National Geographic Documentary Films Acquires Worldwide Rights to Sara Dosa’s Day One Sundance U.S. Competition Doc FIRE OF LOVE

The Miranda July-narrated Doc from Sandbox Films, Intuitive Pictures and Cottage M Explores the Lives and Passionate Work of French Volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft Through their Striking, Rare Archival Footage

National Geographic Documentary Films has acquired Worldwide Rights to Sundance Film Festival documentary FIRE OF LOVE from director Sara Dosa (The Seer and the Unseen). Produced by Shane Boris and Ina Fichman and Executive Produced by Greg Boustead and Jessica Harrop, the Miranda July-narrated film premiered to rave reviews this week as the Day One selection of the U.S. Documentary Competition.

National Geographic Documentary Films will release FIRE OF LOVE theatrically later this year. The film tells the extraordinary love story of intrepid French scientists Katia and Maurice Krafft, who died just as explosively as they lived - capturing the most spectacular imagery ever recorded of their greatest passion: volcanoes. Following its Sundance premiere, the film was hailed by Variety as “a spellbinding experience,” and The Hollywood Reporter as “a gorgeously photographed, dreamily constructed portrait.”

“We are absolutely honored to begin our journey with National Geographic Documentary Films,” said Dosa. “They champion cinematic storytelling about the wonders and power of the natural world, so there is truly no better fit for our ode to love and volcanoes. We are thrilled to take this next step with them to bring the awe-inspiring story of the Kraffts to audiences worldwide.”

“Fire of Love is an eruption of poetry, wonder and romance, a love letter to the natural world and to love itself,” said Carolyn Bernstein, EVP Scripted Content & Documentary Films. “We are honored to collaborate with the immensely talented Sara Dosa and her exceptional filmmaking team on this captivating and visually splendid film.”

Submarine negotiated the deal with National Geographic Documentary Films.

The film is a Sandbox Films, Intuitive Pictures & Cottage M production. FIRE OF LOVE features an original score by Nicolas Godin, of the band Air, and is edited by Erin Casper and Jocelyne Chaput.

National Geographic Documentary Films previously released the Academy Award, BAFTA and seven-time Emmy Award-winning film Free Solo and the Academy Award-nominated film The Cave. Most recently, in 2021 they released Becoming Cousteau, Fauci, The First Wave, The Rescue and Torn. Other critically acclaimed films under the banner include Ron Howard’s Rebuilding Paradise; Sundance Audience Award winners Science Fair and Sea of Shadows; Emmy winners LA 92 and Jane, both of which were included in the top 15 documentaries considered for an Academy Award in 2017; and Dupont Award winner Hell on Earth: The Fall of Syria and the Rise of ISIS.

About National Geographic Documentary Films

National Geographic Documentary Films is committed to bringing the world premium, feature documentaries that cover timely, provocative and globally relevant stories from the very best documentary filmmakers in the world. National Geographic Documentary Films is a division of National Geographic Partners, a joint venture between Disney and the National Geographic Society. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 133 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers … and reaching millions of people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27 percent of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. For more information visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com, or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

About Sandbox Films

Sandbox Films is a mission-driven film company that specializes in creative and boundary-breaking documentaries rooted in scientific ideas that inform society and culture. We collaborate with production partners and visionary filmmakers, providing co-production and financing opportunities for bold, artist-driven ideas. Our films have premiered at top-tier festivals around the world — including Sundance (winning the Special Jury Prize for Nonfiction Experimentation), SXSW, Telluride, TIFF, and CPH:DOX; and our films have been acquired by Netflix, Apple Original Films, Neon, BBC, and PBS, among others.

About Intuitive Pictures

Montreal-based Intuitive Pictures is dedicated to producing innovative and engaging creative documentaries, narrative features and interactive projects in collaboration with international partners and for global audiences. We work with some of the most inspiring creative talent from around the world. Veteran producer/executive producer Ina Fichman helms the company. Over the years, our productions have premiered at top festivals such Sundance, Berlin, SXSW, Venice, CPH:DOX, Hot Docs, TIFF, Locarno and many others. They have screened on platforms and networks worldwide.

About Cottage M

Cottage M is an independent production house focused on developing films that push the boundaries of conventional forms in order to tell timeless stories. Founded by Academy Award-nominated and Peabody Award-winning producer Shane Boris, Cottage M specializes in creative development, helping innovative and thought-provoking filmmakers find their voice and their audience. Cottage M Films have premiered at festivals like Sundance, Tribeca, and Locarno, screened in museums including The MOMA, and been acquired by platforms such as Netflix, HBO, and PBS. Boris was recently named by DOC NYC as one of the “40 under 40” working in documentary. He is also the co-founder of Joon, a multidisciplinary incubator.

About Submarine Entertainment

Submarine Entertainment is a NYC-based sales and production company consulting and strategizing on the sale, distribution and development of documentaries, feature films and non-fiction series. Submarine has been involved with the sale of six of the last twelve Academy Award winning documentaries: American Factory, Citizenfour, 20 Feet From Stardom, Man on Wire, The Cove and Searching for Sugar Man. Submarine's recent non-fiction series titles include Sons of Sam, The Devil Next Door, Evil Genius, The Keepers, Lenox Hill, Pick of the Litter, and Wild Wild Country, which won the Emmy for Best Documentary Series in 2018.

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