Jules director Marc Turtletaub with Anne-Katrin Titze on Ben Kingsley: “This is not a way we’ve ever seen Sir Ben before.”
Marc Turtletaub’s otherworldly Jules, written by Gavin Steckler, shot by Christopher Norr and scored by Volker Bertelmann (Oscar for Best Original Score of Edward Berger’s All Quiet On The Western Front), stars Ben Kingsley with Harriet Sansom Harris, Jane Curtin, Zoë Winters, and Jade Quon as the title character. The first time I spoke with Marc Turtletaub he was with Kelly Macdonald, star of his Puzzle (screenplay co-written by Oren Moverman) at Sony Pictures Classics. His producer credits include Jeff Nichols’ Loving (based in part on Nancy Buirski's The Loving Story), Marielle Heller’s A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood, Davy Rothbart’s 17 Blocks, as executive producer Robin Wright’s Land, and an Oscar nomination for Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton’s Little Miss Sunshine.
Marc Turtletaub’s otherworldly Jules, written by Gavin Steckler, shot by Christopher Norr and scored by Volker Bertelmann (Oscar for Best Original Score of Edward Berger’s All Quiet On The Western Front), stars Ben Kingsley with Harriet Sansom Harris, Jane Curtin, Zoë Winters, and Jade Quon as the title character. The first time I spoke with Marc Turtletaub he was with Kelly Macdonald, star of his Puzzle (screenplay co-written by Oren Moverman) at Sony Pictures Classics. His producer credits include Jeff Nichols’ Loving (based in part on Nancy Buirski's The Loving Story), Marielle Heller’s A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood, Davy Rothbart’s 17 Blocks, as executive producer Robin Wright’s Land, and an Oscar nomination for Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton’s Little Miss Sunshine.
- 8/7/2023
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Exclusive: The Jewish non-profit Reboot has launched its own production company Reboot Studios, which will provide seed funding for and develop Jewish content across theater, television, film, podcasts, music and publishing.
The new banner stems from Reboot’s past successes funding projects across all media, including Saturday Night Seder, with Jason Alexander, Billy Porter, Henry Winkler, Pamela Adlon, Cynthia Erivo and more. That virtual Passover production was put on as a means of bolstering the CDC Foundation’s Coronavirus Emergency Response Fund in the early days of the pandemic, and would ultimately raise more than 2.9M.
Reboot Studios’ advisory board, comprised of distinguished industry leaders and creators who will be actively shepherding and guiding projects, includes Showtime’s EVP of Scripted Programming, Amy Israel; Oscar, Grammy, Tony, and Golden Globe Award-winning songwriter Benj Pasek (Dear Evan Hansen); Searchlight Pictures President David Greenbaum; Amblin Partners’ President of Production Jeb Brody; Tony...
The new banner stems from Reboot’s past successes funding projects across all media, including Saturday Night Seder, with Jason Alexander, Billy Porter, Henry Winkler, Pamela Adlon, Cynthia Erivo and more. That virtual Passover production was put on as a means of bolstering the CDC Foundation’s Coronavirus Emergency Response Fund in the early days of the pandemic, and would ultimately raise more than 2.9M.
Reboot Studios’ advisory board, comprised of distinguished industry leaders and creators who will be actively shepherding and guiding projects, includes Showtime’s EVP of Scripted Programming, Amy Israel; Oscar, Grammy, Tony, and Golden Globe Award-winning songwriter Benj Pasek (Dear Evan Hansen); Searchlight Pictures President David Greenbaum; Amblin Partners’ President of Production Jeb Brody; Tony...
- 6/28/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Xtr — the documentary studio behind titles including Hulu’s Homeroom and Neon’s Ailey — is getting into podcasting with new division Xtr Radio.
The division will launch with the documentary deep-dive show Human Drama Thing, hosted by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker This American Life contributor Davy Rothbart and Kcrw’s David Weinberg. Set to premiere this fall, the series will delve into titles like Paris is Burning, Roger & Me and Wild, Wild Country with Oscar-winning filmmakers, doc fanatics and subjects.
“As a lifelong documentary junkie, making a podcast where we can take a magnifying glass to our all-time favorite docs — and ...
The division will launch with the documentary deep-dive show Human Drama Thing, hosted by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker This American Life contributor Davy Rothbart and Kcrw’s David Weinberg. Set to premiere this fall, the series will delve into titles like Paris is Burning, Roger & Me and Wild, Wild Country with Oscar-winning filmmakers, doc fanatics and subjects.
“As a lifelong documentary junkie, making a podcast where we can take a magnifying glass to our all-time favorite docs — and ...
- 8/27/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Xtr — the documentary studio behind titles including Hulu’s Homeroom and Neon’s Ailey — is getting into podcasting with new division Xtr Radio.
The division will launch with the documentary deep-dive show Human Drama Thing, hosted by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker This American Life contributor Davy Rothbart and Kcrw’s David Weinberg. Set to premiere this fall, the series will delve into titles like Paris is Burning, Roger & Me and Wild, Wild Country with Oscar-winning filmmakers, doc fanatics and subjects.
“As a lifelong documentary junkie, making a podcast where we can take a magnifying glass to our all-time favorite docs — and ...
The division will launch with the documentary deep-dive show Human Drama Thing, hosted by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker This American Life contributor Davy Rothbart and Kcrw’s David Weinberg. Set to premiere this fall, the series will delve into titles like Paris is Burning, Roger & Me and Wild, Wild Country with Oscar-winning filmmakers, doc fanatics and subjects.
“As a lifelong documentary junkie, making a podcast where we can take a magnifying glass to our all-time favorite docs — and ...
- 8/27/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
This number will increase as Cannes, Venice and other summer festival titles are added to the mix alongside studio releases.
French cinemas reopen this Wednesday (May 19) after lying dark for six months due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with the country’s 100-plus distributors rushing to set theatrical dates for an estimated backlog of 400 stalled films.
As a result, French cinemagoers will have access to the richest and most diverse offering of films in the world over the coming months, spanning festival titles, local mainstream comedies and dramas, world cinema and studio blockbuster fare, as the summer advances.
As of May...
French cinemas reopen this Wednesday (May 19) after lying dark for six months due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with the country’s 100-plus distributors rushing to set theatrical dates for an estimated backlog of 400 stalled films.
As a result, French cinemagoers will have access to the richest and most diverse offering of films in the world over the coming months, spanning festival titles, local mainstream comedies and dramas, world cinema and studio blockbuster fare, as the summer advances.
As of May...
- 5/17/2021
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: The team behind Chameleon: The Hollywood Con Queen, the breakout podcast series that unmasked the man behind one of the strangest entertainment-related grifts, has set its second season.
Campside Media, the Sister-backed company that produces the show in partnership with Sony Music Entertainment, is making Chameleon: High Rollers with new host Trevor Aaronson.
You can listen to the trailer below.
The second season, which has been described as American Hustler-esque, will follow the FBI as they investigate a money laundering conspiracy in Vegas — or track a conspiracy that never existed at all.
The series will investigate the stranger-than-fiction tale using more than 20 hours of FBI recordings, taking listeners into a sordid, neon-lit world of diet clinics, fitness models, high-end restaurants, strip clubs, lascivious men, arms dealers, secret scams, and lawsuits.
Hollywood Con Queen Subject Of eOne Will Gluck-Noah Pink Scripted Series & Unscripted Docuseries Based On ‘Chameleon’ Podcast That Unmasked...
Campside Media, the Sister-backed company that produces the show in partnership with Sony Music Entertainment, is making Chameleon: High Rollers with new host Trevor Aaronson.
You can listen to the trailer below.
The second season, which has been described as American Hustler-esque, will follow the FBI as they investigate a money laundering conspiracy in Vegas — or track a conspiracy that never existed at all.
The series will investigate the stranger-than-fiction tale using more than 20 hours of FBI recordings, taking listeners into a sordid, neon-lit world of diet clinics, fitness models, high-end restaurants, strip clubs, lascivious men, arms dealers, secret scams, and lawsuits.
Hollywood Con Queen Subject Of eOne Will Gluck-Noah Pink Scripted Series & Unscripted Docuseries Based On ‘Chameleon’ Podcast That Unmasked...
