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On Feb. 24, 2010, a bull orca named Tilikum brutally killed Dawn Brancheau, a 40-year-old trainer at SeaWorld Orlando in Florida.

It was the third death Tilikum played a role in and one of many deaths and injuries caused by killer whales in captivity over the years.

Those stories are told in Gabriela Cowperthwaite's documentary "Blackfish," which makes its television debut Thursday, Oct. 24, on CNN.

A Grand Jury Prize nominee at this year's Sundance Film Festival, "Blackfish" features many former SeaWorld trainers who recall their childhood dreams of working with whales and dolphins and the love and respect they developed for the animals.

"When you look into their eyes, you know somebody is home," says former trainer John Jett. This is not naive anthromorphism on his part -- an Mri of an orca's brain reveals a highly developed paralimbic system, suggesting that orcas not only are highly intelligent but also have rich emotional lives.

Los Angeles — What the Oscar-winning 2009 documentary "The Cove" did for dolphin slaughter in Japan, "Blackfish" may do for killer whales living in captivity while performing at marine parks.

"Blackfish," explores what may have caused Tilikum, a 12,000-pound orca, to kill three people, including veteran SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau in 2010.

News of Brancheau's death during a show at SeaWorld in Orlando inspired director Gabriela Cowperthwaite to explore what happened. SeaWorld first claimed that the trainer had slipped and fallen; later, it said Tilikum had been spooked by Brancheau's ponytail.

The director, who has made documentaries for Espn, National Geographic, Animal Planet, and the Discovery and History channels, said it took two years to make the film. She procured footage from local and national newscasts, people's personal archives, and through the Freedom of Information Act.

"It was just perseverance when it came to getting footage," she said in an interview. "I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

Director Gabriela Cowperthwaite's Blackfish opened in limited release last weekend, taking in over $75,000 from just five theaters. Before the film expands into more markets starting July 26, we have an exclusive TV spot from this heralded documentary, that explores the lives of orca whales, particularly the theme park performer Tilikum, who has killed several people while held in captivity. Take a look at the latest footage, and clickHere to see if the film is playing in your area this weekend.

Many of us have experienced the excitement and awe of watching 8,000 pound orcas, or "killer whales," soar out of the water and fly through the air at sea parks, as if in perfect harmony with their trainers. Yet, in our contemporary lore this mighty black and white mammal is like a two-faced Janus-beloved as a majestic, friendly giant yet infamous for its capacity to kill viciously. Blackfish unravels the complexities of this dichotomy,...

Former SeaWorld trainers Samantha Berg and Carol Ray provide riveting accounts of their park experiences in writer/director Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s new documentary, Blackfish, which explores the dark side of killer whales in captivity. They are among a handful of former SeaWorld trainers who appear in the film and share their initial attraction to working with the whales at the parks and their decision to speak out after veteran trainer Dawn Brancheau was killed by an orca named Tilikum at SeaWorld Orlando in 2010. Opening July 19th, the film brings to light the details of the Brancheau tragedy and reveals other harrowing trainer-whale encounters through shocking, never-before-seen footage. At the film’s recent press day, Berg and Ray talked about how they became involved in the documentary, why they wanted to work at SeaWorld and interact with the whales but sensed early on that something was amiss, how SeaWorld controlled the...

In her new documentary, Blackfish, opening July 19th, filmmaker Gabriela Cowperthwaite uses the story of a notorious performing whale, riveting interviews and never before seen footage to reveal the devastating consequences of keeping intelligent, sentient creatures in captivity. February 24, 2010 is a day whale trainers and fans of sea parks will never forget when veteran killer whale trainer Dawn Brancheau was brutally attacked and killed at SeaWorld Orlando by one of the park’s oldest residents, an orca names Tilikum. Her death became the catalyst for former SeaWorld trainers Jeffrey Ventre, Samantha Berg, Dean Gomersall, Carol Ray, Kim Ashdown and John Hargrove to speak out. During my recent interview, Cowperthwaite and Ventre talked about what led them to tackle this subject, how the film’s financing came together, the challenge of making it without SeaWorld’s participation, how the trainers’ perspectives changed over time as they became disillusioned, why they became...

We've added photos, and are hosting the trailer for Gabriela Cowperthwaite's Blackfish documentary, an upcoming release from Magnolia Pictures which opens on July 19th, 2013. Notorious killer whale Tilikum is responsible for the deaths of three individuals, including a top killer whale trainer. Blackfish shows the sometimes devastating consequences of keeping such intelligent and sentient creatures in captivity. The film is produced by Manuel Oteyza, and includes Kim Ashdown, Samantha Berg and Dave Duffus. Visit the official site here. Rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements including disturbing and violent images.

Chicago – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film with our unique social giveaway technology, we have 50 pairs of advance-screening movie passes up for grabs to the Sundance Film Festival hit “Blackfish”! This special screening features a director Q&A!

“Blackfish,” which is rated “PG-13” and opens in Chicago on July 26, 2013, is a mesmerizing psychological thriller that features Samantha Berg and Carol Ray from writer and director Gabriela Cowperthwaite and writer Eli B. Despres.

To win your free “Blackfish” passes courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just get interactive with our unique Hookup technology below. That’s it! This screening is on Wednesday, June 26, 2013 at 7 p.m. in Chicago. The more social actions you complete, the more points you score and the higher yours odds of winning! Completing these social actions only increases your odds of winning; this doesn’t intensify your competition or lower your odds!

Note: You can enter for this...