VICE Films partners 20th Century Fox

20th Century Fox and Vice Media have entered into a partnership as a joint venture film label for movies from emerging directors. Vice, the global youth media label (under-35 audience), intends to produce at least two films internally a year. Fox parent 21st Century Fox invested $70 million last year in Vice Media for a 5% stake. A&E Networks (Hearst, Disney via TCV) agreed in August to pay $250 million for a 10% stake in Vice Media. Other minority shareholders include WPP. Which helped value the company at $2.5bn and therefore fuelling an aggressive international growth strategy. The deal calls for Vice to have a first-look production deal with 20th Century Fox in order to give the opportunity to develop larger budgeted films as well. Fox will be able to develop material based on Vice’s library of stories for potential feature films – (guardian) (screendaily). Vice Films already released the brilliant Sundance-winning “Fishing Without Nets” (WATCH NOW) (MAKING OF- VICE), the skateboard documentary “All This Mayhem” (VIDEO),“Reincarnated” (VIDEO), “The Fourth Dimension” (VIDEO), ”Shot: The Mick Rock Documentary”, (Creators Project) and forthcoming Iranian vampire film “A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night” (VIDEO) My personal favourite being, “Fishing Without Nets”, which tells the story of a group of East African Somalian pirates (non-actors) told from the perspective of the pirates. I do agree with some critics implicating that the thin line of fiction and nonfiction in this film sometimes plays towards the hands of the Somalian pirates. But the fact of the matter is that there is simply more money to be made in pirating than in fishing, and the argument of the seas off the coast of East Africa being over fished is simply true (UNEP report). Somalia: “In an attempt to halt the decline in their catches which, in turn, reduces fish populations and degrades the habitats which support the fisheries. In response, fishers increase fishing effort and adopt further destructive practices. This situation is prominent in the Somali Coastal region, where it has resulted in the reduction of household income and nutrition levels, and a growing frustration which often escalates into conflict between artisanal fishers and other stakeholders, especially the tourism industry and conservationists.” The feature film based on a short, premiered in-competition in the US Dramatic Category at 2014 Sundance Film Festival – won best director, and launched the career of the U2 ‘branded content’ Director Cutter Hodierne. A must-see for those interested…. Photo credit: Fishing Without Nets (2014), Cutter Hodierne, Think Media Studios, Vice Films. A-One-To-Watch!