- 5/13/2021
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Using home video filmed over 20 years, 17 Blocks captures one black American family enduring the joy, loss, and the scourge of gun violence in the shadow of the US Capitol
In 1999, Davy Rothbart was 23 years old and staying on a friend’s couch in south-east DC a few blocks from a basketball court, where he befriended 15-year-old Akil “Smurf” Sanford and his precocious nine-year-old brother, Emmanuel. An aspiring film-maker, Rothbart had a small handheld camcorder, which the younger brother immediately took a shine to; the two would mess around with the amateur device, taking in their everyday sights. “We learned how to use it together,” Rothbart told the Guardian – strolling about the neighborhood, interviewing people on the street, monkeying with the night vision setting, letting their curiosity guide the lens.
Related: 'If it wasn’t for us, essential workers couldn’t go to work': a film on 24/7 daycare...
In 1999, Davy Rothbart was 23 years old and staying on a friend’s couch in south-east DC a few blocks from a basketball court, where he befriended 15-year-old Akil “Smurf” Sanford and his precocious nine-year-old brother, Emmanuel. An aspiring film-maker, Rothbart had a small handheld camcorder, which the younger brother immediately took a shine to; the two would mess around with the amateur device, taking in their everyday sights. “We learned how to use it together,” Rothbart told the Guardian – strolling about the neighborhood, interviewing people on the street, monkeying with the night vision setting, letting their curiosity guide the lens.
Related: 'If it wasn’t for us, essential workers couldn’t go to work': a film on 24/7 daycare...
- 2/22/2021
- by Adrian Horton
- The Guardian - Film News
The treasures of an extended Oscar season just keep on giving, as Venice Film Festival winner and award season favorite “Nomadland” finds its way to theaters — and Hulu subscribers. It’s a special film, about a woman (played by two-time Oscar winner Frances McDormand) who pulls up stakes and travels the country by van, hitting theaters at a time when many people have been reexamining their own lives. So if there’s a safe way to see it, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better option out there.
The week’s a bit thinner on conventional crowd pleasers. Channeling “The Wolf of Wall Street”-style energy on an indie scale, both “Silk Road” and “Body Brokers” offer cutting-edge takes on 21st-century crimes: a black market for illegal drugs in the former and a scheme to profit on recovering addicts in the latter. Also in the Scorsese vein, the Montreal-made...
The week’s a bit thinner on conventional crowd pleasers. Channeling “The Wolf of Wall Street”-style energy on an indie scale, both “Silk Road” and “Body Brokers” offer cutting-edge takes on 21st-century crimes: a black market for illegal drugs in the former and a scheme to profit on recovering addicts in the latter. Also in the Scorsese vein, the Montreal-made...
- 2/19/2021
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
"Everything changed in one night." MTV Doc Films has revealed a new official trailer for the acclaimed documentary titled 17 Blocks, now known as 17 Blocks: The Final Cut for release this year. It originally premiered in 2019 at the Tribeca Film Festival, and played at numerous other festivals through the last few years. Using two decades of intimate home video, the documentary tells the story of the Sanford family, whose struggles with addiction and gun violence eventually lead to a journey of love, loss, and acceptance. Filmmaker Davy Rothbart has been filming the Sanford family since 1999, and has put together 20 years of footage to make this film. The title is a reference to how many blocks away they live from the US Capitol in Washington D.C. It's described in reviews as an "essential viewing doc about race & class in America" and "remarkably raw and heartfelt." 17 Blocks is a very powerful, honest...
- 2/15/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
In 1999, filmmaker Davy Rothbart met Emmanuel Sanford-Durant and his older brother, Smurf, during a pickup basketball game in Southeast Washington, D.C. Rothbart began filming their lives, and soon the two brothers and other family members started to use the camera themselves. Spanning 20 years and culled from over 1,000 hours of footage, Rothbart’s feature documentary, “17 Blocks,” illuminates a national, ongoing crisis through one family’s riveting saga. The film takes its title from the location of the Sanford family’s home, just 17 blocks behind the U.S. Capitol.
IndieWire has an exclusive first look at the first trailer for the film, which won the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival Award for Best Documentary Editing.
When Rothbart was first introduced to the Sanford family, he was sleeping on a friend’s couch in Southeast Washington, D.C. While playing basketball at a nearby court, he met Smurf, a local drug dealer who was 15 at the time,...
IndieWire has an exclusive first look at the first trailer for the film, which won the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival Award for Best Documentary Editing.
When Rothbart was first introduced to the Sanford family, he was sleeping on a friend’s couch in Southeast Washington, D.C. While playing basketball at a nearby court, he met Smurf, a local drug dealer who was 15 at the time,...
- 2/15/2021
- by Tambay Obenson
- Indiewire
17 Blocks will have a national release on Feb. 19th, and will be virtual theatrical in more than 100 cities, through MTV Documentary Films and partner organizations Everytown for Gun Safety and Black Lives Matter D.C.
In 1999, 9-year-old Emmanuel Sanford-Durant and his Washington, D.C., family began to film their daily lives in America’s most dangerous neighborhood — just 17 blocks behind the U.S. Capitol building. They’ve been filming ever since. Made in a unique collaboration with filmmaker and journalist Davy Rothbart — author, editor of Found magazine, and director of “Medora,” 17 Blocks focuses on four generations of the Sanford Family, including Emmanuel, a promising student; his brother, Smurf, a local drug dealer; his sister, Denice, an aspiring cop; and his mother, Cheryl, who must conquer her own demons for her family to prosper. Spanning two decades, “17 Blocks” illuminates a nation’s ongoing crisis through one family’s raw, stirring, and deeply personal saga.
In 1999, 9-year-old Emmanuel Sanford-Durant and his Washington, D.C., family began to film their daily lives in America’s most dangerous neighborhood — just 17 blocks behind the U.S. Capitol building. They’ve been filming ever since. Made in a unique collaboration with filmmaker and journalist Davy Rothbart — author, editor of Found magazine, and director of “Medora,” 17 Blocks focuses on four generations of the Sanford Family, including Emmanuel, a promising student; his brother, Smurf, a local drug dealer; his sister, Denice, an aspiring cop; and his mother, Cheryl, who must conquer her own demons for her family to prosper. Spanning two decades, “17 Blocks” illuminates a nation’s ongoing crisis through one family’s raw, stirring, and deeply personal saga.
- 2/8/2021
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Podcasting is so hot right now. Top tier talent both in front of and behind the camera are rapidly moving into the medium, buoyed by the opportunities to tell different types of stories.
Deadline has been increasing its coverage of podcasting over the last 12 months, breaking stories about the likes of Demi Moore making QCode’s Dirty Diana and Elle Fanning narrating a non-fiction series about a deadly internet diet drug that cooks people alive. We’ve covered the likes of Shonda Rhimes, Jordan Peele and Will Ferrell moving into the medium as well as the plethora of TV and film projects that are now in development based on podcast IP.
This move has undoubtedly sped up since the pandemic hit – it’s easier to produce a podcast under lockdown than film or TV – and many of the major Hollywood studios are increasingly entering the arena with the likes of...
Deadline has been increasing its coverage of podcasting over the last 12 months, breaking stories about the likes of Demi Moore making QCode’s Dirty Diana and Elle Fanning narrating a non-fiction series about a deadly internet diet drug that cooks people alive. We’ve covered the likes of Shonda Rhimes, Jordan Peele and Will Ferrell moving into the medium as well as the plethora of TV and film projects that are now in development based on podcast IP.
This move has undoubtedly sped up since the pandemic hit – it’s easier to produce a podcast under lockdown than film or TV – and many of the major Hollywood studios are increasingly entering the arena with the likes of...
- 12/26/2020
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
In “17 Blocks,” Cheryl Sanford, matriarch of a low-income African American household in southeast Washington, D.C., talks wistfully of a “parallel universe” where she and her family enjoy cookouts, vacations and gift-filled Christmas mornings. This melancholy confession comes moments after a closeup of her casually snorting cocaine. It’s a heartbreaking scene in that have destroyed the future, and often claimed the lives, of too many African Americans in poor communities.
Though it premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2019 and was subsequently slated for distribution by MTV Documentary Films last fall, Davy Rothbart’s intimate and uncompromising documentary was then held back for 2020. The subsequent coronavirus outbreak put those plans in limbo once again, with theatrical and broadcast release still in flux. In the interim, “17 Blocks” has taken on fresh relevance amid the #BlackLivesMatter protests, speaking even more directly to this moment and an America convulsing in protest over racial inequality.
