Bryan Fogel and Tom Ortenberg on ‘The Dissident’

Bryan Fogel won Netflix its first feature documentary Oscar with his 2017 Russian doping exposé “Icarus.” Critics at Sundance lavished praise on his latest film, “The Dissident,” about the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. So why didn’t Netflix call to lock up the rights?

Fogel’s film reveals how Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman's regime not only killed Khashoggi, but continues to brutally persecute other dissidents and their families. The filmmaker explains why his project had streamers and studios running scared.

Eventually, indie film champion and Briarcliff Entertainment CEO Tom Ortenberg stood up. He tells us how “The Dissident” finally made it to theaters and video on demand.