World of Marvel (WOW) founders Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato – two of essentially the most profitable creators within the documentary and unscripted areas – have been named Company of Honor on the upcoming Sheffield DocFest.
The Emmy-winning government producers of RuPaul’s Drag Race, and administrators of documentaries The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Inside Deep Throat, Mapplethorpe: Take a look at the Photos, fact-based drama Occasion Monster (starring Macauley Culkin and Seth Inexperienced), and plenty of different movies, might be honored on the cinematic occasion that runs from June 18-23 within the north of England. Sheffield DocFest, the U.Okay.’s main documentary competition, has programmed a twentieth anniversary particular screening of Inside Deep Throat, which investigated the infamous porn basic starring Linda Lovelace. DocFest calls the movie “thought-provoking and massively entertaining.”
As well as, the competition will preview the primary episode of Homicide in Glitterball Metropolis, the upcoming HBO docuseries directed by Bailey and Barbato. “The filmmakers may even be joined by broadcast legend Daybreak Airey CBE for an ‘In Dialog’ exploring the previous, current and way forward for their careers,” notes a launch, “in addition to reunite with Adam Buxton and Joe Cornish to revisit the origin story of The Adam and Joe Present, and a digital speak with longtime collaborator Ronan Farrow, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who will focus on adapting podcasts to display.”
DocFest may even host the UK premiere of Unusual Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror directed by Linus O’Brien, and government produced by Bailey and Barbato.
Administrators Fenton Bailey (left) and Randy Barbato on the premiere of ‘Mapplethorpe: Look At The Photos’ in Los Angeles
Jason Kempin/Getty Pictures
“Thanks to Sheffield DocFest for the glory of curating this program, significantly at a time when it’s something however ‘enterprise as ordinary,’” Bailey and Barbato mentioned in an announcement. “The growth in documentary and unscripted funding has evaporated, whereas range and freedom of expression have come below assault. It would sound prefer it’s solely dangerous information, however we predict that this is a chance for brand spanking new fashions, new genres, new methods of telling tales. In different phrases, it’s all about ‘enterprise as uncommon’; and we’re excited to discover what the longer term may maintain, with a way of optimism, creativity, and surprise.”
Raul Niño Zambrano, artistic director of Sheffield DocFest, commented, “In a time when queer tales face rising resistance, Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato stay fearless trailblazers—brilliantly increasing the attain of LGBTQ+ voices throughout screens massive and small. Their unwavering openness to new mediums, deep respect for fandoms, and nurturing of queer expertise haven’t solely formed tradition however introduced various audiences to digital platforms, cinemas, and audio areas alike. Their work is proof that authenticity, creativity, and neighborhood can thrive—even within the hardest climates.”
The Crucible, one of many major venues for Sheffield DocFest
Matthew Carey
Sheffield DocFest proclaims its full program on Could 7. Under are full particulars on the Bailey-Barbato programming at this 12 months’s competition.
Homicide in Glitterball Metropolis – Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato – USA, 2025 (Unique Preview)
Louisville, Kentucky is the house of the glitterball, and after a physique is present in a basement of a Victorian mansion, two lovers accuse one another of committing homicide. What follows is an exploration of a poisonous relationship in a city the place ghosts and secrets and techniques don’t all the time keep buried.
Ronan Farrow in ‘Surveilled’
HBO
Ronan Farrow in Dialog: From Podcast to Display screen
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, writer, and broadcaster Ronan Farrow joins us just about for a uncommon and revealing dialog about adapting podcasts into TV sequence. By way of tasks like Catch and Kill [Produced by World of Wonder Productions], Farrow has redefined how journalism can unfold throughout codecs—bringing pressing, real-life narratives from audio into compelling visible storytelling. This session explores the artistic means of adapting podcasts into documentaries, and the way tales shift and evolve throughout totally different mediums. It can additionally discover the blurred traces between journalism, documentary and leisure, and the challenges of exposing darkish truths in an age of disinformation, denial and deep energy. It’s hosted by longtime collaborators Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato.
The WOW Issue: Fenton Bailey & Randy Barbato in Dialog
World of Marvel founders Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato replicate on a trailblazing profession in storytelling, queer tradition and the creation of world pop phenomena.