Though it premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2019 and was subsequently slated for distribution by MTV Documentary Films last fall, Davy Rothbart’s intimate and uncompromising documentary was then held back for 2020. The subsequent coronavirus outbreak put those plans in limbo once again, with theatrical and broadcast release still in flux. In the interim, “17 Blocks” has taken on fresh relevance amid the #BlackLivesMatter protests, speaking even more directly to this moment and an America convulsing in protest over racial inequality.
- 7/4/2020
- by Mark Keizer
- Variety Film + TV
Uncut Gems wins best lead actor, directing, editing.
Lulu Wang’s The Farewell was named best feature at the Spirit Awards in Santa Monica on Saturday (8) in a night that recognised female directing talent in stark contrast to tomorrow’s Oscars.
Olivia Wilde won best first film for Booksmart, and American Factory, co-directed by Julia Reichert, (alongside Steven Bognar), won best documentary.
Renée Zellweger won best actress for Judy and has virtually swept the boards this awards season ahead of Sunday’s expected win at the Academy Awards.
Adam Sandler was a popular winner for Uncut Gems, which took home...
Lulu Wang’s The Farewell was named best feature at the Spirit Awards in Santa Monica on Saturday (8) in a night that recognised female directing talent in stark contrast to tomorrow’s Oscars.
Olivia Wilde won best first film for Booksmart, and American Factory, co-directed by Julia Reichert, (alongside Steven Bognar), won best documentary.
Renée Zellweger won best actress for Judy and has virtually swept the boards this awards season ahead of Sunday’s expected win at the Academy Awards.
Adam Sandler was a popular winner for Uncut Gems, which took home...
- 2/9/2020
- by 36¦Jeremy Kay¦54¦
- ScreenDaily
The 35th annual Spirit Awards, honoring the best in independent cinema, took place Saturday in Santa Monica.
Lulu Wang’s “The Farewell” won best picture, while Adam Sandler and Renee Zellweger took home the top acting prizes.
Full list of winners.
Best Feature
A Hidden Life
Clemency
The Farewell (Winner)
Marriage Story
Uncut Gems
Best Director
Robert Eggers – The Lighthouse
Alma Har’el – Honey Boy
Julius Onah – Luce
Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie – Uncut Gems (Winner)
Lorene Scafaria – Hustlers
Best First Feature
Booksmart (Winner)
The Climb
Diane
The Last Black Man In San Francisco
The Mustang
See You Yesterday
Best Female Lead
Karen Allen – Colewell
Hong Chau – Driveways
Elisabeth Moss – Her Smell
Mary Kay Place – Diane
Alfre Woodard – Clemency
Renée Zellweger – Judy (Winner)
Best Male Lead
Chris Galust – Give Me Liberty
Kelvin Harrison Jr. – Luce
Robert Pattinson – The Lighthouse
Adam Sandler – Uncut Gems (Winner)
Matthias Schoenaerts – The Mustang
Best Supporting Female
Jennifer Lopez...
Lulu Wang’s “The Farewell” won best picture, while Adam Sandler and Renee Zellweger took home the top acting prizes.
Full list of winners.
Best Feature
A Hidden Life
Clemency
The Farewell (Winner)
Marriage Story
Uncut Gems
Best Director
Robert Eggers – The Lighthouse
Alma Har’el – Honey Boy
Julius Onah – Luce
Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie – Uncut Gems (Winner)
Lorene Scafaria – Hustlers
Best First Feature
Booksmart (Winner)
The Climb
Diane
The Last Black Man In San Francisco
The Mustang
See You Yesterday
Best Female Lead
Karen Allen – Colewell
Hong Chau – Driveways
Elisabeth Moss – Her Smell
Mary Kay Place – Diane
Alfre Woodard – Clemency
Renée Zellweger – Judy (Winner)
Best Male Lead
Chris Galust – Give Me Liberty
Kelvin Harrison Jr. – Luce
Robert Pattinson – The Lighthouse
Adam Sandler – Uncut Gems (Winner)
Matthias Schoenaerts – The Mustang
Best Supporting Female
Jennifer Lopez...
- 2/8/2020
- by Variety Staff
- Variety Film + TV
Aubrey Plaza will return to host the Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday in Santa Monica.
The 35th annual Spirit Awards are set to air live on the IFC Channel beginning at 5 p.m. Et/2 p.m. Pt. The network will live stream the ceremony on its website, though audiences will need a cable login to watch. TV subscribers can also watch the show live on IFC app’s, available on iOS and Android, Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, Xbox, and Android TV devices.
This year’s top Spirit Award nominees include Robert Pattinson’s “The Lighthouse” and Adam Sandler’s “Uncut Gems,” with five nods each. Shia Labeouf’s “Honey Boy” and Kirill Mikhanovsky’s scored four nominations.
“Uncut Gems,” Terrence Malick’s “A Hidden Life,” Chinonye Chukwu’s “Clemency,” Lulu Wang’s “The Farewell” and Noah Baumbach’s “Marriage Story” are up for best feature.
Here’s the full...
The 35th annual Spirit Awards are set to air live on the IFC Channel beginning at 5 p.m. Et/2 p.m. Pt. The network will live stream the ceremony on its website, though audiences will need a cable login to watch. TV subscribers can also watch the show live on IFC app’s, available on iOS and Android, Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, Xbox, and Android TV devices.
This year’s top Spirit Award nominees include Robert Pattinson’s “The Lighthouse” and Adam Sandler’s “Uncut Gems,” with five nods each. Shia Labeouf’s “Honey Boy” and Kirill Mikhanovsky’s scored four nominations.
“Uncut Gems,” Terrence Malick’s “A Hidden Life,” Chinonye Chukwu’s “Clemency,” Lulu Wang’s “The Farewell” and Noah Baumbach’s “Marriage Story” are up for best feature.
Here’s the full...
- 2/8/2020
- by Variety Staff
- Variety Film + TV
'Dear Mom summer camp isn't fun anymore, everyone is dying.' 'Dear Ron things haven't been the same since we found out we were related.' 'I, Becka McNeil state herein that upon my death Drew Kopel has all legal rights to my skull.' Iama Theatre Company presents the West Coast premiere of Found, a new musical inspired by Davy Rothbart's popular Found magazine, which features scores of actual discarded notes and letters that have been 'found' in the real world by everyday people.
- 1/15/2020
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
“First Cow” director Kelly Reichardt has been given a $50,000 Film Independent Spirit Awards Filmmaker Grant designed to recognize a mid-career female director.
Reichardt won the third annual Bonnie Award, named for Bonnie Tiburzi Caputo, who became the first woman to pilot a major U.S. airline when she joined the award’s sponsor, American Airlines, in 1973.
Actress Alfre Woodard and filmmaker Jon M. Chu presented the award, one of four grants given out by Film Independent at its nominees brunch at the Boa Steakhouse in West Hollywood on Saturday.
Also Read: 'The Lighthouse,' 'Uncut Gems' Lead Nominees at Independent Spirit Awards
In addition to the $50,000 Bonnie Award, $25,000 unrestricted grants were given to an up-and-coming producer (Molly Asher), director (Rashaad Ernesto Green) and documentary director (Nadia Shihab).
Winners in the rest of the Spirit Awards categories will be announced during the main Spirit Awards show on Saturday, Feb. 4.
The...
Reichardt won the third annual Bonnie Award, named for Bonnie Tiburzi Caputo, who became the first woman to pilot a major U.S. airline when she joined the award’s sponsor, American Airlines, in 1973.
Actress Alfre Woodard and filmmaker Jon M. Chu presented the award, one of four grants given out by Film Independent at its nominees brunch at the Boa Steakhouse in West Hollywood on Saturday.
Also Read: 'The Lighthouse,' 'Uncut Gems' Lead Nominees at Independent Spirit Awards
In addition to the $50,000 Bonnie Award, $25,000 unrestricted grants were given to an up-and-coming producer (Molly Asher), director (Rashaad Ernesto Green) and documentary director (Nadia Shihab).
Winners in the rest of the Spirit Awards categories will be announced during the main Spirit Awards show on Saturday, Feb. 4.
