MTV Documentary Films has acquired U.S. rights to Shiori Ito’s “Black Box Diaries.”
The docu, about the investigation of the director’s own alleged sexual assault, debuted in the World Cinema Documentary Competition at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and has been an audience favorite at this year’s Cph:dox, South by Southwest and Hot Docs film festivals.
MTV will theatrically release “Black Box Diaries” this fall, beginning in October at New York’s Film Forum. The film will be qualified for awards consideration before streaming on Paramount+ for subscribers with the Showtime plan later this year. Last year, the division released two Oscar nominated docs — Maite Alberdi’s feature length “The Eternal Memory” and Sheila Nevin’s short titled “The ABCs of Book Banning.”
Ito’s 103-minute film tracks her arduous, five-year struggle to bring to justice renowned TV reporter Noriyuki Yamaguchi for allegedly sexually assaulting her in...
The docu, about the investigation of the director’s own alleged sexual assault, debuted in the World Cinema Documentary Competition at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and has been an audience favorite at this year’s Cph:dox, South by Southwest and Hot Docs film festivals.
MTV will theatrically release “Black Box Diaries” this fall, beginning in October at New York’s Film Forum. The film will be qualified for awards consideration before streaming on Paramount+ for subscribers with the Showtime plan later this year. Last year, the division released two Oscar nominated docs — Maite Alberdi’s feature length “The Eternal Memory” and Sheila Nevin’s short titled “The ABCs of Book Banning.”
Ito’s 103-minute film tracks her arduous, five-year struggle to bring to justice renowned TV reporter Noriyuki Yamaguchi for allegedly sexually assaulting her in...
- 5/9/2024
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
MTV Documentary Films is making its Oscar-nominated documentary The Eternal Memory available for free on YouTube through the rest of the month.
The film, winner of the Goya Award for Best Iberoamerican Film and the Grand Jury Prize for World Cinema Documentary at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival among many other awards, earned director Maite Alberdi the second Oscar nomination of her career. The Chilean filmmaker was nominated in 2021 for her documentary feature The Mole Agent.
“The Eternal Memory tells a profound and moving love story that balances vibrant individual and collective remembrance with the longevity of an unbreakable human bond,” notes a release about the film. “Augusto and Paulina have been together and in love for 25 years. Eight years ago, their lives were forever changed by Augusto’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis. As one of Chile’s most prominent cultural commentators and television presenters, Augusto is no stranger to building an archive of memory.
The film, winner of the Goya Award for Best Iberoamerican Film and the Grand Jury Prize for World Cinema Documentary at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival among many other awards, earned director Maite Alberdi the second Oscar nomination of her career. The Chilean filmmaker was nominated in 2021 for her documentary feature The Mole Agent.
“The Eternal Memory tells a profound and moving love story that balances vibrant individual and collective remembrance with the longevity of an unbreakable human bond,” notes a release about the film. “Augusto and Paulina have been together and in love for 25 years. Eight years ago, their lives were forever changed by Augusto’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis. As one of Chile’s most prominent cultural commentators and television presenters, Augusto is no stranger to building an archive of memory.
- 2/23/2024
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Sheila Nevins has produced documentaries for most of her professional life. But at 84, she’s still notching career firsts.
Last month, Nevins added “Oscar-nominated director” to her résumé, having landed her first nod for co-directing the short “The ABCs of Book Banning” with Trish Adlesic and Nazenet Habtezghi.
Nevins’ first Oscars as a nominee take place at the same time she is wrapping up her run as the head of MTV Documentary Films. Nevins joined the company in 2019 after 38 years at HBO.
“I went there to raise the bar for the intellectual quotient of what MTV could produce in the documentary arena,” Nevins says. “I did highbrow and lowbrow at HBO, but when I got to MTV, I just did highbrow.”
On Nevins’ watch, MTV produced 40 docs and landed five Oscar nominations, including a feature doc bid this year for “The Eternal Memory.”
“Sheila Nevins is an extraordinary storyteller,...
Last month, Nevins added “Oscar-nominated director” to her résumé, having landed her first nod for co-directing the short “The ABCs of Book Banning” with Trish Adlesic and Nazenet Habtezghi.
Nevins’ first Oscars as a nominee take place at the same time she is wrapping up her run as the head of MTV Documentary Films. Nevins joined the company in 2019 after 38 years at HBO.
“I went there to raise the bar for the intellectual quotient of what MTV could produce in the documentary arena,” Nevins says. “I did highbrow and lowbrow at HBO, but when I got to MTV, I just did highbrow.”
On Nevins’ watch, MTV produced 40 docs and landed five Oscar nominations, including a feature doc bid this year for “The Eternal Memory.”
“Sheila Nevins is an extraordinary storyteller,...
- 2/14/2024
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: MTV Documentary Films has announced a return theatrical engagement for its Oscar-nominated documentary The Eternal Memory, beginning today and extending throughout the month of February.
Maite Alberdi’s film, a love story that Deadline has compared to the narrative features Amour and Doctor Zhivago, will play exclusively at IFC Center in New York and in the Los Angeles area at two locations: Laemmle Monica Film Center in Santa Monica and Laemmle Glendale. In addition, MTV Documentary Films has set what it describes as “a very special Valentine’s Day Drive-In event on the evening of February 14 in the San Francisco Bay Area at the West Wind Drive-In theater, where couples can celebrate the love story of Paulina and Augusto that Alberdi so wonderfully captured in the film.”
‘The Eternal Memory’
A description of the film notes, “Augusto and Paulina have been together and in love for more than two decades.
