Sugarcane (film) explained

Sugarcane is a 2024 documentary film, directed by Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie and produced by Emily Kassie and Kellen Quinn. It follows an investigation into the Canadian Indian residential school system, igniting a reckoning in the lives of survivors and descendants.

It had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2024 where it won the Grand Jury award for Directing.^[4] It is theatrically released in limited engagements in the United States and Canada on August 9, 2024, before gradually expanding to other cities starting August 16, by National Geographic Documentary Films through Variance Films in the United States and Films We Like in Canada.

Premise

Sugarcane follows an investigation into the Canadian Indian residential school system, igniting a reckoning in the lives of survivors and descendants.^{[5] [6]}

Production

The film received grants from Catapult Film Fund and the International Documentary Association Enterprise Fund.^{[7] [8] [9]} Lily Gladstone boarded the project as an executive producer.^[10]

Release

It had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2024.^[11] It also played at the 2024 San Francisco International Film Festival, 2024 Seattle International Film Festival,^[12] the 2024 Sheffield International Documentary Festival,^[13] the 2024 Sydney Film Festival,^[14] the 2024 DOXA Documentary Film Festival,^[15] the 2024 Nantucket Film Festival,^[16] the 2024 Boston Independent Film Festival,^[17] the 2024 Sarasota Film Festival,^[18] the 2024 Maryland Film Festival,^[19] the 2024 Cleveland International Film Festival,^[20] and the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival.^[21]

In February 2024, National Geographic Documentary Films acquired distribution rights to the film.^[22] It was later announced that the film would be screened in exclusive engagements at the Film Forum in Manhattan and TIFF Lightbox in Toronto starting August 9, 2024, followed by the Laemmle Royal in Los Angeles starting August 16; an expansion to other cities in the United States and Canada will gradually take place starting August 16. Variance Films and Films We Like serve as co-distributors in the United States and Canada respectively.^{[23] [24]}

Reception

^{[25] [26]}

Accolades

Award	Date	Category	Recipient	Result
Sundance Film Festival	January 28, 2024	Grand Jury Prize U.S. Documentary	Sugarcane		[27]
		U.S. Documentary – Directing Award	Julian Brave NoiseCat & Emily Kassie
Sarasota Film Festival	April 14, 2024	Best Documentary Feature	Sugarcane		[28]
San Francisco International Film Festival	April 28, 2024	Best Documentary Feature			[29]
Seattle International Film Festival	May 19, 2024	Best Feature Film			[30]
		Grand Jury Prize – Special Mention
Critics' Choice Documentary Awards	November 10, 2024	Best Documentary Feature			[31]
		Best True Crime Documentary
		Best Political Documentary
		Best Historical Documentary
		Best Director	Julian Brave NoiseCat & Emily Kassie
		Best New Documentary Filmmaker(s)
		Best Cinematography	Christopher LaMarca & Emily Kassie
		Best Editing	Nathan Punwar & Maya Daisy Hawke
Gotham Awards	December 2, 2024	Best Documentary Feature	Julian Brave NoiseCat, Emily Kassie, Kellen Quinn		[32]
International Documentary Association Awards	December 5, 2024	Best Feature Documentary	Julian Brave NoiseCat, Emily Kassie, Kellen Quinn		[33]
		Best Director	Julian Brave NoiseCat, Emily Kassie
		Best Cinematography	Christopher LaMarca, Emily Kassie
		Best Editing	Nathan Punwar, Maya Daisy Hawke
		Best Original Music Score	Mali Obomsawin
Cinema Eye Honors	January 9, 2024	Outstanding Non-Fiction Feature	Julian Brave NoiseCat, Emily Kassie, Kellen Quinn, Christopher LaMarca, Nathan Punwar, Maya Daisy Hawke, Mali Obomsawin, Martin Czembor, Andrea Bella, Michael Feuser and Ed Archie Noisecat		[34]
		Outstanding Direction	Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie
		Outstanding Production	Emily Kassie and Kellen Quinn
		Outstanding Cinematography	Emily Kassie and Christopher LaMarca
		Outstanding Original Score	Mali Obomsawin
		Audience Choice Prize	Sugarcane

