White Horse Pictures is an American film, documentary and television production company founded in 2014.
The company is run by four partners and producers, Nigel Sinclair, Nicholas Ferrall, Jeanne Elfant Festa and Cassidy Hartmann.
History White Horse Pictures was founded in 2014 by Nigel Sinclair alongside longtime business partner Guy East with partners Nicholas Ferrall, Jeanne Elfant Festa and Cassidy Hartmann. Sinclair's previous documentaries had included Martin Scorsese’s, George Harrison: Living in the Material World which won two Emmy Awards and was nominated for a BAFTA, the Grammy Award-winning No Direction Home: Bob Dylan, the Academy Award-winning Undefeated and the Grammy Award-winning Foo Fighters: Back and Forth.
White Horse Pictures' first documentary, A Faster Horse, directed by David Gelb, was released in 2015.
In 2016, the team produced and sold worldwide The Beatles: Eight Days a Week, directed by Ron Howard and written by Mark Monroe, which won a Grammy for Best Music Film and multiple Emmy Awards. The film was Hulu's first documentary acquisition.
The following year, White Horse Pictures alongside content creation platform Tongal produced Mole Man, directed by Guy Fiorita. The documentary captured the story of Ron Heist, a 66-year-old autistic man who spent preceding five decades building a 50-room structure in his parents’ backyard. The film would debut at DOC NYC in November 2017, before premiering nationally on Sundance Now in spring 2019.
White Horse Pictures subsequently produced The Apollo directed by Roger Ross Williams – which opened the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2019 to overwhelming critical acclaim – where upon release on HBO the film was shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best Documentary. The Apollo won Outstanding Documentary at the 72nd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
Also in 2019 was Pavarotti, directed by Ron Howard and written by Mark Monroe, which was sold to CBS Films and grossed $8,083,942, becoming one of the top 20 highest-grossing (domestic) concert films of all time.
In 2020, White Horse Pictures produced The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart on HBO, directed by Frank Marshall and written by Mark Monroe where it received critical acclaim and nominations for six Emmy Awards including Outstanding Documentary, winning one.
White Horse Pictures produced Lucy and Desi, directed and produced by Amy Poehler in her documentary directorial debut and written by Mark Monroe, on Amazon Prime Video where it received critical acclaim and was nominated for six Emmy Awards, winning two. The 74th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremony represented the third year in a row White Horse Pictures produced a documentary nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary.
In 2024, White Horse Pictures produced the authorized documentary The Beach Boys, directed and produced by Frank Marshall, written by Mark Monroe and distributed by Disney. That same year, White Horse Pictures also released the Peabody Award-winning docuseries Stax: Soulsville, U.S.A. directed and produced by Jamila Wignot about the rise and fall of Stax Records. Both received positive reviews and nominations at the 76th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, with The Beach Boys winning for Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Nonfiction Program (Single or Multi-Camera).
The following year, White Horse Pictures co-produced with Paradine Productions a six-part Sky Studios documentary series David Frost Vs, anchored around interviews with journalist and television host David Frost. David Frost Vs aired in the UK in February 2025 and was acquired by MSNBC Films for the US, where it aired in April 2025. White Horse Pictures produced a documentary about the ventriloquist and children's entertainer Shari Lewis and her famous puppet, Lamb Chop, Shari & Lamb Chop, directed Lisa D'Apolito. The film debuted at Doc NYC and the North American distribution rights were acquired by Kino Lorber, who began releasing the film in limited theatrical release in July 2025. White Horse Pictures was the sales agent on a documentary commissioned by CBC about the Lilith Fair festival, Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery, directed by Ally Pankiw and produced by Dan Levy. The film was acquired by ABC News Studios, and had its world premiere at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival in September 2025, followed by a release on CBC in Canada on September 17, with Hulu & Disney+ in the US and Disney+ internationally on September 21.
White Horse Pictures produced a documentary on keyboardist, singer and songwriter Billy Preston, Billy Preston: That's The Way God Planned It, directed by Paris Barclay. The film opened in select North American markets in 2026, with the U.S theatrical premiere beginning February 20 at the Film Forum in New York City. Later in 2026, White Horse Pictures also produced a documentary on Pete Townshend of The Who entitled Pete Townshend: Behind Blue Eyes, co-directed by Frank Marshall and Nigel Sinclair, and written by Cassidy Hartmann, which had its world premiere at the 53rd edition of the Telluride Film Festival. White Horse Pictures is also producing an upcoming documentary on actor Gene Wilder directed by Chris Smith, entitled Wilder, set to have its world premiere at the 34th Hamptons International Film Festival in October 2026.
