NEW OCN Distribution Partner Labels Ensure Physical Media Will Have A Long Shelf Life

Vinegar Syndrome's sister company OCN Distribution adds two exciting new labels to their growing consortium of companies dedicated to preserving popular, weird, wild, and obscure films on physical media. That means more Blu-rays, more 4K UHD, and yes - even more Blu-ray 3D discs coming our way! 

News broke earlier this week ahead of the 4th of July holiday that exploitation label Culture Shock would be leaving the OCN Distribution partner catalog to go their own way as they expand their collection of titles. While exploitation fans may miss seeing new Culture Shock titles in the new monthly OCN releases, there's good news on the horizon. In a press release OCN Distribution details they've added two new exciting partner labels to their catalog ensuring that not only will their monthly assortment of exciting titles continue to grow, but see films earn their first-time releases on Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, and even new Blu-ray 3D releases! 

The first big highlight of the press releases is the news that the new imprint Art Label run by Warren Xian, formally of Culture Shock releasing, will be joining the OCN Distribution collective. As the name implies, Art Label aims to expand beyond horror and exploitation titles to encompass rare, obscure, and well-known art house titles.

The next big piece of news in this press release is that independent cinema caretakers IFC Films will be joining OCN Distribution! On top of their expansive back catalog, IFC continues to give new films a shot on home video rather than letting them get lost (or deleted) in the streaming weeds. This means back catalog titles that were only issued on DVD may see their Blu-ray debuts and even some 4K UHD upgrades as new titles continue to reach physical media!

Collectors should see the first releases from both Art Label and IFC Films arrive in December!

While it may be sad to see Culture Shock leave this exciting network, it's awesome to hear they're not going away either. When we have more news about where they land and when their next releases arrive we'll let you all know. HDD has had a great time checking out their discs so we're happy and excited to see what's next in store for them. At the same time, it's impossible to hold back enthusiasm for what's coming from OCN with two new labels and current partners expanding their collections. That just means more awesome new movies, more slick exclusive slipcovers, and more money happily vanishing from our wallets every month!

For all the gory details, check out the full OCN press release below:

OCN DISTRIBUTION ADDS TWO NEW PARTNER LABELS FOR FALL 2023

[Bridgeport, CT July 6th, 2023] – OCN Distribution, sister company of popular boutique genre home video label Vinegar Syndrome, is expanding its roster of Partner Labels in 2023 (and beyond) with at least two more new labels introduced in this calendar year. 

Following up the addition of labels like the Australian based Umbrella and the US based XYZ Films and Film Desk in 2023 thus far, OCN Distribution is adding two more exciting labels to its consistently expanding lineup this fall, while the current lineup will continue regular releases including the first 4K UHD from Canadian International Pictures and the first 3D BD release from any of the OCN partner labels, via Dekanalog. 

The first addition to the OCN roster has been years in the making and we are very excited to announce that IFC Films will be joining OCN, with extras packed upgrades of select titles, including some previously only released on DVD, alongside future UHD upgrades and new to home video releases. It’s a relationship that will build on IFC’s exquisite curation at the forefront of independent cinema both domestic and abroad, which has been cultivated for decades.

The first IFC Films release will land in December’s Partner’s Only month and its director, Alex Ross Perry, had the following to say about working with OCN on the release: "The work being done by OCN is invaluable when it comes to creating essential physical media home video releases of films that might otherwise not be given the luxury treatment. IFC's catalog is nearly unparalleled when it comes to crucial and significant independent cinema over the past few decades. The possibilities of this partnership are endless, and I am flattered that my previous work with OCN on the definitive Her Smell blu-ray - and their desire to release more of my films - has played a small role in building this relationship”. 

Also launching in December’s Partner’s Only month will be brand new imprint Art Label, run by Warren Xian, formerly of Culture Shock Releasing which will operate without Xian going forward. As many OCN fans are aware, Culture Shock Releasing will be parting ways with OCN this summer and will seek alternative means of distribution. Xian had the following to say about staying with OCN and forming his own label: “With Art Label, I am excited to broaden the horizons of what I was doing with Culture Shock Releasing. We will be expanding beyond horror and exploitation into past and present art house cinema, from the deep fringe to the well known. Working with OCN has been very liberating, allowing me to focus my energy on acquiring more titles and gathering more bonus material for each release, and I am delighted to be continuing that relationship.”  

