“I’m hyped on my partnership with Vimeo to get my new joint ‘Da Sweet Blood of Jesus’ out to the world in a new way,” said Spike Lee in a statement. “This is the future of film distribution. Please join us.”
In November, Gravitas Ventures acquired North American distribution rights to the film, which was funded via Kickstarter.
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The film is available now in the U.S. for a $9.99 24-hour streaming rental or $14.99 digital download on Vimeo on Demand. Gravitas will release the film theatrically and on VOD February 13, 2015.
In his review of the film, Eric Kohn wrote, “it’s worth sticking with Spike Lee even when the final result isn’t as good as the energy fueling it.”
The film focuses on an addiction to blood that once doomed a long forgotten ancient African tribe. Per the official synopsis of the film: “When Dr. Hess Green (Stephen Tyrone Williams) is introduced to a mysteriously cursed artifact by an art curator, Lafayette Hightower (Elvis Nolasco), he is uncontrollably drawn into a newfound thirst for blood that overwhelms his soul. He, however, is not a vampire. Lafayette quickly succumbs to the ravenous nature of the infliction but leaves Hess a transformed man. Soon Lafayette’s wife, Ganja Hightower (Zaraah Abrahams), comes looking for her husband and becomes involved in a dangerous romance with Hess that questions the very nature of love, addiction, sex, and status in our seemingly sophisticated society.”
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