January 19th, 2018

CNN Films Celebrates 5 Years with Premieres, Celebration with The Hollywood Reporter and GBS at Sundance Film Festival

RBG and Three Identical Strangers PremiereCNN Films Lounge returns, The Hollywood Reporter and GBS co-host Celebration of CNN Films at 2018 Sundance Film Festival

 

Two biographical documentary features co-produced by CNN Films are set for premiere at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival.  RBG (Sunday, Jan. 21), a film about the ‘notorious’ Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Three Identical Strangers (today, Jan. 19), about identical triplets who miraculously first meet as young adults, will both have their world premieres at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.

RBG is directed and produced by Betsy West and Julie Cohen and is a co-production of Storyville Films and CNN Films.  Three Identical Strangers is directed by Tim Wardle and produced by Becky Read; the co-production partners for the film include the U.K.’s Channel 4 and CNN Films.  CNN will retain domestic broadcast television rights for both films; other distribution rights for the films are available for buyers.

“In our fifth trip to Sundance, we’re honored to have two extraordinary films accepted for premiere,” said Amy Entelis, executive vice president for talent and content development for CNN Worldwide.  “Attending Sundance is always special for us and launches our annual look for potential acquisitions for CNN Films.  It always makes for an even more exciting festival to be able to premiere our own special projects that we hope will delight and inspire audiences, and make a positive contribution to the documentary film industry.”

Jeff Zucker, president of CNN Worldwide, and Matthew Belloni, editorial director for The Hollywood Reporter, along with Great Big Story, will fete five years of CNN Films at O.P. Rockwell Cocktail Lounge & Music Hall on Saturday, Jan. 20.  Since debuting as a buyer at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, CNN Films has acquired the critically-acclaimed Blackfish, which was nominated for a Sundance grand jury award, as well as a BAFTA Film Award nomination for best documentary, and several other films that have premiered at Sundance including Trophy, Dinosaur 13Holy Hell, and Escape Fire.  Also, in the years since, CNN Films has exhibited co-productions including Whitey: United States of America v. James J. BulgerFresh Dressed, The Hunting Ground, Legion of Brothers, Ivory Tower, and Life Itself.

CNN Films will also open a pop-up lounge on Main Street in Park City.  As in years past, CNN Films Lounge will occupy the location of Fletcher’s restaurant and will be open, by invitation, to filmmakers and other festival goers, for mingling and special events between Friday, Jan. 19 and Sunday, Jan. 21.

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About CNN Films
CNN Films, now celebrating its fifth year, produces and acquires documentary feature and short films for theatrical and festival exhibition and distribution across CNN’s multiple platforms.  Amy Entelis, executive vice president of talent and content development for CNN Worldwide, oversees the strategy for CNN Films; Courtney Sexton, vice president for CNN Films, works day-to-day with filmmakers to oversee projects.  For more information about CNN Films, please visit www.CNN.com/CNNFilms and follow @CNNFilms via Twitter.

Contact:   Jennifer Dargan, CNN Films             jennifer.dargan@turner.com