“5B,” documentary commissioned by Johnson & Johnson about a compassionate AIDS ward in San Fransisco in the early 1980s was picked up for wider release. Produced by Saville Productions.
The film, “5B,” was picked up by Verizon Media and its entertainment studio RYOT for broader distribution in theaters and on demand. It focuses on the nurses who founded and opened the first AIDS ward at San Francisco General Hospital, called Ward 5B.
Verizon and RYOT, currently in the news for its celebrity-laden Lil Dicky song “Earth” and animated video collaboration, will debut “5B” at a premiere at LA Pride in June, with a theatrical release that same month. After that, the film will be released internationally, with a video-on-demand rollout in the fall. “5B” has also been selected for screening at the Cannes Film Festival.
Verizon said it will amplify the movie with “additional immersive content experiences using technology to enhance the story, compassion and humanity showcased by the nurses and caregivers at the forefront of the film.”
The film was created by Oscar-nominated director Dan Krauss and Saville Productions, which is known for its branded ad and film work. The documentary looks back to 1983, when extraordinary healthcare workers literally built the AIDS wing and compassionately cared for patients at a time when HIV and AIDS were spreading fast but still wildly misunderstood.