Sundance, SXSW and DIFF favorite BEING ELMO gets Fall 2011 release dates

Sundance, SXSW and DIFF favorite BEING ELMO gets Fall 2011 release dates

There is a God. One of our favorite films of 2011 was the astounding documentary BEING ELMO, which follows the career of Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash, going back to his origins in the business and leading up to his present day status. It’s a heartwarming journey and a fun film for all ages. It played at various film festivals including Sundance, South by Southwest, and the Dallas International Film Festival – always receiving positive reactions from audiences and critics. But for a while there was some concern over whether or not the filmmakers had found distribution for it to go wide. Today those worries are a thing of the past. In the press release which you can read below, BEING ELMO is going to be opening in a wide variety of cities throughout the country this fall, starting in October, and this is just the beginning list. More cities will be announced soon. You can see my interview with the creators of the film (Constance Marks, Philip Shane and James J. Miller) and Kevin Clash here. Also, if you missed it, check out our standout moment from this year’s SXSW Film Festival, in which I tickled the real Elmo…

Fresh off its double award winning festival screenings at the recent Michael Moore Traverse City Film Festival, the documentary feature BEING ELMO is gearing up for its upcoming theatrical run this fall beginning on October 21 in New York City. Winning the Audience Award and a Special Jury Award for Most Life – Affirming Documentary at the Traverse City Film Festival, the Constance Marks directed film continues to collect fans and accolades, and soon everyone will be able to experience the film. The film recently won the Audience Award at the Nantucket Film Festival, as well.

BEING ELMO chronicles the life story of puppeteer Kevin Clash – the multiple award-winning persona behind the furry red monster Elmo of television’s Sesame Street. As a teenager growing up in Baltimore in the 1970s, Kevin had very different aspirations from his classmates—he wanted to be a puppeteer. More specifically, he wanted to be part of Jim Henson’s team, the creative force responsible for delivering the magic of Sesame Street on a daily basis. With a supportive family behind him, Kevin made his dreams come true.

Combining amazing archival footage with material from the present day, filmmaker Constance Marks explores Kevin’s story in vivid detail and chronicles the meteoric rise of Jim Henson in the process. Narrated by Whoopi Goldberg and including interviews with Frank Oz, Rosie O’Donnell, Cheryl Henson, Joan Ganz Cooney and others, this insightful and personal documentary offers up a rare, behind-the-scenes look at Sesame Street and the Jim Henson legacy.

BEING ELMO will be distributed through Submarine Deluxe as follows:

October 21 New York, NY IFC CENTER
November 4 Los Angeles, CA Laemmle Theaters
November 4 Seattle, WA Landmark Varsity
November 4 Larkspur, CA Lark Thetater
November 11 San Francisco, CA The Roxie
November 11 Baltimore, MD Charles Theater
November 11 Maitlin, FL Enzian Theatre
November 11 Washington DC Landmark E Street Cinema
November 16 Boston, MA Brattle Theatre
Novmeber 18 Boston, MA Coolidge Corner Theater
November 18 West Newton, MA West Newton, MA
November 18 Philadelphia, PA International House of Film
November 18 Atlanta, GA Landmark Midtown Art
November 18 Minneapolis, MN Landmark Lagoon or Edina
November 18 Santa Fe, NM CCA Santa Fe
November 25 Tucson, AZ The Loft Cinema
November 25 Portland, OR Living Room Theaters
November 25 Coral Gables, FL Living Room Theaters
November 25 Hartford, CT Real Art Ways
November 25 Ann Arbor, MI Michigan Theater
November 25 Hudson, NY Time and Space Limited
December 2 St. Louis, MO Landmark Tivoli or Plaza Frontenac
December 27 Houston, TX MFA Houston

More dates and cities will be added shortly.

Winner of numerous film festival awards including a Special Jury Prize at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, BEING ELMO is directed by Constance Marks and produced by Constance Marks, Corinne LaPook and James Miller. The film is co-directed by Philip Shane and written and edited by Philip Shane and Justin Weinstein with music composed by Joel Goodman. James Miller is the film’s cinematographer

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About the Author

Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff.