Join for a virtual conversation with Tom Donahue who has produced, written, and directed award-winning documentary films and docuseries for years. We will discuss his career and work, spanning from his 2014 Emmy-nominated film Casting By, which inspired the Oscars’ creation of a Casting Branch, to his film This Changes Everything, which investigated gender inequality in Hollywood and earned EP Geena Davis an honorary Oscar, and his TCM Original documentary Dean Martin: King of Cool, executive produced by Leonardo DiCaprio. We will also discuss his more recent docuseries work for Paramount+, his experience making documentary work that creates an impact, as well as advice for emerging creatives and documentary filmmakers.
Tom Donahue
Documentary Filmmaker
About Tom Donahue:
Donahue is a writer, director, producer and showrunner. He is the writer/Director, co-showrunner (with Ilan Arboleda) and an executive producer on the 6-part Paramount+ docuseries, Mafia Spies, premiered July 2024 (Other EPs include Danny Strong, Matt Jackson and Susan Zirinsky). In 2023, Donahue wrote and directed the 4 part Paramount+ Original docuseries, Murder of God’s Banker. In 2021, he produced, directed and edited the TCM Original feature documentary, Dean Martin: King of Cool (Winner, HPA Award for Best Editing, holding 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and EP’d by Leonardo DiCaprio). In 2019, he directed the Netflix Original, Los Tigres del Norte at Folsom Prison (nominated for two Latin Grammys, winning one). In 2018, Donahue’s This Changes Everything (Gracie Award, LA Press Club Arts and Entertainment Journalism Award) investigated gender inequality in Hollywood. Called a “searing” (Washington Post) “breakout documentary” (Hollywood Reporter), it earned EP Geena Davis an honorary Oscar. It was the runner up for the audience award at the Toronto International Film Festival, premiering on Starz in 2019 and then Netflix in 2021.
Donahue’s 2016 award-winning film, Thank You For Your Service (“Gut wrenching… important” –The New York Times), featured General David Petraeus and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, examined the failed mental health policies in the US military. Donahue’s 2014 Emmy-nominated, Casting By (Gracie Award, the Artois Award, named one of The National Board of Review’s Top Five Documentaries) inspired the Oscars to create a casting branch and, ultimately, an Oscar category for Achievement in Casting. His feature directorial debut was Sundance’ Channel’s Guest of Cindy Sherman, called “a work of art” (Variety) and given 5 stars by Time-Out.
He is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
IMPORTANT DETAILS:
This panel will take place virtually over ZOOM. Ticket purchasers will receive a ZOOM link to this panel 2 hours before the published start time. If you don’t already have the ZOOM app, please make sure to download on your device before the panel start time.
If you purchase an All-Access Pass for our November or DocuSlate Documentary Festival events prior to the date of this panel, you will also receive admission to this virtual panel, included as part of your pass.
If you are a current Annual Member of NFMLA, please email info@nfmla.org to receive a complimentary ticket to this panel. If you are not an Annual Member of NFMLA and would like to join, you can become a member here.
