THR reports that Haunted Mansion director Justin Simien to set to helm Heist: Or How to Steal a Planet, a sci-fi crime thriller based on the comic series by Paul Tobin and Arjuna Susini.
The comic is “set on the planet Heist, home to billions of the worst criminals in the galaxy. The ruling pan-galactic government has no idea what to do with the planet, but a conman named Glane Breld and his band of thieves know exactly what to do with Heist: steal it. The story follows Breld on his madcap scheme to pull off the biggest heist in the history of the galaxy.” I’m not too familiar with the comic series, but that sounds like fun. Christopher Yost, best known for Thor: Ragnarok and The Mandalorian, will pen the script.
In a statement, Justin Simien said, “How To Steal Planet wowed me and I’m humbled...
The comic is “set on the planet Heist, home to billions of the worst criminals in the galaxy. The ruling pan-galactic government has no idea what to do with the planet, but a conman named Glane Breld and his band of thieves know exactly what to do with Heist: steal it. The story follows Breld on his madcap scheme to pull off the biggest heist in the history of the galaxy.” I’m not too familiar with the comic series, but that sounds like fun. Christopher Yost, best known for Thor: Ragnarok and The Mandalorian, will pen the script.
In a statement, Justin Simien said, “How To Steal Planet wowed me and I’m humbled...
- 3/28/2024
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
Justin Simien, Christopher Yost Team for Sci-Fi Caper ‘Heist: Or, How to Steal a Planet’ (Exclusive)
Filmmaker Justin Simien, best known for his breakout feature and Netflix series Dear White People as well as last year’s Haunted Mansion, has teamed up with writer Christopher Yost and Tommy Oliver’s Confluential Films to adapt Heist: Or How to Steal a Planet, a science fiction crime thriller from Vault Comics.
Simien is attached to direct the feature which has Yost, a comics author who segued into screen work with Thor: Ragnarok and The Mandalorian, writing the script.
Oliver will produce along with Wayne Horton, who brought the project to the company, and has a production deal with Confluential.
Damian Wassel and F.J. DeSanto are executive producing for Vault. Simien and Kyle Laursen will executive produce via their banner, Culture Machine.
Created by writer Paul Tobin and artist Arjuna Susini, the comic is set on the planet Heist, home to billions of the worst criminals in the galaxy.
Simien is attached to direct the feature which has Yost, a comics author who segued into screen work with Thor: Ragnarok and The Mandalorian, writing the script.
Oliver will produce along with Wayne Horton, who brought the project to the company, and has a production deal with Confluential.
Damian Wassel and F.J. DeSanto are executive producing for Vault. Simien and Kyle Laursen will executive produce via their banner, Culture Machine.
Created by writer Paul Tobin and artist Arjuna Susini, the comic is set on the planet Heist, home to billions of the worst criminals in the galaxy.
- 3/28/2024
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Liliane Bedford has joined Confluential Films (Fancy Dance), the Black-founded and Black-owned banner of Tommy Oliver, as Senior Vice President of Film and Television, the company announced on Wednesday.
Bedford joins from Stacey Sher’s Shiny Penny Productions, where she served as Vice President of Development and Production. In her new role, she will help to manage the film and television development slates for Confluential, while expanding the company’s array of diverse content.
“Confluential Films has a long legacy of inclusivity and championing change, and I look forward to joining the talented team in continuing that tradition,” Bedford stated. “From the narratives they tell to the culture they promote, I cannot wait for this next chapter with Confluential Films in continuing the company’s rich history of powerful and meaningful content.”
In addition to Bedford’s appointment, Confluential Films has announced that Kay Dillard has been promoted from Film Coordinator to Creative Executive.
Bedford joins from Stacey Sher’s Shiny Penny Productions, where she served as Vice President of Development and Production. In her new role, she will help to manage the film and television development slates for Confluential, while expanding the company’s array of diverse content.
“Confluential Films has a long legacy of inclusivity and championing change, and I look forward to joining the talented team in continuing that tradition,” Bedford stated. “From the narratives they tell to the culture they promote, I cannot wait for this next chapter with Confluential Films in continuing the company’s rich history of powerful and meaningful content.”
In addition to Bedford’s appointment, Confluential Films has announced that Kay Dillard has been promoted from Film Coordinator to Creative Executive.
- 3/27/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: The “Pay It Forward” PSA was launched during the Producers Guild Awards tonight, featuring a group of producers discussing producing.
“I’d say it starts with a feeling,” Victoria Alonso says.
Other producers featured in the video include Tommy Oliver, James Lopez, Taja Perkins, Ian Cooper, Kyle Wilson, Gary Goetzman, Linda Morel, Sharon Lopez, Jessica Elbaum and Christine Oh.
They take turns talking about all the obstacles they have to go through to make a production happen, like directors asking for a Black Hawk but not specifying if they meant the helicopter or the bird. Wilson says he ended up booking both.
Related: Martin Scorsese Accepts Producers Guild’s David O. Selznick Award, Shares How ‘Duel In The Sun’ Inspired Parts Of ‘Killers Of The Flower Moon’
In one funny moment in the clip, Perkins questions the balance between her social and work life. “Am I in the office...
“I’d say it starts with a feeling,” Victoria Alonso says.
Other producers featured in the video include Tommy Oliver, James Lopez, Taja Perkins, Ian Cooper, Kyle Wilson, Gary Goetzman, Linda Morel, Sharon Lopez, Jessica Elbaum and Christine Oh.
They take turns talking about all the obstacles they have to go through to make a production happen, like directors asking for a Black Hawk but not specifying if they meant the helicopter or the bird. Wilson says he ended up booking both.
Related: Martin Scorsese Accepts Producers Guild’s David O. Selznick Award, Shares How ‘Duel In The Sun’ Inspired Parts Of ‘Killers Of The Flower Moon’
In one funny moment in the clip, Perkins questions the balance between her social and work life. “Am I in the office...
