Documentary studio Zandland is launching a new weekly series, The Zandland Show, alongside plans for a slate of live events, as the company expands its direct-to-consumer strategy.
Fronted by the studio’s founder, investigative filmmaker Ben Zand, the vodcast-style series will feature explainers on current affairs, interviews with journalists and creators, and conversations with public figures and members of underreported communities. The show will sit alongside the company’s existing monthly documentary strand, Human.
The first episode of The Zandland Show will feature filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania, director of Oscar-nominated film The Voice of Hind Rajab, and is scheduled to premiere on Thursday 12 March.
The launch comes as Zandland continues to build a direct relationship with its audience. The studio said its content has reached more than 24 million viewers since October, generating over 130,000 hours of watch time. Its work has also been featured in international media, including US news programme The Daily Show.
The company’s move towards a creator-led, direct-to-consumer model builds on its earlier decision to bypass traditional commissioning routes with Human, a self-funded YouTube documentary series launched by Zandland. Created, financed and distributed in-house, the series was positioned by the studio as a way of delivering independent documentaries directly to audiences rather than relying on traditional broadcasters.
Ben Zand, founder and CEO of Zandland said: “Our bet is that there are more people than ever who want to properly understand the world and connect with others around stories that are true and real. At a time when misinformation spreads easily and so much media feels distant or performative, we think audiences are looking for something more direct and human.”
He added that: “The Zandland Show gives us a weekly space to talk honestly about the stories shaping the world, and the live events allow us to bring that community together in the real world. Zandland has always been about taking audiences to places they wouldn’t otherwise get to go and confronting uncomfortable truths, but doing it fairly and accurately. The response we’ve already seen from audiences tells us this is something people genuinely want to be part of.”
Alongside original documentary commissions, Zandland has been investing in owned platforms and community channels, including a weekly Substack newsletter. The company is also developing a membership model that will offer audiences exclusive content and experiences.
As part of the expansion, the studio will introduce ticketed live events intended to bring its audience together in person for discussions linked to its documentary output. Zand said the initiative is designed to create a regular space for discussion around major global stories while building a community around the studio’s work.
Further details about the first live event will be announced at a later date.
