Wow! Emmy-Winning World Of Wonder Founders Fenton Bailey And Randy Barbato To Be Guests Of Honor At Sheffield DocFest

World Of Wonder Founders and 'RuPaul's Drag Race' producers Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato have been named Guests of Honor at Sheffield DocFest.

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Services to share this page. Randy Barbato (left) and Fenton Bailey, World of Wonder founders Sheffield DocFest

World of Wonder (WOW) founders Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato – two of the most successful creators in the documentary and unscripted spaces – have been named Guests of Honor at the upcoming Sheffield DocFest.

The Emmy-winning executive producers of RuPaul’s Drag Race, and directors of documentaries The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Inside Deep Throat, Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures, fact-based drama Party Monster (starring Macauley Culkin and Seth Green), and many other films, will be honored at the cinematic event that runs from June 18-23 in the north of England. Sheffield DocFest, the U.K.’s leading documentary festival, has programmed a 20th anniversary special screening of Inside Deep Throat, which investigated the notorious porn classic starring Linda Lovelace. DocFest calls the film “thought-provoking and hugely entertaining.”

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In addition, the festival will preview the first episode of Murder in Glitterball City, the upcoming HBO docuseries directed by Bailey and Barbato. “The filmmakers will also be joined by broadcast legend Dawn Airey CBE for an ‘In Conversation’ exploring the past, present and future of their careers,” notes a release, “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.”

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DocFest will also host the UK premiere of Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror directed by Linus O’Brien, and executive produced by Bailey and Barbato.

Directors Fenton Bailey (left) and Randy Barbato at the premiere of ‘Mapplethorpe: Look At The Pictures’ in Los Angeles Jason Kempin/Getty Images

“Thank you to Sheffield DocFest for the honor of curating this program, particularly at a time when it’s anything but ‘business as usual,’” Bailey and Barbato said in a statement. “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, commented, “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.”

The Crucible, one of the main venues for Sheffield DocFest Matthew Carey

Sheffield DocFest announces its full program on May 7. Below are full details on the Bailey-Barbato programming at this year’s festival.

Murder in Glitterball City – Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato – USA, 2025 (Exclusive Preview)

Louisville, Kentucky is the home of the glitterball, and after a body is found in a basement of a Victorian mansion, two lovers accuse each other of committing murder. What follows is an exploration of a toxic relationship in a town where ghosts and secrets don’t always stay buried.

Ronan Farrow in ‘Surveilled’ HBO

Ronan Farrow in Conversation: From Podcast to Screen

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, author, and broadcaster Ronan Farrow joins us virtually for a rare and revealing conversation about adapting podcasts into TV series. Through projects like Catch and Kill [Produced by World of Wonder Productions], Farrow has redefined how journalism can unfold across formats—bringing urgent, real-life narratives from audio into compelling visual storytelling. This session explores the creative process of adapting podcasts into documentaries, and how stories shift and evolve across different mediums. It will also explore the blurred lines between journalism, documentary and entertainment, and the challenges of exposing dark truths in an age of disinformation, denial and deep power. It is hosted by longtime collaborators Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato.

The WOW Factor: Fenton Bailey & Randy Barbato in Conversation

World of Wonder founders Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato reflect on a trailblazing career in storytelling, queer culture and the creation of global pop phenomena.

Pioneers of bold, genre-defining storytelling, Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato have spent over three decades reshaping the cultural landscape through their iconic production company, World of Wonder. From The Eyes of Tammy Faye to Party Monster and the global phenomenon RuPaul’s Drag Race, their work has championed outsiders, challenged norms and pushed boundaries in both documentary and entertainment. As Sheffield DocFest’s 2025 Guests of Honour, Bailey and Barbato join us for a special in-conversation event, reflecting on their extraordinary creative partnership and determination to find new ways to tell stories that can cut through the ABCs – algorithms, bigotry and clutter. The event is hosted by broadcast legend and trailblazer Dawn Airey CBE.

A Night with Adam and Joe

Adam Buxton and Joe Cornish reunite with Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato to revisit their TV origin story: The Adam and Joe Show.

Join us for a very special reunion as cult comedy duo Adam Buxton and Joe Cornish look back at their groundbreaking early work: Takeover TV, The Adam and Joe Show, and Shock Video – in conversation with two of their original champions, Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato. Together, they’ll revisit the anarchic DIY spirit that defined a generation of late-night TV and gave Adam and Joe their start. Expect clips, memories, mischief and behind-the-scenes stories.

Inside Deep Throat – Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato – USA, 2005

This riveting cultural history of the film that took the US porn scene mainstream is also a provocative exploration of exploitation and shifting gender values.

Gerard Damiano’s low-budget 1972 porn film Deep Throat struck a chord with the American populace. Intended as a fringe peep show entertainment it became a crossover cultural success – even a talking point amongst middle class professionals. It attracted the ire of moral guardians, faced criminal action and saw its star, Linda Lovelace, initially vilified then held up as an example of the porn film industry’s exploitation of women. Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato’s compelling film charts the film’s production, chronicling the lives of the key players and offers an impressive account of the film’s history in the aftermath of its initial success. Juggling the attitudes to sex at the time of the film’s release with more recent attitudes to and evaluations of pornography, Inside Deep Throat is both thought-provoking and hugely entertaining.

Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror – Linus O’Brien – USA, United Kingdom, New Zealand, 2025 (UK Premiere)

The son of The Rocky Horror Picture Show creator Richard O’Brien charts the journey of the sing-along cultural phenomenon.

Much like its protagonists, Brad and Janet, The Rocky Horror Picture Show has had a fantastical and surreal journey into the spotlight. It started life in an 85-seat studio space at London’s Royal Court Theatre, before being adapted into a breakout cult movie that would become a midnight screening favorite, with a near-fanatical fanbase and a host of rituals, fanzines and spin-off events. Linus O’Brien’s hugely entertaining directorial debut traces Rocky Horror’s journey across the decades, highlighting why it has such staying power. Featuring interviews with creator Richard O’Brien, one of the film’s stars, Tim Curry, and a host of artists, critics and fans, including Jack Black and Trixie Mattell, Strange Journey is a joyous testament to this 50-year-old classic.

Contains sexual content and references to LGBTQ+ discrimination

From the World of Wonder Werq Room

Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato lift the lid on their development process—sharing pitches, sizzles, and the challenges of turning bold ideas into commissioned series.

Go behind the scenes with Emmy-winning producers Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato (World of Wonder) as they offer a rare look into the development of their upcoming original series. In this open and practical session, they’ll walk us through how ideas take shape—sharing sizzles, pitch materials, and honest insight into the unpredictable journey from concept to greenlight.

From navigating platforms and shifting audience tastes to deciding what makes a story viable, this is a candid exploration of the development process from two of the most seasoned voices in non-fiction TV. While most producers guard this process closely, Fenton and Randy believe today’s climate calls for cooperation, not competition—and they’re here to share what they’ve learned.

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