Special programming curated from the duo’s trailblazing content portfolio, including a screening for the 20th anniversary of Inside Deep Throat, a preview of Murder in Glitterball City, and the UK premiere of Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror.
Talks with Fenton Bailey & Randy Barbato, with Ronan Farrow, and Adam Buxton & Joe Cornish
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Tuesday 29 April 2025, Sheffield: Sheffield DocFest announces Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato as this year’s Guests of Honour, the co-founders of the pioneering media company World of Wonder (WOW) and award-winning producers and directors of trailblazing films and TV series.
Bailey’s and Barbato’s groundbreaking documentaries and series giving a voice to outsiders and marginalized communities have included the Emmy® Award-winning “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and award-winning documentaries and critically acclaimed films such as Party Monster, Inside Deep Throat and The Eyes of Tammy Faye. Alongside their extraordinary list of production credits, they also launched a hugely successful streaming platform, WOW Presents Plus; available to audiences globally.
Bailey and Barbato will participate in a programme of screenings and events that reflect their decades-long contribution to popular culture. From linear documentaries to reality competitions, podcasts to social media, the creative duo has always been convinced, correctly it turns out, that today's marginal is tomorrow's mainstream. This firm belief has earned them multiple awards and accolades including 33 Emmys and inspiring Oscar®-winning performances. They also look to the future; delving into how they are successfully navigating an ever-shifting landscape and laying the foundations for sustainable business models through their extremely successful streaming network, Wow Presents Plus
The programme includes a special 20th anniversary special screening of the infamous investigative documentary, Inside Deep Throat, directed by Bailey and Barbato, and a preview of the first episode of Murder in Glitterball City, the upcoming HBO series which they directed. The filmmakers will also be joined by broadcast legend Dawn Airey CBE for an ‘In Conversation’ exploring the past, present and future of their careers, as well as reunite with Adam Buxton and Joe Cornish to revisit the origin story of The Adam and Joe Show, and a virtual talk with longtime collaborator Ronan Farrow, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who will discuss adapting podcasts to screen. The festival will also host the UK premiere of Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror directed by Linus O’Brien, which Bailey and Barbato executive produced.
Fenton Bailey & Randy Barbato, Co-Founders, World of Wonder: “Thank you to Sheffield DocFest for the honour of curating this program, particularly at a time when it's anything but "business as usual". The boom in documentary and unscripted funding has evaporated, while diversity and freedom of expression have come under attack. It might sound like it's only bad news, but we think that this is an opportunity for new models, new genres, new ways of telling stories. In other words, it's all about 'business as unusual'; and we are excited to explore what the future might hold, with a sense of optimism, creativity, and wonder.”
Raul Niño Zambrano Creative Director of Sheffield DocFest “In a time when queer stories face growing resistance, Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato remain fearless trailblazers—brilliantly expanding the reach of LGBTQ+ voices across screens big and small. Their unwavering openness to new mediums, deep respect for fandoms, and nurturing of queer talent have not only shaped culture but brought diverse audiences to digital platforms, cinemas, and audio spaces alike. Their work is proof that authenticity, creativity, and community can thrive—even in the toughest climates.”
Sheffield DocFest is the UK’s leading documentary festival and one of the world’s most influential markets for documentary projects, DocFest champions and presents the breadth of documentary form – film, television, immersive and art – in the vibrant city of Sheffield each June. Now in its 32nd year, the festival itself is made possible with the huge support of partners, funders and sponsors, including Principal Funders BFI Audience Projects Fund, awarding National Lottery funding, Sheffield City Council and Arts Council England. Taking place 18-23 June 2025, key venues are The Crucible Theatre, Showroom Cinema, Workstation, Curzon Sheffield, The Light, Sheffield City Hall and Town Hall, Channing Hall, Site Gallery, Site Studio, and Cutlers’ Hall.
Programme Listing Information
Murder in Glitterball City - Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato – USA, 2025 (Exclusive Preview)
Louisville, Kentucky is the home of the glitterball, and after a body is found in a basement of a Victorian mansion, two lovers accuse each other of committing murder. What follows is an exploration of a toxic relationship in a town where ghosts and secrets don’t always stay buried.
