We have signed an exclusive first-look agreement with Oscar and Emmy nominated documentary filmmaker, Amy Berg.

Under the agreement, ourselves and Berg’s Disarming Films will jointly develop a powerful, and internationally focused slate of documentaries with Berg working closely with our Global Head of Documentaries, Mandy Chang, to produce premium projects.

The deal, the first of its type under our dedicated Documentaries unit, will see us provide editorial and production expertise along with distribution to support Berg’s creative talent, exploring important issues and compelling stories.

The deal will see Disarming Films and Fremantle working collaboratively to bring new projects to the table with the first one soon to be announced.

Amy’s company, Disarming Films, has been producing long form documentary features and docuseries for broadcast for over a decade. Her highly anticipated series The Case Against Adnan Syed for HBO was released in April of 2019 and she is currently working on a special follow-up episode set to premiere Fall 2023. Other projects include We Are: The Brooklyn Saints (Netflix), Dogs (Netflix), Keep This Between Us (Freeform). Her latest film, Phoenix Rising premiered at Sundance Film Festival in 2022 and on HBO and HBO Max.

Jennifer Mullin, Global CEO, Fremantle, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Amy on this landmark deal, which further demonstrates Fremantle’s commitment to the documentaries genre and our ambition within it. Amy and her team at Disarming Films share the same passion and ambition to tell compelling and diverse stories from across the globe and we look forward to working closely with them.”

Amy Berg, Founder, Disarming Films, said: “We’re delighted to be joining forces with the incredibly talented team at Fremantle. Led by Mandy (Chang), we know Fremantle will not only offer fantastic support, and creative freedom. Their extensive international infrastructure and expertise will provide Disarming Films with the platform to have our work seen around the world.”

Mandy Chang, Global Head of Documentaries, Fremantle, added: “It is a thrill and an honour having this opportunity to work with Amy, whom I have long admired and respected. She is a hugely regarded and talented filmmaker with a great body of work behind her. I’m excited about the collaborations between Fremantle Documentaries and Amy and the team at Disarming Films. We’re already in discussions about some brilliant projects so watch this space…”

The agreement with Berg follows our majority stake acquisitions in several acclaimed international documentary companies: 72 Films (All or Nothing: Arsenal, 9/11: One Day in America), Silvio Productions (Shadow of Truth, The Baby Daddy, Buried) and Wildstar Films (America the Beautiful, Epic Adventures with Bertie Gregory).

Most recently, our label Original Productions entered into a first-look deal with Hudlin Entertainment, helmed by Academy Award-nominated producer/director, Reginald Hudlin (Marshall, Django Unchained, House Party, Phat Tuesdays: The Era of Hip-Hop Comedy) and producer Byron Phillips (Primetime Emmy Awards, Oscars, NAACP Image Awards, The Black Godfather).

These agreements all form part of our wider growth strategy to invest in production companies and talent around the world – to source the best creative ideas, develop and create unmissable IP.