“I believe that a big reason why this ambitious idea of throwing a music festival in Harlem in which somewhere between 70,000 to 90,000 people every weekend would see performances was so that there was something joyous and hopeful for people at that point were kind of at the end of their rope,” Summer of Soul (Or When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) director Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson says about the importance the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival had to a Black America ravaged by violence and assassination.
“It was a healing moment, if you will,” Thompson added during the film’s panel at Deadline’s Contenders Film: The Nominees event. The Roots drummer, bestselling author, musicologist and now Oscar nominee made his feature directorial debut with the feature documentary.
Having premiered at the virtual Sundance Film Festival in 2021, Summer of Soul took home the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award in the documentary categories in Park City.
“It was a healing moment, if you will,” Thompson added during the film’s panel at Deadline’s Contenders Film: The Nominees event. The Roots drummer, bestselling author, musicologist and now Oscar nominee made his feature directorial debut with the feature documentary.
Having premiered at the virtual Sundance Film Festival in 2021, Summer of Soul took home the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award in the documentary categories in Park City.
- 3/5/2022
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
With the grand in-person return of the New York Film Festival in the rearview mirror, New York’s fall festival season barrels on with Doc NYC, the largest documentary festival in the country. This year’s festival will return to in-person theatrical screenings, with virtual options and passes available as well. The 2021 lineup includes more than 120 feature-length documentaries, including 32 world premieres and 34 U.S. premieres. World premieres include films on figures such as NBA legend Kevin Garnett, recently passed rapper Dmx, rat pack crooner Dean Martin, and the late literary icon Kurt Vonnegut. They join previously announced titles on Kenny G and Dionne Warwick, as well as Matthew Heineman’s “The First Wave,” a penetrating look at the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic in New York City.
Doc NYC is also launching three new competitive sections this year: A U.S. Competition for new American nonfiction films, an International...
Doc NYC is also launching three new competitive sections this year: A U.S. Competition for new American nonfiction films, an International...
- 10/19/2021
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Arthur Ashe film received world premiere at Telluride and will receive Oscar campaign.
Heading into its international premiere at BFI London Film Festival on Sunday (October 10) Magnolia Pictures has acquired US theatrical rights to Citizen Ashe, the documentary about pioneering tennis champion Arthur Ashe.
Rex Miller and Sam Pollard directed the feature produced by Dogwoof for CNN Films and HBO Max. The film premiered at Telluride last month and will open in cinemas in New York on December 3 and in Los Angeles on December 10 accompanied by an Oscar campaign.
Citizen Ashe reveals the private person behind the historic Grand Slam...
Heading into its international premiere at BFI London Film Festival on Sunday (October 10) Magnolia Pictures has acquired US theatrical rights to Citizen Ashe, the documentary about pioneering tennis champion Arthur Ashe.
Rex Miller and Sam Pollard directed the feature produced by Dogwoof for CNN Films and HBO Max. The film premiered at Telluride last month and will open in cinemas in New York on December 3 and in Los Angeles on December 10 accompanied by an Oscar campaign.
Citizen Ashe reveals the private person behind the historic Grand Slam...
- 10/8/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Magnolia Pictures has come aboard the documentary “Citizen Ashe” from Emmy winner Rex Miller and Academy Award nominee Sam Pollard. The nonfiction awards hopeful will be heading to theaters on Dec. 3 in New York and Dec. 10 in Los Angeles, hoping for Oscar recognition at the height of awards season.
Accompanying an Academy campaign, and produced by Dogwoof for CNN Films and HBO Max, the film explores the legacy of three-time tennis legend and humanitarian Arthur Ashe, who broke barriers in the sport and won three Grand Slams. Despite being a top athlete, Ashe struggled with health problems, suffering a heart attack at 36. He contracted HIV due to a blood transfusion that occurred when he had heart surgery, dying of AIDS-related pneumonia in 1993 at the age of 49.
“Sam Pollard and Rex Miller have delivered an exquisite, moving look at the life of a true iconoclast, one who forged his own path...
Accompanying an Academy campaign, and produced by Dogwoof for CNN Films and HBO Max, the film explores the legacy of three-time tennis legend and humanitarian Arthur Ashe, who broke barriers in the sport and won three Grand Slams. Despite being a top athlete, Ashe struggled with health problems, suffering a heart attack at 36. He contracted HIV due to a blood transfusion that occurred when he had heart surgery, dying of AIDS-related pneumonia in 1993 at the age of 49.
“Sam Pollard and Rex Miller have delivered an exquisite, moving look at the life of a true iconoclast, one who forged his own path...
- 10/8/2021
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Blu Hunt (The New Mutants) and Reno Wilson (Good Girls) are set as leads and Maximiliano Hernandez (Avengers: Endgame), Dawnn Lewis (Veronica Mars reboot), Derek Phillips (Blood of Zeus), Courtney Dietz (Beast Beast) and Troy Kotsur (The Mandalorian) also have been cast as series regulars in Fox pilot The Last Police, an adaptation of Ben Winters’ sci-fi mystery novel The Last Policeman.
Written and directed by Killen, in The Last Police, as an asteroid races toward an apocalyptic collision with Earth, a small-town police detective (Hunt) believes she’s been chosen to save humanity, while her cynical partner (Wilson) can’t decide what he’ll enjoy more: her delusional failure, or the end of the world itself.
Hunt plays Detective MacKenzie Ward. She’s a sharp young police detective who as our story begins has decided to end her life on her own terms rather than wait for the...
Written and directed by Killen, in The Last Police, as an asteroid races toward an apocalyptic collision with Earth, a small-town police detective (Hunt) believes she’s been chosen to save humanity, while her cynical partner (Wilson) can’t decide what he’ll enjoy more: her delusional failure, or the end of the world itself.
Hunt plays Detective MacKenzie Ward. She’s a sharp young police detective who as our story begins has decided to end her life on her own terms rather than wait for the...
