After a ferocious bidding war that burned through the night, Fox Searchlight acquired worldwide distribution rights to Nate Parker’s The Birth of a Nation for a record-setting $17. 5 million. A passion project of Parker’s, Birth chronicles the slave uprising led by preacher Nat Turner in 1871 Virginia.

Shot in 27 days for a modest $10 million budget, Birth is the result of seven years of research, development and dedication fom Parker, a 36 year old actor/writer/director/producer from Norfolk, Virginia. Birth is his first feature film as actor/director/writer, but he has a long career as an actor, going back to 2004 and his debut in a small part in the TV series Cold Case.

At the same time historically precise and urgent, The Birth of a Nation is, so far, the hottest film to emerge from Sundance 2016, and a sure entry in this year’s awards season.

Read our interview with Nate Parker, and our review of The Birth of a Nation.

Listen to our interview with Nate Parker.