Gravitas Ventures Acquires Doc On “Deadly Practice” Of Conversion Therapy, Built Around Survivor Stories

EXCLUSIVE:  Watermelon Pictures has acquired North American distribution rights for Palestinian director Mohamed Jabaly’s documentary Life Is Beautiful about his experiences after he became stranded in Norway in 2014 when Gaza’s borders were shut indefinitely.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Manila-based production outfit Parallax Studio and entertainment company Saga Film Studios have formed a joint venture that will distribute the two-part Western epic “Horizon: An American Saga” in the Philippines. The deal is the first of a number of acquisitions planned by the joint venture. The “Horizon: An American Saga” films are directed by and star Academy Award winner Kevin Costner.

EXCLUSIVE: Level 33 Entertainment has acquired distribution rights for the United States and Canada to Ernest Hemingway adaptation, Across The River And Into The Trees, starring Liev Schreiber (Spotlight), Matilda De Angelis (The Undoing), Josh Hutcherson (The Hunger Games) and Danny Huston (Yellowstone). 

EXCLUSIVE: Quiver Distribution announced today the acquisition of North American rights to the upcoming psychological thriller Detained directed and co-written by Felipe Mucci (Two Deaths of Henry Baker) and Jeremy Palmer and starring Abbie Cornish (Amazon’s Jack Ryan, Bright Star, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) and Laz Alonso (Amazon’s The Boys, Avatar, Fast & Furious).

Addie Morfoot Contributor The May 17 release of the 2024 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue celebrates the swimsuit franchise’s 60th anniversary. A new documentary highlights the woman who founded the issue in 1964 – Jule Campbell.

EXCLUSIVE: IFC Films has acquired North American rights to Memoir of a Snail, a stop-motion drama from Adam Elliot — the writer-director behind the Academy Award-winning 2004 short Harvie Krumpet.

K.J. Yossman This year’s Cannes is set to be the most activist-heavy yet.

Cannes is not lacking for glamor this year, even in the documentary lineup.

What is the purpose of police in the U.S.? To ensure public safety, many people might answer. But that’s a thoroughly misleading definition in the view of Oscar-nominated filmmaker Yance Ford. In his new documentary Power, premiering on Netflix this Friday, the filmmaker argues policing in America is really about the maintenance and enforcement of a particular social order, one that privileges property-owning members of society while targeting and disadvantaging others.

After serving as the U.S. distributor for Julia Ducournau‘s Palme d’Or-winning 2021 body horror Titane, Neon is getting back into business with the filmmaker as the North American distributor for her next genre-bending feature, Alpha.

Jennifer Lawrence has attacked former US vice president Mike Pence over his alleged beliefs around conversion therapy.The harmful practice aims to change a person’s sexual or gender identity, and has long been discredited by medical and mental health experts, causing harmful effects on mental health.Speaking at the GLAAD media awards last night, the Oscar-winning actress was presenting the Vito Russo Award to singer Orville Peck when she cracked a joke at Pence.“I love the gay community. In fact, I was in love with a homosexual.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Pinnacle Peak Pictures is bringing a slate of faith-based films to the Cannes market, including a new installment in the “God’s Not Dead” franchise. Entitled “God’s Not Dead: In God We Trust,” the film will be released theatrically in the U.S. this fall, but, like the rest of Pinnacle’s slate, foreign territories are available to buyers.

EXCLUSIVE: International and indie film distributor Well Go USA Entertainment acquired North American rights to Little League baseball film You Gotta Believe directed by Ty Roberts (12 Mighty Orphans) and starring Luke Wilson (Horizon: An American Saga) and Greg Kinnear (The Present).

Addie Morfoot Contributor Kino Lorber has acquired North American rights to “Daytime Revolution,” a documentary about the week that John Lennon and Yoko Ono co-hosted “The Mike Douglas Show” in early 1972. Directed by Erik Nelson, with creative consultation from Ono and her son, Sean Ono Lennon, the doc uses archival footage from each of the five 70-minute shows as well as interviews with six surviving guests, including Ralph Nader, to tell the behind-the-scenes story of theses shows.

David Beckham's Netflix documentary was watched by millions across the world upon its release in 2023.The four-part series focuses on the ex-footballer's life, from his upbringing to relationship with wife Victoria. The hit show tells the full story of David's rise to fame, as well as Victoria's, with many hilarious moments thrown in. Fans loved Beckham and certain scenes even went viral on social media.

Tyler Perry has conquered the entertainment world — the creative force between two dozen films, 17 television shows, bestselling books and 20 stage plays. He built a thriving studio complex in Atlanta, and just today Deadline reported he has signed a first-look deal with Netflix to produce faith-based films alongside DeVon Franklin.

Dead and Company will descend upon Las Vegas’ MSG Sphere for a 24-concert residency.The forthcoming extended stay may come as a surprise to fans; in summer 2023, the band put on a ‘Farewell Tour,’ that they alleged to be their last.“There are other ways to make sure the music never stops,” the band shared in an Instagram video. “And it’s gonna be a ball.”If this sounds like the show for you, tickets are available for all Dead and Company Sphere concerts.And, given how expensive tickets were to see U2 and Phish at the newly-opened, high-profile, often trippy Sin City venue, prices are surprisingly reasonable to catch John Mayer, Bobby Weir and co.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Hot Docs is to honor Canadian writer-producer-director Alison Duke with the Don Haig Award, which recognizes “creative vision and entrepreneurship,” as reflected in her work, as well as a track record of mentoring emerging Canadian filmmakers. The award is presented to a Canadian independent producer with a feature-length film at the festival, with the recipient being selected by a jury of filmmakers.

The Sheffield DocFest will open with Academy Award-winning director Kevin Macdonald’s latest doc Klitschko: More Than a Fight, while Roger Ross Williams, the first African American director to win an Academy Award, is Guest of Honor.

Things are moving fast for the next installment of Survivor.