Gravitas Ventures and Variance Films will jointly release in American: The Bill Hicks Story in theatres and on VOD on April 8.

The partners plan to expand the film about the iconic late Texan comedian into a further 25 theatres across the US in April and May. Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas directed the film.

In other news coming out of Sundance, Tiffany Shlain has received a $5,000 filmmaker grant from Women In Film, Los Angeles and National Geographic for her US Documentary Competition entry Connected: An Autoblogography About Love, Death And technology.

Deb Shoval receives the Women In Film / CalmDown Productions Grant and receives $5,000 and 5,000ft of film stock from Eastman Kodak.