1091, GREENWICH, and CNN FILMS Acquire “LINDA RONSTADT: The Sound of My Voice”
Documentary about the Iconic Singer Will Hit Theaters in September
Greenwich Entertainment and 1091 announced today that they have co-acquired the North American distribution rights to LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE, directed by Academy Award®-winning filmmakers Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman and produced by James Keach and Michele Farinola and CNN Films. The film was co-financed by PCH FILMS and CNN Films. CNN Films also produced the project and has acquired broadcast television rights for North America. LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE will open in theaters this September.
The film premiered to glowing reviews at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival® and recently won the Documentary Audience Award at the Provincetown International Film Festival.
With one of the most stunning voices to ever hit the airwaves, Linda Ronstadt burst onto the 1960s folk rock music scene and became the most successful female musician of the 1970s. She sold out stadiums around the world and was the highest paid female performer in rock and roll. Ronstadt’s singing range was second to none and she recorded hit records across rock, opera, jazz and Mexican folk, which channelled her Mexican ancestry.
Epstein’s and Friedman’s feature documentary is filled with rare archival footage of Ronstadt’s legendary performances and moving interviews with her iconic friends and collaborators Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Brown, and JD Souther. Constructed from interviews over 50 years, Ronstadt narrates the film that documents her career from her early days in Tucson, Arizona through her premature 2011 retirement due to Parkinson’s disease.
“Linda Ronstadt is a rock icon who has wowed audiences across the world for decades and is a staunch human rights advocate,” said Danielle DiGiacomo, senior vice president of acquisitions and strategic partnerships for 1091, and Ed Arentz, co-managing director of Greenwich Entertainment. “We’re excited to partner with Rob, Jeffrey, James, Michele and CNN to bring this powerful documentary to audiences across the country.”
“Rob and Jeffrey have crafted an inspirational exploration of a singularly exceptional talent and humanitarian,” said Amy Entelis, executive vice president for talent and content development for CNN Worldwide and Courtney Sexton, vice president for CNN Films, who are both executive producers for the film.
“It was a privilege to be entrusted by Linda to make this film,” said Epstein and Friedman. “We hope audiences have as much fun watching it as we had making it.”
Golden Globe®-winning producer James Keach, who has been part of some of the most groundbreaking musical films in recent years, said “We are excited to be working with 1091 Media, Greenwich Entertainment and CNN Films. They will ensure that Linda’s legacy will be shared throughout the world and help pave the way for future generations of Latin X and visionary performers to realize their dreams.”
The deal was negotiated by 1091’s Danielle DiGiacomo, Greenwich’s Ed Arentz, and Eric Sloss of Cinetic Media on behalf of the filmmakers, and by Stacey Wolf, vice president for business affairs for CNN Worldwide, on behalf of CNN.
The deal between 1091 Media and CNN Films marks their fourth fruitful collaboration. Previously, the two brands brought JEREMIAH TOWER: THE LAST MAGNIFICENT (2016), TROPHY (2017), and HALSTON (2019) to successful theatrical and television exhibitions.
Directors Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman have been honored with two Academy Awards®, five Emmy Awards, and three Peabody Awards. Before becoming filmmaking partners, Epstein won the Academy Award® for his documentary THE TIMES OF HARVEY MILK in 1985. Together with Friedman, their documentary COMMON THREADS won the Academy Award® in 1990.
About 1091 Media
1091 is a global commercial distribution platform for independent film and television content creators, with an intent to invest in technology and business intelligence. 1091 Media and its principals are growth investors who also lead Dimensional Associates, the private equity arm of JDS Capital Management, Inc. From 2003-2015, they owned a variety of media companies through Dimensional, including The Orchard and Dimensional Music Publishing. 1091’s content is available in more than 90 territories worldwide and features 4,000 titles in its library, including the leading action sports catalogue. 1091’s film releases include BIRDS OF PASSAGE, WE THE ANIMALS, THE HERO, the Pedro Almodovar-produced EL ANGEL, AMERICAN ANIMALS, BPM (Beats Per Minute), THE DAWN WALL, Werner Herzog’s MEETING GORBACHEV, and HALSTON, as well as Academy Award®-nominated documentaries CARTEL LAND and LIFE, ANIMATED; and Taika Waititi’s HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE and WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS. Upcoming releases include THEM THAT FOLLOW, BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, BLINK OF AN EYE and A KID FROM CONEY ISLAND. For more information on 1091 Media, please visit, www.1091media.com
About Greenwich Entertainment
Founded in 2017, Greenwich Entertainment is an independent film distribution company specializing in distinctive, theatrical-quality narrative and documentary features. The company recently released Jimmy Chin and Chai Vasarhelyi’s Academy Award®-Winning Documentary Free Solo, which grossed over $17M at the US box office and Andrew Slater’s Echo in the Canyon, which opened to the highest per-theater-average of any documentary or independent film in 2019. Other recent releases include Isabel Coixet’s The Bookshop, Matt Tyrnauer’s Scotty & the Secret History of Hollywood, and Madeleine Olnek’s Wild Nights with Emily starring Molly Shannon. Greenwich is led by an experienced management team that has overseen more than 150 theatrical releases generating over $100 million at the US box office and garnering 6 Oscar nominations. www.GreenwichEntertainment.com
About CNN Films
CNN Films 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, 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. Recent acclaimed CNN Films include the Academy Award®– and BAFTA-nominated RBG, directed by Betsy West and Julie Cohen; LOVE, GILDA, directed by Lisa D’Apolito; American Jail, directed by Roger Ross Williams; the BAFTA-nominated Three Identical Strangers, directed by Tim Wardle; HALSTON, directed by Frédéric Tcheng and now in theaters; and APOLLO 11 and APOLLO 11: First Steps Edition, both directed by Todd Douglas Miller and currently in exhibition. Recently, CNN Films World Premiered Rob Epstein’s and Jeffrey Friedman’s LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival.
About PCH Films:
PCH Films, based in Los Angeles, California and founded by Keach in 2007, is a multimedia company that develops, produces and finances content for feature film, television, documentaries, animation and music. The company’s extensive credits include the award-winning films WALK THE LINE, documentary GLEN CAMPBELL…I’LL BE ME. PCH has recently completed three films focused on Neurodegenerative diseases including the Glen Campbell film, AUGIE and TURNING POINT (which will be released later in 2019).
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