Vulcan Productions produced documentary films, television programming and virtual reality experiences that drove awareness around environmental and social issues. The company was founded in 1997 by late Microsoft co-founder

Paul Allen Paul Gardner Allen (January 21, 1953 – October 15, 2018) was an American business magnate, computer programmer, researcher, investor, and philanthropist. He co-founded Microsoft Corporation with childhood friend Bill Gates in 1975, which h ...

and his sister

Jody Allen Jo Lynn "Jody" Allen (born February 3, 1959) is an American businesswoman, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. She is the sister of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, and served as the chief executive officer of his investment and project manageme ...

. It closed in 2021. The company financed and co-produced films with directors such as

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominatio ...

Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the "Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "''Doll ...

and

Robert Redford Charles Robert Redford Jr. (born August 18, 1936) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the List of awards and nominations received by Robert Redford, recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Awards, Academy Award from four nomi ...

. Its films and TV series had aired on video on-demand services like Netflix, HBO and Hulu and across networks like

The Discovery Channel Discovery Channel (known as The Discovery Channel from 1985 to 1995, and often referred to as simply Discovery) is an American cable channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav. , Discovery Channe ...

and

National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widely ...

. Films produced by Vulcan Productions won

Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Peabody, honor the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in television, radio, and ...

s and received

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

nominations. The company focused on raising awareness on issues like

mental health Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental health ...

, girl's education,

veteran A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in a particular occupation or field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in a military. A military veteran that has ...

s, parenting,

wildlife conservation Wildlife conservation refers to the practice of protecting wild species and their habitats in order to maintain healthy wildlife species or populations and to restore, protect or enhance natural ecosystems. Major threats to wildlife include habita ...

, ocean health,

climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...

and modern-day

slavery Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

History

Vulcan Productions began under the name "Clear Blue Sky Productions" and received its first critical success with the feature film ''Titus'' (1999). The company continued to produce feature films including ''Far From Heaven,'' ''Where God Left His Shoes,'' and ''Hard Candy''. With a name change in 2011, the then-Vulcan Productions shifted its measure of success from box office numbers and critical ratings to driving social impact and world change. The company exclusively produced

Social impact entertainment Social Impact Entertainment (SIE) is "all storytelling that is self-aware of its potential impact on its audiences and incorporates that knowledge to effect positive change at the individual, local, or global scale on one or more social issues"'',' ...

with a focus on topics ranging from wildlife and conservation, global health, contemporary social issues, science, technology, history and exploration. As part of the larger

Vulcan Inc. Vulcan LLC is a privately held company founded by the Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and his sister Jody Allen in 1986 to establish and oversee the family's diverse business activities and philanthropic endeavors. It includes Vulcan Real Estate ...

organization, Vulcan Productions’ mission was to “change minds and ignite action through the power of storytelling.” On May 27, 2020 Vulcan Inc. announced that Vulcan Productions would be shutdown in 2021 citing the "economic impacts of the COVID-19 crisis" as well as "the ongoing transition after Paul Allen's passing in 2018." A few weeks after winning top honors at the

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...

for ''

Summer of Soul ''Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)'' is a 2021 American documentary film about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, directed by Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in his directorial debut. It had its world premiere at the ...

,'' Vulcan Productions ceased operations.

Films

Where God Left His Shoes ''Where God Left His Shoes'' is a 2007 American drama film written and directed by Salvatore Stabile and starring John Leguizamo, Leonor Varela, David Castro, Samantha M. Rose, Jerry Ferrara, and Manny Pérez. It premiered at the 2007 Tribeca ...

'' * Winner – The Humanitas Prize: 2008 Best Sundance Feature Film * 2008 Imagen Awards ** Nominated - Best Film ** Nominated - Best Actor - John Leguizamo ** Nominated - Best Supporting Actor - David Castro ** Winner - Best Supporting Actress - Leonor Varela ''

Bickford Shmeckler's Cool Ideas ''Bickford Shmeckler's Cool Ideas'' is a 2006 American comedy film written and directed by Scott Lew, starring Patrick Fugit and Olivia Wilde. Plot The film starts out with the quote "Nothing can ever be truly, fully understood. Not even the most ...

'' * 2006 U.S. Comedy Arts Festival ** Best Actress - Olivia Wilde ''

Hard Candy (film) ''Hard Candy'' is a 2005 American psychological thriller film focusing on a 14-year-old female vigilante's trapping and torture of a man whom she suspects of being a sexual predator. The film was directed by David Slade, written by Brian Nelson ...

