Following the removal of “Blknws: Terms & Conditions” from this year’s Sundance Film Festival schedule, upon request by its funders at Participant Media, the independent film has found a new investor and is now set to have its world premiere in snowy Park City as planned.
James Shani’s company, Rich Spirit, has purchased “Blknws” from Participant Media, gaining full rights to the film in the process. The aim is to find a new distributor for the movie. Notably, Shani’s company made headlines before by taking over “The Apprentice,” the contentious biopic about Donald Trump, from Kinematics – a production company associated with Dan Snyder, a wealthy businessman who previously owned the Washington Commanders football team.
As a devoted admirer, I reached out to the former social impact powerhouse, but they didn’t provide an immediate comment in response to my query.
Director Kahlil Joseph and producer Onye Anyanwu expressed gratitude to Participant for “graciously surrendering the rights to the film,” which enables viewers to now witness the masterpiece that has been painstakingly developed by numerous artists over a significant period. This eagerly anticipated moment is here at last, and we are ecstatic to unveil this creation to global audiences.
The movie titled “Blknws: Terms & Conditions,” initially scheduled for this year’s Sundance’s Next program as an official selection, was unexpectedly withdrawn from the lineup. This decision came after Participant Media asked for its removal following the discovery that director Joseph had submitted a previously undisclosed new cut of the film to Sundance and other international festivals without informing the media company first.
In a recently acquired letter, lawyers expressed that the Participant was taken aback when they discovered that Joseph had provided an unscreened portion of “Blknws”.
The letter stated that since Mr. Joseph handed over the movie to Participant in November 2024, with the understanding that this was the final version, and Participant then submitted it to Sundance, it is utterly inappropriate for Mr. Joseph to keep claiming he’s making further changes to the film.
Before Rich Spirit acquired it, the Participant was the main creator of the film and held the copyright. Around three years ago, A24 joined as a co-financier and distributor for the project. However, they quietly withdrew their involvement last August because Kahlil hadn’t yet completed the final version of the film, as stated in the legal correspondence.
Following the participant’s decision, a representative from Sundance expressed their disappointment after learning this evening that the participant had withdrawn ‘Blknws: Terms & Conditions’.
Upon hearing that the participant decided to withdraw ‘Blknws: Terms & Conditions’, a Sundance representative conveyed their disappointment later in the day.
Shaunette Renée Wilson (“Billions,” “Black Panther”) is featured in a film that’s being called an “ongoing artistic endeavor” which blends elements of art, journalism, business, and cultural analysis. The production employs the newsreel style as a platform for reinventing modern cinema.
Read the full statement from Joseph and Anyanwu:
Without a doubt, the early backing and trust from A24 and Participant were indispensable for this film to grace the screens at Sundance. From the start, their unwavering belief in our creative vision paved the way for this project to see the light of day.
We’re extremely thankful for their agreement to give up rights to the movie, an action that enables viewers to ultimately enjoy what we’ve painstakingly created alongside numerous artists over the years. This long-awaited moment is a significant one for us, and we can’t wait to unveil it to the world.
We’re eagerly anticipating introducing our audience to the premiere of the movie, and we’re thrilled to embark on this new phase in BLKNWS.
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2025-01-26 04:17