The free streaming platform Tubi, which boasts 64 million monthly active users, has officially released the award-winning religious tech thriller EXEMPLUM.
Made on a budget of just $9,500 from first-time director Paul Roland, EXEMPLUM combines classic Film Noir with Medieval morality tales and plunges the two genres into a paranoid technological thriller that centers on a young, media-savvy Catholic priest who teams up with a mysterious hacker to blackmail a wealthy parishioner with secret recordings of his confessions.
CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR EXEMPLUM
“EXEMPLUM is engaging,” wrote Rotten Tomatoes Top Critic James Berardinelli of Reelviews. “It points to Roland as having taken a promising first step.”
“It points to Roland as having taken a promising first step.”
Thank you to the great James Berardinelli of @Reelviews, a pioneer of web-based movie criticism and whose work has been a great influence on me, for this review of our film. https://t.co/mouf58xFkz pic.twitter.com/LYtBsWUYwo
— Paul Roland (@Prolandfilms) January 20, 2023
Conservative film critic Christian Toto of Hollywood in Toto also hailed EXEMPLUM as a “compelling tale of a priest’s fall from grace.”
“EXEMPLUM offers something meatier for secular and faith-based audiences alike. Its protagonist’s flaws are obvious, but his journey is both fresh and inviting. You haven’t seen a story like this before, and that’s refreshing,” wrote Toto in his rave review.
“Going into an indie film, no matter the genre, you do not know what to expect. This time, I was pleasantly surprised that it lived up to being a thriller that kept you on the edge of your seat,” wrote critic Jacob Airey of Studio Jake.
My award-winning feature film, EXEMPLUM, is now available for FREE on Tubi. You can also rent/buy an HQ stream at Vimeo on Demand.
“A promising first step,” wrote RT Top Critic James Berardinelli.
“Something fresh, vital,” wrote Christian Toto of HiT.https://t.co/FrLobDhIpX pic.twitter.com/3dWA64WIlL
— Paul Roland (@Prolandfilms) March 21, 2023
Conservative commentator Ian Haworth likewise applauded EXEMPLUM for its “fascinating exploration of the increasingly familiar clash of faith and fame through technology.” Haworth summarized the film as follows:
Father Colin Jacobi, played by Roland, is a young and popular Catholic priest who has thrown his weight behind the development of a video podcast which dissects religious issues through Medieval-style tales.
The catch? Each of these stories is based on secret recordings of his congregation’s confessions.
“In his debut award-winning independent feature film, Exemplum, director @Prolandfilms provides a refreshing and insightful critique of our society’s failings and struggle with morality.”
Check out my review of “Exemplum”:https://t.co/zGyJzFPXM2
— Ian Haworth (@ighaworth) March 9, 2023
FILM FESTIVAL ACCOLADES
Prior to securing distribution with the popular company Indie Rights, EXEMPLUM had a successful run on the film festival circuit when it won Best Director at the Pasadena International Film Festival (PIFF) in June of last year.
“We were up against films with 5 to 10 times our budget, most of which had either full-working or medium-sized crews,” the director previously told Breitbart News. “Most days we only had three people on set, including myself; some days we had only two. These were deeply talented filmmakers who had multiple projects (features and shorts) on their resumes and I did not expect to come home a winner that night.”
The moment I became an award-winning feature film director at the wonderful @PasFilmFest. I had no idea what hit me and I stuttered throughout my speech. A night for the ages. Thank you again for this moment. pic.twitter.com/WCUANMnTLj
— Paul Roland (@Prolandfilms) January 23, 2023
EXEMPLUM was also an official selection at the Santa Monica International Film Festival (SMIFF) and the Montreal Independent Film Festival (MIFF).
Breitbart News will continue covering the film’s progress throughout its promotional tour over the next several weeks.
Fans of EXEMPLUM can follow along on its Facebook page as well as on Paul Roland’s Instagram @prolandfilms or Twitter @prolandfilms. Official trailer below:
Watch EXEMPLUM for FREE on Tubi or rent a high-quality stream at VIMEO On Demand.