Fifth Season has inked new broadcast sales for "Superpower," the feature documentary it co-financed with Vice Studios. It is centered on Ukraine's fight to maintain freedom from Russia and is directed by two-time Academy Award winners Sean Penn and Aaron Kaufman. The new sales include Stan and Nine Network (Australia), Movistar Plus+ (Spain), HBO (CEE and Baltics), PCCW for Now TV (Hong Kong and Macau), DPG Media (Belgium), A+E Networks/History Channel (Germany) and Kyivstar TV (Ukraine).
These deals follow the company's previous signing of deals with Paramount+ in the US, alongside Ukrainian broadcasters Inter, NTN, Mega, and Sonce, which all had a day and date release of "Superpower" in September 2023. Fifth Season made the film available to the Ukrainian people to support their ongoing resistance efforts. The company handles global distribution for "Superpower," which it financed with VICE Studios. The film was produced by VICE Studios and Projected Picture Works, also producing alongside Penn, Billy Smith, Sergei Bespalov, Danny Gabai, and Lauren Terp. Kate Ward, Katie Peck, Andrew Freston, Bruce Dixon, Hozefa Lokhandwala, Subrata De, Susan Zirinsky, Terence Wrong, Anthony Gudas, Chad A. Verdi and Sasha Cherniavsky served as Executive Producers.
Prentiss Fraser, President of Television Distribution at Fifth Season, said: "It's a privilege to be involved with 'Superpower,' a profoundly moving and impactful project with incredible talent behind the camera, led by the formidable duo of Sean Penn and Aaron Kaufman. The documentary offers unprecedented access as it brings viewers onto the frontlines and shines a light on the strength, resilience, and humanity of the Ukrainian people during their fight for freedom. Following the feature's initial debut in the US and Ukraine, we're now looking forward to bringing this remarkable and immersive project to new audiences, both in Ukraine and internationally."
"Superpower" is a heart-wrenching glimpse into a country fighting for its freedom, featuring a series of intimate interviews done by Penn with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and others from seven trips over nearly two years. While still in production, "Superpower" was previewed at the Berlin International Film Festival in February 2023. When filming began in late 2021, it started as a light-hearted project on Zelensky and his ascendancy from a popular comedic actor to the Presidency. But when the buildup of Russian Troops on Ukraine's border began, the tone of the film took on its own life. In the wee hours of February 24, 2022, while the crew were preparing their first on-camera interviews with Zelensky, Russia invaded and attacked the capital. The film suddenly became a firsthand look at a wartime President and his country's historic defense of its freedom against the threat of the bloodiest invasion in Europe since World War II. Amid moments of levity, inspiration, and on-the-ground storytelling, the film shows that Ukraine's superpower lies in the strength of its leader, its people, and, ultimately, its heart.
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