Grasshopper Film has announced today its acquisition of North American distribution rights to Anirban Dutta and Anupama Srinivasan’s mesmerizing documentary “Nocturnes,” which has picked up prize-wins at Sundance, Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, and Mediterrane Film Festival Malta, in addition to screening at other festivals, including CPHDOX, DOCVILLE, Hot Docs, Sheffield DocFest, Ambulante Documentary Film Festival, Sarasota Film Festival, and Hong Kong International Film Festival. The doc follows the “secret lives of moths in the mountains of northern India” and was an IndieWire Critic’s Pick when it debuted at Sundance in January .
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Grasshopper will open the film theatrically on October 18 at New York City’s Metrograph and on October 25 at the Laemmle Royal in Los Angeles, followed by other cities. Per its official synopsis, the film is set “in the dense forests of the Eastern Himalayas, [where] moths are whispering something to us. In the dark of night, two curious observers shine a light on this secret universe. Together, they are on an expedition to decode these nocturnal creatures in a remote ecological ‘hot spot’ on the border of India and Bhutan. The result is a deeply immersive film that transports audiences to a rarely-seen place and urges us all to look more closely at the hidden interconnections of the natural world.”
The film is a transportive and immersive wonder, and when this writer reviewed it out of Sundance, I felt compelled to note that its quiet power demands an audience’s full attention. Ideally, yes, that means in the theater, exactly where Grasshopper will take it in the thick of fall awards season. As I wrote in January, the film, which follows a pair of unlikely pals and real-life heroes as they study and track elusive hawk moths, “lulls its audience back into the task at hand. It’s looking and seeing, observing and feeling, and existing entirely in the moment. Time doesn’t stop in the world of ‘Nocturnes,’ but in this introspective and captivating doc, a respite isn’t just possible, it’s imperative.”
The deal was negotiated by Ryan Krivoshey, Founder & President of Grasshopper Film, with Dogwoof, who are handling world sales. “‘Nocturnes’ is an exceptional documentary,” said Krivoshey in an official statement. “At a time when audiences are seeking something different and distinctive from their local theaters, Anirban and Anupama’s beautiful film offers a singular cinematic adventure. It invites viewers on a collective journey into a mysterious and hidden nocturnal world with profound implications for our own. We are delighted to collaborate with Sandbox Films and the entire filmmaking team on the release of this truly special film.”
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The filmmakers added, “We envisioned ‘Nocturnes’ as a big screen experience that envelopes the viewer with the rich visuals and intricate sounds, immersing them in the breathtaking forest and the unseen beauty of the world of moths. It is a moment of great joy and immense satisfaction that our film is getting a theatrical release in the U.S., and we could not have hoped for a better partner than Grasshopper Film to distribute the film.”
The film was produced by Sandbox Films, the Academy Award-nominated and Emmy Award-winning doc imprint behind such lauded films as “Fire of Love,” “All Light, Everywhere,” and “Fireball,” and Sandbox head of distribution Patrick Hurley noted, “Watching ‘Nocturnes’ in a theater is a totally unique, mesmerizing sensory experience that we can’t wait to offer to audiences this fall. We’ve long admired Grasshopper Film for their curation and commitment to championing works of independent, artist-driven cinema and are thrilled to work with Ryan and his team on this release.”
The film was directed by Anirban Dutta and Anupama Srinivasan. This is their second feature film together. Producers are Metamorphosis Film Junction and Sandbox Films.
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