Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s directorial debut “Summer of Soul (… Of, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” was acquired by Searchlight Pictures and Hulu after the Sundance premiere, where he won both the Grand Jury Prize and the award. of the public.
“I am so honored to be able to reveal my dreams after all this time,” Thompson said in a statement. “It is truly an honor. ‘Summer Of Soul’ is a passion project and it’s incredibly rewarding to appeal to so many people on so many levels. I am very happy to start this new chapter with the team at Searchlight / Disney / Hulu and look forward to sharing the important story behind the film with the public worldwide.
The deal, mediated by Cinetic Media, is for worldwide distribution rights in the picture, with the film being released for theater, and exclusively on Hulu in the US and internationally on Star and Star plus.
The documentary was acquired for $ 12 million, two sources with knowledge of the agreement said that Variety restored the record of documentary sales that had been broken earlier when Apple and A24 acquired ‘Boys State’ at Sundance last year.
Disney’s Searchlight and Hulu landed the document in what was described as a bidding war between streamers, studios and specialized departments. But the doctor’s eventual record sale “confirms and appreciates black storytellers who have been underrepresented for years,” according to a person familiar with negotiations.
The documentary, produced by Joseph Patel, Robert Fyvolent and David Dinerstein, unveils the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. The six-week music festival, held at Mount Morris Park in Harlem, boasts a series of the biggest names in music, including Stevie Wonder, Sly and the Family Stone, Gladys Knight and Pips and Nina Simone. But how did a cultural moment, attended by more than 300,000 people, be remembered for more than 50 years in pop culture for the most part? The answer lies in the more than 45 hours of footage that Thompson and his team of producers dug up and are now being brought to the screen.
The project landed with Searchlight Pictures and Disney General Entertainment’s BIPOC Creator initiative, led by Tara Duncan.
“It’s rare to find a film that captures the breadth of the Black American experience and also wants you to dance, witness and sing out loud,” Duncan said. “Ahmir has given us a brilliantly produced, almost forgotten gem from our history, and we are honored to help bring ‘Summer Of Soul’ to the public.”
The chair of the searchlight, Nancy Utley and Steve Gilula, added: ‘Ahmir has created an incredible and inspiring debut film that is timeless and relevant. We are very proud to be able to bring this cultural celebration in the theaters as well as at home as widely as possible. ”
Rebecca Campbell, president of International Operations & Direct-to-Consumer, part of Disney Media Entertainment Distribution, calls the film “both a joyous and revealing documentary led by one of the most gifted artists of its generation.”
“We are honored Hulu and our upcoming Star and Star plus offering will be the exclusive homes around the world for this groundbreaking film,” Campbell continued.
“Summer of Soul” is directed by Thompson and produced by Patel, Fyvolent and Dinerstein with RadicalMedia serving as creative and production partners. The project is a Vulcan Productions production in collaboration with Concordia Studio, Play / Action Pictures, LarryBilly Productions, and produced by Mass Distraction Media and RadicalMedia.
“It was a joy to support Ahmir and bring this story to life,” added Jon Kamen, executive producer and CEO of RadicalMedia. “We are incredibly proud of the response the film received.”
“It was a dream to work with Ahmir to bring this long buried treasure back into the world,” Dinerstein and Fyvolent said. “It was overwhelming to see the audience rediscover this lost piece of history and fall in love with our film.”
“As people struggle to recover their lives in the midst of a pandemic, we feel this film will bring joy, along with the necessary exploration of important social issues,” the producers continued. “We could not have asked for a better launch of the Sundance Film Festival, and we are very excited to make an epic worldwide release with Searchlight Pictures, Hulu and the Disney family.”