Producer, Deidre Kitcher noted “Needle has been sold in over 74 countries worldwide but has been particularly successful in Turkey, where it was seen by over 55,000 people on 62 screens grossing some $260,000 USD. This has lead to the Mexican distributor confirming the theatrical release plans for early 2012, which is quite exciting.”

In addition, November 29^th, 2011 saw Lionsgate release the film across North America on DVD and VOD in a major release backed by a strong marketing campaign and a fresh trailer.

Director John V. Soto noted “The Needle DVD is available in over 5000 rental and retail outlets throughout the US and Canada. In addition the film is available on Netflix and iTunes for instant download/VOD. Few Australian films secure a release in the US and even fewer with a quality distributor like Lionsgate, so we’re very happy with what we have achieved to date.”

November 24^th, 2011 saw the Australian Blu-Ray and DVD release of Needle through Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) across Australia, through a host of quality rental and retail stores including Blockbuster, Video-Ezy, Oovie, Quickflix, Leading Edge, Civic Video, Big W, JB HiFi, Sanity and Elan.

Deidre commented “SPHE have a great team of enthusiastic film professionals and they have really got behind Needle.  With their help we have achieved good distribution of our DVD nationally and we predict very solid sales results despite a tough market.”

Needle has received many positive reviews from Australian critics with Andrew Urban calling it “an engaging and well executed supernatural thriller,” Simon Foster (SBS) said that “the film delivers in spades all the prerequisites that fans demand,” and Travis Johnson from Xpress Magazine said “The film has no shame in its modest ambitions, and it fulfils its remit with admirable panache. Soto is an excellent visual stylist and he clearly knows a thing or two about pacing and suspense.”  Dov Kornitts from FILMINK sums up the film as “a solid scarefest.”

Overseas critics have also praised the film with Killerfilm giving Needle a score of 4 out of 5, with genre specialist Alex Scott Webster saying “…Needle is an above-average slasher with a refreshingly original plot device.”

Needle is the first West Australian film to win a “Golden Skull” award at Screamfest (2010) Los Angeles along with a slew of awards at the British Horror Film Festival which included Best Cinematography, Best Special Effects and Best Supporting Actress.

Needle also won a number of awards at the Melbourne Underground Film Festival including; Best Cinematography and Best Actor (Michael Dorman) with the “Special Jury Prize” being awarded to the Director, John V. Soto.

Filmed in Perth, Needle features the cream of Australian acting talent including Jessica Marais (Packed to the Rafters), Michael Dorman (Daybreakers, Triangle), Trilby Glover (Righteous Kill), Tahyna Tozzi (Wolverine), Travis Fimmel (The Beast, The Valley), Ben Mendolsohn (Animal Kingdom), Khan Chittenden (West), John Jarratt (Wolf Creek) and Jane Badler (V TV series).

Needle, is about a college student who must unmask a killer who is harnessing the deadly powers of a sinister 18th century machine to target his friends.

In addition, Filmscope is also pleased to announce that Needle will have a major home entertainment release across North America encompassing DVD, Video-on-Demand and direct Digital Download through Lionsgate on November 29^th, 2011.

Producer Deidre Kitcher commented “Lionsgate are the masters of horror film distribution in North America and for a small West Australian film to secure such a release through them is very exciting and a credit to the team and vision of the Director, John V. Soto.”

John V. Soto added “I’m confident the film will do well as Americans love a good scare and appreciate fresh, inventive material. I’m sure they’ll get a kick out the supernatural voodoo machine and mythology we created!”

Filmscope’s sale agent, Lightning Entertainment, has now sold the international rights to Needle in over 74 countries, including the key territories Japan (Shochiku), UK (High Fliers), France (SND), Germany (Telepool), and Brazil (Playarte).

NEEDLE also recently won a slew of awards at the Melbourne Underground Film Festival (2011) including Best Actor (Michael Dorman) and Best Cinematography (Stephen Windon). The film and its Director (John V. Soto) were also awarded the Special Jury Prize at the festival.

