Kiss the Future features Bono, The Edge & Adam Clayton
AMC Theatres and Fifth Season have reached a deal to release Kiss the Future, a critically acclaimed documentary, that World Premiered at Berlinale and opened The Tribeca Film Festival in 2023, directed by Nenad Cicin-Sain, produced by Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and Sarah Anthony, which will debut at select US AMC locations beginning on Friday, February 23rd, for a full theatrical run before it streams on Paramount+ later this year. The doc features U2’s Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, Christiane Amanpour, and Bill Clinton.
The film, directed by Nenad Cicin-Sain, story by Bill Carter and Cicin-Sain, screenplay by Carter, based on his memoir: “Fools Rush In,” is the story of defiance amid the 1990s siege of Sarajevo during the Bosnian War. The film focuses on a vibrant underground community that used music and art to effect change and garner global attention by ultimately inspiring an American aid worker to reach out to the world’s biggest band U2 to help raise awareness of the devastating conflict. Kiss the Future follows the band’s promise to perform a post-war concert that saw U2 play to over 45,000 local fans in a liberated city, a show that lives on as a joyous collective memory for the people of Sarajevo.
“Even in the darkest times, the people of Sarajevo were able to find purpose through playing music, making art and helping others. They did not just survive, they thrived,” shares director Nenad Cicin-Sain.
“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,” adds producer Matt Damon. “Artists Equity is proud to bring Nenad’s wonderful, life-affirming film to theater audiences across the United States.”
On Wednesday, February 21st at 7 pm local, select AMC Theatres across the country will host an exclusive early screening. Kiss the Future: A Dolby Special Event will include an introduction from producers Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, plus a pre-recorded post-film discussion hosted by Deadline’s Matt Carey featuring director Nenad Cicin-Sain, Vesna Andree Zaimovic and Bill Carter – in conversation with U2’s The Edge and Adam Clayton – about their personal experiences as part of the extraordinary Sarajevan creative community whose commitment to art and life and the City of Sarajevo was, and continues to be, an inspiration to so many. Tickets to this special event, presented in Dolby Cinema, are on sale now at amctheatres.com or on the AMC Theatres mobile app.
“AMC Theatres has a long-standing commitment to bring powerful and personal stories to the big screen with our AMC Artisan Films program,” adds Elizabeth Frank, EVP Worldwide Programming & Chief Content Officer for AMC Theatres. “We are excited to support Director, Nenad Cicin-Sain, Artists Equity, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck in sharing this inspiring film.”
Fifth Season is handling global distribution of the title, in addition to making the domestic theatrical distribution deal with AMC. Kiss the Future was financed and produced by Fifth Season and is a Fifth Season, Artists Equity, and an In Cahoots Production. WME co-represented domestic rights with Fifth Season.
