Gunpowder and Sky picks up Tribeca documentary ‘Copwatch’

Gunpowder & Sky has acquired distribution rights for Camilla Hall’s documentary Copwatch in all English-speaking markets.

Jake Hanly represented Gunpowder & Sky during the negotiations, with WME striking the deal on behalf of the filmmakers. The distribution deal comes after the no-holds-barred documentary premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in April.

Copwatch follows the story of WeCopwatch, an organization aiming to film police activity as a form of non-violent protest and deterrent to police brutality. It features interviews with people involved within the movement, including Ramsey Orta, the man that recorded Eric Garner’s final words on his mobile phone.

Garner died in Staten Island after an officer put him in what has been described as a “chokehold”, prohibited by the New York Police Department. Despite this, the officer was not convicted. The aftermath, called by many a failure of the justice system, led to public protests and rallies held nationwide.

“Citizen journalism is as relevant and as vital as it has ever been, and Copwatch continues the conversation around police brutality from a unique perspective”, commented VP of Acquisitions Jake Hanly at Gunpowder & Sky.

Directed by journalist-turned-filmmaker Hall, the documentary was produced by Bow and Arrow Entertainment’s Matthew Perniciaro and Michael Sherman produced. Tirrell D. Whittley, Jacob Crawford, and Patrick Hamm served as executive producers, alongside T.J. Martin and Daniel Lindsay, the directorial duo behind Oscar-winning documentary Undefeated (2011).

This isn’t the first time Gunpowder & Sky has collaborated with Bow and Arrow. Later this month, they will release Bow and Arrow’s Sundance favorite The Little Hours.

“We jumped at the chance to work with Gunpowder & Sky again. We’re very proud of Copwatch and are grateful to have found a partner who believes not only in the importance of the issues explored in the film, but also telling the human stories of those who have dedicated their lives to these forms of activism”, adds Perniciaro.

Gunpowder & Sky have yet to schedule a release date for Copwatch, but plan to distribute across “multiple platforms”. Stay tuned for more.