Maite Alberdi’s film, a love story that Deadline has compared to the narrative features Amour and Doctor Zhivago, will play exclusively at IFC Center in New York and in the Los Angeles area at two locations: Laemmle Monica Film Center in Santa Monica and Laemmle Glendale. In addition, MTV Documentary Films has set what it describes as “a very special Valentine’s Day Drive-In event on the evening of February 14 in the San Francisco Bay Area at the West Wind Drive-In theater, where couples can celebrate the love story of Paulina and Augusto that Alberdi so wonderfully captured in the film.”
‘The Eternal Memory’
A description of the film notes, “Augusto and Paulina have been together and in love for more than two decades.
- 2/3/2024
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
The critically-acclaimed documentary feature “The Eternal Memory” is returning to theaters, Variety has learned exclusively.
The doc, which hails from MTV Documentary Films, will be back on theater screens in New York and Los Angeles starting today. The film will screen daily at The IFC Center in New York on Jan. 5-7 and 12-15. It will screen at the Laemmle Glendale and Monica Film Center in Los Angeles on Jan. 6- 8 and 13- 15.
The film originally premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Grand Jury Prize World Cinema – Documentary. It went on to win several more accolades on the festival circuit and was named to the to the shortlist in the Best Documentary Feature Film category for the 96th Academy Awards.
“The Eternal Memory” previously ran in theaters nationwide and debuted on Paramount+ in the U.S. in November.
The film tells the story of Augusto Góngora and Paulina Urrutia,...
The doc, which hails from MTV Documentary Films, will be back on theater screens in New York and Los Angeles starting today. The film will screen daily at The IFC Center in New York on Jan. 5-7 and 12-15. It will screen at the Laemmle Glendale and Monica Film Center in Los Angeles on Jan. 6- 8 and 13- 15.
The film originally premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Grand Jury Prize World Cinema – Documentary. It went on to win several more accolades on the festival circuit and was named to the to the shortlist in the Best Documentary Feature Film category for the 96th Academy Awards.
“The Eternal Memory” previously ran in theaters nationwide and debuted on Paramount+ in the U.S. in November.
The film tells the story of Augusto Góngora and Paulina Urrutia,...
- 1/5/2024
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: MTV Documentary Films’ impressive slate of short films will debut on the Paramount+ streaming platform on Tuesday, a lineup that includes The ABCs of Book Banning, the directorial debut of documentary legend Sheila Nevins.
Nevins executive produces all five of the films joining Paramount+. In addition to her own film, co-directed by Trish Adlesic and Nazenet Habtezghi, the slate boasts Alive in Bronze: Huey P. Newton, about the artistic collaboration between sculptor Dana King and Fredrika Newton, widow of the Black Panther Party co-founder Huey Newton. The film chronicles their creation of a bust honoring Newton, for a monument in Oakland, Calif. where the Black Panther Party emerged.
The five shorts join a pair of award-winning features from MTV Documentary Films that premiered in recent days on Paramount+: Maite Alberdi’s Sundance winner The Eternal Memory and Pay or Die, directed by Rachael Dyer and Scott Alexander Ruderman,...
Nevins executive produces all five of the films joining Paramount+. In addition to her own film, co-directed by Trish Adlesic and Nazenet Habtezghi, the slate boasts Alive in Bronze: Huey P. Newton, about the artistic collaboration between sculptor Dana King and Fredrika Newton, widow of the Black Panther Party co-founder Huey Newton. The film chronicles their creation of a bust honoring Newton, for a monument in Oakland, Calif. where the Black Panther Party emerged.
The five shorts join a pair of award-winning features from MTV Documentary Films that premiered in recent days on Paramount+: Maite Alberdi’s Sundance winner The Eternal Memory and Pay or Die, directed by Rachael Dyer and Scott Alexander Ruderman,...
- 11/16/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
MTV Documentary Films’ “The Eternal Memory,” directed by Maite Alberdi, will exclusively debut on Paramount+ in the U.S. on Nov. 7.
“The Eternal Memory” tells the story of Augusto Góngora and Paulina Urrutia, a Chilean couple whose lives are irrevocably impacted by Augusto’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
The film’s description reads, “As one of Chile’s most prominent cultural commentators and television presenters, Augusto is no stranger to building an archive of memory. Now he turns that work to his own life, trying to hold on to his identity with the help of his beloved Paulina, whose own pre-eminence as a famous actress and Chilean Minister of Culture predates her ceaselessly inventive manner of engaging with her husband.”
The summary concludes, “Day by day, the couple face this challenge head-on, relying on the tender affection and sense of humor shared between them that remains, remarkably, fully intact.”
Alberdi’s...
“The Eternal Memory” tells the story of Augusto Góngora and Paulina Urrutia, a Chilean couple whose lives are irrevocably impacted by Augusto’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
The film’s description reads, “As one of Chile’s most prominent cultural commentators and television presenters, Augusto is no stranger to building an archive of memory. Now he turns that work to his own life, trying to hold on to his identity with the help of his beloved Paulina, whose own pre-eminence as a famous actress and Chilean Minister of Culture predates her ceaselessly inventive manner of engaging with her husband.”
The summary concludes, “Day by day, the couple face this challenge head-on, relying on the tender affection and sense of humor shared between them that remains, remarkably, fully intact.”
Alberdi’s...
- 11/8/2023
- by Jaden Thompson
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: MTV Documentary Films has acquired worldwide rights to Pay or Die, a heart wrenching film about Americans living with diabetes who face a cruel choice: pay the “extortionate” cost of insulin charged by pharmaceutical companies or risk death.
