Ondi Timoner’s “Last Flight Home” Lands at MTV Documentary Films

Films

Ondi Timoner’s “Last Flight Home” Lands at MTV Documentary Films

“Last Flight Home” has landed at MTV Documentary Films. Ondi Timoner’s latest “had several bidders and the sale was highly competitive,” according to Variety. 

The doc premiered to strong reviews at Sundance Film Festival in January. It tells the story of Timoner’s father, Eli, “a suburban man and business leader whose meteoric rise was impacted by health struggles,” per the source. The film “charts his last remaining days, while celebrating an extraordinary life, one filled with wild achievements, tragic loss, and enduring love from an incredibly close-knit family.”

In addition to directing, Timoner wrote, edited, and produced the film. MTV Documentary Films is planning a theatrical release in the fall, complete with an awards campaign.

Asked what she’d like audiences to think about after seeing “Last Flight Home,” the filmmaker told us, “I hope people look at the closest relationships in their lives and are motivated to nurture them. A big takeaway from this experience, for us as a family, was the realization that the greatest achievement in life can be measured by love – the love we give and the love we receive.”

“Life must end. In many cases how it ends is an individual’s complex choice,” said Sheila Nevins, executive producer of MTV Documentary Films. “Fearlessly, bravely, with no euphemisms, 92-year-old Eli Timoner’s last 15 days are intimately recorded by his celebrated filmmaker daughter Ondi Timoner. Ondi gives us the privilege of going on Eli Timoner’s final journey as we bid farewell to a dear friend, to a beloved grandfather, and an unforgettable father.”

Timoner added, “Choosing the right home for my most personal and dear film, ‘Last Flight Home,’ was a very sensitive decision to make. I was moved by the passion Sheila Nevins and [MTV Documentary Films co-head] Liza Burnett Fefferman expressed for the film, for my father, and my family. I have deep respect for their impeccable track records in choosing great work and bringing it to audiences with impact and grace, and I have personal experience working with them dating back to ‘Dig!’ 18 years ago… So, I’m thrilled to be teaming up with MTV Documentary Films, and I’m sure my dad agrees, that they will carry this most important film of mine out to the world with love and care.”

Two of Timoner’s films have won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, “Dig!” and “We Live in Public.” Her other credits include “Coming Clean” and “Mapplethorpe.”