David Osit: Last News

MTV Documentary Films has picked up world rights to David Osit’s Sundance doc Predators. 

Predators,” a look into the rise and fall of the pedophile-baiting series “To Catch a Predator,” has sold to MTV Documentary Films following its debut at Sundance. David Osit directed and produced the documentary, revolving around the hidden-camera reality TV show that ran on NBC from 2004-2007.

Guy Lodge Film Critic If “To Catch a Predator” taught us anything, it was about the hollow authority asserted by a man in a well-cut suit. Between 2004 and 2007, NBC’s pedophile-baiting “Dateline” spinoff captured the imagination of the American public, announcing itself as not just reality-based entertainment but a protective public service — largely on the strength of host Chris Hansen’s suave, smooth presence as he cornered and questioned potential sex offenders with the apparent clout of a cop or lawyer, as the cameras kept rolling.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Like many Americans in the early aughts, documentary filmmaker David Osit watched “To Catch a Predator,” a hidden camera reality TV show that followed journalist Chris Hansen working in coordination with law enforcement while conducting sting operations that exposed adult men who were hoping to have sex with minors. “I found it fascinating and weird and strangely addictive,” he admits. “In many ways, it was sort of the template for modern true crime TV.” But he never really gave the NBC series much thought until years later when he came across an article about Bill Conradt, a Texas assistant district attorney who committed suicide in 2007 after police served him with a warrant stemming from one of Hansen’s online investigations into potential pedophiles.

In two days the Sundance Film Festival kicks off in Park City with a robust slate of nonfiction films (we leave it to others to cover the fiction slate!). Opening day/night alone features several world-premiere documentaries including the latest from two Oscar winners: Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) and Mstyslav Chernov’s 2000 Meters to Andriivka.

EXCLUSIVE: Catapult Film Fund today announced its newest group of film teams to earn prestigious research grants, a fortunate cohort who will receive mentorship from some of the brightest names in documentary, including Oscar nominee Sara Dosa.