"Famous Nathan", Lloyd Handwerker's Award-Winning Film, On DVD September 29th

FAMOUS NATHAN, LLOYD HANDWERKER’S AWARD-WINNING FILM, WILL BE RELEASED ON DVD AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 29th  

“A respectful account of an immigrant family dynamic many Brooklynites of a certain age might recognize, and of the heyday of a fast-food landmark that still draws multitudes." – The New York Times

"Both a wonderful true-life rags-to-riches tale and a vivid portrait of a colorful era.” – The Hollywood Reporter

Winner of Best Documentary at the Coney Island Film Festival

September 2, 2015 (New York, NY) – Film Movement, the distributor of award-winning independent and foreign films, announces today that FAMOUS NATHAN, by director Lloyd Handwerker, will be on DVD on September 29, 2015. The award-winning film, which has been called, “a compelling labor-of-love doc” by The Hollywood Reporter, chronicles the personal and public history of Nathan’s Famous of Coney Island through the lens of the founder’s grandson.

On the heels of a successful New York City theatrical run, FAMOUS NATHAN is the insider documentary by Lloyd Handwerker, grandson of Nathan Handwerker, who founded the legendary Brooklyn eatery and iconic New York institution, Nathan’s Famous, on Coney Island in 1916.

Over a thirty-year period, Lloyd has filmed, archived and researched the story of both his grandfather and the family-run business. The film contains never-before-heard audio recordings of Nathan describing his upbringing in a poor village in Poland, emigration to New York, and details of creating and running Nathan’s for over forty years.

Featuring interviews with extended family, friends and the employees who helped make Nathan’s the prototype for fast-food made with quality, love and care, it is also a story of labor and a chronicle of the people who spent their lives in the employ of Nathan’s. Their devotion to serving millions of customers in the hustle-bustle, nano-second speed, day-in and day-out grind of the restaurant is clear.

Rich in nostalgia, FAMOUS NATHAN pushes the boundaries of conventional documentary filmmaking, as kaleidoscopic and layered as Coney Island itself, capturing the honky-tonk, in-your-face spirit that was Nathan’s Famous in its heyday and today.

Available to own on DVD at FilmMovement.com and other retailers, the bonus features include:

·         Director’s Commentary
·         Additional Interviews
·         Deleted Scenes

Praise for FAMOUS NATHAN includes:

“Terrific documentaries are a dime a dozen; ones this multifaceted are to be cherished.” –The Village Voice

“’Famous Nathan’ contains a unique flavor that history-loving New Yorkers should relish.” –NY Daily News

“…and just as Grandpa left his name on an empire, his grandson has created something that'll be of value to New Yorkers until the last hot dog is gone.” – Film Journal

“And with home movies and private interviews at his disposal, no one is better equipped to tell this story.” – LA Times

“[Chronicles] the rise and fall of the beachside snack stand, with the humble hot dog joint standing in as a symbol for the American Dream...” – New York Observer

“...shows the tremendous highs and lows that came along with founding a New York City institution, and takes the audience along for a whirlwind trip down memory lane.” – AM New York

FAMOUS NATHAN (2014, 86 mins) Directed by Lloyd Handwerker. Starring Nathan Handwerker, Sol Handwerker, Murray Handwerker. USA. English. A Film Movement Release.Trailer, stills, and synopsis available here.

About Film Movement:
Launched in 2002, Film Movement is a full-service North American distributor of award-winning independent and foreign films based in New York City. Film Movement has released more than 250 feature films and shorts from 50 countries on six continents, including top prize winners from Sundance, Cannes, Venice, Toronto, Berlin, Tribeca and other prestigious festivals. Film Movement releases its films through numerous distribution channels, including thousands of art-house cinemas, universities and libraries; home video; television outlets; Cable Video on Demand (including its very own branded cable VOD platform—Film Festival on Demand—available in over 40 million US homes); In-flight Entertainment and broadband outlets. For more information, please visit www.filmmovement.com.