Wild at Heart Films

Overview

Wild at Heart Films is a West Hollywood-based production company founded in July 2000 by James Egan. The company employs 5 people and produces documentary and feature films with social importance. Egan, a producer, screenwriter, and screenwriting professor at the USC Graduate School of Cinematic Arts, launched the company with the mission of creating "Media that Makes a Difference."

Over half of the films produced by Wild at Heart Films have been directed by women. On one project, the entire crew was women. This commitment to gender diversity in production is notable in an industry where less than 3% of Hollywood films are directed by women.

Wild at Heart Films is a production company, not a distributor. The company develops and produces films, then partners with established distributors for theatrical and digital release. For example, Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins was distributed nationally by Magnolia Pictures after its Sundance 2019 premiere.

Notable Productions

Wild at Heart Films has produced award-winning films across documentary and narrative features:

• Jackpot (2001): The first project under the Wild at Heart banner. Written and directed by Mark and Michael Polish, this independent film won the John Cassavetes Award for best low-budget feature at the 2001 Independent Spirit Awards. Distributed by Sony Pictures Classics. Premiered at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival.
• Angels in the Dust (2007): Documentary about the AIDS crisis in Africa and a couple who defied government claims that beet juice and garlic cured AIDS. Won the Amnesty International VARA Award for social justice. Produced for Participant Media.
• American Primitive (2008): Docudrama directed by Gwen Wynne about growing up with two gay fathers and the prejudice she faced in a small town.
• Kimjongilia (2009): Feature documentary directed by N.C. Heikin about North Korean labor camp survivors. Executive produced by James Egan and Mike Figgis (Leaving Las Vegas). Premiered at the Los Angeles Arclight on August 8, 2009. Selected for competition at Sundance 2009. Won the 2010 One World Best Human Rights Documentary Film Award. Featured on the Documentary Channel.
• Sound of Redemption: The Frank Morgan Story (2014): Documentary about jazz alto saxophonist Frank Morgan, who battled drug addiction and served nearly 30 years in prison before a 22-year comeback career. Directed by N.C. Heikin with executive producer Michael Connelly and producer James Egan. 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
• Wild About Harry: Feature film directed by first-time director Gwen Wynne, starring Josh Peck (The Wackness, Red Dawn), Tate Donovan (Damages), Adam Pascal (Rent), and Stacey Dash (Clueless). World Premiere at the 2009 Palm Springs International Film Festival, winning Best of the Fest. Released on Apple TV in 2021.
• Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins (2019): Documentary about Texas journalist Molly Ivins, who spoke truth to power while receiving death threats. Premiered at Sundance 2019, won the Audience Award at SXSW. Distributed nationally by Magnolia Pictures. Took 7 years to finance and complete.
• The Defector: Documentary about Victor Kravchenko, who wrote a book exposing Russian atrocities against the Ukrainian people. Directed by three-time Oscar-winning director Mark Harris.

Production Model and Distribution

Wild at Heart Films operates as an independent production company. The company develops projects, raises financing, and produces films, then partners with established distributors for release. The company does not self-distribute.

Distribution partners have included:

• Sony Pictures Classics: Theatrical distribution for Jackpot (2001)
• Magnolia Pictures: National theatrical distribution for Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins (2019)
• Apple TV: Digital release for Wild About Harry (2021)
• Documentary Channel: Broadcast for Kimjongilia (2009)

The company's films have premiered at major festivals including Sundance, SXSW, and Palm Springs International Film Festival. Festival premieres serve as the primary pathway to securing distribution deals for Wild at Heart productions.

What Filmmakers Should Know

Wild at Heart Films is a production company, not a distributor. The company does not acquire completed films for distribution. Filmmakers with finished films seeking distribution should not approach Wild at Heart for distribution deals.

For filmmakers developing social-impact documentaries or narrative features with a social justice angle, Wild at Heart Films represents a potential production partner. The company has a track record of producing films that address human rights, social justice, and political themes. James Egan's background at Participant Media and his position at USC's Graduate School of Cinematic Arts give him both industry connections and access to emerging talent.

The company's financing model is typical of independent social-impact documentary production: long development cycles (7 years for Raise Hell), multiple funding sources, and festival premiere as the pathway to distribution. Filmmakers should expect a multi-year development and financing process.

Wild at Heart Films does not operate an open submission portal. Filmmakers should contact the company through industry channels. The company's focus on social-impact content means projects should align with the company's mission of creating media that makes a difference.

See Also

For actual film distributors in this directory, see Magnolia Pictures and Sony Pictures Classics for companies that have distributed Wild at Heart productions. For how production companies secure distribution deals after festival premieres, see Distribution Deals Explained. For understanding the difference between production companies and distributors, see Streaming vs Theatrical Revenue.