Unarmed Media

 

DOCUMENTARY     •     NARRATIVE FILM     •     ORIGINAL PROGRAMMING     •     BRANDED CONTENT

 
 
 

Francesco Saviano:  Founding Partner, Producer

Francesco Saviano is a director, producer, writer, and cinematographer, and the founder of the Brooklyn, New York–based production company Unarmed Media. His narrative and documentary films have appeared in top festivals including the Tribeca Film Festival, Vancouver International Film Festival, and the New York Television Festival in NYC. Most recently, he was the cinematographer on D.W. Young’s feature documentary Uncropped, about photographer James Hamilton, executive produced by Wes Anderson. He was also the cinematographer and producer on the original series Building, written and directed by Colin Quinn and featuring Vincent Piazza and Kathrine Narducci. Francesco just completed work as cinematographer on Women Laughing, a documentary about the pioneering women artists of The New Yorker magazine, executive produced by Katie Couric, and he is currently directing The People's Masterpiece, a feature documentary about Keith Haring and the power of art as activism. His feature documentary On the Line, which follows the careers of three New York City boxers over the course of ten years, is scheduled for release later this year.

 
 
 

Marika Hacking:  Partner, Cinematographer, Editor

Marika Hacking is a New York-based editor, director, cinematographer, illustrator, and co-founder of the production company Unarmed Media. With a multidisciplinary approach and a keen visual sensibility, she has built a dynamic career that bridges commercial, narrative, and documentary work. Her editing portfolio includes a broad range of clients - from global agencies like Omnicom to respected institutions such as NPR - showcasing her ability to shape compelling stories across genres and formats. Driven by a deep passion for storytelling, her work is rooted in empathy and a commitment to authenticity, often revealing the personal and political forces that shape individual lives. Most recently, Marika was the editor on the feature documentary On The Line, a decade-long project following three New York City boxers as they fight for identity, purpose, and success both inside and outside the ring. Other recent credits include, director of photography with Francesco Saviano on Colin Quinn’s original series, Building, D.W. Young’s Uncropped, a documentary on photographer James Hamilton, executive produced by Wes Anderson, and Women Laughing, a documentary on the pioneering cartoonists of the New Yorker Magazine.

 
 

David Cieri:  Composer, Musical Director

David Cieri, a musician and composer, makes music for film, concert, and album release. Cieri has worked with numerous celebrated filmmakers including Ken Burns, the Ewers Brothers, and Barak Goodman. He has recorded nineteen acclaimed albums under his own name, that last ten of which were released by Ropeadope Records. He has collaborated on a major live documentary project with the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage and has made two records with the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Yusef Komunyakaa. David wrote and performed the live scores for the first three seasons of The Paris Review podcasts. He teaches courses on Film Scoring and Music for Film at The City College of New York.

 

Recent Clients:

UNITED NATIONS

CLINTON GLOBAL INITIATIVE

FANATICS

SPARKS & HONEY

PEACE RESEARCH INSTITUTE OSLO

WNYC

DEEPAK CHOPRA

DESCENDANT RECORDS

INHABITAT

THE GREENE SPACE

LIGHTHOUSE CREATIVE

IVY CONNECT

WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SOCIETY

THE SHELLEY & DONALD RUBIN FOUNDATION

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

VERIZON

OMNICOM MEDIA GROUP

NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO

SONY RED

ESQUIRE

GREY GROUP

'STACHE MEDIA

SCHOOLOGY

ROPEADOPE RECORDS

EAST WEST INSTITUTE

CAMBODIAN LIVING ARTS

TWENTY FOUR 7

MoMA

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