Scott Alexander Ruderman and Rachael Dyer directed and produced the documentary, which premiered in March at SXSW. MTV Documentary Films plans a theatrical release later this year, followed by a debut on streaming platform Paramount+.
“Today, nearly two-million Americans living with diabetes are being held hostage by the pharmaceutical industry, as many cannot afford insulin,” notes a release about the documentary. “Without this life-sustaining drug, they will be dead in days. Access to this drug has become increasingly more difficult, as the cost to patients in America soars. Pay or Die follows families struggling to afford their medications and reveals the harrowing reality of living with a chronic illness in the richest country in the world.
Scott Alexander Ruderman and Rachael Dyer directed and produced the documentary, which premiered in March at SXSW. MTV Documentary Films plans a theatrical release later this year, followed by a debut on streaming platform Paramount+.
“Today, nearly two-million Americans living with diabetes are being held hostage by the pharmaceutical industry, as many cannot afford insulin,” notes a release about the documentary. “Without this life-sustaining drug, they will be dead in days. Access to this drug has become increasingly more difficult, as the cost to patients in America soars. Pay or Die follows families struggling to afford their medications and reveals the harrowing reality of living with a chronic illness in the richest country in the world.
- 5/30/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Dogwoof has boarded MTV Documentary Films’ Sundance winner “The Eternal Memory” for international sales excluding the U.S.
The latest feature from Oscar-nominated “Mole Agent” director Maite Alberdi had its world premiere as part of the World Cinema Documentary Competition at Sundance last month, where it won the World Cinema Documentary Grand Jury Prize before MTV Documentary Films acquired worldwide rights. Dogwoof will work in partnership with MTV Documentary Films to represent the film for international sales.
The project marks the second collaboration between Dogwoof and Alberdi, having represented “The Mole Agent” for international sales before it was nominated for an Academy Award for best documentary feature in 2021.
The film will have its premiere in Berlin on Feb. 18. Dogwoof is also bringing the pic to market at the European Film Market.
In “The Eternal Memory,” Augusto and Paulina have been together and in love for 25 years. Eight years ago, he...
The latest feature from Oscar-nominated “Mole Agent” director Maite Alberdi had its world premiere as part of the World Cinema Documentary Competition at Sundance last month, where it won the World Cinema Documentary Grand Jury Prize before MTV Documentary Films acquired worldwide rights. Dogwoof will work in partnership with MTV Documentary Films to represent the film for international sales.
The project marks the second collaboration between Dogwoof and Alberdi, having represented “The Mole Agent” for international sales before it was nominated for an Academy Award for best documentary feature in 2021.
The film will have its premiere in Berlin on Feb. 18. Dogwoof is also bringing the pic to market at the European Film Market.
In “The Eternal Memory,” Augusto and Paulina have been together and in love for 25 years. Eight years ago, he...
- 2/17/2023
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
MTV Entertainment Studios and Showtime’s creative leadership teams are merging, with four more executives being laid off as the latter company’s upcoming consolidation with Paramount+ looms. Nina L. Diaz and Keith Cox will take on expanded roles as chief creative officer/president of content and president of scripted for Showtime/Mtves, respectively, reporting to Chris McCarthy.
News of the restructuring quickly follows McCarthy’s announcement earlier on Monday that Showtime co-presidents of entertainment Gary Levine and Jana Winograde’s roles would be eliminated; the former executive will take on a senior creative advisor role at the cable-streamer, while Winograde was let go as her position was consolidated. The shake-ups are a result of the larger ramifications of Showtime’s upcoming integration with Paramount+ later this year.
Also Read:
Showtime Entertainment Co-President Shake-Up: Jana Winograde Exits, Gary Levine Transitions to Creative Advisor
Diaz has largely served as an unscripted...
News of the restructuring quickly follows McCarthy’s announcement earlier on Monday that Showtime co-presidents of entertainment Gary Levine and Jana Winograde’s roles would be eliminated; the former executive will take on a senior creative advisor role at the cable-streamer, while Winograde was let go as her position was consolidated. The shake-ups are a result of the larger ramifications of Showtime’s upcoming integration with Paramount+ later this year.
Also Read:
Showtime Entertainment Co-President Shake-Up: Jana Winograde Exits, Gary Levine Transitions to Creative Advisor
Diaz has largely served as an unscripted...
- 2/13/2023
- by Natalie Oganesyan
- The Wrap
That didn’t take long at all: Just after revealing that Showtime co-presidents Jana Winograde and Gary Levine are stepping down from their current roles, with Winograde exiting entirely and Levine moving into an advisory position, parent company Paramount Global has revealed that the remaining Showtime team will be merging with sister brand MTV Entertainment Studios.
Within the combined entity — created as Showtime’s linear and streaming platforms are being integrated into Paramount+ and rebranded to Paramount+ With Showtime — a new leadership structure has been set by Paramount’s president and CEO of streaming Tom Ryan and president and CEO of Showtime and Paramount Media Networks Chris McCarthy.
In a memo to staff, McCarthy revealed the plan, noting that, as a result of the merging of departments, these execs will be leaving, along with with previously announced Winograde: Paramount Global Premium Group CFO and COO Michael Crotty; SVP of docs,...
Within the combined entity — created as Showtime’s linear and streaming platforms are being integrated into Paramount+ and rebranded to Paramount+ With Showtime — a new leadership structure has been set by Paramount’s president and CEO of streaming Tom Ryan and president and CEO of Showtime and Paramount Media Networks Chris McCarthy.
