EXCLUSIVE: Oscar winner Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary’s Revelations Entertainment have joined Tom Donahue’s animated documentary, Break Out as executive producers. A festival premiere next year is being slated.
Directed by Tom Donahue (This Changes Everything, Casting By, Mafia Spies), Break Out follows the journey of Alexei, a successful businessman, and Dimitri, a young doctor, whose love story unfolds against the backdrop of Russia’s escalating anti-LGBTQ laws and the invasion of Ukraine. Meeting in secret during COVID lockdowns, the couple faces criminalization, police raids, and the looming threat of being sent to the front line. Their fight for freedom takes them across three continents in a desperate bid to live authentically and without fear. The docu blends first-person testimony with striking animation and dramatic reenactments.
Producers on the project include Ilan Arboleda and Adrienne Lahens, and executive producer Roger Paperno. The movie is a CreativeChaos vmg and Infinite Studios production in association with Revelations Entertainment.
“Stories like Break Out remind us why cinema matters,” said Freeman. “This is not only about survival; it’s about love, courage, and living freely.”
“We are committed to stories that reveal truth, transcend borders and shine a light on the resilience of the human spirit,” added McCreary. “Break Out is exactly that kind of story.”
Donahue describes the animated documentary as “a hero’s journey, a refugee story, and a love story. At its core, it is about the unshakable human desire to live honestly, even in the face of persecution.”
The filmmaker adds, “At a time when LGBTQ rights are under threat worldwide, Alexei and Dimitri’s odyssey is both singular and universal.”
Lahens tells Deadline, “This story is urgent and deeply human. It sits at the intersection of three timely realities: LGBTQ+ rights, the upheaval of war, and the search for freedom through immigration. Break Out brings life to a story that’s universal.”
“We chose animation to protect the identities of our characters who are facing persecution in Russia, and because it’s a beautiful and emotionally resonant way to tell their story,” adds the producer.
CreativeChaos vmg was founded by Donahue and Arboleda. The award-winning production company’s mission is dedicated to socially conscious storytelling. Their movies include This Changes Everything, Casting By, Thank You for Your Service, Bleed Out, and the recently Emmy-nominated Mafia Spies. Most of their work has premiered at major festivals and been featured on HBO, Netflix, Hulu, Paramount+ and other leading platforms.
Infinite Studios, co-founded by Lahens and Mehmet Bal, is a next-generation entertainment platform at the intersection of human creativity and artificial intelligence. Its proprietary AI tools and collaborations with artists, brands, and filmmakers open new frontiers for cinematic storytelling.
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