The Ankler & Pure Nonfiction Documentary Spotlight
The acclaimed event series returns for Emmy® FYC.  Join us for creative exchange, complimentary portraits and a celebratory reception.

Panelists will share clips and engage in illuminating conversations covering their projects and the state of the industry.
Hosted by Thom Powers
Location
Meryl Streep Center for Performing Artists
5757 Wilshire Blvd. Suite PH1
Los Angeles, CA
Date & Time
June 8, 2025
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Arrivals, Bites & Guest Portraits
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Clips & Conversations
4:00 - 5:00 PM
Food & Beverage Reception
SPEAKERS
Harper Steele
KEYNOTE SPEAKER // WILL & HARPER
Harper Steele is an Emmy-winning veteran comedy writer and producer, most known for her thirteen years with Saturday Night Live where she eventually became the head writer. After leaving SNL, Steele took over as Creative Director of the comedy website Funny or Die, started by her friends Adam McKay and Will Ferrell. While at Funny or Die, Steele wrote the films, Casa De Mi Padre, Deadly Adoption, and Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. Steele is the subject of the documentary Will & Harper, which chronicles a road-trip the friends take across America for the first time since Harper’s transition.
Laurent Bouzereau
Music by John Williams
Award-winning filmmaker/author Laurent Bouzereau directed “Music by John Williams” and “Faye,” a feature documentary on Faye Dunaway, and is currently in production on the feature documentary “Jaws @ 50.” His credits include the documentary “Timeless Heroes: Indiana Jones & Harrison Ford”; the documentary “Mama’s Boy,” based on the memoir by Dustin Lance Black; “Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind”; and the acclaimed series “Five Came Back.”  He is the author of several books on cinema, including Steven Spielberg: The First Ten Years, the upcoming De Palma Decade, Hitchcock: Piece by Piece, and The Art of Bond.  Bouzereau and his producing partner Markus Keith run Nedland Media.


Lauren Greenfield
SOCIAL STUDIES
Named by The New York Times, “America’s foremost visual chronicler of the plutocracy,” Emmy® Award–winning filmmaker/photographer Lauren Greenfield has explored consumerism, youth culture, and gender through films (The Kingmaker, Generation Wealth, The Queen of Versailles, Thin) and photography books (Generation Wealth, Fast Forward, Girl Culture), sparking international dialogue on critical social issues. Her viral Super Bowl ad, #LikeAGirl, was voted by Ad Age readers “the greatest Superbowl spot of all time.”  Greenfield and her partner, Frank Evers are co-producing a Broadway musical based on her documentary The Queen of Versailles, with music by Stephen Schwartz, starring Kristin Chenoweth (2025).
Eric Goode
CHIMP CRAZY
Eric Goode is an American entrepreneur, conservationist and Emmy-nominated filmmaker. He is the founder of the Turtle Conservancy, a non-profit global conservation organization whose mission is to preserve and protect natural ecosystems, focusing on turtles and tortoises and their habitats, for the benefit of humanity and the Earth’s biological diversity. The conservancy has helped to protect over 100,000 acres of wild land around the world.  His conservation work has been profiled on 60 MINUTES, NEW YORKER, NEW YORK TIMES, WALL STREET JOURNAL and NPR, as well as, highlighted in the feature documentary film, RACING EXTINCTION. 
Jeremy McBride
CHIMP CRAZY
Jeremy McBride is a seasoned documentary filmmaker and entrepreneur, renowned for his groundbreaking work on TIGER KING as part of Goode Films, which captivated audiences worldwide. Persisting in their study of the connections between humans and animals, Goode Films’ latest endeavor CHIMP CRAZY, is a four-part exploration delving into the intricate world of human-chimpanzee relationships. With over a decade of experience with family offices, McBride has been instrumental in international real estate development and investment strategies. His expertise spans the media, hospitality, and real estate technology sectors, where he has successfully overseen and originated numerous groundbreaking projects.
R.J. Cutler
MARTHA
R.J. Cutler is an award-winning documentary filmmaker who has directed such films as Martha, Elton John: Never Too Late, Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry, BELUSHI,The September Issue, and A Perfect Candidate. He has produced such films as The War Room, Thin, Listen to Me Marlon, The Disappearance of Shere Hite, and Karol G: Tomorrow Was Beautiful. For television, Cutler has produced such shows as American High, Dear…, Big Vape, Murf the Surf, and Fight for Glory. Cutler is the founder of This Machine, an LA-based production company specializing in the development and production of premium documentary content.
DOCUMENTARIES
DISNEY+ PRESENTS
Music by John Williams
“Music by John Williams” from Lucasfilm Ltd, Amblin Documentaries and Imagine Documentaries, is a fascinating and insightful look at the prolific life and career of legendary composer John Williams. From his early days as a jazz pianist to his 54 Oscar® nominations and five wins, the documentary takes an in-depth look at Williams’ countless contributions to film including many iconic franchises, as well as his music for the concert stage and his impact on popular culture. The film features interviews with artists and filmmakers whose lives have been touched by his timeless music.
FX PRESENTS
Social Studies
Social Studies is a character-driven documentary series that delves into the lives of the first
generation raised on social media. Filmed in Los Angeles over a school year, this groundbreaking social experiment features a diverse group of LA teens who open up their lives and phones to offer an intimate glimpse into how social media has reshaped childhood. From battling bullying, grappling with beauty standards, coping with racism, exploring sexuality, navigating the pressures of constant comparison, and making life-altering decisions, their compelling and relatable experiences take us on a raw, visceral and urgent journey through the challenges of growing up in the digital age.
hbo max PRESENTS
Chimp Crazy
Former nurse-turned-exotic-animal-broker Tonia Haddix, who refers to herself as the “Dolly Parton of chimps,” spends her days caring for animals in captivity. However, her limitless love for one chimpanzee spins into a wild cat-and-mouse game with authorities and an animal rights group. Through the experiences of Tonia and other “chimp moms,” Chimp Crazy reveals the bonds between owners and their highly intelligent great ape pets, the risks humans take when they raise these animals as members of their family, and the risks to the welfare of the animals themselves.
NETFLIX PRESENTS
MARTHA
Through intimate interviews with the icon herself and those from her inner circle, this definitive documentary on Martha Stewart traces her rise from Wall Street maven to her reign as the original influencer.
NETFLIX PRESENTS
Chef's Table
In this Emmy-nominated series, meet culinary stars around the world who are redefining gourmet food with innovative dishes and tantalizing desserts.
netflix PRESENTS
WILL & HARPER
In this intimate portrayal of friendship, transition, and America, Will Ferrell and his best buddy of thirty years, Harper Steele, decide to go on a cross-country road trip to explore this new chapter in their relationship.

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