MADISON LEADER GAZETTE – WarnerMedia OneFifty and HBO Max have partnered to acquire the independent feature “This Is Not a War Story” from director Talia Lugacy and executive producer Rosario Dawson.

Lunacy wrote, directed, edited, produced and starred in the film, which also features Sam Adegoke, Danny Ramirez, Brian Delate and Frances Fisher. According to a description for the project, “This Is Not a War Story” tracks a ragtag group of combat veterans in New York whose anti-war art, poetry and paper-making keep them together, despite the specter of their friend’s suicide and the ever-crystalizing fact that healing from war is sometimes an impossible mission.

The movie will debut in November, released both in theaters and streaming on HBO Max, with special events in the works organized in partnership with OneFifty collaborators and veterans’ organizations.

“This film is not only the product of years of research and the painstaking effort of our team, but a tactile representation of trust built with our veteran partners,” Lugacy said in a statement announcing the acquisition. “Being able to distribute our film to a wide audience has always been our dream and with our partners at OneFifty and HBO Max, we will be able to release our film with the same level of care that went into making it in the first place.”

Lugacy produced the movie under her Acoustic Pictures banner alongside Noah Lang and Julian West. Dawson, Lugacy’s longtime collaborator, served as executive producer.

“This Is Not a War Story” was a New York Foundation for the Arts grant recipient and has since played at festivals, including Cinequest, Woods Hole and San Francisco Independent, where it won the audience award for best narrative feature. The movie is also set to screen at Dances With Films, Cinelounge Presents and Whistler in the coming months.

Steven Beer brokered the deal on behalf of the filmmakers, with Amanda Trokan, director of content acquisitions at HBO and HBO Max, negotiating on behalf of OneFifty and HBO Max.

“When our team saw the film, we were deeply moved by its distinctive voice and the intimacy of its storytelling,” added Axel Caballero, VP of artistic and cultural innovations and head of WarnerMedia OneFifty. “This film truly captures the vision of the artists involved, and that of OneFifty. We look forward to audiences experiencing it in theaters and on HBO Max this fall.”

“This Is Not a War Story” was a New York Foundation for the Arts grant recipient and has since played at festivals, including Cinequest, Woods Hole and San Francisco Independent, where it won the audience award for best narrative feature. The movie is also set to screen at Dances With Films, Cinelounge Presents and Whistler in the coming months.

Steven Beer brokered the deal on behalf of the filmmakers, with Amanda Trokan, director of content acquisitions at HBO and HBO Max, negotiating on behalf of OneFifty and HBO Max.

“When our team saw the film, we were deeply moved by its distinctive voice and the intimacy of its storytelling,” added Axel Caballero, VP of artistic and cultural innovations and head of WarnerMedia OneFifty. “This film truly captures the vision of the artists involved, and that of OneFifty. We look forward to audiences experiencing it in theaters and on HBO Max this fall.”