"I Am Big Bird" Picked Up by Tribeca Film

Tribeca Film has acquired U.S. rights to the documentary "I Am Big Bird", about the man behind the iconic "Sesame Street" character, Caroll Spinney.

The portrait of the now 80-year-old Spinney, who has spent more than 40 years as the man behind Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, features footage of Spinney's earliest collaborations with Jim Henson.

The film, directed and produced by Dave LaMattina and Chad N. Walker, will get a day-and-date theatrical and VOD release in the first quarter of 2015. "Caroll entrusted us with telling his story, and we're thrilled that we'll finally be able to share it with audiences across the country," Walker said in a statement. La Mattina added: "This is a project we've spent years of our life on, and we're ecstatic to be working with Tribeca, a company that shares our vision for I Am Big Bird."

The film had its U.S. premiere at AFI Docs this summer and will screen at DOC NYC in November. "Big Bird is one of the iconic figures in American television, and this portrait of the man inside, Caroll Spinney, is simultaneously joyful and fascinating," Tribeca Film general manager Todd Green said in a statement. "Dave and Chad weave together years of archival footage to create a truly revealing look at the man inside the Big Bird suit." The deal was negotiated by Alison Diviney for Tribeca Film and Abby Davis of Preferred Content for the filmmakers.