HBO Documentary Films Acquires ‘Master of Light,’ Acclaimed Doc On Gifted Artist Who Painted Behind Bars

Deadline

HBO Documentary Films has acquired worldwide television and streaming rights to Master of Light, the SXSW award-winning film about artist George Anthony Morton, who honed his exceptional talent while serving a prison sentence.

Dutch filmmaker Rosa Ruth Boesten directed the documentary, which is produced by Oscar winner Roger Ross Williams, Ilja Roomans, and Anousha Nzume.

“I learned about George through a mutual friend who met George in New York and told me about his story,” Boesten told Deadline at SXSW, where her film premiered, winning the Grand Jury Prize for documentary. “He just had a New York Times article that came out and I read about the story and was just blown away by his artwork. And that’s when I reached out, and that’s where it started for me.”