Though the world for many of us continues to be a hellscape of Zoom calls and face masks, it's business as usual for distribution companies at Sundance this year. The festival continues to be a hive for talent and brilliant new films. Film companies have yet again spent millions to make sure they're the ones that get to show us these exciting new films. Here's a list of some of the most exciting acquisitions FilmHounds could find:
CODA – A film about a deaf fishing family – was bought by Apple for a record-breaking $25 Million. They've previously bought the documentary Boys State.
Together Together – a comedy starring Ed Helms about a single man who hires a surrogate mother – was bought by Bleecker Street.
Pleasure – a drama about a young aspiring porn star from Sweden – was purchased by A24. Mubi also has the rights for UK Markets.
Summer Of Soul – a documentary about the Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969 – was purchased by Disney's Searchlight and Hulu. Hulu bought Palm Springs with Neon last year.
Passing – Rebecca Hall's directorial debut starring Ruth Negga and Tessa Thompson – is in talks to be purchased by Netflix for around $15.75 million.
Flee – a mostly animated documentary about a child refugee in Afghanistan – has been co-bought by Participant and Neon.
Playing With Sharks – a documentary about Australian conservationist Valerie Taylor – has been bought by National Geographic Documentary Films. They've previously acquired Science Fair in 2018
Misha And The Wolves – a documentary about a Holocaust memoir with a darker truth – has been bought for distribution in North America by Netflix and in the United Kingdom by BBC Storyville. BBC Storyville has previously bought the meme documentary Feels Good Man.
Ailey – a documentary about the dance legend Alvin Ailey – has been purchased by Neon. They purchased Shirley last year
Jockey – a film about an aging jockey that hopes to win one last race – has been purchased by Sony Pictures Classics. They've previously bought The Truffle Hunters.
Prisoners Of The Ghostland – an action adventure starring Nicolas Cage – has been bought by RLJE Films. They've previously bought Colour Out Of Space, which also stars Cage and David Ayer's The Tax Collector.
The Most Beautiful Boy In The World – a documentary about Bjorn Andresen, who rose to fame at 15 – has been purchased by Juno Films.
Street Gang: How We Got To Sesame Street – an HBO documentary about the production and growth of the children's show Sesame Street – has been purchased by Screen Media.
On the Count of Three – a comedy thriller about a suicide pact – has been sold to Annapurna for a reported $2 million. The company has previously purchased Kajillionaire.
The line up for Sundance was as exciting as ever despite world events. If you want to see what FilmHounds thought of the films at the famous festival be sure to check out our reviews on the site!
