Hope & Glory Pictures appoint Calacus to promote WWII movie
November 16 2010, London – International film producers Hope & Glory Pictures (H&G) has appointed Calacus to support its production of the forthcoming feature film ‘Death Match – Kolja’s War.’
Death Match follows the brave and breathtaking journeys of young Kolja – a highly promising football talent – and climaxes in the starving Kiev football team playing their final match against a specially selected team set up by the German Wehrmacht. Kiev won against all odds, but in an act of barbaric revenge, several players were executed or tortured to death after the game. Today the Kiev players are remembered as great Ukrainian heroes.
Death Match was developed by UK and Berlin-based H&G company owners and producers Anya Padel and Raphael Socha and will also be directed by Socha.
Raphael Socha said: “Hope & Glory is delighted to appoint Calacus to support our public relations for Death Match. Their knowledge of the sports and entertainment industries will help us tremendously and we look forward to working with them during the production. This is a very personal project for Anya and myself. Our family background goes back to Eastern Europe and Russia and several of our ancestors fought, suffered and died in battles and under torture during WWII, in some cases even had to fight against each other.”
Calacus Director David Alexander said: “Calacus is very excited to be working with Hope&Glory Pictures and will provide support and guidance as they look to promote the film production. The Death Match story is both poignant and timely, given that the UEFA EURO 2012™ takes place when the film is set to have its premiere.”
Death Match is set for production in June/July/August 2011 and for release in the early summer of 2012.
The film’s premiere is planned during the time of the UEFA EURO 2012™ tournament, to be hosted by Ukraine and Poland. A major open air film premiere is also scheduled to be held at the Olympus Stadium in Kiev on the evening of June 22 2012, the 70th anniversary of the first bombing of Kiev by the German air force which is also the opening scene of Death Match, the movie. The year 2012 will also be the 20th anniversary of Ukrainian Independence.
H&G are extremely honoured to have the backing of world famous Ukrainian sports legend and IOC board member Sergey Bubka for the Death Match project. Sergey has recently been appointed Ambassador of Ukraine for UEFA EURO 2012™ and has enthusiastically committed to become a patron and ambassador of this fascinating H&G production.
Former AC Milan and Chelsea striker and Ukraine football icon Andrey Shevchenko has also committed to playing an important Dynamo footballer from the historical Match and other international footballers and actors are also in discussions with H&G as casting continues.
Grygoriy and Igor Surkis, the owners of Dynamo Kiev have also expressed their support and are backing the project. Grygoriy Surkis is President of the Ukraine Football Federation and also a member of the UEFA Executive Committee and of the FIFA Associations Committee.
The producers are presently in negotiations with several international sales agents and distributors and will shortly announce their cooperation partner. Raphael Socha is set to work with top creative talent on the project as well as with Oscar winning crew to participate in the production of Death Match.
NOTES TO EDITORS
About Hope & Glory Pictures
Raphael Socha and Anya Padel have substantial experience in script consulting and international film financing, and produced and co financed several award winning, international feature films including The Seagulls Laughter, Oscar Entry for Best Foreign Language Film, the BAFTA-winning Kiss Of Life and Snowfever. Three further H&G films are in preparation for 2011 and 2012.
Socha has also produced and directed award winning and well known commercials, corporate films, music videos, as well as short films and a documentary. In 2001 Socha and his partner, Anya Padel, received, the most honourable award of the New York Festival, the UN Gold Medal for outstanding achievements in the Humanities and the Arts, from Kofi Anand, for their imaginative film campaign "Handicap" against the rise of neo fascist, right wing violence.