\White Horse Pictures is slated to release the first authorized feature-length documentary on English rock band Def Leppard, entitled Long Live Def Leppard, directed by Jeff Feuerzeig. The North American rights were acquired by Bleecker Street's event cinema division Crosswalk, with a plan to release the film theatrically in early 2027.
It was announced that White Horse Pictures is producing, alongside The Kennedy/Marshall Company, an upcoming authorized Apple TV+ documentary on Fleetwood Mac, directed and produced by Frank Marshall and written by Mark Monroe.
Filmography
Documentary YearFilmDirector(s)Distributor2015A Faster HorseDavid GelbFilmRise2016The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring YearsRon HowardHulu2017Mole ManGuy FioritaSundance Now2019The ApolloRoger Ross WilliamsHBOPavarottiRon HowardCBS Films2020The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken HeartFrank MarshallHBO2022Lucy and DesiAmy PoehlerAmazon Prime Video2024The Beach BoysFrank MarshallDisney+2025Shari & Lamb ChopLisa D'ApolitoKino LorberLilith Fair: Building a MysteryAlly PankiwABC News Studios, CBC, Hulu2026Billy Preston: That's The Way God Planned ItParis BarclayAbramorama (North American Theatrical)Pete Townshend: Behind Blue EyesFrank Marshall and Nigel SinclairWilderChris Smith2027Long Live Def LeppardJeff FeuerzeigBleecker Street (North America)
Television YearProgramDirector(s)Distributor2024Stax: Soulsville U.S.A.Jamila WignotHBO2025David Frost VsLiz Mermin, Francis Longhurst, Marion Milne, Matthew Hill, Tom McCarthySkyMSNBC
Awards
Emmy Awards Programs produced by White Horse Pictures partners have won eight Emmy Awards from 21 nominations. Below is a list of selected Emmy nominations by White Horse Pictures original programming.
(Wins Bolded)
Category NominationsOutstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special 2017: The Beatles: Eight Days A Week - The Touring Years 2020: The Apollo 2021: The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart 2022: Lucy and DesiOutstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series2024: STAX: Soulsville, U.S.A.Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program 2021: The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart 2022: Lucy and DesiOutstanding Writing for a Nonfiction Program 2017: The Beatles: Eight Days A Week - The Touring Years 2021: The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart 2022: Lucy and DesiOutstanding Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program 2017: The Beatles: Eight Days A Week - The Touring Years 2021: The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart 2022: Lucy and DesiOutstanding Sound Editing for Non-Fiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera) 2017: The Beatles: Eight Days A Week - The Touring Years 2021: The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart 2022: Lucy and DesiOutstanding Sound Mixing for Non-Fiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera) 2017: The Beatles: Eight Days A Week - The Touring Years 2021: The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart 2024: The Beach Boys 2024: STAX: Soulsville, U.S.A. Outstanding Music Composition For A Documentary Series Or Special (Original Dramatic Score) 2022: Lucy and Desi
Academy Awards Year Ceremony Category Nominee Result 202192nd Academy AwardsDocumentary FeatureThe ApolloShortlistLive Action ShortRefugeeShortlist
Grammy Awards Year Ceremony Category Nominee Result 201759th Grammy AwardsBest Music FilmThe Beatles: Eight Days a Week
Peabody Awards YearCeremony Category Nominee Result 202383rd Peabody AwardsDocumentaryLucy and Desi202585th Peabody AwardsDocumentarySTAX: Soulsville, U.S.A.
Additional Awards Year Ceremony Category Nominee Result 20161st Critics' Choice Documentary Awards Best Music Documentary The Beatles: Eight Days a Week20194th Critics' Choice Documentary AwardsBest Archival DocumentaryPavarottiBest Music DocumentaryBest Biographical DocumentaryTwo Riversides Film and Art FestivalAudience Award, First Place20222nd Hollywood Critics Association TV AwardsBest Streaming Documentary Television MovieLucy and Desi2024South by Southwest (SXSW)TV Premiere Audience AwardSTAX: Soulsville, U.S.A.40th IDA Documentary AwardsBest Limited SeriesOak Park Black Film FestivalBest DocumentaryBilly Preston: That's The Way God Planned It202536th Palm Springs International Film FestivalBest of FestFilmfest DCAudience Award - Best Documentary2026Webby AwardsVideo & Film (Music)Lilith Fair: Building A Mystery - The Untold Story Rockie AwardsDocumentary & Factual: Arts & Culture Canadian Screen AwardsBest Feature Length Documentary
References