LAUNCH OF INDEPENDENT FILM AND RECORD LABEL IN BROOKLYN INAUGURAL RELEASES ON SEPT 29, 2009 RONALD BRONSTEIN’S FROWNLAND AND DAMON & NAOMI’S 1001 NIGHTS

Matt Grady, former Director of Production at Plexifilm, announced today the inception of FACTORY 25, a Brooklyn-based Film + Music Company. The label will concentrate on releasing films theatrically, digitally and on DVD, as well as in conceptualized limited edition DVD/Vinyl combination packages.

Reminiscent of the salad days of early ’90s indie record labels, FACTORY 25 brings the film and record company one step further. “What I learned at Plexifilm was that, despite the ephemeral nature and general unsightliness of various physical media (CDs, DVDs etc.), the discerning viewer and listener still wants their films and music in perfect analog or digital quality and packaged and presented as beautifully as possible,” says Grady. “FACTORY 25′s commitment to the aesthetic of the product itself, be it on vinyl or DVD, will take it to a higher level. We know our niche.”

On September 29, 2009, the label will release its two inaugural films, Ronald Bronstein’s Frownland, a “Critic’s Pick” at The New York Times – Manohla Dargis called it “personal cinema at its most uncompromising and fierce” and 1001 Nights, an anthology of films, live performances and videos by ethereal indie band Damon & Naomi (of legendary ’80s/’90s group Galaxie 500), with an essay by Harvard Film Archive director Haden Guest. Both will be released on DVD, digitally, and in limited DVD/vinyl editions. FACTORY 25 holds World DVD and Digital rights for 1001 Nights and World rights (minus France) on Frownland.

“These are perfect debuts for FACTORY 25 because not only are they both great features, but they both bridge the gap between film and music, the territory that is our home,” states Grady. “It takes a company of our size and interests to deliver specialized titles like these in the most aesthetically provocative way. The limited edition of Frownland, for example, in addition to extra footage (practically a given these days), will feature a comic book written in character by one of the actors, art drawn by lead actor Dore Mann, a soundtrack on vinyl, and a newsprint film poster. The FACTORY 25 experience begins the minute you take hold of our product.”

Other releases will include Joe Losurdo & Christina Tillman’s You Weren’t There: A History of Chicago Punk 1977-1984; Ben Wolfinsohn’s High School Record, the definitive mockument of teenage life, starring No Age, Becky Stark of Lavender Diamond, Mika Miko, and punk luminary Mike Watt; Justin Mitchell’s look at the early 90′s D.I.Y. scene, Songs for Cassavetes, which includes performances and interviews with Sleater-Kinney, Calvin Johnson and Unwound; Matt Boyd’s All the Way from Michigan Not Mars about musician Rosie Thomas featuring Sufjan Stevens; Braden King & Laura Moya’s Dutch Harbor: Where The Sea Breaks Its Back, a documentary on the westernmost tip of Alaska, with a soundtrack by the Boxhead Ensemble (featuring Will Oldham, Jim O’Rourke, David Grubbs and Michael Krassner), which will tour with the film for its 10th anniversary; and Spiritualized: Acoustic Mainlines, a live performance of the celestial rockers at Union Chapel in London which Grady directed, currently in post-production.

Grady left Plexifilm in early 2009, where, for seven years, he oversaw production of all of the company’s films and DVDs including Helvetica, I Am Trying to Break Your Heart: A Film About Wilco, the classic graffiti/hip-hop documentary Style Wars, We Jam Econo: The Story of the Minutemen, Sun Ra’s Space is the Place and Moog, amongst others. Throughout his career, Grady has produced over 300 DVDs including Jimi Hendrix’s Band of Gypsys: Live at the Fillmore East for Universal Music, Wu-Tang Clan: Legend of the Wu-Tang for Sony Music, Local Customs: Downriver Revival for Numero Group, The “Dolemite” Trilogy, Thug Immortal: The Tupac Shakur Story, Pavement’s Slow Century, Guided by Voices’ Watch Me Jumpstart and Cat Power’s Speaking For Trees by Mark Borthwick for Matador Records.