CODA, the American film that premiered on January 28 at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, saw Apple+ TV landing the worldwide rights for $25 million at the first auction night of the festival, Deadline Hollywood reported.
The deal that saw Apple and Amazon bidding till the last leg, has set a new Sundance acquisition record as it broke Andy Samberg- Cristin Milioti’s Palm Springs record, that was acquired by Hulu/Neon in 2020 for $22.5 million.
CODA, acronym for Children of Deaf Adults, is written and directed by Sian Heder. The film that premiered on the opening night of the U.S. Dramatic Competition, is a coming-of-age drama about “a high school senior who is the only hearing person in her deaf family and is torn between holding together that unit or seeking her own dreams,” according to Deadline.
“I have been so moved by the outpouring of response to the film and am so excited to have found a partner in Apple that loves and deeply gets this movie, the spirit in which it was created and is committed to having this film reach the widest audience possible in a thoughtful and meaningful way. The whole CODA team is also so grateful to Sundance for being a part of the film’s journey. I hope that this film and Apple’s powerful support will help kick down some doors standing in the way of inclusion and representation and pave a path for more stories that center characters from the Deaf and Disabled community. The world has waited too long for these stories to be told. Now is the time. No more excuses,” Heder said.
The English remake of the 2014 French film La Famille Belier, CODA features actors Emilia Jones, Troy Kotsur, Marlee Matlin, Daniel Durant, Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, and Eugenio Derbez in prominent roles.
It is produced by Philippe Rousselet, Fabrice Gianfermi, and Patrick Wachsberger under the banners Vendome Pictures and Pathe Films.
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The ongoing Sundance Film Festival, curated by the Sundance Institute, is being held in independent theatres and drive-ins across the USA as it opted for satellite screenings over its conventional venue of the Park City in Utah.
The line-up also has two Indian films featuring at the festival. While Ajitpal Singh’s Fire In the Mountains will be competing in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition, Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh’s Writing with Fire is one of the contenders in the World Cinemas Documentary category.
The festival commenced on January 28 and will go on till February 3.