Anthony Lappé is a New York-based investigative storyteller who specializes in premium global documentary programming. He's best known for the award-winning VICE docuseries BLACK MARKET, the late Michael K. Williams' highly emotional foray into unscripted television, and the two groundbreaking HISTORY channel series, AMERICA'S WAR ON DRUGS and UNIDENTIFIED. His most recent series is NINE LIVES OF, narrated by Kevin Pollak. Previously, he produced two seasons of the cult hit series, WHILE THE REST OF US DIE, narrated by Oscar-nominee Jeffrey Wright. He is most drawn to stories that reveal secrets about who we are and how the world really works. 

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Lappé has worked in all phases of documentary film and television production from the initial spark of an idea to final delivery, managing shoe-string to multi-million dollar budgets. He has extensive experience working domestically and overseas as a director, as well as directing dramatic recreations, motion graphics, visual effects and show packaging.

 

He began his career as a freelance feature writer for The New York Times (City, Styles, Magazine Sections), New York, Paper, The Fader, South China Morning Post, ESPN: The Magazine, Vice, Black Book, Rolling Stone Mexico, Salon.com, among many others. He reported from the backstreets of Havana, the contested hills of the West Bank, the slums of San Salvador and the top of a 200 ft. redwood tree, which is still the scariest thing he's ever done. His big break in television came when MTV News and Specials optioned a New York Times feature article he wrote about computer hackers. The network hired him to produce his first documentary alongside correspondent Serena Altschul. In addition, he was an on-air correspondent for Video News International, the world pioneer in one-man-band video journalism, where he shot and produced his own stories for an internationally syndicated series.  

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From 2000 to 2009, he was Executive Editor of GNN, a citizen journalism blogging network and production company. GNN produced politicized music videos for artists such as Ad Rock, dead prez, Chronic Future, Eminem and 50 Cent. GNN's music video for Eminem's politically-charged song, Mosh, hit number one on MTV's TRL the day it was released in 2004. New York Magazine called it "one of the most important pieces of mainstream dissent since the 60s."

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In 2003, he traveled with his friend Stephen Marshall to Iraq, where they shot GNN's award-winning war documentary, BATTLEGROUND ("Historically essential viewing" – Chicago Tribune).  The film won several awards and was sold to Showtime. GNN's second feature documentary, AMERICAN BLACKOUT, won a Special Jury Prize at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival.

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He has also directed numerous web shorts, on-air promo campaigns, news magazine segments and television spots. Notable clients include Fuse, AMC, VICE News, NatGeo, Avaaz, The Prevention Institute and PBS' NEED TO KNOW.

 

As a commentator, he's been invited to opine on media outlets around the world, including Sky News, Fox Business Network, Reason podcast, Fusion, Huffington Post Live, CBC, THE LEONARD LOPATE SHOW, THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW, NPR, BBC, Radio France and Radio Havana. He was a regular guest host on Air America Radio, including a  segment on THE MAJORITY REPORT with Janeane Garofalo. He has also lectured at over twenty universities, institutions and conferences on the state and future of the media. 

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At RadicalMedia, he was a creative consultant, director, producer and writer on numerous high profile projects from 2010-2014. Clients included: J.Crew, Apple, VEVO, Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation, and Jay Z and Ron Howard’s documentary MADE IN AMERICA. He wrote Robert Redford’s critically acclaimed 3D documentary, CATHEDRALS OF CULTURE: THE SALK INSTITUTE.

 

Lappé has authored or contributed to several books. His graphic novel, SHOOTING WAR, was called "the Apocalypse Now of the War on Terror" by Forbes and "brilliant & low brow" on New York Magazine's Approval Matrix. 

 

Lappé also co-directed the short film, LEBANON WINS THE WORLD CUP, which won best doc short at the 2015 Warsaw International Film Festival and the Santa Barbara Film Festival.

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He has taught documentary filmmaking at NYU and to young Palestinian journalists in the West Bank.

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Lappé is a graduate of NYU and the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. He also studied at St. Catherine's College, Oxford University. But his real education has been in traveling the world and telling stories.

 

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