ARRAY Releasing Acquires LOVE AND FURY From Award-Winning Indigenous Filmmaker Sterlin Harjo
ARRAY Releasing, the distribution arm of Ava DuVernay’s Peabody Award-winning narrative change collective, today announced its acquisition of award-winning filmmaker Sterlin Harjo’s documentary feature LOVE AND FURY. The company acquired North American, UK, Australian and New Zealand rights and will release the film on select screens and on Netflix beginning December 3rd. The announcement was made by Tilane Jones, President of ARRAY.
LOVE AND FURY made its world premiere at Hot Docs International Documentary Festival, and was an official selection of the Seattle International Film Festival, Virginia Film Festival, imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival, and DeadCenter Film Festival. The film was produced by Harjo, along with executive producer Robin Ballenger.
“ARRAY Releasing is proud to bring celebrated filmmaker Sterlin Harjo’s documentary film LOVE AND FURY to audiences around the world, just in time for Native American Heritage month,” said Jones. “This lovingly made film explores the complex artistry of multiple Native American artists’ while offering texture, nuance and insight into Native identities and perspectives.”
LOVE AND FURY chronicles a cadre of Native artists as they work to amplify indigenous creativity in a post-colonial world and navigate their careers without seeking permission.
Sterlin Harjo is a Seminole and Muscogee American award-winning filmmaker. Along with Academy award-winning filmmaker Taika Waititi, he is the co-creator, executive producer, and showrunner of FX’s critically acclaimed hit show “Reservation Dogs,” an original comedy about four teens in rural Oklahoma. Harjo, who received a fellowship from The Sundance Institute in 2004, has directed several notable feature films, including the thriller MEKKO, which world premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival and had its international premiere at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival. He also debuted BARKING WATER at the Sundance Film Festival, which had its international premiere at the Venice International Film Festival. Two additional films of his world premiered at the Sundance Film Festival - the documentary THIS MAY BE THE LAST TIME and narrative film FOUR SHEETS TO THE WIND, which won a Special Jury Prize for its lead actress Tamara Podemski, and was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award. Harjo is also a founding member of The 1491s, a popular Native American sketch comedy troupe and is currently in development on several new television shows, while FX recently announced “Reservation Dogs” was renewed for a second season.
The acquisition was negotiated by Gordon Bobb of Del, Shaw, Moonves, Tanaka, Finkelstein, and Lezcano on behalf of ARRAY, and Nina Shaw of Del, Shaw, Moonves, Tanaka, Finkelstein, and Lezcano on behalf of Sterlin Harjo.
ARRAY will be hosting a special premiere screening of LOVE AND FURY on Friday, December 3rd at the ARRAY Creative Campus in Los Angeles. Details and free tickets can be found at ARRAYPLAY.com.