Sandbox Films, the non-fiction studio behind the Oscar-nominated film “Fire of Love,” has recently opened new offices in New York City. Located in the Flatiron District, the new space features a state-of-the-art ATMOS theater, as well as two edit suites and a multimedia facility to support various production needs.
The design of the space was carefully considered to create an environment that is both functional and welcoming to the studio’s documentary filmmakers. According to founder Greg Boustead, the goal is to make these filmmakers feel as loved and valued as A-list celebrities. He believes that the documentary genre often doesn’t receive the same level of attention and polish as other types of films, and he wants to change that.
The new offices will serve as a hub for the teams behind Sandbox’s science-centric storytelling productions. In the near future, the facilities will be utilized by the production of “Nocturnes,” a documentary that follows a young female scientist studying moths in the Eastern Himalayas.
Already, several documentary film editors have had residencies in the editing suites, and rough-cut feedback screenings for hopefuls at the Sundance Film Festival have taken place in the theater. The theater will also be used for Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) screenings.
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Head of production and development, Jessica Harrop, envisions the space as a revolving door of artists, where filmmakers can come and go, sharing their work and collaborating on new projects. The studio hopes to foster a sense of community by hosting screenings in the evenings while simultaneously working on sound mixing and color correction during the day.
In addition to the new office space, Sandbox Films recently completed its annual retreat, known as Camp Sandbox. This retreat provides an opportunity for filmmakers to brainstorm ideas and troubleshoot current projects. Some of the upcoming projects on Sandbox’s slate include a documentary about organ transplantation called “Confessions of a Good Samaritan” directed by Penny Lane, and “Arc of Oblivion,” which delves into the world of archives and record-keeping, directed by Ian Cheney and executive produced by Werner Herzog.
Overall, Sandbox Films’ new offices in New York City provide a dedicated and professional space for documentary filmmakers to work and collaborate. With the addition of the ATMOS theater, edit suites, and multimedia facility, the studio can support all aspects of production and create a welcoming environment for filmmakers in the documentary genre.
