Kino Lorber has acquired North American distribution rights to Soul Patrol, for which J M Harper won the US Documentary Competition Directing Award at this year’s Sundance.
Kino Lorber, which negotiated the acquisition with CAA and Submarine, is planning an awards season theatrical release this autumn followed by a digital, educational and home video release.
The documentary, based on the memoir by Ed Emanuel, focuses on the first all-Black special operations team, a US military unit that operated behind enemy lines in the Vietnam War. The film uses Super 8 footage, photographs and audio recordings from the African-American veterans’ personal archives, and reunites the surviving members.
After its Sundance premiere, Soul Patrol screened at the True/False Film Festival, the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival and DC/DOX, and won the top documentary prize at the Sarasota Film Festival.
Harper commented: “Making Soul Patrol has been one of the great honours of my life. Ed Emanuel trusted us with a story that he and these soldiers have carried quietly for half a century, and our hope has always been that the film could help restore their place in history. Kino Lorber has long championed films that preserve memory, challenge viewers and expand the cultural record, so this partnership feels especially meaningful. We’re excited for Soul Patrol to reach a wider audience and for this extraordinary, long-overlooked story to be seen in theatres.”
Kino Lorber chief distribution and revenue officer Lisa Schwartz added: “Soul Patrol stayed with me long after its Sundance premiere earlier this year. It was unbelievable that the story of this incredible group of veterans had not been told long ago, and I knew immediately that we needed to be a part of this film. With stunning archival footage, impressive cinematic style and honest emotional moments, Soul Patrol is essential documentary storytelling that honours a group of men whose recognition is long overdue. We’re grateful to Ed Emanuel for sharing his story and to J M Harper for his exceptional work and talent bringing it to life. We couldn’t be more proud to bring this film to North American audiences.”
No comments yet