Buzz

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and celebrated author Buzz Bissinger is known for getting his subjects to open up, be it for Vanity Fair assignments, like his iconic 2015 Caitlyn Jenner profile, or for his bestselling book, Friday Night Lights. In this intimate documentary, it’s now Bissinger who is revealing his authentic self, as he experiences a sexual awakening while collaborating with Caitlyn Jenner on her tell-all memoir, The Secrets of My Life. Buzz is directed by Bissinger’s childhood friend, Andrew Shea (Portrait of Wally) and executive produced by his cousin, Peter Berg, the Emmy-nominated creator of the Friday Night Lights television series and director of the film by the same name, and Matthew Goldberg (HBO’s State of Play). As Bissinger works to perfect Jenner’s book, he simultaneously examines his own heteronormative constraints, exploring previously uncharted sexual desires in ways that test his marriage, family and sense of self. Interweaving editing sessions between Bissinger and Jenner with personal insights into Bissinger's sexual evolution from his family, this verité portrait candidly shares Bissinger’s transformative journey. Bissinger’s complicated, respectful and loving marriage to wife, Lisa, is at the heart of the film, as Bissinger questions the boundaries of gender and reveals his complex sexual desires – from crossdressing to S&M. Lisa loves and supports him, engaging with him about the sexual predilections he is grappling with while also navigating the challenges of their changing relationship. In addition to featuring interviews with members of Bissinger’s family, Buzz draws on insights from many of Bissinger’s friends and colleagues in a deeply personal film that explores the pursuit of true freedom of expression. Buzz and Lisa continue to work on their marriage and are still together. Buzz is working on a new book.