Based in Stockholm, Malik Bendjelloul has been directing documentaries for twelve years, primarily based on musicians. In 2001, Bendjelloul directed the first ever documentary about German electronic pioneers Kraftwerk. He has also made a documentary series about the history of heavy metal as well as some single documentaries, collaborating with such iconic artists as Björk, Sting, Elton John, Rod Stewart, Madonna, Mariah Carey, U2 and Kylie Minogue.
Bendjelloul has also worked as director and creative producer for Swedish Television’s international cultural weekly show Kobra, where he made short documentaries covering a wide range of stories. He has made stories about the controversial British pop band The KLF burning a million pounds and a film exploring the rumours surrounding Paul McCartney's death.
Bendjelloul has also designed and directed title sequences for several high-profile Swedish TV shows and has directed music videos and commercials.
Simon Chinn is an Oscar-winning producer whose most recently released film, PROJECT NIM, directed by James Marsh, won the 2011 World Cinema Documentary Directing award at Sundance, has been nominated for a Producers Guild of America award and is on the shortlist for the 2012 Academy Awards. It was acquired in the US by HBO, was theatrically released in the US by Roadside Attractions, and has been acquired for theatrical distribution in more than 17 other territories worldwide.
Chinn’s previous film, MAN ON WIRE, also directed by James Marsh, went on to win over 30 international awards, including the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, the BAFTA for Outstanding British Film, the Sundance Grand Jury and Audience awards, the Independent Spirit Award, the Producers Guild of America award and audience awards at the Edinburgh and Los Angeles Film Festivals. MAN ON WIRE was released in 2008/9 in more than 25 territories worldwide and became one of the highest-grossing documentaries of recent years. The London Observer named it one of the best British films of the last 25 years and it became Rotten Tomatoes’ best-reviewed film of all time.
In 2005, Chinn established his production company, Red Box Films, to produce MAN ON WIRE (taking inspiration from Philippe Petit, who kept his ideas for future projects, including his high wire walk between the Twin Towers, in a red box under his bed) and it currently has a slate of projects – including feature documentaries, feature films and television dramas – at various stages of production and development. In 2008, Red Box Films formed a producing alliance with Passion Pictures to collaborate on a range of feature documentaries, the first of which was PROJECT NIM, which Chinn conceived and produced. Red Box and Passion have two feature documentaries premiering in competition at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival: THE IMPOSTER, directed by Bart Layton, and SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN, directed by Malik Bendjelloul, which is the opening night film in the World Cinema Documentary competition.
Prior to founding Red Box Films, Chinn co-produced Peter Kosminsky’s multi-BAFTA winning Channel 4 drama, THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR, and produced and co-wrote the BBC’s feature-length dramatized documentary, SMALLPOX 2002. Other documentaries include: AMERICA BEYOND THE COLOUR LINE, CORRESPONDENT: THE PROMISED LAND, WAR IN EUROPE, INVADING IRAQ, SMITH MUGABE AND THE UNION JACK, and THE REAL ALAN CLARK.
John Battsek runs Passion Pictures’ film department and is one of the most successful and prolific feature documentary producers in the UK. In 1999, Battsek conceived and produced the Academy Award-winning ONE DAY IN SEPTEMBER. He has since been responsible for a variety of high-profile feature documentaries, many of which have achieved international distribution. These include IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON (Audience Award Winner, 2007 Sundance Film Festival World Documentary Competition); MY KID COULD PAINT THAT; LIVE FOREVER; SERGIO (Academy Award shortlist, 2010); STONES IN EXILE; Oscar nominated RESTREPO; FIRE IN BABYLON (Grierson Trust Winner, Best Historical Documentary); THE TILLMAN STORY (Academy Award Shortlist, 2011); BETTER THIS WORLD (Gotham Awards, winner Best Feature Documentary 2011); KORAN BY HEART; BOB AND THE MONSTER; and PROJECT NIM (Academy Award Shortlist, 2012).
Two new films executive produced by Battsek will launch at Sundance Film Festival 2012: THE IMPOSTER, Bart Layton’s first feature documentary based on the extraordinary story of serial imposter Frederic Bourdin, and Malik Bendjelloul’s directorial debut SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN, which will premiere as the opening night feature documentary at the festival. Battsek is currently working on several new feature film projects, including: Greg Barker’s MANHUNT for HBO; Nadav Schirman’s THE GREEN PRINCE, based on the New York Times Bestselling memoir; THE SON OF HAMAS by Mosab Hassan Yousef; and a feature adaptation of Meg Rosoff’s award-winning dystopian novel HOW I LIVE NOW, shooting spring 2012 for FilmFour with Kevin MacDonald.
Camilla Skagerström FSF is a Swedish cinematographer who has been working on feature documentaries since 1994, shooting around the world in countries such as Ethiopia, Cuba, Brazil, Jordan, South Africa and the US. Previous films include BLOOD CALLS YOU (Honorable Mention, Tempo International Film Festival, Stockholm 2010) and BEAUTY REFUGEE (Official Selection, IDFA 2009). Skagerström self-financed her short documentary BATHING MICKY, which premiered in the Official Selection at the Cannes Film Festival 2010 and went on to win the prestigious Jury Prize. Another short documentary, WHILE YOU WERE GONE, played in Official Selection, London Film Festival 2011 and Official Selection, Mill Valley Film Festival 2011.