Format
Current Affairs Documentary
Length
90-120 min
Timeslot
Sunday 9pm, CNN / Max (Streaming)
Exposé length
4-8 pages
Journalistic, topical, accessible. CNN Films combines CNN's news competence with the narrative depth of documentary film. The tone is serious, but not dry — CNN Films wants to tell stories that go beyond the news headline. The films are more narrative than a CNN segment, but more journalistic than a theatrical documentary. Timeliness is a competitive advantage — CNN can react quickly and pick up topics currently moving society. The narrative is clearly structured, chronological or thematic, always with a clear through-line. Voices from both sides are heard, even when the position is clear.
Professional broadcast quality with cinematic ambition. CNN Films relies on high-quality interviews, archival material from CNN's own archive and external sources, and on-the-ground research. Graphics and data visualizations in CNN style for complex contexts. The visual language is journalistically grounded, but narratively more ambitious than a CNN Special Report. No experimental visual style, but also not standard news format. The film must work both on the TV screen and in streaming.
Editorial notes
CNN Films was founded in 2012 and quickly established itself as a major player in the US documentary market. CNN Films acquires finished films (often after festival premiere) and develops original projects. The CNN news apparatus is a competitive advantage — access to archive, contacts, and infrastructure. Amy Entelis heads the division and has a strong network in the festival world. CNN Films premieres frequently run at Sundance, Tribeca, and Toronto. Since the merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN Films are also available on Max. Budgets for original productions range from $500,000-3 million USD. CNN prefers films that fit the current news cycle and enable cross-promotion with CNN shows (Anderson Cooper, Fareed Zakaria, etc.). License fees for acquisitions vary widely.