Sky Atlantic to make Footprints with TV factual documentaries

Sky Atlantic is to boost its factual programming with more original content with the production of feature-length documentary films.
Celia Taylor, Sky’s Head of Factual, says, “Footprints is an extraordinary and very exciting opportunity to work with the best documentary talent in the world. Through Footprints I hope we can bring the best stories and ideas to the screen and provide valuable support to both the British and international documentary community.”
Up to twelve peak time documentaries will form the line up of the new documentary strand. With the broadcaster stating they have ‘ambition’s to become the home of world-class documentary films and film makers’. Sky Atlantic say the brief is going out to the world’s best documentary makers to come to the channel with bold ideas.
“Footprintsis an ambitious line-up of documentary films from some of the greatest storytellers in the world. What will unite these films is, at their heart, there will be a human story that will leave a mark on the viewer’s heart and mind. This strand is an important part of Sky Atlantic’s editorial direction and will reinforce our promise to be the home of iconic storytelling.” adds Naomi Gibney, Acting Director of Sky Atlantic.

The first original commission for the Footprints strand is a production called The Grim Sleeper, and comes from multi award-winning documentary maker Nick Broomfield, and follows the case of Lonnie Franklin Jr who is currently awaiting trial for the murders of 10 women over a 25 year period. Dubbed “The Grim Sleeper” due to a 14 year hiatus in the killings, the killings restarted in 2002, reigniting interest in a case which has become very political in Los Angeles.
Broomfield, best known for his 1998 film Kurt and Courtney is one of the most widely respected film makers in the factual genre, which was further cemented when he was awarded the BAFTA Lifetime Achievement Award for his Contribution to Documentary.