The...
- 1/4/2020
- by Steve Pond and Thom Geier
- The Wrap
Best international film nominees include Parasite, Portrait Of A Lady On Fire and The Souvenir.
Uncut Gems and The Lighthouse have emerged as the top contenders for this year’s Film Independent Spirit Awards with five nods apiece while A24 leads the distributor pack on 18 nominations.
Adam Sandler from Uncut Gems will face off against The Lighthouse’s Robert Pattinson and others for best lead male and the Safdie brothers and Robert Eggers are among the best director nominees for each film, respectively.
Other best feature nominees announced on Thursday (21) are A Hidden Life, Clemency, The Farewell and Marriage Story.
Uncut Gems and The Lighthouse have emerged as the top contenders for this year’s Film Independent Spirit Awards with five nods apiece while A24 leads the distributor pack on 18 nominations.
Adam Sandler from Uncut Gems will face off against The Lighthouse’s Robert Pattinson and others for best lead male and the Safdie brothers and Robert Eggers are among the best director nominees for each film, respectively.
Other best feature nominees announced on Thursday (21) are A Hidden Life, Clemency, The Farewell and Marriage Story.
- 11/22/2019
- by 31¦John Hazelton¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
Best international film nominees include Parasite, Portrait Of A Lady On Fire and The Souvenir.
Uncut Gems has emerged as the top contender among nominees for this year’s Film Independent Spirit Awards, with the Adam Sandler drama getting nominations in five categories including best feature.
Other best feature nominees are A Hidden Life, Clemency, The Farewell and Marriage Story.
The Lighthouse also got five Spirit Award nominations and other films with multiple citations included Give Me Liberty and Honey Boy with four each and Clemency, Hustlers, The Last Black Man In San Francisco, Luce, Marriage Story and The Third Wife with three each.
Uncut Gems has emerged as the top contender among nominees for this year’s Film Independent Spirit Awards, with the Adam Sandler drama getting nominations in five categories including best feature.
Other best feature nominees are A Hidden Life, Clemency, The Farewell and Marriage Story.
The Lighthouse also got five Spirit Award nominations and other films with multiple citations included Give Me Liberty and Honey Boy with four each and Clemency, Hustlers, The Last Black Man In San Francisco, Luce, Marriage Story and The Third Wife with three each.
- 11/21/2019
- ScreenDaily
The 2020 Independent Spirit Awards nominations were announced Thursday, November 21. So who made the cut at these kudos, which celebrate the best in American independent films? Scroll down to see the full list of nominees for the 2020 Indie Spirits. Remember, only American-made movies with budgets under $20 million were eligible for consideration.
These Spirit contenders were decided by nominating committees that included film critics, film programmers, producers, directors, writers, cinematographers, editors, actors, past nominees and winners, and members of Film Independent’s Board of Directors.
Winners will be chosen by all of Film Independent’s eligible members, including industry insiders and any movie fans who sign up for membership starting at $95 per year.
These awards have come to be a significant preview of the Oscars as the motion picture academy embraces more independent films. Five of the last six Spirit champs for Best Feature went on to win the Oscar for Best Picture.
These Spirit contenders were decided by nominating committees that included film critics, film programmers, producers, directors, writers, cinematographers, editors, actors, past nominees and winners, and members of Film Independent’s Board of Directors.
Winners will be chosen by all of Film Independent’s eligible members, including industry insiders and any movie fans who sign up for membership starting at $95 per year.
These awards have come to be a significant preview of the Oscars as the motion picture academy embraces more independent films. Five of the last six Spirit champs for Best Feature went on to win the Oscar for Best Picture.
- 11/21/2019
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
The nominations for the 35th Independent Spirit Awards have been announced, and it was a big morning for “The Lighthouse” and “Uncut Gems.” The annual indie awards ceremony is presented by Film Independent and takes place the day before the Academy Awards on the beach in Santa Monica, California. The Spirit Awards have become known over the last decade for showcasing nominees that are a mix of underdog films and higher-profile awards contenders.
It’s important to note the Indie Spirit Awards has a budget ceiling of $22.5 million, meaning any movie made for more than this amount is ineligible for nominations. For this reason, Martin Scorsese’s Netflix-backed “The Irishman” was not eligible for 2020 nominations (the film had a budget north of $150 million). Netflix’s other top Oscar contender, Noah Baumbach’s “Marriage Story,” is eligible for Spirit Awards and landed a Best Feature nomination. As has become common over the last several years,...
It’s important to note the Indie Spirit Awards has a budget ceiling of $22.5 million, meaning any movie made for more than this amount is ineligible for nominations. For this reason, Martin Scorsese’s Netflix-backed “The Irishman” was not eligible for 2020 nominations (the film had a budget north of $150 million). Netflix’s other top Oscar contender, Noah Baumbach’s “Marriage Story,” is eligible for Spirit Awards and landed a Best Feature nomination. As has become common over the last several years,...
- 11/21/2019
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
17 Blocks will screen at The Missouri History Museum (5700 Lindell Blvd) Saturday, Nov 9 at 7:00pm as part of this year’s St. Louis International Film Festival. Director Davy Rothbart will be in attendance and will host a post-screening Q&a. This is a Free event
In 1999, 9-year-old Emmanuel Sanford-Durant and his Washington, D.C., family began to film their daily lives in America’s most dangerous neighborhood — just 17 blocks behind the U.S. Capitol building. They’ve been filming ever since. Made in a unique collaboration with filmmaker and journalist Davy Rothbart — author, editor of Found magazine, and director of “Medora,” which played Sliff in 2013 — the film focuses on four generations of the Sanford Family, including Emmanuel, a promising student; his brother, Smurf, a local drug dealer; his sister, Denice, an aspiring cop; and his mother, Cheryl, who must conquer her own demons for her family to prosper. Spanning two decades,...
In 1999, 9-year-old Emmanuel Sanford-Durant and his Washington, D.C., family began to film their daily lives in America’s most dangerous neighborhood — just 17 blocks behind the U.S. Capitol building. They’ve been filming ever since. Made in a unique collaboration with filmmaker and journalist Davy Rothbart — author, editor of Found magazine, and director of “Medora,” which played Sliff in 2013 — the film focuses on four generations of the Sanford Family, including Emmanuel, a promising student; his brother, Smurf, a local drug dealer; his sister, Denice, an aspiring cop; and his mother, Cheryl, who must conquer her own demons for her family to prosper. Spanning two decades,...
- 11/7/2019
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Documentary group Cinema Eye on Thursday unveiled nominations for the 2020 Cinema Eye Honors, with Netflix’s American Factory and Neon’s Apollo 11 leading the way with five nominations each. Netflix tops all distributors with 17 noms, the most ever in a single year.
Winners will be revealed at a ceremony January 6 at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens.
American Factory, which counts Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground among its executive producers, and Todd Douglas Miller’s deep dive into the 1969 moon mission Apollo 11 were nominated in the marquee Outstanding Nonfiction Feature category. They are joined there by For Sama, the PBS/Frontline Syrian drama from Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watt; Neon’s Honeyland, the Sundance-winning Macedonian beekeeper tale from Ljubomir Stefanov and Tamara Kotevsk; 1901 Media’s Mexico City ambulance industry pic Midnight Family; and Amazon Studios’ Sundance U.S. Grand Jury Prize-winning One Child Nation.
Last year,...
Winners will be revealed at a ceremony January 6 at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens.
American Factory, which counts Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground among its executive producers, and Todd Douglas Miller’s deep dive into the 1969 moon mission Apollo 11 were nominated in the marquee Outstanding Nonfiction Feature category. They are joined there by For Sama, the PBS/Frontline Syrian drama from Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watt; Neon’s Honeyland, the Sundance-winning Macedonian beekeeper tale from Ljubomir Stefanov and Tamara Kotevsk; 1901 Media’s Mexico City ambulance industry pic Midnight Family; and Amazon Studios’ Sundance U.S. Grand Jury Prize-winning One Child Nation.
Last year,...
- 11/7/2019
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
As titles like Jojo Rabbit, Parasite and Judy continue to slay the specialty box office and gain awards season momentum, more titles are throwing their hats into the ring. This week, the Mihal Brezis & Oded Binnun-directed The Etruscan Smile starring award-winning actor Brian Cox and produced by three-time Oscar winner Arthur Cohn.
