ENID, OK - After more than a decade in the works, the feature length documentary, Remember the Sultana, will have its digital release on Thursday, March 1st. The film will release on both iTunes and Amazon simultaneously.
-
In late 2001, brothers Mark and Mike Marshall had the dream of creating a documentary that would honor the lives of those who were on board the Sultana when the disaster occurred on April 27, 1865. In 2014, an incredible team of creative, dedicated, and extremely talented folks, along with the support provided by over 940 Kickstarter backers and donors, made the production of the documentary a reality.
-
Since then, team members and others with a passion for telling the Sultana story have brought the project to this point of distribution through iTunes and Amazon. And they continue to investigate other avenues of distribution so that knowledge of the Sultana and the events surrounding the tragedy can become even more wide-spread.
-
You are encouraged to participate in the iTunes pre-order phase, which starts NOW! This special pre-order LINK allows for $2 off all pre-orders before Thursday, March 1st, the official public digital release date.
-
The greater the response during this pre-order phase, the greater the rankings will be on iTunes for the digital release week. This, of course, can help determine the success and the reach of the documentary.
- - -
UPDATE: (February 12, 2015) The Enid documentary crew along with others on the production team will be assembling in Marion, Arkansas and Memphis, Tennessee to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Sultana disaster. Several significant activities will take place starting Saturday morning, April 25 as the City of Marion hosts the annual reunion of the Association of Sultana Descendants and Friends. On Sunday, weather permitting, attendees of the reunion will visit the site where the remains of the Sultana are buried. And the next evening will witness the premiere of the Sultana documentary.
-
The Marshall brothers said there were several reasons for selecting that date. First, it marks exactly one hundred and fifty years since the disaster. Second, having the premiere on a week night helped the crew get the theater they wanted for the documentary. And third, they wanted to preserve the flow of the reunion weekend events, especially for this very special Sesquicentennial reunion.
-
In the process of finishing the documentary, they are now approaching several distribution companies that will assist in placing the video in various media outlets such as PBS, various cable channels like the History Channel, on-line venues for video-on-demand through the internet, and other newly-emerging technologies they are currently researching. They also plan to offer the documentary, in both basic and expanded versions, through on-line shopping networks like Amazon as well as in the gift shops of the National Park Service battlefields and other Civil War-related stores and groups.
-
In addition to finishing the video, there is preparation of a curriculum for school students in at least the upper elementary, middle school, and high school grades which they hope, along with the documentary, to get into schools across the nation. They will also be fulfilling the 900+ rewards associated with the Kickstarter campaign. On top of all that, the Enid based production crew intends on pursuing all avenues related to moving the documentary to the next level, a major motion picture!
-
The Marshall brothers have been preparing for this story to be told since 2002 when they began planning the documentary. They are motivated and tremendously excited, but all of that is tempered by a realization of the great responsibility they have to be true to the story and, above all, to honor the memories of all those connected to the disaster.
- - - - - -
UPDATE: (November 18, 2014) We'd like to congratulate Mike & Mark Marshall along with Jeff Hoppingarner on their successful Kickstarter campaign. The three film makers from Enid set a goal of $75,000 to make the documentary of the Sultana, a steamboat that sank on the Mississippi River, killing over 1600 Civil War soldiers.
-
The Enid team enlisted the help of actor Sean Astin (Goonies, Rudy) and director Jim Michaels (Supernatural) to co-produce the documentary. The final tally was 930 backers with a total pledged of $108,156., which was 144% of their goal.
-
Many other actors and Hollywood production experts have joined the team to help produce and do voice overs for the documentary. There is still time to join the team and earn some incredible rewards. See the Kickstarter link below.
-
Now that the project has been funded the team will produce the documentary and then try to distribute it to television and on DVD. They are hoping for a opening premiere in Tennessee and a possible second one in Enid, Oklahoma. Way to go guys!!
-
-
The Sultana Disaster
-
Most people are familiar with the Titanic, but very few are acquainted with the Steamboat Sultana, the largest maritime disaster in American History. It happened on April 27, 1865; a Mississippi Steamboat named Sultana exploded, killing over 1600 souls aboard.
-
The Sultana Remembered
-
Enid natives, Mark Marshall (Free Willy Producer) and his brother Mike Marshall, were immediately hooked upon learning the story of the Sultana. Having interviewed several Sultana authors, historians, and descendants, the brothers became increasingly curious as to why there had been little media produced on the subject. Inspired by the factual details and personal stories, the two brothers began working on producing a documentary. They recruited Jeff Hoopingarner to direct the documentary and he too quickly became passionate about the story. Jeff intends to tell the Sultana story in a way that will honor its victims while remaining true to its historical research. Together, this team of storytellers aspires to bring the fascinating story of the Sultana disaster to Americans everywhere.
-
Here's our Enid Buzz interview with Jeff and Mark.
-
-
The first major announcement from the brothers was the involvement of their friend, Jim Michaels, Co-Executive Producer of the hit television series, “Supernatural.” Jim graciously agreed to sign on as Executive Producer of the “Sultana Documentary” (working title by the way!).
-
The second major announcement is that Sean Astin announced his formal involvement in the project as Co-Executive Producer and Narrator of the Sultana documentary. The Sultana documentary team is very fortunate to have the passion, drive, and experience of this fine actor (“The Goonies”, “Rudy”, “Lord of the Rings Trilogy”) and radio personality (“Vox Populi: Voice of ‘The Occasionally Interested’ People”).
-
Hear what Sean has to say and then make a choice to join the Sultana team as they prepare to launch their Kickstarter campaign. You will be helping them bring long-delayed recognition to those who endured one of the most terrible chapters in our nation’s history. Not only that, but you’ll be ensuring the story of the Sultana and all those affected by her tragic end will never be forgotten.
-
-
-