In a memo to staff, McCarthy revealed the plan, noting that, as a result of the merging of departments, these execs will be leaving, along with with previously announced Winograde: Paramount Global Premium Group CFO and COO Michael Crotty; SVP of docs,...
- 2/13/2023
- by Jennifer Maas
- Variety Film + TV
The full extent of the changes at Showtime have started to emerge as the premium cable network has set its new leadership team under Nina L. Diaz, with more executives leaving following the corporate restructure.
Related Story Showtime Executive Shakeup: Gary Levine Segues To Advisory Role; Jana Winograde Exits In Restructuring Related Story China Game For 'Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves', Sets Release In Step With Domestic Related Story 'Uncoupled' Picked Up By Showtime For Season 2 Following Netflix Cancellation As Part Of New Content Strategy
Showtime will merge with MTV Entertainment Studios as power has been fully codified under Chris McCarthy, who is now President and CEO of Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios and Paramount Media Networks ahead of its rebrand as Paramount+ with Showtime.
Docs chief Vinnie Malhotra is among a slew of executives exiting as part of the changes, which also includes Michael Crotty, who was COO and CFO,...
Related Story Showtime Executive Shakeup: Gary Levine Segues To Advisory Role; Jana Winograde Exits In Restructuring Related Story China Game For 'Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves', Sets Release In Step With Domestic Related Story 'Uncoupled' Picked Up By Showtime For Season 2 Following Netflix Cancellation As Part Of New Content Strategy
Showtime will merge with MTV Entertainment Studios as power has been fully codified under Chris McCarthy, who is now President and CEO of Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios and Paramount Media Networks ahead of its rebrand as Paramount+ with Showtime.
Docs chief Vinnie Malhotra is among a slew of executives exiting as part of the changes, which also includes Michael Crotty, who was COO and CFO,...
- 2/13/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
MTV Documentary Films has acquired worldwide rights to Sundance world-premiering love story The Eternal Memory, director Maite Alberdi’s follow-up to Oscar nominated doc The Mole Agent. The price is said to be approaching 3 million in a competitive situation with a number of bidders.
The film, which screened in the Sundance Film Festival World Documentary Competition section, will have its international premiere at the Berlinale next month in the Panorama Section and the company is planning a theatrical release and robust awards campaign later this year.
Related Story Sundance Film Festival 2023: Best Of The Red Carpet, Film Premieres & Parties Gallery Related Story Sundance Review: Cynthia Erivo & Alia Shawkat In Anthony Chen's 'Drift' Related Story Sundance Review: Sing J. Lee's 'The Accidental Getaway Driver'
The Eternal Memory was produced by Maite Alberdi, Juan De Dios Larraín, Pablo Larraín and Rocío Jadue. Executive producers are Marcela Santibañez,...
The film, which screened in the Sundance Film Festival World Documentary Competition section, will have its international premiere at the Berlinale next month in the Panorama Section and the company is planning a theatrical release and robust awards campaign later this year.
Related Story Sundance Film Festival 2023: Best Of The Red Carpet, Film Premieres & Parties Gallery Related Story Sundance Review: Cynthia Erivo & Alia Shawkat In Anthony Chen's 'Drift' Related Story Sundance Review: Sing J. Lee's 'The Accidental Getaway Driver'
The Eternal Memory was produced by Maite Alberdi, Juan De Dios Larraín, Pablo Larraín and Rocío Jadue. Executive producers are Marcela Santibañez,...
- 1/27/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
MTV Documentary Films has acquired worldwide rights to “The Eternal Memory,” Maite Alberdi’s follow-up to her Oscar-nominated feature “The Mole Agent.” Sources say that the film sold for nearly 3 million.
The doc premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, and will have its international premiere at the Berlin Film Festival next month as part of the “Panorama” section.
The film was produced by Alberdi, Juan De Dios Larraín, Pablo Larraín and Rocío Jadue. It is executive produced by Marcela Santibañez, Daniela Sandoval, Nicholas Hooper, Julie Goldman, Christopher Clements, Chandra Jessee and Rebecca Lichtenfeld.
MTV Documentary Films was set up in 2019 by legendary HBO Documentary Films boss Sheila Nevins, and Paramount Global executives Liza Burnett Fefferman and Nina L. Diaz. Nevins was at HBO for 38 years and won 34 Emmys in that period. Her credits include “Citizenfour,” “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief” and “Paradise Lost.”
In “The Eternal Memory,...
The doc premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, and will have its international premiere at the Berlin Film Festival next month as part of the “Panorama” section.
The film was produced by Alberdi, Juan De Dios Larraín, Pablo Larraín and Rocío Jadue. It is executive produced by Marcela Santibañez, Daniela Sandoval, Nicholas Hooper, Julie Goldman, Christopher Clements, Chandra Jessee and Rebecca Lichtenfeld.
MTV Documentary Films was set up in 2019 by legendary HBO Documentary Films boss Sheila Nevins, and Paramount Global executives Liza Burnett Fefferman and Nina L. Diaz. Nevins was at HBO for 38 years and won 34 Emmys in that period. Her credits include “Citizenfour,” “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief” and “Paradise Lost.”
In “The Eternal Memory,...
- 1/27/2023
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
MTV Documentary Films has boarded new projects about an all-girl Afghan robotics team, a #MeToo crime story, an imprisoned mural artist and a community of disabled children in Pakistan. The documentaries join a slate that includes Ondi Timoner’s Sundance title “Last Flight Home,” which will be screening at Telluride this week in a rare double festival act.
