Oscar-winning director of An Inconvenient Truth Davis Guggenheim and former Participant exec Jonathan King have teamed with Laurene Powell Jobs and Emerson Collective to launch Concordia Studio. The new company will focus on creating innovative nonfiction and scripted films, series, and streaming content.
The new venture will develop, produce or finance content across all platforms with some of the most creative partners and collaborators from around the world.
“We’ve been working hard for two years and waiting for the right moment to announce our new studio,” said Guggenheim, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Nonfiction. “Our strength is a small group of executives committed to great storytelling with the very best filmmakers. Now with four films at Sundance and Jonathan King joining as co-founder, the timing could not be better.”
“Audiences worldwide are more hungry than ever for high-quality films and television that mean something in their lives,” added King, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Fiction. “We want to produce ambitious, impactful stories in all genres and formats, delivering to established distributors and the growing ranks of new platforms. Having the extraordinary support of Laurene and the ability to collaborate with Emerson is invaluable.”
In addition to An Inconvenient Truth, Guggenheim also helmed the critically acclaimed docus He Named Me Malala and Waiting For Superman as well as limited series Inside Bill’s Brain: Decoding Bill Gates
During his 12-year tenure at Participant, King oversaw a slate of projects that included the Academy-Award winning films Spotlight, Roma, Green Book, A Fantastic Woman and the Emmy Award-winning limited series When They See Us.
“I’ve long believed that when you bring visionary, creative minds together, extraordinary things can happen,” said Powell Jobs, Founder and President of Emerson Collective. “Davis and Jonathan share a commitment to using storytelling as a force for good in the world, and I cannot wait to see what powerful and inspiring stories they—and the whole Concordia Studio team—bring to life. The diverse voices elevated through the Artists in Residence program will contribute to a richer, truer portrayal of the human experience.”
The news of the launch of Concordia Studio comes right before Sundance where Jonathan Silberberg (President of Nonfiction), Nicole Stott (EVP of Nonfiction), and Shannon Dill (EVP of Nonfiction Physical Production & Operations) will premiere four films in U.S. competition: Boy State (directed by Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine), Time (directed by Garrett Bradley), A Thousand Cuts (directed by Ramona S. Diaz) and Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets (directed by Bill Ross and Turner Ross). In addition to the four films premiering at Sundance, Concordia produced and financed Laura Nix’s Oscar-nominated Walk Run Cha-Cha.
In addition, Concordia Studio will have a Artists in Residence program that will nurture the creative talent of exceptional filmmakers of diverse backgrounds in the U.S. The program will be led by former head of the Sundance Documentary Fund Rahdi Taylor.The Artists in Residence program looks to advance the creative power of diverse documentary filmmakers who demonstrate break-away talent, significant voice, and a commitment to story-driven, premium nonfiction content. Academy Award-nominated director, Bing Liu (Minding the Gap), and Garrett Bradley (America) are among the inaugural class of fellows.
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