- 10/1/2021
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Arthur Ashe Doc
CNN Films and HBO Max have partnered with Dogwoof on a documentary – Citizen Ashe – that will explore the impact Arthur Ashe had on tennis and HIV activism. During his momentous tennis career, Ashe won three Grand Slam singles titles and became the first-ever Black player to join the United States Davis Cup team. He retired in 1980 and died of AIDS-related complications in 1993. Rex Miller and Sam Pollard are co-directors on the film, which is aiming to release in 2022. Beth Hubbard and Dogwoof CEO Anna Godas are producers. “He created a unique blueprint for advancing civil rights for disenfranchised and oppressed people throughout the world, amid a tumultuous time of demonstrations and assassinations,” Miller said. “Citizen Ashe shows a true champion’s defining moments.”
Ireland Eyeing Record Production Spend
Screen Ireland has released estimated production figures for 2021, with the org forecasting spend in the country to reach record...
CNN Films and HBO Max have partnered with Dogwoof on a documentary – Citizen Ashe – that will explore the impact Arthur Ashe had on tennis and HIV activism. During his momentous tennis career, Ashe won three Grand Slam singles titles and became the first-ever Black player to join the United States Davis Cup team. He retired in 1980 and died of AIDS-related complications in 1993. Rex Miller and Sam Pollard are co-directors on the film, which is aiming to release in 2022. Beth Hubbard and Dogwoof CEO Anna Godas are producers. “He created a unique blueprint for advancing civil rights for disenfranchised and oppressed people throughout the world, amid a tumultuous time of demonstrations and assassinations,” Miller said. “Citizen Ashe shows a true champion’s defining moments.”
Ireland Eyeing Record Production Spend
Screen Ireland has released estimated production figures for 2021, with the org forecasting spend in the country to reach record...
- 7/15/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman and Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
A new documentary on the life and career of tennis great Arthur Ashe called “Citizen Ashe” is in the works for CNN Films and HBO Max.
“Citizen Ashe” will be co-directed by Rex Miller and Sam Pollard (“4 Little Girls”) that will explore Ashe’s legacy on the court breaking barriers for Black athletes as well as off the court as an activist for HIV awareness.
The film is being produced by which is produced by Beth Hubbard and Dogwoof CEO Anna Godas and will be presented by CNN Films and HBO Max, and it will debut in 2022.
Arthur Ashe, who would have turned 78 this month, is the only Black man to win the singles title at Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and the Australian Open and was once ranked No. 1 in the world. He retired from tennis in 1980 and died of AIDS-related complications in 1993. But his legacy on the...
“Citizen Ashe” will be co-directed by Rex Miller and Sam Pollard (“4 Little Girls”) that will explore Ashe’s legacy on the court breaking barriers for Black athletes as well as off the court as an activist for HIV awareness.
The film is being produced by which is produced by Beth Hubbard and Dogwoof CEO Anna Godas and will be presented by CNN Films and HBO Max, and it will debut in 2022.
Arthur Ashe, who would have turned 78 this month, is the only Black man to win the singles title at Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and the Australian Open and was once ranked No. 1 in the world. He retired from tennis in 1980 and died of AIDS-related complications in 1993. But his legacy on the...
- 7/15/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
CNN Films and HBO Max have partnered with Dogwoof on a new documentary feature that will explore the impact Arthur Ashe had on tennis and HIV activism.
During his momentous tennis career, Ashe won three Grand Slam singles titles and became the first-ever Black player to join the United States Davis Cup team. He retired in 1980 and died of AIDS-related complications in 1993. His impact on the sport is only surpassed in esteem by his off-court activism on behalf of civil rights, global human rights and compassion for those afflicted by HIV.
Rex Miller and Sam Pollard are co-directors on the film about the tennis player and humanitarian, which will be released in 2022. Miller described their film as a first-person exploration that describes Ashe’s origin story as a social activist in his own words.
“He created a unique blueprint for advancing civil rights for disenfranchised and oppressed people throughout the world,...
During his momentous tennis career, Ashe won three Grand Slam singles titles and became the first-ever Black player to join the United States Davis Cup team. He retired in 1980 and died of AIDS-related complications in 1993. His impact on the sport is only surpassed in esteem by his off-court activism on behalf of civil rights, global human rights and compassion for those afflicted by HIV.
Rex Miller and Sam Pollard are co-directors on the film about the tennis player and humanitarian, which will be released in 2022. Miller described their film as a first-person exploration that describes Ashe’s origin story as a social activist in his own words.
“He created a unique blueprint for advancing civil rights for disenfranchised and oppressed people throughout the world,...
- 7/15/2021
- by Antonio Ferme
- Variety Film + TV
Dogwoof co-produced the film with Rexpix, Stick Figure and Get Lifted.
CNN Films and HBO Max are partnering with UK-based documentary specialists Dogwoof to distribute Rex Miller and Sam Pollard’s Citizen Ashe, about the legacy of tennis player and humanitarian Arthur Ashe.
CNN and HBO Max will handle the US release of the completed title in 2022. Details of the release format are yet to be confirmed.
Dogwoof developed and produced the film alongside US companies Rexpix Media, Stick Figure Productions and Get Lifted Film Co.
It is co-directed by Miller and Pollard, with Beth Hubbard and Dogwoof CEO Anna Godas,...
CNN Films and HBO Max are partnering with UK-based documentary specialists Dogwoof to distribute Rex Miller and Sam Pollard’s Citizen Ashe, about the legacy of tennis player and humanitarian Arthur Ashe.
CNN and HBO Max will handle the US release of the completed title in 2022. Details of the release format are yet to be confirmed.
Dogwoof developed and produced the film alongside US companies Rexpix Media, Stick Figure Productions and Get Lifted Film Co.
It is co-directed by Miller and Pollard, with Beth Hubbard and Dogwoof CEO Anna Godas,...
- 7/15/2021
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Sony Pictures Classics is releasing the fantastical drama Nine Days in New York and Los Angeles theaters on July 30, with plans to roll the film out nationwide August 6.
