How likely is it that not one but two documentaries involving BC Law alumni were nominated for academy awards—and last night one of them took home the Oscar? Icarus, co-produced by David Fialkow ’85, above left, won the honor for exposing Russian government-backed doping of Olympic athletes.
Icarus was competing with, among other documentaries, Abacus: Small Enough to Jail, the story of how a small Chinese-American bank belonging to the family of BC Law alumnae Vera ’90 and Chanterelle Sung ’04 was targeted by an aggressive DA in the wake of the 2008 banking crisis.
Fialkow, managing partner of Cambridge venture capital firm General Catalyst, received his undergraduate degree from Colgate University. He told his alma mater recently that his investment in documentary films is driven by an interest in affecting social change. “Over the last 10 years, my wife, Nina, and I have been fortunate to make documentary films focused on social justice—to tell stories that people need to know,” he said.
Last night, Fialkow took the Hollywood stage with others on the Icarus team, from left, Dan Cogan, James R. Swartz, and Bryan Fogel.
Read articles in Colgate University News and the Boston Globe: “Icarus, a Film with Deep Boston Ties” and “Boston-Area Venture Capitalist Makes a Winning Investment with Icarus.”