Disney has announced that the award-winning National Geographic documentary “Sugarcane”, will be coming soon to the National Geographic channel, Hulu and Disney+.

The new film is a stunning tribute to the resilience of Native people and their way of life, “Sugarcane” is an epic, nuanced and sensitive cinematic portrait of a community during a moment of international reckoning. Set amidst a groundbreaking investigation into abuse and death at an Indian residential school in Canada, the film empowers participants to break cycles of intergenerational trauma by bearing witness to painful, long-ignored truths and the love that endures within their families.

The film — from first-time director and TIME100 Next honoree NoiseCat and Emmy and Peabody-nominated investigative journalist and filmmaker Kassie — won the U.S. Documentary Competition Directing Award at Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. The Kassie Films and Hedgehog Films production, in association with Impact Partners and Fit Via Vi, is produced by Kassie and Oscar nominee Kellen Quinn.

The documentary was released in cinemas across the United States and Canada earlier this summer and picked up a number of awards, including:

• 2024 Sundance – U.S. Documentary Competition Directing Award
• 2024 Full Frame – Center for Documentary Studies Filmmaker Award
• 2024 Sarasota Film Festival – Best Documentary Award
• 2024 Minneapolis St Paul International Film Festival – Winner, Jury Award Documentary Competition
• 2024 SFFILM – Jury Winner, Best Documentary Film Award
• 2024 Margaret Mead Film Festival – Filmmaker Award
• 2024 SIFF – Official Competition Special Jury Prize
• 2024 Mountainfilm – Best Documentary Film Award
• 2024 IFF Boston – Special Jury Prize Winner
• 2024 Provincetown International Film Festival – John Schlesinger Documentary Award
• 2024 Doc Edge – Best International Feature
• 2024 Nashville Film Festival – Winner Documentary Feature Competition

The director of photography for “Sugarcane” is Christopher LaMarca, and the cinematographer is Emily Kassie. The film was edited by Nathan Punwar and Maya Daisy Hawke, with music by Mali Obomsawin. Executive producers for the film are Lily Gladstone, Bill Way, Elliott Whitton, Jenny Raskin, Geralyn White Dreyfous, Tegan Acton, Emma Pompetti, Grace Lay, Sumalee Montano, Sabrina Merage Naim, Douglas Choi, Adam and Melony Lewis, Meadow Fund, JanaLee Cherneski and Ian Desai, David and Linda Cornfield, Maida Lynn, and Robina Riccitiello. The co-executive producers are Kelsey Koenig, Lauren Haber, Meryl Metni and Jennifer Pelling. Carolyn Bernstein serves as executive producer for National Geographic Documentary Films.

“Sugarcane” will premiere on National Geographic Monday, 9th December 2024 at 9/8c and it will be available to stream the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.   No international Disney+ release details have been announced.

The film’s soundtrack, which has been composed by Mali Obomsawin, will be released by Hollywood Records on Tuesday, 10th December, which is the same day the film premieres on Disney+ and Hulu. It will be available wherever music is sold and streamed.

Are you looking forward to watching “Sugarcane”?  Let me know on social media!

Roger Palmer

Roger has been a Disney fan since he was a kid and this interest has grown over the years. He has visited Disney Parks around the globe and has a vast collection of Disney movies and collectibles. He is the owner of What's On Disney Plus & DisKingdom. Email: Roger@WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com Twitter: Twitter.com/RogPalmerUK Facebook: Facebook.com/rogpalmeruk

View all posts