Irish director Laura McGann and Irish production company Motive TV have won The Sports Emmy for Outstanding Long Documentary for their Netflix documentary The Deepest Breath.
The 45th annual Sports Emmy Awards took place last night, May 21st, at Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York City. The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences announced the winners, which included director Laura McGann and Motive TV for The Deepest Breath, which received the Sports Emmy for Outstanding Long Documentary.
The Deepest Breath follows free-diving champion Alessia Zecchini and expert safety diver Stephen Keenan, their meeting at the pinnacle of the free-diving world, and experiences of the extreme sports’ rewards and risks.
Following the documentary’s release on Netflix, IFTN spoke with director Laura McGann and producer Jamie D’Alton about bringing an Irish film to an international audience, and using archive material to create a story that unfolds in the present tense.
The film is a co-production of Motive Films, RAW, Ventureland, and A24
The Deepest Breath premiered at Sundance Film Festival 2023, which was then followed by a theatrical release. The documentary is now available to stream on Netflix.