Paramount+ Reveals Premiere Date for MTV Docs Slate, Debuts Trailer for ‘As Far As They Can Run’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Paramount+ has set a Nov. 29 premiere date for a slate of new titles from MTV Documentary Films.

The slate spans two feature documentaries and five documentary shorts, all of which are executive produced by Sheila Nevins, executive producer at MTV Documentary Films and the former boss of HBO Documentary Films.

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The line-up spotlights the story of a family saying goodbye to their patriarch in “Dig!” director Ondi Timoner’s “Last Flight Home,” as well as the portrait of an artist working against all odds in “ART & Krimes by Krimes.”

Meanwhile, the doc shorts delve into everything from the Louisiana State Penitentiary known as Angola in “Angola Do You Hear Us? Voices From A Plantation Prison,” and the Black Sea, where a Russian activist and mother buries her child in “Anastasia.”

Also premiering is the doc short “As Far As They Can Run,” an intimate look at children with intellectual disabilities in rural Pakistan who have been deemed “useless” by their communities. Directed by Tanaz Eshaghian, the film is a verité portrait of three young teenagers who manage to find acceptance and a place in society through sports. “As Far As They Can Run” picked up the directing award as part of DOC NYC’s Short List: Shorts section, for awards contenders. Variety reveals the exclusive trailer for the film below.

“MTV Documentary Films shines a bright light as an underdog player in the documentary landscape,” said Nevins of the slate. “We’re taking giant strides as our ambitious slate realizes true popularity as well as critical impact.”

Features

“Last Flight Home”
Director: Ondi Timoner
Executive Producer: Sheila Nevins
On an unremarkable suburban street, we find Eli Timoner in his final days and discover an extraordinary life, one filled with wild achievements, tragic loss and, above all, enduring love. His daughter Ondi shares an unforgettable and stunning verité account of a family courageously, and joyously, facing both life and death. Winner of the Leon Gast Award for Best Documentary at the 2022 Woodstock Film Festival, Winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the 2022 Dallas International Film Festival and an official selection of the 2022 Sundance and Telluride Film Festivals.

“Art & Krimes by Krimes”
Director: Alysa Nahmias
Producers: Amanda Spain, Benjamin Murray, Alysa Nahmias
Executive Producers: Sheila Nevins, Jenifer Westphal, Joe Plummer, Patty Quillin, Hallee Adelman, Ivy Herman
While locked up for six years in federal prison, artist Jesse Krimes secretly creates monumental works of art—including an astonishing 40-foot mural made with prison bed sheets, hair gel, and newspaper. He smuggles out each panel piece-by-piece with the help of fellow artists, only seeing the mural in totality upon coming home. As Jesse’s work captures the art world’s attention, he struggles to adjust to life outside, living with the threat that any misstep will trigger a life sentence.

Shorts

“Angola Do You Hear Us? Voices From a Plantation Prison”
Director: Cinque Northern
Producer: Catherine Gund
Executive Producer: Sheila Nevins
The story of playwright Liza Jessie Peterson’s shutdown 2020 performance of her acclaimed play “The Peculiar Patriot at Angola” at the Louisiana State Penitentiary, America’s largest prison-plantation. The documentary examines what led to the shutdown of the performance, the material that confronted a system, and how the impact of Peterson’s visit rippled through Angola long after the record of her visit was erased by prison authorities. An official selection of the 2022 Telluride Film Festival, a Critics Choice Documentary Nominee for Best Documentary Short, a selection of the 2022 DOC NYC Shorts Shortlist, and the recipient of a Special Jury Award for Powerful Storytelling at the 2022 Savannah Film Festival.

“Anastasia”
Director: Sarah McCarthy
Producers: Sasha Odynova & Sarah McCarthy
Executive Producer: Sheila Nevins
Russian activist Anastasia Shevchenko was arrested and detained under house arrest for two years for speaking out against the government. During her imprisonment, she was separated from her young daughter who died alone. As Anastasia travels across Russia by train, she comes to grips with her loss and realizes that the only way she can continue fighting for freedom is to leave her homeland forever. An official selection of the 2022 Telluride Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival and a selection of the 2022 DOC NYC Shorts Shortlist and recipient of a special mention from the DOC NYC jury.

“Favorite Daughter”
Director: Dana Reilly
Executive Producer: Sheila Nevins
Logline: A grandmother, mother, and daughter quarantine together in a Tribeca apartment as they laugh about life over wine. The film was an official selection of the 2022 Telluride Film Festival.

“More Than I Want To Remember” (Animated)
Director: Amy Bench
Animation Director: Maya Edelman
Producers: Carolyn Merriman, Mugeni
Executive Producer: Sheila Nevins
Logline: One night at her home in southeastern Congo, 14-year-old Mugeni awakes to the sounds of bombs. As her family scatters to the surrounding forests to save themselves, Mugeni finds herself completely alone. From there, she sets out on a remarkable solo journey across the globe, determined to reunite with her lost loved ones and lift up the Banyamulenge people. Despite unimaginable obstacles, Mugeni’s story is ultimately a portrait of hope, love, and family bonds. Winner of the Best Animated Short at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival, Best Animated Short at Walla Walla Movie Crush, Best International Short Documentary at the 2022 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival and Best Documentary Short at the Cleveland International Film Festival.

“As Far As They Can Run”
Director: Tanaz Eshaghian
Producer: Tanaz Eshaghian & Christoph Jörg
Executive Producer: Sheila Nevins
Logline: An intimate, unflinching look at disabled children in rural Pakistan who have been deemed “useless” by their communities, As Far As They Can Run is a searing verité portrait of three young teenagers who manage to find acceptance and a place in society through sports. Winner of the Best Documentary Short at the 2022 Woodstock Film Festival and an official selection of the 2022 DOC NYC Shorts Shortlist and winner of the Directing Award at DOC NYC.

Watch the trailer for “As Far As They Can Run” below:

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