Press Releases

NEW YORK, (April 22, 2014) - Sony Pictures Classics announced today that they have acquired all North American, Eastern European and Asian rights to the documentary RED ARMY from filmmaker Gabe Polsky. The film was just announced as part of the 2014 Cannes Film Festival lineup in the Special Screening Section.

RED ARMY is about the Soviet Union and the most successful dynasty in sports history: the Red Army hockey team. Filmmaker Gabe Polsky tells an extraordinary human story from the perspective of its captain Slava Fetisov, the friendships, the betrayals, and the personal dramas, which led to his transformation from national hero to political enemy. The film examines how sport mirrors social and cultural movements and parallels the rise and fall of the Red Army team with the Soviet Union. RED ARMY is an inspiring story about a man who stood up to a powerful system and paved the way for change for generations of Russians.

"At its heart, this is a film about the Russian soul," stated Polsky. "I'm thrilled for the opportunity to work with Tom and Michael and very excited to present the film in Cannes."

"We can't wait to present this film to audiences everywhere. This is Russian history as seen from the perspective of professional ice hockey," said Bernard and Barker. "Director Gabe Polsky has made a dramatic, entertaining movie about historic heroes on the ice. RED ARMY has the same level of depth and freshness as INSIDE JOB and FOG OF WAR, the last two documentaries we brought to Cannes. We look forward to presenting the film with Gabe and his producers."

The film was Executive Produced by Jerry Weintraub, Werner Herzog, and Liam Satre-Meloy.

ABOUT SONY PICTURES CLASSICS
Michael Barker and Tom Bernard serve as co-presidents of Sony Pictures Classics—an autonomous division of Sony Pictures Entertainment they founded with Marcie Bloom in January 1992, which distributes, produces, and acquires independent films from around the world.

Barker and Bernard have released prestigious films that have won 32 Academy Awards® (28 of those at Sony Pictures Classics) and have garnered 140 Academy Award® nominations (114 at Sony Pictures Classics) including Best Picture nominations for AMOUR, MIDNIGHT IN PARIS, AN EDUCATION, CAPOTE, HOWARDS END, and CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON.

ABOUT SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; a global channel network; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of entertainment in more than 142 countries. For additional information, go to http://www.sonypictures.com/.

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