Director Michael John Warren FREEDIVER explores the geopolitics that  forced Alexey Molchanov – the world’s greatest living freediver and the son of freediving pioneer Natalia Molchanova into exile. In 2023 Alexey is on a journey to reclaim his athletic glory & honor his iconic mother’s towering legacy by attempting the most dominant season in the history of the deadly sport. His near-suicidal quest to set five world records in under four months brings him to the  farthest reaches of the globe and to the very edges of human performance. In the process, he’s forced to reevaluate all the skills and beliefs on which he has built his entire life. FREEDIVER is directed by American filmmaker Michael John Warren, director of many doc musicals, The Magic of Heineken, and the docuseries “Lolla: The Story of Lollapalooza” this year, plus many other projects. Produced by Picturestart, Skydance Sports, GQ Studios, and Boardwalk Pictures; along with Michael John Warren, Erik Feig, Samie Kim Falvey, David Ellison, Jesse Sisgold, Jon Weinbach, Andrew Fried, Dane Lillegard, Jordan Wynn, Helen Estabrook, Sarah Amos, Lexy Altman, Katherine Dunn, Nan Sandle, Talin Middleton. Director Michael John Warren (Spring Awakening, Oh, Hello on Broadway) joins us to talk about how he came to know the story behind the Molchanova’s family story, understanding what drove Natalia and Alexey to push themselves to the outer limits of mental, psychological and physical human capability in an unforgiving realm.

For more go to: youtube.com/@paramountmovies

Paramount Movies will debut Freediver ddirect-to-VOD to watch at home starting December 7th, 2024

About the filmmaker – Michael John Warren is a six-time Emmy nominated writer, director, showrunner, and executive producer known for highly stylized yet story-driven documentary series, music documentaries, and innovative concert films. Most recently, Warren was the Showrunner for Amazon Prime’s explosive true-crime series, Free Meek. The critically acclaimed series features an investigation of the systemic corruption and racism in the Philadelphia Police Department and the Pennsylvania Judicial System-unearthing new facts that ultimately led to the release of Meek Mill and the dismissal of the charges that kept him entangled in the system for twelve years. Warren made his directorial debut with what many consider to be the greatest hip-hop film of all time – Jay-Z’s Fade To Black. Since then, he has gone on to profile many of the biggest names in the music industry with Drake: Better Than Good Enough (2010), Nicki Minaj: My Time Now (2010), Nicki Minah: My Time Again (2015), Vh1’s Heavy: The Story of Metal (2006) and the theatrical concert film Hillsong: Let Hope Rise (2016). It’s recently been announced that Warren is writing, directing, and executive producing a documentary series on Nick Minaj for HBO Max. This is Michael’s third collaboration with the musical icon. Warren’s work extends into the sports world as well. In 2007, Warren directed the award-winning Kobe Mentu-a Nike documentary series in Mandarin seen by tens of millions across China. He was a major creative force behind the controversial series Friday Night Tykes (2014). The hit show made a significant impact by revealing the shocking intensity of youth football in Texas. In 2016 Warren directed the spine-tingling documentary series about professional bull riding called Fearless for Netflix. The cinematic series was nominated for 3 Emmys, including Warren’s second nomination for “Outstanding Long Form Editing.” In 2018, Warren showran and directed the IDA-nominated basketball documentary series Best Shot (Executive Produced by LeBron James), which premiered on YouTube Premium and found a second life on ESPN. In 2018, Warren also directed the Eleven Madison Park episode of the Netflix series 7 Days Out. The film focuses on the “#1 restaurant in the world” as it underwent a gut renovation and raced against the clock to reclaim its culinary glory despite harrowing conditions. Warren made history by filming several iconic shows on Broadway. In 2008, he captured the first-ever complete “live” performance in a Broadway theater with Rent: Filmed Live On Broadway. The remarkable achievement was so successful that DreamWorks soon followed suit, and Warren helmed Shrek The Musical Live On Broadway (2013). In 2015, Warren was invited to film selections from the Tony Award-Winning musical Hamilton just days before it opened on Broadway. This noteworthy work was heavily featured in Great Performances: Hamilton’s America on PBS, 60 Minutes, The 2016 Tony Award broadcast on CBS, and many other outlets. His latest Broadway offering, Oh Hello On Broadway, starring Nick Kroll and John Mulaney, premiered on Netflix in June 2017 to rave reviews, with The New York Times calling the show “stupendously entertaining.” Warren has directed all over the world, including Africa, Asia, The Caribbean, Australia, Europe, South America, and North America.

SOCIAL MEDIA

facebook.com/WorldChampionFreediver

facebook.com/Paramount

instagram.com/mjwfilms

instagram.com/alexeymolchanov

instagram.com/paramountpics

Reviews:

“Freediver isn’t aiming to be a riveting suspense piece, instead offering a straightforward look at a truly unhinged pursuit.” – Josh Bell, Crooked Marquee

“Natalia haunts “Freediver,” making it both tender and psychologically absorbing. The film is dedicated to her.” – Lisa Kennedy, Variety

“An exhilarating, well-edited and heartfelt documentary” – Avi Offer, NYC Movie Guru