Story Syndicate Launches Multi-Million Dollar Equity Fund for Doc Films and Series (EXCLUSIVE)
Story Syndicate, the New York-based production house founded by Oscar and Emmy-winning documentary couple Dan Cogan and Liz Garbus, is launching a multi-million dollar equity fund for nonfiction films and series.
The first three projects being financed by the fund are currently in production. They are Paul Solet’s “Master Thief,” which focuses on Sean Murphy, the New England Patriots fan convicted of stealing Eli Manning’s New York Giants Super Bowl rings in 2008; Don Argott and Sheena M. Joyce’s “Saget,” about beloved TV dad Bob Saget; and Alex Holmes’ “Beverly & Dereck,” about visionary filmmakers and wildlife conservationists Beverly and Dereck Joubert whose work helped inspire “The Lion King.”
Story Syndicate will produce all three films, with Dan Cogan and Jon Bardin serving as producers and Liz Garbus and Tommy Coriale as executive producers.
Story Syndicate launched in 2019 and became a power player in the doc space across all major platforms. Recent projects include Apple TV’s “Number One on the Call Sheet,” Roku’s “Solo Traveling With Tracee Ellis Ross” and the Netflix series “Harry & Meghan,” and “Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer.”
The eight-figure fund is being financed by private investors and will be used to support three to four feature docs and/or series each year with commercial viability.
“We want Story Syndicate to be the first choice for directors, producers, and IP-holders seeking a partner who excels at telling big-tent, culturally-relevant stories that also break new creative ground,” Cogan and Garbus said in a joint statement. “Not only do we have the production expertise, deep experience, and relationships to do this at the highest level, we now also have the capital to do it independently. We’re excited to put this all to work on behalf of undeniable stories, genre-defying artisans and major rights-holders with our initial slate representing the diverse narratives that combine commercial appeal with creative ambition and risk-taking.”
The equity fund represents something of a return to his roots for Cogan, who founded and ran the leading documentary equity financier Impact Partners for 13 years. Under Cogan, Impact Partners’ productions included the Academy Award winners “Icarus” and “The Cove,” and the Oscar-nominated film “How to Survive a Plague.” Cogan also worked on “The Apollo,” “The Queen of Versailles,” “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” and “Allen v. Farrow” during his tenure at Impact Partners.
The Story Syndicate equity fund remains actively open to unscripted projects at all stages to finance and produce.
Story Syndicate Equity Fund Projects:
“Master Thief”Directed by Paul Solet and produced by Glen Zipper, Sean Stuart, Paul Solet, Dan Cogan and Jon Bardin and Executive Produced by Eli Manning for Ten Till Productions.
“Saget”Directed by Don Argott and Sheena M. Joyce (Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour | The End of an Era, Kelce) and produced by Story Syndicate, Revue Studios and 9.14 Pictures
“Beverly & Dereck”
Directed by Alex Holmes (“Maiden”), with Dogwoof and Story Syndicate.
The first three projects being financed by the fund are currently in production. They are Paul Solet’s “Master Thief,” which focuses on Sean Murphy, the New England Patriots fan convicted of stealing Eli Manning’s New York Giants Super Bowl rings in 2008; Don Argott and Sheena M. Joyce’s “Saget,” about beloved TV dad Bob Saget; and Alex Holmes’ “Beverly & Dereck,” about visionary filmmakers and wildlife conservationists Beverly and Dereck Joubert whose work helped inspire “The Lion King.”
Story Syndicate will produce all three films, with Dan Cogan and Jon Bardin serving as producers and Liz Garbus and Tommy Coriale as executive producers.
Story Syndicate launched in 2019 and became a power player in the doc space across all major platforms. Recent projects include Apple TV’s “Number One on the Call Sheet,” Roku’s “Solo Traveling With Tracee Ellis Ross” and the Netflix series “Harry & Meghan,” and “Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer.”
The eight-figure fund is being financed by private investors and will be used to support three to four feature docs and/or series each year with commercial viability.
“We want Story Syndicate to be the first choice for directors, producers, and IP-holders seeking a partner who excels at telling big-tent, culturally-relevant stories that also break new creative ground,” Cogan and Garbus said in a joint statement. “Not only do we have the production expertise, deep experience, and relationships to do this at the highest level, we now also have the capital to do it independently. We’re excited to put this all to work on behalf of undeniable stories, genre-defying artisans and major rights-holders with our initial slate representing the diverse narratives that combine commercial appeal with creative ambition and risk-taking.”
The equity fund represents something of a return to his roots for Cogan, who founded and ran the leading documentary equity financier Impact Partners for 13 years. Under Cogan, Impact Partners’ productions included the Academy Award winners “Icarus” and “The Cove,” and the Oscar-nominated film “How to Survive a Plague.” Cogan also worked on “The Apollo,” “The Queen of Versailles,” “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” and “Allen v. Farrow” during his tenure at Impact Partners.
The Story Syndicate equity fund remains actively open to unscripted projects at all stages to finance and produce.
Story Syndicate Equity Fund Projects:
“Master Thief”Directed by Paul Solet and produced by Glen Zipper, Sean Stuart, Paul Solet, Dan Cogan and Jon Bardin and Executive Produced by Eli Manning for Ten Till Productions.
“Saget”Directed by Don Argott and Sheena M. Joyce (Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour | The End of an Era, Kelce) and produced by Story Syndicate, Revue Studios and 9.14 Pictures
“Beverly & Dereck”
Directed by Alex Holmes (“Maiden”), with Dogwoof and Story Syndicate.