Netflix has made another fall festival acquisition, swooping with Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground on worldwide rights to Matthew Heineman’s Telluride documentary American Symphony.
The film follows a year in the life of musician and Late Show bandleader Jon Batiste as he navigates the stresses and struggles of his meteoric rise winnings six Grammys and preparing the American Symphony for Carnegie Hall, while his wife and bestelling author Suleika Jaouad is diagnosed with the return of Leukemia.
Heineman, Lauren Domino, and Joedan Okun produced American Symphony, and executive producers are Alice Webb, Barak Moffitt, Daniel Seliger, Marc Robinson, Steve Farneth, David and Nina Fialkow, Gene Gallerano, Batiste, Jaouad, and Ryan Lynn.
Higher Ground, Mercury Studios, and Our Time Projects produced. The film will be released globally later this year. We are proud to be a part of their story and to celebrate the work of talented filmmakers like Matthew Heineman. Matthew weaves a poignant tapestry of courage, love, and music and we are honored for Higher Ground to help share it with the world.”
Heineman added: “
AmericanSymphony is many things to me, but at its heart, it’s about the healing power of art. I am incredibly honored to partner with Netflix and Higher Ground for the release of this film. It’s been an amazing journey with Jon and Suleika over the last couple of years.”Decision on new Berlinale director “by the end of this year”, says minister