Needle has received many positive reviews from Australian critics with Andrew Urban calling it “an engaging and well executed supernatural thriller,” Simon Foster (SBS) said that “the film delivers in spades all the prerequisites that fans demand,” and Travis Johnson from Xpress Magazine said “The film has no shame in its modest ambitions, and it fulfills its remit with admirable panache. Soto is an excellent visual stylist and he clearly knows a thing or two about pacing and suspense.”

Needle is the first West Australian film to win a “Golden Skull” award at Screamfest (2010) Los Angeles along with a number of awards at the British Horror Film Festival which included Best Cinematography, Best Special Effects and Best Supporting Actress. Filmed in Perth, Needle features the cream of Australian acting talent including Jessica Marais (Packed to the Rafters), Michael Dorman (Daybreakers, Triangle), Trilby Glover (Righteous Kill), Tahyna Tozzi (Wolverine), Travis Fimmel (The Beast, The Valley), Ben Mendolsohn (Animal Kingdom), Khan Chittenden (West), John Jarratt (Wolf Creek) and Jane Badler (V TV series).

Needle, is about a college student who must unmask a killer who is harnessing the deadly powers of a sinister 18th century machine to target his friends.

Director, John V. Soto commented “MUFF, headed by film fanatic Richard Wolstencroft, is run by a dedicated bunch of film lovers who showcase genre movies from around the world, so it really was an honor for our film to be a part of the festival.  Michael Dorman and Stephen Windon both deserve full credit for their outstanding contribution to Needle.”

Producer, Deidre Kitcher added “Needle has now won seven awards at various film festivals around the world and has been sold in over 65 countries, including the key territories North America (Lionsgate), Japan (Shochiku), UK (High Fliers) and Germany (Telepool) so we’re quite happy with what our movie has achieved to date.”  Kitcher also noted that NEEDLE has now passed $190,000 USD in box office in Turkey, selling over 38,000 tickets and still being shown on 20 screens in that country.

Needle has received many positive reviews from Australian critics with Andrew Urban calling it “an engaging and well executed supernatural thriller,” Simon Foster (SBS) said that “the film delivers in spades all the prerequisites that fans demand,” and Travis Johnson from Xpress Magazine said “The film has no shame in its modest ambitions, and it fulfils its remit with admirable panache. Soto is an excellent visual stylist and he clearly knows a thing or two about pacing and suspense.”

Overseas critics have also praised the film with Killerfilm giving Needle a score of 4 out of 5, with genre specialist Alex Scott Webster saying “…Needle is an above-average slasher with a refreshingly original plot device.”

Needle is the first West Australian film to win a “Golden Skull” award at Screamfest (2010) Los Angeles along with a slew of awards at the British Horror Film Festival which included Best Cinematography, Best Special Effects and Best Supporting Actress. Filmed in Perth, Needle features the cream of Australian acting talent including Jessica Marais (Packed to the Rafters), Michael Dorman (Daybreakers, Triangle), Trilby Glover (Righteous Kill), Tahyna Tozzi (Wolverine), Travis Fimmel (The Beast, The Valley), Ben Mendolsohn (Animal Kingdom), Khan Chittenden (West), John Jarratt (Wolf Creek) and Jane Badler (V TV series).

Needle, is about a college student who must unmask a killer who is harnessing the deadly powers of a sinister 18th century machine to target his friends.

“What makes this result even more impressive is that the average price of a cinemas ticket in Turkey is only $6. Accordingly a number of overseas distributors are now looking at theatrical releases in their territories too” states Deidre Kitcher.

“The continuing success of Needle overseas, now sold in over 65 countries, proves that our strategy is exactly right. If you make a film that has broad international appeal then you have a far greater chance of recouping the cost and going into profit, than if you make a film that maybe only plays in its homeland.

The movie only needs to be a hit in one country and you’re halfway there” says the film’s director, John V. Soto, “I’m pretty sure we’re one of the few Aussie horror films to actually have a theatrical release outside their home territory in the past five years, which is quite exciting” he added.