'' * 2006 Malaga Film Festival ** Best Film ** Best Director - David Slade ** Best Actress - Elliot Page ** Best Cinematographer - Jo Willems * 2005

Sitges Film Festival The Sitges Film Festival ( ca, Festival Internacional de Cinema Fantàstic de Catalunya, links=no) is an annual film festival held in Sitges, Spain, specialized in fantasy and horror films, of which it is considered one of the world's foremost in ...

** Best Motion Picture ** Best Screenplay ** Audience Award for Best Motion Picture ''

Coastlines The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in n ...

'' '' Far from Heaven'' * 75th Annual Academy Award nominations ** Best Actress in a Leading Role -

Julianne Moore Julie Anne Smith (born December 3, 1960), known professionally as Julianne Moore, is an American actress. Prolific in film since the early 1990s, she is particularly known for her portrayals of emotionally troubled women in independent films, a ...

** Best Cinematography -

Edward Lachman Edward Lachman (born March 31, 1948) is an American cinematographer and director. Lachman is mostly associated with the American independent film movement, and has served as director of photography on films by Todd Haynes (including '' Far from ...

** Best Writing (Original Screenplay) -

Todd Haynes Todd Haynes (; born January 2, 1961) is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. His films span four decades with themes examining the personalities of well-known musicians, dysfunctional and dystopian societies, and blurred gender ...

** Best Music (Score) -

Elmer Bernstein Elmer Bernstein ( '; April 4, 1922August 18, 2004) was an American composer and conductor. In a career that spanned over five decades, he composed "some of the most recognizable and memorable themes in Hollywood history", including over 150 origi ...

* Independent Spirit Awards winner: * Best Picture * Best Director -

* Best Female Lead - Julianne Moore * Best Supporting Male - Dennis Quaid * Best Cinematography - Edward Lachman, A.S.C. * Golden Globe Award nominations: ** Best Actress - Julianne Moore (Drama) ** Best Supporting Actor - Dennis Quaid ** Best Screenplay - Todd Haynes ** Best Music Score - Elmer Bernstein ''

The Safety of Objects ''The Safety of Objects'' is a 2001 American drama film based upon a collection of short stories of the same name written by A. M. Homes and published in 1990. It features four suburban families who find that their lives become intertwined. The f ...

'' * Deauville Festival of American Film ** International Critics Prize ** Best Performance: Patricia Clarkson, ** Ralph Lauren Fragrances Prize * Seattle Women in Cinema Film Festival ** Third-place prize * San Sebastian International Film Festival ** Nominated: Golden Seashell Award ''

The Luzhin Defence ''The Luzhin Defence'' is a 2000 romantic drama film directed by Marleen Gorris, starring John Turturro and Emily Watson. The film centres on a mentally tormented chess grandmaster and the young woman he meets while competing at a world-class ...

'' ''

Titus Titus Caesar Vespasianus ( ; 30 December 39 – 13 September 81 AD) was Roman emperor from 79 to 81. A member of the Flavian dynasty, Titus succeeded his father Vespasian upon his death. Before becoming emperor, Titus gained renown as a mili ...

'' * 2000 Academy Awards ** Nominated: Best Costume Design * 2000 Art Directors Guild ** Nominated: Excellence in Production Design Award * 2000 Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists ** Winner: Silver Ribbon Award – Best Production Design * 2000 Edgar Allan Poe Awards ** Nominated: Best Motion Picture * 2000 Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards ** Nominated: Sierra Award – Best Costume Design ** Best Screenplay – Adapted * 2000 Satellite Awards ** Winner: Gold Satellite – Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Drama ** Nominated: Best Art Direction, Production Design ** Best Costume Design ** Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Drama ** Best Screenplay – Adapted ** Best Visual Effects * 2001 London Critics Circle Film Awards ** Nominated: Best British Actor of the Year ''

Men with Guns ''Men with Guns'' ( es, Hombres armados) is a 1997 American political drama film written and directed by John Sayles, inspired by the 1992 novel ''The Long Night of White Chickens'' by Francisco Goldman. It stars Federico Luppi, Damián Delgado, ...

Notes

References

External links

{{Authority control Film production companies of the United States Companies based in Seattle Documentary film production companies