Filmmakers Cite Concerns Over Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery Merger

Two documentary filmmakers discussed the proposed merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery during a press call on Wednesday. The event was organized by the Freedom of the Press Foundation and hosted by the Democracy Defenders Fund, the International Documentary Association, Future Film Coalition, and Free Press.

Laura Poitras, director of Citizenfour and Cover-Up, said the merger would be devastating for the documentary community. She stated that further consolidation would mean fewer voices, less diversity, and less content, describing the outcome as bad for communities, filmmakers, and the public.

Geeta Gandbhir, director of The Perfect Neighbor, said ongoing consolidation has already produced less competition, fewer places to pitch, and more downward pressure on budgets. She noted that films on celebrity, true crime, or sports now dominate, while experimental or politically challenging projects face reduced distribution.

Gandbhir said access to archival materials could become more restricted if CNN and CBS archives are combined under one owner. She stated that the combined entity has shown itself active in editorial suppression, which she described as a threat to documentary filmmakers.

Gandbhir also said some executives declined to distribute her short film The Devil is Busy because it addressed abortion. HBO released the film in 2025. The press call followed the release of a letter signed by more than 200 journalists, documentary filmmakers, and academics opposing the merger.

The letter urged regulators and lawmakers to treat the transaction as a political arrangement rather than a standard business deal.