In Australia the film has performed modestly with its limited 6 screen release, grossing approx $18,000 to date, although its opening weekend screen average was higher than a number of similar genre films including Triangle, The Reef and Road Train.

“We knew that releasing a horror film against a plethora of strong US titles in Australia was going to be tough, so we made sure our marketing spend was appropriate. It was a conscious decision not to go any wider than 6 screens because, as has been demonstrated time and time again, Australians generally prefer to watch their horror movies at home. The release did provide us with important exit poll feedback for our Australia-wide DVD release later this year through Sony” states Deidre Kitcher.

In addition Filmscope would also like to announce the appointment of film and TV industry veteran, Harry Bardwell, to the board of Directors of its parent company, Starglow Corporation Pty Ltd (Starglow).

“Harry has a wealth of experience and contacts, having been involved with over 400 Australian productions. As former Director of Production and Development at ScreenWest Harry has also assisted with the production of a number of quality WA films including the funding of Red Dog, Wasted on the Young, Blame, Mad Bastards and most recently, Drift. Harry is a valuable addition to our team and his experience will help guide our company’s future expansion plans” says Deidre Kitcher.

“I am delighted to be able to work with Filmscope and Starglow on their exciting plans to build their film business further” says Harry Bardwell.

Needle has received many positive reviews from Australian critics with Andrew Urban calling it “an engaging and well executed supernatural thriller,” Simon Foster (SBS) said that “the film delivers in spades all the prerequisites that fans demand,” and Travis Johnson from Xpress Magazine said “The film has no shame in its modest ambitions, and it fulfils its remit with admirable panache. Soto is an excellent visual stylist and he clearly knows a thing or two about pacing and suspense.”

Overseas critics have also praised the film with Killerfilm giving Needle a score of 4 out of 5, with genre specialist Alex Scott Webster saying “…Needle is an above-average slasher with a refreshingly original plot device.”

Needle is the first West Australian film to win a “Golden Skull” award at Screamfest (2010) Los Angeles along with a slew of awards at the British Horror Film Festival which included Best Cinematography, Best Special Effects and Best Supporting Actress.

Filmed in Perth, Needle features the cream of Australian acting talent including Jessica Marais (Packed to the Rafters), Michael Dorman (Daybreakers, Triangle), Trilby Glover (Righteous Kill), Tahyna Tozzi (Wolverine), Travis Fimmel (The Beast, The Valley), Ben Mendolsohn (Animal Kingdom), Khan Chittenden (West), John Jarratt (Wolf Creek) and Jane Badler (V TV series).

Needle, a horror film, is about a killer who uses an 18th century machine with supernatural powers to terrorize students at a local college.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) will be handling all aspects of Needle’s home entertainment release including DVD and Cable for Australia and New Zealand.  Filmscope will manage its own Australian theatrical release of the film, which commences in Perth July 28^th before moving to other states.

Deidre Kitcher from Filmscope commented “We are excited about the upcoming debut of our film in theaters in July and delighted to have the support of Sony for the crucial home entertainment release. From experience we know that a wide theatrical release of an Aussie horror film is unlikely to be successful, so we have decided to manage a targeted campaign focused on limited screens instead”.

In addition to the Australian deal, Filmscope would also like to announce the sale of all rights to Needle for France to a major European distributor, SND Films.  Their manager of acquisitions, Jeremie Charron, had this to say “We are very excited to have acquired the rights to Needle. John V Soto has created a clever and unique supernatural murder-mystery that we think French fans of the genre will love”.  SOYUZ Films have also acquired the rights to CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States, former Soviet Union) which encompasses 11 countries.

Deidre Kitcher noted “In the tough economic climate of the post GFC world, for any Australian film to get sales overseas is quite an achievement. The fact that Needle has now been sold in 62 countries worldwide including the key territories USA, UK, Germany, France and Japan speaks volumes about our company’s overall strategy”.