Tickets on sale here: https://www.sheffdocfest.com/film/murder-glitterball-city
Ronan Farrow in Conversation: From Podcast to Screen
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, author, and broadcaster Ronan Farrow joins us virtually for a rare and revealing conversation about adapting podcasts into TV series. Through projects like Catch and Kill, Farrow has redefined how journalism can unfold across formats—bringing urgent, real-life narratives from audio into compelling visual storytelling. This session explores the creative process of adapting podcasts into documentaries, and how stories shift and evolve across different mediums. It will also explore the blurred lines between journalism, documentary and entertainment, and the challenges of exposing dark truths in an age of disinformation, denial and deep power. It is hosted by longtime collaborators Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato.
Chairs: Fenton Bailey & Randy Barbato (Co-Founders, World of Wonder)
Tickets on sale here: https://www.sheffdocfest.com/composition/ronan-farrow-conversation-podcast-screen
The WOW Factor: Fenton Bailey & Randy Barbato in Conversation
World of Wonder founders Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato reflect on a trailblazing career in storytelling, queer culture and the creation of global pop phenomena.
Pioneers of bold, genre-defining storytelling, Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato have spent over three decades reshaping the cultural landscape through their iconic production company, World of Wonder. From The Eyes of Tammy Faye to Party Monster and the global phenomenon RuPaul’s Drag Race, their work has championed outsiders, challenged norms and pushed boundaries in both documentary and entertainment. As Sheffield DocFest’s 2025 Guests of Honour, Bailey and Barbato join us for a special in-conversation event, reflecting on their extraordinary creative partnership and determination to find new ways to tell stories that can cut through the ABCs – algorithms, bigotry and clutter. The event is hosted by broadcast legend and trailblazer Dawn Airey CBE.
Chair: Dawn Airey CBE
Tickets on sale here: https://www.sheffdocfest.com/composition/wow-factor-fenton-bailey-randy-barbato-conversation
A Night with Adam and Joe
Adam Buxton and Joe Cornish reunite with Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato to revisit their TV origin story: The Adam and Joe Show.
Join us for a very special reunion as cult comedy duo Adam Buxton and Joe Cornish look back at their groundbreaking early work: Takeover TV, The Adam and Joe Show, and Shock Video – in conversation with two of their original champions, Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato. Together, they’ll revisit the anarchic DIY spirit that defined a generation of late-night TV and gave Adam and Joe their start. Expect clips, memories, mischief and behind-the-scenes stories.
Chairs: Fenton Bailey & Randy Barbato (Co-Founders, World of Wonder)
Tickets on sale here: https://www.sheffdocfest.com/composition/night-adam-and-joe
Inside Deep Throat - Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato – USA, 2005
This riveting cultural history of the film that took the US porn scene mainstream is also a provocative exploration of exploitation and shifting gender values.
Gerard Damiano’s low-budget 1972 porn film Deep Throat struck a chord with the American populace. Intended as a fringe peep show entertainment it became a crossover cultural success – even a talking point amongst middle class professionals. It attracted the ire of moral guardians, faced criminal action and saw its star, Linda Lovelace, initially vilified then held up as an example of the porn film industry’s exploitation of women. Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato’s compelling film charts the film’s production, chronicling the lives of the key players and offers an impressive account of the film’s history in the aftermath of its initial success. Juggling the attitudes to sex at the time of the film’s release with more recent attitudes to and evaluations of pornography, Inside Deep Throat is both thought-provoking and hugely entertaining.
Tickets on sale here: https://www.sheffdocfest.com/film/inside-deep-throat
Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror – Linus O’Brien – USA, United Kingdom, New Zealand, 2025 (UK Premiere)
The son of The Rocky Horror Picture Show creator Richard O’Brien charts the journey of the sing-along cultural phenomenon.
Much like its protagonists, Brad and Janet, The Rocky Horror Picture Show has had a fantastical and surreal journey into the spotlight. It started life in an 85-seat studio space at London’s Royal Court Theatre, before being adapted into a breakout cult movie that would become a midnight screening favourite, with a near-fanatical fanbase and a host of rituals, fanzines and spin-off events. Linus O’Brien’s hugely entertaining directorial debut traces Rocky Horror’s journey across the decades, highlighting why it has such staying power. Featuring interviews with creator Richard O’Brien, one of the film’s stars, Tim Curry, and a host of artists, critics and fans, including Jack Black and Trixie Mattell, Strange Journey is a joyous testament to this 50-year-old classic.
