Tribeca Film today announced it has acquired U.S. rights to the heartwarming documentary I Am Big Bird, directed and produced by Dave LaMattina and Chad Walker. The film had its world premiere at Hot Docs earlier this year and will go on to play at DOC NYC in November. It will be released theatrically and on VOD day-and-date in the first quarter of 2015.

For over 40 years, Caroll Spinney has been beloved by generations of children as the man behind Sesame Street’s Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch – and at 80 years old, he has no intention of stopping. A loving portrait of the man in the yellow suit, I Am Big Bird features extraordinary footage of Spinney’s earliest collaborations with Jim Henson as it traces his journey from bullied child to childhood icon. And as the yellow feathers give way to grey hair, it is the man, not the puppet, who will steal your heart.

“Big Bird is one of the iconic figures in American television and this portrait of the man inside, Caroll Spinney, is simultaneously joyful and fascinating,” said Tribeca Film GM Todd Green. “Dave and Chad weave together years of archival footage to create a truly revealing look at the man inside the Big Bird suit.”

“Caroll entrusted us with telling his story and we’re thrilled that we’ll finally be able to share it with audiences across the country,” said director and producer Chad Walker.

“This is a project we’ve spent years of our life on and we’re ecstatic to be working with Tribeca, a company that shares our vision for I Am Big Bird,” said director and producer Dave LaMattina.

The deal was negotiated for Tribeca Film by Alison Diviney, and Abby Davis of Preferred Content on behalf of the filmmakers.

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