Sundance 2013: Sundance Selects Acquires U.S. Competition Doc 'Dirty Wars'

Documentaries continue to get snatched up in the early says of the Sundance Film Festival. Sunday, Sundance Selects nailed down a deal for North American rights to “Dirty Wars,” Richard Rowley’s look at investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill’s quest to expose America’s covert operations abroad.

The film, part of the U.S. documentary competition, premiered at the Temple Theatre Friday night and screened again Saturday afternoon before the deal closed. Scahill and David Riker wrote the screenplay. Anthony Arnove, Brenda Coughlin and Scahill produced.

“Our entire team was blown away by ‘Dirty Wars,’ Richard Rowley's tough-minded, gripping film that plays out like a detective story,” said Sundance Selects/IFC Films president Jonathan Sehring. “Jeremy Scahill's investigation into the war on terror being waged around the world is a vital, disturbing and incredibly humane story that will have people on both sides of the political spectrum talking.”

Sundance Selects/IFC Films execs Arianna Bocco, Jeff Deutchman and Betsy Rodgers negotiated the deal with Josh Braun of Submarine Entertainment on behalf of the filmmakers. Braun closed a deal Saturday for Sundance Selects to take North American rights to Nick Ryan’s documentary “The Summit.”

Friday, RADiUS-TWC acquired North American rights to the backup-singers doc “Twenty Feet From Stardom,” and Icarus Films grabbed North American rights to the world documentary competition entry “The Machine Which Makes Everything Disappear.”