Ahmir’s “Questlove” Thompson debut, “Summer of Soul (… Or, When the revolution couldn’t be televised)” was acquired by Searchlight Pictures and Hulu after its Sundance debut, where it won the Grand Jury award and the Público award.
“I am very honored to be able to manifest my dreams after all this time,” Thompson said in a statement. “This is truly an honor. ‘Summer Of Soul’ is a passionate project and having it resonate with so many people on so many levels was incredibly rewarding. I am very happy to start this new chapter with the Searchlight / Disney / Hulu team and I look forward to sharing the important story behind the film with audiences worldwide.
The deal, brokered by Cinetic Media, is for the worldwide distribution rights of the image, with the film set for release in theaters, as well as exclusive broadcast on Hulu in the United States and internationally on Star and Star plus.
The documentary was acquired for about $ 12 million, two sources with knowledge of the business told Variety, resetting the record sales record previously broken when Apple and A24 acquired “Boys State” at Sundance last year.
Disney’s Searchlight and Hulu placed the doc in what has been described as a bidding war between streamers, studios and specialized divisions. But the eventual record sale of the doc “validates and values black storytellers who have been underrepresented for many years,” according to an individual familiar with negotiations.
The documentary, produced by Joseph Patel, Robert Fyvolent and David Dinerstein, reveals the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. The six-week music festival, held at Mount Morris Park in Harlem, featured a program by some of the biggest names in music, including Stevie Wonder, Sly and the Family Stone, Gladys Knight and Pips and Nina Simone. But how was a cultural moment attended by more than 300,000 people largely overlooked in pop culture for more than 50 years? The answer lies in the more than 45 hours of footage that Thompson and his team of producers dug up and are now bringing to the screen.
The project was successful with the BIPOC Creator initiative from Searchlight Pictures and Disney General Entertainment, led by Tara Duncan.
“It is rare to find a film that captures the breadth of the black American experience and also makes you want to dance, witness and sing out loud,” said Duncan. “Ahmir presented us with a jewel brilliantly crafted and almost forgotten in our history, and we are honored to help bring ‘Summer Of Soul’ to the public.”
Searchlight presidents, 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 involved in bringing this cultural celebration to the widest possible audience, both in theaters and at home. “
Rebecca Campbell, president of International Operations & Direct-to-Consumer, part of Disney Media Entertainment Distribution, called the film “a joyful and revealing documentary directed by one of the most talented artists of her generation”.
“We are honored with Hulu and our next Star and Star plus offers will be the exclusive streaming houses worldwide for this groundbreaking film,” continued Campbell.
“Summer of Soul” is directed by Thompson and produced by Patel, Fyvolent and Dinerstein with RadicalMedia acting as a creative and production partner. The project is a production of Vulcan Productions in association 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 extremely proud of the reaction the film had.”
“It was a dream to work with Ahmir to bring this long-buried treasure back to the world,” said Dinerstein and Fyvolent. “It is amazing to see the audience rediscover this lost piece of history and fall in love with our film.”
“As people struggle to restore their lives in the midst of a pandemic, we feel that this film will bring joy, along with a necessary reexamination of important social issues,” continued the producers. “We couldn’t have asked for a better launch for the Sundance Film Festival and we are deeply excited to partner with Searchlight Pictures, Hulu and the Disney family on an epic global release.”