Participant has pulled the indie film “BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions” from screenings scheduled for the Sundance and Berlin Film Festivals over an alleged “secret” cut made by director Kahlil Joseph without the company’s knowledge, a legal complaint from Participant reveals.
In the letter, filed on Tuesday, Participant said it was “shocked” to learn on Jan. 17 that Joseph — a filmmaker who contributed to Beyoncé’s “Lemonade” film — had worked on a different version of “BLKNWS” that was due to be screened at CAA without telling the company.
“Given that Mr. Joseph delivered the film to Participant in November 2024, and Participant submitted that version to Sundance in reliance that it was the final cut of the film, it is completely unacceptable that Mr.