Tony Gerber '95 Wins PGA Award for 'Jane'

The 2017 documentary film, Jane, produced by Alumnus Tony Gerber '95, Brett Morgan, Bryan Burk, and James Smith, was selected as the winner for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Motion Pictures by the Producers Guild of America (PGA).

Jane follows the life and research of the primatologist Jane Goodall and her travels (accompanied by the wildlife photographer Hugo Van Lawick) to the forests of Tanzania to study chimpanzees. The documentary uses rediscovered archival footage from National Geographic, as well as an interview that Goodall gave with director Brett Morgan, and sections from the audio version of her book, narrated by Goodall herself.

In a New York Times review, the critic Ben Kenigsberg writes, “Jane will delight those familiar with Ms. Goodall and provide a vibrant introduction for newcomers.”

Jane topped six other acclaimed documentaries including Chasing Coral, Cries from Syria, and Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower.

Tony Gerber recently won a American Television Academy honor in 2017 for his documentary with CNN titled, We Will Rise, which traces former First Lady Michelle Obama’s trip to Africa to raise awareness for girls’ education. Gerber has also produced documentaries for National Geographic and Explorer, as well as feature-length documentary films, The Notorious Mr. Bout (2014) and First to Fall (2014), among others. He is the co-founder of the independent production company, Market Road Films.