Artistic License Films has acquired North American theatrical distribution rights for Paul Devlin’s documentary “Power Trip.” A nominee for the Independent Spirit Awards, “Power Trip” recently concluded a successful two week engagement at the Film Forum in New York and will be playing in all major markets throughout 2004.
“I’ve know Paul since he was in production on ‘SlamNation’,” says Sande Zeig, president of Artistic License. “With ‘Power Trip’ he has proven that he’s a great documentary filmmaker. Everyone who switches on the lights or the electric stove should see this film.”
“Power Trip” details the numerous problems that arise in bringing a modern electrical system to the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. AES Corp., the massive American “global power company,” has purchased the privatized electricity distribution company in Tbilisi, the Georgian capital. AES manager Piers Lewis finds an unexpected challenge: training the formerly communist populace to pay for their electricity. The Georgians meanwhile, from pensioners to the Energy Minister, devise clever ways to get it free. Amidst hot tempers and high drama, Lewis balances his love for the Georgian people with the hardships his company creates for them, as they struggle to build a nation from the rubble of Soviet collapse.
“Power Trip” enjoyed great success on the global film festival circuit during 2003, winning the Berliner Zeitung and Readers’ Jury Prize and a Special Mention from the International Federation of Art Cinemas during the Berlin Film Festival, the Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary Feature at the Florida Film Festival in Orlando, Best International Documentary (Feature) honors at the Hot Docs/Canadian International Documentary Film Festival in Toronto, and the Best Documentary Award at theTransparency International Film Festival in Seoul, Korea.
For more info, visit the official “Power Trip” website.
