ESPN and FiveThirtyEight Launch Film Series on Presidential Elections

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Today, FiveThirtyEight and ESPN Films debuts the first of a series of five short films which delve into some of the most iconic moments in recent U.S. election history. Each film in the FiveThirtyEight Elections series will be accompanied by a podcast as well as related features to provide greater context. The first, titled “The Dean Scream,” explores former presidential candidate Howard Dean’s fateful and energetic speech following his defeat in the Iowa Caucus in 2004.

“As FiveThirtyEight reports on this remarkable presidential election, the series will provide historical perspective to well-known narratives that helped shape today’s political landscape,” said David Firestone, managing editor. “FiveThirtyEight Elections demonstrates our continued commitment to producing compelling multimedia content.”

FiveThirtyEight Elections Film Summaries (additional film topics and premiere dates to be announced):

The Dean Scream

Directed by Bryan Storkel

The film tells the story of 2004 presidential candidate Howard Dean and his famous “I Have a Scream” speech after his defeat in the Iowa Caucus. Featuring interviews with Dean and others, the short deconstructs the incident and offers a fresh perspective to what was perceived by many as a careless mishap.

In addition to takes from FiveThirtyEight’s Nate Silver and senior political writer and analyst Harry Enten, the film features commentary from several political insiders and observers including former Iowa senator Tom Harkin, Dean’s former communications director Tricia Enright, campaign manager Joe Trippi, filmmaker Rob Reiner and 2004 Kerry campaign manager Mary Beth Cahill.

Dukakis – May

Directed by Jason Reid

The image of Democratic Presidential Nominee Michael Dukakis’ small frame perched awkwardly on a 68-ton M1A1 Battle Tank in the summer of 1988 is often noted as the image that single handedly sent the Massachusetts Governor’s once-promising presidential campaign into a tailspin. As the film explores, there were other important factors beneath the surface that contributed heavily to the largest drop in favorability ratings of any presidential candidate in history.

Additionally, the short documentary film will feature interviews with Dukakis, FiveThirtyEight’s reporters and other political insiders.

Obama/Wright – Summer

Directed by Eric Drath

This is the story of the making of one of the most important speeches in presidential election history; a speech that helped to assuage the darkest fears around Barack Obama’s ideology on race, while distancing him from Reverend Jeremiah Wright, a controversial figure whose comments on race and relationship with Obama had the potential to derail Obama’s bid for the democratic nomination. The film will feature commentary from speech writer Jon Favreau and chief campaign strategist David Axelrod.