The Leader, a film about the Heaven's Gate cult, had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Director and screenwriter Michael Gallagher presented the film, which stars Tim Blake Nelson as Marshall Herff Applewhite and Vera Farmiga as Bonnie Lu Nettles. The story follows the cult's formation in the 1970s and its 1997 mass suicide of 39 people in Rancho Santa Fe, California. Additional cast includes Jim Parsons, Grace Caroline Currey and Simon Rex. Producers listed are Jana Gallagher, Michael Wormser, Joel David Moore, Matt Murphie and Michael Gallagher. The film runs 1 hour and 44 minutes, with sales handled by The Exchange/Voltage.
