Founded 1998 | ||
Clarendon Entertainment ("Oldco") was a New York City-based film production and distribution company that specialized in films and documentaries. Oldco was founded in 1998 by media entrepreneur Rodney Parnther and director Roderick Giles.
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Oldco was best known for financing and producing well-crafted high quality 35mm short films under the Urban S.L.A.M. (Short Live Action Movies) brand. Urban S.L.A.M. is a platform that introduces audiences to the work of a new generation of urban filmmakers. These films were generally well-crafted pieces that feature both established and emerging African American performers. The films have been official selections at prominent film festivals throughout the U.S. and have aired on cable networks owned by HBO, Showtime and BET. One of the shorts, The Tested, won the top prize at the 2006 Los Angeles International Short Film Festival, qualifying it for an Academy Award nomination.
Oldco distributed the Urban S.L.A.M. series in the home entertainment market as well as other titles under a multi-year agreement with Alternative Distribution Alliance(ADA), a unit of Warner Music Group. The series was presented as a collection of 5-8 high quality short films with compelling segments in between films. Oldco also offered colleges and universities across the U.S. live programs built around selected documentaries for Black History Month, notably From Martin to Tupac: Political Assassinations. This program completed a successful tour in February 2009, which included screenings at USC, Fordham University, Carnegie Mellon (UMC), Wellesley and Ferris State.
In April 2007, Oldco released The Adventures of Teddy P. Brains: Journey into the Rain Forest, the critically acclaimed first episode of a 3D animated series aimed at children 5–8 years old. The series follows the exploits of 6-year old Teddy, an African-American boy with a love for learning, his cousin Tempest Wits and dog D’Artagnan as they travel around the earth and back in time on exciting missions.
In March 2008, Oldco released the award-winning documentary Who Killed Martin Luther King?, directed by Emmy award-winning John Edginton, on DVD for the first time.
In the summer of 2008 Shoebox Pictures went into production on the feature-length version of The Tested with Russell Costanzo once more at the helm and Melissa B. Miller producing. The feature-length version expands on the controversial themes of redemption, justice, and the cycle of violence and stars Aunjanue Ellis, Armando Riesco, Michael Morris Jr. and Frank Vincent.
In August 2012, a new company was incorporated in Delaware by the founders and assumed the name Clarendon Entertainment ("Newco"). After a significant capital raise, Newco is now focused on helping filmmakers and other content creators raise money for their projects, primarily through crowdfunding and Sec. 181 financing. Newco is currently based in Fort Lee, NJ. Oldco was dissolved and is no longer active.