"Smash His Camera" Coming to HBO

Ron Galella pursuing Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in New York City in 1971. Image copyright and courtesy Ron Galella, Ltd.

Leon Gast's "Smash His Camera," winner of the best director prize at this year's Sundance Film Festival, is heading to HBO in the wake of a deal for U.S. broadcast rights. A theatrical and DVD release remains a possibility after a short broadcast premiere window on the popular subscription cable network.

Produced by Adam Schlesinger and Linda Saffire, the film is a profile of well-known celebrity photographer Ron Galella, a paparazzo who was slugged by Marlon Brando and issued a restraining order following a lawsuit by his photographic obsession, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

“We are thrilled to be with HBO as it is the premier home of award-winning documentaries," producer Schlesinger -- from Got the Shot Productions -- said, in a statement, "From the first screening of SMASH HIS CAMERA at Sundance, Sheila Nevins and Sara Bernstein’s enthusiasm for the film has been fantastic. We could not be happier.”

Josh Braun of Submarine negotiated the pact and repped the project for the filmmakers.

Gast is best known for "When We Were Kings," for which he won the Academy Award for best documentary feature. His other credits include "Our Latin Thing" (1972). "Salsa" (1975), "The Grateful Deal Movie" (1976), "Hell's Angels Forever" (1981), "B.B. King: Live in Africa" (1987), "Celia Cruz: Guantanamera" (1976) and "When We Were Kings" (1996).

"Smash His Camera," which has a solid 'B' grade on indieWIRE's criticWIRE survey of critics and bloggers, will screen this weekend at the True/False Film Festival in Columbia, MO.

At this year's Sundance Film Festival, Eric Kohn reviewed the film for indieWIRE.