Rakontur
Encyclopedia
Rakontur is a Miami-based media studio founded by Alfred Spellman and Billy Corben in 2000.
in 2001, making Corben one of the youngest directors in Sundance history. Examining the alleged rape of an exotic dancer at a University of Florida
fraternity house, the film utilized extensive clips from videotape footage of the alleged assault. Considered by critics to be “one of the most controversial films of the modern day” and “one of the most compelling pieces of non-fiction ever produced,” (Film Threat Magazine), Raw Deal landed on the cover of New York Post
and has been seen all over the world.
Following that success Rakontur took on another Florida true-crime story, this one closer to home. The New York Times
called Cocaine Cowboys
, “a hyperventilating account of the blood-drenched Miami drug culture in the 1970s and 1980s.”
The non-fiction film chronicles how the cocaine trade built their hometown of Miami through firsthand accounts of some of the most successful smugglers of the era and the deadliest hitman of the cocaine wars.
Cocaine Cowboys was New York Magazines Critic's Pick when it premiered at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival
and, after a limited theatrical release, the movie became a worldwide phenomenon on DVD and the highest-rated documentary in the history of the Showtime cable network. The sequel, Cocaine Cowboys 2: Hustlin’ with the Godmother, was released in 2008.
The U
, a feature documentary about the championship history of the University of Miami
Hurricanes football
program, produced by Rakontur for ESPN
's 30 for 30
series, became the highest-rated documentary in the network's 30 year history, when it debuted on December 12th, 2009, following the Heisman Trophy
presentation.
rakontur debuted two new films in the first half of 2011. Square Grouper: The Godfathers of Ganja
, examining the free-wheeling pot smuggling of South Florida in the 1970s, had its world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival in March, followed by a limited theatrical and DVD release by Magnolia Pictures
. The next month they premiered Limelight (2011 documentary), a chronicle of the rise and fall of infamous New York nightclub mogul Peter Gatien
, at the Tribeca Film Festival
, and was released by Magnolia in September 2011.
declared Cocaine Cowboys #3 on it’s "Top Ten of the Decade: Miami in Pop Culture."
and Michael Bay
, Dawg Fight, a brutal expose on underground backyard MMA
fighting in one of Miami's toughest neighborhoods; a feature documentary for ESPN examining the explosion of big money in sports and the epidemic of professional athletes who have gone broke, and a new installment of their documentary series, Cocaine Cowboys: Los Muchachos, about the Miami-based federal trials of Sal Magluta and Willy Falcon, the most successful Cuban drug traffickers in history.
(2006)Cocaine Cowboys 2: Hustlin' with the Godmother (2008)
The U
(2009) Cocaine Cowboys: Remix (2011)Square Grouper: The Godfathers of Ganja
(2011)
Limelight (2011 documentary)
Dawg Fight (2012)
Cocaine Cowboys: Los Muchachos (2012)
History
Rakontur's feature documentary debut, Raw Deal: A Question of Consent, premiered at the Sundance Film FestivalSundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
in 2001, making Corben one of the youngest directors in Sundance history. Examining the alleged rape of an exotic dancer at a University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
fraternity house, the film utilized extensive clips from videotape footage of the alleged assault. Considered by critics to be “one of the most controversial films of the modern day” and “one of the most compelling pieces of non-fiction ever produced,” (Film Threat Magazine), Raw Deal landed on the cover of New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
and has been seen all over the world.
Following that success Rakontur took on another Florida true-crime story, this one closer to home. The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
called Cocaine Cowboys
Cocaine Cowboys
Cocaine Cowboys is a 2006 documentary film directed by Billy Corben and produced by Alfred Spellman and Billy Corben through their Miami-based media studio Rakontur. The film explores the rise of cocaine and resulting crime epidemic that swept the American city of Miami, Florida in the 1970s and...
, “a hyperventilating account of the blood-drenched Miami drug culture in the 1970s and 1980s.”
The non-fiction film chronicles how the cocaine trade built their hometown of Miami through firsthand accounts of some of the most successful smugglers of the era and the deadliest hitman of the cocaine wars.
Cocaine Cowboys was New York Magazines Critic's Pick when it premiered at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival
Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Film Festival is a film festival founded in 2002 by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff in a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the consequent loss of vitality in the TriBeCa neighborhood in Lower Manhattan.The mission of the festival...
and, after a limited theatrical release, the movie became a worldwide phenomenon on DVD and the highest-rated documentary in the history of the Showtime cable network. The sequel, Cocaine Cowboys 2: Hustlin’ with the Godmother, was released in 2008.
