Filled with humor, heartbreak, and hotdogs THE GOOD THE BAD THE HUNGRY (TRIBECA 2019) is a critically acclaimed documentary tracks the history of the bitter clash of three titans in the world of competitive eating. Both hilarious and heart-rending, the film emerges as a critique of American life and a portrait of our times.
THE GOOD THE BAD THE HUNGRY is a feature documentary that explores the fierce rivalry between two of the biggest names in competitive eating: American champion Joey Chestnut and Japanese trailblazer Takeru Kobayashi. At the center of their rise is George Shea, the sport’s charismatic and controversial emcee and promoter. Told with humor and heart, the film looks beyond the spectacle to explore the personal stories, cultural tensions, and marketing forces that have defined the sport.
Nicole Lucas Haimes is an award-winning documentary filmmaker known for her richly observed character portrayals and incisive explorations of little-known worlds. She has a proven track record for creating feel-good crowd pleasers that feature individuals whose worlds astonish, entertain and enlighten.
Her feature documentaries include the New York Times Critics’ Pick CHICKEN PEOPLE, which premiered at SXSW and earned a Gamechanger Award nomination there as well as a nomination for the Grand Jury Prize at Nashville. The film had theatrical runs in the U.S. and Australia before airing on CMT.
Nicole also directed the critically acclaimed THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE HUNGRY for ESPN’s Emmy-winning 30 for 30 series. The film premiered on opening night at the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival Gala and currently streams on Netflix and Disney+.
Nicole’s television credits span CBS, BET, A&E, and ABC News’ TURNING POINT series. For PBS, she directed and produced the Emmy-nominated CRACKING THE CODE. She was the showrunner for the Popsugar/ZLiving collab CONQUERED, a six-part series focusing on stories of personal courage and triumph.
When Nicole is not making documentaries, she dreams up unexpected programming such as the live competitive eating showdown CHESTNUT VS. KOBAYASHI: UNFINISHED BEEF which she created and executive produced for Netflix in 2024.
With Charles Burnett, she is currently directing UNTITLED POLICING DOCUMENTARY, centered on an explosive confessional told from behind the thin blue line. The project is supported by the Ford Foundation, the IDA Enterprise Fund, and Sundance-Women In Film.
TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL
NETFLIX
ESPN FILMS 30 FOR 30
DISNEY+
