Sky Documentaries Picks Up Cured

Sky has acquired Cured, a documentary feature that explores the successful campaign by LGBTQ activists in the U.S. in the early 1970s to remove homosexuality from the American Psychiatric Association’s manual of mental illnesses.

Cured combines eyewitness testimony with newly discovered archival material to illuminate the strategy and tactics that led to a pivotal moment in the struggle for LGBTQ equality. The film won the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature at NewFest in New York City and the Frameline Film Festival in San Francisco.

Cured is co-produced by Story Center Films, Singer & Deschamps Productions and the Independent Television Service, with funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in the U.S. It premiered on Sky Documentaries on June 13 and is available on streaming service NOW.

Drive has secured further global sales of Cured to Yes TV in Israel, ORF in Austria and SKY Italy. The film will have its U.S. broadcast premiere on October 11 on the PBS documentary showcase Independent Lens.

Ben Barrett, Drive co-managing director, said: “It’s not every day you see a film that shocks and inspires in equal measure the way Cured does. We’re really pleased to see a number of international channels picking up this important and timely film and look forward to increasing its global distribution in the coming months and years”.

Patrick Sammon, Cured co-director, said: “We’re excited that Cured is attracting an international audience. This film’s powerful message and universal story of resilience and determination will inspire viewers across the globe.”

Bennett Singer, Cured co-director, added: “While Cured highlights a little-known story from the past, its lessons are profoundly relevant today. Ultimately, the documentary celebrates the pathbreaking contributions of LGBTQ pioneers while demonstrating that even in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles, determined individuals can work together to create lasting social change.”