Freestyle Digital Media Acquires Traci L. Slatton's Documentary Feature Film ‘HEROIC’
Official poster for HEROIC: Sabin Howard Sculpts the National WWI Memorial.
Sabin Howard and Charlie Mostow work among the clay figures for A Soldier’s Journey.
Sabin Howard studies a live model while refining a soldier’s face.
Sabin Howard and a studio collaborator study the developing battle scene.
A quiet moment beside one of the memorial’s clay figures.
Acquisition Announced Following Newport Beach Film Festival World Premiere; Digital Release Targeted for Early 2027
HEROIC will resonate with audiences well beyond art and history enthusiasts because its central struggle is universal: staying committed to a vision when the outcome is uncertain.”
LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, October 20, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Freestyle Digital Media, the digital film distribution division of Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group, has acquired digital distribution rights to HEROIC: SABIN HOWARD SCULPTS THE NATIONAL WWI MEMORIAL, written and directed by Traci L. Slatton. The company is announcing the acquisition following the documentary’s October 17 world premiere at the Newport Beach Film Festival. A digital release is targeted for early 2027, with the date to be announced.— Glen Reynolds, President, Circus Road Films
The documentary follows sculptor Sabin Howard’s nine-year undertaking to create A Soldier’s Journey, the 38-figure bronze centerpiece of the National World War I Memorial in Washington, D.C. Drawing on more than 4,000 hours of footage filmed across the United States, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, Slatton captures the artistic ambition, federal design battles, pandemic disruption and personal sacrifices behind the work.
Contemporary veterans serve as models for soldiers of the First World War, bringing their own experiences into the studio. Slatton, who also managed the sculpture project, documents the decisions, conflicts and relationships that shaped the memorial long before it was cast in bronze.
“A finished monument can make its creation look inevitable. Nothing about this one was,” said Slatton. “I wanted to preserve the human story behind the bronze—the ambition, the conflict and the veterans who brought their own experience into the work. Freestyle will bring that story to audiences beyond the memorial itself.”
Glen Reynolds of Circus Road Films said, “HEROIC will resonate with audiences well beyond art and history enthusiasts because its central struggle is universal: staying committed to a vision when the outcome is uncertain. That personal journey opens up a larger story about how we honor those who served and ensure their sacrifices are not forgotten.”
A Superhuman Film Productions documentary, HEROIC is produced by Howard and executive produced by Kathleen Glynn, whose credits include BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE and FAHRENHEIT 9/11. The film marks Slatton’s feature documentary debut, following her award-winning shorts THE SCULPTOR’S WIFE: A LOVE STORY IN DOCUMENTATION and ONE SOLDIER’S JOURNEY.
Freestyle Digital Media negotiated a deal to acquire HEROIC directly with the filmmakers and Glen Reynolds of Circus Road Films.
ABOUT FREESTYLE DIGITAL MEDIA
Freestyle Digital Media, the digital distribution unit of Byron Allen's Allen Media Group, is one of the largest all-rights independent film distributors in the world. The company specializes in VOD and streaming distribution, film acquisition, and direct partnerships across all major cable, satellite, digital, and streaming platforms. With a veteran sales team and robust infrastructure, Freestyle Digital Media is a premier destination for independent filmmakers seeking multiplatform theatrical, VOD, and streaming distribution. Recent releases include UP THE CATALOGUE featuring Jonathan Bailey, ALLSWELL IN NEW YORK starring Emmy Award-winning Liza Colón-Zayas of FX's THE BEAR, DIARIO, MUJER & CAFÉ starring Roselyn Sánchez in her directorial debut, and CHARLIEBIRD, winner of the Founders Award at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival. Additional titles in the Freestyle library include SURVIVE starring Sophie Turner and Corey Hawkins, DEAR ZOE starring Sadie Sink of STRANGER THINGS, and BEST SUMMER EVER, produced by Jamie Lee Curtis, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Mary Steenburgen, and Ted Danson. For more information, visit freestyledigitalmedia.tv.
ABOUT SUPERHUMAN FILM PRODUCTIONS
Superhuman Film Productions is an independent production company developing documentary and narrative films exploring art, history and the human experience. Its productions include HEROIC: Sabin Howard Sculpts the National WWI Memorial, written and directed by Traci L. Slatton and produced by Sabin Howard, and Slatton’s award-winning shorts The Sculptor’s Wife: A Love Story in Documentation and One Soldier’s Journey. The company’s planned narrative features include adaptations of Slatton’s successful novels The Botticelli Affair and The Love of My (Other) Life. For more information, visit superhumanfilm.productions.
ABOUT CIRCUS ROAD FILMS
Founded by Glen Reynolds in 2006, Circus Road Films advises independent filmmakers on festival strategy and distribution. The company represents producers seeking U.S. distribution, advocates for films with festival programmers, and supports the review and negotiation of U.S. distribution and international sales agreements.
MEDIA CONTACTS
Film / Filmmaker Publicity
Michelle Czernin von Chudenitz | EPEC Media
michelle@epecmedia.com | 310-600-0575
Allen Media Group / Freestyle Digital Media
Eric Peterkofsky / Sarah Madden
eric@es.tv | sarah.madden@es.tv
Michelle Czernin von Chudenitz
EPEC Media Group, Inc.
+1 310-600-0575
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