Swipe Films announced June 9 that it has concluded “significant sales” on the feature length documentary Sparkling: The Story of Champagne, including North America acquisition by Gravitas Ventures, ITV/BBC joint venture Britbox for UK (excluding theatrical rights).
Smile Entertainment is handling Scandinavia (with Fidalgo in Norway), and Rialto will be releasing the film in over 50 cinemas in Australia and New Zealand. Meanwhile Canal+ has acquired France and Poland. Gravitas Ventures will release the film in US cinemas on August 13. Swipe’s distribution division will be releasing the film in UK cinemas on June 25 (which coincides with English Wine Week).
Sparkling: The Story of Champagne is described as “a love letter to champagne” and features a “stellar ensemble cast” including Stephen Fry and the A-List from the world of champagne – Taittinger President Vitalie Taittinger; Bollinger Chairman Etienne Bizot; Dom Perignon wine-maker Vincent Chaperon; Sir Nicholas Soames, the grand-son of Winston Churchill (who famously drank thousands of Imperial Pint sized bottles of Pol Roger in his lifetime); Laurent d’Harcourt, CEO of Pol Roger, and the Queen’s winemaker, Tony Laithwaite.
Frank Mannion makes his directorial debut, and the film is produced by Oxana Popkova and Frank Mannion. Sparkling: The Story of Champagne was financed by Kasiyan Knockbeg Enterprises, CBS 1A1 Motion Picture Fund, Carlow Castle Films and Hangman London.
Swipe Films is handling worldwide sales for the film (while Vision Films co-sold the French and Polish rights). The North American deal was negotiated by Tony Piantedosi, Vice-President of Acquisitions at Gravitas Ventures.
“Frank’s film is beautifully shot, thoroughly researched, and above all a good time, full of amusing anecdotes and exotic locales to quench the thirst of a significant built-in audience. We look forward to presenting the film to North American audiences,” said Tony Piantedosi, Vice President of Acquisitions at Gravitas Ventures.
Director Mannion comments: “Working with these incredible distributors is a dream come true. The film is a love letter to the joys and pleasures of champagne. We were fortunate to be able to shoot during lockdown as champagne producers were classified as essential workers! Hopefully audiences will enjoy immersing themselves in the world of champagne while raising a toast to better things ahead in 2021.”
