Documentary filmmakers Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering _ the duo behind the Oscar-nominated "The Invisible War," about rape in the U.S. military, and "The Hunting Ground," a look at sex abuse on college campuses _ say they have wanted for years to make a film about sexual assault in Hollywood but couldn't get cooperation from the entertainment industry.
Then allegations against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein opened the floodgates. And now their Untitled Hollywood Sexual Assault Documentary project has the green light.
"Everyone was frightened about what would happen to their careers, and worried about whether they would be sued. Distributors were unwilling to fund or release the film, and few people were willing to talk on the record," producer Ziering said in a news release Monday. "Then the Weinstein stories broke, and it's like an invisible dam collapsed."
The documentary will focus on "the underlying current of abuse and manipulation at the hands of power," director Dick said in the news release. "Our film will also underscore the courage it takes to come forward and be a catalyst for change."
Financing is coming from Impact Partners, a New York documentary-investment group that also worked with Dick and Ziering on "The Hunting Ground."
A release date has not yet been set.
