Museum of the City Of New York Inks First Look Development Agreement With Lisa Cortés/Cortés Filmworks
The first look deal — initiated by producer Jon Sechrist — builds a creative pipeline from MCNY's 100 years of exhibitions to the screen.
By: Stephi Wild Feb. 10, 2023
Lisa Cortés (Little Richard: I Am Everything, Invisible Beauty) has announced a new global development agreement with the Museum of the City of New York (MCNY) for shaping intellectual property from museum exhibitions for documentary production.
The first look deal - initiated by producer Jon Sechrist - builds a creative pipeline from MCNY's 100 years of exhibitions to the screen. Targeted IP includes projects in the food, social justice, and music genres. Cortés will develop and produce through her Cortés Filmworks, the New York based production company in partnership with Blue Ant Studios.
Past winner of "Best Museum" in Time Out New York's "Best of the City 2021," the Museum's exhibitions included Gingerbread NYC: The Great Borough Bake-Off, which invited bakers from every borough to design New York City-inspired gingerbread creations. "The Great Borough Bake-Off inspired our first collaboration with MCNY," says Lisa Cortés. "Cortés Filmworks is so excited to launch a Borough Bake-Off series to celebrate the global food traditions of our five boroughs, and the singular personalities behind the bakers."
"As a long-time New Yorker, I know this city generates the best stories in the world," adds Cortés. "MCNY, with its 100-year legacy of capturing the city's most vibrant qualities - from its street life and liberation struggles to its vast artistic triumphs - is the ideal partner for developing content that will entertain and inspire."
"The Museum of the City of New York has been NYC's storyteller for nearly a century. With the treasure trove of incredible content, we are excited to embark upon this new venture," MCNY Vice President Sheryl Victor Levy says. "Cortés Filmworks makes perfect sense as our partner in extending MCNY's mission and content beyond the museum's walls. Lisa's talents as a storyteller, and her unflagging commitment to exploring the hidden histories that shape our lives, guarantee that the museum's legacy is in the right hands."
Cortés Filmworks is a multimedia production company founded by Lisa Cortés and based in NY. Cortés is an Academy Award nominated and Emmy-winning producer and director. In 2020, Cortés co-directed All In: The Fight For Democracy. Her upcoming film directing credits include Little Richard: I Am Everything, a documentary about the transgressive rock 'n' roll icon, and The Empire of Ebony, which explores the Black publishing powerhouse that forever changed American culture. Cortés works with Blue Ant Studios to develop and produce scripted and unscripted properties spanning documentary, music, history and biography, and narrative. The company is committed to telling complex, powerful stories from new perspectives, and to elevating the talent often overlooked by the mainstream.
The Museum of the City of New York fosters understanding of the distinctive nature of urban life in the world's most influential metropolis. Winner of "Best Museum" in Time Out New York's "Best of the City 2021" and multiple American Alliance of Museums (AAM) awards, MCNY engages visitors by celebrating, documenting, and interpreting the city's past, present, and future. To connect with the Museum's award-winning digital content, visit www.mcny.org; or follow us on Instagram and Twitter at @MuseumofCityNY and on Facebook at Facebook.com/MuseumofCityNY
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