OCN is very excited about these two new partner labels, and more labels to come in 2024! This fall will be a banner season for OCN Distribution, with an average of 15 releases per month from September through December and that will only increase going into the following year, which will contain even more surprises, including never before on disc titles, unexpected UHD upgrades, comprehensive filmmaker box sets and more! 

OCN, Vinegar Syndrome's sister company, offers up new details about what Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray collectors can expect for 2023

Fans of physical media know that Vinegar Syndrome has quickly become a premiere independent label delivering cult classics of all flavors to 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and Blu-ray. Part of those efforts have been expanded with their sister company OCN Distribution which handles all of their Partner Label's new exciting releases each and every month. 2023 is going to be another exciting year for collectors. Australian label Umbrella Entertainment has joined the OCN ranks offering up their first Blu-ray release through this new partnership with a new Limited Edition of 2003's Undead. 

As Terror Vision and Fun City Editions will be leaving OCN for new distribution opportunities, newcomers XYZ Films and The Film Desk will be debuting their first releases soon and Vinegar Syndrome Partner Label favorite AFGA will be offering up their first 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release. Apparently, other OCN labels will also be making the leap to 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray in the coming months as well. While not included with Vinegar Syndrome's annual subscription plans, subscribers can get some welcome discounts on these discs and add even more obscure genre favorites to their collections! 

Check out the full OCN press release below for more details:

OCN DISTRIBUTION EXPANDS LABEL ROSTER FOR 2023 WHILE CELEBRATING MILESTONES

[Bridgeport, CT January 17th, 2023] – OCN Distribution, sister company of popular boutique genre home video label Vinegar Syndrome, is expanding its roster of Partner Labels in 2023 (and beyond) with at least three new labels introduced in this calendar year.

Australian home video juggernauts Umbrella Entertainment joined the fold in January with a domestic blu-ray release of the sci-fi, horror, action, comedy hybrid UNDEAD and have at least a half dozen releases expected to hit American shores in 2023. Speaking on the new relationship with OCN, Hudson Sowada, National Sales Manager for Umbrella, said "Umbrella Entertainment is beyond thrilled to announce its official partnership with kindred spirit and long-time collaborators Vinegar Syndrome via OCN. Umbrella has spent the last 20 years unearthing and restoring the wild side of Australian cinema and now, we unleash it with the OCN’s signature touch. So brace yourselves yanks, this is how we do it downunder!”

In the coming months, two American independent distributors will debut home video releases with OCN with genre focused XYZ Films and The Film Desk, a repertory art-house focused project by celebrated film programmer Jacob Perlin, both of who will see their first releases with OCN released this spring. Both companies see the importance in physical media for distribution of their films with James Shapiro of XYZ stating “I've admired OCN since its beginning and the incredible labels Justin has gathered under its umbrella. In this new digital age, packaged goods is the only way to ensure movies are truly owned by the folks who love them, and I am so proud XYZ is working with the best Blu Ray distributors in the business” and Perlin stating "I have loved OCN's partner label releases from the moment I saw them.  With the new Film Desk titles, either new to blu-ray or first time ever released on disc, I am thrilled to now have our own line where we can really dig into these titles in special editions that share our enthusiasm for these great works."

The existing roster of over twenty Partner Labels will continue to release carefully curated and packaged products throughout the year with longtime labels like the non-profit AGFA celebrating major milestones like their fiftieth disc release and also their first 4K UHD release. "Our home video label wouldn't be what it is today without OCN," said Joe Ziemba, AGFA Creative Director. "They made our releases more accessible to the public and encouraged us to hit the ground running. And that's how physical media become an essential component for fulfilling our non-profit mission—we couldn't have done it without them." Other OCN Partner Labels will make the jump to 4K UHD releases in 2023 as well, including Canadian International Pictures who are celebrating their first UHD release this year with a new 4K restoration of an often overlooked Canadian exploitation gem.

While celebrating new labels coming in, OCN is also sending well wishes to labels that have moved on to different means of distribution. Terror Vision will now handle self-distribution of their home video releases while continuing to partner with OCN on exclusive vinyl variants of their upcoming record releases which will be sold via the Vinegar Syndrome website. Fun City Editions will, following an upcoming release in March, be distributed exclusively by MVD. Certain previously released titles will continue to be exclusively distributed by OCN.

2023 is already proving to be an exciting year for OCN, with much more planned than has been revealed here, including more new Partner Labels, high profile releases and more surprises to be announced at a later date, all of which intends to provide the highest quality home video product to consumers, from a carefully curated group of Partner Labels that share the same principles and passion for the format.