The fledgling division, which was Oscar-nominated for the film “Ascension” earlier this year, was set up in 2019 by legendary HBO Documentary Films boss Sheila Nevins, and ViacomCBS executives Liza Burnett Fefferman and Nina L. Diaz. Nevins was at HBO for 38 years and won 34 Emmys in that period. Her credits include “Citizenfour,” “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief” and “Paradise Lost.”
The slate spans four feature-length documentaries and six short films (full details below), with Timoner’s “Last Flight Home” serving as a centrepiece.
The “Dig!” director’s acclaimed film follows...
The fledgling division, which was Oscar-nominated for the film “Ascension” earlier this year, was set up in 2019 by legendary HBO Documentary Films boss Sheila Nevins, and ViacomCBS executives Liza Burnett Fefferman and Nina L. Diaz. Nevins was at HBO for 38 years and won 34 Emmys in that period. Her credits include “Citizenfour,” “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief” and “Paradise Lost.”
The slate spans four feature-length documentaries and six short films (full details below), with Timoner’s “Last Flight Home” serving as a centrepiece.
The “Dig!” director’s acclaimed film follows...
- 9/2/2022
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Michael Fabiani has been promoted to Senior VP of Communications at MTV Entertainment, the network announced on Friday.
Fabiani not only leads awards for the group, but he also oversees “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” “The Challenge,” “The Real World: Homecoming” and other shows that feature on MTV’s slate.
“Whether it’s driving the cultural conversation around ‘Drag Race,’ building on the enormous success of ‘Jersey Shore’ or leading breakthrough Emmy campaigns which have helped bring our brands to new heights, Michael has done an extraordinary job spearheading these press efforts,” said Liza Burnett Fefferman, EVP and head of communications at Paramount Media Networks and MTV Entertainment Studios. “His passion for our content, deep media ties and team first mentality is a testament to his strong work ethic and I can’t wait to see him continue to flourish.”
In this expanded role, Fabiani will broaden his purview with additional scripted...
Fabiani not only leads awards for the group, but he also oversees “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” “The Challenge,” “The Real World: Homecoming” and other shows that feature on MTV’s slate.
“Whether it’s driving the cultural conversation around ‘Drag Race,’ building on the enormous success of ‘Jersey Shore’ or leading breakthrough Emmy campaigns which have helped bring our brands to new heights, Michael has done an extraordinary job spearheading these press efforts,” said Liza Burnett Fefferman, EVP and head of communications at Paramount Media Networks and MTV Entertainment Studios. “His passion for our content, deep media ties and team first mentality is a testament to his strong work ethic and I can’t wait to see him continue to flourish.”
In this expanded role, Fabiani will broaden his purview with additional scripted...
- 4/29/2022
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Veteran communications executive Michael Fabiani has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Communications, Paramount Media Networks and MTV Entertainment Studios.
Elevated from his previous role as Vice President, Communications, Fabiani oversees MTV and a broad slate of the Group’s biggest global franchises including RuPaul’s Drag Race, The Challenge, and The Real World Homecoming. He also spearheads awards for the Group, which has resulted in multiple wins and nominations, including a record-setting 24 Primetime Emmy nods for RuPaul’s Drag Race – making it the most awarded reality competition series of all time.
Fabiani is credited with orchestrating several watershed moments for Drag Race, including securing RuPaul’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and hosting Saturday Night Live, among others. He also has been instrumental in amplifying the social impact of the franchise by shining a light on issues of equality, justice and mental health impacting the LGBTQ+ community...
Elevated from his previous role as Vice President, Communications, Fabiani oversees MTV and a broad slate of the Group’s biggest global franchises including RuPaul’s Drag Race, The Challenge, and The Real World Homecoming. He also spearheads awards for the Group, which has resulted in multiple wins and nominations, including a record-setting 24 Primetime Emmy nods for RuPaul’s Drag Race – making it the most awarded reality competition series of all time.
Fabiani is credited with orchestrating several watershed moments for Drag Race, including securing RuPaul’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and hosting Saturday Night Live, among others. He also has been instrumental in amplifying the social impact of the franchise by shining a light on issues of equality, justice and mental health impacting the LGBTQ+ community...
- 4/29/2022
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
MTV Documentary Films has acquired worldwide rights to Ondi Timoner’s “Last Flight Home,” a moving and deeply personal portrait of family dealing with the last days of their patriarch. The documentary had several bidders and the sale was highly competitive.
“Last Flight Home” was a favorite with critics after it premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. MTV Documentary Films is planning a theatrical release in the fall along with an awards campaign. “Last Flight Home” was written, directed and edited by Ondi Timoner, the filmmaker behind “Dig!” and “We Live in Public.” She also produced the film with David Turner.
The film follows Eli Timoner, a suburban man and business leader whose meteoric rise was impacted by health struggles. It charts his last remaining days, while celebrating an extraordinary life, one filled with wild achievements, tragic loss and enduring love from an incredibly close-knit family. Eli Timoner...
“Last Flight Home” was a favorite with critics after it premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. MTV Documentary Films is planning a theatrical release in the fall along with an awards campaign. “Last Flight Home” was written, directed and edited by Ondi Timoner, the filmmaker behind “Dig!” and “We Live in Public.” She also produced the film with David Turner.
The film follows Eli Timoner, a suburban man and business leader whose meteoric rise was impacted by health struggles. It charts his last remaining days, while celebrating an extraordinary life, one filled with wild achievements, tragic loss and enduring love from an incredibly close-knit family. Eli Timoner...
- 2/25/2022
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
MTV Documentary Films’ Hogir Hirori’s “Sabaya” and Jessica Kingdon’s “Ascension” will make their streaming debut on Paramount Plus today as the MTV ramps up its awards campaign for both.
