EXCLUSIVE: Gunpowder & Sky’s sci-fi brand Dust has acquired the worldwide rights to the Tom Lowe-directed documentary Awaken 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 9.
Narrated by Lord of the Rings alum Liv Tyler, Awaken takes viewers around the globe in immersive 4K HDR showcasing the world’s natural wonders.
Lowe, who also produced and served as the cinematographer for Awaken, gives audiences a timely film experience featuring immersive imagery, beautiful cultures, and an inspiring message. It explores humanity’s relationship with technology and the natural world. The docu was shot over a five-year period of time in more than 30 countries and pioneers state-of-the-art time-lapse, slow-motion, underwater and aerial cinematography techniques to give viewers new eyes with which to see our world.
“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 brings to light the importance of the preservation of our planet. The docu is the newest edition to Gunpowder & Sky’s robust library of documentaries that approach societal issues. At SXSW on March 16, 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 rapper Tekashi69.
This marks Lowe’s debut feature film. He directed the 2012 short film Timescapes and was named Astronomy Photographer of the Year by the Royal Observatory, Greenwich. He has since served as second-unit director for mentors Malick (Voyage of Time) and Reggio (Visitors).
Last year, Gunpowder & Sky’s Dust announced that they partnered with 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, a docu exploring mankind’s push to colonize space.