- 2/26/2024
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
This post contains spoilers for Madame Web.
There are exactly two good things in Madame Web. No, it’s not the meme-worthy line about moms and Amazons, which doesn’t even appear in the movie. Neither is it all of the winks toward Peter Parker nor the young female Spider-heroes who (spoiler) have only two brief scenes in costume.
No, one good thing in Madame Web is the old-school Marvel logo that opens the film. The simple flipping of comics pages that dissolves into the big red block with the word “Marvel” in white font, before MCU movies replaced it with their busy fanfare.
The other good thing happens at the end of the movie. Or rather, it doesn’t happen. Because after Madame Web‘s closing scene, a very stupid looking close-up on Cass Web’s blank face, played by the ever-wooden Dakota Johnson, credits roll and that’s it.
There are exactly two good things in Madame Web. No, it’s not the meme-worthy line about moms and Amazons, which doesn’t even appear in the movie. Neither is it all of the winks toward Peter Parker nor the young female Spider-heroes who (spoiler) have only two brief scenes in costume.
No, one good thing in Madame Web is the old-school Marvel logo that opens the film. The simple flipping of comics pages that dissolves into the big red block with the word “Marvel” in white font, before MCU movies replaced it with their busy fanfare.
The other good thing happens at the end of the movie. Or rather, it doesn’t happen. Because after Madame Web‘s closing scene, a very stupid looking close-up on Cass Web’s blank face, played by the ever-wooden Dakota Johnson, credits roll and that’s it.
- 2/16/2024
- by Joe George
- Den of Geek
Apple Original Films has landed the global rights to “Fancy Dance,” which made its debut at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. The drama, starring Lily Gladstone, marks the feature directorial debut for Erica Tremblay, who also co-wrote and produced the film.
“Fancy Dance” will debut in theaters and on Apple TV+ this year. The announcement comes on the heels of Gladstone’s Oscar nomination for her performance as Mollie Burkhart in Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” also from Apple.
“Our film ‘Fancy Dance’ has found the perfect home with Apple, and I am thrilled to share this beautiful story of two Seneca-Cayuga women with a global audience.” Tremblay said in a statement. “As a Native American filmmaker, seeing my community included in the rich tapestry of cinema is a dream come true.”
The story, written by Tremblay and Miciana Alise, follows Jax (Gladstone) on the Seneca-Cayuga Reservation in...
“Fancy Dance” will debut in theaters and on Apple TV+ this year. The announcement comes on the heels of Gladstone’s Oscar nomination for her performance as Mollie Burkhart in Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” also from Apple.
“Our film ‘Fancy Dance’ has found the perfect home with Apple, and I am thrilled to share this beautiful story of two Seneca-Cayuga women with a global audience.” Tremblay said in a statement. “As a Native American filmmaker, seeing my community included in the rich tapestry of cinema is a dream come true.”
The story, written by Tremblay and Miciana Alise, follows Jax (Gladstone) on the Seneca-Cayuga Reservation in...
- 2/6/2024
- by Katcy Stephan
- Variety Film + TV
Apple Original Films said Tuesday that it has landed global rights to Fancy Dance, the indie drama that stars Oscar-nominated Killers of the Flower Moon actress Lily Gladstone alongside Isabel Deroy-Olson, Ryan Begay, Shea Whigham, Crystle Lightning and Audrey Wasilewski. The 2023 Sundance selection marks the feature directorial debut of Erica Tremblay, who also co-wrote the script with Miciana Alise.
A 2023 Sundance Film Festival selection, Fancy Dance is set to make its debut in theaters and on Apple TV+ later this year.
Tremblay’s film offers a nuanced account of the human costs of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women epidemic and the possibilities of healing for those left behind.
“Our film Fancy Dance has found the perfect home with Apple, and I am thrilled to share this beautiful story of two Seneca-Cayuga women with a global audience,” Tremblay said. “As a Native American filmmaker, seeing my community included in the...
A 2023 Sundance Film Festival selection, Fancy Dance is set to make its debut in theaters and on Apple TV+ later this year.
Tremblay’s film offers a nuanced account of the human costs of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women epidemic and the possibilities of healing for those left behind.
“Our film Fancy Dance has found the perfect home with Apple, and I am thrilled to share this beautiful story of two Seneca-Cayuga women with a global audience,” Tremblay said. “As a Native American filmmaker, seeing my community included in the...
- 2/6/2024
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
For over a year, director Erica Tremblay’s acclaimed Sundance drama “Fancy Dance” went undistributed without a means to see it. Its star Lily Gladstone, Oscar-nominated for another Native American-led film, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” has taken time from her awards campaign to champion the film and urge anyone in Hollywood to support it and give it a home.
Today, that effort has finally paid off. Apple Original Films has acquired the global rights to “Fancy Dance” and will release it both in theaters and on Apple TV+ later this year. A release date was not specified, and terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“Our film ‘Fancy Dance’ has found the perfect home with Apple, and I am thrilled to share this beautiful story of two Seneca-Cayuga women with a global audience.” Tremblay said in a statement. “As a Native American filmmaker, seeing my community included in the...
Today, that effort has finally paid off. Apple Original Films has acquired the global rights to “Fancy Dance” and will release it both in theaters and on Apple TV+ later this year. A release date was not specified, and terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“Our film ‘Fancy Dance’ has found the perfect home with Apple, and I am thrilled to share this beautiful story of two Seneca-Cayuga women with a global audience.” Tremblay said in a statement. “As a Native American filmmaker, seeing my community included in the...
- 2/6/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
Apple has taken the worldwide rights to Fancy Dance, the 2023 Sundance Film Festival title that stars Lily Gladstone, who recently landed an Oscar nomination for Apple’s Killers of the Flower Moon.
Erica Tremblay, who worked on FX series Reservation Dogs as a writer and director, made her feature debut on the film and also co-wrote and produced. The news of the pick-up comes over a year after the film bowed at Park City and subsequent festivals. In November, Tremblay co-wrote a guest column for THR with co-writer Miciana Alise talking about the film’s struggle to find distribution.