Needle is also the first West Australian film to win a “Golden Skull” award at Screamfest (2010) Los Angeles along with a slew of awards at the British Horror Film Festival which included Best Cinematography, Best Special Effects and Best Supporting Actress.

Filmed in Perth, Needle features the cream of Australian acting talent including Jessica Marais (Packed to the Rafters), Michael Dorman (Daybreakers, Triangle), Trilby Glover (Righteous Kill), Tahyna Tozzi (Wolverine), Travis Fimmel (The Beast, The Valley), Ben Mendolsohn (Animal Kingdom), Khan Chittenden (West), John Jarratt (Wolf Creek) and Jane Badler (V TV series).

Needle, an exciting supernatural murder mystery, is about a killer who uses an 18th century machine with supernatural powers to terrorize students at a local college.

Filmscope Entertainment and Lightning Entertainment are pleased to announce two major deals for their mystery horror feature film, Needle, ahead of EFM, Berlin.

Grindstone Entertainment Group LLC, has acquired all North American rights to the film and will release it through Lionsgate Home Entertainment while Shochiku has acquired all distribution rights for Japan.

Head of acquisitions at Grindstone Entertainment, Stan Wertlieb, commented “We are thrilled to have acquired this fresh and fun horror film which we believe is the perfect compliment to Lionsgate’s already strong home entertainment line-up for 2011”.

Richard Guardian from Lightning Entertainment, who negotiated the deal together with Filmscope’s John V Soto, noted “Needle is a highly original mystery horror film and we are excited that the film has found a good home with Grindstone”.

Needle’s director, Soto, commented “Apart from wanting to make a cool horror film, it has always been a goal of mine to make a movie good enough to be released in North American through Lionsgate, who are genre specialists, so this is pretty exciting.”

In addition to North America and Japan, Needle has been sold in numerous territories around the world and is set for release in the following countries during 2011; Germany, Austria, United Kingdom, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, South Africa, Middle-East, India, Korea, Turkey, Indonesia. A deal is close to being finalized for distribution of the film in Australia and New Zealand.

Recently Needle also became the first West Australian film to win a “Golden Skull” award at Screamfest (2010) Los Angeles. The film also won awards for Best Cinematography, Best Special Effects and Best Supporting Actress at the 2010 British Horror Film Festival in Bournemouth, England.

Filmed in Perth, Needle features the cream of Australian acting talent including Jessica Marais (Packed to the Rafters), Michael Dorman (Daybreakers, Triangle), Trilby Glover (Righteous Kill), Tahyna Tozzi (Wolverine), Travis Fimmel (The Beast, The Valley), Ben Mendolsohn (Animal Kingdom), Khan Chittenden (West), John Jarratt (Wolf Creek) and Jane Badler (V TV series).

Needle, a supernatural murder mystery, is about a killer who uses an 18th century machine with supernatural powers to terrorize students at a local college.

Professor Banyon, Ben’s archaeology teacher, informs him that La Vaudou Mort was built in the 1800’s by a man known only as “Rubinstein”, a brilliant but disturbed engineer who was a devout follower of the occult. He reveals that the machine was created as a tool for revenge, supposedly harnessing the supernatural powers of voodoo. It’s not long before more of his friends start being dispatched one-by-one by an unseen and vengeful killer. As the body count grows, Ben must reunite with Marcus in a race to uncover the killer’s motivation and identity before they too become victims!

Won “Best Cinematography” at the British Horror Film Festival.
Won “Best Supporting Actress, Jessica Marais” at the British Horror Film Festival
Won “Best Special Effects” at the British Horror Film Festival
Won “Best Horror Makeup” at Screamfest 2010 (LA)

Visit the official website.

After being seduced by the mysterious and beautiful Anna (Emma Lung), Tae Kwon Do champion Julian (Chris Egan) finds his life unravelling in a series of increasingly strange and dangerous events as her infatuation with him turns deadly.

Visit the official website.