About Participant

Participant believes that a good story well told can truly make a difference in how one sees the world. Whether it is a feature film, documentary or other form of media, Participant exists to tell compelling, entertaining stories that also create awareness of the real issues that shape our lives. We seek to entertain our audiences first, then to invite them to participate in making a difference next. Participant believes that people are basically good and that everyone deserves the chance to be a participant!

Upcoming Releases Include:

Mike Nichols’ Charlie Wilson's War, starring Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Phillip Seymour Hoffman, produced by Playtone, co-financed by Participant, Relativity and Universal which will distribute this Christmas.
Marc Forster's The Kite Runner, co-financed by Sidney Kimmel Entertainment and Participant, produced by S.K.E. and Parkes/McDonald Productions, presented by Dreamworks and Paramount Vantage which is also distributing in November.
Errol Morris’ S.O.P. (Standard Operating Procedure), co-financed by Participant and Sony Pictures Classics, which will distribute
Jonathan Demme’s Carter, which follows Nobel Peace Prize winning former President Jimmy Carter on a controversial book tour across America.
The Visitor, Tom McCarthy’s first film since The Station Agent, co-financed by Participant and Michael London's Groundswell Productions.
Brett Morgen’s Chicago 10, distributed by Roadside Attractions, produced by Graydon Carter and Brett Morgen, featuring the voices of Hank Azaria, Dylan Baker, Nick Nolte, Mark Ruffalo, Roy Scheider, Liev Schreiber, and Jeffrey Wright
Louise Hogarth’s documentary Angels in the Dust will be released by Cinema Libre Studio.

Our History

In January 2004, Founder Jeff Skoll assembled a team of entertainment industry executives who shared his interest in creating quality entertainment; together, we built an environment to foster storytelling that engages the audience, generates awareness of topical and interesting issues and inspires individuals to take action.

Participant quickly established itself as a unique place for meaningful projects. In our first year of operation, we released the documentary Arna’s Children in October 2004 and geared up for production on four film projects and two documentaries.

In 2005, Participant produced "North Country" and "Syriana" in partnership with Warner Brothers and "Good Night, And Good Luck" with Warner Independent Pictures, Section 8 and 2929 Entertainment. Also, we partnered with ThinkFilm and MTV on the release of the Oscar nominated documentary "Murderball." Participant received 11 Academy Award nominations for "North Country", "Syriana", "Murderball" and "Good Night, And Good Luck".

2006 started at the Sundance Film Festival with the world premieres of "An Inconvenient Truth" and "The World According to Sesame Street". "An Inconvenient Truth" also screened at the Cannes Film Festival, had record breaking business during their national release through Paramount Classics (Vantage), and won two Academy Awards for Best Documentary and Best Original Song.

Also at Cannes 2006, Richard Linklater’s film "Fast Food Nation"premiered as a competition film and will be released by Fox Searchlight. "Fast Food Nation" is a dramatic feature inspired by the incendiary book by Eric Schlosser. The film is a no-holds-barred exploration of the fast food industry that ultimately revealed the dark side of the "All American Meal.”

On October 24 2005, The World According to Sesame Street debuted simultaneously on the PBS series Independent Lens and was released on DVD by Sony/ BMG. The film was produced in cooperation with Sesame Street Workshop and directed by Linda Goldstein Knowlton and Linda Hawkins Costigan. "The World According to Sesame Street" explores the drama and complexities behind producing international versions of the world’s most-watched children’s television program.

Integral to Participant’s mission is our commitment to creating specific social action campaigns for each film and documentary. These campaigns are designed to give a voice to issues that resonate in the films. We partner with social sector organizations, non-profits and corporations who are committed to creating an open forum for discussion, education and who can, in partnership with Participant, offer specific ways for audience members to get involved and to take action.

Participant invites you to be part of our community, have fun and do good!

Lights, camera...social action!