EXCLUSIVE: Gotham and The O.C. star Ben McKenzie has made his characteristic directorial debut on documentary Everyone Is Lying To You For Money, a scathing portrait of the world of cryptocurrency, which can obtain its world premiere at SXSW London in June.
Written, directed and produced by McKenzie, alongside producer Giorgio Angelini, the characteristic was filmed over three years in New York, London, Austin, El Salvador and Miami.
The movie consists of an interview with Sam Bankman-Fried, filmed simply months earlier than he was indicted on a number of costs of fraud and conspiracy, and with Alex Mashinksy, equally filmed months earlier than his firm, which at its peak purported to carry $25BN in property, declared chapter. It additionally highlights El Salvador’s President, Nayib Bukele, and his connection to the world of cryptocurrency. Other interview topics embrace celebrities, a pseudonymous whistleblower, and quite a few victims.
The documentary culminates in McKenzie, who has a level in economics, testifying to the Senate Banking Committee, the place he denounces crypto as “the largest Ponzi scheme in history”. Verve is repping gross sales on the movie.
The doc additionally options snapshots of the TV star’s dwelling life in Brooklyn which he shares with actress Morena Baccarin and their children, as Covid-induced boredom triggers a deep dive down the crypto rabbit gap.
McKenzie, who just lately wrapped an appearing function in motion movie Motor City, stated: “When I started warning people about crypto fraud in the fall of 2021, I caught a bunch of flack from the bros online. Now a lot of those guys are in jail, and sadly millions of investors lost their shirts to these conmen. Why is the false story of crypto still spreading? That’s the question I set out to answer with this film. I cannot wait for audiences to see Everyone Is Lying To You For Money, a comedy that treats crypto and the creeps shilling it with the respect they deserve: zero.”