F3PR: AFFRM's ARRAY Releasing acquires Vanishing Pearls

PRESS RELEASE

AFRICAN-AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL
RELEASING MOVEMENT’S
MULTI-PLATFORM LABEL ARRAY RELEASING
ACQUIRES SLAMDANCE 2014 OFFICIAL SELECTION
VANISHING PEARLS

In Theaters April 18
Coinciding with Fourth Anniversary
of BP Oil Spill

Los Angeles, CA (March 18, 2014) – ARRAY, the multi-platform distribution label of the African-American Film Festival Releasing Movement (AFFRM), today announced the acquisition of Slamdance 2014 Official Documentary Selection, Vanishing Pearls. Marking the directorial debut of Louisiana native Nailah Jefferson, Vanishing Pearls will be released on April 18, 2014 to coincide with the fourth anniversary of BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil disaster. ARRAY has acquired worldwide distribution rights. The announcement was made by AFFRM Founder Ava DuVernay.

Following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Vanishing Pearls chronicles the untold story of personal and professional devastation in Pointe a la Hache, a close-knit fishing village on the Gulf coast. The filmmaker delves into the worst environmental disaster in American history just as news cameras leave the scene of the crime. While 49 Million barrels of oil settle in the once vibrant coastal waters, a generations-old community of African-American fishermen pledge to fight for justice, accountability and their way of life.

“Nailah has created a breathtaking documentary set against one of the worst environmental catastrophes in US history by highlighting the economic and cultural losses with a strikingly personal approach. We’re pleased to work with this exciting new documentarian in connecting Vanishing Pearls with its audience,” explained ARRAY’s Managing Director Tilane Jones.

The deal was negotiated by Gordon Bobb of Del, Shaw, Moonves, Tanaka, Finkelstein & Lezcano on behalf of AFFRM.

About AFFRM

Founded in 2011, AFFRM is the African-American Film Festival Releasing Movement, a distribution collective of black arts organizations dedicated to quality black independent films. AFFRM's Array Releasing titles include: 2013 Official Slamdance Selection Big Words, Jamaican gem Better Mus' Come, 2012 Sundance Best Director Award Winner Middle of Nowhere; 2011 Sundance World Cinema Audience Award Winner Kinyarwanda, 2011 Sundance Film Festival Official “Next” Selection Restless City; and 2011 NAACP Image Award nominee for Best Independent Picture, I Will Follow. AFFRM’s founding organizations include Urbanworld (NYC), Imagenation (NYC), Reelblack (Philadelphia), Langston Hughes Film Festival (Seattle), BronzeLens (Atlanta) and DVA (Los Angeles).