s mentioned that Alamo Drafthouse’s Drafthouse Films has produced and released several movies — some of which have been Oscar nominated. How will the company’s expertise and focus benefit Legion M and its shareholders?
Legion M: This is a really key element for us and for extending the Legion’s expertise in feature film development and distribution. Alamo has a deep and wide network and massive credibility with the creative talent bringing some of the most innovative new properties to market. Adding Alamo to Legion M’s already impressive list of creative allies adds tremendous value to the company and the projects we are able to get behind.
HG: Will the movies produced by this partnership be exclusive to Alamo Drafthouse cinema theaters?
Legion M: Not necessarily, however Drafthouse Films distributes outside of Drafthouse Cinemas. We might look at how a movie’s introduction could benefit by emphasizing Alamo theaters and potentially doing creative and unique events at their locations, but we are not limited to their theaters.
HG: How will this partnership impact Alamo Drafthouse’s own production arm?
Legion M: Legion M adds a great deal of value to anything Alamo is already working on. The Legion brings another source of funding and an immediate source of fandom which are probably the two most sought after elements with any creative project, particularly early in the development process.
HG: What does Legion M plan to do to capitalize immediately on this partnership?
Legion M: We are excited to make this announcement, but even more excited to announce our first project. Capitalizing on this partnership means jointly getting behind some killer projects together. That’s what we’re excited to start talking about. Stay tuned on that front!
Press Release
Legion M Joins Forces with Alamo Drafthouse Paving New Paths for Creative Filmmakers
Partnership Brings Film Expertise, Advisory and Distribution Pipeline to Legion M’s Esteemed Creative Alliance
Silicon Valley, CA- May 26, 2016 – Legion M, the world’s first fan owned entertainment company and Alamo Drafthouse, the leading independent theater chain and distribution company announced today a strategic partnership to further the development and distribution of high quality genre content, including feature films, shorts and virtual reality.
Alamo Drafthouse brings unprecedented access to the film industry, spanning exhibition, festivals and distribution and will service Legion M with scripts, projects and talent for potential investment. Legion M provides instant access to a legion of fans and helps to extend the reach and engagement of any project. Alamo Drafthouse will also serve on Legion M’s advisory board and help evaluate potential projects.
Drafthouse Films, the film distribution arm of Alamo Drafthouse Cinema has been developing and distributing independent genre films since 2010, including Joshua Oppenheimer’s Oscar nominated THE ACT OF KILLING, Karyn Kusama’s terrifying chiller, THE INVITATION and the soon to be released RAIDERS!, detailing the greatest fan film ever made. Legion M recently launched at Silicon Valley Comic Con and has generated a loyal fan/investor base ready to fund and support projects that the companies will be bringing to market. Alamo Drafthouse joins forces with Legion M’s creative partners, Stoopid Buddy Stoodios, 42 Entertainment and Meltdown Comics.
“We created Legion M to connect filmmakers and creators with the most vital components to the creative process: funding and fans,” said Legion M CEO and co-founder Paul Scanlan. “Alamo Drafthouse strengthens our expertise in film while adding the critical third component of the process, distribution. We are bringing fans, creators, funding, and now distribution together to reinvent the production and distribution paradigm.”
“We’ve built relationships with filmmakers all over the world, all of whom are looking for bold, innovative ways to get their films financed and distributed,” said Alamo Drafthouse CEO Tim League. “Our partnership with Legion M is revolutionary as it will allow us to do this in a way that empowers both the filmmaker and the fan in a completely unique way.”
First launched in 1997, Alamo Drafthouse has built a loyal audience of movie lovers through its progressive programming, full service, in theater dining and strict no talking, no texting policies . Its distribution division, Drafthouse Films launched in 2010 and has released over 40 titles to date and has received Oscar nominations for BULLHEAD, THE LOOK OF SILENCE and THE ACT OF KILLING.
About Legion M
Legion M will be the world’s first FAN-OWNED entertainment company. FANS own the company, FANS get behind the scenes, and when Legion M is successful—FANS share the rewards! Legion M co-founders Paul Scanlan and Jeff Annison are the Emmy winning team who co-founded MobiTV, the pioneer and market leader in over the top and multiscreen platforms and content monetization, as well as the New York Rock Exchange which brought Fans and the musical artists they love together in partnership.
Legion M’s mission is to empower creators to push the boundaries, and empower Fans to be a part of the content they love. Join us at http://www.thelegionm.com.
About Alamo Drafthouse
Tim and Karrie League founded Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in 1997 as a single-screen mom and pop repertory theater in Austin. 19 years later, the now 24-location chain has been named “the best theater in America” by Entertainment Weekly and “the best theater in the world” by Wired.com. The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema has built a reputation as a movie lover’s oasis not only by combining food and drink service with the movie-going experience, but also introducing unique programming and high profile, star-studded special events. Alamo Drafthouse Founder & CEO, Tim League, created Fantastic Fest, a world renowned film festival dubbed “The Geek Telluride” by Variety. Fantastic Fest showcases eight days of genre cinema from independents, international filmmakers and major Hollywood studios. The Alamo Drafthouse’s collectible art gallery, Mondo, offers breathtaking, original products featuring designs from world-famous artists based on licenses for popular TV and Movie properties including Star Wars, Star Trek & Universal Monsters. The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is expanding its brand in new and exciting ways, including Drafthouse Films which has garnered two Academy Award nominations in its short four-year existence and Birth.Movies.Death., an entertainment news blog curated by veteran journalist Devin Faraci.
HYPERGEEKY 
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