Apple Original Films has taken global rights to The Last First: Winter K2, a documentary hailing from Propagate, Ventureland and Object Studios, following its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.
The film is one of a handful to have landed an acquisition deal out of this year’s festival — the others being Olivia Wilde’s The Invite (acquired by A24 for a reported $12M+), the horror flick Leviticus (acquired by Neon in a seven-figure deal), and Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty! and Bedford Park, which went to Sony Pictures Classics for undisclosed sums.
Helmed by Amir Bar-Lev, a director with credits like My Kid Could Paint That, The Tillman Story, and Happy Valley, The Last First: Winter K2 examines the industry of extreme mountain climbing and its changing culture. The film specifically hones in on a 2021 expedition involving Icelandic mountaineer John Snorri Sigurjónsson, as well as the Pakistani father-son team of Ali and Sajid Sadpara, who set out to be the first to summit the world’s second-highest mountain, K2. Doing so in the winter, when the mountain’s conditions are the cruelest, the men soon find themselves sharing the treacherous ascent with influencer climbers and their film crews, commercial expedition clients, and Nims, a Nepalese celebrity mountaineer, and his team of Sherpas.
“At its core, this is a profoundly human story about the cost of ambition and the people left searching for answers,” said Ben Silverman and Howard T. Owens, who produced for Propagate Content. “Amir approaches the film with empathy and precision, and we’re honored to see it reach a worldwide audience through Apple TV after such a powerful Sundance debut.”
In addition to the Propagate duo, The Last First: Winter K2 is produced by Sean Richard, Sarah Thomson, and John Battsek. EPs include Drew Buckley, James Packer, Will Kane, Bar-Lev, Taylor Levin, Kerstin Emhoff, and Ali Brown.
English (US) ·