Diane Weyermann
Born
Diane Hope Weyermann

September 22, 1955
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
DiedOctober 14, 2021 (age 66)
New York City, U.S.
OccupationFilm producer
OrganizationParticipant Media CCO

Diane Hope Weyermann (September 22, 1955 – October 14, 2021) was an American film producer who was the chief content officer of Participant Media, a film and television production company.[1]

Early life

Diane Hope Weyermann was born in St. Louis, Missouri,[2] on September 22, 1955.[3] She graduated from George Washington University in 1977, and received a Juris Doctor degree from Saint Louis University School of Law in 1981.[3] After working in legal aid, she returned to school and obtained a Master of Fine Arts in film at Columbia College Chicago in 1992.[2]

Career

In her role at Participant, Weyermann was responsible for the company’s documentary feature film and television productions.[4] In addition to the 2021 twice Academy Award-nominated Collective (for Best Feature Documentary as well as Best International Feature),[5] Participant’s recent documentary projects which Weyermann oversaw include the Oscar winner American Factory,[6] Emmy-nominated City So Real,[7] John Lewis: Good Trouble,[8] Sing Me a Song, Slay the Dragon, Watson, Aquarela,[9] Foster,[10] America to Me, The Price of Free, Far from the Tree, Human Flow,[11] An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power,[12] The Music of Strangers: Yo Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble,[13] and Zero Days. Previous releases include Oscar-winning films, CITIZENFOUR and An Inconvenient Truth,[14] Oscar-nominated RBG,[15] Oscar-nominated The Look of Silence, Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning Food, Inc.,[16] and Emmy-nominated The Great Invisible.[17]

In 2018, Weyermann was named as a co-chair of the Oscars’ Foreign Language Film Award Executive Committee.[18] Prior to joining Participant in 2005, Weyermann was the founding director of the Sundance Institute's Documentary Film Program. In 2001, when she joined Sundance Institute to run international activities, the Soros Fund was moved to Sundance Institute, where she began laying the groundwork for what became the Documentary Film Program. During her tenure at Sundance, she launched two annual documentary film labs, focusing on the creative process and the use of compositions in documentary film. Before her time at Sundance, she was director of the Open Society Institute New York’s Arts and Culture Program where she launched the Soros Documentary Fund which later became the Sundance Documentary Fund.[19] Titles with which Weyermann was involved before her death include Final Account,[20] David Byrne’s American Utopia, My Name is Pauli Murray,[21] and the upcoming releases The First Wave, Flee,[22] Unseen Skies, White Coat Rebels, and Invisible Demons.[23] The 2022 Netflix four-part docuseries Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey, which examines convicted rapist Warren Jeffs' rise in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, along with aspects of the lives of FLDS members, is dedicated to Diane Weyermann. Diane served as an executive producer on the series.

Personal life

Weyermann had suffered from lung cancer prior to her death at age 66 on October 14, 2021, in New York City.[3] She was survived by her sister and brother-in-law and three nephews.[24][25][26][27]

References

  1. ^ Hersko, Tyler (September 5, 2019). "Diane Weyermann Promoted to Chief Content Officer at Participant Media". IndieWire. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
  2. ^ a b Rottenberg, Josh (October 15, 2021). "Participant executive Diane Weyermann dies". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c Green, Penelope (October 21, 2021). "Diane Weyermann, Executive Who Championed 'An Inconvenient Truth,' Dies at 66". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
  4. ^ "Variety's 2021 Inclusion Impact Report". Variety. June 16, 2021. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  5. ^ Keslassy, Elsa (October 27, 2020). "Diane Weyermann Steps Down From International Feature Film's Exec Committee". Variety. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
  6. ^ Siegel, Tatiana (February 1, 2019). "Sundance: Netflix Nabs 'American Factory' Doc for $3 Million". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  7. ^ "National Geographic acquires Kartemquinn's City so Real". Reel Chicago. August 6, 2020. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  8. ^ Lang, Brent (December 12, 2019). "Magnolia Pictures, Participant Buy 'John Lewis: Good Trouble' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  9. ^ Thompson, Anne (August 15, 2019). "'Aquarela': Inside the Most Dangerous Documentary Ever Made". IndieWire. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
  10. ^ Petski, Denise (August 23, 2018). "'Foster': HBO Acquires Worldwide Rights To Deborah Oppenheimer & Mark Jonathan Harris' Documentary". Deadline. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  11. ^ Vivarelli, Nick (September 1, 2017). "Venice: David Linde on How 'Human Flow' Encapsulates Participant Media's New Course (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved September 1, 2017.
  12. ^ Fretts, Bruce (July 28, 2017). "In Sequel-Mad Hollywood, Even Documentaries Have Follow-Ups". The New York Times. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  13. ^ Siegel, Tatiana (September 15, 2011). "TIFF: Yo-Yo Ma Doc 'The Music of Strangers' Nabbed by The Orchard, HBO". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 15, 2011.
  14. ^ Welk, Brian (September 5, 2019). "Diane Weyermann Elevated to Chief Content Officer at Participant Media". TheWrap. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
  15. ^ Sperling, Nicole (February 13, 2019). "Participant Media Proves the Value of Movies with Messages". Vanity Fair. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
  16. ^ Honeycutt, Kirk (June 12, 2009). "Food, Inc. — Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 12, 2009.
  17. ^ Thompson, Anne (October 24, 2016). "Documentary, Now: Three Rock Stars Who Run The Fast-Changing Nonfiction World". IndieWire. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  18. ^ Pond, Steve (August 22, 2018). "Larry Karaszewski and Diane Weyermann to Replace Mark Johnson as Oscars Foreign-Language Heads". TheWrap. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
  19. ^ Mertes, Cara. "The History of Sundance Institute's Documentary Film Program". Sundance Institute. Retrieved July 13, 2011.
  20. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 27, 2021). "Focus Features Sets Release For Luke Holland Documentary 'Final Account'". Deadline. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  21. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 25, 2021). "Amazon Picks Up Global Rights To Participant Documentary 'My Name Is Pauli Murray' From 'RBG' Filmmakers". Deadline. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  22. ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (February 2, 2021). "Participant Teams With Neon On Jonas Poher Rasmussen's Documentary 'Flee' – Sundance". Deadline. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  23. ^ Eslassy, Elsa (June 24, 2021). "Participant, MK2 Films Team on Cannes-Bound Doc 'Invisible Demons'". Variety. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
  24. ^ Pedersen, Erik (October 14, 2021). "Diane Weyermann Dies: 'Inconvenient Truth' Producer & Longtime Chief Content Officer At Participant Was 66". Deadine. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  25. ^ Morfoot, Addie (October 14, 2021). "Diane Weyermann, Participant Executive and 'Inconvenient Truth' Producer, Dies at 66". Variety. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  26. ^ Barnes, Mike (October 14, 2021). "Diane Weyermann, 'Inconvenient Truth' Producer and Participant Veteran, Dies at 66". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  27. ^ Geier, Thom (October 14, 2021). "Diane Weyermann, Award-Winning Documentary Producer, Dies at 66". TheWrap. Retrieved October 14, 2021.

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