Additional screenings at Sundance scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 28 and Sunday, Jan. 29
Park City, Utah, January 23, 2017 – CNN Films and Gravitas Ventures have closed on a deal for the sale of U.S. content distribution rights, other than television, for acclaimed filmmaker Greg Barker’s LEGION OF BROTHERS, fewer than 36 hours following the film’s several minute-standing ovation reception at its 2017 Sundance Film Festival world premiere. The deal means Gravitas Ventures will acquire theatrical, SVOD, electronic sell-through, and other platform exhibition rights; CNN Films will retain rights to broadcast the film on CNN/U.S. The film will continue to screen with the U.S. Documentary Premieres (Saturday, Jan. 28, and Sunday Jan. 29).
Barker’s evocative, moving film reveals the ‘secret’ story of the fewer than 100 U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers deployed to Afghanistan immediately following the attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001. Barker (Manhunt, 2013 Sundance Film Festival) drew upon unprecedented access to several of these Green Berets, who, driven by a sense of justice, set off to serve as Afghanistan’s liberators in 2001, only later to confront the tragic and brutal realities of war. The film draws upon their extraordinary battlefield valor and their complex and powerful emotional experiences as American warriors when they returned.
“Gravitas is honored to collaborate with CNN and Greg Barker to share this powerful, true story of these U.S. Army Special Forces that is just as timely today as it was amazing in 2001,” said Gravitas Ventures CEO and Founder, Nolan Gallagher.
The agreement between CNN Films and Gravitas Ventures comes on just Day 5 of the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. International distribution rights for the film were sold to Content Media Corporation ahead of its Sundance opening.
“We were delighted by the powerful reaction to the film at the Sundance premiere and we are pleased to partner with Gravitas Ventures, with its proven track record for maximizing the theatrical and streaming distributions for important films like Greg’s,” said Amy Entelis, executive vice president for talent and content development for CNN Worldwide. “Our collaboration with Gravitas will bring LEGION OF BROTHERS to audiences in theaters and other platforms in 2017.”
The deal between CNN Films and Gravitas Ventures was negotiated by Stacey Wolf, vice president for business affairs for CNN, on behalf of CNN Films, and by Nolan Gallagher, CEO of Gravitas Ventures, on the company’s behalf. Cinetic was the sales agent for the deal.
LEGION OF BROTHERS is produced by John Battsek and Greg Barker of Passion Pictures. The film is executive produced by Amy Entelis of CNN Films and Vinnie Malhotra. The supervising producer for LEGION OF BROTHERS is Courtney Sexton, vice president for CNN Films.