ArgoFilms

In the late 1980s, Allison Argo encountered a captive gorilla named Ivan living inside a shopping mall in Tacoma, Washington. For over two decades, Ivan had lived in a concrete enclosure without exposure to natural light or other gorillas. Prompted by this encounter, Argo left her career as an actress to produce films on conservation and captive animal welfare.

The Urban Gorilla, directly inspired by Ivan’s condition, took three years for ArgoFilms to complete as their first production. The team included Allison Argo as writer, director, and producer; Argo’s then-husband, Director of Photography Robert E. Collins, as principal cinematographer; and Glenn Close as narrator. The film, broadcast by National Geographic, was nominated for two national Emmys, and received a 1992 Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award.

After the success of The Urban Gorilla, National Geographic approached Argo to discuss further collaboration. This led to ArgoFilms’ second documentary, Keepers of the Wild, for which Argo won a 1992 National Emmy for Directing. Filming for Keepers of the Wild spanned Kenya, Belize, Canada, and the US, starting ArgoFilms’ international travel. Argo wrote, directed, and produced the film, with Glenn Close once again performing as narrator.

Since 1990, ArgoFilms has produced 14 documentaries, as well as shorter films to support wildlife and conservation causes. The company frequently collaborates with National Geographic Television, PBS, and Thirteen/WNET. Six of ArgoFilms’ documentaries were produced for the PBS Nature series.

ArgoFilms is in pre-production for The Story of Dao, the company’s first full-length feature film. The film is based on the life of an elephant named Pang Dao, whom Argo first encountered during the filming of The Urban Elephant for PBS Nature and National Geographic.

The Story of Dao began pre-production in 2011. The film’s six-week scout in Southeast Asia was funded by a Kickstarter campaign, which received over $25,000 from over 200 backers.