Gast spent 22 years making the documentary about the Rumble in the Jungle, and in the end, it paid off: “In 1996, Mr. Gast and Mr. Sonenberg took it to the Sundance Film Festival, where they received a special jury citation and 17 distribution offers. Critics praised the film, which nearly swept the awards for documentary films that season — including, in early 1997, the Academy Award for best documentary feature.” – The New York Times