New American Vision | company profile

Founded in late 2004, New American Vision (NAV) has emerged as one of Hollywood’s leading niche entertainment firms dedicated to bring new independent and specialty films to new American audiences. Pursuing a vision of a 21st century America marked by many languages, ethnicities, political interests and sub-cultures, NAV’s business model encompasses the distribution, marketing and creation of niche-oriented content that reaches out to traditionally underserved markets in both the entertainment and educational arenas.

New American Vision currently handles more than 200 films a year, primarily as the principal marketing firm of the American Film Institute’s AFI FEST; Film Independent’s LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL (LAFF); and as the distribution/marketing arm of WOLFE RELEASING, the largest catalogue of gay/lesbian titles in the world. We also handle numerous films on an individual basis, ranging from Roadside Attractions’ crowd-pleasing Lebanese hit CARAMEL to Spain’s CRIMEN FERPECTO by Alex de la Iglesia (in association with Vitagraph Films) to the eco-activist documentary NOBELITY (in association with monterey media).

NAV is the first entertainment business model to directly address the emergence of new significant demographics in this country—especially, but not limited to, Spanish-speakers, South Asians, Middle Eastern Americans, Korean Americans and other Asian American communities. Other areas of New American Vision focus and expertise include gay and lesbian audiences, politically active/environmental communities and sports-themed programming.

As a marketing firm, NAV has worked on countless international hits including Romania’s 4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS AND 2 DAYS; the Iranian/French co-production PERSEPOLIS; Germany’s award-winning drama FOUR MINUTES; the Oscar-nominated documentary WAR DANCE set in Uganda; and the Oscar-nominated international co-production PARADISE NOW by Palestinian filmmaker Hany Abu-Assad (in association with Warner Independent Pictures).

In addition, NAV has handled distribution & marketing on such films as the Iranian/German co-production UNVEILED by Angelina Maccarone (in association with Wolfe Video), India’s THE JOURNEY by Ligy J. Pullappally (in association with Wolfe Video), the U.S. Latino production TORTILLA HEAVEN, the Mexican hit CANSADA DE BESAR SAPOS as well as many others.

New American Vision cares about two (2) things most of all:

Eliminating unnecessary middle-men in the licensing and distribution of independent cinema. We also hate to see filmmakers get screwed and do bad deals, so we try to help, and let the filmmaker decide what that is worth. NAV can't always do things for free of course as we have mortgages to pay, pets or spouses to feed…but our fee structure is usually “pay what you think we deserve” so that smaller films can actually see revenue and not lose it all to too many middle men. We don't take rights, and we don't do anything without a filmmaker's thumbs up.
Helping independent /art cinema find its audience and grow that audience via grass roots marketing and a more coordinated effort with film festivals and niche/segment marketing as well as segment market aggregated content for VOD, EST, DTO, and all the rest that makes up digital distribution. We are working on a few different film festival initiatives that aim to augment the festival circuit revenue for both festivals and filmmakers as well as enhance visibility so as to replace a less then viable theatrical model. We're focused on niche, world/arthouse and special interest/activist cinema.

Some of grass roots promotional partners that we work with on the fest circuit include:

The Actors’ Network • African Marketplace, Inc. • Afrique 360: A program of the Downtown Film Festival Los Angeles • Afro Funké • All Roads Film Project • American Cinematheque • APA First Weekend Film Club • Consulate General & Promotion Center of the Argentine Republic in Los Angeles • Asia Society Southern California Center • The Asian Professional Exchange (APEX) • Australians in Film • Black Hollywood Education & Resource Center (BHERC) • Canadian Consulate General • Consulate General of Brazil in Los Angeles • California Common Cause • California National Organization for Women (CA NOW) • California Lawyers for the Arts • Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE) • CARE USA • Changing Images in America • Cinema's Legacy • Congregation Kol Ami • Dance Camera West • Danish Film Fest Los Angeles • Trade Commission of Denmark Los Angeles • DIVA (Diverse and Inclusive Visionary Artists) • East West Players • EndOil • eyespyLA.com • The Advancement of Filipino American Arts and Culture (Fil-Am ARTS) • Film Expats • FilmAid International • Filmmakers Alliance • Flag Marketing • The Los Angeles Film and TV Office — French Embassy in the US • Gelson’s Cultural and Promotional Affairs • German Films • Giant Robot • Grindhouse Film Festival • University of Guadalajara Foundation • Consul General of Iceland Los Angeles • The Hollywood Hill • Human Rights Watch • InMyShorts.com • International Documentary Association (IDA) • Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) • Iranianhotline.com • Consulate General of Israel Los Angeles • Italian Film Commission • Japanese External Trade Organization, Los Angeles (JETRO) • Korean Cultural Center, Los Angeles (KCCLA) • Latino Weekly Review • Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) • Los Angeles Filmforum • LACMA Muse • Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF) • Latino Public Broadcasting • Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles • Levantine Cultural Center • Los Angeles Filmforum • Aria Program of the Los Angeles Opera • Consulate of Mexico in Los Angeles • NAACP Hollywood Bureau • National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) • National Teen Leadership Program • Noor Film Festival • NYU Tisch West Alumni Council • Organization of Black Screenwriters (OBS) • OUTFEST: The Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Film Festival • Pan African Film & Arts Festival (PAFF) • Québec Government Representative in Los Angeles • Russian-American Business and Arts Council • Screamfest Horror Film Festival • Slamdance Film Festival • thesmokingcocktail.com • South African Airways • South African Consulate General • South East European Film Festival, Los Angeles • Southern California Indian Center • The Sierra Club Angeles Chapter • Consulate General of Sweden Los Angeles • UCLA Center for Near European and Eurasian Studies • UCLA Extension Entertainment Studies & Performing Arts • UCLA Extension Writers' Program • UCLA Latin American Institute • UCLA Center for Near Eastern Studies • University of Southern California • The Valley Film Festival • Visual Communications (VC) • Women Helping Women • Women in Film • Women in Film International