Following an Unprecedented Film Festival Run, ESPN Films’ Critically Acclaimed Documentary ‘The Two Escobars’ Comes out on DVD and Blu-Ray November 9
To tweet this release: http://es.pn/b1WKZV
Ever since its critically acclaimed world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival and subsequent European premiere at The Cannes Film Festival, ESPN Films’ documentary The Two Escobars has thrilled film lovers and sports fans worldwide with the parallel stories of Colombian soccer player Andres Escobar and the unrelated, yet notorious Medellín drug cartel kingpin Pablo Escobar. ESPN Home Entertainment, in conjunction with Team Marketing, will release The Two Escobars – which chronicles the intersection of crime, sports and nationalism in 1990s Columbia, from award-winning director Jeff Zimbalist (Favela Rising) and Michael Zimbalist – on DVD and Blu-Ray, November 9, 2010.
Complete with never-before-seen video from the personal archives of Pablo’s relatives and new interviews with Andres’ teammates and family, The Two Escobars offers a complex and expertly crafted film earning the respect of many in the film and sports worlds.
The Two Escobars offers an unvarnished look at the circumstances where drug money fueled the incredibly popular national pastime in Colombia earning the phenomenon the underground nomenclature “narco-soccer.” The film also explores the permanent link between the fates of Andres Escobar, the inspirational captain of the beloved Colombian soccer team Nacional, and Pablo Escobar, whose Medellín Drug Cartel was considered by many the ‘ruling party’ of Colombia at the time. When Andres was murdered 10 days after scoring an own goal against the U.S. in the first round of the 1994 World Cup, it cost the country much more than a shot at the title.
Honored as the Best New Documentary Filmmaker at the Tribeca Film Festival for his Favela Rising, co-director Jeff Zimbalist commented, “This is a universal story of passions and dreams, and how national pride can be intrinsically tied to the rise and fall of a sports team, in this case, a soccer team.” Co-filmmaker Michael Zimbalist continued, “Stories such as this revive our childhood fascination with sports and confirm the fundamental role they play in shaping our world.”
The DVD will offer a number of bonus features including an introduction by Jeff and Michael Zimbalist along, with additional scenes titled “Maturana’s Soldiers” and “Cartel Games” and a historical featurette titled “The Other Side,” which captures the ruminations of the US soccer team on the infamous 1994 World Cup match.
The Two Escobars has a suggested retail price of $19.95 (DVD); $29.95 (Blu-Ray).
Bonus Features
| Street Date | November 9, 2010 |
| Direct prebook | 9/14/10 |
| Distributor prebook | 9/28/10 |
| Street Date | 11/09/10 |
| Pricing | $19.95 (DVD); $29.95 (Blu-Ray) |
| Run Time | 104 Minutes |
| Rating | TV 14 V (Bonus Materials Not Rated) |
| Aspect Ratio | 1.78:1 (16×9 Widescreen) |
| Audio | Stereo |
| Languages | Spanish Language with English Subtitles |
| Close Captions | Yes |
Film Festival Selections
Official Selection – 2010 Tribeca Film Festival
Official Selection – 2010 Festival De Cannes (Cinema de la Plage)
Official Selection – 2010 Los Angeles Film Festival
Synopsis
From award-winning Director Jeff Zimbalist (Favela Rising)1 & Michael Zimbalist comes a “gripping human drama” (Huffington Post) about the intersection of crime, sports and nationalism in 1990’s Colombia.
At a time when drug money fueled the sport known in the underworld as “narco-soccer”, the fates of Andres Escobar, the inspirational captain of Nacional, and Pablo Escober, the notorious leader of the Medellín cartel, were permanently linked. When Andres was murdered 10 days after scoring an own goal against the US in the first round of the 1994 World Cup, it cost the country more than a shot at the title. Complete with never-before-seen video from the personal archives of Pablo’s relatives and new interviews with Andres’ teammates and family, The Two Escobars is a “complex and ambitious” (NY Times) thriller SI.com calls the “best soccer documentary ever.”
1 Best New Documentary Filmmaker, Tribeca Film Festival, 2005
The Two Escobars DVD and Blu-Ray cover art
About ESPN Films
Part of the ESPN Content Development group, ESPN Films presents quality scripted and documentary film projects for television and theatrical release, including “30 for 30,” a celebration of the last three decades of sports timed with ESPN’s 30th anniversary and the recently announced motion picture project “Lombardi” to be produced in conjunction with the NFL, Andell Entertainment and Tribeca Productions. For more on ESPN Films: https://espnpressroom.com/us/media-kits/espn-films/
About ESPN Home Entertainment
ESPN Home Entertainment, a division of ESPN Enterprises, is a leader in providing sports fans with quality home entertainment products, including critically acclaimed movies, documentaries and instructional DVDs. ESPN Home Entertainment is one of many business units within ESPN, Inc., the world’s leading multinational, multimedia sports entertainment company featuring a portfolio of over 50 multimedia sports assets.
Press materials are available on www.espnmediazone3.com.
About Team Marketing
Team Marketing, a division of Wax Works / Videoworks, is a leading distributor of sports related content on DVD.. Headquartered in Owensboro, Kentucky, Team Marketing works in partnership with all the major studios as well as independent producers and suppliers of sports content to deliver top tier releases on DVD to retailers and sub-distributors across the United States and Canada.
-30-
Press Contacts:
John Murphy, MURTHY PR, (212) 414-0408, [email protected]
Alison Lazar, ESPN, (212) 448-4804, [email protected]
Clayton Nichols, TeamMarketing, (270) 926-0008, [email protected]