The debut feature of writer-director Edson Oda centers on Will (Winston Duke), a reclusive man who conducts a series of interviews with fledgling human souls, thereby offering them a chance to be born. The pic, which debuted at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, also stars Zazie Beetz, Benedict Wong, Tony Hale, Bill Skarsgård, David Rysdahl and Arianna Ortiz.
The film earned two Film Independent Spirit Award nominations, for Best First Feature and Best Supporting Male (for Wong).
Nine Days is a co-production between Juniper Productions, Mandalay Pictures, Nowhere, Macro Media and The Space Program, in association with Mansa Productions, Oak Street Pictures, 30West, Baked Studios and Datari Turner Productions. It was produced by Jason Michael Berman of Mandalay Pictures, Mette-Marie Kongsved and Laura Tunstall of Nowhere,...
The debut feature of writer-director Edson Oda centers on Will (Winston Duke), a reclusive man who conducts a series of interviews with fledgling human souls, thereby offering them a chance to be born. The pic, which debuted at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, also stars Zazie Beetz, Benedict Wong, Tony Hale, Bill Skarsgård, David Rysdahl and Arianna Ortiz.
The film earned two Film Independent Spirit Award nominations, for Best First Feature and Best Supporting Male (for Wong).
Nine Days is a co-production between Juniper Productions, Mandalay Pictures, Nowhere, Macro Media and The Space Program, in association with Mansa Productions, Oak Street Pictures, 30West, Baked Studios and Datari Turner Productions. It was produced by Jason Michael Berman of Mandalay Pictures, Mette-Marie Kongsved and Laura Tunstall of Nowhere,...
- 5/6/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
“Summer of Soul,” Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s acclaimed documentary about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, has been acquired by the Disney-owned Searchlight Pictures in a deal that also will bring the film to Hulu.
The documentary, which won both the Grand Jury prize and Audience award at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, served as the directorial debut for Thompson, who has been the drummer of hip-hop band The Roots for over three decades. “Summer of Soul” will have a theatrical release, will stream in the United States on Hulu, and will stream internationally on Star and Star+. Premiere dates have not been announced.
“I’m so honored to be allowed to manifest my dreams after all this time,” Thompson said in a statement. “This is truly an honor. ‘Summer Of Soul’ is a passion project and to have it resonate with so many people on so many levels has been incredibly rewarding.
The documentary, which won both the Grand Jury prize and Audience award at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, served as the directorial debut for Thompson, who has been the drummer of hip-hop band The Roots for over three decades. “Summer of Soul” will have a theatrical release, will stream in the United States on Hulu, and will stream internationally on Star and Star+. Premiere dates have not been announced.
“I’m so honored to be allowed to manifest my dreams after all this time,” Thompson said in a statement. “This is truly an honor. ‘Summer Of Soul’ is a passion project and to have it resonate with so many people on so many levels has been incredibly rewarding.
- 2/5/2021
- by Tyler Hersko
- Indiewire
Two days after picking up Sundance’s Documentary Grand Jury Prize, Summer of Soul has been picked up by Searchlight and Hulu.
The acquisition of Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s directorial debut is for worldwide rights, parent company Disney says, in a deal put together by Disney General Entertainment’s Bipoc Creator initiative, led by Tara Duncan and brokered by Cinetic Media.
With appearances by Sly and the Family Stone, Nina Simone, Mahalia Jackson, the Staples Sisters, Stevie Wonder, Glady Knight and the Pips, Max Roach, Abby Lincoln and many more, the music-themed documentary is set for a theatrical release as well as streaming on Hulu in America and internationally on Star and Star+.
A true time capsule of then and now, Summer of Soul is packed with newly unearthed footage of the nearly forgotten but star-studded Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969. In that vein,...
The acquisition of Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s directorial debut is for worldwide rights, parent company Disney says, in a deal put together by Disney General Entertainment’s Bipoc Creator initiative, led by Tara Duncan and brokered by Cinetic Media.
With appearances by Sly and the Family Stone, Nina Simone, Mahalia Jackson, the Staples Sisters, Stevie Wonder, Glady Knight and the Pips, Max Roach, Abby Lincoln and many more, the music-themed documentary is set for a theatrical release as well as streaming on Hulu in America and internationally on Star and Star+.
A true time capsule of then and now, Summer of Soul is packed with newly unearthed footage of the nearly forgotten but star-studded Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969. In that vein,...
- 2/5/2021
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
“Summer of Soul (…Or When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” has become Sundance’s next major acquisition title, selling to Searchlight Pictures and Hulu.
An individual with knowledge of the deal told TheWrap it’s the biggest documentary sale in history, although no specifics were given. Another individual close to the transaction pegged the sale at $15 million. Buzz has been building around the film since its premiere last Thursday, sparking a bidding war for the documentary from The Roots bandleader Questlove. It was also the winner of the Sundance Documentary Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award.
Searchlight Pictures and Disney General Entertainment’s Bipoc Creator initiative, led by Tara Duncan, acquired the worldwide rights to “Summer of Soul,” while Hulu will exclusively stream the doc domestically and Star and Star+ will stream it internationally.
“I’m so honored to be allowed to manifest my dreams after all this time,...
An individual with knowledge of the deal told TheWrap it’s the biggest documentary sale in history, although no specifics were given. Another individual close to the transaction pegged the sale at $15 million. Buzz has been building around the film since its premiere last Thursday, sparking a bidding war for the documentary from The Roots bandleader Questlove. It was also the winner of the Sundance Documentary Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award.
Searchlight Pictures and Disney General Entertainment’s Bipoc Creator initiative, led by Tara Duncan, acquired the worldwide rights to “Summer of Soul,” while Hulu will exclusively stream the doc domestically and Star and Star+ will stream it internationally.
“I’m so honored to be allowed to manifest my dreams after all this time,...
- 2/5/2021
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Her Oscar winner Spike Jonze has boarded Sony Pictures Classics upcoming early 2021 release as an Executive Producer. Additionally, SPC has also acquired the rights in Asia, Israel, Turkey and the rest of Europe, making it a worldwide release for the label. The film will next be seen in the Hamptons Film Festival and AFI, among others.
