“Kiss the Future,” a documentary produced by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck and featuring Bono and Bill Clinton, is coming to the big screen next month.
The film will receive a theatrical run exclusively at AMC Theatres, starting on Feb. 23, before it lands on Paramount+ at a later date. This marks the theater chain’s latest foray into distribution following the release of “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” and “Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé.” However, the two concert docs played on more than just AMC screens.
Directed by Nenad Cicin-Sain, “Kiss the Future” chronicles the 1990s siege of Sarajevo during the Bosnian War and focuses on an underground community that used music and art to effect change. They eventually inspired an American aid worker to reach out to U2 to raise awareness of the conflict. In the documentary, the band follows through on its promise to perform at a post-war concert to ended up playing to 45,000 local fans in a liberated city.
“Even in the darkest times, the people of Sarajevo were able to find purpose through playing music, making art and helping others,” Cicin-Sain said in a statement. “They did not just survive, they thrived.”
Damon called “Kiss the Future” a “life-affirming film.”
“The powerful message of peace is as relevant and important today as it was in September 1997 when Bill Carter and Sarajevan community leaders brought U2 to post-war Sarajevo,” he said in a statement.
On Feb. 21, select AMC Theatres across the country will host an exclusive early screening. The special event will include an introduction from Damon and Affleck, plus a pre-recorded, post-film discussion with U2’s The Edge and Adam Clayton about their personal experiences.
“AMC Theatres has a long-standing commitment to bring powerful and personal stories to the big screen with our AMC Artisan Films program,” said Elizabeth Frank, executive VP of worldwide programming and chief content officer for AMC Theatres.
Fifth Season financed and produced the film and will handle global distribution.
