Los Angeles: At this year’s Sundance Film Festival, content brand company Onyx Collective showcased its slate of programming, which includes two new projects, one from Ryan Coogler’s Proximity Media, as well as the highly anticipated sophomore documentary feature from music artist and filmmaker Questlove.
The company has acquired an untitled Sly Stone feature documentary from Ahmir ‘Questlove’ Thompson, marking the artist’s second collaboration with the collective.
According to Variety, the documentary promises to examine the life and legacy of Sly and the Family Stone, the groundbreaking band led by the famous Sly Stone.
The documentary aims to explore the rise, reign and fadeout of one of pop music’s most influential artists and, in doing so, tell a human story about the cost of genius.
Questlove will direct and executive produce, alongside Shawn Gee and Zarah Zohlman for Two One Five Entertainment Inc. Lonnie Rashid Lynn, a.k.a. Common, will serve as an executive producer, with Derek Dudley, Shelby Stone and Ron Weisner. Brian Gersh and Paul Gertz will executive produce on behalf of Network Entertainment Inc.
Derik Murray will produce with Joseph Patel, who is also attached to write with Jeff Mao.
Also announced during Saturday’s panel, Onyx Collective has picked up the documentary film ‘Anthem’ for Hulu from Proximity Media’s overall deal with Onyx Collective in partnership with This Machine.
‘Anthem’ follows acclaimed composer Kris Bowers and Grammy-winning music producer Dahi as they take a musical journey travelling across America to create a new sound, inspired by what our country’s national anthem might be if written in today’s time.
Peter Nicks, Kris Bowers, Sean Havey, Chris L. Jenkins and Ryan Coogler produce the documentary with R.J. Cutler and Elise Pearlstein serving as executive producers for This Machine and Zinzi Coogler and Sev Ohanian for Proximity. Nicks also directs.
The company also revealed that it is developing scripted drama ‘Sheba’.
‘Sheba’ details the first African queen’s rise to power as she attempts to unite the nation now recognised as Ethiopia, transforming it into one of the richest, most formidable kingdoms in the world. Inspired by true events, the drama aims to take viewers on a journey with Makeda into a world of danger, deceit and political intrigue as she is forced to step into the role of Queen of Sheba.
–IANS