MSNBC eyes more documentaries

By Steven Zeitchik

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - MSNBC wants to become more of a player in feature-length documentaries.

The cable news channel has created MSNBC Films, which will serve as a financing instrument for projects that fall within its purview.

It already commissions documentary-style programming like its "Lockup" series and also has bought TV rights to a select number of theatrical documentaries, such as Morgan Spurlock's "Super Size Me." But this move will increase the number of feature-length documentaries on the network from about three per year to as many as six.

While each deal will be structured differently, the news network could contribute to everything from development and production for new films to marketing and prints and advertising for a movie's theatrical release. In exchange, it will typically receive television-airing rights, branding benefits and credit on the pics.

The first movie under the deal will be "Dear Zachary," Kurt Kuenne's harrowing look at a man who was killed by his pregnant girlfriend. The movie, which debuted at the Slamdance Film Festival in January, was a breakout with audiences at the recent Silverdocs festival near Washington DC. Its crime theme fits with MSNBC's longform interests.

Negotiations for "Zachary" are under way with a theatrical distributor, but MSNBC will contribute to the picture's theatrical marketing campaign.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter