Fox Searchlight has picked up the distribution and remake rights to the Sundance doc Step
Fox Searchlight Pictures Presidents Nancy Utley and Stephen Gilula announced today that the company has acquired worldwide distribution and remake rights to director and producer Amanda Lipitz’s inspiring documentary Step.
Featuring Blessin Giraldo, Cori Grainger, Tayla Solomon, Gari McIntyre and Paula Dofat, Step documents the senior year of a girls’ high-school step dance team against the background of inner-city Baltimore. As each one tries to become the first in their families to attend college, the girls strive to make their dancing a success against the backdrop of social unrest in the troubled city.
The production also received generous support from Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Baltimore Ravens. The film world premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to sold out screenings with show-stopping performances by the team, who were greatly supported by the local Park City community.
“‘Step’ immerses us into the world of a group of young women whom we come to love and admire,” say Gilula and Utley. “Amanda Lipitz shows us their humor, heart, tenacity and joie de vivre through our own laughter and tears. We are excited to share this inspiring experience around the world.”
“This film was made as a tribute to the bravery and conviction of the young women in the film and to the courage they demonstrated in their willingness to share their story,” says Lipitz. “We are thrilled to partner with Fox Searchlight on the release of the film throughout the world and are very grateful for their enthusiasm and passion. We hope that the heroes of STEP will inspire girls everywhere to do what they have done, which is to prove that nothing is impossible when you surround yourself with a group of powerful women.”
Step is a Stick Figure, Impact Partners, Vulcan and Scott Rudin production and is produced by Lipitz and Steven Cantor with Dan Cogan, Geralyn Dreyfous, Jenny Raskin, Scott Rudin, Paul G. Allen, Carole Tomko, Micheal Flaherty, Valerie McGowan, Barbara Dobkin, Regina K. Scully, Debra McLeod, Jay Sears, Ann Tisch and Andrew Tisch serving as executive producers.
Step will be released by Fox Searchlight later this year.
