EXCLUSIVE: Starboard Entertainment has acquired North American rights to This Is Buzz, the experiential documentary feature directed by Mark Pellington and inspired by the cult MTV series Buzz.
The acquisition follows the film’s recent debut at the 2026 Slamdance Film Festival. Starboard will launch the film with a theatrical release in June, followed by a digital release.
This Is Buzz is described as an “experiential music-driven documentary” that examined the radical impact and lasting relevance of Buzz, an influential MTV series from the 1990s.
Buzz was a non-linear current affairs show. The show had a brief run on MTV but has become a cult classic in recent years, with younger generations discovering episodes online. Notable contributors and subjects featured in the original series include William S. Burroughs, Jenny Holzer, Jaron Lanier, Malcolm McLaren, Timothy Leary, and William Gibson. RuPaul served as the host of Buzz in his first recurring television appearance.
This Is Buzz is presented by Starboard Entertainment and produced by Pellington’s Prolific Films, Kiln Pictures, Backstroke, Imaginary Film Content, and Orange Crush.
The film was written and directed by Mark Pellington and produced by Pellington, Liza Hughes, and Eb George, with executive producers Ted Hope, Thomas Zambeck, Paul Rachman, Chris Gore, Adam Abdalla, Jax DeLuca, Eric Kohn, Judy McGrath, Kevin McLeod, Jon Klein, Willie Williams, Eileen Richardson, and Josh Braun. Ian Tellechea serves as co-producer.
The original Buzz television series was created in 1990 by Jon Klein and Mark Pellington.
“This Is Buzz is about youthful spirit, art, and experimentation, a punk rock film about independence, a story of a future ominously predicted and then destroyed and forgotten. Until now,” Pellington said in a statement.
English (US) ·