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Right before its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, Amazon Studios has picked up the worldwide rights to J Balvin ’s documentary, ‘The Boy From Medellín’. The documentary is directed by Matthew Heineman and is a dive into Balvin’s story and how he rose to stardom in Colombia. With a look at both the good and the bad, it follows the four-time Latin Grammy winner as he gets ready for the biggest sold-out concert of his life in his home town of Medellín, Colombia in 2019.
Balvin released a statement that expressed his gratitude for the partnership and said, “Representing my country, my city, and Latin culture globally is a lifelong pursuit and I’m so proud to be a son of Medellín. I’m honored to be able to tell my story in this beautiful way and working with Matthew on this project was an incredible experience. Thank you to Amazon for making sure this story can be seen around the world.”
Javiera Balmaceda, head of International Originals in Argentina, Chile, and Colombia at Amazon Studios said in a statement, “The Boy from Medellin’ is a poignant and transparent snapshot of Latin superstar J Balvin’s journey at such a crucial time in Colombia’s history.” Balmaceda continued, “Filmmaker Matthew Heineman is a master of his craft, and beautifully depicts the perspective of an international music icon. We are thrilled to welcome Matthew back to the Amazon family and to share J Balvin’s story with our global customers.”
The praised director, Heineman, previously worked with Amazon Studios for his film City of Ghosts. The award-winning filmmaker said in a statement, “I am excited to partner with Amazon in bringing Jose’s powerful personal story to a global audience.” Heineman continued, “While J Balvin is the undeniably talented musical icon behind some of the world’s most popular songs, Jose’s strength and openness in talking about his struggles with mental health drew me to make the film. I was honored that Jose gave us extremely intimate access to this important moment in his life, and the result is a universal story about a man trying to reckon with his place in this world that I hope will resonate with fans and new audiences alike.”
According to TheWrap, the documentary was backed by Endeavor Content which fully financed the documentary and handled worldwide sales. It was produced by Our Time Projects and SB Projects. No release date has been set.