The film premiered in competition at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival on January 25 , 2016 . Fox Searchlight Pictures bought worldwide rights to the film in a $ 17.5 million deal , the largest deal at the film festival to date . At the end of the festival , the film won the Audience Award and Grand Jury Prize in the U.S. Dramatic Competition and was highly praised for its directing , acting , soundtrack and cinematography . The film was theatrically released in the United States on October 7 , 2016 by Fox Searchlight Pictures and grossed $ 16 million
2016 Sundance Film Festival
2016 Sundance Film Festival
The Birth of a Nation (2016 film)