“With a near-perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes and all of our accolades to boot, we are left mystified by the disconnect between our apparent success and an industry-supported distribution push,” reads the column. “Our film premiered in the same year as Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon. Both films star Lily Gladstone,...
Erica Tremblay, who worked on FX series Reservation Dogs as a writer and director, made her feature debut on the film and also co-wrote and produced. The news of the pick-up comes over a year after the film bowed at Park City and subsequent festivals. In November, Tremblay co-wrote a guest column for THR with co-writer Miciana Alise talking about the film’s struggle to find distribution.
“With a near-perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes and all of our accolades to boot, we are left mystified by the disconnect between our apparent success and an industry-supported distribution push,” reads the column. “Our film premiered in the same year as Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon. Both films star Lily Gladstone,...
- 2/6/2024
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Apple Original Films is back in business with Oscar-nominated Lily Gladstone and has acquired global rights to Sundance 2023 selection Fancy Dance.
Erica Tremblay’s feature directorial debut starring Gladstone, a star of Apple’s Oscar-nominated Killers Of The Flower Moon, will get a theatrical release prior to debuting on Apple TV+ this year.
Fancy Dance follows Jax, a woman living on the Seneca-Cayuga Reservation in Oklahoma, who investigates the disappearance of her sister while caring for her niece Roki as the youngster prepares for a ceremony.
Amid a growing custody dispute, Jax and Roki take off and scour the backcountry...
Erica Tremblay’s feature directorial debut starring Gladstone, a star of Apple’s Oscar-nominated Killers Of The Flower Moon, will get a theatrical release prior to debuting on Apple TV+ this year.
Fancy Dance follows Jax, a woman living on the Seneca-Cayuga Reservation in Oklahoma, who investigates the disappearance of her sister while caring for her niece Roki as the youngster prepares for a ceremony.
Amid a growing custody dispute, Jax and Roki take off and scour the backcountry...
- 2/6/2024
- ScreenDaily
Last year was the 30th anniversary of "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers," but there's never a bad time to celebrate the long-running franchise that has seen countless iterations of different teenage superhero teams. A huge contributing factor to the show's popularity was how quickly the characters were slapped onto kid-friendly merchandise and clothing, which meant you weren't cool if you weren't into the "Power Rangers." Well, the fashion creators at Shoe Palace also celebrated their 30th anniversary, and now they're teaming up for a new clothing collection that honors the original team of Red, Black, Blue, Yellow and Pink Power Rangers with fun stuff Og fans can enjoy all these years later. There are t-shirts, hoodies, and joggers depicting the original five Power Rangers, as well as Tommy Oliver as both the Green Ranger and White Ranger. Plus, the Megazord takes the spotlight too. Who says morphin time can't also be fashionable?...
- 1/25/2024
- by Ethan Anderton
- Slash Film
Hello, and welcome to the Scene 2 Seen Podcast. I am Valerie Complex, an associate editor and film writer at Deadline.
Today, we’re talking to television and film director Thembi Banks about her directorial debut film Young.Wild.Free, which premiered at Sundance and stars Algee Smith, Sanaa Lathan, Sierra Capri and Mike Epps. The film is produced by Charles D. King, James Lopez, Poppy Hanks, Tommy Oliver, Baron Davis, and Tracy “Twinkie” Byrd, and was written by Juel Taylor and Tony Rettenmaier.
Young.Wild.Free follows Brandon (Smith), who between struggling in school, caring for his two younger siblings and having just been let go from his job, tends to use his art as an escape from the confines of his subdued day-to-day life. Enter Cassidy, a bedazzled bad girl dripping in confidence, freedom and danger. Lured in by her whimsy, Brandon teams with Cassidy, seamlessly slipping into the...
Today, we’re talking to television and film director Thembi Banks about her directorial debut film Young.Wild.Free, which premiered at Sundance and stars Algee Smith, Sanaa Lathan, Sierra Capri and Mike Epps. The film is produced by Charles D. King, James Lopez, Poppy Hanks, Tommy Oliver, Baron Davis, and Tracy “Twinkie” Byrd, and was written by Juel Taylor and Tony Rettenmaier.
Young.Wild.Free follows Brandon (Smith), who between struggling in school, caring for his two younger siblings and having just been let go from his job, tends to use his art as an escape from the confines of his subdued day-to-day life. Enter Cassidy, a bedazzled bad girl dripping in confidence, freedom and danger. Lured in by her whimsy, Brandon teams with Cassidy, seamlessly slipping into the...
- 12/28/2023
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
Bobi Wine: The People’s President won the top prize of best feature documentary at the 2023 International Documentary Awards on Tuesday night.
The film follows music star, activist and opposition leader Bobi Wine amid Uganda’s 2021 presidential election.
Accepting the award during the International Documentary Association’s virtual awards show, co-director Moses Bwayo said, “The awareness this film has brought to world audiences has arguably kept Bobi Wine alive and out of prison for now.”
Asmae El Moudir won best director for The Mother of All Lies, in which El Moudir creates a replica of the Casablanca neighborhood where she grew up, allowing her to reconnect with her past.
The Mother of All Lies was nominated for three awards, along with Milisuthando, while Apolonia, Apolonia had a leading four nominations.
Incident, which reconstructs a Chicago police shooting in 2018 from numerous viewpoints, won best short documentary award. Pov and Pov Shorts...
The film follows music star, activist and opposition leader Bobi Wine amid Uganda’s 2021 presidential election.
Accepting the award during the International Documentary Association’s virtual awards show, co-director Moses Bwayo said, “The awareness this film has brought to world audiences has arguably kept Bobi Wine alive and out of prison for now.”
Asmae El Moudir won best director for The Mother of All Lies, in which El Moudir creates a replica of the Casablanca neighborhood where she grew up, allowing her to reconnect with her past.