The U
The U (documentary)
The U is a 2009 documentary film produced by Miami based media studio rakontur and directed by Billy Corben. The U covers the rise and dominance of the Miami Hurricanes football team during the late 1980s and early 1990s....
, a feature documentary about the championship history of the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
Hurricanes football
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
program, produced by Rakontur for ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's 30 for 30
30 for 30
30 for 30 is the umbrella title for a series of documentaries airing on ESPN and its sister networks. The series, which premiered in October 2009 and concluded in December 2010, chronicles 30 stories from the "ESPN era," each of which detail the issues, trends, people, teams, or events that...
series, became the highest-rated documentary in the network's 30 year history, when it debuted on December 12th, 2009, following the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
presentation.
rakontur debuted two new films in the first half of 2011. Square Grouper: The Godfathers of Ganja
Square Grouper: The Godfathers of Ganja
Square Grouper: The Godfathers of Ganja is a 2011 documentary by director Billy Corben and produced by Alfred Spellman and Billy Corben through their Miami-based media studio Rakontur. The term square grouper was a nickname given to bales of marijuana thrown overboard or out of airplanes in South...
, examining the free-wheeling pot smuggling of South Florida in the 1970s, had its world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival in March, followed by a limited theatrical and DVD release by Magnolia Pictures
Magnolia Pictures
Magnolia Pictures is an American film distributor, and is a holding of 2929 Entertainment, owned by Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban. Magnolia was formed in 2001 by Bill Banowsky and Eamonn Bowles, and specializes in both foreign and independent films....
. The next month they premiered Limelight (2011 documentary), a chronicle of the rise and fall of infamous New York nightclub mogul Peter Gatien
Peter Gatien
Peter Gatien was the owner of several New York nightclubs, including The Limelight, Palladium, Club USA, and Tunnel. He was once dubbed as the "King of New York Clubs", during his time in New York City.-Life and career:...
, at the Tribeca Film Festival
Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Film Festival is a film festival founded in 2002 by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff in a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the consequent loss of vitality in the TriBeCa neighborhood in Lower Manhattan.The mission of the festival...
, and was released by Magnolia in September 2011.
Notability
In 2007 and again in 2010, Rakontur was selected for the Realscreen Global 100, “an annual list of the most exciting and influential production companies working in non-fiction film and television." That same year, Spellman and Corben were listed among of the 50 Most Influential People in Miami by The SunPost. In December 2009, the Miami New TimesMiami New Times
The Miami New Times is a free weekly newspaper published in Miami and distributed every Thursday. It primarily serves the Miami area and is headquartered near Miami's Design District.-Overview:...
declared Cocaine Cowboys #3 on it’s "Top Ten of the Decade: Miami in Pop Culture."
Coming up
The 2012 slate for Rakontur includes a Cocaine Cowboys dramatic series for HBO with executive producers Jerry BruckheimerJerry Bruckheimer
Jerome Leon "Jerry" Bruckheimer is an American film and television producer. He has achieved great success in the genres of action, drama, and science fiction. His best known television series are CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, Eleventh Hour, Without a Trace, Cold Case, The...
and Michael Bay
Michael Bay
Michael Benjamin Bay is an American film director and producer. He is known for directing high-budget action films characterized by their fast edits, stylistic visuals and substantial practical special effects...
, Dawg Fight, a brutal expose on underground backyard MMA
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
fighting in one of Miami's toughest neighborhoods; a feature documentary for ESPN examining the explosion of big money in sports and the epidemic of professional athletes who have gone broke, and a new installment of their documentary series, Cocaine Cowboys: Los Muchachos, about the Miami-based federal trials of Sal Magluta and Willy Falcon, the most successful Cuban drug traffickers in history.
Filmography
Cocaine Cowboys
Cocaine Cowboys is a 2006 documentary film directed by Billy Corben and produced by Alfred Spellman and Billy Corben through their Miami-based media studio Rakontur. The film explores the rise of cocaine and resulting crime epidemic that swept the American city of Miami, Florida in the 1970s and...
(2006)
The U (documentary)
The U is a 2009 documentary film produced by Miami based media studio rakontur and directed by Billy Corben. The U covers the rise and dominance of the Miami Hurricanes football team during the late 1980s and early 1990s....
(2009) Cocaine Cowboys: Remix (2011)
Square Grouper: The Godfathers of Ganja
Square Grouper: The Godfathers of Ganja is a 2011 documentary by director Billy Corben and produced by Alfred Spellman and Billy Corben through their Miami-based media studio Rakontur. The term square grouper was a nickname given to bales of marijuana thrown overboard or out of airplanes in South...
(2011)