Neon Sets Nationwide One-Night-Only Screening Event For Ava DuVernay’s ‘Origin’

Neon announced on Tuesday that it will bring Academy Award nominee Ava DuVernay‘s acclaimed drama Origin back to 500 U.S. theaters on February 28, for a one-night-only special screening event, featuring an exclusive pre-recorded introduction and post-screening Q&A with DuVernay.

Released wide on January 19, Origin has recently been awarded Best Drama, Best Director and Best Actress by the African American Film Critics Association, also securing NAACP Image Awards nominations for Outstanding Motion Picture, Directing in a Motion Picture, Actress in a Motion Picture, and Youth Performance in a Motion Picture.

Written and directed by DuVernay, the film explores the mystery of history, the wonders of romance, and a fight for our future. While investigating the global phenomenon of caste and its dark influence on society, a journalist faces unfathomable personal loss and uncovers the beauty of human resilience.

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor leads a cast also including Jon Bernthal, Niecy Nash-Betts, Emily Yancy, Finn Wittrock, Victoria Pedretti, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Isha Blaaker, Vera Farmiga, Audra McDonald, Connie Nielsen, Blair Underwood, Nick Offerman, Stephanie March, and Myles Frost. DuVernay and Paul Garnes produced for Array.

Garnering seven Academy Award nominations this year for Justine Triet’s Palme d’Or-winning French mystery Anatomy of a Fall, Wim Wenders’ Perfect Days and Pablo Berger’s animated feature Robot Dreams, Neon launched its films Seeking Mavis Beacon, Stress Positions, and Handling the Undead at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Its slate also currently includes Steven Soderbergh’s buzzy Sundance horror pic Presence, David Robert Mitchell’s They Follow, and the Hunter Schafer starrer Cuckoo, which premiered in Berlin.