Independent UK-based sales outfit Scorpion TV has announced first international TV sales on the feature documentary Dear Lara. The company has sold the film to YLE Finland, Sky Arts New Zealand and RTÉ Ireland, as part of a “strong run” of international sales across its factual catalogue.
Directed by internationally acclaimed violinist Lara St. John and produced by Patrick Hamm, Dear Lara exposes decades of sexual abuse and institutional failures within the classical music world through the testimony of survivors, journalists and advocates.
The film world premiered at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, which marked the start of an international festival run that has included the Berkshire International Film Festival, CASCADIA International Women’s Film Festival and Cinema d’iDEA in Rome, where it received the Courage Award, presented by a jury chaired by Iranian director Azadeh Bizargiti.
The feature doc will next screen at the Brittany International Film Festival in France before continuing its international festival and theatrical campaign. Dear Lara has also attracted significant international media attention, including features on SWR’s Report Mainz in Germany, CBC’s Q with Tom Power in Canada, and FOX43 in Pennsylvania.
Furthermore, it has evolved into a broad international impact initiative combining theatrical screenings, educational outreach and community engagement, Scorpion adds. More than 50 universities, conservatories and music institutions have already expressed interest in hosting screenings, discussions and educational events, while a limited U.S. theatrical release is currently in development.
David Cornwall, Managing Director of Scorpion TV, comments: “We’ve seen continued demand from broadcasters looking for distinctive factual programming with strong storytelling and international appeal. Dear Lara is an important addition to that success, demonstrating that challenging documentaries can still find audiences with public broadcasters around the world. Alongside the film’s growing impact campaign, we’re delighted to be bringing it to television audiences internationally.”
Patrick Hamm, producer of Dear Lara, adds: “Our hope was always that Dear Lara would be more than a documentary. Every new audience creates opportunities for dialogue, accountability and institutional change. We’re thrilled that broadcasters are helping to bring these conversations to viewers internationally, while the film’s impact continues to grow through festivals, educational screenings and community partnerships.”
The deals for Dear Lara form part of a particularly active sales period for Scorpion TV, which has recently concluded licensing agreements with broadcasters across Europe, Asia-Pacific and Latin America, including:
- YLE Finland – Dear Lara and 9/11: The Lost Tapes
- Sky Arts New Zealand – Dear Lara; For the Money: Three Spectacular Art Fraud Stories; Cutting the Curve, Theaters of War and the eight-part arts series You, Myself and Art
- RTÉ Ireland – Dear Lara and Cutting the Curve
- Mediawan (France) – Just Hands: For the Love of Racing
- RTVE (Spain) – 9/11: The Lost Tapes
- AMC Networks International (Spain and Portugal) – Atomic Rocketeer and Oppenheimer
- RTL GEO (Germany) – Scary Tales of New York and New England’s Wildlife Wonders
- SVT (Sweden) – A President, Europe and War
- NITV (Australia) – Cutting the Curve
- TV UNAM (Mexico) – For the Money: Three Spectacular Art Fraud Stories; Theaters of War; Psychedelia; In Your Face; Atomic Rocketeer and Oppenheimer
- TRT World (Turkey) – For the Money: Three Spectacular Art Fraud Stories
- TVN (Poland) – My Five Year Plan
- PTS (Taiwan) – Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone
- Yoohoo (Taiwan) – Better Off Dead; Fill the Frame and In Your Face
