Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory is a 2011 documentary film

Documentary film

Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...

 and sequel to the films Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills

Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills

Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills is a 1996 documentary film directed by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky about the trials of three teenage boys who came to be known as the West Memphis 3 in West Memphis, Arkansas. They were accused of the murder and sexual mutilation of three...

and Paradise Lost 2: Revelations

Paradise Lost 2: Revelations

Paradise Lost 2: Revelations is the 2000 sequel to the documentary film Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills, about the trial and conviction of three teenagers known as the West Memphis 3 accused of murdering three young boys in a Satanic ritual abuse.-Description:In Paradise Lost...

. The three films chronicle the arrest, 18 year imprisonment, and eventual release of Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley, otherwise known as the West Memphis 3

West Memphis 3

The West Memphis Three are three men who were tried and convicted as teenagers in 1994 of the 1993 murders of three boys in West Memphis, Arkansas. Damien Echols was sentenced to death, Jessie Misskelley, Jr. was sentenced to life imprisonment plus two 20-year sentences, and Jason Baldwin was...

. The films, directed by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky

Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky

Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky are a team of American documentary filmmakers that have received large critical acclaim and cult-fame since their debut true-crime film, Brother's Keeper -The West Memphis Three:...

, are considered to play a substantial role in generating publicity, awareness, and support for the innocence of the West Memphis 3.

Release

Originally intended to be another installment in which the three men remained in prison, the film was to premiere on the HBO network in November 2011. The world premiere of the film was announced to occur at the Toronto International Film Festival

Toronto International Film Festival

The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...

 in September 2011.

Due to the sudden August 19th release of the West Memphis Three, the filmmakers decided to postpone the film for another two months, to give the series a definitive ending, and a theatrical release, potentially allow qualification for Best Documentary Feature  at the 84th Academy Awards

84th Academy Awards

The 84th Academy Awards ceremony will honor the best films of 2011 and will take place on February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California. It will be televised in the United States on ABC. The host was originally going to be Eddie Murphy. However, after Brett Ratner resigned as...

. Interviews used for the film featuring the newly freed men began shooting the day following their release on August 20th. The film, in its original form, still made its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, while the re-cut version premiered at the New York Film Festival

New York Film Festival

The New York Film Festival has been a major film festival since it began in 1963 in New York. The films are selected by the Film Society of Lincoln Center...

.. The re-cut version premiered on October 10, 2011. The three men, accompanied with their families, attorneys, and supporters, attended the event.