Abramorama has acquired U.S. theatrical rights to Kim A. Snyder’s documentary “Newtown” about the aftermath of the 2012 shooting massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Conn.
The Orchard will handle TV, excluding PBS, and all home entertainment in North America. Produced by Maria Cuomo Cole and filmed over the course of nearly three years, “Newton” uses never-before-heard testimonies to tell a story of the aftermath of the deadliest mass shooting of schoolchildren in American history, chronicling how the small town’s residents have been altered forever.

Adam Lanza fatally shot 20 children — between 6 and 7 years old — and six adult staff members at the elementary school before killing himself on Dec. 14, 2012.
“Newton” played at the Greenwich film Festival on June 13, the night after the Pulse shooting in Orlando, Fla. Connecticut congressman Jim Himes saw the film at that screening and enacted protests the following day, citing the movie as his inspiration for doing so.

On June 22, in the midst of the congressional “sit in,” it was announced that the film will play for Congress on July 13.

Variety critic Andrew Barker wrote in his review that the documentary, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, was “an elegant, devastating portrait of a town in mourning.”

Abramorama will open “Newtown” in theaters in October, after which it will air on PBS in early 2017.

The deal was negotiated by Richard Abramowitz of Abramorama with Karol Martesko-Fenster of Thought Engine and Danielle DiGiacomo for The Orchard, with Preferred Content and WME Global on behalf of the filmmakers.

“We consider it a great privilege to be part of this process and will work long and hard to insure that ‘Newtown’ can be seen, and the message can be heard, in all corners of the country,” Abramowitz said.

Got the drop on Variety . . .