In his early twenties, First won a prestigious Peabody Award for his exceptional editing and producing skills in the critically acclaimed documentary "Brick City", which was a collaborative effort with renowned actor Forest Whitaker. He then went on to produce another highly acclaimed documentary, "Chicagoland", alongside the esteemed actor Robert Redford, and "Welcome to Leith", which received an Emmy nomination. In 2016, Furst formed a partnership with the renowned Shawn "Jay Z" Carter to direct and executive produce the impactful documentaries "Time: The Kalief Browder Story" and "Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story". These groundbreaking projects garnered a Peabody Award, two Emmy nominations, and a Special Honor from the Television Academy.
Furst continued to make a name for himself in the documentary world by directing and executive producing "The Pharmacist" for Netflix and Hulu's smash-hit, "Fyre Fraud", which earned him a Primetime Emmy Nomination for Writing. In 2023, Furst had the distinction of directing and executive producing two of the biggest documentaries of the year, "Murdaugh Murders" for Netflix and "Shiny Happy People" for Amazon Prime. Additionally, Furst was recognized as one of Variety's exclusive list of "Titans" for a second consecutive year.
Furst left The Cinemart to co-found Incite, his new studio, alongside Arnold Rifkin and Justin Lee. In 2024, Incite released one of the most controversial titles of the year, "Thank You, Dr. Fauci". As Director, Furst made a screen debut leading a first-person investigation into the origins of Covid-19, fraud allegations against the iconoclastic doctor, and twenty years of risky bio-defense research that may have caused the pandemic. Incite is set to roll out a slate of disruptive documentaries, scripted projects, and live events in 2025.
