Vice Lands Canada’s Oscar pick Eternal Spring (長春)
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Canada’s Choice for Best International Feature Sets Fall Theatrical Openings as Global Broadcasters Board Festival Hit
Toronto, September 6, 2022 – ETERNAL SPRING (長春): THE HEIST OF CHINA’S AIRWAVES, has signed a worldwide licence deal with VICE, complemented by domestic deals with ARTE France / Germany, RTS Switzerland, VG Norway, Current Time (Russian Language, European Territories), and Al Jazeera Doc Channel (MENA), with more sales announcements to follow.
Sideways Film is repping world sales on the Canadian production on behalf of Lofty Sky Entertainment and director/producer Jason Loftus.
“This is an important movie that covers so many of the topics important to VICE – censorship, creativity, religious freedom and displacement – all done in some of the most exquisite animation I’ve ever seen. We’re lucky to have this one on our slate,” said Brendan Kennedy, VP Development VICE News
On August 24, Telefilm Canada announced that ETERNAL SPRING (長春) will be Canada’s entry for Best International Feature Film at the 95th Academy Awards. It is the first documentary, first animated film, and first Mandarin-language film to be chosen by Canada. The film will open theatrically in Canada on September 23, at Film Forum in New York on October 14, with global theatrical expansion to follow.
With more than a dozen festival awards since its March premiere at Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, including the two top audience prizes at Hot Docs, ETERNAL SPRING (長春) is emerging as an Awards season contender.
Through the artistic lens of celebrated comic book artist Daxiong (Justice League, Star Wars), ETERNAL SPRING (長春) explores a daring plot by Falun Gong adherents in China to hack state television and expose a brutal repression.
“Over the nearly six years of making ETERNAL SPRING (長春), it’s always been our goal to share this incredible story with the widest audience possible,” commented director and producer Jason Loftus. “VICE’s ‘The Short List with Suroosh Alvi,’ presents an excellent slate of politically engaged docs and in depth conversations on an accessible platform. This, combined with our Fall theatrical release and international broadcasts, will provide the impact we are seeking for the film and its brave subjects.”
