08/02/2011

Revolver Entertainment has acquired all UK rights for Stevan Riley’s documentary Fire In Babylon.

The film follows the supremacy of the West Indies cricket team in the 1970s and 80s, describing how a succession of tournament wins played a key role in the battle against racial injustice and the struggle for black rights.

Directed by Riley (Blue Blood, Rave Against the Machine), produced by Charles Steel of Cowboy Films (Oscar winning The Last King of Scotland [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Goodbye Charlie Bright) and John Battsek of Passion Pictures (Oscar winner One Day in September, The Tillman Story), Fire In Babylon was recently nominated for a British Independent Film Award for Best Documentary 2010. Ben Goldsmith and Ben Elliot are executive producers.

Revolver’s Justin Marciano said, “Stevan’s powerful film tells a story that is as potent and pertinent today as it was when it occurred in the 80s. We are proud to be taking this out to British audiences, many of whom, possibly not being cricket fans, would have previously been unaware of the impact of the story on the demise of apartheid.”

Goldsmith said, “Ben Elliot and I are hugely excited that our idea of making a film about one of the greatest sports teams of all time has come to fruition. Choosing a distribution partner is not easy, but Revolver bowled us over with their enthusiasm, ideas and track record. They love the film as much as we do, and so we are delighted to be working with them.”