Off the Fence (OTF) has acquired worldwide rights outside of Canada for the feature doc Resident Orca from B.C.-based Everyday Films.

Directed by Everyday’s Sarah Sharkey Pearce (The Devil You Know) and Simon Schneider (Hadwin’s Judgement), the film follows the story of a captive killer whale and the fight for her survival and freedom.

Executive producers are Lummi Tribal Elders Squil-le-he-le Raynell Morris and Tah-Mahs Ellie Kinley, as well as James Costa (Welcome to Chechnya), Lynne Kirby (Thick Skin), Romney Grant and Melissa Gaucher.

Amsterdam-based OTF, a ZDF Studios company, is representing the film at the Sunny Side of the Doc marketplace in France, which closes today (June 27).

“Sharkey Pearce and Schneider have produced a stunning and compelling film that we know will leave audiences profoundly moved. Our deep-rooted kinship with animals is powerfully told through the heroism of the Lummi Tribe and their fight to set Lolita the whale free,” said Isobel Kinnear, OTF’s acquisitions executive, in a statement. “Sharing stories that include Indigenous ways of knowing is vital in expanding our understanding of the home we all share and we are proud to be entrusted with such a powerful film that cannot help but inspire audiences worldwide.”

The film is a Crave original, and was funded by Crave, Bell Media, the Canada Media Fund, the Rogers Documentary Fund, Creative BC, the province of British Columbia and the Government of Canada.

Resident Orca was nominated for the Documentary Achievement Award at the Miami Film Festival in April and will continue its film festival run before being available to Canadian audiences on Crave.

Image courtesy of Everyday Films.