The Mother of All Lies was nominated for three awards, along with Milisuthando, while Apolonia, Apolonia had a leading four nominations.
Incident, which reconstructs a Chicago police shooting in 2018 from numerous viewpoints, won best short documentary award. Pov and Pov Shorts...
- 12/13/2023
- by Hilary Lewis
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The International Documentary Association (IDA) announced the winners in 18 categories at the 39th annual IDA Awards Show on December 12, 2023, which live premiered on IDA’s YouTube channel. A record number of IDA members cast votes for this year’s Best Feature Documentary and Best Short Documentary nominees. Independent judging committees selected winners in all other categories.
The Best Feature Documentary Award went to NatGeo’s “Bobi Wine: The People’s President,” which follows Uganda’s 2021 presidential election and music star, activist, and opposition leader Bobi Wine. “The awareness this film has brought to world audiences,” said co-director Moses Bwayo, “has arguably kept Bobi Wine alive and out of prison for now.”
This year’s Best Director was Moroccan Asmae ElMoudir, who won for innovative hybrid documentary and Moroccan Oscar submission “The Mother of All Lies,” in which ElMoudir uses clay puppets fashioned by her father to recreate incidents from her family’s past in Casablanca.
The Best Feature Documentary Award went to NatGeo’s “Bobi Wine: The People’s President,” which follows Uganda’s 2021 presidential election and music star, activist, and opposition leader Bobi Wine. “The awareness this film has brought to world audiences,” said co-director Moses Bwayo, “has arguably kept Bobi Wine alive and out of prison for now.”
This year’s Best Director was Moroccan Asmae ElMoudir, who won for innovative hybrid documentary and Moroccan Oscar submission “The Mother of All Lies,” in which ElMoudir uses clay puppets fashioned by her father to recreate incidents from her family’s past in Casablanca.
- 12/13/2023
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Deadline on Tuesday launched the streaming site for Contenders Film: Documentary, its annual showcase of the year’s best nonfiction films that are in the running for the Documentary Feature Oscar.
Click here to launch the streaming site.
A total of nine buzzworthy films participated in panel discussions during Sunday’s virtual event, featuring movies from Amazon MGM Studios, Apple Original Films, HBO Documentary Films, National Geographic Documentary Films, Paramount+ and MTV Documentary Films, Sony Pictures Classics, and Telemark and Greenwich Entertainment.
Panelists who joined to discuss their projects included directors Davis Guggenheim (Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie), Peter Nicks (Stephen Curry: Underrated), Jesse Moss and Amanda McBain (The Mission), Christopher Sharp (Bobi Wine: The People’s President), Raoul Peck (Silver Dollar Road), Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal (They Shot the Piano Player), Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson (Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project), Jakub Piątek (Pianoforte) and...
Click here to launch the streaming site.
A total of nine buzzworthy films participated in panel discussions during Sunday’s virtual event, featuring movies from Amazon MGM Studios, Apple Original Films, HBO Documentary Films, National Geographic Documentary Films, Paramount+ and MTV Documentary Films, Sony Pictures Classics, and Telemark and Greenwich Entertainment.
Panelists who joined to discuss their projects included directors Davis Guggenheim (Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie), Peter Nicks (Stephen Curry: Underrated), Jesse Moss and Amanda McBain (The Mission), Christopher Sharp (Bobi Wine: The People’s President), Raoul Peck (Silver Dollar Road), Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal (They Shot the Piano Player), Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson (Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project), Jakub Piątek (Pianoforte) and...
- 12/12/2023
- by The Deadline Team
- Deadline Film + TV
Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project centers on the poet, with Giovanni herself on screen. Co-director Joe Brewster said he did not want to do a traditional documentary or biopic, and drew inspiration from documentaries on James Baldwin and Kurt Cobain.
“We actually pitched it as I Am Not Your Negro meets Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck,” Brewster said at Deadline’s Contenders Film: Documentary.
Co-director Michèle Stephenson added that she wanted the film to center on Giovanni, rather than other talking heads reflecting on her impact.
“Some of our visual vision and story vision came out of a bit of frustration with watching certain biographical documentaries,” Stephenson said. “We wanted to center her and her work and see everything through her voice to get a sense of how the process, the artistic poetry-making process happened.”
Brewster and Stephenson also got creative when Giovanni’s memory was limited,...
“We actually pitched it as I Am Not Your Negro meets Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck,” Brewster said at Deadline’s Contenders Film: Documentary.
Co-director Michèle Stephenson added that she wanted the film to center on Giovanni, rather than other talking heads reflecting on her impact.
“Some of our visual vision and story vision came out of a bit of frustration with watching certain biographical documentaries,” Stephenson said. “We wanted to center her and her work and see everything through her voice to get a sense of how the process, the artistic poetry-making process happened.”
Brewster and Stephenson also got creative when Giovanni’s memory was limited,...
- 12/10/2023
- by Fred Topel
- Deadline Film + TV
As Indigenous woman filmmakers, we knew that our path through the industry would be narrow and that our film, Fancy Dance, would have a small window for success based on the abysmal record of representation for Indigenous folx in Hollywood. As such, we channeled our collective wills as granddaughters of Dust Bowl survivors, descendants of genocide and avowed followers of the indomitable Merata Mita to give this film the best shot possible.
If there existed a “how to make a successful movie in Hollywood” checklist, we followed it to a tee.
Step one: Create a compelling script (after her sister’s disappearance, a hustler kidnaps her niece from the child’s white grandparents and takes her to the state powwow in hopes of keeping what’s left of her family intact) – check.
Step two: Find top-tier producing partners (Nina Yang Bongiovi, Tommy Oliver) – check.
Step three: Cast amazing actors at...
If there existed a “how to make a successful movie in Hollywood” checklist, we followed it to a tee.
Step one: Create a compelling script (after her sister’s disappearance, a hustler kidnaps her niece from the child’s white grandparents and takes her to the state powwow in hopes of keeping what’s left of her family intact) – check.
