About Passion River
Since 1998, Passion River Films has been devoted to acquiring, distributing and representing unique independent films and documentaries. Our award winning and festival favorite features have made their home on shelves of various notable film libraries and institutions. Our deep catalog represents films focused on a multitude of topics including Multicultural Studies, Women’s Studies, Medical Studies and Advances, Religious and Spiritual studies, Environmentalism, Aging, Drug Addiction, LGBT and more!
Passion River Films is a film distributor specializing in documentaries & indie films that engage with audiences and impact communities. We handle movie distribution to theaters, VOD, home video, and to academic and digital markets. Passion River's diverse catalog features Academy Award and Emmy-winning films as well as films that have been recognized at Independent Spirit Awards, Sundance Film Festival, SXSW, Tribeca Film Festival and many other prestigious events.
Passion River Films is a film distributor specializing in documentaries & indie films that engage with audiences and impact communities. We handle movie distribution to theaters, VOD, home video, and to academic and digital markets. Passion River's diverse catalog features Academy Award and Emmy-winning films as well as films that have been recognized at Independent Spirit Awards, Sundance Film Festival, SXSW, Tribeca Film Festival and many other prestigious events.
Allen Chou
President
Allen Chou is President and owner of Passion River Films, an independent film distribution company specializing in the release of films and documentaries that engage with audiences. Passion River handles distribution to theaters, VOD, home video, and libraries in public, academic and digital markets.
Allen manages a diverse catalog featuring Academy Award and Emmy-winning films and directors as well as films that have been recognized at festivals such as: Hot Docs, Sundance, SXSW, Berlin, Cannes, Toronto, Tribeca and many other prestigious events. In 2005, he established a distribution partnership with Netflix, resulting in over 200 titles released on their site. Allen has placed titles into accounts such as: Blockbuster, Hastings, Whole Foods, Barnes and Noble, Best Buy, Walmart, Netflix Streaming, Hulu, & more.
Allen Chou also manages the in-house social media marketing department and serves on the adjunct faculty at New York University teaching film marketing and distribution courses. He is a frequent speaker, panel moderator, and instructor on distribution and social media marketing at film festivals, industry conferences and universities. Allen attended New York University and received his BA in Radio,TV,Film from the University of Maryland.
Allen manages a diverse catalog featuring Academy Award and Emmy-winning films and directors as well as films that have been recognized at festivals such as: Hot Docs, Sundance, SXSW, Berlin, Cannes, Toronto, Tribeca and many other prestigious events. In 2005, he established a distribution partnership with Netflix, resulting in over 200 titles released on their site. Allen has placed titles into accounts such as: Blockbuster, Hastings, Whole Foods, Barnes and Noble, Best Buy, Walmart, Netflix Streaming, Hulu, & more.
Allen Chou also manages the in-house social media marketing department and serves on the adjunct faculty at New York University teaching film marketing and distribution courses. He is a frequent speaker, panel moderator, and instructor on distribution and social media marketing at film festivals, industry conferences and universities. Allen attended New York University and received his BA in Radio,TV,Film from the University of Maryland.
Josh Levin
Head of Sales & Acquisitions
Josh Levin brings the perfect mix of experience to the role, having been a film distribution executive, documentary film producer and art house cinema operator, as well as a professor of film distribution, marketing and finance at New York University and American University in Washington, DC. With that range of expertise, Josh is the ideal partner to help you navigate the waters of getting your film in front of audiences.
Josh joined the Passion River team in 2017, launching our theatrical releasing program prior to becoming head of sales and acquisitions in March 2021. Josh previously spent three years as the Chief Marketing Officer at Film Movement, the New York-based art house cinema distributor, where he created and managed marketing, advertising and publicity campaigns for over 25 feature films released to the theatrical, festival, institutional, home video and television markets. Projects Josh worked on included films from stars such as Philip Seymour Hoffman, Elliot Page, Sandra Oh and Rose Byrne, and top award-nominated directors Deepa Mehta, Joseph Cedar and Scott Hamilton Kennedy.
As a filmmaker, Josh has produced or executive produced five documentary features, including CORMAN'S WORLD: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel (Sundance and Cannes, 2011, national theatrical release, broadcast by A&E) and CAPE SPIN: An American Power Struggle (IDFA 2011, Film at Lincoln Center Art of the Real November 2012, platform theatrical release, broadcast by Link TV).
In 2010, Josh returned to his home town of Washington, DC and opened West End Cinema, named Washington, DC's Best Independent Movie Theater by Washington City Paper and maker of the Best Popcorn in DC (according to TBD.com). West End Cinema specialized in the kinds of art house fare that found audiences through grassroots and retail marketing, elbow grease and passion.
Josh joined the Passion River team in 2017, launching our theatrical releasing program prior to becoming head of sales and acquisitions in March 2021. Josh previously spent three years as the Chief Marketing Officer at Film Movement, the New York-based art house cinema distributor, where he created and managed marketing, advertising and publicity campaigns for over 25 feature films released to the theatrical, festival, institutional, home video and television markets. Projects Josh worked on included films from stars such as Philip Seymour Hoffman, Elliot Page, Sandra Oh and Rose Byrne, and top award-nominated directors Deepa Mehta, Joseph Cedar and Scott Hamilton Kennedy.
As a filmmaker, Josh has produced or executive produced five documentary features, including CORMAN'S WORLD: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel (Sundance and Cannes, 2011, national theatrical release, broadcast by A&E) and CAPE SPIN: An American Power Struggle (IDFA 2011, Film at Lincoln Center Art of the Real November 2012, platform theatrical release, broadcast by Link TV).
In 2010, Josh returned to his home town of Washington, DC and opened West End Cinema, named Washington, DC's Best Independent Movie Theater by Washington City Paper and maker of the Best Popcorn in DC (according to TBD.com). West End Cinema specialized in the kinds of art house fare that found audiences through grassroots and retail marketing, elbow grease and passion.
Jessica Conroy
Distribution Coordinator
Distribution Coordinator
Jessica has worked with Passion River as the Distribution Coordinator since 2019. She handles each title in the Passion River catalogue to assemble film packages and execute successful new releases in the public, academia and digital markets. Attentive to each film's success, Jess assists the Marketing team with the direct mail campaigns and other marketing efforts. In 2017, Jess earned her BA in Television and Digital Media at Montclair State University, where she discovered her passion for the film industry. Prior to her career at Passion River, Jess was a Talent Coordinator and substitute teacher at the Barbizon Studio for Acting and Modeling in Manhattan.
In addition to her responsibilities as the Distribution Coordinator, Jess is the Acquisitions Manager, she reviews potential or proposed film acquisitions to ensure that they are a good fit for the Passion River catalogue. The Acquisitions and Sales team is developing an internationally recognized reputation for helping filmmakers reach their audiences and impact communities across the globe. As a member of this team, Jess enjoys working with independent filmmakers who aim to push social, cultural, political, environmental, and economic boundaries with their work.
In addition to her responsibilities as the Distribution Coordinator, Jess is the Acquisitions Manager, she reviews potential or proposed film acquisitions to ensure that they are a good fit for the Passion River catalogue. The Acquisitions and Sales team is developing an internationally recognized reputation for helping filmmakers reach their audiences and impact communities across the globe. As a member of this team, Jess enjoys working with independent filmmakers who aim to push social, cultural, political, environmental, and economic boundaries with their work.
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