Neon announced on Thursday that it has acquired the rights to the Laura Poitras documentary “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” which will premiere at the Venice Film Festival next month.
The Participant-produced documentary follows artist and activist Nan Goldin told through the slideshows, intimate interviews, photography and rare footage of her fight to hold Purdue Pharma’s Sackler family accountable for the opioid overdose crisis. It will premiere in competition for the Golden Lion at Venice as a rare nonfiction contender and also screen at the Toronto International Film Festival and as the Centerpiece presentation at the New York Film Festival.
“Nan’s art and vision has inspired my work for years, and has influenced generations of filmmakers,” Poitras said. “When we began working together, it was essential to us that the film see a theatrical release. There are no better partners than NEON and Participant and I am honored to collaborate with them on this film.”
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This is Neon’s third acquisition of a Poitras documentary, continuing the relationship between the Oscar-winning filmmaker and Neon founder/CEO Tom Quinn, who was an executive producer on Poitras’ Oscar winner “Citizenfour.” Neon previously released Poitras’ Julian Assange documentary “Risk” and the anthology documentary “The Year of the Everlasting Storm.”
Poitras and Goldin produced the film with Howard Gertler, John Lyons, and Yoni Golijov. Participant’s Jeff Skoll and Diane Weyermann; Clare Carter; Alex Kwartler; and Hayley Theisen are executive producers.
Participant’s Liesl Copland, EVP content and platform strategy, and Adam Macy, senior counsel of business and legal affairs, negotiated the deal with Jason Wald of Neon. Copland and Rob Williams, VP of content sales, and Submarine’s Josh Braun handled the film’s domestic sales.