Nine Days, which stars Winston Duke, Zazie Beetz, Benedict Wong, Bill Skarsgård, Tony Hale, David Rysdahl, and Arianna Ortiz follows a reclusive man, Will (Duke), who is conducting a series of interviews with human souls for a chance to be born. Five contenders emerge, and during the course of nine days, Will tests each of them, but he can choose only one. The victor will be rewarded with a coveted opportunity to become a newborn in the real world, while the others will cease to exist. The movie is directed and written by Edson Oda.
Nine Days, which stars Winston Duke, Zazie Beetz, Benedict Wong, Bill Skarsgård, Tony Hale, David Rysdahl, and Arianna Ortiz follows a reclusive man, Will (Duke), who is conducting a series of interviews with human souls for a chance to be born. Five contenders emerge, and during the course of nine days, Will tests each of them, but he can choose only one. The victor will be rewarded with a coveted opportunity to become a newborn in the real world, while the others will cease to exist. The movie is directed and written by Edson Oda.
- 10/12/2020
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Sony Pictures Classics has picked up distribution rights in North America and multiple international markets to the science-fiction drama “Nine Days,” starring Winston Duke.
The film, directed by Edson Oda from his own script, also stars Zazie Beetz, Bill Skarsgård, Benedict Wong, Tony Hale, David Rysdahl, and Arianna Ortiz. Oda received the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award for the film following its premiere at the Sundance film Festival in the U.S. Dramatic Competition.
Sony Classics also bought the rights to Latin America, Eastern Europe, Middle East, India, Australia, New Zealand, Scandinavia, South Africa, Benelux, Thailand, and on all airlines worldwide. The film is a co-production between Juniper Productions, Mandalay Pictures, Nowhere, MacRo Media, and The Space Program, in association with Mansa Productions, Oak Street Pictures, 30West, Baked Studios and Datari Turner Productions.
Duke portrays a recluse in a house distant from the reality we know. He interviews prospective candidates—personifications...
The film, directed by Edson Oda from his own script, also stars Zazie Beetz, Bill Skarsgård, Benedict Wong, Tony Hale, David Rysdahl, and Arianna Ortiz. Oda received the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award for the film following its premiere at the Sundance film Festival in the U.S. Dramatic Competition.
Sony Classics also bought the rights to Latin America, Eastern Europe, Middle East, India, Australia, New Zealand, Scandinavia, South Africa, Benelux, Thailand, and on all airlines worldwide. The film is a co-production between Juniper Productions, Mandalay Pictures, Nowhere, MacRo Media, and The Space Program, in association with Mansa Productions, Oak Street Pictures, 30West, Baked Studios and Datari Turner Productions.
Duke portrays a recluse in a house distant from the reality we know. He interviews prospective candidates—personifications...
- 2/21/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
“Nine Days,” starring Winston Duke, Zazie Beetz and Bill Skarsgard, has been acquired by Sony Pictures Classics following its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival last month, the distributor announced Friday.
Directed by Edson Oda, “Nine Days” takes place in a house, distant from the reality we know, and centers on a reclusive man named Will (Duke) who interviews prospective candidates Emma (Beetz), Kane (Skarsgård), Kyo (Benedict Wong), and Mike (David Rysdahl), who are each personifications of human souls, for the privilege that he once had: to be born in the real world. The others however, will cease to exist.
Oda also wrote the screenplay. Arianna Ortiz also co-stars.
Also Read: Director Edson Oda on How His Uncle's Death Inspired 'Nine Days' (Video)
Spc took North American rights, along with Latin America, Eastern Europe, Middle East, India, Australia, New Zealand, Scandinavia, South Africa, Benelux, and Thailand and on all airlines worldwide.
Directed by Edson Oda, “Nine Days” takes place in a house, distant from the reality we know, and centers on a reclusive man named Will (Duke) who interviews prospective candidates Emma (Beetz), Kane (Skarsgård), Kyo (Benedict Wong), and Mike (David Rysdahl), who are each personifications of human souls, for the privilege that he once had: to be born in the real world. The others however, will cease to exist.
Oda also wrote the screenplay. Arianna Ortiz also co-stars.
Also Read: Director Edson Oda on How His Uncle's Death Inspired 'Nine Days' (Video)
Spc took North American rights, along with Latin America, Eastern Europe, Middle East, India, Australia, New Zealand, Scandinavia, South Africa, Benelux, and Thailand and on all airlines worldwide.
- 2/21/2020
- by Beatrice Verhoeven and Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Ahmir Thompson, better known as Questlove, is set to make his feature directorial debut on the documentary film “Black Woodstock” about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. The film’s producers Robert Fyvolent and David Dinerstein announced Monday that the film has begun production.
The festival held in Harlem’s Mount Morris Park in 1969 drew 300,000 attendees and was and known locally as the “Black Woodstock,” and yet it received almost no attention from the media in comparison to Woodstock. Even so, the outdoor festival featured performances from luminaries such as Stevie Wonder, Sly and the Family Stone, Nina Simone, B.B. King, the Staple Singers, the 5th Dimension, David Ruffin, Mahalia Jackson and Gladys Knight and the Pips.
The documentary will be derived from 40 hours of never-before-seen footage shot by TV producer Hal Tulchin, who kept the footage in storage for the past 50 years.
Also Read: 'Woodstock' Film Review: Anniversary Doc Takes Boomers...
The festival held in Harlem’s Mount Morris Park in 1969 drew 300,000 attendees and was and known locally as the “Black Woodstock,” and yet it received almost no attention from the media in comparison to Woodstock. Even so, the outdoor festival featured performances from luminaries such as Stevie Wonder, Sly and the Family Stone, Nina Simone, B.B. King, the Staple Singers, the 5th Dimension, David Ruffin, Mahalia Jackson and Gladys Knight and the Pips.
The documentary will be derived from 40 hours of never-before-seen footage shot by TV producer Hal Tulchin, who kept the footage in storage for the past 50 years.
Also Read: 'Woodstock' Film Review: Anniversary Doc Takes Boomers...
