HBO acquires David France documentary ‘Welcome To Chechnya’

Welcome To Chechnya

HBO has picked up North American TV and streaming rights to Welcome To Chechnya, the documentary from Academy Award-nominated director David France (How To Survive A Plague).

The doc shadows a group of activists risking their lives to confront the ongoing anti-LGBTQ persecution in the Russian Republic of Chechnya and attempts to expose the little-reported situation in the region.

It has been produced by Public Square Films and directed by France, who produces with Alice Henty, Joy A. Tomchin and Askold Kurov.

The show, acquired via HBO Documentary Films, will have its world premiere in the US Documentary Competition section of the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and will debut in June 2020 on HBO.

“I am thrilled to have partnered with HBO to help shed light on this ongoing humanitarian crisis,” said France.”Welcome To Chechnya needed a distributor that is fearless and believes in the power of social justice filmmaking.”

The deal was negotiated with HBO by Josh Braun for Submarine on behalf of the filmmakers.