Step two: Find top-tier producing partners (Nina Yang Bongiovi, Tommy Oliver) – check.
Step three: Cast amazing actors at...
- 11/30/2023
- by Erica Tremblay and Miciana Alise
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IndieWire’s longtime commitment to highlighting boundary-pushing documentary filmmaking reached new heights this fall during the inaugural Art of the Doc screening series. Presented in partnership with National Geographic, Art of the Doc showcased six of the best nonfiction films of 2023 at the Landmark Westwood in Los Angeles. Each screening featured in-person conversations with filmmakers and documentary subjects moderated by IndieWire editors.
“Our editors gave careful consideration in selecting these films for our inaugural screening series, Art of the Doc,” IndieWire senior VP and editor in chief Dana Harris-Bridson said in a statement announcing the series. “We’re excited to have the in-person opportunity to share IndieWire’s perspective with the work of great filmmakers.”
“We’re thrilled to be launching our first documentary screening series with our partner National Geographic,” said IndieWire senior VP and publisher James Israel. “Nat Geo’s support of the art of current documentary filmmaking...
“Our editors gave careful consideration in selecting these films for our inaugural screening series, Art of the Doc,” IndieWire senior VP and editor in chief Dana Harris-Bridson said in a statement announcing the series. “We’re excited to have the in-person opportunity to share IndieWire’s perspective with the work of great filmmakers.”
“We’re thrilled to be launching our first documentary screening series with our partner National Geographic,” said IndieWire senior VP and publisher James Israel. “Nat Geo’s support of the art of current documentary filmmaking...
- 11/27/2023
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
Apolonia, Apolonia leads the 2023 International Documentary Awards nominations with four nods.
Other top nominees include The Mother of All Lies and Milisuthando, which earned three nominations apiece.
All three films are up for the top prize of best feature documentary, along with two-time nominees Against the Tide, ANHELL69, Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project and Q.
All of this year’s best director nominees represent films nominated for best feature.
Other two-time nominees, not up for best feature or director, include Anselm (best cinematography and original music score), To Kill a Tiger (best original music score and best writing) and Smoke Sauna Sisterhood (best editing and cinematography).
Winners will be announced at the IDA’s virtual awards show, set for Dec. 12, which will take place at 8 p.m. Pt and stream on documentary.org and the IDA’s YouTube, Facebook and Instagram channels.
“In the wake of devastating events...
Other top nominees include The Mother of All Lies and Milisuthando, which earned three nominations apiece.
All three films are up for the top prize of best feature documentary, along with two-time nominees Against the Tide, ANHELL69, Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project and Q.
All of this year’s best director nominees represent films nominated for best feature.
Other two-time nominees, not up for best feature or director, include Anselm (best cinematography and original music score), To Kill a Tiger (best original music score and best writing) and Smoke Sauna Sisterhood (best editing and cinematography).
Winners will be announced at the IDA’s virtual awards show, set for Dec. 12, which will take place at 8 p.m. Pt and stream on documentary.org and the IDA’s YouTube, Facebook and Instagram channels.
“In the wake of devastating events...
- 11/21/2023
- by Hilary Lewis
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The International Documentary Association has announced nominations in 18 categories for its 39th awards, which will be awarded in a streaming ceremony on Dec. 12.
The nominees for best feature documentary are “Against the Tide,” “ANHELL69,” “Apolonia, Apolonia,” “Bobi Wine: The People’s President,” “Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project,” “In the Rearview,” “Milisuthando,” Q,” “The Mother of All Lies” and “While We Watched.”
The awards will unspool at 8 p.m. Pt on documentary.org and on IDA’s YouTube, Facebook and Instagram channels.
“In the wake of devastating events unfolding in the world and the grief our staff, board, community, and humanity at large are experiencing, we have decided to forego an in-person party. We know that stories have the power to encourage compassion, understanding, and peace. We are committed to preserving space for stories to be shared. Our wish is to recognize and celebrate the nominees and winners together, as a global documentary community,...
The nominees for best feature documentary are “Against the Tide,” “ANHELL69,” “Apolonia, Apolonia,” “Bobi Wine: The People’s President,” “Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project,” “In the Rearview,” “Milisuthando,” Q,” “The Mother of All Lies” and “While We Watched.”
The awards will unspool at 8 p.m. Pt on documentary.org and on IDA’s YouTube, Facebook and Instagram channels.
“In the wake of devastating events unfolding in the world and the grief our staff, board, community, and humanity at large are experiencing, we have decided to forego an in-person party. We know that stories have the power to encourage compassion, understanding, and peace. We are committed to preserving space for stories to be shared. Our wish is to recognize and celebrate the nominees and winners together, as a global documentary community,...
- 11/21/2023
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
The 2023 IDA Documentary Awards has officially unveiled its list of nominees.
The 39th annual awards ceremony for the International Documentary Association will take place virtually on December 12, streaming on documentary.org, as well as the IDA YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram channels. The awards recognize the top films and projects in the documentary genre.
Nominees include “Bobi Wine: The People’s President,” about how a Ugandan pop star disrupted the national political landscape; “Pianoforte,” following the prestigious international piano competition; and HBO documentary “Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project.” The shortlist for the nominees was announced earlier this year
The decision to hold the 2023 IDA Documentary Awards virtually was in part due to the current geopolitical landscape, according to IDA Interim Executive Director Ken Ikeda.
“In the wake of devastating events unfolding in the world and the grief our staff, board, community, and humanity at large are experiencing, we have decided to forego an in-person party,...
The 39th annual awards ceremony for the International Documentary Association will take place virtually on December 12, streaming on documentary.org, as well as the IDA YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram channels. The awards recognize the top films and projects in the documentary genre.
Nominees include “Bobi Wine: The People’s President,” about how a Ugandan pop star disrupted the national political landscape; “Pianoforte,” following the prestigious international piano competition; and HBO documentary “Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project.” The shortlist for the nominees was announced earlier this year
The decision to hold the 2023 IDA Documentary Awards virtually was in part due to the current geopolitical landscape, according to IDA Interim Executive Director Ken Ikeda.
