Kino Drives "Winnebago" To U.S. Release

A scene from "Winnebago Man."

Kino International has announced the acquisition and national theatrical release of the award-winning documentary feature "Winnebago Man," directed by Ben Steinbauer. The film will premiere in New York this July and expand to major markets during the summer and fall of 2010, with a DVD release planned for the holidays. Kino International is a distribution arm of the recently formed Kino Lorber.

The deal was brokered by Josh Braun of Submarine Entertainment on behalf of the filmmakers and by Donald Krim, head of Kino International and Co-President of Kino Lorber.

"'Winnebago Man' is a hilarious film experience and a profound personal study that demands to be seen with a packed theatre audience," says Donald Krim, President of Kino International, in a statement. "It's the rare documentary that comes along with such a satisfying combination of humor and humanity."

The film was listed as one of indieWIRE's annual critics poll listed as one the best undistributed films of 2009, and had its world premiere at last year's SXSW Film Festival. It details the story of Jack Rebney, who has delighted and fascinated millions of viewers with his hilariously foul-mouthed outtakes from an RV sales video--one of the first and most infamous underground videos to be passed hand-to-hand on VHS tapes, before YouTube turned it into a full-blown viral phenomenon. Filmmaker Ben Steinbauer takes on the task of tracking down Rebney.

"'Winnebago Man' embodies everything we look for in a film: it's relevant, intelligent, funny and moving, and it's an extraordinarily engaging story with wide appeal to viewers of all ages," says Janet Pierson, Producer of the SXSW Film Conference and Festival, in a statement. "We wish it great success in its national release, as we know how much audiences love the film."

"Winnebago Man" is produced by Joel Heller, Malcolm Pullinger and Ben Steinbauer, presented by the Bear Media in association with James Payne & FieldGuide Media, and is a Kino International release.