ZIKR: A Sufi Revival
still courtesy of Sensorium.
Los Angeles (January 29, 2018)
—Leading documentary producer, sales agent and theatrical distributor,
Dogwoof
, has acquired the politically charged, multiplayer, virtual reality documentary, ZIKR: A SUFI REVIVAL, directed by
Gabo Arora
, produced by Jennifer Tiexiera, and created by Sensorium, Superbright, and Tomorrow Never Knows. It is the first time a VR documentary has been acquired at the Sundance Film Festival.
Brokered on the last day of the Festival by Dogwoof’s
Andy Whittaker
and Tomorrow Never Knows’
Nathan Brown
, the agreement entails funding to support additional development, including an unprecedented online version of the VR experience allowing multiple players to be networked at once into the experience from around the world. Dogwoof will also lead on global representation and distribution with location based installations at high profile international cultural centers, cinemas and museums. This is the first public project for
Tomorrow Never Knows
, a newly formed VR/AR/AI startup founded by industry pioneers Arora, Brown, Saschka Unseld and Tom Lofthouse.
“There is real demand and a growing market for distinctive storytelling in VR/AR,” said Brown, CEO of Tomorrow Never Knows. “To partner with Andy and Dogwoof, one of the world’s most acclaimed producers and distributors of non-fiction stories, is more than a signal, it’s a lightning bolt for the entire industry.”
Having changed the face of non-fiction storytelling in the past decade, Dogwoof, and their newly formed VR-focused company, Other Set, are now poised to change how users engage with these crucial stories of social impact in VR. The acquisition of ZIKR adds to their award-winning and visionary catalog including
Blackfish
,
The Act of Killing
and
OJ: Made in America
.
“ZIKR is a gem. A profoundly moving VR experience, which will change people’s perspectives,” commented Dogwoof founder Andy Whittaker. “We cannot wait to show it to international festivals, theaters, museums and art venues knowing it can have the kind of profound impact Alejandro Iñárritu’s piece has had at LACMA.”
Gabo Arora, director of ZIKR, commented: “Andy and his team at Dogwoof, have proven themselves over and over with their work in traditional documentary. And, with their first VR acquisition with ZIKR, they will bring their same tenacious spirit to making sure more and more people can experience a story very pertinent to what's happening in the world now. I couldn’t dream of a better home for ZIKR or a better team than Dogwoof for global distribution. I am honoured to be joining their award winning catalog.”
ZIKR: A Sufi Revival
premiered January 19th in the New Frontier section of the Sundance Film Festival. The film takes four participants on an interactive, virtual reality journey into a world of ecstatic ritual and music in order to explore the nature of faith alongside followers of this mystical Islamic tradition. By opening up an experience to Sufism, dancing and singing alongside members of the Tunisian group
Association de la Renaissance du Maalouf et du Chant Soufi de Sidi Bou Saïd
, it aims to shed light on a crucially misrepresented religion, revealing an Islamic practice of inclusion, acceptance, art, joy and understanding.
ZIKR: A Sufi Revival
is created by award-Winning filmmakers Gabo Arora, John Fitzgerald and Matthew Niederhauser, and by SENSORIUM, SUPERBRIGHT, and TOMORROW NEVER KNOWS, in partnership with BoomGen Studios and 1001 Media. It is produced by Jennifer Tiexiera, with executive producers Reza Aslan, Mayhad Tousi, Mohab Tarek Khattab, Eva L. Burns, and Cameron Brodie.
For more information contact:
Jessie Cohen
+1 415 623 0150
About Sensorium
Sensorium is an experiential studio working at the intersection of art, commerce, and new media. Our interdisciplinary process is grounded in technological innovation and the ability to integrate pioneering ideas across a wide spectrum of mediums. We focus on original content and interactive design that push the boundaries of virtual reality, augmented reality, and other new media activations.
About Superbright
At its core, Superbright is a creative technology studio - using cutting edge technology for creative experiences. Offering full scale production and consulting services, their mission is to make AR, VR, and Physical Computing experiences as thought provoking as they are practical.
Their ability to combine artist relationships with product development, commissioned client work, technical research and ongoing residencies allows them to form a holistic perspective on these nascent tools and their future applications. Superbright most recently premiered their room-scale VR experience at the Museum of Sex in New York, and have had viral success with 16M views of their web-series “Virtually Dating.”
About Tomorrow Never Knows
Tomorrow Never Knows is a newly formed content, technology and research studio founded by Nathan Brown, Tom Lofthouse, Saschka Unseld and Gabo Arora, the industry’s leading creative pioneers and entrepreneurs exclusively focusing on emerging technologies currently known as VR, AR & AI. Their pedigree includes leading innovative creative companies including, Discovery VR, Oculus Story Studio and the United Nations, and their work has been recognized by the industry's major global organizations and festivals including the Oscars, Emmys, Cannes, Sundance, SXSW, The Webbys, TriBeca and the Berlinale.
About Dogwoof
Dogwoof is the leading documentary sales agent and UK theatrical distributor, regarded as the foremost documentary specialist brand in the world, and is a stamp of the highest quality content. Founded in 2004, the company quickly identified documentaries as a niche with strong growth potential. Dogwoof has so far released 18 Oscar-nominated documentaries, with three wins and an additional two BAFTA winners. These include The Act of Killing, Restrepo and Weiner. Other Set was formed in 2017 by Dogwoof founder Andy Whittaker, and Elaine Wong, financing and distributing VR and innovative storytelling.
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