Director Erik Bernard and producer Courtney LeMarco of TLG Motion Pictures have closed a deal with 1091 Pictures, a Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment (Nasdaq: CSSE) company, for the digital release of their film Free Dead or Alive. 

The film will be released on August 9, 2022, on all major digital platforms including iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Xbox, and on cable and satellite on In-Demand, AT&T, Vubiquity, Direct TV and Dash.  

Free Dead or Alive is the story of a young girl making a perilous journey from South/Central America to the United States unaware of the real dangers that lie ahead. The film stars Edy Ganem, Patricia Velasquez (The Mummy, The Mummy Returns), Seth Michaels (Red Notice), and Alejandro De Hoyos (The Man From Toronto). It is directed by Erik Bernard and is produced by Bernard, Courtney LeMarco, Denise Bernard and Marco-Angela La Porta. Grady Craig, Mathew Helderman, Edy Ganem, Patricia Velasquez, Luke Taylor and Seth Michaels served as executive producers and Jasmin Espada served as co-producer.

“We are extremely grateful to 1091 Pictures,” said Bernard in a statement. “Free Dead or Alive is a relevant story about the realities immigrants face when trying to cross the U.S. border. But more importantly it is the story of the ups and downs between mother and daughter and how love knows no borders.” 

“We are excited about the wide distribution reach of 1091 Pictures as well as their attention to diverse filmmaking,” added executive producer Courtney LeMarco.

“As an immigrant myself, I can relate to the journey and obstacles one would willingly face in favor of love, the type of sacrifice that goes beyond borders,” said Greg Maurice, senior director Global Acquisitions and Co-Productions at 1091 Pictures. “Throughout my career, I've been an advocate of representation, highlighting people of color on the screen and behind the screen. It’s been a wonderful opportunity to partner with a talented filmmaker like Erik Bernard. He was able to capture the authentic experiences of immigrants through the amazing performances by Patricia Velasquez and Robert LeSardo.”

The deal was negotiated by Maurice on behalf of 1091 Pictures and by Max Czertok of Iuvit Media Sales on behalf of TLG. 

ABOUT 1091 PICTURES

1091 Pictures, a Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment (Nasdaq: CSSE) company, is a modern distribution partner for independent film and series owners, offering content licensing and delivery to over 100 destinations in over 100 countries. The company represents over 500 filmmakers and distributors and has amassed over 150 award nominations, including two Academy Award® nominations, an Emmy nomination, a Grammy Award for Best Music Film, and over a dozen Spirit Awards nominations. 1091 Pictures’ diverse slate of releases include NYT Critics’ Picks such as The Ghost of Peter Sellers and Grammy-Award Winner Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice, riveting sports stories such as A Kid From Coney Island executive produced by Kevin Durant and featuring Stephon Marbury and Red Bull’s The Dawn Wall, audience favorites such as The Last Blockbuster, groundbreaking documentaries such as Close Encounters of The Fifth Kind and The Phenomenon, which reveal the latest intelligence on UFOs, and indie film hits such as Academy Award® Winner Taika Waititi’s What We Do in the Shadows and Hunt for the Wilderpeople. For more information, please visit: 1091pictures.com

ABOUT CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL ENTERTAINMENT

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: CSSE) (the “Company”) operates video-on-demand (VOD) streaming services. The Company owns Crackle Plus, which owns and operates a variety of ad- supported VOD streaming services including Crackle, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Popcornflix, Popcornflix Kids, Truli, Pivotshare, Españolflix and FrightPix. The Company also acquires and distributes video content through its Screen Media and 1091 Pictures subsidiaries and produces original video content through the Chicken Soup for the Soul Television Group. Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment is a subsidiary of Chicken Soup for the Soul, LLC, which publishes the famous book series and produces super-premium pet food under the Chicken Soup for the Soul brand name.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. These statements are based on various assumptions, whether or not identified in this press release, and on the current expectations of management and are not predictions of actual performance. Such assumptions involve a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to our core strategy, operating income and margin, seasonality, liquidity, including cash flows from operations, available funds, and access to financing sources, free cash flows, revenues, net income, profitability, stock price volatility, future regulatory changes, price changes, the ability of the Company’s content offerings to achieve market acceptance, the Company’s success in retaining or recruiting officers, key employees, or directors, the ability to protect intellectual property, the ability to complete strategic acquisitions, the ability to manage growth and integrate acquired operations, the ability to pay dividends, regulatory or operational risks, and general market conditions impacting demand for the Company’s services. For a more complete description of these and other risks and uncertainties, please refer the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the SEC on March 31, 2022, and the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2022, filed with the SEC on May 11, 2022. On May 10, 2022, the Company entered into a merger agreement to acquire Redbox Entertainment, Inc. We refer you to the presentation filed as Exhibit 99.2 under cover of a Current Report on Form 8-K filed by the Company with the SEC on May 22, 2022 for information regarding the proposed business acquisition transaction. If the proposed business acquisition is consummated, in addition to the risks noted above, we also face the risks detailed in Redbox’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021. If any of these risks materialize or our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof and the Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Company’s expectations with respect thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any statement is based.