Both feature docs are in the running for an Oscar nomination and will become available to stream today at 10 a.m. Pt on the ViacomCBS service formerly known as CBS All Access. The service is the streaming home for other MTV projects, including the Emmy-award winning doc “76 Days,” about Wuhan, China, on lockdown just after the Covid-19 pandemic first hit.
Sheila Nevins, a documentary powerhouse that now heads MTV Documentary Films, executive produced “Sabaya” and “Ascension.” She acquired “Sabaya” after the doc’s Sundance Film Festival premiere in January and “Ascension” following the film’s Tribeca Film Festival premiere in June.
Hirori’s “Sabaya,” which won the Sundance directing award in the World Cinema Documentary category, is about...
Both feature docs are in the running for an Oscar nomination and will become available to stream today at 10 a.m. Pt on the ViacomCBS service formerly known as CBS All Access. The service is the streaming home for other MTV projects, including the Emmy-award winning doc “76 Days,” about Wuhan, China, on lockdown just after the Covid-19 pandemic first hit.
Sheila Nevins, a documentary powerhouse that now heads MTV Documentary Films, executive produced “Sabaya” and “Ascension.” She acquired “Sabaya” after the doc’s Sundance Film Festival premiere in January and “Ascension” following the film’s Tribeca Film Festival premiere in June.
Hirori’s “Sabaya,” which won the Sundance directing award in the World Cinema Documentary category, is about...
- 11/15/2021
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: A wider audience is about to get the chance to see director Skye Fitzgerald’s Hunger Ward, the Oscar-nominated short film from MTV Documentary Films.
The film, an unsparing look at the suffering of children in Yemen who have been reduced to starvation during the country’s civil war, will premiere on the Paramount+ streaming platform on Friday. Hunger Ward will be released the same day in more than 120 theaters, coupled with virtual cinema engagements, as part of the Academy’s 2021 Oscar Nominated Short Films program.
“It is an honor to have MTV Documentary Films and Paramount+ bring Hunger Ward’s urgent message of the humanitarian crisis affecting children of Yemen to a broad and engaged audience,” Fitzgerald said. Added Sheila Nevins, head of MTV Documentary Films, “The greatest humanitarian crisis exists in Yemen. Children are starving to death in front of America’s eyes. Filmmaker Skye Fitzgerald...
The film, an unsparing look at the suffering of children in Yemen who have been reduced to starvation during the country’s civil war, will premiere on the Paramount+ streaming platform on Friday. Hunger Ward will be released the same day in more than 120 theaters, coupled with virtual cinema engagements, as part of the Academy’s 2021 Oscar Nominated Short Films program.
“It is an honor to have MTV Documentary Films and Paramount+ bring Hunger Ward’s urgent message of the humanitarian crisis affecting children of Yemen to a broad and engaged audience,” Fitzgerald said. Added Sheila Nevins, head of MTV Documentary Films, “The greatest humanitarian crisis exists in Yemen. Children are starving to death in front of America’s eyes. Filmmaker Skye Fitzgerald...
- 4/1/2021
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
MTV Documentary Films has acquired North American rights to “Sabaya,” the story of volunteers of the Yazidi Home Center, who risk their lives in order to save women and girls held by Isis as sex slaves.
The film received a directing award for world cinema documentary when it premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. “Sabaya” is directed and produced by Stockholm-based filmmaker Hogir Hirori and also produced by Antonio Russo Merenda. In a rave review in Variety, Jessica Kiang wrote that the film was “gripping, harrowing, superb.”
MTV Documentary Films will qualify “Sabaya” for awards consideration and is targeting an early fall release. The company’s recent film, “76 Days,” a look at the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, was just shortlisted for a best documentary Oscar. MTV Documentary Films’s “Hunger Ward” was also shortlisted for best documentary short subject.
Here’s the logline: “Armed with...
The film received a directing award for world cinema documentary when it premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. “Sabaya” is directed and produced by Stockholm-based filmmaker Hogir Hirori and also produced by Antonio Russo Merenda. In a rave review in Variety, Jessica Kiang wrote that the film was “gripping, harrowing, superb.”
MTV Documentary Films will qualify “Sabaya” for awards consideration and is targeting an early fall release. The company’s recent film, “76 Days,” a look at the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, was just shortlisted for a best documentary Oscar. MTV Documentary Films’s “Hunger Ward” was also shortlisted for best documentary short subject.
Here’s the logline: “Armed with...
- 3/8/2021
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: MTV Documentary Films is adding Skye Fitzgerald’s Hunger Ward to its portfolio of Oscar-contending films.
The MTV division led by Sheila Nevins announced Tuesday it has acquired the short film, a devastating look at children suffering starvation in Yemen as a direct result of war in the Middle Eastern country. Hunger Ward, which made the Oscar documentary short subject shortlist earlier this month, will premiere on Pluto TV March 1.
“The greatest humanitarian crisis exists in Yemen. Children are starving to death in front of America’s eyes,” Nevins noted. “Filmmaker Skye Fitzgerald has made a documentary that says ‘no more.’ It is a must see for anyone with heart.”
Hunger Ward marks the third installment in a trilogy of short films by Fitzgerald exploring the plight of refugees and other people displaced by conflict. His 2015 film 50 Feet from Syria made the Oscar documentary shortlist and his 2018 Lifeboat earned an Oscar nomination.
