Nikola feeds Silyan fish in his palm as he tries to nurse him back to health Courtesy of Ciconia Film/Jean Dakar Share on Facebook Share on X Share to Flipboard Send an Email Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Print the Article Post a Comment The Tale of Silyan, a documentary about a wounded stork and the farmer who cares for it, which won the best film Cinema and Arts Award at the Venice Film Festival, played at the Toronto International Film Festival and was subsequently entered by North Macedonia in the best international feature Oscar competition, has been acquired by National Geographic Documentary Films, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. The doc, which was directed by the Oscar-nominated filmmaker Tamara Kotevska (Honeyland) and counts Laurene Powell Jobs and Oscar winner Davis Guggenheim among its executive producers, was made in collaboration with Concordia Studio, The Corner Shop and Ciconia Film. Through a deal negotiated by UTA Independent Film Group on behalf of the filmmakers, Nat Geo acquired the film's worldwide rights, and will continue to roll it out at film festivals around the world before releasing it in theaters and then on Disney+ later this year. Related Stories TV 400 Celebs Sign Open Letter Backing Jimmy Kimmel, Including Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, Jennifer Aniston Lifestyle Museum of Modern Art and Chanel Have Found a Film Benefit Honoree in Sofia Coppola The Tale of Silyan, which is currently at 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, will be the distributor's top priority in the best documentary feature Oscar race. "The Tale of Silyan offers an irresistible blend of poetic storytelling, visual splendor, and emotional urgency," Carolyn Bernstein, Nat Geo's EVP of Documentary Films, said in a statement. "It is also a testament to the healing power of the natural world as seen through the unlikely friendship between a Macedonian farmer and a white stork. We are big admirers of Tamara's double Oscar-nominated documentary Honeyland and are so happy to be working with this uniquely talented and empathic filmmaker on her beautiful new film." Added Kotevska: "The white stork is a mythical creature in my home country of North Macedonia, so I'm thrilled to partner with National Geographic Documentary Films to be able to share an ancient tale from my childhood about these majestic birds with audiences at festivals, in cinemas and at home. I have devoted my life as a filmmaker to two topics: migration and nature conservation. This film marries the two, as modern macro economics lead people to abandon fertile lands in search of work in urban cities, depleting the white storks' natural food supply as farms become landfills. It is a stark warning about the direction we are heading." THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up Tessa Ross 'Conclave,' 'Sentimental Value' Producers Among Expert Voices Set for BFI London Film Festival Industry Forum Rachel Maddow MSNBC Acquires Rachel Maddow-Produced 'Andrew Young: The Dirty Work' (Exclusive) Heat Vision 'The Mandalorian and Grogu' Trailer Released: Can Baby Yoda Revive Big Screen Star Wars? Sarah McLachlan Disney's 'Lilith Fair' Doc Premiere: Sarah McLachlan Says Musical Performances Canceled Amid Calls for Free Speech Following Jimmy Kimmel Suspension Heat Vision Tom Holland Suffers Concussion on 'Spider-Man' Set, Takes Break From Filming seth reiss Margot Robbie, Colin Farrell on 'A Big Bold Beautiful Journey' and More Original Stories: "Right Now Is a Really Good Time for Film" Tessa Ross 'Conclave,' 'Sentimental Value' Producers Among Expert Voices Set for BFI London Film Festival Industry Forum Rachel Maddow MSNBC Acquires Rachel Maddow-Produced 'Andrew Young: The Dirty Work' (Exclusive) Heat Vision 'The Mandalorian and Grogu' Trailer Released: Can Baby Yoda Revive Big Screen Star Wars? Sarah McLachlan Disney's 'Lilith Fair' Doc Premiere: Sarah McLachlan Says Musical Performances Canceled Amid Calls for Free Speech Following Jimmy Kimmel Suspension Heat Vision Tom Holland Suffers Concussion on 'Spider-Man' Set, Takes Break From Filming seth reiss Margot Robbie, Colin Farrell on 'A Big Bold Beautiful Journey' and More Original Stories: "Right Now Is a Really Good Time for Film"