Notes and References

1. Web site: Sugarcane. Sundance Film Festival. January 17, 2024.
2. https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl4134961153/weekend/. Sugarcane. November 22, 2024.
3. https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Sugarcane-(2024)#tab=summary. Sugarcane-(2024) . Sugarcane. November 23, 2024.
4. Web site: 2024 Sundance Film Festival Announces Award Winners - sundance.org . 26 January 2024.
5. Web site: Sugarcane. Impact Partners. January 17, 2024.
6. Web site: Williams Lake First Nation-Focused film 'Sugarcane' to premiere at Sundance Film Festival. Nation Talk. December 11, 2023. January 17, 2024.
7. Web site: Sugarcane. Catapult Film Fund. January 17, 2024.
8. Web site: 2022 Enterprise Documentary Fund Production Grantees. International Documentary Association. January 17, 2024.
9. Web site: Sugarcane. International Documentary Association. January 17, 2024.
10. Web site: With Sugarcane Lily Gladstone Wants to Force North Americans to Face an Act of Collective Genocide. Vanity Fair. Chris. Murphy. October 17, 2024. October 17, 2024.
11. Web site: Sundance Unveils Packed 2024 Lineup That Includes A.I., Pedro Pascal, Kristen Stewart, Satan, Devo & Steven Yeun. Deadline Hollywood. Anthony. D'Alessandro. Dominic. Patten. December 6, 2023. December 9, 2023.
12. Web site: Sugarcane. SIFF. July 24, 2024.
13. Web site: SIFF 2024 Award Winners . sheffdocfest. July 24, 2024.
14. Web site: SUGARCANE . SFF . July 24, 2024.
15. Web site: Sugarcane . Eventine. July 24, 2024.
16. Web site: SUGARCANE . nantucketfilmfestival . July 24, 2024.
17. Web site: Independent Film Festival Boston . July 24, 2024 . IFFBOSTON.
18. Web site: Documentary Feature Competition Winner Award Winner . July 24, 2024 . Sarasota Film Festival.
19. Web site: MARYLAND FILM FESTIVAL 2024 . July 24, 2024 . MUBI.
20. Web site: Sugarcane . July 24, 2024 . Cleveland Film.
21. Web site: Sugarcane . July 24, 2024 . full frame fest.
22. Web site: Nat Geo Buys 'Sugarcane' Documentary Out Of Sundance. Deadline Hollywood. Peter. White. February 21, 2024. February 21, 2024.
23. Web site: Film Forum July-September 2024. Film Forum. July 7, 2024.
24. Web site: Watch Trailer For 'Sugarcane,' Harrowing Documentary Investigating Sexual Abuse And Disappearances At Indigenous "Residential Schools". Deadline Hollywood. Matthew. Carey. 10 July 2024. 10 July 2024.
25. Web site: Sugarcane. Rotten Tomatoes. October 18, 2024.
26. Web site: Sugarcane. Metacritic. October 18, 2024.
27. https://festival.sundance.org/blogs/the-complete-list-of-2024-sundance-film-festival-award-winners/ The Complete List of 2024 Sundance Film Festival Award Winners|Sundance Film Festival
28. Web site: ‘Thelma,’ ‘Sugarcane,’ and ‘Alok’ Win Top Prizes at the 2024 Sarasota Film Festival . July 24, 2024 . IndieWire.
29. Web site: Anderson . Erik . May 1, 2024 . ‘Sugarcane,’ ‘The Teacher’ Earn Awards at 67th San Francisco International Film Festival as SFFILM Enters a State of Change . July 24, 2024 . Awards Watch.
30. Web site: May 19, 2024 . SIFF 2024 Award Winners . July 24, 2024 . SIFF.
31. Web site: ‘Sugarcane’ Leads Critics Choice Documentary Awards Nominations. The Hollywood Reporter. Hilary. Lewis. October 14, 2024. October 14, 2024.
32. Web site: Gotham Awards Nominations: 'Anora' Leads Pack, 'Challengers' & 'Nickel Boys' Among Group Up For Best Feature. Deadline Hollywood. Jill. Goldsmith. 29 October 2024. 29 October 2024.
33. Web site: IDA Documentary Awards Announces 2024 Nominees: ‘Sugarcane,’ ‘No Other Land,’ and More. IndieWire. Samantha. Bergeson. November 19, 2024. November 20, 2024.
34. Web site: Cinema Eye Honors: ‘Girls State’, ‘Ren Faire’ Lead Broadcast Nominees; Audience Choice Award Longlist Revealed. Deadline. Patrick. Hipes. October 24, 2024. November 15, 2024.