Oscar Contender ‘Apolonia, Apolonia’ Gets NA Distribution Deal – Deadline

EXCLUSIVE: Grasshopper Film and streaming platform DOCUMENTARY+ have acquired North American rights to the Oscar-shortlisted feature Apolonia, Apolonia, a deal announced as the nomination voting window opens for the 96^th Academy Awards.

Grasshopper will release the film theatrically Friday at DCTV’s Firehouse Cinema in New York, “with a launch on DOCUMENTARY+ following all other traditional windows,” according to a release.

The film directed by Lea Glob documents the life of French painter Apolonia Sokol over a 13-year period, examining her attempt to maintain artistic integrity in an art world — and culture — where patriarchy privileges the male gaze over the female.

“The result is a moving meditation on friendship, personal and creative fulfillment, and both the liberation and limitations of the female body,” the release noted. “Over the years, both Sokol and Glob see again and again that the road to artistic achievement is not an easy or equitable one—and that women often have to make more sacrifices and overcome greater obstacles than their male counterparts. As The Guardian wrote in their review, the film charts the twin evolution of two women: the one in front of the camera and the one behind it.”

Ryan Krivoshey, founder and president of Grasshopper Film, said in a statement, “Lea’s achievement with Apolonia, Apolonia is nothing short of remarkable. Moving from Paris to Copenhagen to Los Angeles, it is an incredibly nuanced and incisive portrait, over a decade in the making, of a young woman artist which sheds light on entrenched inequalities in both the art world and the world at large. We are delighted to be working with the entire filmmaking team and partnering with DOCUMENTARY+ to bring this extraordinary film to audiences across North America.”

“Apolonia, Apolonia is a singular piece on the creative experience and we’re honored to work with Grasshopper to bring it to audiences on all screens,” said Shane Riley, head of sales and distribution strategy for XTR/DOCUMENTARY+. “Lea and her team of producers are ideal partners as we move into new territory with DOCUMENTARY+ and we’re thrilled to be collaborating on this unique partnership between a FAST channel and distributor from the first stage of acquisition.”

Glob, whose credits include Olmo & The Seagull (directed with Petra Costa) and Venus (directed with Mette Carla Albrechtsen), commented, “I am incredibly pleased that Grasshopper and DOCUMENTARY+ are ensuring that my film secures a position in the U.S. market. This means a lot to me, and at the same time, I approach the American audience with great humility. In the film, I follow Apolonia Sokol and her journey bringing her fine art to the U.S. Now, finding myself here with my own film, in a way, it’s as if the circle is closing, marking the end of one chapter and the commencement of something new.”

Apolonia, Apolonia won the top prize at the 2022 International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA). It also won top prizes at CPH:DOX in Copenhagen, the Hong Kong International Film Festival, Sofia International Film Festival in Bulgaria, and two awards at Millennium Docs Against Gravity in Poland, among many other prizes. Today, it was named a New York Times Critic’s Pick, with reviewer Alissa Wilkinson writing, “This is not the kind of documentary intended to help you learn about the life of the painter Apolonia Sokol. Unless you’re deep in the art world, you may not even know who that is. Instead, it’s a movie about life and how it’s lived, with Sokol’s portraiture forming a pleasing harmony rather than a narrative backbone… The point here isn’t to document the rise of a star, but to observe the process of making.”

The acquisition deal was executed by Ryan Krivoshey of Grasshopper Film, with Shane Riley of DOCUMENTARY+, and negotiated by Sigrid Dyekjær of Real Lava, and Catherine Le Clef of CAT&Docs. The film was produced by Sidsel Lønvig Siersted for Danish Documentary Production and co-produced by Małgorzata Staroń for Staron-Film. Executive producers include Sigrid Dyekjær, Hanka Kastelicova, Eva Mulvad, Pernille Rose Grønkjær and Mikala Krogh.

“After touring Europe extensively and attending various American festivals,” Lønvig Siersted said in a statement, “it brings us great joy to announce that the film has finally found a more permanent ‘home’ in the States. Our encounters with the American festival audience have been warm and overwhelming. Therefore, it is with pride that we can now confirm our collaboration with talented partners.”

“With this distribution agreement, we make it possible for American filmgoers to experience a wonderful friendship between two women, two artists, unfolding on the screen,” said Dyekjær, who won an Emmy for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking on Sunday for The Territory. “Apolonia, Apolonia is a beautiful and important narrative about finding one’s place in life, deserving of reaching a broad audience, and I am delighted that Grasshopper and DOCUMENTARY+ will contribute to accomplishing this task.”