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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.

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.

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