Pioneers of daring, genre-defining storytelling, Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato have spent over three a long time reshaping the cultural panorama by way of their iconic manufacturing firm, World of Marvel. From The Eyes of Tammy Faye to Occasion Monster and the worldwide phenomenon RuPaul’s Drag Race, their work has championed outsiders, challenged norms and pushed boundaries in each documentary and leisure. As Sheffield DocFest’s 2025 Company of Honour, Bailey and Barbato be part of us for a particular in-conversation occasion, reflecting on their extraordinary artistic partnership and willpower to seek out new methods to inform tales that may lower by way of the ABCs – algorithms, bigotry and muddle. The occasion is hosted by broadcast legend and trailblazer Daybreak Airey CBE.
A Night time with Adam and Joe
Adam Buxton and Joe Cornish reunite with Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato to revisit their TV origin story: The Adam and Joe Present.
Be a part of us for a really particular reunion as cult comedy duo Adam Buxton and Joe Cornish look again at their groundbreaking early work: Takeover TV, The Adam and Joe Present, and Shock Video – in dialog with two of their unique champions, Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato. Collectively, they’ll revisit the anarchic DIY spirit that outlined a technology of late-night TV and gave Adam and Joe their begin. Anticipate clips, recollections, mischief and behind-the-scenes tales.
Inside Deep Throat – Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato – USA, 2005
This riveting cultural historical past of the movie that took the US porn scene mainstream can be a provocative exploration of exploitation and shifting gender values.
Gerard Damiano’s low-budget 1972 porn movie Deep Throat struck a chord with the American populace. Meant as a fringe peep present leisure it turned a crossover cultural success – even a speaking level amongst center class professionals. It attracted the ire of ethical guardians, confronted felony motion and noticed its star, Linda Lovelace, initially vilified then held up for example of the porn movie business’s exploitation of girls. Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato’s compelling movie charts the movie’s manufacturing, chronicling the lives of the important thing gamers and provides a powerful account of the movie’s historical past within the aftermath of its preliminary success. Juggling the attitudes to intercourse on the time of the movie’s launch with more moderen attitudes to and evaluations of pornography, Inside Deep Throat is each thought-provoking and massively entertaining.
Unusual Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror – Linus O’Brien – USA, United Kingdom, New Zealand, 2025 (UK Premiere)
The son of The Rocky Horror Image Present creator Richard O’Brien charts the journey of the sing-along cultural phenomenon.
Very similar to its protagonists, Brad and Janet, The Rocky Horror Image Present has had a fantastical and surreal journey into the highlight. It began life in an 85-seat studio area at London’s Royal Court docket Theatre, earlier than being tailored right into a breakout cult film that may change into a midnight screening favourite, with a near-fanatical fanbase and a number of rituals, fanzines and spin-off occasions. Linus O’Brien’s massively entertaining directorial debut traces Rocky Horror’s journey throughout the a long time, highlighting why it has such endurance. That includes interviews with creator Richard O’Brien, one of many movie’s stars, Tim Curry, and a number of artists, critics and followers, together with Jack Black and Trixie Mattell, Unusual Journey is a joyous testomony to this 50-year-old basic.
Comprises sexual content material and references to LGBTQ+ discrimination
From the World of Marvel Werq Room
Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato raise the lid on their improvement course of—sharing pitches, sizzles, and the challenges of turning daring concepts into commissioned sequence.
Go behind the scenes with Emmy-winning producers Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato (World of Marvel) as they provide a uncommon look into the event of their upcoming unique sequence. On this open and sensible session, they’ll stroll us by way of how concepts take form—sharing sizzles, pitch supplies, and sincere perception into the unpredictable journey from idea to greenlight.
From navigating platforms and shifting viewers tastes to deciding what makes a narrative viable, it is a candid exploration of the event course of from two of essentially the most seasoned voices in non-fiction TV. Whereas most producers guard this course of carefully, Fenton and Randy consider as we speak’s local weather requires cooperation, not competitors—and so they’re right here to share what they’ve realized.
