16:38 PST 1/31/2021
in
Etan Vlessing
The deal marks Neon’s second acquisition after catching the animated documentary ‘Flee’.
Neon picked up the documentary by Jamila Wignot Ailey, about dance and choreography legend Alvin Ailey, after his world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.
The deal is Neon’s second at Sundance, after winning North American rights To run away, an animated doc by Jonas Poher Rasmussen who has Riz Ahmed and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as executive producers.
Ailey debuted on Saturday, featuring audio interviews recorded in the last year of Ailey’s life and rare dance performances by the Ailey Company and firsthand accounts.
“Ailey it is a striking and inspiring account of a visionary artistic genius who used his gift of dance and movement to express the black American experience. Jamila Wignot created an indelible portrait of the artist and his work and Neon is thrilled to be part of continuing his legacy, bringing this remarkable film to theaters across the country, “said Darcy Heusel, head of impact and public engagement at Neon. , in a statement.
In your early years as a dancer, Ailey worked on Hollywood productions, including 1952 Lydia Bailey and 1954 Carmen Jones. He later appeared on Broadway shows, including House of flowers, written by Truman Capote, and Sing, Face, Singstarring Harry Belafonte, and formed Alvin Ailey American dance theater troupe in 1958. The group became known as the “Cultural Ambassador for the World” due to their many tours abroad. Twenty-five years later Ailey died in 1989, he was awarded a posthumous presidential medal of freedom by then President Barack Obama.
Ailey is directed by Wignot, produced by Lauren DeFilippo and edited by Annukka Lilja. Rebecca Kent worked as a file producer, while Naiti Gámez was a director of photography and Al Malonga was a production designer. Daniel Bernard Roumain composed the song.
The film is produced by Insignia Films in association with American Masters Pictures, Ford Foundation JustFilms, ITVS, XTR, Impact Partners and Black Public Media. Stephen Ives, Amanda Pollak, Michael Kantor, Emily Blavatnik, Judy Kinberg, Sally Jo Fifer, Tony Hsieh, Roberto Grande, Mimi Pham, Bryn Mooser, Kathryn Everett, Jenny Raskin, Geralyn White Dreyfous and Regina K. Scully executive producer.
The deal was negotiated by Ayo Kepher-Maat and Jeff Deutchman for Neon and Jason Ishikawa and Shane Riley of Cinetic on behalf of the filmmakers. Dogwoof is taking care of international sales.