HBO’s inside look at U.S. President Barack Obama’s two-year campaign opens in US theatres for a limited period in New York City and Los Angeles on 7 August. The film will open on the same day for one week at the Sunshine in Manhattan and the Sunset 5 in Los Angeles. The film will then debut on HBO television on 3 November.
“By The People: The Election of Barack Obama” was directed by Amy Rice and Alicia Sams and produced by Edward Norton’s Class 5 Films. The project was initially driven by Amy Rice, who lost her older brother in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. She was inspired by Obama’s now famous 2004 convention speech and approached Sams and Norton.
She was given exclusive access to the Obama, his senior staff, family, friends, and campaign volunteers over the two and a half years it took to make the film. The filmmakers travelled with Obama to Africa in 2006 and were present to record his announcement of his candidacy in 2007.
“Initially, it wasn’t even about a presidential campaign; the idea was simply to examine the political experience of a promising young politician of our generation,” said Norton, in a statement. He produced the film with Stuart Blumberg and William Migliore.
All international media rights and domestic home entertainment rights (minus UK television) for the film were acquired by Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisition Group (SPWAG).