Documentary Gay Chorus Deep South will be in limited release so it can qualify for award season contention before its nation wide expansion. In addition, Tom Cronin’s docu The Portal looks to bring a meditative stillness to the world while the indie Inside Game puts a spotlight on the great NBA betting scandal of 2007.
Also opening this weekend in the specialty space is American Dharma, which includes an interview between Errol Morris and divisive figure Stephen K. Bannon. In a conversation that spans over 16 hours, we see a portrait of the former White House Chief Strategist.
Documentary Gay Chorus Deep South will be in limited release so it can qualify for award season contention before its nation wide expansion. In addition, Tom Cronin’s docu The Portal looks to bring a meditative stillness to the world while the indie Inside Game puts a spotlight on the great NBA betting scandal of 2007.
Also opening this weekend in the specialty space is American Dharma, which includes an interview between Errol Morris and divisive figure Stephen K. Bannon. In a conversation that spans over 16 hours, we see a portrait of the former White House Chief Strategist.
- 11/1/2019
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Romanian director Alexander Nana’s Collective won the international documentary film prize.
Darius Marder’s Sound Of Metal won the Golden Eye for best international feature film as this year’s Zurich Film Festival, which concluded on Sunday (October 6).
The film stars Riz Ahmed as a drummer whose life is thrown into turmoil when he begins to lose his hearing and co-stars Olivia Cooke and Mathieu Amalric. The drama premiered in Tiff’s Platform section, with Amazon acquiring Us rights. Protagonist Pictures handles international sales.
Romanian director Alexander Nanau’s Collective won the international documentary film prize. The film follows...
Darius Marder’s Sound Of Metal won the Golden Eye for best international feature film as this year’s Zurich Film Festival, which concluded on Sunday (October 6).
The film stars Riz Ahmed as a drummer whose life is thrown into turmoil when he begins to lose his hearing and co-stars Olivia Cooke and Mathieu Amalric. The drama premiered in Tiff’s Platform section, with Amazon acquiring Us rights. Protagonist Pictures handles international sales.
Romanian director Alexander Nanau’s Collective won the international documentary film prize. The film follows...
- 10/7/2019
- by 1101184¦Orlando Parfitt¦38¦
- ScreenDaily
“17 Blocks” filmmaker Davy Rothbart began filming the members of the Sanford-Durant family when he met 9-year-old Emmanuel and his older brother Smurf while playing basketball at a local Washington, D.C. court in 1999. Over the ensuing 20 years, Rothbart became enmeshed in their family and unofficially adopted by the people whose stories he eventually put on screen in his documentary.
“I wanted to make a narrative film, and I thought Emmanuel would be a perfect lead actor. And so as we became friends, and [their mother] Cheryl and everyone welcomed me into their house, we filmed little bits and pieces of this narrative film I had an idea for,” Rothbart said at an International Documentary Association screening in Los Angeles. “But quickly I realized the family themselves and just their everyday goings-on was what was the most interesting to me.”
The film is comprised mainly of footage the family shot themselves, plus...
“I wanted to make a narrative film, and I thought Emmanuel would be a perfect lead actor. And so as we became friends, and [their mother] Cheryl and everyone welcomed me into their house, we filmed little bits and pieces of this narrative film I had an idea for,” Rothbart said at an International Documentary Association screening in Los Angeles. “But quickly I realized the family themselves and just their everyday goings-on was what was the most interesting to me.”
The film is comprised mainly of footage the family shot themselves, plus...
- 10/2/2019
- by Jean Bentley
- Indiewire
Company picks up Tribeca audience award winner.
Sheila Nevins has made her latest acquisition since joining MTV Documentary Films and will line up an awards-qualifying release this autumn for Gay Chorus Deep South.
David Charles Rodrigues directed the Tribeca Film Festival premiere and winner of the audience award for best documentary before playing at festivals around the world. It will open Santa Barbara’s Call To Action Festival, and The Boston Globe’s GlobeDocs, Heartland, and New Orleans. among others.
Gay Chorus Deep South recounts the story of a walk by 300 singers from San Francsico Gay Men’s Chorus led...
Sheila Nevins has made her latest acquisition since joining MTV Documentary Films and will line up an awards-qualifying release this autumn for Gay Chorus Deep South.
David Charles Rodrigues directed the Tribeca Film Festival premiere and winner of the audience award for best documentary before playing at festivals around the world. It will open Santa Barbara’s Call To Action Festival, and The Boston Globe’s GlobeDocs, Heartland, and New Orleans. among others.
Gay Chorus Deep South recounts the story of a walk by 300 singers from San Francsico Gay Men’s Chorus led...
- 9/16/2019
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Sheila Nevins has set her first projects in her new capacity as head of MTV Documentary Films: the feature “17 Blocks” and short “St. Louis Superman.”
Both titles will have awards qualifying runs in the fall before airing on MTV’s various platforms.
“17 Blocks,” from filmmaker Davy Rothbart, chronicles 20 years in the life of an African-American family living in the shadow of the White House in Washington, D.C. “Superman,” from filmmakers Smriti Mundhra and Sami Khan, revolves around the rapper-activist Bruce Franks Jr., who emerged from the protests in Ferguson, Mo. to win election to Missouri House of Representatives.
“At the heart of American democracy, there is an injustice that gnaws at the soul of the have-nots and Davy Rothbart’s ‘17 Blocks’ and Smriti Mundhra and Sami Khan’s ‘St. Louis Superman’ are two films that expose both the injustices and courage of Americans who survive against almost insurmountable odds,...
Both titles will have awards qualifying runs in the fall before airing on MTV’s various platforms.
“17 Blocks,” from filmmaker Davy Rothbart, chronicles 20 years in the life of an African-American family living in the shadow of the White House in Washington, D.C. “Superman,” from filmmakers Smriti Mundhra and Sami Khan, revolves around the rapper-activist Bruce Franks Jr., who emerged from the protests in Ferguson, Mo. to win election to Missouri House of Representatives.
“At the heart of American democracy, there is an injustice that gnaws at the soul of the have-nots and Davy Rothbart’s ‘17 Blocks’ and Smriti Mundhra and Sami Khan’s ‘St. Louis Superman’ are two films that expose both the injustices and courage of Americans who survive against almost insurmountable odds,...
- 7/25/2019
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
MTV Documentary films unveiled its first two releases under Sheila Nevins Wednesday — Davy Rothbart’s “17 Blocks” and Smriti Mundhra and Sami Khan’s “St. Louis Superman.”
The network enlisted Nevins, a longtime HBO producer and executive, to lead its new documentary films devision in May.
“17 Blocks” is described as “a transcendently personal film spanning 20 years in the life of an African American family living mere blocks away from the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC.”
Also Read: MTV's 'The Hills' Revival Marks Second-Highest Rated Cable Premiere of 2019 Among Young Adults
“St. Louis Superman” is about Bruce Franks Jr., a Ferguson activist and battle rapper who was elected to the overwhelmingly white and Republican Missouri House of Representatives in 2016.
MTV Documentary’s purchase of the films allows them to qualify for awards consideration. They will both screen at Michael Moore’s Traverse City Film Festival in August.
“At the heart of American Democracy,...
The network enlisted Nevins, a longtime HBO producer and executive, to lead its new documentary films devision in May.
“17 Blocks” is described as “a transcendently personal film spanning 20 years in the life of an African American family living mere blocks away from the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC.”
Also Read: MTV's 'The Hills' Revival Marks Second-Highest Rated Cable Premiere of 2019 Among Young Adults
“St. Louis Superman” is about Bruce Franks Jr., a Ferguson activist and battle rapper who was elected to the overwhelmingly white and Republican Missouri House of Representatives in 2016.
MTV Documentary’s purchase of the films allows them to qualify for awards consideration. They will both screen at Michael Moore’s Traverse City Film Festival in August.
“At the heart of American Democracy,...
- 7/25/2019
- by Margeaux Sippell
- The Wrap
During her tenure at HBO, Sheila Nevins reigned atop of the documentary pyramid for decades, adapting to more and more competition and new technology. There’s competition for top documentary talent and Nevins, now running MTV Documentary Films, knows how to get it. Even in the specialty film world, documentaries are about the only thing working these days, as theatrical narrative films are looking less and less commercially viable.
