PHILOMENA premiered in the main competition section at the 2013 Venice Film Festival where it took home the prize for Best Screenplay. Later, the film won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at the Hamptons International Film Festival. The Weinstein Company released the powerful film theatrically on November 22, 2013 where it has grossed over $34 million dollars to date. The film accolades continued with a 2014 Screen Actor’s Guild nomination for Judi Dench for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role and 2014 Golden Globe® nominations for Judi Dench for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama, Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope for Best Screenplay – Motion Picture, and Best Motion Picture – Drama. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominated PHILOMENA for four Academy Awards® including: Best Picture; Best Actress in a Leading Role, Judi Dench; Best Music – Original Score, Alexandre Desplat; and Best Writing – Adapted Screenplay, Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope. In February, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts honored Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope with the Best Adapted Screenplay award.

Judi Dench stars in the story of Philomena Lee, mother to a boy conceived out of wedlock and given up for adoption. Nearly 50 years later, Philomena meets Martin Sixsmith (Steve Coogan), a former BBC reporter looking for his next big story. Together, they embark on a journey to locate her long lost son. As the pieces of the puzzle come together, the unlikely travel companions form a comic and heartwarming friendship. Based on the 2009 investigative book by Martin Sixsmith ‘The Lost Child of Philomena Lee’, the film adaptation has been hailed as “a triumph for Judi Dench. Brilliant. A performance of grace, nuance and cinematic heroism.” (Mary Corliss, TIME MAGAZINE)

In his review for Rolling Stone Magazine, Peter Travers salutes Judi Dench’s performance: “It's Dench, showing how faith and hell-raising can reside in the same woman, who makes Philomena moving and memorable." Entertainment Weekly’s Chris Nashawaty raves, "Dench and Coogan's chemistry is undeniably great." Deborah Young asserts in her review in The Hollywood Reporter that director "Stephen Frears returns to top form in a touching, at times funny true story."

PHILOMENA has a running time of 98 minutes and is rated PG-13 for some strong language, thematic elements and sexual references. DVD and Blu-Ray™ special features include A Conversation with Judi Dench; The Real Philomena Lee; Q&A with Steve Coogan; and Feature Commentary with Steve Coogan and Screenwriter Jeff Pope.

Preorder Philomena from Amazon.com: Blu-ray + Digital HD • DVD • Instant Video

To learn more about the film, please visit www.philomenamovie.com

ABOUT THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY
The Weinstein Company (TWC) is a multimedia production and distribution company launched in October 2005 by Bob and Harvey Weinstein, the brothers who founded Miramax Films in 1979. TWC also encompasses Dimension Films, the genre label founded in 1993 by Bob Weinstein, which has released such popular franchises as SCREAM, SPY KIDS and SCARY MOVIE. Together TWC and Dimension Films have released a broad range of mainstream, genre and specialty films that have been commercial and critical successes. During Harvey and Bob’s tenure at Miramax and The Weinstein Company, they have received 348 Oscar nominations and won 82 Academy Awards.

Since 2005, TWC and Dimension Films have released such films as GRINDHOUSE; 1408; I’M NOT THERE; THE GREAT DEBATERS; VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA; THE READER; THE ROAD; HALLOWEEN; THE PAT TILLMAN STORY; PIRANHA 3D; INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS; A SINGLE MAN; BLUE VALENTINE; THE COMPANY MEN; MIRAL; SCRE4M; SUBMARINE; DIRTY GIRL; APOLLO 18; OUR IDIOT BROTHER; I DON’T KNOW HOW SHE DOES IT; SARAH’S KEY; SPY KIDS: ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD IN 4D; MY WEEK WITH MARILYN; THE IRON LADY; W.E.; CORIOLANUS; UNDEFEATED; THE ARTIST; BULLY; THE INTOUCHABLES; LAWLESS; KILLING THEM SOFTLY; THE MASTER; SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK; DJANGO UNCHAINED; QUARTET; ESCAPE FROM PLANET EARTH; DARK SKIES; THE SAPPHIRES; SCARY MOVIE 5; KON-TIKI; UNFINISHED SONG; FRUITVALE STATION; LEE DANIELS' THE BUTLER; THE GRANDMASTER; SALINGER and 12-12-12. Currently in release are PHILOMENA, MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM; AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY and VAMPIRE ACADEMY. Upcoming releases include ONE CHANCE and ST. VINCENT.

TWC also boasts an active television production division led by former Miramax Films Co-President of Production Meryl Poster. TWC garnered nine Emmy nominations in 2013. The Weinstein Company Television produces the reality powerhouse Project Runway, now in its 12th season on Lifetime; with its spin-off series Project Accessory and the critically-acclaimed Project Runway All Stars, hosted by Alyssa Milano. TWC recently launched Million Dollar Shoppers and completed Supermarket Superstar hosted by Stacy Keibler for Lifetime as well as Rodeo Girls for A&E. TWC is currently in production on Mob Wives Season 4 for VH1 and Welcome To Myrtle Manor Season 2 for TLC. Announced scripted projects in development include John Fusco's historical action-adventure epic Marco Polo and an adaptation of Daniel Stashower’s bestselling Civil War-era spy thriller The Hour Of Peril. TWC also developed Amy Sherman Palladino’s The Nanny Diaries for ABC and produced the award-winning HBO series The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, directed by Anthony Minghella.

ABOUT ANCHOR BAY ENTERTAINMENT
Anchor Bay Entertainment is a leading home entertainment company. Anchor Bay acquires and distributes feature films, original television programming including STARZ Original series, children's entertainment, anime (Manga Entertainment), fitness (Anchor Bay Fitness), sports, and other filmed entertainment on DVD and Blu-ray(tm) formats. The company has long term distribution agreements in place for select programming with AMC Networks, RADiUS, and The Weinstein Company. Headquartered in Beverly Hills, CA, Anchor Bay Entertainment has offices in Troy, MI, as well as Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. Anchor Bay Entertainment (www.anchorbayentertainment.com) is a Starz (NASDAQ: STRZA, STRZB) business, www.starz.com.

PHILOMENA Blu-ray™ with Digital HD UltraViolet™
Street date: April 15, 2014
Pre-book: March 19, 2014
Catalog #: BD61632
UPC: 013132616322
Run time: 98 Minutes
Rating: PG-13
SRP: $34.99
Format: Widescreen
Aspect Ratio: Widescreen 1.78:1
Audio: 5.1 DTSHD-MA

PHILOMENA DVD
Street date: April 15, 2014
Pre-book: March 19, 2014
Catalog #: WC61631
UPC: 013132616315
Run time: 98 Minutes
Rating: PG-13
SRP: $29.98
Format: Widescreen
Aspect Ratio: Widescreen 1.78:1
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1

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