Sheffield DocFest has announced Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato as this year’s Guests of Honour, the co-founders of the media company World of Wonder (WOW).
Bailey’s and Barbato’s groundbreaking documentaries and series have included the Emmy winning “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and documentaries and films such as Party Monster, Inside Deep Throat and The Eyes of Tammy Faye. Alongside their list of production credits, they also launched a successful streaming platform, WOW Presents Plus; available to audiences globally.
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 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.”
Jon Creamer
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