Gravitas Ventures has picked up the documentary Stylebender, on the UFC Middleweight phenomenon and former world champion Israel Adesanya, for North America.
Zoë McIntosh adopted Adesanya, recognized within the ring as “the final stylebender” for 5 years making the non-fiction function, which premiered on the Tribeca movie pageant final 12 months. Stylebender is much less a basic sports activities doc than an exploration of Adesanya’s origins, household upbringing, and his struggles, as a shy Nigerian child, rising up in rural New Zealand within the 2000s, to seek out his personal means on this planet. We see Adesanya working along with his coach and mentor, Eugene Bareman, in addition to his therapist, as he discusses problems with masculinity, bullying, and psychological well being.
“After screening Stylebender in Tribeca, I may really feel in my bones there was one thing supremely particular about this movie, and about Adesanya’s story,” stated Gravitas’ Danielle Gasher. “There’s a weak and deeply human high quality to the movie, which I consider can be felt far and enormous by audiences throughout North America.”
Gravitas has a expertise for recognizing worldwide breakout docs. In 2021 the corporate picked up the Chilean documentary The Mole Agent, which went on to safe an Oscar nomination for finest documentary.
The deal for Stylebender was negotiated by Gravitas’ Danielle Gasher, VP Acquisitions & Worldwide Gross sales, with Mister Smith Leisure’s SVP Worldwide Gross sales & Acquisitions, Shane Kelly. Mister Smith Leisure co-reps North American rights with WME for the movie. Ahi Movies is dealing with the discharge of Stylebender in Australia and New Zealand.