“In the wake of devastating events unfolding in the world and the grief our staff, board, community, and humanity at large are experiencing, we have decided to forego an in-person party,...
- 11/21/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Lea Glob’s documentary Apolonia, Apolonia earned a leading four nominations today as the IDA Documentary Awards revealed its nominees for the 39th edition of the prestigious event.
Following closely with three nominations apiece were The Mother of All Lies, directed by Asmae El Moudir, and Milisuthando, directed by Milisuthando Bongela.
Apolonia, Apolonia, a personal exploration into the life and work of French artist Apolonia Sokol filmed over the course of 13 years, will compete for Best Documentary Feature, Best Director, Best Writing, and Best Editing. Glob’s film won the top prize at IDFA, where it debuted last November, going on to win awards at Cph:dox in Copenhagen, the Hong Kong International Film Festival, and the Sofia International Film Festival, among others. Despite its many laurels, the film has yet to land a U.S. distributor.
‘The Mother of All Lies’
The Mother of All Lies earned nominations as Best Documentary Feature,...
Following closely with three nominations apiece were The Mother of All Lies, directed by Asmae El Moudir, and Milisuthando, directed by Milisuthando Bongela.
Apolonia, Apolonia, a personal exploration into the life and work of French artist Apolonia Sokol filmed over the course of 13 years, will compete for Best Documentary Feature, Best Director, Best Writing, and Best Editing. Glob’s film won the top prize at IDFA, where it debuted last November, going on to win awards at Cph:dox in Copenhagen, the Hong Kong International Film Festival, and the Sofia International Film Festival, among others. Despite its many laurels, the film has yet to land a U.S. distributor.
‘The Mother of All Lies’
The Mother of All Lies earned nominations as Best Documentary Feature,...
- 11/21/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Updated with details about the next and final screening, which is “Stamped from the Beginning” on November 20. Learn more here.
This Monday, November 20, the next and concluding screening in our Art of the Doc series will be of Roger Ross Williams’ acclaimed “Stamped from the Beginning” at the Landmark Westwood. Doors open at 6:30pm with a pre-reception featuring beer, wine, and conversations with other documentary fans. Then at 7:30, the screening will begin, after which there will be a Q&a moderated by IndieWire’s Marcus Jones with director Roger Ross Williams himself. The film, based on the book by Ibram X. Kendi about how racist tropes permeate American culture, debuted to extraordinary acclaim at TIFF in September, and IndieWire’s Anne Thompson considers it a frontrunner in the Best Documentary Feature race at the Oscars.
New to our Art of the Doc series? Well, IndieWire has celebrated the...
This Monday, November 20, the next and concluding screening in our Art of the Doc series will be of Roger Ross Williams’ acclaimed “Stamped from the Beginning” at the Landmark Westwood. Doors open at 6:30pm with a pre-reception featuring beer, wine, and conversations with other documentary fans. Then at 7:30, the screening will begin, after which there will be a Q&a moderated by IndieWire’s Marcus Jones with director Roger Ross Williams himself. The film, based on the book by Ibram X. Kendi about how racist tropes permeate American culture, debuted to extraordinary acclaim at TIFF in September, and IndieWire’s Anne Thompson considers it a frontrunner in the Best Documentary Feature race at the Oscars.
New to our Art of the Doc series? Well, IndieWire has celebrated the...
- 11/17/2023
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
The 2024 Cinema Eye Honors has officially announced its full list of nominees, with D. Smith’s debut feature “Kokomo City” topping the awards contenders.
The Sundance breakout film about Black trans sex workers has six nominations for the 17th annual awards ceremony which spotlights achievements in nonfiction and documentary films and series. The 2024 Cinema Eye Honors will take place January 12 at the New York Academy of Medicine in East Harlem, New York.
Following “Kokomo City” are Mstyslav Chernov’s “20 Days in Mariupol,” Sam Green’s “32 Sounds,” and Maite Alberdi’s “The Eternal Memory,” each with five nominations. All four films are nominated for Outstanding Nonfiction Feature with the respective directors all nominated for Outstanding Direction.
This year’s Cinema Eye Honors also marks a history-making first with directors Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson being the first filmmakers to be nominated for Nonfiction Feature and Nonfiction Short in the same year,...
The Sundance breakout film about Black trans sex workers has six nominations for the 17th annual awards ceremony which spotlights achievements in nonfiction and documentary films and series. The 2024 Cinema Eye Honors will take place January 12 at the New York Academy of Medicine in East Harlem, New York.
Following “Kokomo City” are Mstyslav Chernov’s “20 Days in Mariupol,” Sam Green’s “32 Sounds,” and Maite Alberdi’s “The Eternal Memory,” each with five nominations. All four films are nominated for Outstanding Nonfiction Feature with the respective directors all nominated for Outstanding Direction.
This year’s Cinema Eye Honors also marks a history-making first with directors Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson being the first filmmakers to be nominated for Nonfiction Feature and Nonfiction Short in the same year,...
- 11/16/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The Cinema Eye Honors for achievement in nonfiction and documentary films and series has announced nominees for the 17th awards ceremony. “Kokomo City” from D. Smith led the nominees with six. “20 Days in Mariupol,” “32 Sounds” and “The Eternal Memory” each received five nominations. The nominees for outstanding fiction feature also include “Four Daughters,” “Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project” and “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie.”
Outstanding direction nominees include Maite Alberdi for “The Eternal Memory,” Sam Green for “32 Sounds,” Kaouther Ben Hania for “Four Daughters,” Smith for “Kokomo City,” Claire Simon for “Our Body” and Wim Wenders for “Anselm.”
The Cinema Eye 2024 Awards Ceremony takes place on Jan. 12 at the New York Academy of Medicine in East Harlem.
Full list of nominees follows.
