IFC Films' sister division Sundance Selects has acquired North American rights to Errol Morris' acclaimed documentary "Tabloid," the company announced on Tuesday.
Described as part black comedy, part film noir, "Tabloid" delves into the infamous "Case of the Manacled Mormon," which concerned a former Miss Wyoming who flew to England in 1977 on a mission to abduct the love of her life, hoping to liberate him from a cult. Morris uses interview footage to construct a tricky, "Rashomon"-like narrative full of both laughs and surprises.
"'Tabloid' is a return to my favorite genre – sick, sad and funny – but of course, it’s more than that,” Morris said in a statement. “It is a meditation on how we are shaped by the media and even more powerfully, by ourselves."
Sundance Selects will screen "Tabloid" at key festivals before releasing the film in theaters and on VOD this summer.
Morris' longtime collaborators Julie Bilson Ahlberg and Mark Lipson produced the film, which was one of the standout titles at last year's Toronto International Film Festival. Robert Fernandez and Angus Wall served as exec producers on "Tabloid," which is a Moxie Pictures presentation.
Submarine Entertainment's Josh Braun negotiated the deal on behalf of the filmmaker with Arianna Bocco, Sundance Selects' SVP of Acquisitions & Productions.
