Theresa Stanley
After a successful launch in February, the local makers of a recent bourbon documentary are preparing to extend the film's global reach even further with a new distribution deal.
Lead by producer AJ Hochhalter, the creators of "NEAT: The Story of Bourbon" have found a worldwide audience for their beloved bourbon film, signing with THE ORCHARD, a division of Sony, as distribution partner. The filmmakers received offers from five other distributors, but the Orchard name and track record was the gold standard for them.
Theresa Stanley
AJ Hochhalter
The documentary was ranked on iTunes as No. 2, second only to a massive blockbuster hit, upon its release. It was also ranked as the No. 1 documentary download during Oscar awards season.
The "NEAT" creators signed a three-year deal with HULU, streaming the film around the globe. They have also signed with several airlines to show the film in flight, including United Airlines, British Airways, Lufthansa, and Canada Air.
“It really excites me that it is on a global route. We have been able to track transactional sales, buying it on Amazon and iTunes in European cities that those big airlines fly in and out of, since the licensing," Hochhalter said. "It’s been cool to see it get outside of Kentucky and outside of the U.S., and hopefully it will float around forever.”
The film has become a testament to bourbon's global popularity and a showpiece for bourbon fans worldwide.
“VisitLEX is thrilled with the success that NEAT has enjoyed and realizes that distribution through channels like Hulu provide an unprecedented opportunity to get the story of Kentucky bourbon in front of a global audience. The hope is the film, which celebrates the men and women of the industry and showcases the beauty of our central Kentucky region, will inspire global viewers to plan their trip to the Bluegrass — and experience the history and heritage of bourbon firsthand. We congratulate AJ Hochhalter and his team for producing such a high-caliber film, and hope this is the first of many to come,” said Mary Quinn Ramer, director of VisitLEX.
The film features Freddie Johnson, third-generation bourbon distillery employee, and Marianne Eaves, Castle & Key master distiller, as they share their knowledge of the spirit and experience. The people involved in the bourbon industry are the heart of the story for Hochhalter, who said he treasured his time with Johnson.
“The coolest thing I did connected to the film was being asked to give Freddie his induction to the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame," Hochhalter said. "In my mind, he was a Hall of Famer twenty years ago, but I got to be part of his story. I would have done all the work again for just that moment."
The film is available for purchase on iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play.