QAnon-link film Sound of Freedom gets local release

The low-budget film about child sex trafficking, starring Jim Caviezel, has been widely embraced by conservative and right-wing commentators, will premiere in August

Sound of Freedom. Picture: Angel Studios

Sound of Freedom, a micro-budget independent film with links to QAnon that became an unlikely box office hit in America, will be released in Australia in August.

The film, made on a budget of $US14.5 million ($21.6 million), has taken in an astonishing $US130 million ($191 million) at the box office since its opening on July 4th.

Sound of Freedom stars Jim Caviezel as Tim Ballard, a former federal agent who founded the anti-trafficking organisation Operation Underground Railroad. It follows his mission through Colombia to save a girl from child traffickers. During the Trump presidency, Ballard co-chaired a council established to guide federal anti-trafficking policymaking.

Sound of Freedom was released by the ‘faith-based’ distributor Angel Studios, whose previous successes include The Chosen, a streaming series about the life of Jesus. Angel relies on crowd-funding to boost its projects. The New York Times reports that more than 7,000 “angel investors” raised USD$5 million ($7.45 million) in exchange for revenue-sharing to market Sound of Freedom.

Though the film tells a nonpartisan story, it has been championed by both mainstream conservatives and far-right figures in America. South Carolina Senator Tim Scott called it an “amazing, gut-wrenching, emotive movie,” while Senator Ted Cruz of Texas encouraged his followers on Twitter to see it: Wow. Wow. Wow.”

Wow. Wow. Wow.

GO SEE #SoundOfFreedom

“‘Sound of Freedom’ topped the charts with $14.3 million in ticket sales at 2,634 theaters on July 4….

‘Indiana Jones’ came in second with $11.7 million at [nearly DOUBLE] 4,600 theaters.” https://t.co/XJMlzICzEC

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) July 6, 2023

In July, former President Donald Trump hosted a screening of the film at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, with Caviezel, Ballard, and actor Eduardo Verástegui in attendance. In an email after the event, Trump wrote, “This is a very important film and a very important movie, and it’s a very important documentary all wrapped up in one. It’s really about an issue that has to be discussed.”

Lucás Avila and Jim Caviezel in Sound of Freedom. Picture: Angel Studios

The film has become a lightning rod, with some critics saying it appeals to the QAnon movement, which posits a baseless conspiracy theory accusing progressive elites of paedophilia.

The film’s star, Caviezel, who played the title role in Mel Gibson’s 2004 film The Passion of the Christ, seemed to allude to QAnon while promoting Sound of Freedom on the podcast of far-right figure and former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, repeating the movement’s motto “there is a big storm coming” and mentioning “adrenochrome,” a hormone that QAnon believers say elites harvest from their child victims.

Caviezel with director Mel Gibson on set of The Passion of the Christ.

Despite Caviezel’s comments, Sound of Freedom itself doesn‘t contain any references to adrenochrome or other conspiracy theories. Neal Harmon, Angel’s chief executive, said, “Anybody who watches this film knows that this film is not about conspiracy theories,” adding, ”it’s not about politics.”

Anticipation for the film’s Australian premiere is soaring, with Icon Film Distribution slated to release it on August 24th. Dendy Theatres, co-owned by actor Mel Gibson, has already announced its screening in response to an overwhelming public demand.

“Since Sound of Freedom launched in the US, demand has been building around the world in dozens of regions and languages,” Angel Studios‘ executive Jared Geesey said. “Child trafficking is a global issue, and we hope to build on the incredible momentum here in the States and share the film’s powerful message worldwide.”