Triumph For Black Cinema As ‘Birth Of A Nation’ Bags A Cool $17.5 Million At Sundance

The film reportedly caused a bidding war going upto $20 Million from various conglomerates.

The Sundance Film Festival has always been a showcase of some of the best in the world of cinema. Giving a platform to upcoming talent and even veterans, the festival is responsible in many ways for making or breaking the careers of many. This year, “Birth of a Nation,” a drama about the 1831 slave rebellion led by Nat Turner, had a wildly successful premiere.

The film was written and directed by Nate Parker, best known for his work in “The Great Debaters” and “Beyond the Lights.” Nate also stars in the film playing the lead role of Nat Turner.

A bidding war soon ensued for the worldwide distribution rights between The Weinstein Company, Netflix, Paramount, Sony and Fox Searchlight. In a process that lasted the night, It appears a deal will be sealed with Fox Searchlight for $17.5 Million, sidetracking the whopping $20 Million figure that Netflix is believed to have offered, making it the largest deal in Sundance history.

The film received the most enthusiastic standing ovation this year and it couldn’t be more perfectly timed. As the Oscars face flak for nominating only white actors for the second year consecutively, Birth Of A Nation might just be one of the nominations to be added making it the second film to get nominated from Sundance this year, the first being Kenneth Lonergan’s “Manchester By the Sea,” which was sold to Amazon for $10 million and a guarantee of an awards season push.