Acclaimed documentaries get a national audience.
Not one of the throngs who attended the 2011 Sundance Film Festival to get an early glimpse at critically hailed films seeking distribution? Well, now you’ll get a chance to see two that have recently been picked up by major outlets.
The U.S. TV rights for Susanne Rostock's documentary Sing Your Song, about the life and career of Harry Belafonte, have been acquired by HBO. It will debut on the channel in fall 2011. Along with screening at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, Sing Your Song was also featured at the 2011 Berlin Film Festival. It was produced by Michael Cohl, Gina Belafonte, Jim Brown, William Eigen and Julius R. Nasso.
And on the hip hop front, Sony Pictures Classics has acquired Michael Rappaport's directorial debut, Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest.
The doumentary was produced by Rival Pictures and State Street Pictures, and was in the documentary competition at Sundance.
"I couldn't be more excited and proud that Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest is being distributed by Sony Pictures Classics,” said Rappaport. “As a first-time filmmaker, to have the support of SPC is like being signed by the NY Yankees. Telling this story was not only a labor of love, but also the most fulfilling accomplishment of my career.”
Rappaport is also currently in development with producer John Davis and Fox 21 on a 2011 version of The White Shadow as a cable television series.
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