GovWorks Tale Hits Big Screen

A documentary about GovWorks Inc., an e-gov start-up that went bust, will open in theaters in early May. GovWorks of New York filed for bankruptcy in January after running through $60 million in venture capital money in two years.

The movie takes a look at the creation and growth of GovWorks from its nascent stages to its untimely demise, according to Artisan Entertainment Inc. of New York. The film chronicles the trials and tribulations of GovWorks founders Tom Herman and Kaleil Isaza Tuzman.

The film was directed by Chris Hegedus and Jehane Noujaim and produced by D.A. Pennebaker. The husband-and-wife filmmaking team made "The War Room," a behind-the-scenes look at the 1992 Clinton presidential campaign. Noujaim is a former MTV producer and was Tuzman's Harvard classmate.

At the time of bankruptcy, GovWorks had assets of $8 million and liabilities of $40 million. The company's transaction processing business eventually was sold to eOne Global Inc. of Napa, Calif., and American Management Systems Inc. of Fairfax, Va.