Los Angeles, CA – June 18, 2024 – Freestyle Digital Media, the digital film distribution division of Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group, has acquired North American VOD rights to the housing foreclosure-themed documentary ‘The House Next Door’, which will be available to rent or own on all U.S. digital HD internet, cable, and satellite platforms, as well as on DVD, starting on July 16, 2024, through Freestyle Digital Media.
‘The House Next Door’ documents the effects of the foreclosure crisis on Northeast Ohio and the neighborhoods of Slavic Village and East Cleveland – ground zero for this man-made disaster. There were many culpable parties including mortgage brokers, uninformed buyers, unscrupulous sellers who jacked up property prices, willfully blind appraisers who went along with inflated valuations, and mortgage bankers out to make mad money—along with Wall Street. At best, these individuals ignored the warning signs in favor of a quick buck; at worst, this was a giant conspiracy of complicity. And even though there were multiple guilty parties, no one went to jail except a few small-time property brokers in places like Cleveland.
The film examines the roots of the crisis, why Cleveland was so heavily impacted, how the city responded to clean up the mess, and—most importantly—whether this nightmare could happen again.
Written, directed, and produced by John P. Vourlis, ‘The House Next Door’ was also produced and edited by Graham Emerson Beck, with additional production by Evan W. Prunty. Individuals featured in the documentary include Barbara Anderson, Bill Behrens, Tony Brancatelli, Ron Byrd, Marc Dann, Frank Ford, Gus Frangos, Norman Lange, Ivan Lee, Blaine Murphy, Tim Petti, James Rokakis, Marc Stefanski, and Charles Stimac.
“I wanted to create a film that was informative, entertaining, and thought-provoking; a film that would open people’s eyes to the devastation that the foreclosure crisis brought to the city I love and call home, and to the incredible resilience the city showed in the face of an economic catastrophe that nearly destroyed it,” said filmmaker John Vourlis. “More important, I wanted to tell this story through the eyes of the people at ground zero—the people who were most directly affected by the tidal wave of foreclosures that nearly overwhelmed everyone involved. It’s their stories that compelled me to examine a key historical event in American history from a very personal perspective, and try to bring it home on a visceral, deeply personal level.”
Freestyle Digital Media negotiated the acquisition of ‘The House Next Door’ directly with the filmmakers and Sean Pope and Tiffany Boyle of Ramo Law.
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About Freestyle Digital Media
The digital distribution unit of Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group, Freestyle Digital Media is a premier multi-platform distributor with direct partnerships across all major cable, satellite, digital, and streaming platforms. Leveraging a robust infrastructure, proven track record, and a veteran sales team, Freestyle is a true home for independent films.
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Allen Media Group
Freestyle Digital Media
Contact:
Eric Peterkofsky
Allen Media Group / Freestyle Digital Media
310-277-3500 x124
eric@es.tv
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