The MTV division led by Sheila Nevins announced Tuesday it has acquired the short film, a devastating look at children suffering starvation in Yemen as a direct result of war in the Middle Eastern country. Hunger Ward, which made the Oscar documentary short subject shortlist earlier this month, will premiere on Pluto TV March 1.
“The greatest humanitarian crisis exists in Yemen. Children are starving to death in front of America’s eyes,” Nevins noted. “Filmmaker Skye Fitzgerald has made a documentary that says ‘no more.’ It is a must see for anyone with heart.”
Hunger Ward marks the third installment in a trilogy of short films by Fitzgerald exploring the plight of refugees and other people displaced by conflict. His 2015 film 50 Feet from Syria made the Oscar documentary shortlist and his 2018 Lifeboat earned an Oscar nomination.
- 2/23/2021
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
MTV Documentary Films will make “76 Days,” a look at the frontline medical professionals battling the Covid-19 pandemic in Wuhan, available for free on January 23.
The film is being offered gratis in recognition of the one-year anniversary of the start of the coronavirus lockdown in the Chinese city considered to be the early epicenter of a disease that has upended life.
It also helps support art house theaters at a time when many are teetering on the edge of financial catastrophe due to closures brought on by the pandemic. Consumers can access the film via “virtual cinema,” which is an online platform that screens movies in conjunction with independent art house cinemas across North America.
“After almost a year of profound challenges in the cinematic exhibition field, I am thrilled to see distributors like MTV Documentary Films stepping up to support the essential work done by community-based art houses,” said Makenzie Peecook,...
The film is being offered gratis in recognition of the one-year anniversary of the start of the coronavirus lockdown in the Chinese city considered to be the early epicenter of a disease that has upended life.
It also helps support art house theaters at a time when many are teetering on the edge of financial catastrophe due to closures brought on by the pandemic. Consumers can access the film via “virtual cinema,” which is an online platform that screens movies in conjunction with independent art house cinemas across North America.
“After almost a year of profound challenges in the cinematic exhibition field, I am thrilled to see distributors like MTV Documentary Films stepping up to support the essential work done by community-based art houses,” said Makenzie Peecook,...
- 1/19/2021
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: MTV Documentary Films has acquired North American rights to 76 Days, a raw and emotional look at the struggles of the people of Wuhan, China, in the earliest days of the Covid-19 outbreak. Directed by New York filmmaker Hao Wu (People’s Republic of Desire) and China-based journalists, Weixi Chen and “Anonymous,” 76 Days made its world premiere at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival. MTV Studios is figuring out the release pattern, but most important right now is to qualify it for Oscar consideration. An awards campaign is a big part of the rollout plan. The film will be the opening night film of the Double Exposure Film Festival and will also play AFI.
The docu was filmed in four Wuhan hospitals, on the front lines of the pandemic. From a woman begging in vain to bid a final farewell to her father, a grandfather with dementia searching for his way home,...
The docu was filmed in four Wuhan hospitals, on the front lines of the pandemic. From a woman begging in vain to bid a final farewell to her father, a grandfather with dementia searching for his way home,...
- 10/13/2020
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
ViacomCBS’ recently formed Entertainment & Youth Group has finalized its senior executive structure under President Chris McCarthy with several more promotions/expanded roles — for Nina L. Diaz, Tanya Giles, Keyes Hill-Edgar, Brianna Cayo-Cotter, Liza Burnett Fefferman, Jacqueline Parkes, Keri Panichi Flint, Laurel Weir, and Barbara Zaneri –and two departures.
Leaving the company are Comedy Central veteran Steve Albani, most recently Svp, Communications for Comedy Central, Paramount Network and TV Land, and Mike Greco, Evp for Content Strategy and Business Planning, MTV, VH1, Cmt and Logo. Josh Line has been reassigned within ViacomCBS.
The announcement, made by McCarthy in an internal memo, follows the news earlier today that MTV Networks veteran Amy Doyle will be stepping down from her post as Evp and general manager of MTV, VH1, Cmt and Logo.
Veteran MTV Networks unscripted executive Diaz, most recently President, Programming & Development For MTV, VH1 & Logo Group, has been named President of...
Leaving the company are Comedy Central veteran Steve Albani, most recently Svp, Communications for Comedy Central, Paramount Network and TV Land, and Mike Greco, Evp for Content Strategy and Business Planning, MTV, VH1, Cmt and Logo. Josh Line has been reassigned within ViacomCBS.
The announcement, made by McCarthy in an internal memo, follows the news earlier today that MTV Networks veteran Amy Doyle will be stepping down from her post as Evp and general manager of MTV, VH1, Cmt and Logo.
Veteran MTV Networks unscripted executive Diaz, most recently President, Programming & Development For MTV, VH1 & Logo Group, has been named President of...
- 1/21/2020
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
ViacomCBS’ senior leadership ranks are coming into sharper focus as Chris McCarthy, head of the sprawling Entertainment and Youth wing has solidified his senior leadership team.
A number of executives closely associated with McCarthy are gaining additional responsibilities, including programming maven Nina Diaz, MTV chief marketing officer Jacqueline Parkes and PR chief Liza Burnett Fefferman.
At the same time, Steve Albani, a 23-year veteran of Comedy Central’s PR department, and Mike Greco, MTV’s exec VP of content strategy and business planning, are departing their posts amid the restructuring. Josh Line, exec VP of marketing and creative for Comedy Central, TV Land and Paramount Network, is shifting to a new role, ViacomCBS said.
McCarthy called his department leaders “exceptional and seasoned executives, with whom I am honored to be working alongside to harness our full collective strength and maximize our full creative potential” in a note to staffers on Tuesday.