2024 Cinema Eye Honors Nominations
Outstanding Nonfiction Feature
20 Days in Mariupol
Directed by Mstyslav Chernov
Produced by Mstyslav Chernov, Michelle Mizner, Raney Aronson Rath...
Outstanding direction nominees include Maite Alberdi for “The Eternal Memory,” Sam Green for “32 Sounds,” Kaouther Ben Hania for “Four Daughters,” Smith for “Kokomo City,” Claire Simon for “Our Body” and Wim Wenders for “Anselm.”
The Cinema Eye 2024 Awards Ceremony takes place on Jan. 12 at the New York Academy of Medicine in East Harlem.
Full list of nominees follows.
2024 Cinema Eye Honors Nominations
Outstanding Nonfiction Feature
20 Days in Mariupol
Directed by Mstyslav Chernov
Produced by Mstyslav Chernov, Michelle Mizner, Raney Aronson Rath...
- 11/16/2023
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
The International Documentary Association announced its shortlists of features and shorts in the running for the 39th IDA Documentary Awards, a list as notable for what was left out as for what films made the cut.
A total of 17 feature docs earned a place on the shortlist, including Sundance Grand Jury Prize Winner Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project, directed by Michèle Stephenson and Joe Brewster, National Geographic’s Bobi Wine: The People’s President, Cannes winner The Mother of All Lies, and the Ukraine-themed film In the Rearview.
Among notable films left off the list: The Errol Morris documentary The Pigeon Tunnel, Kokomo City, Sundance winner The Eternal Memory, Roger Ross Williams’ Stamped From the Beginning from Netflix, and another Netflix title, American Symphony — the Matthew Heineman documentary about musician Jon Batiste. Scroll for the full list of nominated films.
Up to 10 nominees in the feature and short documentary...
A total of 17 feature docs earned a place on the shortlist, including Sundance Grand Jury Prize Winner Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project, directed by Michèle Stephenson and Joe Brewster, National Geographic’s Bobi Wine: The People’s President, Cannes winner The Mother of All Lies, and the Ukraine-themed film In the Rearview.
Among notable films left off the list: The Errol Morris documentary The Pigeon Tunnel, Kokomo City, Sundance winner The Eternal Memory, Roger Ross Williams’ Stamped From the Beginning from Netflix, and another Netflix title, American Symphony — the Matthew Heineman documentary about musician Jon Batiste. Scroll for the full list of nominated films.
Up to 10 nominees in the feature and short documentary...
- 10/24/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
The International Documentary Association announced the 17 feature-length and 25 short documentaries included on the shortlists for the 39th IDA Documentary Awards, which will be held during the week of Dec. 11in Los Angeles.
The nominees will be announced on Nov. 21, and IDA members will vote for Best Feature Documentary and Best Short Documentary until Dec. 5.
“The 39th IDA Documentary Awards continues the tradition of celebrating the best of international nonfiction media of the year,” said Ken Ikeda, IDA’s Interim Executive Director. “This year’s Best Feature Documentary and Best Short Documentary shortlists reflect important work from twenty-one countries. We are excited to celebrate the work of our community and present winners this December in Los Angeles.”
The 2023 shortlists and nominees are selected by independent committees of 280 documentary makers, curators, critics and industry experts from 40 countries. IDA received 669 total submissions in all categories from 48 countries.
Best Feature Documentary Shortlist
Against the Tide...
The nominees will be announced on Nov. 21, and IDA members will vote for Best Feature Documentary and Best Short Documentary until Dec. 5.
“The 39th IDA Documentary Awards continues the tradition of celebrating the best of international nonfiction media of the year,” said Ken Ikeda, IDA’s Interim Executive Director. “This year’s Best Feature Documentary and Best Short Documentary shortlists reflect important work from twenty-one countries. We are excited to celebrate the work of our community and present winners this December in Los Angeles.”
The 2023 shortlists and nominees are selected by independent committees of 280 documentary makers, curators, critics and industry experts from 40 countries. IDA received 669 total submissions in all categories from 48 countries.
Best Feature Documentary Shortlist
Against the Tide...
- 10/24/2023
- by Jordan Moreau
- Variety Film + TV
The International Documentary Association (IDA) on Tuesday announced its best feature and short shortlists for the 2023 IDA Documentary Awards.
The ceremony will be held during the week of Dec. 11 in Los Angeles — venue information is set to follow. Starting Nov. 7, IDA members will be able to view each of the shortlisted films on IDA Virtual Cinema, and up to 10 nominees from each category will be selected. The nominees will be announced on Nov. 21.
“The 39th IDA Documentary Awards continues the tradition of celebrating the best of international nonfiction media of the year,” said Ken Ikeda, IDA’s interim executive director. “This year’s best feature documentary and best short documentary shortlists reflect important work from twenty-one countries. We are excited to celebrate the work of our community and present winners this December in Los Angeles.”
280 documentary filmmakers, curators, critics and industry experts from 40 countries selected the shortlists. IDA received 669 total submissions from 48 countries.
The ceremony will be held during the week of Dec. 11 in Los Angeles — venue information is set to follow. Starting Nov. 7, IDA members will be able to view each of the shortlisted films on IDA Virtual Cinema, and up to 10 nominees from each category will be selected. The nominees will be announced on Nov. 21.
“The 39th IDA Documentary Awards continues the tradition of celebrating the best of international nonfiction media of the year,” said Ken Ikeda, IDA’s interim executive director. “This year’s best feature documentary and best short documentary shortlists reflect important work from twenty-one countries. We are excited to celebrate the work of our community and present winners this December in Los Angeles.”
280 documentary filmmakers, curators, critics and industry experts from 40 countries selected the shortlists. IDA received 669 total submissions from 48 countries.
- 10/24/2023
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The 39th International Documentary Awards have announced their shortlists for the best nonfiction entries of the year, with a ceremony to take place during the week of Dec. 11 in Los Angeles in a venue to be named. The films were selected by independent committees comprised of 280 documentary makers, curators, critics, and industry experts from 40 countries. IDA received 669 total submissions in all categories from 48 countries.
