Disney Screens Mija Documentary for Free Earlier than Oscar Qualifying Run

Audiences will get an opportunity to see Disney’s inaugural characteristic documentary totally free in choose theaters throughout a one-week interval starting Aug. 5.

“Mija,” which follows two daughters of undocumented immigrants navigating the music business, will get its Academy Award qualifying run later within the month earlier than debuting on Disney+ on Sept. 16.

“We weren’t in a position to get a ranking in time for our deliberate theatrical, so our precise qualifying run is shifting a bit,” says Marjon Javadi, VP of Documentary Movie & Docuseries for Disney Authentic Documentary, part of Disney Branded Tv. “However fairly than pushing our complete launch plans, we determined merely to maintain our present releases and open them to the general public. This movie is a love letter to immigrants, their youngsters and the ability of a dream.”

The debut characteristic of Mexican American filmmaker Isabel Castro, “Mija,” premiered to rave critiques at this yr’s Sundance Movie Pageant. In March, Disney Authentic Documentary acquired worldwide rights to 88-minute movie.

“As we want to construct out Disney Authentic Documentary, we’ve been very eager on discovering genuine narratives, character-driven storytelling, and likewise filmmakers that herald an method and magnificence to their work,” says Javadi. “Mija” is such an genuine portrayal of what it means to be a first-generation child and to pursue your goals and stability these goals whereas additionally caring for your loved ones. The music factor actually spoke to us as nicely.”

A four-time Emmy nominated filmmaker, Castro started engaged on “Mija” in 2019 and continued to movie all through the pandemic.

“As an adolescent, I felt like there was a scarcity of tales about what it meant to return of age as an immigrant or because the youngster of immigrants in the USA,” says Castro. “I needed to inform the form of story I craved myself, as a Mexican immigrant after I was determining my identification, household, and neighborhood.”

Disney Authentic Documentary has two high-profile docus in manufacturing: Ron Howard’s untitled Jim Henson movie and “Goodbye Yellow Brick Street: The Closing Elton John Performances and the Years That Made His Legend,” directed by R.J. Cutler and David Furnish.

“Our aim is to construct world empathy by way of genuine storytelling and to embrace the artistic nonfiction kind,” says Javadi. “We wish to present real-life journeys and real-life tales about inspiration and hope.”

“Mija” performed the competition circuit all through the spring, together with runs at True/False Movie Pageant, Miami Movie Pageant, and CPH: DOX. Castro says she is trying ahead to the movie’s debut on Disney+ in September.

“To have this movie, which is a movie about being the daughter of immigrants, reside on Disney’s platform appears like my largest skilled and private achievement,” says Castro. “To have the movie’s themes and matters attain viewers worldwide is unimaginable and can hopefully immediate dialog about what the expertise means.”

Final yr, Disney Authentic Documentary certified their first title, the docu quick “Sophie & the Baron,” for Oscar consideration. The movie made the documentary quick shortlist. Tickets to “Mija” shall be free in choose theaters in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

“The way in which to consider it’s that our movies are serving an grownup viewers, however they’re family-friendly,” says Javadi. “How we body it’s, in case your four-year-old walks right into a room, you don’t have to shut (the doc) off. So there are themes and parameters that we actually work with as Disney to make it family-friendly. However that doesn’t imply it is advisable to watch it together with your five-year-old; it simply means in case your five-year-old is within the room, there’s not a pretend pas.”