Telepool has closed an all-rights deal for the UK with Dogwoof Pictures for the feature documentary A Crude Awakening by Basil Gelpke and Ray McCormack of Swiss-based Lava Productions.

The film about how humans are sucking dry our most valuable, non-renewable resource - oil - was released by Columbus Film in Switzerland as the country's first digital feature release, at around 25 cinemas in the German-speaking part from April and is playing at least 10 screens in the French half from this month.

McCormack told ScreenDaily.com, 'normally with Swiss arthouse releases like this, many cinemas have to wait for 6-8 used prints from the larger towns before being able to screen. Digital releasing allows all cinemas to screen simultaneously.'

The film, which recently won the prize for best documentary feature at the Palm Beach Film Festival, was sold by Cinetic Media, who represented the film for North America, to Red Envelop/Netflix and Sundance Channel.

A limited digital theatrical release was organised in Canada from March by Mongrel Media who had acquired all Canadian rights.

Moreover, Madman and Gil Scrine Films are opening the film on limited release in Australia this Thursday (June 7), before widening to 20 screens on June 14.

Topics