Fast Color is now available for digital download. The Julia Hart-directed film first premiered at SXSW and it stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Saniyya Sidney and Lorraine Toussaint. The film was produced by Hart and her husband, La La producer Jordan Horowitz.

It is the story of a woman named Ruth (Mbatha-Raw) who is forced to go on the run when her superhuman abilities are discovered. Now, years after having abandoned her family, the only place she has left to hide is home.

Despite rave reviews (including one from S&A), the film was never given a wide release and only appeared in a few theaters across the country. This sparked a lot of discourse on social media about the marketing and distribution for independent films with Black leads.

In May, Hart spoke about the issue herself.  “There is so much lip service in this industry about wanting women to tell stories, wanting people of color to tell stories, wanting to tell stories about women and people of color,” she said. “There wasn’t a single print ad for this movie anywhere, and it’s a beautiful freakin’ poster with this beautiful woman’s face on it. At the end of the day, when it got to the white male gatekeeper[s] — time and time again — they said, ‘I don’t know who this movie is for. I don’t know how to market it. We have a lot of incredible storytellers right now who are telling these stories — women and people of color — the problem is the gatekeepers all look alike and we need to change that.”

You can buy Fast Color now on platforms like Amazon and iTunes. The film will be available for physical purchase on July 16.

 

READ MORE:

‘Fast Color’ Director Points Out Film’s Lack Of Marketing And Hollywood’s White, Male Gatekeepers

‘Fast Color’ Proclaims That Black Women Can Save The World If Given The Chance [Review]

Lorraine Toussaint, Saniyya Sidney Join Gugu Mbatha-Raw in Superhuman Drama ‘Fast Color’

 

Photo: Lionsgate/Codeblack