BILL W. Debuts as a Top iTunes Documentary on First Day of Release

The new documentary about Bill Wilson, co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, continues to defy the distribution odds.

2012-12-20

NEW YORK, NY, December 20, 2012 (Press-News.org) BILL W. was released on December 11, 2012 and immediately jumped into the iTunes' Top 10 Documentaries and Top 20 Independent charts. The VOD release follows a very successful seven-month run in theaters. The film, produced by Page 124 Productions and distributed by digital entertainment curator, FilmBuff, tells the story of Bill Wilson, the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous.

"Page 124 Productions has made such an important film," says FilmBuff's Head of Distribution, Julie La'Bassiere. "Its success on iTunes within its first week has proven that audiences are hungry for such socially relevant subject matter, and we are thrilled to be able to share it with them."

TIME Magazine named Bill Wilson one of its 100 Heroes and Icons of the 20th Century for the legacy he left behind in helping millions find an answer not only to alcoholism but to many other forms of addiction that destroy lives all around the world. Certainly Wilson, who strove to maintain his anonymity, was one of the least-known people on that list. "Bill Wilson was a truly remarkable individual," director Kevin Hanlon said, "who gets far too little credit for the amazing good he brought into the world. Our hope is that the film will play a small part in rectifying that situation."

"Part of the attraction to this story is BILL W.'s humanity and the sacrifice that he so willingly made to help others," said producer Dan Carracino. "He was a deeply flawed individual - an alcoholic whose drinking cost him jobs, his home, and even the possibility of a family. He threw away one opportunity after another, always picking up a drink at the most inopportune moment. Watching his life story, there are times you want to scream, 'No! Don't do that - not again!' But then he has a sudden conversion experience - a real white light experience - and, instantly, he's a changed man. And he dedicates the rest of his life to creating and sustaining Alcoholics Anonymous, which, of course, led to the entire 12-Step movement with its legion of similar mutual-aid groups."

Since its initial film release in May, BILL W. has filled theaters in the U.S. and Canada. It is now available on DVD from Page 124 Productions at billw.com/shop, and through FilmBuff on iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, and Movies On Demand (complete list of distributors below).* For more information, visit billw.com, "Like" us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and view the trailer on YouTube.

*Broadband VOD platforms: iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, YouTube Rentals and Vudu. Cable VOD channels: Time Warner Cable, Comcast, Cox, Charter, Verizon, Suddenlink, Frontier, and Mediacom.

About FilmBuff
Founded in 2007, New York-based FilmBuff is the leading distributor of incomparable digital entertainment. The Company draws upon its deep relationships within the film industry to curate content that consistently informs, entertains and inspires. FilmBuff designs innovative digital strategies to supply content to all on-demand outlets. Serving as a bridge between filmmakers and audiences, FilmBuff actively engages in conversations with fellow entertainment lovers through its exclusive access, original content and unique voice. Find FilmBuff content on all cable, satellite and telco services, game consoles, online retailers, wireless platforms and hardware manufacturers worldwide. Connect with FilmBuff at www.FilmBuff.com and @filmbuff.

Website: http://www.billw.com

Contact
Gregory Wilker
im@gregorywilker.com
415-388-8200

Ben Dorf
press@filmbuff.com
212-463-6403

Page 124 Productions is a documentary production company based in New York. The filmmakers are not affiliated with Alcoholics Anonymous.

[Attachments] See images for this press release:

BILL W. Debuts as a Top iTunes Documentary on First Day of Release 2

BILL W. Debuts as a Top iTunes Documentary on First Day of Release 3

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Whisky Marketplace Offering Brands of Whisky from Around the World For Last Minute Christmas Shoppers

2012-12-20

Online whisky shop WhiskyMarketplace.co.uk is now offering its patrons, a wide range of whisky blends from around the world. The leading seller of whisky offers everything from affordable blends to the rarest of brands from different parts of the world. The extensive whisky collection ranges from a few pounds to several hundreds or even thousands per bottle. A connoisseurs' dream, Whisky Marketplace UK offers whisky blends ranging from three to even fifty and sixty year old whiskies, boasting the widest of whisky online. The site is mostly known for its extensive Scotch ...

New Look Gets Behind a Cosy Christmas: Traditional Knitwear with a Twist Get Cool

2012-12-20

Christmas is most certainly here and with it the long-standing tradition of knitwear in a variety of styles; from the humorous to the Scandinavian-chic. One thing this winter is clear: Christmas jumpers once worn by Uncles and Dads are now the height of fashion. Vogue has heralded the movement as one to watch - it's a look that reaches its sartorial peak every festive season; however now it's a thing of cool beauty. There are many ways designers have put into action a large re-embrace of the humble knit - namely by staying loyal to a traditional tried and tested ...

