A Call for Context
The head of Hulu’s documentary division seeks films that put subjects in context, then spark conversation.
Whitney Friedlander
A few years ago, Belisa Balaban saw the results of a research project that title-tested the word documentary among younger viewers.
The study found that people would say they didn t like documentaries but when asked to list some of their favorite films, the same folks would rattle off titles of unscripted fare. What we ve learned since then, she says via Zoom, is that the association millennial audiences and younger [people] had with a documentary was a very limited understanding of the form. And when exposed to great filmmaking, people discovered that they really love them.
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Jed Rothstein to Direct New Rudy Giuliani Documentary
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Ross Dinerstein and Campfire Studios have reunited with Forbes Entertainment and Olive Hill Media for a new documentary feature on Rudy Giuliani.
The doc will explore the controversial life and career of Giuliani, an American politician, lawyer and Donald Trump advisor. Fully financed by Olive Hill, the feature will be based on
Forbes’ reporting of Giuliani, who has been a public figure for more than five decades. Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Jed Rothstein (
WeWork: Or the Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn) is attached to direct.
Campfire Studios CEO Ross Dinerstein will produce the film. Rebecca Evans and Ross Girard are the executive producers for Campfire; Tim Lee, Michael Cho and Mimi Rode are executive producers for Olive Hill; and Randall Lane and Travis Collins are the executive producers for Forbes Entertainment.
Rudy Giuliani Documentary in the Works From Rolling Stone, MRC Non-Fiction
Brent Lang, provided by
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Where have you gone, Rudy Giuliani?
A new documentary from MRC Non-Fiction and Rolling Stone poses precisely that question, delving into the former New York City mayor’s move from being a beloved 9/11 leader to consigliere and conspiracy-theorist-in-chief to one Donald J. Trump.
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The film will be based on Seth Hettena’s 2020 article for Rolling Stone, “What Happened to America’s Mayor?” It’s being directed by Zach Heinzerling, an Oscar nominee for “Cutie & The Boxer,” and Gabrielle Schonder, a two-time Emmy winner whose credits include “The NRA: Under Fire.”