User:Dan Dassow/Up in the Air - Release Strategy

Up in the Air is a 2009 American comedy-drama film directed by Jason Reitman and co-written by Reitman and Sheldon Turner.

Jason Reitman has heavily promoted Up in the Air with personal appearances during film festivals and other showings. He indicated that he could relate to that lifestyle of the lead character, Ryan Bingham, and he enjoys it himself. "Yesterday [October 28, 2009] I took my 10th flight in 10 days so I live that life myself and I kinda enjoy it," Reitman said, "I think when you're in an airplane it's the last refuge for the people who enjoy being alone and reading a book."

Up in the Air was shown at a sneak preview on September 5, 2009 and September 6, 2009 at the Telluride Film Festival. Reitman had fueled speculation that he would give a sneak preview at that festival. He posted pictures from Telluride on his Twitter account. Prior to the first showing, people waited for two hours to get into Up in the Air. Hundreds were turned away.

The world premiere for Up in the Air occurred at this year's Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) which ran from September 10 to 19, 2009. The press showing was on Friday September 11, 2009. Public screenings were Saturday September 12 06:00PM, Sunday September 13 11:00AM and Saturday September 19 06:30PM. Reitman originally did not plan to debut the film at TIFF, since it was not scheduled to be ready for another three months. He rushed production so he could keep his Toronto debut streak going.

The first clip of the film debuted on Apple Inc. website on September 8, 2009. The first trailer became available on iTunes on September 10, 2009 and on September 18, 2009 it screened before the new movies The Informant! and Love Happens. The second trailer became available on October 1, 2009.

Reitman received Aspen Film's first New Directions Award and participated in a question and answer session following a 6 pm screening of Up in the Air on Friday October 2, 2009 at the Wheeler Opera House. The Aspen Filmfest runs from September 30, 2009 through October 4, 2009. It was shown twice at the Tinker Street Cinema on the closing day of the Tenth Annual Woodstock Film Festival 2009 on October 4, 2009. Vera Farmiga and Lucy Liu participated in a question and answer session moderated by entertainment journalist Martha Frankel after the film and in the Sunday noontime WFF Actor’s Dialogue panel. The 2009 Hamptons International Film Festival showed Up in the Air on October 10, 2009 during its run at Long Island, New York’s east end October 8–12, 2009.

The Spotlight Tribute held during the 32nd edition of Mill Valley Film Festival hosted an interview with Reitman and a screening of Up in the Air on Wednesday October 14, 2009 at 6:30 PM in the Smith Rafael Film Center, San Rafael, California. The Mill Valley Film Festival ran from October 8–18, 2009. It was also shown four times at the 53rd London Film Festival which was held from October 14–19, 2009. Up in the Air was the only American film to compete for the Golden Marc'Aurelio Audience Award for Best Film at the fourth annual International Rome Film Festival which ran October 15–23, 2009. It was shown three times October 17–19, 2009. Reitman showed Up in the Air at ShowEast in Orlando, Florida on October 26-27, 2009 and asked for the movie theater owners and managers to support the picture as fervently as they did his film Juno two years ago. Reitman also held a Q & A and pep talk with film students at the University of Central Florida.

The first St. Louis press screening happened on October 28, 2009 at the Tivoli Theater. Up in the Air, closed the Austin Film Festival on October 29, 2009 at the Paramount. Reitman attended the screening. The Austin Film Festival ran from October 22–29, 2009. The Palm Springs International Film Society showed Up in the Air at 7 p.m. Thursday, October 29, 2009 at the Regal Cinemas in Palm Springs, California. Anna Kendrick was present at the showing. Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick hosted a screening of Up in the Air at the Paris theatre, New York, New York on Thursday, November 5, 2009. On November 6, 2009 at 7:00 pm the New York City Apple Store in SoHo hosted a conversation with director Jason Reitman. On November 6, 2009 New York Times critic Janet Maslin interviewed Reitman and Kirn during a question and answer session which was held at the Jacob Burns Film Center after a screening of Up in the Air. The question and answer session was followed by a reception in the Jane Peck gallery. The Boston Sunday Night Film Club had a free screening on Sunday, November 8, 2009 with a Q&A session with Reitman following the screening.

Up in the Air was the centerpiece for the 18th Annual St. Louis International Film Festival, which was held November 12–22, 2009. It was shown November 14, 2009 at 7:00 pm at the Tivoli Theater in University City, Missouri with Jason Reitman and Michael Beugg in attendance. Kevin Renick, a St. Louis musician who wrote the song Up in the Air, performed half an hour prior to the screening. Yukon Jake, who performed during the wedding scene in Up in the Air, provided entertainment during the party held prior to the screening. The party took place at the St. Louis Ballpark Hilton and the Airport Hilton. Both are featured in the film.

On November 14, 2009, Paramount flew 50 members of the press to New York with Anna Kendrick, Sad Brad Smith and representatives of American Airlines to promote Up in the Air. The film was shown on the aircraft's video monitors during the flight from New York to Los Angeles. American Airlines provided the Boeing 767 gratis. Smith performed a few songs including Help Yourself in the aisle of the aircraft. On November 18, 2009 at 7 pm Back Stage and Paramount Pictures had a special screening of Up in the Air for Screen Actors Guild and Back Stage members at The Paramount Theatre (on the Paramount Lot), Los Angeles, California. The screening of the film was followed by a conversation with the cast members Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick. The Starz Denver Film Festival closed on November 22, 2009 with a screening of Up in the Air with an introduction by J.K. Simmons, who was in town to accept the fest's Cassavetes award earlier that afternoon. The 20th Stockholm International Film Festival which ran November 18-29, 2009 closed with a screening of Up in the Air on November 29, 2009.

The North American premiere was at the Mann Village Theater, Los Angeles, California on Monday, November 30, 2009 at 7:30 P.M. Paramount had originally scheduled the North American release for a December 4, 2009. With the enthusiastic reception it received at Telluride, Paramount later planned a release in limited markets on November 13, 2009, and a wide release on November 25, 2009 for the Thanksgiving Holiday. However, this release schedule conflicted with the release of The Men Who Stare at Goats, another Clooney film. Paramount then scheduled a limited North American release in twelve markets in fifteen theaters on December 4, 2009, broadening the release the next week on December 11, 2009 to 72 theaters. Wide release had been set for Christmas, December 25, 2009, but was moved forward to December 23, 2009. It was will be released in other countries beginning the early part of 2010.