NEWEST DOC TRENDS: DISTRIBUTORS REPURPOSING SUNDANCE DOCS AS REMAKES OR TELEVISION SERIES

Ashley Elaine York @ Sundance 2011

February 3, 2011

Sundance is an influential film festival, there's no doubt about it.  Just like Festival Director John Cooper watches television with the intention of spotting trends to aid in his selection of films for the upcoming Sundance Fest, film and television distribution companies came to Sundance 2011 to create new trends by repurposing great doc films as either television series or remakes with an American cast.

HBO acuired Ian Palmer's KNUCKEL, a world cinema documentary competition film about Irish gypsy clans called "travelers" that traditionally have setlled their disputes through ritualized, bare-knuckle fighting.  In a strategic move, HBO intents to to repurpose this rare look at the brutal world where a cyle of bloody violence seems destined to continue unabated as a television series with partner Roughhouse Productions.  HBO didn't stop there; they also acquired rights to the Susan Saladoff-directed competition documentary, HOT COFFEE, for a mid to high six-figures that includes broadcast and Video On Demand (VOD) rights for two years, as well as a theatrical run before it premieres on the cable network.  The premiere cable giant also bought the rights to another competition doc, PROJECT NIM (which won the world cinema directing award for James Marsh last Saturday night) about one chimpanzee's extraordinary journey through human society.

Fox Searchlight was equally busy starting new trends and buying up some of the best films at the Fest.  First, they acquired the rights to BENGALI DETECTIVE, the Phillip Cox doc about police corruption and the private detective business in India, to remake it with an American cast for an American audience. Claudia Lewis, president of production at Fox Searchlight, didn't admit to this reasoning in her recent press release, only saying:  "We adored this film and are delighted to have the chance to work with such entertaining, funny material. We were charmed by this story of a dedicated husband and self-made detective who dreams big."  But, the original director, Cox, alluded to Searchlight's strategy by adding that the company has a good track record of “bringing stories set in India to a worldwide audience," austensibly referring to Searchlight's success with SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, which has grossed $141,319,928 at the box office to date.

Fox Searchlight also acquired most worldwide rights to the dramatic film HOMEWORK, a sharply written and subtle coming-of-age drama about teens of troubled parental relationships written and directed by Gavin Wiesen in his directorial debut, which stars Freddie Highmore, Emma Roberts, Elizabeth Reaser (the truly gifted actress from the TWILIGHT Saga, as well as CBS's THE GOOD WIFE), Rita Wilson, Sam Robards, and Blair Underwood.  Fox Searchlight Pictures Presidents Stephen Gilula and Nancy Utley announced that they also picked up the worldwide rights to the suspensful drama MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE, written and directed by the super-talented Sean Durkin in his stunning follow up to his 2010 Cannes award-winning short, MARY LAST SEEN.  MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE stars Elizabeth Olsen (sister of the famous Olsen twins) in her breakthrough performance, Sarah Paulson, John Hawkes and Hugh Dancy.  Both film are scheduled to be released later this year.