Founded by John Marshall and Timothy Asch, who were instrumental in establishing the Human Studios Film Archives at the Smithsonian Institution, DER has been distributing documentary films to the U.S. and international markets since 1968. Their films have been broadcast internationally on PBS, HBO and The Discovery Channel.
Early innovators in developing media based curriculum for classroom use, DER supports filmmakers with a long-term commitment to their subjects, ensuring integrity and a strong collaboration. Director William Tyler Smith is very pleased to be working with DER because of their extensive partnerships with public schools.
Says RMI president Jill Gambaro, "It seemed a natural fit to take a film about a school to the educational market. What makes this documentary such an important film is how it can energize children to participate in their own education. What better way to do that than by showing them
Imagine a School...Summerhill."
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2008 Asheville Film Festival: Debut Screening
On Friday, November 7, 2008
Imagine a School... Summerhill by director William Tyler Smith will have its debut festival screening at this year's
Asheville Film Festival in Asheville, N.C. (Nov. 6 - 9, 2008).
The feature documentary, produced by 418 films ltd. and represented by
Reflection Media, Inc., was filmed in England over a period of seven years.
Imagine a School...Summerhill follows four students from the ages of eleven to sixteen as they grow up and make important decisions about life and their education at the same time that they become involved in the legal and political fight to save their school.
RMI's quest to find innovative ways to bring films to their audience results in an exciting announcement: The educational and consumer DVD rights for Imagine a School...Summerhill have been sold to the prestigious distributor DER. 