On Thursday, Nevins announced her first two projects for MTV Documentary Films. Both are political: Davy Rothbart directs non-fiction feature “17 Blocks,” spanning 20 years in the life of an African American family living blocks away from the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC. And Smriti Mundhra and Sami Khan’s short film “St. Louis Superman” is about Representative Bruce Franks Jr., a Ferguson activist and battle rapper who was elected to the overwhelmingly white and Republican Missouri House of Representatives.
“I’d...
On Thursday, Nevins announced her first two projects for MTV Documentary Films. Both are political: Davy Rothbart directs non-fiction feature “17 Blocks,” spanning 20 years in the life of an African American family living blocks away from the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC. And Smriti Mundhra and Sami Khan’s short film “St. Louis Superman” is about Representative Bruce Franks Jr., a Ferguson activist and battle rapper who was elected to the overwhelmingly white and Republican Missouri House of Representatives.
“I’d...
- 7/25/2019
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
During her tenure at HBO, Sheila Nevins reigned atop of the documentary pyramid for decades, adapting to more and more competition and new technology. There’s competition for top documentary talent and Nevins, now running MTV Documentary Films, knows how to get it. Even in the specialty film world, documentaries are about the only thing working these days, as theatrical narrative films are looking less and less commercially viable.
On Thursday, Nevins announced her first two projects for MTV Documentary Films. Both are political: Davy Rothbart directs non-fiction feature “17 Blocks,” spanning 20 years in the life of an African American family living blocks away from the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC. And Smriti Mundhra and Sami Khan’s short film “St. Louis Superman” is about Representative Bruce Franks Jr., a Ferguson activist and battle rapper who was elected to the overwhelmingly white and Republican Missouri House of Representatives.
“I’d...
On Thursday, Nevins announced her first two projects for MTV Documentary Films. Both are political: Davy Rothbart directs non-fiction feature “17 Blocks,” spanning 20 years in the life of an African American family living blocks away from the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC. And Smriti Mundhra and Sami Khan’s short film “St. Louis Superman” is about Representative Bruce Franks Jr., a Ferguson activist and battle rapper who was elected to the overwhelmingly white and Republican Missouri House of Representatives.
“I’d...
- 7/25/2019
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Two Tribeca titles — 17 Blocks, Davy Rothbart’s decades-spanning documentary about an African-American family living in the shadow of the U.S. Capitol, and Smriti Mundhra and Sami Khan’s award-winning short doc St. Louis Superman — were announced today as the debut acquisitions of MTV Documentary Films, a division of Viacom’s MTV Studios headed by producer and executive Sheila Nevins. Nevins previously headed HBO Documentary Films and was hired to launch this new MTV division in May. In a press release, Nevins said, “At the heart of American Democracy, there is an injustice that gnaws at the soul of the have-nots and […]...
- 7/25/2019
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Two Tribeca titles — 17 Blocks, Davy Rothbart’s decades-spanning documentary about an African-American family living in the shadow of the U.S. Capitol, and Smriti Mundhra and Sami Khan’s award-winning short doc St. Louis Superman — were announced today as the debut acquisitions of MTV Documentary Films, a division of Viacom’s MTV Studios headed by producer and executive Sheila Nevins. Nevins previously headed HBO Documentary Films and was hired to launch this new MTV division in May. In a press release, Nevins said, “At the heart of American Democracy, there is an injustice that gnaws at the soul of the have-nots and […]...
- 7/25/2019
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
MTV Documentary Films has set its first two projects under Sheila Nevins, who as president of HBO Documentary Films won 35 Emmys. The first ones at MTV are: the Davy Rothbart-directed 17 Blocks, a personal film spanning 20 years in the life of an African American family living mere blocks away from the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC; and the award-winning Smriti Mundhra and Sami Khan-directed short documentary St. Louis Superman, about Representative Bruce Franks Jr., a Ferguson activist and battle rapper who was elected to the overwhelmingly white and Republican Missouri House of Representatives.
MTV Documentary Films will release both titles this fall to qualify for awards consideration. Each can be seen next month at Michael Moore’s Traverse City Film Festival, and each launched at earlier festivals.
Executive produced by Nevins and produced and financed by Big Beach’s Alex Turtletaub, Michael B. Clark and Marc Turtletaub alongside Rachel Deniz and Rothbart,...
MTV Documentary Films will release both titles this fall to qualify for awards consideration. Each can be seen next month at Michael Moore’s Traverse City Film Festival, and each launched at earlier festivals.
Executive produced by Nevins and produced and financed by Big Beach’s Alex Turtletaub, Michael B. Clark and Marc Turtletaub alongside Rachel Deniz and Rothbart,...
- 7/25/2019
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Awards campaigns planned for both festival winners.
MTV Documentary Films has announced (July 25) its first two films since launching under former president of HBO Documentary Films Sheila Nevins, and will mount awards campaigns for Emmy-winner Davy Rothbart’s 17 Blocks, and short documentary St. Louis Superman by Smriti Mundhra and Sami Khan.
MTV Documentary Films will release both titles this autumn to qualify them for awards consideration. Both will screen at Michael Moore’s Traverse City Film Festival in Michigan, which kicks off on July 30.
17 Blocks spans 20 years in the life of an African American family living blocks away from the...
MTV Documentary Films has announced (July 25) its first two films since launching under former president of HBO Documentary Films Sheila Nevins, and will mount awards campaigns for Emmy-winner Davy Rothbart’s 17 Blocks, and short documentary St. Louis Superman by Smriti Mundhra and Sami Khan.
MTV Documentary Films will release both titles this autumn to qualify them for awards consideration. Both will screen at Michael Moore’s Traverse City Film Festival in Michigan, which kicks off on July 30.
17 Blocks spans 20 years in the life of an African American family living blocks away from the...
- 7/25/2019
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Two months after joining MTV as the head of its new Documentary Films division, Sheila Nevins has lined up her first two projects with an eye fixed on the upcoming awards season.
First up is 17 Blocks from Emmy winner Davy Rothbart. The feature-length film follows an African-American family living mere blocks away from the U.S. Capitol in Washington over the course of 20 years.
The second project is a short titled St. Louis Superman, directed by Smriti Mundhra and Sami Khan, about state Rep. Bruce Franks Jr., a Ferguson activist and battle rapper who was elected to the overwhelmingly white ...
First up is 17 Blocks from Emmy winner Davy Rothbart. The feature-length film follows an African-American family living mere blocks away from the U.S. Capitol in Washington over the course of 20 years.
The second project is a short titled St. Louis Superman, directed by Smriti Mundhra and Sami Khan, about state Rep. Bruce Franks Jr., a Ferguson activist and battle rapper who was elected to the overwhelmingly white ...
- 7/25/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Two months after joining MTV as the head of its new Documentary Films division, Sheila Nevins has lined up her first two projects with an eye fixed on the upcoming awards season.
First up is 17 Blocks from Emmy winner Davy Rothbart. The feature-length film follows an African-American family living mere blocks away from the U.S. Capitol in Washington over the course of 20 years.
The second project is a short titled St. Louis Superman, directed by Smriti Mundhra and Sami Khan, about state Rep. Bruce Franks Jr., a Ferguson activist and battle rapper who was elected to the overwhelmingly white ...
First up is 17 Blocks from Emmy winner Davy Rothbart. The feature-length film follows an African-American family living mere blocks away from the U.S. Capitol in Washington over the course of 20 years.
The second project is a short titled St. Louis Superman, directed by Smriti Mundhra and Sami Khan, about state Rep. Bruce Franks Jr., a Ferguson activist and battle rapper who was elected to the overwhelmingly white ...
- 7/25/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Davy Rothbart on the Sanford family: 'I think it’s pretty unusual and it says something about their bravery, honesty and their wisdom that they have not only been willing to include some of the most challenging moments of their lives but not just allowed it, encouraged it' Photo: Beachside Films Davy Rothbart’s documentary 17 Blocks is the latest in a growing trend for films including a lot of self-documentation, in this case captured by Rothbart and several generations of the Sanford family across a 20-year period. They live in a part of Washington DC just 17 blocks from the Capitol building but which is dogged by gun violence – an issue the family, come to tragically experience first-hand.
Catching up with Rothbart fresh from the film’s world premiere at Tribeca Film Festival, where it won an editing award for the sterling work of Jennifer Tiexera, he apologies for not...
