Sundance 2013: Sundance Selects Acquires War on Terror Doc 'Dirty Wars'

11:28 AM PST 1/20/2013 by Daniel Miller, Tatiana Siegel

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UPDATED: The documentary, which sold in the mid- to high-six figures range, premiered at Temple Theatre on Jan. 18.

IFC Films' sister company Sundance Selects has acquired North American rights to the documentary Dirty Wars.

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Sources say Sundance Selects paid mid- to high-six figures for the film, which will have a theatrical release, followed by VOD. Magnolia Pictures and Samuel Goldwyn Co. were also interested.

The post-9/11 War on Terror documentary from director Richard Rowley (The Fourth World War, This Is What Democracy Looks Like) follows investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill as he looks at America's covert war operations.

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“We made this film to uncover the hidden truth about wars being fought in our name that we as Americans know next to nothing about, and we can’t think of a better partner to do this with than Sundance Selects,” Scahill said in a statement.

Dirty Wars premiered at Temple Theatre on Jan. 18 as part of U.S. Documentary Competition. The film was produced by Anthony Arnove, Brenda Coughlin and Scahill.

Dirty Wars marks the second documentary picked up at the festival by Sundance Selects. The company also nabbed The Summit on Saturday.

“Our entire team was blown away by Dirty Wars, Richard Rowley's tough-minded, gripping film that plays out like a detective story," said Jonathan Sehring, President of Sundance Selects/IFC Films, in a statement. "Jeremy Scahill's investigation into the war on terror being waged around the world is a vital, disturbing and incredibly humane story that will have people on both sides of the political spectrum talking."

Josh Braun of Submarine Entertainment represented the filmmakers.

Sundance Selects was represented Arianna Bocco, senior vice president of acquisitions and productions for Sundance Selects/IFC Films; Jeff Deutchman, director of acquisitions and productions, for Sundance Selects/IFC Films; and Betsy Rodgers, senior vice president of legal and business affairs for Sundance Selects/IFC Films.

Email: Daniel.Miller@THR.com; Tatiana.Siegel@THR.com

Twitter: @DanielNMiller; @TatianaSiegel27