On March 7 2017, 102 Distribution released on US digital platforms SmoKings, a documentary by Michele Fornasero telling the incredible story of two Italian brothers who started an online store for cheap cigarettes and "stoke the ire of both Big Tobacco and the Big Apple" (Marton Dunai, The Wall Street Journal). It’s like a gangster movie, a controversial story: there are no good guys, just small bad guys fighting big bad guys. It is a David against Goliath’s story. Who’s going to win this unfair battle? 

In 2004, the Messina brothers were sentenced by a NYC court to pay $174 million to Philip Morris for trademark infringement and unfair competition. During the release of SmoKings in Italy, the protagonists were forced to close their newly opened factory and sentenced to jail, under the pressure of tobacco cartels. After a successful festival career, the film has been released in several European territories where it created great controversy. The documentary is now released on iTunes, Google Play and all major VOD platforms. 

Short synopsis

The Messina brothers founded Yesmoke, a little tobacco company based in Turin, Italy. Originally Yesmoke was an online store for cheap cigarettes, selling mainly Philip Morris to millions of customers around the world. When sales reached over one hundred million a year, Big Tobacco sued them for 550 Million dollars, obligating them to shut their website down. As a result, the two brothers decided to build their own cigarette manufacturing company in the outskirts of Turin, taking the fight to Philip Morris in an effort to level the playing field. But today, the Italian government and their severe regulations has changed the course of this on-going debate.

FESTIVALS & AWARDS

Visions du Réel 2014 – Prix C-Side de Postproduction, Meilleur Film Suisse

Festival dei Popoli 2014 – Prize CG Home Video

Seminci - Semana International de Cine de Valladolid 2014

Zagreb Film Festival 2014 – Official Documentary Competition

Bellaria Film Festival 2015 – Best Italian Documentary

DOC/IT Professional Award 2015 – Audience Award

Kinookus Food Film Festival 2015 – Big Oyster Award

Cinéma les Rencontres du Italien 2015 – Audience Award

Thessaloniki Documentary Festival 2015

Bif&st - Bari International Film Festival 2015

DocPoint - Helsingin dokumenttielokuvafestivaali 2015

Molise Cinema Film Festival 2015 – Selezione Ufficiale

Solothurner Filmtage 2015 

Digital platforms where Smokings will be released:

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/smokings/id1189989807

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/movies/details/Smokings?id=F0809FADBB950344MV

Xbox: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/movies/smokings/8d6kgwx6gnq8

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Smokings-Carlo-Messina/dp/B06WGLQDLW/ref=sr_1_1?s=instant-video&ie=UTF8&qid=1488903289&sr=1-1&keywords=smokings

Vudu: http://www.vudu.com/movies/#!content/841422/Smokings