From Sundance to Distribution

On the first day of Sundance 2026, a documentary about a death-defying cable car rescue in the Pakistani Himalayas screened to a sold-out audience at the festival. The film? Hanging by a Wire, directed by Mohammed Ali Naqvi. It was the beginning of a true festival-to-distribution success story.

Hanging by a Wire went on to screen at Seattle, Sydney, and Tribeca with each festival driving momentum for the film. Seattle expanded its US audience and press footprint, Sydney gave it international relevance outside the domestic circuit, and Tribeca served as its New York premiere, paving the path for its theatrical opening at the Quad Cinema just blocks away. Six months following its premiere at Sundance, Abramorama acquired the film. The trailer dropped in July and it opens August 28 at New York City’s Quad Cinema before national expansion.

Naqvi put it plainly in a press release for the film: “To me, this film is a statement about what Pakistani cinema can be. A story from our mountains, told by our own people, can be a full blooded action thriller – it can open Sundance, play the world’s biggest festivals, and be backed by a major Hollywood studio.”

The festival-to-distribution journey rarely happens the way filmmakers imagine it will. Most filmmakers walk out with momentum that carries into subsequent festivals, building a track record that tells buyers the film has been tested by real audiences in meaningful rooms.

Hanging by a Wire is a textbook example of trusting the process. The film didn’t need one perfect moment. It needed months screening across the right festivals, amplifying buzz and press opportunities, and building real momentum to land the right distributor.

Knowing how to play the long game, which festivals to target, how to build momentum between screenings and how to keep the film moving forward is exactly what Hiike Independent’s The Circuit is built for, from first submission to the last.