Jami Gertz, Bayan Joonam Launch Nonfiction Banner Laugh Cry Wow (Exclusive)
Actress Jami Gertz and Bayan Joonam (QAnon: The Search for Q) are joining forces for a new non-fiction banner, Laugh Cry Wow.
“I’ve always been a lover of documentaries. Even though I came from the scripted world, I will always stop on a good documentary first,” said Gertz, whose onscreen works include Less Than Zero and Twister.
The banner’s inaugural project, Magic City: An American Fantasy, will debut on Starz. The five-part series, which premiered at SXSW, tells the story of Atlanta strip club, Magic City. Dubbed the “Black Studio 54,” the club, opened in 1985, has become the launching pad for the careers of hip-hop stars and helped to shape the sound and culture of the city. Drake, 2 Chainz, Nelly, Killer Mike and more were interviewed for the doc. (Gertz, whose personal relationship with Magic City owner Michael “Magic” Barney offered the documentary exclusive access, is a co-owner of the Atlanta Hawks basketball team.)
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Getz added: “Through Magic City: An American Fantasy, I found myself on the other side of the camera, and I found that it was a familiar and comfortable place for me to be at this point in my life.”
Joonam has worked on non-fiction projects for Paramount+, CNN Films and Vice, and previously served as the head of production at content company SoulPancake.
“Before launching Laugh Cry Wow, I spent years in the new frontier of digital media. All I did day in and day out was find new and original voices to put out into the world,” adds Joonam. “The prevailing narrative in Hollywood right now is one of contraction and collapse. But we see this moment differently: It’s the inciting incident. So we launched Laugh Cry Wow to begin authoring the next chapter. It’s a new frontier that I find exciting, and have always thrived in.”
The company will be providing filmmakers with dedicated development grants. “We will back emerging filmmakers and underrepresented voices,” added Joonam. “We will give them development funding, mentorship, resources—but more than that, we give them trust.”
Magic City: An American Fantasy will debut on Aug 15.
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