- 12/2/2019
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson will direct “Black Woodstock,” a feature documentary about the Harlem Cultural Festival, Variety has learned.
Held in 1969, the outdoor festival featured performances from some of the leading black musicians of the day — a group of heavy-hitters that includes Sly and the Family Stone, Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, B.B. King, the 5th Dimension, David Ruffin, Mahalia Jackson, the Staple Singers, and Gladys Knight and the Pips. The festival took place one year after the death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, and was intended to celebrate African American culture and politics, as well as to promote black pride and unity.
It unfolded in Harlem’s Mount Morris Park during the same summer that Woodstock captured the attention of the world. Despite drawing over 300,000 people, the Harlem Cultural Festival received virtually no coverage from mainstream media, a staggering omission that Thompson’s film hopes to rectify. “Black Woodstock” will...
Held in 1969, the outdoor festival featured performances from some of the leading black musicians of the day — a group of heavy-hitters that includes Sly and the Family Stone, Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, B.B. King, the 5th Dimension, David Ruffin, Mahalia Jackson, the Staple Singers, and Gladys Knight and the Pips. The festival took place one year after the death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, and was intended to celebrate African American culture and politics, as well as to promote black pride and unity.
It unfolded in Harlem’s Mount Morris Park during the same summer that Woodstock captured the attention of the world. Despite drawing over 300,000 people, the Harlem Cultural Festival received virtually no coverage from mainstream media, a staggering omission that Thompson’s film hopes to rectify. “Black Woodstock” will...
- 12/2/2019
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Two-time Emmy-winning Veep actor Tony Hale has come aboard the indie drama, Nine Days, joining a cast that includes star Winston Duke (Black Panther) as well as Zazie Beetz, Benedict Wong (Doctor Strange), David Rysdahl (Netflix’s The Family), and Bill Skarsgard.
Edson Oda wrote and is directing the film. The plot follows a reclusive man (Duke) who, in a house, distant from the reality we know, interviews prospective candidates, a personification of human souls – for the privilege that he once had. To be born. Hale, who recently picked up his sixth Emmy nom for his role as Gary Walsh on the critically acclaimed HBO series, will play Alexander, a jovial soul, desperate to prove he should be given the opportunity of life.
Mandalay’s Jason Michael Berman, Nowhere’s Mette-Marie Kongsved and Laura Tunstall, Juniper’s Matthew Lindner...
Edson Oda wrote and is directing the film. The plot follows a reclusive man (Duke) who, in a house, distant from the reality we know, interviews prospective candidates, a personification of human souls – for the privilege that he once had. To be born. Hale, who recently picked up his sixth Emmy nom for his role as Gary Walsh on the critically acclaimed HBO series, will play Alexander, a jovial soul, desperate to prove he should be given the opportunity of life.
Mandalay’s Jason Michael Berman, Nowhere’s Mette-Marie Kongsved and Laura Tunstall, Juniper’s Matthew Lindner...
- 8/28/2019
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
Production scheduled to commence this summer.
Us star Winston Duke, Zazie Beetz from Deadpool 2, Bill Skarsgård (It), Benedict Wong (Doctor Strange) and David Rysdahl (The Revival) will star in sci-fi drama Nine Days for Mandalay Pictures, Nowhere, Juniper Productions, and Macro.
30West and CAA Media Finance represent worldwide rights to the project that marks the feature directorial debut of Edson Oda and was developed through the Sundance Institute Feature Film Program Labs.
Production is scheduled to commence this summer on the story about a reclusive man in an unfamiliar place who interviews prospective candidates for the privilege of being born.
Us star Winston Duke, Zazie Beetz from Deadpool 2, Bill Skarsgård (It), Benedict Wong (Doctor Strange) and David Rysdahl (The Revival) will star in sci-fi drama Nine Days for Mandalay Pictures, Nowhere, Juniper Productions, and Macro.
30West and CAA Media Finance represent worldwide rights to the project that marks the feature directorial debut of Edson Oda and was developed through the Sundance Institute Feature Film Program Labs.
Production is scheduled to commence this summer on the story about a reclusive man in an unfamiliar place who interviews prospective candidates for the privilege of being born.
- 6/7/2019
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Winston Duke, Zazie Beetz, Benedict Wong, David Rysdahl and Bill Skarsgård will star in the supernatural film “Nine Days,” the feature debut from director Edson Oda.
Duke will play a recluse living in an otherworldly home who interviews human souls for the privilege of being born. Beetz, Wong, Rysdahl and Skarsgård will play the interviewees.
“Nine Days” will be produced by Mandalay Pictures, Nowhere, Juniper Productions and MacRo, in association with the Space Program, Mansa Productions, Oak Street Pictures, 30West, and Datari Turner Productions.
“I’m thrilled to be working with such an incredible cast and amazing team. So grateful for all the support I have received. ‘Nine Days’ is a very personal story to me, and I can’t imagine a better team to help me tell it,” said Oda.
Writer-director Oda has been nominated for a Latin Grammy and has received a Gold Lion and three Bronze Lions at Cannes International Creativity Festival.
Duke will play a recluse living in an otherworldly home who interviews human souls for the privilege of being born. Beetz, Wong, Rysdahl and Skarsgård will play the interviewees.
“Nine Days” will be produced by Mandalay Pictures, Nowhere, Juniper Productions and MacRo, in association with the Space Program, Mansa Productions, Oak Street Pictures, 30West, and Datari Turner Productions.
“I’m thrilled to be working with such an incredible cast and amazing team. So grateful for all the support I have received. ‘Nine Days’ is a very personal story to me, and I can’t imagine a better team to help me tell it,” said Oda.
Writer-director Oda has been nominated for a Latin Grammy and has received a Gold Lion and three Bronze Lions at Cannes International Creativity Festival.
- 6/7/2019
- by Dano Nissen
- Variety Film + TV
Winston Duke, Zazie Beetz, Bill Skarsgård, Benedict Wong and David Rysdahl are set to star in “Nine Days,” a drama with supernatural, spiritual elements, from director Edson Oda, it was announced on Friday.
