Higher Ground Productions

Higher Ground Productions, also known simply as Higher Ground, is a United States production company founded in 2018 by former United States President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama.

Higher Ground
TypePrivate
IndustryEntertainment
Founded2018 (2018)
Founder
Headquarters
United States
Services

History

In May 2018, the Obamas launched Higher Ground Productions by signing a multi-year deal with Netflix to produce scripted and unscripted film and television projects, with the goal of the company to lift up diverse voices in the entertainment industry.[1] Michelle Obama stated "I have always believed in the power of storytelling to inspire us, to make us think differently about the world around us, and to help us open our minds and hearts to others."[1] In February 2019, Priya Swaminathan, Tonia Davis, and Qadriyyah “Q” Shamsid-Deen joined the company, with Swaminathan and Davis serving as co-heads, and Shamsid-Deen serving as a creative executive.[2]

On June 6, 2019, Spotify announced a partnership with Higher Ground to produce Spotify-exclusive podcasts.[3] The first podcast under the partnership, The Michelle Obama Podcast, premiered on July 29, 2020.[4]

The company's first film was American Factory, released in 2019. Netflix released Becoming a documentary following Michelle Obama on her book tour promoting her memoir of the same name.[5]

Higher Ground has multiple projects in development, including a feature film adaption of Frederick Douglass's biography, a drama series set in the fashion scene of post-WWII New York City, a scripted anthology series of the New York Times obituary column highlighting deaths of remarkable people not reported, a documentary series adaption of The Fifth Risk: Undoing Democracy by Michael Lewis entitled The G Word, and a half-hour preschool series Listen to Your Vegetables & Eat Your Parents[6]

Awards

In 2020, the company won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program for American Factory.[7][8][9]

Productions
Release date Title Format Notes
August 21, 2019 American Factory Film
March 25, 2020 Crip Camp Film
May 6, 2020 Becoming Film
July 29, 2020 (premiere) The Michelle Obama Podcast Podcast Produced in exclusive partnership with Spotify.

References
  1. Neuman, Scott (May 22, 2018). "Obamas Sign Deal With Netflix, Form 'Higher Ground Productions'". NPR.org. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
  2. Thorne, Will (February 26, 2019). "Barack and Michelle Obama Appoint Co-Heads for Higher Ground Productions". Variety. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
  3. Hayes, Dade (June 6, 2019). "Spotify, Barack And Michelle Obama's Higher Ground Strike Exclusive Podcast Deal". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  4. Grady, Constance (July 30, 2020). "The Michelle Obama Podcast's first episode proves it's fun to just hand out with the Obamas". Vox. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
  5. Coleman, Nancy (April 27, 2020). "Michelle Obama's Memoir 'Becoming' Will Be a Netflix Documentary". The New York Times. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
  6. Obenson, Tambay (April 30, 2019). "Barack & Michelle Obama's Production Company Reveals Initial Netflix Programming Slate". IndieWire. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
  7. Gonzalez, Sandra (January 13, 2020). "Barack and Michelle Obama's production company scores first Oscar nomination". CNN. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  8. Carey, Matthew (February 9, 2020). "'American Factory' Reaches Highest Ground With Oscar Documentary Feature Win". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  9. "'American Factory' wins Emmy for outstanding directing". WDTN. September 15, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
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