Contact: Maggie Cortes/JGoldstein PR
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INDEPENDENT DOCUMENTARY TAKES ON HOLLYWOOD
WAL-MART: THE HIGH COST OF LOW PRICE

OVER 100,000 UNITS SOLD IN FIRST MONTH
DVD Debuts at #5

“Two Thumbs Up” – Ebert and Roeper
“Makes its case with breathtaking force” – New York Times
“Advocacy journalism at its most unsparing” – Boston Globe
“Three Stars” – CNN Radio Entertainment

New York, NY (December 9, 2005) – Watch out Hollywood! Robert Greenwald’s latest critically acclaimed film, Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price, is breaking new ground and stunning the industry with its success. The grassroots distribution and marketing strategy for the documentary challenges Hollywood’s long-established release and distribution model for films. Yet according to Nielsen VideoScan reports, the DVD hit number 5 on the documentary video charts in its first week of release. Over 100,000 video units have been sold within the first month of release. The figures send Hollywood studios a clear message: “Make room for serious documentaries coming through alternative channels.”

Robert Greenwald, Director and Producer of Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price, exclaims, “The stunning and unprecedented success of the DVD is proof positive that there is a large appetite for films seeking the truth. Wal-Mart’s continued refusal to carry the film has not stopped anyone from buying the DVD.” Greenwald’s controversial exposé of labor practices at the world’s largest company has put Wal-Mart under the most intense scrutiny the retailing giant has ever encountered.

Brave New Films challenged popular wisdom on distribution and marketing by going grassroots. The film had a limited release in independent theaters in New York and LA followed by over 7,000 grassroots screenings across all 50 states. The tremendous swell of support has fueled additional theatrical releases by independent theater owners in other cities who are on the cutting edge of this brave new distribution revolution. Already the film’s theatrical release has expanded to San Francisco and Boston, where Clinton McClung, Program Director of the Coolidge Corner Theatre said: “We played Greenwald's previous films and knew there was a huge interest from the community in his work, but Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price initially flew under our radar, at least in terms of a theatrical release. That is until the calls and emails started from patrons who had heard about the film and couldn't wait to see it, not just in their homes but in the theatre. The appeal of this film for theatrical showings is not just seeing it on the big screen, but the sense of community and empowerment that comes from watching the film in a group. It not only sparks discussion, but forges connections between like-minded individuals, and – we hope – helps spreads the message of the film to a larger audience.”

The Disinformation Company, an independent distributor, is handling retail DVD distribution. Sales figures speak to the tremendous consumer awareness generated by this non-traditional strategy. In addition to outstanding direct-to-consumer video sales from Brave New Films’ Walmartmovie.com, the DVD is in high-demand at Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, Tower, Virgin Megastores, Musicland, FYE, Borders, Hastings and many more outlets.

Gary Baddeley, President of The Disinformation Company Ltd., states, "This just proves that alternative distribution and marketing can sell more DVDs than sticking to the traditional, slow, expensive, and fading distribution model. Our partnership with Brave New Films, Ryko and Koch Canada represents the best of both worlds - true grass roots distribution coupled with the best independent video distributors saturating retail stores."

Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price is the first film released under Greenwald’s new production company, Brave New Films. The Disinformation Company, a progressive entertainment company, released the DVD on November 15th. The Disinformation Company has been recognized for its bold catalogue of controversial books and DVD titles.

WAL-MART: THE HIGH COST OF LOW PRICE is available on DVD everywhere (except Wal-Mart) for a suggested retail price of $12.95. The DVD includes over 65 minutes of bonus materials including ‘The Making of Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price,’ ‘Wal-Mart: Canada’ and ‘Wal-Mart: England.’

ALSO AVAILABLE FROM THE DISINFORMATION COMPANY:
• “Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price” BY GREG SPOTTS – official movie tie-in book with foreword by Robert Greenwald. Just $9.95 SRLP

About Disinformation:
The Disinformation Company is active in TV production, book publishing and home entertainment. It is most widely recognized for its distribution of products on subjects not usually covered by the traditional media. Recent DVD exclusives from The Disinformation Company include the three best-selling Robert Greenwald documentaries Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism, Uncovered: The Whole Truth About the Iraq War, and Unconstitutional: The War on our Civil Liberties, as well as Greg Palast’s Bush Family Fortunes: The Best Democracy Money Can Buy. Disinformation is distributed by Ryko Distribution in the United States and Koch Entertainment in Canada.

About Brave New Films:
Brave New Films is the new media company from Robert Greenwald, the award winning producer of over 60 films, and the director of the 2005 documentary Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price and the 2004 documentaries, Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism, and Uncovered: The War on Iraq. A pioneer in 21st century activism, Greenwald's films provide the centerpiece for guerilla campaigns designed to break through noisy news cycles. By utilizing the latest technologies, collaborating with numerous activist groups, and building a growing network of dedicated volunteer field producers, Brave New Films is producing and distributing entertaining and engaging films, television, radio, music, books and blogs outside the corporate system, building essential media infrastructure for long-term social progress. For more information on Brave New Films, please visit: www.bravenewfilms.org.

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