Do palm trees hold the key to immortality?

2012-12-19

For centuries, humans have been exploring, researching, and, in some cases, discovering how to stave off life-threatening diseases, increase life spans, and obtain immortality. Biologists, doctors, spiritual gurus, and even explorers have pursued these quests—one of the most well-known examples being the legendary search by Ponce de León for the "Fountain of Youth." Yet the key to longevity may not lie in a miraculous essence of water, but rather in the structure and function of cells within a plant—and not a special, mysterious, rare plant, but one that we may think of ...

Study reveals how the brain categorizes thousands of objects and actions

2012-12-19

VIDEO: Humans perceive numerous categories of objects and actions, but where are these categories represented spatially in the brain? Researchers reporting in the Dec. 20 issue of the Cell Press journal... Click here for more information. Humans perceive numerous categories of objects and actions, but where are these categories represented spatially in the brain? Researchers reporting in the December 20 issue of the Cell Press journal Neuron present their study that undertook ...

Western University-led research debunks the IQ myth

2012-12-19

After conducting the largest online intelligence study on record, a Western University-led research team has concluded that the notion of measuring one's intelligence quotient or IQ by a singular, standardized test is highly misleading. The findings from the landmark study, which included more than 100,000 participants, were published today in the journal Neuron. The article, "Fractionating human intelligence," was written by Adrian M. Owen and Adam Hampshire from Western's Brain and Mind Institute (London, Canada) and Roger Highfield, Director of External Affairs, Science ...

Brake on nerve cell activity after seizures discovered

2012-12-19

SAN ANTONIO (Dec. 19, 2012) — Given that epilepsy impacts more than 2 million Americans, there is a pressing need for new therapies to prevent this disabling neurological disorder. New findings from the neuroscience laboratory of Mark S. Shapiro, Ph.D., at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, published Dec. 20 in the high-impact scientific journal, Neuron, may provide hope. "A large fraction of epilepsy sufferers cannot take drugs for their disorder or the existing drugs do not manage it," said Dr. Shapiro, professor of physiology in the School ...

UofL scientist uncovers how airway cells regenerate after chlorine gas injury

2012-12-19

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Scarring of the airways can lead to long-term breathing problems for some people exposed to high levels of chlorine gas from events such as an industrial accident, chemical spill following a train derailment or terroristic chemical warfare. Household mishaps from mixing bleach with acidic cleaning products also can cause release of chlorine gas; if this occurs in a poorly ventilated space, chlorine levels could be high enough to cause lung injury. University of Louisville scientist Gary Hoyle, Ph.D., School of Public Health and Information Sciences ...

Closest sun-like star may have planets

2012-12-19

Washington, D.C.— An international team of scientists, including Carnegie's Paul Butler, has discovered that Tau Ceti, one of the closest and most Sun-like stars, may have five planets. Their work is published by Astronomy & Astrophysics and is available online. At a distance of twelve light years and visible with a naked eye in the evening sky, Tau Ceti is the closest single star with the same spectral classification as our Sun. Its five planets are estimated to have masses between two and six times the mass of the Earth--making it the lowest-mass planetary system yet ...

NTU study finds ways to prevent muscle loss, obesity and diabetes

2012-12-19

A research study from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has yielded important breakthroughs on how the body loses muscle, paving the way for new treatments for aging, obesity and diabetes. The study found that by inhibiting a particular molecule produced naturally in the body, muscle loss due to aging or illnesses can be prevented. Blocking the same molecule will also trigger the body to go into a 'fat-burning mode' which will fight obesity and also treat the common form of diabetes. The exciting discoveries have led NTU scientists to embark on joint clinical research ...

Successful results against human leishmaniasis with a more efficient and economic vaccine

2012-12-19

A research coordinated by the UAB has succeeded in testing a vaccine against leishmaniasis. The vaccine was tested with the best animal model existing, the golden hamster, and can be produced at low costs by using insect larvae. The research, published in the latest edition of PLoS ONE, is an important step towards the fight against a disease which causes the death of 70,000 people each year in developing countries and of countless dogs, which also suffer from this disease and are its natural reservoir. Leishmaniasis is one of the main health problems existing at global ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

WPIA: Accelerating DNN warm-up in web browsers by precompiling WebGL programs

First evidence of olaparib maintenance therapy in patients with newly diagnosed homologous recombination deficient positive/BRCA wild-type ovarian cancer: real-world multicenter study