Starboard Entertainment has acquired North American rights to THIS IS BUZZ, an immersive documentary feature directed by Mark Pellington that revisits the radical 1990 MTV series BUZZ. The acquisition follows the film’s recent screening at the Slamdance Film Festival and sets the project up for a theatrical release in June, followed by a digital VOD rollout across all platforms.
Described as “an experiential, immersive documentary feature built from the creative language of MTV’s groundbreaking TV series ‘BUZZ,’” the film examines the impact and continued relevance of what the press release calls “arguably the most radical cult TV series of 1990.” According to the announcement, the original series “exploded minds, confused MTV execs, and paved the way for the chaos we now consume on our screens.”
Built as a “sonic mosaic and visual collage,” BUZZ generated meaning through “rhythm, typography, juxtaposition, and atmosphere,” collapsing journalism and culture into what Pellington describes as the origin story of today’s fragmented media landscape. “Without ‘BUZZ’ there would be no VICE News and TikTok,” Pellington says. The series famously assembled global voices without hierarchy, presenting established names and unknown contributors side by side. Notable subjects included William S. Burroughs, Jenny Holzer, Jaron Lanier, Malcolm McLaren, Timothy Leary, and William Gibson. RuPaul served as the visual host in his first recurring television role.
“…essentially functioning as ‘the internet before the internet even existed.’”
The Slamdance screening of THIS IS BUZZ was paired with an immersive installation that surrounded audiences with projected footage, archival materials, and live monitors playing episodes in real time—an extension of the show’s original experimental DNA. Originally airing as a 13-episode thematic collage in 1990, BUZZ is described as having “anticipated the deconstructed media language that now defines how content is made, shared, and consumed,” essentially functioning as “the internet before the internet even existed.”
Pellington and co-creator Jon Klein’s work on BUZZ directly influenced U2’s Zoo TV Tour, and the new documentary features U2 member The Edge and Adam Clayton reflecting on the show’s impact. Pellington calls the film “the immersive kaleidoscopic story of that raw cult radical TV show,” adding, “The film is very timely. It connects the analog landscape of the early 90’s with where we are today.” He describes the original series as “a brilliant warning, the ultimate media hurricane warning,” and says THIS IS BUZZ “tells the tale of risk-taking and corporate fear, all before the Internet changed the media landscape.”
Starboard Entertainment founder Thomas Zambeck, a post-production veteran with more than 16 years of experience overseeing global delivery on over 1,500 projects, will handle the theatrical and digital release. The company’s upcoming slate also includes Howard the Doc, centered on Howard the Duck, and the franchise sequel Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: Organic Intelligence.
THIS IS BUZZ is produced by Pellington’s Prolific Films, Kiln Pictures, Backstroke, Imaginary Film Content, and Orange Crush. The film is written and directed by Mark Pellington and produced by Pellington, Liza Hughes, and Eb George, with executive producers including Ted Hope, Thomas Zambeck, Paul Rachman, Chris Gore, Judy McGrath, and Jon Klein, among others.