Oda will make his directorial feature debut on the project, which is produced by Mandalay Pictures, Nowhere, Juniper Productions and MacRo, in association with The Space Program, Mansa Productions, Oak Street Pictures, 30West, and Datari Turner Productions.
Jason Michael Berman is producing for Mandalay Pictures and Mette-Marie Kongsved and Laura Tunstall are producing for Nowhere. Matthew Lindner is producing for Juniper Productions, and Datari Turner is producing on behalf of his Datari Turner Productions.
Also Read: 'Black Panther' Star Winston Duke Exclusive StudioWrap Portraits (Photos)
“I’m thrilled to be working with such an incredible cast and amazing team. So grateful for all the support I have received. ‘Nine Days’ is a very personal story to me,...
Oda will make his directorial feature debut on the project, which is produced by Mandalay Pictures, Nowhere, Juniper Productions and MacRo, in association with The Space Program, Mansa Productions, Oak Street Pictures, 30West, and Datari Turner Productions.
Jason Michael Berman is producing for Mandalay Pictures and Mette-Marie Kongsved and Laura Tunstall are producing for Nowhere. Matthew Lindner is producing for Juniper Productions, and Datari Turner is producing on behalf of his Datari Turner Productions.
Also Read: 'Black Panther' Star Winston Duke Exclusive StudioWrap Portraits (Photos)
“I’m thrilled to be working with such an incredible cast and amazing team. So grateful for all the support I have received. ‘Nine Days’ is a very personal story to me,...
- 6/7/2019
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Exclusive: In a hot package to perk up a slumbering marketplace, Black Panther‘s Winston Duke is set to star in Nine Days with Deadpool 2‘s Zazie Beetz, It‘s Bill Skarsgård, Doctor Strange‘s Benedict Wong and David Rysdahl. The film is written and will be directed this summer by Edson Oda, the celebrated commercials director who is making his feature debut behind the camera.
Here’s the logline: In a house, distant from the reality we know, a reclusive man (Duke) interviews prospective candidates, a personification of human souls – for the privilege that he once had. To be born. The film is financed and 30West and CAA Media Finance are representing worldwide distribution rights and are taking it out to the town.
Oda is a 2017 Sundance Screenwriters Lab Fellow and Nine Days was developed through the Sundance Institute Feature Film Program Labs.
Pic is a co-production between Juniper Productions,...
Here’s the logline: In a house, distant from the reality we know, a reclusive man (Duke) interviews prospective candidates, a personification of human souls – for the privilege that he once had. To be born. The film is financed and 30West and CAA Media Finance are representing worldwide distribution rights and are taking it out to the town.
Oda is a 2017 Sundance Screenwriters Lab Fellow and Nine Days was developed through the Sundance Institute Feature Film Program Labs.
Pic is a co-production between Juniper Productions,...
- 6/7/2019
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
World-renowned Celebrity Chef Art Smith will receive the Dream Maker Award at the Ed Asner Family Center’s first annual A Night Of Dreams Gala, a night of music and philanthropy, on November 15, 2018 at Exchange La Downtown.
Emmy-nominated Actress Angela Bassett will present the award to Chef Art for his dedication to changing the world for ‘differently-abled’ individuals. Hosting the evening will be Emmy-winning comedian Wanda Sykes.
Grammy Award-winning music legend Peter Frampton will headline the A Night Of Dreams Gala, along with performances by Naia Izumi, NPR’s 2018 Tiny Desk Contest Winner, among others. The Ed Asner Family Center’s mission is to promote self-confidence in special needs individuals and bring balance and wellness to those individuals and their families.
The Gala will also present Dream Maker Awards to Emmy-winning actor Ed Asner, presented by actor Michael Shannon, and Elaine Frontain Bryant, Emmy-winning Executive Vice President and Head of Programming for A&E Network,...
Emmy-nominated Actress Angela Bassett will present the award to Chef Art for his dedication to changing the world for ‘differently-abled’ individuals. Hosting the evening will be Emmy-winning comedian Wanda Sykes.
Grammy Award-winning music legend Peter Frampton will headline the A Night Of Dreams Gala, along with performances by Naia Izumi, NPR’s 2018 Tiny Desk Contest Winner, among others. The Ed Asner Family Center’s mission is to promote self-confidence in special needs individuals and bring balance and wellness to those individuals and their families.
The Gala will also present Dream Maker Awards to Emmy-winning actor Ed Asner, presented by actor Michael Shannon, and Elaine Frontain Bryant, Emmy-winning Executive Vice President and Head of Programming for A&E Network,...
- 11/14/2018
- Look to the Stars
Acclaimed actress, producer, television star and entrepreneur Oprah Winfrey was honored with the 2018 Cecil B. de Mille Award at the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2018. During her rousing acceptance speech, Winfrey paid an emotional and heartfelt tribute to Recy Taylor.
Recy Taylor, a 24-year-old black mother and sharecropper, was gang raped by six white boys in 1944 Alabama. Common in Jim Crow South, few women spoke up in fear for their lives. Not Recy Taylor, who bravely identified her rapists.
The NAACP sent its chief rape investigator Rosa Parks, who rallied support and triggered an unprecedented outcry for justice.
Directed by Nancy Buirski, The Rape Of Recy Taylor, “exposes a legacy of physical abuse of black women and reveals Rosa Parks’ intimate role in Recy Taylor’s story. An attempted rape against Parks was but one inspiration for her ongoing fight for justice for countless women like Taylor.
Recy Taylor, a 24-year-old black mother and sharecropper, was gang raped by six white boys in 1944 Alabama. Common in Jim Crow South, few women spoke up in fear for their lives. Not Recy Taylor, who bravely identified her rapists.
The NAACP sent its chief rape investigator Rosa Parks, who rallied support and triggered an unprecedented outcry for justice.
Directed by Nancy Buirski, The Rape Of Recy Taylor, “exposes a legacy of physical abuse of black women and reveals Rosa Parks’ intimate role in Recy Taylor’s story. An attempted rape against Parks was but one inspiration for her ongoing fight for justice for countless women like Taylor.
