GUNPOWDER & SKY’S DUST ACQUIRES WORLDWIDE RIGHTS TO AWAKEN, A GLOBE-SPANNING, IMMERSIVE 4K HDR DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASING THE WORLD’S NATURAL WONDERS NARRATED BY LIV TYLER.
Directed, Shot And Produced By Tom Lowe And Executive Produced By Terrence Malick And Godfrey Reggio
AWAKEN Is Set To Release On All Major TVOD Platforms On April 9th .
LOS ANGELES, CA – March 23, 2021 – Gunpowder & Sky’s DUST announced today that it has acquired the worldwide rights to AWAKEN, a globe-spanning, immersive 4K HDR documentary showcasing the world’s natural wonders, narrated by Liv Tyler (Lord of The Rings trilogy, Ad Astra, The Strangers). Directed, shot and produced by acclaimed cinematographer and photographer, Tom Lowe, the 75-minute film is Executive Produced by Terrence Malick (The Tree of Life, The Thin Red line, The New World) and Godfrey Reggio (Koyaanisqatsi). AWAKEN is set to debut on Apple TV, Amazon and all other major VOD platforms on April 9th.
The film is a unique and timely film experience featuring immersive imagery, beautiful cultures, and an inspiring message. It explores humanity’s relationship with technology and the natural world. Shot entirely in 4K over a 5-year period in more than 30 countries, the film pioneers state-of-the-art time-lapse, slow-motion, underwater and aerial cinematography techniques to give audiences new eyes with which to see our world.
AWAKEN is composed by Joseph Trapanese, known for his sleek score work in blockbuster films such as The Greatest Showman, Oblivion, Tron: Legacy and Straight Outta Compton.
“AWAKEN is a celebration of the spirit of life, and of humanity’s relationship with technology and the natural world, which is exactly the type of film we seek for DUST,” says Janet Brown, Executive Vice President of Global Distribution and Commercial Operations, Gunpowder & Sky. “Lowe, Malick, Reggio and Trapanese are all juggernauts in their respective industries, and together, they delivered a truly stunning, exceptional film. We can’t wait to share it with the world.”
AWAKEN, illuminating the importance of the preservation of our planet, is the newest edition to Gunpowder & Sky’s robust library of documentaries that approach societal issues in new, interesting and entertaining ways. At SXSW on March 16th, Gunpowder & Sky premiered Kid Candidate, the story of Hayden Pedigo, a 24-year old experimental musician, and his unlikely run for Amarillo city council after his Harmony Korine-inspired spoof campaign video went viral. Last November, in partnership with Hulu, Gunpowder & Sky released 69: The Saga of Danny Hernandez, a true crime documentary about the rise and fall of Tekashi69 which sheds light on the harsh extremes of addiction to fame in the digital era. Prior to that, in September, Gunpowder & Sky’s DUST announced that they partnered with legendary filmmaker, Werner Herzog (Grizzly Man, Encounters at the End of the World, Into The Inferno, Fireball: Visitors From Darker Worlds) and his son, Rudolph Herzog (How to Fake a War, The Heist) to produce Last Exit: Space, an out-of-this-world documentary exploring mankind’s push to colonize space. The film forces the viewer to consider the sustainability of our planet and its dwindling resources.
ACCOLADES
“‘AWAKEN’ is epic in scale and brings unseen sights and breathtaking perspectives to the human eye for the first time.” – INDIEWIRE
“…as gorgeous and breathtaking as both Voyage of Time and Tree of Life.” – INDIEWIRE
“...this thing is a sight to behold.” – COLLIDER
“…feels like a cool breeze on a hot day.” – SCREEN ANARCHY
“...stunning…” – THE PLAYLIST
ABOUT GUNPOWDER & SKY
Gunpowder & Sky is an independent studio that creates and distributes feature films, series, short form content, podcasts and channels, bridging digital and traditional entertainment.
Since its inception in 2016, Gunpowder & Sky has released more than 30 feature films and series, more than 750 short films in theatres, on TVOD and on leading platforms such as HBO, Netflix, MTV, Hulu, Sky, Showtime, Spotify, Amazon, YouTube, Quibi, Audible and Discovery.
Notable films and series include 69: The Saga Of Danny Hernandez, Her Smell, Everybody’s Everything, Prospect, Sea Fever, The Little Hours, Cam, Hearts Beat Loud, Lords of Chaos, Tragedy Girls, Betting on Zero, Summer of 84, Villains, Survive, 50 States of Fright and Drawn & Recorded.
With a collective audience of more than 65M monthly unique viewers, Gunpowder & Sky also owns and operates content brands that include DUST, the number one free sci-fi channel; ALTER, a leading horror brand, and CUT, an unscripted & comedy brand that is home to the successful formats “Truth or Drink” and “Fear Pong”. DUST, ALTER and CUT are distributed on all major streaming platforms including Apple, Amazon, Comcast, Facebook, Peacock, Roku, Samsung, Sinclair, Sling, Vizio, Xumo and YouTube.
Gunpowder & Sky also recently launched its premium audio studio, and in less than one year has established a leading position in music and sci-fi, claiming #1 fiction podcast on Apple and the #1 podcast on Audible.
With offices in Los Angeles and New York, Gunpowder & Sky was founded by Van Toffler and Floris Bauer, in partnership with The Chernin Group and AT&T.
ABOUT DIRECTOR TOM LOWE
AWAKEN is director Tom Lowe’s debut feature film. His 2012 short film “Timescapes” attracted a passionate following and support from companies like Canon, Adobe and Google. During production of “Timescapes” in September 2010, Lowe was named Astronomy Photographer of the Year by the Royal Observatory, Greenwich. He has since served as second-unit director for mentors Terrence Malick (Voyage of Time) and Godfrey Reggio (Visitors).
From Orange County, California, Lowe served in combat with the US Army. In 2007, he founded Timescapes.org, a public-discussion forum dedicated to timelapse. Tom was involved in the resurgence of timelapse during its 2008-2011 digital renaissance. He pioneered new timelapse techniques and lexicon and helped design a next generation of motion-control robotics. Lowe is currently developing a new film franchise “Alétheia” and is involved in machine-learning research.
ABOUT DUBAI FILM:
Dubai Film LLC is one of the largest production companies in the Middle East. Started in 2012, Dubai Film has won awards in the fields of photography and production. It has a diversified portfolio that covers artistic, cinematic, documentary and sports film production. Based in United Arab Emirates, Dubai Film is a full-service production company that melds technological wizardry with a passion to create art.
Recent productions include 5 years filming in over 30 countries for the documentary AWAKEN (2021) directed by Tom Lowe, executive produced by Terrence Mallick (Tree of Life) and Godfrey Reggio (Koyaanisqatsi), scored by Joe Trapanese (Tron: Legacy) and narrated by Liv Tyler (Lord of the Rings). As well as Fittest in Dubai (2019), a CrossFit documentary featuring Mat Fraser that was purchased by Netflix.
