Freedom: George Michael director’s cut set for global roll-out

by Andre Paine

The director’s cut of the Freedom: George Michael documentary is set to be screened at international film festivals.
The widely praised feature-length film first aired on Channel 4 in October 2017 to coincide with the reissue of Listen Without Prejudice Vol.1. Sony Music Commercial Group won for Catalogue Marketing Campaign at the Music Week Awards last week in recognition of their No.1 success with the reissue.
Pre-production, research and assembly of the film started in late 2014 with filming commencing January 2016. The original version was completed prior to Michael’s sudden death in late 2016 and subsequently edited for a TV special on Channel 4 in the UK.
Directed by George Michael and David Austin, Freedom: George Michael Director’s Cut tells the story of the making of Listen Without Prejudice Vol 1, as well as the court case which followed. It features a cast of contributors including Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Liam Gallagher, Tony Bennett, Nile Rodgers, Mark Ronson, Mary J Blige, Kate Moss, Tracey Emin, Ricky Gervais and James Corden.
Freedom: George Michael Director’s Cut will be screened at film festivals around the world, starting with Documentary Edge Film festival in New Zealand (May 13) and Krakow Film Festival (May 29). Further screening dates are still to be announced.

Source: MusicWeek

A message from George’s family (via georgemichael.com)

Hello everyone, & the lovely ‘Lovelies’,
Firstly, thank you for your sweet messages about Abby, she will be much missed but it is helping us all, imagining she has joined forces with Meggy, Mo, and Hippy up in the clouds….
Our Family feel, that the time has now come to share some decisions we have taken around our new reality, and situation since we lost Yog. That means we have had to come to decisions about many issues, some of which are more sensitive than others.
All of these decisions have been difficult but, they do need to be taken, ultimately keeping all things and all people in mind. One we have thought long and hard about, are the tributes at Highgate and Goring-on-Thames.
We’ve been touched by your many tributes celebrating and remembering Yog, reminding us how very much he is missed and loved. However, we feel we cannot expect our Highgate and Goring neighbours to continue to accept as normality, the memorials so personal to you all, to remain as and where they are any longer although, we do appreciate your recent efforts to minimise their impact.
However, this is what we feel we now need to do.
We would like to ask anyone that wants to, to come and collect your tributes to Yog, between the 1stMay (Tues) and the weekend of the 26th/27th of May, (Leaving any you wish us to have) so we can return both Mill Cottage, and The Grove to their former simple state.
This will take time to do properly, so we ask for your patience whilst trying to improve the grass and railings, at The Grove.
Yog liked his privacy, his homes were true havens for him (-such a Cancerian!) and, ultimately, long term, we know he would not want to disturb or change the quiet neighbourhoods he so loved, for the people in the local area, who honestly , despite reports otherwise have been gracious and very understanding.
As many people have now discovered, Yog did a lot of quiet giving over many years. Perhaps in his memory, you may want to ‘pay it forward’ and support, through either volunteering, or by way of donation, one of his favourite charities which, so many of you have already done to fantastic effect, or maybe some ‘random acts of kindness’ would be a fitting tribute. Sometimes it’s those little thoughtful things, which feel so good to do, that can really make someone’s day.
We like, whenever we are charged with making decisions in Yogs’ name, to think ‘what would Yog do’, and the family will continue to take decisions as we think he would have done.
We are hoping, into the future, to get back to you with some more thoughts on ways and ideas to remember Yog that we hope you’ll like, and be a part of.
Thank you all for your understanding,
Take care,
Mel, Yioda, Jack & David

Music Week Awards 2018

Catalogue Marketing Campaign Winner: George Michael, Sony Music Commercial Group

Last night (April 26) a sell-out crowd packed out London’s Grosvenor House Hotel for the 2018 Music Week Awards […]

For all the deserved celebrating on the night, two awards culminated in poignant tributes. When Sony Music Commercial Group’s team took home the award for Catalogue Marketing Campaign, head of marketing Joanna Kalli saluted the late George Michael, saying, “This project turned into a celebration of an incredible artist. The biggest honour has to go to George, so thank you George.” Later, Guy Moot from Sony/ATV Music Publishing dedicated their Publisher Of The Year award to the memory of Avicii, saying, “He was one of our great songwriters. A great loss.” Perhaps the biggest rounds of applause on the night belonged to them.

Source: MusicWeek