Daniel Battsek NGF acquires First Grader

National Geographic Films

By Ann Thompson - Thompson On Hollywood indieWIRE

With his first fall festival buy since he took over National Geographic Films, ex-Miramax president Daniel Battsek has acquired U.S. rights for Toronto and Telluride title The First Grader. Battsek had been looking for just the right movie that would fit into the National Geographic mandate to reveal something about our world. (Battsek chose not to release National Geographic’s prisoner-of-war film The Way Back, directed by Peter Weir and starring Ed Harris, Colin Farrell and Jim Sturgess, preferring to supervise Newmarket Films instead.) When I spoke to Battsek at TIFF, he said, “I’ll know it when I see it.”

So he found it in this four-hankie true story about an 84-year-old Kenyan’s struggle for learning, which was the runner-up to The King’s Speech for Toronto’s People’s Choice award. “When I saw ‘The First Grader,’ I knew immediately that National Geographic should acquire it,” stated Battsek. “It’s not only about historic political events, but it tells a personal story with great warmth and humor.”

In the film Mau Mau rebel Maruge (Oliver Musila Litondo) seeks to attend the local primary school, figuring he fought for this free education. Teacher Jane Obinchu (Naomie Harris) supports him in this fight against parents and officials. National Geographic also released Afghan War doc Restrepo, Everest adventure The Wildest Dream and the upcoming Desert Flower, Flying Monsters 3D and Blue Man Group : Mind Blast.

The first feature from Origin Pictures, ex-BBC chief David Thompson’s new production company, The First Grader was backed by BBC Films and the (soon-to-be-defunct) UK Film Council in association with Videovision Entertainment, Lip Sync and ARTE France. The Sixth Sense/Origin Pictures Production was directed by Justin Chadwick, written by Ann Peacock and produced by David M. Thompson, Sam Feuer and Richard Harding. Exec producers were Joe Oppenheimer, Anant Singh, Norman Merry and Helena Spring.

US Theatrical Distribution For First Grader

National Geographic Entertainment

By Brian Brooks - indiWIRE

Director Justin Chadwick’s “The First Grader” has been picked up by National Geographic Entertainment for U.S. theatrical distribution. The true tale about an 84-year-old Kenyan’s battle for an education screened at the recent Toronto and Telluride film festivals. It was a runner-up for the Toronto fest’s “People’s Choice Award.”

“The First Grader” tells the true story of Maruge (Oliver Musila Litondo), an old Mau Mau rebel in his eighties, who knocks on the door of a bush primary school, seeking the free education promised by the Kenyan government to everyone. Maruge fought for Kenya’s liberation and now feels he has earned the chance of the education he was denied for so long - even if it means sitting in a first-grade classroom with six-year-olds. The teacher Jane Obinchu (Naomie Harris) supports Maruge’s struggle, and together they face the opposition from parents and officials who think it’s a waste educating this old man. Through his fight to learn how to read, Maruge and his teacher embark on a journey for a better future for himself and his country.

“When I saw ‘The First Grader,’ I knew immediately that National Geographic should acquire it,” commented Daniel Battsek, president of National Geographic Films in a statement. “It’s not only about historic political events, but it tells a personal story with great warmth and humor. ‘The First Grader’ made Telluride and Toronto audiences laugh and cry, but it also made them think about the power of learning.”

Anant Singh at Distant Horizon, which co-financed the film, handled the domestic sale of “The First Grader;” Penny Wolf, at Goldcrest International, is handling international sales.

“The First Grader” is the latest in a string of major acquisitions for NGE including, “Restrepo,” the Everest adventure “The Wildest Dream,” and the upcoming “Desert Flower,” “Flying Monsters 3D” and “Blue Man Group: Mind Blast.”