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Nothing So Strange

When director Brian Flemming ("Bat Boy: The Musical") approached us about financing and producing a feature film set against the fictional backdrop of Bill Gates' assassination, we recognized the explosive and immersive potential of the concept. Beneath the startling premise, however, was a deeper story about modern distrust of authorities, the desire for simple explanations for complex events, and the personal politics of grassroots activism. In the face of the events of 9/11, both the controversy of the premise and the importance of the deeper message became more pronounced.

After its festival debut at the Slamdance Film Festival in 2001, "Nothing So Strange" found acclaim on the film festival circuit and press, but rejection from fearful distributors (who worried both about Microsoft's potential reaction and the public's comfort level with a "dangerous little film".) Self-distribution, including bold moves to "Open Source" the original footage and stimulate downloadable cinema, was the only route available to us to reach our audience. Supported by a complex and realistic world of websites (which were launched even as the film was shooting), "Nothing So Strange" became a laboratory in which we learned new approaches for engaging the press and fans and extending the story told in the film.

Most of all, "Nothing So Strange" makes our list of favorite projects for the intense mixing of fiction and reality in every layer of the experience - from Flemming's expert positioning of actors in real life settings, to the fans who extended the story in ways that we would have ever imagined.