A number of executives closely associated with McCarthy are gaining additional responsibilities, including programming maven Nina Diaz, MTV chief marketing officer Jacqueline Parkes and PR chief Liza Burnett Fefferman.
At the same time, Steve Albani, a 23-year veteran of Comedy Central’s PR department, and Mike Greco, MTV’s exec VP of content strategy and business planning, are departing their posts amid the restructuring. Josh Line, exec VP of marketing and creative for Comedy Central, TV Land and Paramount Network, is shifting to a new role, ViacomCBS said.
McCarthy called his department leaders “exceptional and seasoned executives, with whom I am honored to be working alongside to harness our full collective strength and maximize our full creative potential” in a note to staffers on Tuesday.
- 1/21/2020
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
ViacomCBS Entertainment & Youth group announced additional changes to its senior management team on Tuesday, finalizing the division’s executive reorganization in the wake of the merger between Viacom and CBS Corporation last month.
Among those taking on new roles are Nina L. Diaz, who is taking on an expanded role as president of content and chief creative officer; Keyes Hill-Edgar, who is stepping into the newly created role of chief operating officer; Tanya Giles, who expands her role as general manager to include head of content strategy; and Liza Burnett Fefferman, who has been promoted to executive vice president of communications.
Two executives will depart the company as part of the transition: Steve Albani, senior vice president of communications for Comedy Central, Paramount Network and TV Land, and Mike Greco, executive vice president of content strategy and business planning, MTV, VH1, Cmt and Logo. They follow MTV, VH1, Cmt and Logo General Manager Amy Doyle,...
Among those taking on new roles are Nina L. Diaz, who is taking on an expanded role as president of content and chief creative officer; Keyes Hill-Edgar, who is stepping into the newly created role of chief operating officer; Tanya Giles, who expands her role as general manager to include head of content strategy; and Liza Burnett Fefferman, who has been promoted to executive vice president of communications.
Two executives will depart the company as part of the transition: Steve Albani, senior vice president of communications for Comedy Central, Paramount Network and TV Land, and Mike Greco, executive vice president of content strategy and business planning, MTV, VH1, Cmt and Logo. They follow MTV, VH1, Cmt and Logo General Manager Amy Doyle,...
- 1/21/2020
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
MTV has recruited renowned HBO alum Sheila Nevins to launch the MTV Documentary Films banner to operate as part of Viacom’s growing MTV Studios operation.
Nevins will lead the charge on developing a broad slate of documentary features, specials and series designed to inspire young adults to take action on pressing social issues. Nevins, who left HBO in early 2018 after a storied 38-year run as documentary chief, will build a team to produce programming for MTV and affiliated Viacom outlets as well as for outside buyers. Nevins will put a big emphasis on scouting for rising stars in the docu world and filmmakers from non-traditional backgrounds.
“The whole purpose here is to energize the large population of young people that MTV embraces,” Nevins said. “The world is in a sorry state. We need to energize people in some way to make regular people feel that they can make a difference.
Nevins will lead the charge on developing a broad slate of documentary features, specials and series designed to inspire young adults to take action on pressing social issues. Nevins, who left HBO in early 2018 after a storied 38-year run as documentary chief, will build a team to produce programming for MTV and affiliated Viacom outlets as well as for outside buyers. Nevins will put a big emphasis on scouting for rising stars in the docu world and filmmakers from non-traditional backgrounds.
“The whole purpose here is to energize the large population of young people that MTV embraces,” Nevins said. “The world is in a sorry state. We need to energize people in some way to make regular people feel that they can make a difference.
- 5/7/2019
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Liza Burnett Fefferman, who has been in charge of publicity for VH1 and Logo, is expanding her role at Viacom, adding MTV to her purview. Fefferman has been promoted to Svp Communications for MTV, VH1 and Logo. "In her short time at Viacom, Liza has significantly elevated the VH1 and Logo brands through strategic oversight and a team first approach" said Chris McCarthy, President, MTV, VH1 and Logo. "Her leadership, expertise and passion have helped us take a major step…...
- 9/7/2017
- Deadline TV
For networks hungry to break into the Emmy race, it sometimes takes just one show.
FX did it in 2002 with cop classic “The Shield,” AMC made it in 2007 with the Western miniseries “Broken Trail” and Netflix swung the door open for streaming services in 2013 with the political drama “House of Cards.” From there, those networks became Emmy titans.
“At a time when basic cable wasn’t considered to be of that quality, it was extremely gratifying,” “The Shield” creator Shawn Ryan said of the show’s big first-season nominations (and win– for star Michael Chiklis) 15 years ago. “Not knowing if anyone would take anything on FX seriously, to get that kind of validation was a career-making memory.”
This year, several more networks are looking to make a splash on Emmy night, entering the competition in a big way with big, signature programs that have captured the attention of Television Academy voters.
FX did it in 2002 with cop classic “The Shield,” AMC made it in 2007 with the Western miniseries “Broken Trail” and Netflix swung the door open for streaming services in 2013 with the political drama “House of Cards.” From there, those networks became Emmy titans.
“At a time when basic cable wasn’t considered to be of that quality, it was extremely gratifying,” “The Shield” creator Shawn Ryan said of the show’s big first-season nominations (and win– for star Michael Chiklis) 15 years ago. “Not knowing if anyone would take anything on FX seriously, to get that kind of validation was a career-making memory.”
This year, several more networks are looking to make a splash on Emmy night, entering the competition in a big way with big, signature programs that have captured the attention of Television Academy voters.
- 8/1/2017
- by Michael Schneider
- Indiewire
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