KISS THE FUTURE – The Critically Acclaimed Documentary About a Creative Community Amid the Siege of Sarajevo, the Resilience of Its People Through Art and Music and the Tale of a Post-war Concert by U2 – to Receive a Theatrical Run Exclusively at AMC
“Even in the darkest times, the people of Sarajevo were able to find purpose through playing music, making art and helping others.
AMC Theatres (NYSE:AMC), the largest theatrical exhibitor in the United States and FIFTH SEASON have reached a deal to release KISS THE FUTURE, a critically acclaimed documentary, that World Premiered at Berlinale and opened The Tribeca Film Festival in 2023, directed by Nenad Cicin-Sain, produced by Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and Sarah Anthony, which will debut at select U.S. AMC locations beginning Friday, February 23, for a full theatrical run. The doc features Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, Christiane Amanpour and Bill Clinton.
KISS THE FUTURE, directed by Nenad Cicin-Sain, story by Bill Carter and Cicin-Sain, screenplay by Carter, based on his memoir: “Fools Rush In,” is the story of defiance amid the 1990s siege of Sarajevo during the Bosnian War. The film focuses on a vibrant underground community who used music and art to effect change and garner global attention by ultimately inspiring an American aid worker to reach out to the world’s biggest band U2 to help raise awareness of the devastating conflict. KISS THE FUTURE follows the band’s promise to perform a post-war concert that saw U2 play to over 45,000 local fans in a liberated city, a show that lives on as a joyous collective memory for the people of Sarajevo.
“Even in the darkest times, the people of Sarajevo were able to find purpose through playing music, making art and helping others. They did not just survive, they thrived," said Director, Nenad Cicin-Sain.
“The powerful message of peace is as relevant and important today as it was in September 1997 when Bill Carter and Sarajevan community leaders brought U2 to post-war Sarajevo,” said Matt Damon. “Artists Equity is proud to bring Nenad’s wonderful, life-affirming film to theater audiences across the United States.”
On Wednesday, February 21st at 7pm local, select AMC Theatres across the country will host an exclusive early screening. “KISS THE FUTURE: A Dolby Special Event” will include an introduction from producers Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, plus a pre-recorded post-film discussion hosted by Matt Carey (Deadline) featuring director Nenad Cicin-Sain, Vesna Andree Zaimovic and Bill Carter - in conversation with U2’s The Edge and Adam Clayton - about their personal experiences as part of the extraordinary Sarajevan creative community whose commitment to art and life and the City of Sarajevo was, and continues to be, an inspiration to so many. Tickets to this special event, presented in Dolby Cinema, are on sale now at amctheatres.com or on the AMC Theatres mobile app.
“AMC Theatres has a long-standing commitment to bring powerful and personal stories to the big screen with our AMC Artisan Films program,” said Elizabeth Frank, EVP Worldwide Programming & Chief Content Officer for AMC Theatres. “We are excited to support Director, Nenad Cicin-Sain, Artists Equity, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck in sharing this inspiring film.”
FIFTH SEASON is handling global distribution on the title, in addition to making the domestic theatrical distribution deal with AMC. KISS THE FUTURE was financed and produced by FIFTH SEASON and is a FIFTH SEASON, Artists Equity, and an In Cahoots Production. WME co-represented the domestic rights with FIFTH SEASON.
Tickets to the special event on February 21 are on sale now. For showtimes beginning February 23, tickets go on sale February 8. Guests can find showtimes and purchase tickets at amctheatres.com or on the AMC Theatres mobile app.
About AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc.
AMC is the largest movie exhibition company in the United States, the largest in Europe and the largest throughout the world with approximately 900 theatres and 10,000 screens across the globe. AMC has propelled innovation in the exhibition industry by: deploying its Signature power-recliner seats; delivering enhanced food and beverage choices; generating greater guest engagement through its loyalty and subscription programs, website, and mobile apps; offering premium large format experiences and playing a wide variety of content including the latest Hollywood releases and independent programming. For more information, visit www.amctheatres.com.
About FIFTH SEASON
FIFTH SEASON is a global leader in the creation, production, and distribution of feature films, star driven television series and premium documentaries. Known for producing and distributing award-winning content that engages audiences and moves culture, the studio’s film titles include hit ensemble comedies 80 for Brady and the Book Club franchise for Paramount and Universal, John Carney’s Flora and Son for Apple TV+, William Oldroyd’s Eileen for Neon, the multi-Oscar-nominated The Lost Daughter from Maggie Gyllenhaal for Netflix and Michael Bay’s Ambulance for Universal. The studio produces star driven TV series, including the 14 Emmy-nominated Severance, See and Truth Be Told starring Jason Momoa and Octavia Spencer, respectively, as well as the upcoming Lady in the Lake starring Natalie Portman, Jason Momoa’s Chief of War and The Savant starring Jessica Chastain all for Apple TV+, Amy Schumer’s Life & Beth and limited turned returning series Nine Perfect Strangers starring Nicole Kidman for Hulu as well as 2 seasons of Tokyo Vice for Max and Wolf Like Me for Peacock. In addition, FIFTH SEASON is the studio behind Emmy-nominated documentaries McCartney 3, 2, 1 and Being Mary Tyler Moore for Hulu and HBO, respectively and Sean Penn’s Superpower for Paramount+. FIFTH SEASON also handles global distribution for a library of hit series in addition to its own studio productions, including scripted series such as Killing Eve, The Morning Show, Normal People, and The Night Manager and the docuseries Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men amongst many others.
About PARAMOUNT +
Paramount+, a direct-to-consumer digital subscription video on-demand and live streaming service, combines live sports, breaking news and A Mountain of Entertainment™. The streaming service features an expansive library of original series, hit shows and popular movies across every genre from world-renowned brands and production studios, including BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures and the Smithsonian Channel. Paramount+ with SHOWTIME®, the service's cornerstone plan, is also home to SHOWTIME® content, including scripted hits and critically acclaimed nonfiction projects and films. This premium plan includes unmatched events and sports programming through the local live CBS stream, including golf, basketball and more. All Paramount+ subscribers have streaming access to CBS News Network for 24/7 news and CBS Sports HQ for sports news and analysis.
For more information about Paramount+, please visit www.paramountplus.com, and follow @ParamountPlus on social media.
About ARTISTS EQUITY
Artists Equity is an independently capitalized, artist-led studio that partners with filmmakers to empower their creative vision and broaden access to profit participation. The studio was launched in November 2022 by Chief Executive Officer Ben Affleck and Chief Content Officer Matt Damon — who combined have garnered three Academy Awards® and over $10.7 billion in global box office as lauded film and television writers, directors, producers, and actors — in partnership with RedBird Capital Partners. Artists Equity monetizes intellectual property via an innovative model that prioritizes the relationship between creator and studio, providing performance-based incentives to creators and crew, partnering with established and emerging filmmakers in a creative-friendly environment, and leveraging a proprietary, data-driven approach to distribution. In 2023, Artists Equity released its acclaimed first film, AIR, starring Damon and Affleck alongside Jason Bateman and Viola Davis. The studio also recently wrapped production on its sophomore title THE INSTIGATORS, a crime-drama starring Damon and Casey Affleck and directed by Doug Liman, in partnership with Apple Original Films.
Category: Company Release
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