Apple and A24 have acquired worldwide rights to the documentary Boys State, a political coming-of-age story which examines the very nature of American democracy.
The estimable A24 will release the film theatrically.
A deal of $12 million marks the largest sale for a documentary ever at a festival. Netflix and Hulu were also bidding at $12 million.
The previous record for the largest documentary sale at Sundance was 2019’s Knock Down the House, which sold for $10 million.
Directed by Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine, the film arrived at Sundance Film Fest as this year’s “American Factory.”
Boys State chronicles an original, unusual experiment, about 1,000 17-year-old boys from across the state of Texas who gather together to build a representative government from the ground up.
Soon, high-minded ideals collide with low-down dirty tricks as four boys of diverse backgrounds and political views navigate the challenges of organizing political parties, shaping consensus and campaigning for the highest office at Texas Boys State, that of governor.
Boys State made its world premiere on Friday at the Library Center Theatre in Park City to standing ovations and drew strong reviews. It is screening in the Sundance fest’s U.S. Documentary Competition.
Concordia Studio’s Laurene Powell Jobs, Davis Guggenheim, Jonathan Silberberg and Nicole Stott served as executive producers on the docu, which marks the first for the new company.
