Weinstein Company To Release Documentary 12-12-12 In Theaters November 1st

The Weinstein Company (TWC) announced today they will be releasing their benefit concert documentary 12-12-12 in New York and Los Angeles theaters on Friday, November 1st. The documentary is a behind the scenes look at the show, which took place at New York’s Madison Square Garden on December 12, 2012.

Spearheaded by TWC Co-Chairman Harvey Weinstein, Madison Square Garden Executive Chairman Jim Dolan, and Clear Channel Entertainment President John Sykes, the concert featured performances by some of the music industry’s most iconic acts: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Billy Joel, Alicia Keys, Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Roger Waters, Eddie Vedder, Chris Martin, Michael Stipe, Adam Sandler, Eric Clapton, Jon Bon Jovi, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Kanye West and included involvement from entertainment and media such as Billy Crystal, Susan Sarandon, Paul Shaffer, Brian Williams, Kristen Stewart, Jon Stewart, Chelsea Clinton, Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, Sean Combs, Olivia Wilde, Steve Buscemi, Chris Rock, Seth Meyers, Jake Gyllenhaal, Blake Lively, Katie Holmes, Jason Sudekis, Jamie Foxx, Quentin Tarantino, and Christoph Waltz.

The unprecedented gathering of talent who turned up on stage and behind the scenes of the concert helped to raise over $50 million in one night for the Robin Hood Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund. Likewise, all box office profits from the documentary’s theatrical run will go to the Robin Hood Sandy Relief Fund which supports organizations helping victims in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. 12-12-12 was produced by Amir Bar-Lev, Charlie Lightening and Meghan O’Hara. Victoria Parker was the executive in charge of the project at TWC and Paul McCartney and Scott Roger are executive producers of the film, which recently held its world premiere at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival.

The televised concert, 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief, was also nominated for a 65th Annual Primetime Emmy Award.

In a joint statement the producers of the concert, Jim Dolan, Harvey Weinstein and John Sykes said: “12-12-12 was one of the most remarkable events Madison Square Garden has hosted in its 134-year history. The music and entertainment communities came together in such an immediate and powerful way, and made a legitimate difference to those in the tri-state who were so severely impacted by the storm. The concert was historic, it might even go down as one of the greatest line ups of all time, but if you thought the concert was wild, wait until you see what happened backstage that night. This film takes you behind the walls of Madison Square Garden and into the production areas and dressing rooms of the biggest recording artists in the world to see firsthand how a massive event like 12-12-12 was created.  We’re thrilled audiences will be able to relive this historic event on the big screen.”

TWC will also hold a New York premiere screening of the film on October 28^th, the eve of the one-year anniversary when Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc on the Tri-State area. The screening will take place at New York City’s iconic Ziegfeld Theater, which was generously donated by Bow Tie Cinemas, and will be attended by people affected by the storm as well as many of the performers featured in the film.

“Robin Hood is honored to have been involved with the 12-12-12 Concert for Sandy Relief,” said David Saltzman, Executive Director of Robin Hood. “Thanks to the amazing generosity of the producers, the artists and more than 290,000 caring viewers from around the world, Robin Hood was able to make grants to 390 organizations in the tri-state area that are helping victims of the storm to rebuild and recover.”

Since the event, the organizations receiving grants from Robin Hood have:

• Helped more than 54,000 families as they return to safe and stable housing.
• Provided medical services and mental health support to over 65,000 people who were struggling in the aftermath of the storm.
• Ensured that 3,500 children would continue to receive their educational services despite the storm.
• Connected 49,000 people to counselors and attorneys to help them unlock the FEMA and insurance benefits to which they were entitled.
• Distributed over 1.1 million meals to families throughout the region.
• Provided job training in construction and disaster recovery to over 3,600 individuals.