
To say that writer/director/actor Nate Parker’s The Birth of a Nation took the Sundance Film Festival by storm last night is an understatement. The film was screened to rave reviews followed by a bidding war between studios like Netflix, The Weinstein Company and Sony according to Ebony. Ultimately, Fox Searchlight (responsible for 12 Years A Slave) had the winning bid paying a record-shattering $17.5 million for the deal. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the biggest purchase in Sundance history. An African American actor/writer/director made Sundance history. Well done, Mr. Parker. Well done.
Oscar talk is already circulating about the drama portraying the slave revolt led by Nat Turner in 1831. The film stars Parker in the lead role (who also served as writer, producer, and director), Armie Hammer, Penelope Ann Miller, Jackie Earle Haley and Mark Boone Junior.
Congrats to the The Birth of a Nation Cast & Crew on an Unforgettable Premiere at #Sundance: https://t.co/N7nFJeQEKF pic.twitter.com/LMONRF7Mrv
— #TheBirthofaNation (@NatTurnerFilm) January 26, 2016