Catching up with Rothbart fresh from the film’s world premiere at Tribeca Film Festival, where it won an editing award for the sterling work of Jennifer Tiexera, he apologies for not...
- 6/3/2019
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
The 54th Karlovy Vary Film Festival on Tuesday unveiled the first titled in its 2019 lineup, featuring 10 world premieres in its competition section including the Hong Khaou’s drama Monsoon starring Crazy Rich Asians‘ Henry Golding and the lone U.S. feature, Martha Stephens’ black-and-white drama To the Stars starring Kara Hayward.
The fest, which runs June 28-July 6, also unveiled films set for its East of the West, Documentary and Out of Competition sections. The latter lineup includes the world premiere of Martin Krejčí’s The True Adventures of Wolfboy, a U.S. film starring starring Jaeden Martel, Eve Hewson and John Turturro, and the European premiere of Mystify: Michael Hutchence, a documentary about the life of the lead singer of Aussie rock band INXS.
The Documentary section includes the European premiere of Apollo 11, the Todd Douglas Miller
feature-length pic that launched in March in the U.S. tied to...
The fest, which runs June 28-July 6, also unveiled films set for its East of the West, Documentary and Out of Competition sections. The latter lineup includes the world premiere of Martin Krejčí’s The True Adventures of Wolfboy, a U.S. film starring starring Jaeden Martel, Eve Hewson and John Turturro, and the European premiere of Mystify: Michael Hutchence, a documentary about the life of the lead singer of Aussie rock band INXS.
The Documentary section includes the European premiere of Apollo 11, the Todd Douglas Miller
feature-length pic that launched in March in the U.S. tied to...
- 5/28/2019
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Selection includes Hong Khaou’s Monsoon, Jan-Ole Gerster’s Lara and Damjan Kozole’s Half-Sister.
The 54th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (June 28 - July 6) has unveiled the first competition titles in its Official Selection, East of the West and Documentary sections.
Scroll down for full line-ups
The 12-strong main competition will include 10 world premieres and two international premieres.
UK director Hong Khaou’s Monsoon, his follow up to his 2014 Sundance debut Lilting, is among the world premieres. Backed by BBC Films, Monsoon stars Henry Golding, best known for Crazy Rich Asians, as a man struggling with his return to...
The 54th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (June 28 - July 6) has unveiled the first competition titles in its Official Selection, East of the West and Documentary sections.
Scroll down for full line-ups
The 12-strong main competition will include 10 world premieres and two international premieres.
UK director Hong Khaou’s Monsoon, his follow up to his 2014 Sundance debut Lilting, is among the world premieres. Backed by BBC Films, Monsoon stars Henry Golding, best known for Crazy Rich Asians, as a man struggling with his return to...
- 5/28/2019
- by Orlando Parfitt
- ScreenDaily
The AFI Docs Festival has selected the Steven Bognar-Julia Reichert documentary “American Factory” as its centerpiece film, screening on June 21.
The event will take place at the Warner Bros. Theater at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.
“American Factory” centers on the aftermath of the 2014 purchase of a General Motors plant in Dayton, Ohio, which had closed in 2008. A Chinese billionaire reopened the facility as Fuyao Glass America, with the promise of giving work to more than 2,000 local residents, along with bringing hundreds of Chinese workers to Ohio. Tensions mount among the Americans due to low wages and concerns about safety.
The festival revealed its full slate of films Wednesday for the 2019 edition, the 17th year, with 72 films representing 17 countries. The festival runs June 19–23 in Washington, DC, and Silver Spring, Md.
As previously announced, the festival will open with the world premiere of...
The event will take place at the Warner Bros. Theater at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.
“American Factory” centers on the aftermath of the 2014 purchase of a General Motors plant in Dayton, Ohio, which had closed in 2008. A Chinese billionaire reopened the facility as Fuyao Glass America, with the promise of giving work to more than 2,000 local residents, along with bringing hundreds of Chinese workers to Ohio. Tensions mount among the Americans due to low wages and concerns about safety.
The festival revealed its full slate of films Wednesday for the 2019 edition, the 17th year, with 72 films representing 17 countries. The festival runs June 19–23 in Washington, DC, and Silver Spring, Md.
As previously announced, the festival will open with the world premiere of...
- 5/15/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
17 Blocks director Davy Rothbart accepts Best Documentary Editing Award on behalf of Jennifer Tiexiera at the Tribeca Film Festival Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
At The Odeon on West Broadway, a few blocks south of the Tribeca Film Festival Spring Studios Hub, I met with Celine Danhier, director of Blank City and Creative Director of Bunny Lake Films, which she co-founded with producer Rachel Dengiz, editor Vanessa Roworth, and producer Aviva Wishnow.
Rachel Dengiz of Bunny Lake Films is a producer for Davy Rothbart's 17 Blocks Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
After 99 Records founder Ed Bahlman departed, my conversation with Celine Danhier led to Maripol (producer of Edo Bertoglio's Downtown 81) and Eric Mitchell's role in Blank City, John Waters' star Cookie Mueller, Otto Preminger's Bunny Lake Is Missing, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, growing up "watching New York movies" such as Martin Scorsese's After Hours, and her...
At The Odeon on West Broadway, a few blocks south of the Tribeca Film Festival Spring Studios Hub, I met with Celine Danhier, director of Blank City and Creative Director of Bunny Lake Films, which she co-founded with producer Rachel Dengiz, editor Vanessa Roworth, and producer Aviva Wishnow.
Rachel Dengiz of Bunny Lake Films is a producer for Davy Rothbart's 17 Blocks Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
After 99 Records founder Ed Bahlman departed, my conversation with Celine Danhier led to Maripol (producer of Edo Bertoglio's Downtown 81) and Eric Mitchell's role in Blank City, John Waters' star Cookie Mueller, Otto Preminger's Bunny Lake Is Missing, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, growing up "watching New York movies" such as Martin Scorsese's After Hours, and her...
- 5/12/2019
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
A documentary with Cinema Verite sensibilities and no qualms whatsoever about the honest presentation of its subjects, “17 Blocks” is both heartbreaking and inspiring. Director Davy Rothbart wisely removes himself from the effort to allow the cruel and dangerous sprawl of suburban Washington, D.C. to unfold before his audience’s eyes, providing a window into a world many are familiar with yet don’t “know.” And while it’s a difficult sit sometimes, “17 Blocks” is essential viewing for anyone interested in how the confluence of race and class have codified into a sort of informal caste for an entire subsection of America’s citizenry.
Continue reading ‘17 Blocks’ Is An Essential Viewing Doc About Race & Class In America [Tribeca Review] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘17 Blocks’ Is An Essential Viewing Doc About Race & Class In America [Tribeca Review] at The Playlist.
- 5/4/2019
- by Warren Cantrell
- The Playlist
Last night in New York at the 18th Tribeca Film Festival, the winners were announced in the competition categories. The top honours went to Burning Cane which took the Founders Award for Best U.S. Narrative Feature, House of Hummingbird (Beol-sae) which won Best International Narrative Feature and Scheme Birds which was named Best Documentary Feature. Here’s a full list of Tribeca 2019 competition winners:
U.S. Narrative Competition Categories
Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature – Burning Cane, directed by Phillip Youmans. The award was given by Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal on behalf of the jury.
Best Actress in a U.S. Narrative Feature Film – Haley Bennett in Swallow.
Best Actor in a U.S. Narrative Feature Film – Wendell Pierce in Burning Cane.
Best International Narrative Feature – House of Hummingbird (Beol-sae) directed and written by Bora Kim.
Best Cinematography in a U.S. Narrative Feature Film – Phillip Youmans for Burning Cane.
U.S. Narrative Competition Categories
Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature – Burning Cane, directed by Phillip Youmans. The award was given by Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal on behalf of the jury.
Best Actress in a U.S. Narrative Feature Film – Haley Bennett in Swallow.
Best Actor in a U.S. Narrative Feature Film – Wendell Pierce in Burning Cane.
Best International Narrative Feature – House of Hummingbird (Beol-sae) directed and written by Bora Kim.
Best Cinematography in a U.S. Narrative Feature Film – Phillip Youmans for Burning Cane.
