Fox Searchlight Pictures has acquired worldwide rights, with the exception of France and other-French speaking territories, to distribute Davis Guggenheim‘s Malala Yousafzai documentary “He Named Me Malala.”
The latest film from the Oscar winner will be released sometime this year, Fox Searchlight presidents Nancy Utley and Stephen Gilula announced on Monday.
Produced by Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald under their long-term production partnership with Image Nation Abu Dhabi and co-financed by Participant Media, the documentary is described as an intimate portrait of Yousafzai, an activist who was wounded when Taliban gunmen opened fire on her and her friends’ school bus in Pakistan’s Swat Valley.
Executive producers include Mohamed Al Mubarak and Michael Garin from Image Nation Abu Dhabi and Jeff Skoll for Participant Media.
Studiocanal will distribute the film about the world’s youngest Nobel Prize winner in France.
The film following the educational activist will launch an international advocacy and fundraising campaign in partnership with the Malala Fund, Malala’s nonprofit organization working to empower adolescent girls globally through a quality secondary education.
The deal was brokered by Fox Searchlight’s executive vice president of worldwide acquisitions, Tony Safford; senior vice president of business affairs, Megan O’Brien; and senior vice president of acquisitions & co-productions Ray Strache, and Julian Zajfen at Ziffren Brittenham, which represented the filmmakers.
“Malala’s incredible journey is both heartbreaking and inspiring. Her bravery in the face of adversity brought us to tears. The chance to bring her story to a global audience will be an honor for all of us here at Searchlight,” Gilula and Utley said in a statement.
“Spending the last 18 months with Malala, her father Ziauddin and their family has been one of the great experiences of my life. Now that Fox Searchlight is joining Image Nation and Participant Media, we have the opportunity to share their moving story with the world,” said Guggenheim.