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Kevin Smith returns to distributors in bumper deal at Sundance


A year after raging against distributors at the same festival, outspoken director Kevin Smith has now signed up to Phase 4.

12 months ago Smith premièred 'Red State' and then held a mock auction for the rights to his movie. 

Eventually he decided to go it alone, 'buying' the film himself for $20 and releasing it in the U.S. It was a messy release in the end, with memorable issues surrounding the film when it arrived in the U.K, but the critical reaction was one of the best Smith has had in years.

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In Canada, the 'Red State' was released by Toronto-based Phase 4 Films, and now they have stepped up and agreed to a new deal that will see 12 films per year released in North America under the "Kevin Smith and SModcast Presents" label.

Phase 4 CEO Berry Meyerowitz said:

“We had a terrific experience working with Kevin and his team on Red State in Canada, and are thrilled to be embarking on this new venture with him. This label will connect filmmakers and producers with a rabid audience of movie fans that only Kevin Smith can deliver”

'Red State' was released in DVD and Blu-ray on Monday.