Direct-to-consumer studio Supergravity Pictures has acquired the rights to Maya Newell’s documentary feature Gayby Baby. The film will be released in partnership with influencer-fueled music label Heard Well, which helped to curate music
for the feature.
Gayby Baby (pictured), which tells the story of four Australian children raised by same-sex parents, will see a brief theatrical run in 50 cities around the world, beginning April 1. Supergravity will release the film on VOD platforms (those platforms have yet to be announced) on May 1. The VOD release is set to coincide with International Family Equality Day, which aims to promote acceptance of same-sex couples and families.
The deal marks a first for Heard Well, a start-up co-founded in 2015 by YouTuber Connor Franta (who boasts 5.3 million followers on the platform), Andrew Graham and Jeremy Wineberg. Along with selecting the music, the company is assisting in the marketing of the movie through its own influencer partners (including Amanda Steele and JC Caylen).
Heard Well’s influencers create compilation albums featuring their favorite undiscovered songs and artists. The content is then distributed direct to consumers through iTunes.
The subject of Gayby Baby is particularly personal to Franta, who came out as gay to his YouTube followers in a video back in 2014.
The film debuted at the Sydney Film Festival in June and has also screened at
the Melbourne International Film Festival, Doc NYC and Toronto’s Hot Docs festival, picking up numerous awards during its festival run. According to a release from Supergravity, the film was banned from screening in schools in New South Wales, Australia, due to the subject matter.