- 5/3/2019
- by James Kleinmann
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Phillip Youmans’ “Burning Cane” took home the Founders Award for best narrative feature at the 18th annual Tribeca Film Festival on Thursday, with star Wendell Pierce earning Best Actor.
Youmans, a 19-year-old freshman at NYU, is the first African-American director to win the Founders Award and the youngest director to have a feature in Tribeca — he was just 17 when he wrote, directed and shot the film, about the fractious relationship between a mother and son in rural Louisiana.
Korean director Bora Kim’s “House of Hummingbird” won for best international narrative feature, and Ji-hu Park won best international actress.
In addition, Ellen Fiske and Ellinor Hallin won for their documentary feature “Scheme Birds.”
Here’s the complete list of winners.
Also Read: 'Xy Chelsea' Film Review: Doc Tackles Chelsea Manning's Very In-Progress Story
U.S. Narrative Competition Categories:
The jurors for the 2019 U.S. Narrative Competition were Lucy Alibar,...
Youmans, a 19-year-old freshman at NYU, is the first African-American director to win the Founders Award and the youngest director to have a feature in Tribeca — he was just 17 when he wrote, directed and shot the film, about the fractious relationship between a mother and son in rural Louisiana.
Korean director Bora Kim’s “House of Hummingbird” won for best international narrative feature, and Ji-hu Park won best international actress.
In addition, Ellen Fiske and Ellinor Hallin won for their documentary feature “Scheme Birds.”
Here’s the complete list of winners.
Also Read: 'Xy Chelsea' Film Review: Doc Tackles Chelsea Manning's Very In-Progress Story
U.S. Narrative Competition Categories:
The jurors for the 2019 U.S. Narrative Competition were Lucy Alibar,...
- 5/2/2019
- by Thom Geier
- The Wrap
“Burning Cane” has won the Founders Award for best U.S. narrative feature and star Wendell Pierce has been awarded the top actor in the category for the 18th Annual Tribeca Film Festival.
Haley Bennett won the festival’s award for best actress in a narrative feature for her performance in “Swallow.” “House of Hummingbird” (Beol-sae) took the prize for best international narrative feature, and “Scheme Birds” won for top documentary feature.
The awards were announced Thursday. Rania Attieh won the Nora Ephron Award and a $25,000 prize for Initials S.G. (“Iniciales S.G.”). The award honors excellence in storytelling by a female writer or director embodying the spirit and boldness of the late filmmaker. Tribeca’s Storyscapes Award went to “The Key,” created by Celine Tricart.
“Burning Cane,” set in the Louisiana swamplands, is directed by Phillip Youmans, who wrote, directed and shot the film at the age of 17. He...
Haley Bennett won the festival’s award for best actress in a narrative feature for her performance in “Swallow.” “House of Hummingbird” (Beol-sae) took the prize for best international narrative feature, and “Scheme Birds” won for top documentary feature.
The awards were announced Thursday. Rania Attieh won the Nora Ephron Award and a $25,000 prize for Initials S.G. (“Iniciales S.G.”). The award honors excellence in storytelling by a female writer or director embodying the spirit and boldness of the late filmmaker. Tribeca’s Storyscapes Award went to “The Key,” created by Celine Tricart.
“Burning Cane,” set in the Louisiana swamplands, is directed by Phillip Youmans, who wrote, directed and shot the film at the age of 17. He...
- 5/2/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Director Peter Strickland’s “In Fabric” starring “Game of Thrones” star Gwendoline Christie is set to open the fifth Mammoth Lakes Film Festival, the organization has announced today along with their film lineup.
The festival in Mammoth Lakes, Calif., will take place May 22-26 and feature several films’ U.S. debuts. In addition to the narrative feature categories, a short films program will include 50 narrative, documentary, animated, experimental and episodic shorts.Strickland’s horror comedy from A24 follows the life of a cursed dress as it travels to different owners, all with devastating consequences.
“We’re excited to bring such an amazing and eclectic lineup of films to this milestone year of our festival,” said festival director Shira Dubrovner. “We’re also thrilled to be hosting over 100 filmmakers this year, who will get to experience all the scenic wonder that the Eastern Sierras has to offer.”
A panel of jurors,...
The festival in Mammoth Lakes, Calif., will take place May 22-26 and feature several films’ U.S. debuts. In addition to the narrative feature categories, a short films program will include 50 narrative, documentary, animated, experimental and episodic shorts.Strickland’s horror comedy from A24 follows the life of a cursed dress as it travels to different owners, all with devastating consequences.
“We’re excited to bring such an amazing and eclectic lineup of films to this milestone year of our festival,” said festival director Shira Dubrovner. “We’re also thrilled to be hosting over 100 filmmakers this year, who will get to experience all the scenic wonder that the Eastern Sierras has to offer.”
A panel of jurors,...
- 4/25/2019
- by Jordan Moreau
- Variety Film + TV
‘Mystify: Michael Hutchence’
Richard Lowenstein’s feature documentary on Michael Hutchence will have its world premiere at the 18th edition of the Tribeca Film Festival, which runs from April 24 to May 5.
Produced by Lowenstein, Maya Gnyp and John Battsek for Ghost Pictures and Passion Pictures, Mystify: Michael Hutchence will screen in the documentary competition for best documentary feature, cinematography and editing.
Co-funded by Screen Australia, the film is described as an intimate look at the life of the Inxs lead singer through his many loves and demons, featuring Kylie Minogue and Helena Christensen.
Madman Entertainment is the Australian distributor and Dogwoof is handling international sales. The ABC and BBC pre-bought the film.
Lowenstein tells If the doc features live music from Inxs and Max Q, Hutchence’s only completed solo album which was a collaboration with Ollie Olsen, remixed for Atmos, plus archival footage which had been in his attic,...
Richard Lowenstein’s feature documentary on Michael Hutchence will have its world premiere at the 18th edition of the Tribeca Film Festival, which runs from April 24 to May 5.
Produced by Lowenstein, Maya Gnyp and John Battsek for Ghost Pictures and Passion Pictures, Mystify: Michael Hutchence will screen in the documentary competition for best documentary feature, cinematography and editing.
Co-funded by Screen Australia, the film is described as an intimate look at the life of the Inxs lead singer through his many loves and demons, featuring Kylie Minogue and Helena Christensen.
Madman Entertainment is the Australian distributor and Dogwoof is handling international sales. The ABC and BBC pre-bought the film.
Lowenstein tells If the doc features live music from Inxs and Max Q, Hutchence’s only completed solo album which was a collaboration with Ollie Olsen, remixed for Atmos, plus archival footage which had been in his attic,...
- 3/5/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
The Tribeca Film Festival has set its full feature slate for 2019, selecting 103 titles including world premieres of films by Jared Leto, Christoph Waltz, and Margot Robbie.
The 18th edition of the festival, which runs from April 24 to May 5, will include documentaries from Antoine Fuqua, Werner Herzog, and Abel Ferrara, and music-focused docs highlighting the lead singer of band Inxs (“Mystify: Michael Hutchence”), Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman (“The Quiet One”), and musician Linda Ronstadt (“Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice”) with Sheryl Crow performing after the premiere.
Leto’s “A Day in the Life of America” is a crowd-sourced documentary featuring footage from all 50 states on July 4, 2017. Waltz is making his directorial debut with the crime drama “Georgetown,” starring himself, Annette Bening, and Vanessa Redgrave. Robbie stars in and produces “Dreamland,” a Depression-era drama set in the Oklahoma dustbowl.
Other notable titles include “Mad Men” producer Semi Chellas making...
The 18th edition of the festival, which runs from April 24 to May 5, will include documentaries from Antoine Fuqua, Werner Herzog, and Abel Ferrara, and music-focused docs highlighting the lead singer of band Inxs (“Mystify: Michael Hutchence”), Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman (“The Quiet One”), and musician Linda Ronstadt (“Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice”) with Sheryl Crow performing after the premiere.
Leto’s “A Day in the Life of America” is a crowd-sourced documentary featuring footage from all 50 states on July 4, 2017. Waltz is making his directorial debut with the crime drama “Georgetown,” starring himself, Annette Bening, and Vanessa Redgrave. Robbie stars in and produces “Dreamland,” a Depression-era drama set in the Oklahoma dustbowl.
Other notable titles include “Mad Men” producer Semi Chellas making...
- 3/5/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
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