Sheffield DocFest has announced 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 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 belief has earned them multiple awards and accolades including 33 Emmys and inspiring Oscar-winning performances. They will 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.
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The programme includes a special 20th anniversary 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.
Bailey and Barbato said: “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, added: “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.”
