Netflix has acquired worldwide rights to Jeff Orlowski’s climate-change documentary “Chasing Coral,” which premiered this month at the Sundance Film Festival, the company announced Saturday.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The film, an Exposure Labs production produced by Orlowski and Larissa Rhodes, is a follow-up to his 2012 documentary “Chasing Ice.”
“Chasing Coral” follows advertising man, a self-proclaimed coral nerd, top-notch camera designers, and renowned marine biologists as they invent the first time-lapse camera to record coral bleaching events as they happen.
The team battles technical malfunctions and the force of nature in pursuit of their goal: documenting the indisputable and tragic transformation of fragile coral before its devastation by pollution and climate change.
“Chasing Coral” was produced in association with Argent Pictures and The Kendeda Fund and in partnership with The Ocean Agency and View Into the Blue. It was executive produced by David J. Cornfield, Linda A. Cornfield, Ryan W. Ahrens, and Jill K. Ahrens.
“‘Chasing Coral’ is a stunning cinematic achievement,” Lisa Nishimura, Netflix’s VP of Original Documentaries, said in a statement. “Jeff has captured a beautiful view under the ocean seldom seen, giving viewers a first-hand tour through a dynamic and urgent issue. We are proud to have the film join our growing roster of films and series that aim to speak to a wide global audience and engage people simultaneously across borders.”
Orlowski said, “This project has been a labor of love for so many years. We wanted to make sure that our film found the right home, especially given the global scale of this story. In partnering with Netflix, we’re excited about working together to make a huge impact around the world.”
“It took a village to make this film,” Rhodes said. “We shot over three years, spent 650-plus hours underwater including footage from over 30 countries with the support of hundreds of people around the world. We’re thrilled that with Netflix, we’ll be able to bring this story about corals to the surface.”
The deal with Netflix was negotiated by Submarine on behalf of the filmmakers.