THE BIRTH OF NATION Trailer Debuts – Directed By And Stars Nate Parker

Fox Searchlight Pictures has released the first trailer for director Nate Parker’s THE BIRTH OF A NATION.

Set against the antebellum South, THE BIRTH OF A NATION follows Nat Turner, a literate slave and preacher, whose financially strained owner, Samuel Turner, accepts an offer to use Nat’s preaching to subdue unruly slaves. As he witnesses countless atrocities – against himself and his fellow slaves – Nat orchestrates an uprising in the hopes of leading his people to freedom.

In his Sundance Film Festival review, The Hollywood Reporter’s Todd McCarthy says the film, “offers up more than enough in terms of intelligence, insight, historical research and religious nuance to not at all be considered a missed opportunity. Far more of the essentials made it into the film than not; its makers’ dedication and minute attention are constantly felt, and the subject matter is still rare enough onscreen as to be welcome and needed, as it will be the next time and the time after that.”

The drama is also written and produced by the film’s star Nate Parker.

In March, Mitch Neuhauser, Managing Director of CinemaCon announced that Parker would receive the “CinemaCon® Breakthrough Director of the Year Award”. CinemaCon, the official convention of The National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) was held April 11–14, 2016 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

“Following its Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at the 2016 Sundance film festival, Nate Parker’s ‘The Birth of a Nation’ will surely bring movie-going audiences to their feet when it is released October 7th,” noted Neuhauser. “A pure labor of love and a film that shows the true passion necessary to craft it, we are honored to present such an outstanding filmmaker with this years ‘CinemaCon Breakthrough Director of the Year Award.’”

Parker first received critical attention in 2007 for his role in “The Great Debaters” receiving an NAACP Image Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He followed that up with such critically acclaimed films as “The Secret Life of Bees,” for which he received a Best Supporting Actor NAACP Image Award nomination, “Red Tails,” “Arbitrage,” and “Red Hook Summer.” He has also appeared in “Pride,” “Dirty,” “Felon,” “1968 Tunnel Rats,” and “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints,” among many others. Most recently Parker received his third NAACP Image Award nomination for his performance in “Beyond the Lights.” In addition to his feature film credits Parker has written and directed multiple shorts including “#AmeriCan,” which won the Black Reel Award for Outstanding Independent Short and has appeared onstage in “American Voices” at the Broad Street Theater.

THE BIRTH OF A NATION’s cast includes Armie Hammer, Penelope Ann Miller, Jackie Earle Haley, Mark Boone Jr., Colman Domingo, Aunjanue Ellis, Dwight Henry, Aja Naomi King, Esther Scott, Roger Guenveur Smith and Gabrielle Union. The score is from composer Henry Jackman.