Greenwich Entertainment Acquires U.S. Rights From Participant To ‘Viva Maestro’ A New Documentary About Global Music Sensation Gustavo Dudamel

Participant, the leading media company dedicated to entertainment that inspires audiences to engage in positive social action, announced today that Greenwich Entertainment has acquired U.S. distribution rights to writer and director Ted Braun’s new documentary ¡Viva Maestro! with plans for a theatrical release later this year.

Concurrently, timed to the start of this year’s European Film Market (March 1-5), Participant has also announced that Cinephil will represent international sales for the film.

An emotional affirmation of the resilience of art in a time of political crisis, ¡Viva Maestro! explores the artistry, beliefs and determination of international superstar conductor Gustavo Dudamel. The film was produced by Steve Tisch, Dean Schramm, Howard Bragman, Nicolas Paine and Braun, with Participant’s Jeff Skoll and Diane Weyermann as executive producers. Greenwich will release the film in theaters across the U.S.

“I couldn’t be happier to add Greenwich and Cinephil to round out our wonderfully strong and dynamic partnership with Participant,” Braun said. “Their sterling reputation among filmmakers for bringing beautiful, important, award-winning films to wide audiences assures us that our film is in the best possible hands.”

“We are so pleased to be working with Ted Braun again, this time with his beautiful portrait about one of the most talented, inspiring people of our time—Gustavo Dudamel—and to partner with friends old and new in Cinephil and Greenwich Entertainment to bring ¡Viva Maestro! to audiences around the world,” said Diane Weyermann, Chief Content Officer for Participant.

“Cinephil is delighted to team up with Participant again to bring ¡Viva Maestro! to the world,” said Philippa Kowarsky, Managing Director of Cinephil. “Every now and then we’ve the great pleasure of working with a film that ticks every box—fabulous filmmaking, an inspiring character, combined with the moving power of music. It’s a beautiful film and it will open hearts and souls around the globe.”

¡Viva Maestro! is an uplifting and timely film from acclaimed director Ted Braun (Betting on Zero, Darfur Now), which takes audiences on a cinematic and sonic journey inside the imagination of musical genius Dudamel as he responds to the unexpected and daunting obstacles of social unrest in his homeland of Venezuela with powerful music-making and an innovative and triumphant concert that celebrates the power of art to renew and unite. The film follows Dudamel on a global journey leading the world’s great orchestras in Los Angeles; Berlin; Mexico City; Hamburg; and finally, Santiago, Chile.

Directed and written by Ted Braun (Betting on Zero, Darfur Now), ¡Viva Maestro! is produced by Steve Tisch (Forrest Gump, “Why We Hate”), Dean Schramm (Darfur Now, “Secrets of Eden”), Howard Bragman (“Michael Sam,” Becoming Chaz), Nicolas Paine, and Braun. Executive producers are Diane Weyermann (American Factory, An Inconvenient Truth) and Jeff Skoll (American Factory, Spotlight). Cinematography is by Buddy Squires, ASC (“The Civil War,” The Central Park Five) with Richard Pearce (Woodstock, Food, Inc.). The editor is Kate Amend, ACE (Into the Arms of Strangers, The Long Way Home). Re-recording mixer is Ron Bartlett (Life of Pi, Blade Runner 2049). The film features the music of Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Mahler, Shostakovich and Mexico’s greatest living composer, Arturo Márquez, with performances by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Berlin Philharmonic and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela.

Participant represented the sale to Greenwich Entertainment. The Greenwich Entertainment and Cinephil deals were negotiated on behalf of Participant by General Counsel Jeannine Tang; Rob Williams, VP of Sales & Distribution; and Peter Zelentsovsky, Senior Counsel of Business and Legal Affairs, with Andy Bohn negotiating for Greenwich.