What Crooked Highways does

Crooked Highways is an independent entertainment company founded by Ryan Gall, Olga Segura, and David Darg that develops, produces, and supports documentary, scripted, and live-event projects. The company operates as a creative studio with two principal arms: a core production studio that delivers finished content to streaming platforms (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime), broadcast networks (NBC/ABC/CBS, National Geographic), and theatrical distributors; and Highways Lab, a creative incubator and film fund whose offerings include a $50,000 Directors Program with Sundance networking access, a Development Fund offering up to $200,000 recoupable per project, and the Gloria Schoemann Program providing $15,000 grants to bilingual editors alongside Adobe Premiere Pro masterclasses. The production arm's underlying capability is end-to-end film and television production — from development and field production through post-production and distribution — with no proprietary software or platforms, the technology layer being conventional film production tooling augmented by Adobe partnerships.

The revenue model is one-time licensing of finished content to acquirers, with additional revenue potentially derived from live-event production (Global Citizen Festival across New York, Mumbai, Paris, London, and Johannesburg; One World: Together At Home with Lady Gaga) and from film festival launch economics. The company has no disclosed headcount, no external funding rounds, and no institutional ownership; it is privately held by its three co-founders. Operating geographies are global, with productions spanning North America, Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. Notable credits include Body Team 12 (Academy Award-nominated), Mission: Joy, You Cannot Kill David Arquette, ACTIVATE, Park Sessions, Electric Kingdom, La Búsqueda, Fear Us Women, Lazarus, and the in-production feature film Killing of a Nation. Partnerships include Rideback RISE and Adobe on lab programs, Myriad Pictures for international sales, and impact partners such as Alfonso Cuarón and Ai-jen Poo on select documentary projects.

Name

Crooked Highways

Legal name

Crooked Highways

Website

https://crookedhighways.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Crooked Highways is an independent entertainment company that develops, produces, and supports documentary, scripted, and live-event content, licensing finished projects to streaming platforms (Netflix, Hulu), broadcast networks (NBC/ABC/CBS, National Geographic), and theatrical distributors, while operating Highways Lab as a creative incubator with grants and mentorship for emerging filmmakers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Film Production & Sales: The company develops and produces documentary, scripted, and live-event projects, selling finished content to streaming platforms (Netflix, Hulu, National Geographic), broadcast networks (NBC/ABC/CBS), and theatrical distributors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Crooked Highways is an independent entertainment company that develops, produces, and finances documentary, scripted, and live-event projects for sale to streaming platforms and broadcast networks. Through its Highways Lab division, it also incubates new projects and operates a film fund to support emerging creators.

Product overview

Crooked Highways is an independent entertainment company operating as a single unified creative studio rather than a modular platform. The company produces documentary, scripted, and live-event projects through its core production arm, while operating Highways Lab as a creative incubator sub-brand that encompasses the Highways Lab Directors Program (offering $50,000 grants and Sundance networking), the Development Fund (up to $200,000 recoupable investments for production-ready projects), and the Gloria Schoemann Program ($15,000 grants for bilingual editors). The portfolio includes named productions such as Body Team 12 (Academy Award-nominated), Global Citizen Live (24-hour global broadcast event), Park Sessions (music/nature series), Killing of a Nation (feature film), La Búsqueda (Carla Morrison documentary), Fear Us Women, Lazarus, Electric Kingdom, The Angler, You Cannot Kill David Arquette, and McNeal. The company was founded by Ryan Gall, Olga Segura, and David Darg.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Highways Lab: A creative incubator and film fund supporting filmmakers through mentorship, grants, project financing, industry access, and original production opportunities

Products and services

• Documentary Production Development and production of documentary projects for sale/licensing to streaming platforms and broadcast networks.
• Scripted Content Production Development and production of scripted projects for streaming platforms and broadcast networks.
• Live-Event Production Production of live-event entertainment projects distributed to streaming and broadcast partners.
• Highways Lab (Creative Incubator and Film Fund) In-house creative incubator and film fund that finances and develops new projects with emerging creators.

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Rideback RISEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRideback RISE has partnered with Highways Lab and Adobe to launch Director and Editor Development Programs, providing industry access and professional development opportunities for filmmakers supported by Crooked Highways' creative incubator.
• AdobecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdobe partners with Highways Lab through the Gloria Schoemann Program, providing masterclasses led by Adobe professionals to help editors refine their skills with Premiere Pro and gain industry insights.
• Lady GagamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCrooked Highways produced One World: Together At Home alongside Lady Gaga, a major global live event broadcast on NBC/ABC/CBS featuring artists, celebrities, and world leaders.
• Global CitizenmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe founders created and produced the Global Citizen Festival and its annual broadcasts and events across New York, Mumbai, Paris, London, and Johannesburg, featuring artists including Beyoncé, Paul McCartney, Billie Eilish, Coldplay, and Stevie Wonder.
• Myriad PicturesmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMyriad Pictures serves as the international sales representative for Killing of a Nation, handling international distribution for this Haitian political thriller.
• Outside TVcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPark Sessions original series is distributed on Outside TV, featuring music performances set against national park adventures.
• Ai-jen PoominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAward-winning organizer and advocate Ai-jen Poo joined as an executive producer on select documentary projects, bringing impact expertise.
• Alfonso CuarónminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademy Award-winning director joined as impact partner on select documentary projects, providing creative and industry guidance.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• XTR: XTR is a documentary production and distribution company that produces and theatrically releases non-fiction films; comparable to Crooked Highways as an emerging boutique documentary studio with theatrical and platform distribution ambitions.
• RYOT Films: RYOT Films (part of VICE-aligned production) produces impact-driven documentary and branded content for global platforms; comparable to Crooked Highways as a boutique impact documentary producer serving streaming and broadcast buyers.

Direct peers

• Plan B Entertainment: Plan B Entertainment produces award-winning scripted film, documentary, and television with a focus on socially relevant storytelling; comparable to Crooked Highways as a creator-led production house that supplies prestige content to major platforms and studios.
• Concordia Studio: Concordia Studio is a documentary-focused production company developing non-fiction feature films and series with major platforms; directly comparable to Crooked Highways as a boutique documentary house distributing to Netflix and other streamers.
• Impact Partners: Impact Partners is a film finance and production company that funds and produces impact-driven documentary and narrative features; directly comparable to Crooked Highways in mission-driven documentary focus and platform distribution model.
• Participant: Participant (formerly Participant Media) is a production company specializing in impact-driven documentary and narrative content addressing social and environmental issues; directly comparable to Crooked Highways in mission, format mix, and platform distribution model.

Broad incumbents

• Discovery Studios: Discovery Studios is the production arm of Warner Bros. Discovery producing documentary, factual, and unscripted programming for global networks and streamers; comparable to Crooked Highways as a documentary content producer and platform supplier.
• National Geographic Studios: National Geographic Studios is the in-house production arm of National Geographic producing documentary series, specials, and unscripted content; comparable to Crooked Highways as a non-fiction content producer and as one of Crooked Highways' actual commissioning partners (ACTIVATE series).
• A24: A24 is an independent entertainment company producing and distributing film, television, and documentary content with an award-driven, prestige-oriented slate; comparable to Crooked Highways as a boutique studio pursuing platform and theatrical deals for distinctive, creator-led projects.
• Vice Media: Vice Media produces documentary, news, and unscripted content for global platforms with an emphasis on impact and global affairs; comparable to Crooked Highways in audience demographic, distribution channels, and impact-driven documentary slate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/crookedhighways
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/crooked-highways

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Crooked Highways