Contains sexual content and references to LGBTQ+ discrimination
Tickets on sale here: https://www.sheffdocfest.com/film/strange-journey-story-rocky-horror
From the World of Wonder Werq Room
Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato lift the lid on their development process—sharing pitches, sizzles, and the challenges of turning bold ideas into commissioned series.
Go behind the scenes with Emmy-winning producers Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato (World of Wonder) as they offer a rare look into the development of their upcoming original series. In this open and practical session, they’ll walk us through how ideas take shape—sharing sizzles, pitch materials, and honest insight into the unpredictable journey from concept to greenlight.
From navigating platforms and shifting audience tastes to deciding what makes a story viable, this is a candid exploration of the development process from two of the most seasoned voices in non-fiction TV. While most producers guard this process closely, Fenton and Randy believe today’s climate calls for cooperation, not competition—and they’re here to share what they’ve learned.
Speakers: Fenton Bailey & Randy Barbato (Co-Founders, World of Wonder)
Tickets on sale here: https://www.sheffdocfest.com/composition/world-wonder-werq-room
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About World of Wonder
World of Wonder (WOW) has reshaped international pop culture, earning 33 Emmys, inspiring two Oscars, creating global network WOW Presents Plus across 190 territories, and bringing drag culture to the world stage via RuPaul’s Drag Race and DragCon. SVOD WOW Presents Plus, the exclusive home to the global Drag Race franchise and hundreds of WOW Original series, saw 35M hours of content watched in 2023 with 77% subscriber growth in the same year. WOW’s pioneering television portfolio includes other smash-hit franchises like Million Dollar Listing. Their film division WOW Docs produces groundbreaking documentaries including Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures, Party Monster, and The Eyes of Tammy Faye. WOW also operates YouTube channel WOWPresents, music label World of Wonder Records, the WOW Podcast Network, and year-round international live events. Co-founders Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato have been profiled in Variety’s Reality TV Impact Report and Hollywood Reporter’s Most Powerful Producers in Unscripted. Honors for their trailblazing work include the IDA Pioneer Award, Realscreen’s Global 100 list, Banff’s Impact Award, and the OUT 100. In 2022, World of Wonder was ranked #2 among film and TV powerhouses in Fast Company’s World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies.
About Sheffield DocFest
Sheffield DocFest is the UK’s leading documentary festival and one of the world’s most influential markets for documentary projects. We champion and present the breadth of documentary form – film, television, immersive and art – in the vibrant city of Sheffield each June. We offer makers and audiences a place for inspiration, debate, development, learning and challenge. Our programming represents our core values – creativity, empathy, freedom, inclusivity and internationalism.
Sheffield DocFest is run by International Documentary Festival Sheffield, an independent registered charity (no.1184849), whose purpose is to advance the art of film, education and training in documentary filmmaking.
The 32nd edition of the festival will take place between 18-23 June 2025 in Sheffield, UK. For key dates including film entry deadlines, programme launch and marketplace activity visit https://www.sheffdocfest.com/key-dates
About the BFI National Lottery Audience Projects Fund
The BFI Audience Projects Fund will invest £15m of National Lottery funding over three years to support ambitious, audience-facing activity of national scale that celebrates and showcases independent UK and international film and XR work. It will support projects that seek to expand access and encourage greater enjoyment of cinema by connecting audiences that are representative of the UK population with great films - in venues, at events and online.
bfi.org.uk/audience-projects-fund
About the BFI
The BFI is a cultural charity, a National Lottery distributor, and the UK's lead organisation for film and the moving image.
Our mission is:
· To support creativity and actively seek out the next generation of UK storytellers
· To grow and care for the BFI National Archive, the world's largest film and television archive
· To offer the widest range of UK and international moving image culture through our programmes and festivals - delivered online and in venue
· To use our knowledge to educate and deepen public appreciation and understanding
· To work with Government and industry to ensure the continued growth of the UK's screen industries
Founded in 1933, the BFI is a registered charity governed by Royal Charter.
The BFI Board of Governors is chaired by Jay Hunt OBE.
Sheffield DocFest is made possible thanks to the support of our partners, funders and sponsors, including Principal Funders BFI Audience Projects Fund, awarding National Lottery funding, Sheffield City Council and Arts Council England.
