07 Oct Janis Joplin Doc 'Little Girl Blue' Acquired by FilmRise
hollywoodreporter.com
by Tatiana Siegel
10/7/2015 8:24am PDT
FilmRise has acquired from Content Media the Janis Joplin documentary Janis: Little Girl Blue.
The deal covers U.S. theatrical, DVD/Blu-ray and TVOD rights to the Amy Berg-helmed film, which was produced by Alex Gibney.
Janis: Little Girl Blue chronicles the life of the iconic but troubled rock ‘n’ roll singer. Considered one of the most revered singers of all time, a tragic and misunderstood figure who thrilled millions of listeners and blazed new creative trails, Joplin died in 1970 at age 27. The documentary features rare personal and performance footage and interviews with friends and family. The Joplin family provided unfettered access to their vaults for the first time, through which Oscar-nominated Berg unearthed previously unreleased letters, photos, audio and footage of Joplin. The singer’s own words tell much of her story through a series of letters she wrote to her parents over the years, never before seen by the public (and read by Southern-born indie rock star/actor Chan Marshall, also known as Cat Power).
FilmRise will release the film in theaters in New York on Nov. 27 and Los Angeles and additional cities early December with home media and digital to follow. The documentary will have its exclusive U.S. broadcast premiere on the American Masters series on PBS in 2016.
Berg, whose credits include Deliver Us From Evil, West of Memphis and last year’s controversial Hollywood abuse exposé An Open Secret, also wrote and produced Janis: Little Girl Blue. Jeff Jampol and Katherine LeBlond also served as producers.
The film premiered at the 2015 Venice Film Festival and then screened at the Toronto Film Festival and the Deauville American Film Festival. The Hollywood Reporter’s David Rooney said the film “presents a well-rounded, deeply admiring picture of a maverick talent … tells the legendary singer’s story with vitality and heart.”
Said FilmRise CEO Danny Fisher: “Her searing portrait of Janis Joplin cements Amy as one of the premiere documentarians of all time. The film is not only a study on this much-adored but deeply-troubled singer, but also a moving time capsule of the 1960s as well as a modern reflection on celebrity and culture. We are honored to be releasing this film and know that audiences will connect with Janis’ story.”
Added Berg: “Janis Joplin, the artist and the woman, was a major figure in the counterculture movement. She also played an important role for women as a groundbreaker and the first woman of rock ‘n’ roll. I am so pleased that FilmRise will be giving this film a platform so that more people can be introduced to this wonderfully talented and complex icon.”
FilmRise also released Gibney’s Scientology expose Going Clear as well as the Toxic Avenger series, Atari: Game Over and Rodney Ascher’s The Nightmare.