- 1/8/2018
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Coming off strong showings at both the Venice and New York Film Festivals, Nancy Buirski’s Augusta Films has set an awards-qualifying run for the filmmaker’s new documentary “The Rape of Recy Taylor.” The film, which debuted at Venice last month and went on to screen at Nyff, will open in New York and Los Angeles this December to qualify for the Academy Award for Best Documentary.
In a statement, Buirski said, “We were stunned by reviews that not only recognized the hidden story of black women physically abused in Jim Crow South, but by how powerfully our film resonates today. From a president who gropes women to white supremacy in Charlottesville to women who courageously speak up against predatory celebrities and mogals, this film is smack in the public square. Though we’re throwing our hat in the ring late, we felt this coud not wait! An Academy...
In a statement, Buirski said, “We were stunned by reviews that not only recognized the hidden story of black women physically abused in Jim Crow South, but by how powerfully our film resonates today. From a president who gropes women to white supremacy in Charlottesville to women who courageously speak up against predatory celebrities and mogals, this film is smack in the public square. Though we’re throwing our hat in the ring late, we felt this coud not wait! An Academy...
- 10/19/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
"Martin Lawrence Live: Runteldat," the actor-comic's latest performance film, is a two-for-one job. The first part contains a spectacularly unfunny stand-up routine consisting of weak, off-putting and belabored jokes. The other is a rationalization for all his recent legal and personal misfortunes.
The Maryland native delivers his jokes and excuses to thousands of adoring fans at Constitution Hall in Washington. Thanks to a hit TV series and several popular films, Lawrence has a definite following of forgive-and-forget fans, so the laugh track is solid. This concert film should also score with fans nationwide, but it is unlikely to win many converts for Lawrence.
The best comics, whether their material is off-color or not, deliver observations and insights into the human condition with wit and verbal dexterity. Neither weapon is in Lawrence's comic arsenal. His crude routines focus on safe sex, getting old (he's all of 36), disciplining children ("Whup you child's ass!"), sex after pregnancy, prenuptial agreements (he's for them) and overweight women (he's against them).
Lawrence has little to say on any of these topics. Worse, he is one of the least articulate comics in the history of stand-up. If you eliminate the words "fuck," "shit" and all their variations, this movie would barely qualify as a talkie.
Of course, humor is a matter of taste. Fans may love his comic riffs. Things only become pathetic when Lawrence decides to "tell my own story." The three now-infamous incidents he explains are his deranged behavior with a gun in the middle of an L.A. street -- "I was higher than a motherfucker!" -- a nightclub fight and a bizarre episode where he nearly died of heat stroke and dehydration while jogging in the noon sun.
His defense of this misbehavior: "No one is immune to the trials and tribulations of life." No apologies. No declaration that he has cleaned up his act. Just a defiant "We're all human". Everyone does these kind of things, he insists. Really?
This guy could have taught Tricky Dick Nixon a few tricks. He invokes God whenever he thinks that will go down well. He patronizes his audience by insisting that through all his self-imposed trials, "I felt your love". He even invokes Sept. 11 in response to his critics in the media without ever explaining what one has to do with the other.
The film itself is very cut and dried. An opening sequence contains clips from old TV shows and films and shots of Lawrence revving up backstage for his show. Once it begins, director David Raynr keeps the cameras trained on his sweating comic, seldom cutting away for obligatory shots of the crowd screaming with laughter. Daryn Okada's cinematography is refreshingly no-frills.
MARTIN LAWRENCE LIVE: RUNTELDAT
Paramount Pictures
MTV Films and Runteldat
Credits: Director: David Raynr; Writer: Martin Lawrence; Producers: Michael Hubbard, Beth Hubbard, David Gale, Loretha Jones; Executive producers: Martin Lawrence, Robert Lawrence, Van Toffler; Director of photography: Daryn Okada; Production designer: Richard Hoover; Co-producers: Walter Latham, Michael Cole, Momita Sengupta; Editor: Nicholas Eliopoulos. Cast: Martin Lawrence.
MPAA rating R, running time 103 minutes.
The Maryland native delivers his jokes and excuses to thousands of adoring fans at Constitution Hall in Washington. Thanks to a hit TV series and several popular films, Lawrence has a definite following of forgive-and-forget fans, so the laugh track is solid. This concert film should also score with fans nationwide, but it is unlikely to win many converts for Lawrence.
The best comics, whether their material is off-color or not, deliver observations and insights into the human condition with wit and verbal dexterity. Neither weapon is in Lawrence's comic arsenal. His crude routines focus on safe sex, getting old (he's all of 36), disciplining children ("Whup you child's ass!"), sex after pregnancy, prenuptial agreements (he's for them) and overweight women (he's against them).
Lawrence has little to say on any of these topics. Worse, he is one of the least articulate comics in the history of stand-up. If you eliminate the words "fuck," "shit" and all their variations, this movie would barely qualify as a talkie.
Of course, humor is a matter of taste. Fans may love his comic riffs. Things only become pathetic when Lawrence decides to "tell my own story." The three now-infamous incidents he explains are his deranged behavior with a gun in the middle of an L.A. street -- "I was higher than a motherfucker!" -- a nightclub fight and a bizarre episode where he nearly died of heat stroke and dehydration while jogging in the noon sun.
His defense of this misbehavior: "No one is immune to the trials and tribulations of life." No apologies. No declaration that he has cleaned up his act. Just a defiant "We're all human". Everyone does these kind of things, he insists. Really?
This guy could have taught Tricky Dick Nixon a few tricks. He invokes God whenever he thinks that will go down well. He patronizes his audience by insisting that through all his self-imposed trials, "I felt your love". He even invokes Sept. 11 in response to his critics in the media without ever explaining what one has to do with the other.
The film itself is very cut and dried. An opening sequence contains clips from old TV shows and films and shots of Lawrence revving up backstage for his show. Once it begins, director David Raynr keeps the cameras trained on his sweating comic, seldom cutting away for obligatory shots of the crowd screaming with laughter. Daryn Okada's cinematography is refreshingly no-frills.
