LAS VEGAS, June 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — During this year’s Electric Daisy Carnival Week (electronic dance music’s biggest festival of the year), Integral Entertainment Group (IEG), in partnership with Manifest, is pleased to announce the commencement of production on the documentary, As I AM: The Life & Times of DJ AM. The highly regarded filmmaker Kevin Kerslake has been chosen to direct. His last movie, Insomniac’s The Electric Daisy Carnival Experience, was also dedicated to DJ AM’s memory.
Yesterday morning, as part of a live panel during the EDMbiz Conference (which kicks off the festival), Kerslake indicated to a packed house of EDM industry leaders and attendees that the film, fully authorized by AM’s mother and his estate, will largely be based on the iconic late DJ’s own exhaustive, personal archives and interviews with key figures in his life, many of them avatars of pop culture.
“DJ AM is unquestionably one of the most iconic figures in EDM history, largely responsible for turning the world on to a new form of music and breaking down barriers between genres,” says Kerslake. “What a lot of people aren’t familiar with are AM’s personal struggles with adversity which are rather epic in scope. Ultimately, ‘As I AM’ is a celebration of his life, his skills, and his passion for helping people in their recovery. The film covers his entire life, from seed to sorrow,” he continued.
In addition to discussing film content, Kerslake proudly announced IEG and Manifest’s partnership with Front Row Networks, Inc., who will finance and distribute the film globally in 2014.
As a sneak peak, Kerslake then premiered a 3-minute trailer of the upcoming film, which left the crowd visibly and audibly moved.
Led by a group of accomplished entertainment industry executives with deep industry relationships in both music and film, Front Row Networks, Inc. is known for providing the best-in-class production, distribution and marketing capabilities, and delivering innovative, high quality entertainment.
Of the partnership, Front Row Network, Inc’s President, Eric Mitchell said, “‘As I AM’ is the perfect project to continue our company’s increasing investment and interest in the EDM genre, and we are thrilled to be working with Mr. Kerslake and the team at Integral Entertainment Group. Their passion for supporting this film and its subject matter makes them the perfect partner for this project.”
Thematically, the film details DJ AM’s personal journey, chronicling his brilliant career as a groundbreaking open format/mash-up DJ, his undeniable charisma, as well as his battle with addiction. A mash-up in its own right, the bedrock of “As I AM” is the haunting posthumous narration in Adam’s own voice.
Kerslake further mentioned that in honor of AM’s legacy, a percentage of the proceeds derived from the film will benefit the DJ AM Memorial Fund and its chosen charity, MusiCares.
About Integral Entertainment Group
Integral Entertainment Group is a full service production company committed to creating artistically driven, commercially viable cross media entertainment projects to a worldwide audience. Based in Los Angeles, IEG was founded by industry veterans with over thirty years experience collaborating and producing on numerous high profile projects including The Grammy Awards, HBO, and The World Music Awards on ABC, among many others.
About Front Row Networks, Inc.
Front Row Networks, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Writers’ Group Film Corp. (OTCQB:WRIT), is a Los Angeles-based production and distribution company. Front Row Networks, Inc. operates as a full service production and distribution partner to rights owners, enabling the turnkey development, production and distribution of alternative theatrical content including music concerts, sporting events, stage shows and other event programming.
About Kevin Kerslake/Manifest
After appearing in two Warren Miller films in his early teens, Kevin Kerslake embarked on a path to emulate the action sports filmmaker making surf, skate and ski/snowboard films throughout his hormonal years. Going on to become one of a handful of directors responsible for forging the visual identity of the MTV generation, Kerslake founded Manifest and directed award-winning videos for Nirvana, Green Day, R.E.M., the Rolling Stones, Rise Against and the Red Hot Chili Peppers; commercial and branded content campaigns for Nike, AT&T, VEVO, Coca-Cola, Quiksilver and Insomniac; and a number of core culture films and documentaries, notably Nirvana: Live! Tonight! Sold Out!, The Ramones: We’re Outta Here!, Quiksilver’s Continuum, and Insomniac’s Electric Daisy Carnival Experience, which was dedicated to DJ AM.
About The DJ AM Memorial Fund
The DJ AM Memorial Fund maintains the legacy of Adam Goldstein and his commitment to helping others with addiction. Utilizing media partnerships to garner support and increase awareness, contributions help organizations and projects committed to addressing issues of addition and recovery.