+ SUNDANCE
Last week, the Sundance Film Festival wrapped up its final edition in Park City, Utah. We were sad to say goodbye to our friends in Utah, but we were thrilled by the reactions to the three Impact Partners-supported films at the festival: ONE IN A MILLION, SEIZED, and SOUL PATROL.
SOUL PATROL director J.M. Harper took home the Directing Award in the U.S. Documentary Competition. The jury shared this statement:
“With remarkable intelligence and resourcefulness, and an elegant attention to cultural context, this filmmaker achieves a skillful balance of archival footage, vivid re-enactments and troubling hallucinations. In doing so, he makes palpable the trauma of Black Americans who have never gotten due recognition for their sacrifices in war.”
ONE IN A MILLION directors Itab Azzam and Jack MacInnes received both the Directing Award and the Audience Award in the World Documentary Competition. The jury shared:
“Elegantly exploring the ideas of freedom and the importance of home in the aftermath of war, this film impressed us with its sense of scale and decade-long directorial commitment to its subjects. It is a beautiful synthesis of one family’s migration across multiple countries as they seek refuge from societal upheaval.”
All three films received glowing reviews. Here are some of our favorite quotes:
ONE IN A MILLION
“Sweeping, humane, and deeply heartsick. A raw and absorbing epic about ‘what comes after’ — one that naturally unfolds with all the joy, anguish, and unresolvable inner conflict of life itself.” – David Ehrlich, IndieWire
“Stunning…Azzam and MacInnes give us a modern-day epic that traverses borders…but they outdo themselves by following that up with an absorbing, complex tale about the challenges of assimilation…The unique achievement of ONE IN A MILLION lies in the way it allows us to know this young woman while it preserves the mystery of a human soul.” – Bilge Ebiri, New York Magazine
“Abounding in strong emotion, sharp insight and personal charm…ONE IN A MILLION is a largely impressionistic portrait of the family’s experience, rich in sensory detail and emotion…A distillation of formative years for Israa and turning points for her family, ONE IN A MILLION feels both ultra-specific and universal.” – Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter
SEIZED
“A masterclass in storytelling structure…Viewers looking for inspiration in dark times will find it in SEIZED.” – Elizabeth Weitzman, The Wrap
“Captivating…SEIZED, directed by Sharon Liese, manages the difficult task of bridging the two perspectives without jarring the viewer, allowing local characters to complicate the story without ever losing sight of its import…This clear-eyed doc mercifully rejects the impulse, so common in large outlets such as this one, to flatten a local saga into a tidy and politically expedient narrative.” – Adrian Horton, The Guardian
“Sharon Liese’s SEIZED is a riveting documentary about the power of the press and standing up to bullies, and at the same time, a hilariously bitchy tale about the characters you might find in small towns…With drama, scandals, and plenty of whimsical people, it’s a documentary that must be watched.” – Ema Sasic, Next Best Picture
SOUL PATROL
“Haunting, revelatory…SOUL PATROL contributes a little-known chapter to the nation’s understanding of [the] Vietnam War and Black history.” – Lisa Kennedy, Variety
“A distinctive and moving addition to the history of the Vietnam War…Weaving together eloquent visuals with energy and deep feeling, Harper’s second documentary feature delves into the memories of a half-dozen soldiers who formed a tight-knit unit tasked with some of the most dangerous missions of the conflict…SOUL PATROL doesn’t pretend to offer answers; its first-person exploration of the enlisted man’s experience resounds with big-picture questions about war in general and Vietnam in particular” – Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter
“Harper aims to take us all the way through the soldiers’ experience, and he succeeds in powerful fashion…it seems impossible for anyone to remain unmoved by Harper’s thoughtfully-constructed history. Harper has done them, and us, a tremendous service by documenting their long-overlooked stories with such clear-eyed care.” – Elizabeth Weitzman, The Wrap
+ NIGERIAN RELEASE
We’re thrilled to be partnering with leading Nigerian distributor FilmOne to bring Joel ‘Kachi Benson’s MOTHERS OF CHIBOK to movie theaters throughout Nigeria and Ghana starting February 27. This is the widest theatrical release ever for a Nigerian documentary in the region! Leading Nigerian actress, producer, and educator Joke Silva has also joined as an Executive Producer. Learn more about the release and watch the film’s trailer exclusively on BellaNaija.
+ FESTS
This week, the True/False Film Fest announced its 2026 lineup, which features three Impact Partners-supported films: REMAKE, SEIZED, and SOUL PATROL. REMAKE is celebrating its North American premiere at the festival. Director Ross McElwee will receive the festival’s only prize, the True Vision Award. To honor Ross’s career, the festival will screen his masterpiece SHERMAN’S MARCH, as well as a film that inspired him: Ed Pincus’s DIARIES. You can find the full lineup at Deadline.
New York audiences can see REMAKE just a few days after True/False at MoMA Doc Fortnight, which also announced its lineup this past week.
+ AWARDS
The BAFTA Film Awards announced its nominees last week and we were thrilled to see APOCALYPSE IN THE TROPICS nominated for Best Documentary. Congratulations to Petra, Ale, and the whole APOCALYPSE team! See the full list of nominees in Variety.
Watch APOCALYPSE IN THE TROPICS on Netflix now.
Founded in 1942, the DuPont-Columbia Awards were created to honor the highest standards in journalism. Last week, they hosted a ceremony celebrating their 15 Silver Baton winners, which included the IP-supported HOMEGROWN. Director Michael Premo delivered a stirring speech, which you can watch here. See the full list of DuPont-Columbia award winners here.
Congratulations to Michael, Rachel, and team! HOMEGROWN is available for rental now through President’s Day: https://homegrown.film/