MARTIN LAWRENCE LIVE: RUNTELDAT
Paramount Pictures
MTV Films and Runteldat
Credits: Director: David Raynr; Writer: Martin Lawrence; Producers: Michael Hubbard, Beth Hubbard, David Gale, Loretha Jones; Executive producers: Martin Lawrence, Robert Lawrence, Van Toffler; Director of photography: Daryn Okada; Production designer: Richard Hoover; Co-producers: Walter Latham, Michael Cole, Momita Sengupta; Editor: Nicholas Eliopoulos. Cast: Martin Lawrence.
MPAA rating R, running time 103 minutes.
Jada Pinkett Smith stars as a sassy good-time girl who beats all the players at their own game in "Woo", a flatly stereotypical sex comedy that disappoints on both fronts.
With Pinkett's character calling the trite shots, the filmmakers obviously hope to woo urban females with a genre that has been the domain of young males. But this is no "Waiting to Exhale".
Will's wife may help attract some initial business but likely not enough to pull the "Woo" over anyone's eyes.
After a visit to her sexually confused, psychic friend Celestrial (Girlina), Darlene "Woo" Bates (Pinkett Smith) is set up on a blind date with Tim (Tommy Davidson), a shy law clerk who has spent so many nights home alone that his buddies have started calling him Macaulay Culkin.
Not one to let a deadbeat -- albeit a well-meaning one -- spoil the fun, Woo decides to take Manhattan (played in part by Toronto) in style, leaving a path of destruction in their wake. Despite trashing a fancy Italian restaurant and losing a couple of cars along the way, Tim realizes that his polar opposite is nevertheless an attractive proposition, as does Woo.
In theory, it's easy to see why Pinkett Smith would find the role attractive. It presents her the opportunity to play a strong, off-the-wall character who can really let loose. But while she does with it what she can, David C. Johnson's script -- with its bottom-of-the-bin stereotypes and hackneyed situations -- does her no favors. As written, Woo borders on just plain annoying.
Also asked to play an essentially one-note character, Davidson is nevertheless able to inject some adept physical humor into the portrayal. Elsewhere, a briefly seen LL Cool J has a little fun as Tim's smooth neighbor, while Billy Dee Williams, in a sequence that recalls the Bogie bits in "Play It Again, Sam", makes an unbilled cameo as himself.
After an impressive debut with "Party Girl", Daisy von Scherler Mayer's direction feels awkward and plodding here, making the picture seem a lot longer than 85 minutes.
WOO
New Line Cinema
A New Deal/Gotham Entertainment production
Director: Daisy V.S. Mayer
Screenwriter: David C. Johnson
Producers: Beth Hubbard, Michael Hubbard
Executive producers: John Singleton,
Howard Hobson, Bradford W. Smith
Director of photography: Jean Lepine
Production designer: Ina Mayhew
Editors: Nicholas Eliopoulos, Janice Hampton
Costume designer: Michael Clancy
Music: Michel Colombier
Music supervisor: Bill Coleman
Casting: Robi Reed-Humes
Color/stereo
Cast:
Woo: Jada Pinkett Smith
Timmy: Tommy Davidson
Lenny: Dave Chappelle
Claudette: Paula Jai Parker
Hop: Darrel Heath
Romaine: Michael Ralph
Celestrial: Girlina
Darryl: LL Cool J
Running time -- 85 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
With Pinkett's character calling the trite shots, the filmmakers obviously hope to woo urban females with a genre that has been the domain of young males. But this is no "Waiting to Exhale".
Will's wife may help attract some initial business but likely not enough to pull the "Woo" over anyone's eyes.
After a visit to her sexually confused, psychic friend Celestrial (Girlina), Darlene "Woo" Bates (Pinkett Smith) is set up on a blind date with Tim (Tommy Davidson), a shy law clerk who has spent so many nights home alone that his buddies have started calling him Macaulay Culkin.
Not one to let a deadbeat -- albeit a well-meaning one -- spoil the fun, Woo decides to take Manhattan (played in part by Toronto) in style, leaving a path of destruction in their wake. Despite trashing a fancy Italian restaurant and losing a couple of cars along the way, Tim realizes that his polar opposite is nevertheless an attractive proposition, as does Woo.
In theory, it's easy to see why Pinkett Smith would find the role attractive. It presents her the opportunity to play a strong, off-the-wall character who can really let loose. But while she does with it what she can, David C. Johnson's script -- with its bottom-of-the-bin stereotypes and hackneyed situations -- does her no favors. As written, Woo borders on just plain annoying.
Also asked to play an essentially one-note character, Davidson is nevertheless able to inject some adept physical humor into the portrayal. Elsewhere, a briefly seen LL Cool J has a little fun as Tim's smooth neighbor, while Billy Dee Williams, in a sequence that recalls the Bogie bits in "Play It Again, Sam", makes an unbilled cameo as himself.
After an impressive debut with "Party Girl", Daisy von Scherler Mayer's direction feels awkward and plodding here, making the picture seem a lot longer than 85 minutes.
WOO
New Line Cinema
A New Deal/Gotham Entertainment production
Director: Daisy V.S. Mayer
Screenwriter: David C. Johnson
Producers: Beth Hubbard, Michael Hubbard
Executive producers: John Singleton,
Howard Hobson, Bradford W. Smith
Director of photography: Jean Lepine
Production designer: Ina Mayhew
Editors: Nicholas Eliopoulos, Janice Hampton
Costume designer: Michael Clancy
Music: Michel Colombier
Music supervisor: Bill Coleman
Casting: Robi Reed-Humes
Color/stereo
Cast:
Woo: Jada Pinkett Smith
Timmy: Tommy Davidson
Lenny: Dave Chappelle
Claudette: Paula Jai Parker
Hop: Darrel Heath
Romaine: Michael Ralph
Celestrial: Girlina
Darryl: LL Cool J
Running time -- 85 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
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