Kino Lorber has acquired the North American distribution rights to Mark Cousins’ “The Story of a Documentary Film.” The film is a 16-volume history of the medium that examines more than a century of global nonfiction cinema.
In addition to the North American deal, the film was sold internationally to I Wonder (Italy), Filmin (Spain and Portugal), and Madman (Australia/New Zealand). Dogwoof handles worldwide distribution rights.
The Story of a Documentary Film had its world premiere at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, where the first chapter, “The Beginning,” was screened. The film also had an official screening at the 2026 Berlinale, where Chapters 1 to 4 were screened, and recently at Cannes Classic, where Chapters 6 and 7 premiered.
Kino Lorber plans to release “The Story of Documentary Film” on all platforms later this year.
“Documentary filmmakers have been capturing modern realities since the dawn of cinema, and in this era of fake news and manipulated images, we feel it’s more important than ever to celebrate and elevate their work,” said Lisa Schwartz, chief distribution and revenue officer at Kino Lorber.
“Documentary Film Stories” was produced by John Archer for Hopscotch Films. The film is executive produced by Clara Glynn, Jocelyn Burns, Frank Lehman, and Diana Bustamente.
The deal for Documentary Film Stories was negotiated by Kino Lorber Vice President of Acquisitions Carolina Dwyer and Dogwoof’s Cleo Weger in advance of the film’s Cannes Classic premiere.