New York Times Op-Docs dominated the Documentary Short category with seven mentions, including entries from the Netherlands (“Neighbour Abdi”), Mexico (“Victoria”) and Hungary (“Away”) among the shortlisted selections. The Documentary Feature category appeared to favor less-buzzy international titles this season.
What is surprising about the IDA shortlist is how many of the year’s presumed top contenders are not included. Of the 21 nonfiction films that have been nominated by the Critics Choice Documentary Awards or placed on the Doc NYC shortlist of likely awards titles, only...
New York Times Op-Docs dominated the Documentary Short category with seven mentions, including entries from the Netherlands (“Neighbour Abdi”), Mexico (“Victoria”) and Hungary (“Away”) among the shortlisted selections. The Documentary Feature category appeared to favor less-buzzy international titles this season.
What is surprising about the IDA shortlist is how many of the year’s presumed top contenders are not included. Of the 21 nonfiction films that have been nominated by the Critics Choice Documentary Awards or placed on the Doc NYC shortlist of likely awards titles, only...
- 10/24/2023
- by Jason Clark
- The Wrap
The International Documentary Association has unveiled their shortlist for their 39th annual award ceremony, celebrating the best in documentary filmmaking.
17 feature-length documentaries — including “Bobi Wine: The People’s President,” “Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project,” and “Anonymous Sister” — were selected for the shortlist, as were 25 short films. The films hail from over 20 countries, including Canada, India, Cambodia, Denmark, Uganda, France, and South Africa.
From the shortlist, up to 10 nominees in both the Best Feature Documentary and Best Short Documentary categories will be selected by IDA members. In addition, awards will be given to additional films in the following categories: Best Curated Series, Best Episodic Series, Best Multi-Part Documentary, Best TV Feature Documentary or Mini-Series, Best Short Form Series, Best Stand-Alone Audio Documentary, Best Multi-Part Audio Documentary or Series, David L. Wolper Student Documentary Award, Best Music Documentary, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Writing, Best Music Score, ABC News VideoSource Award,...
17 feature-length documentaries — including “Bobi Wine: The People’s President,” “Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project,” and “Anonymous Sister” — were selected for the shortlist, as were 25 short films. The films hail from over 20 countries, including Canada, India, Cambodia, Denmark, Uganda, France, and South Africa.
From the shortlist, up to 10 nominees in both the Best Feature Documentary and Best Short Documentary categories will be selected by IDA members. In addition, awards will be given to additional films in the following categories: Best Curated Series, Best Episodic Series, Best Multi-Part Documentary, Best TV Feature Documentary or Mini-Series, Best Short Form Series, Best Stand-Alone Audio Documentary, Best Multi-Part Audio Documentary or Series, David L. Wolper Student Documentary Award, Best Music Documentary, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Writing, Best Music Score, ABC News VideoSource Award,...
- 10/24/2023
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
The documentary festival Doc NYC has unveiled the full lineup for its 14th edition. It will be a total of 114 features and 129 short films. The festival runs in-person November 8-16 at IFC Center, Sva Theatre and Village East by Angelika and continues online through November 26 with films available to viewers across the U.S.
The Short Lists sections showcase a selection of nonfiction features and shorts that the festival’s programming team considers to be among the year’s strongest contenders for Oscars and other awards. The Winner’s Circle are films already feted at major international film events while Come As You Are section highlights films about people striving to find their place in the world, or in their communities.
Short List: Features
20 Days In Mariupol
Director: Mstyslav Chernov
Producers: Mstyslav Chernov, Michelle Mizner, Raney Aronson Rath, Derl McCrudden
An AP team of Ukrainian journalists trapped in the...
The Short Lists sections showcase a selection of nonfiction features and shorts that the festival’s programming team considers to be among the year’s strongest contenders for Oscars and other awards. The Winner’s Circle are films already feted at major international film events while Come As You Are section highlights films about people striving to find their place in the world, or in their communities.
Short List: Features
20 Days In Mariupol
Director: Mstyslav Chernov
Producers: Mstyslav Chernov, Michelle Mizner, Raney Aronson Rath, Derl McCrudden
An AP team of Ukrainian journalists trapped in the...
- 10/18/2023
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
PBS’ “20 Days in Mariupol,” IFC’s “The Disappearance of Shere Hite” and MTV’s “The Eternal Memory” are among Doc NYC’s 14th edition featuring 114 features and 129 short films.
The shortlist for Doc NYC, the largest documentary festival in the U.S., was launched in 2012 and has become a key indicator and predictor for the Academy Awards’ best documentary feature category. Ten out of the last 11 winners for documentary feature were screened at the festival. In addition, 12 of the 15 shortlisted docs from 2022 were among its lineup.
Some other notable inclusions are Julie Cohen’s moving “Every Body” about the generation of intersex people living among us, Lisa Cortés’ “Little Richard: I Am Everything,” an intimate look at the queer rock ‘n’ roll legend, and Matthew Heineman’s “American Symphony,” an emotional look into the life of singer Jon Batiste as he prepares for his performance at Carnegie Hall.
The festival runs from Nov.
The shortlist for Doc NYC, the largest documentary festival in the U.S., was launched in 2012 and has become a key indicator and predictor for the Academy Awards’ best documentary feature category. Ten out of the last 11 winners for documentary feature were screened at the festival. In addition, 12 of the 15 shortlisted docs from 2022 were among its lineup.
Some other notable inclusions are Julie Cohen’s moving “Every Body” about the generation of intersex people living among us, Lisa Cortés’ “Little Richard: I Am Everything,” an intimate look at the queer rock ‘n’ roll legend, and Matthew Heineman’s “American Symphony,” an emotional look into the life of singer Jon Batiste as he prepares for his performance at Carnegie Hall.
The festival runs from Nov.
- 10/17/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Doc NYC, America’s largest documentary festival, on Tuesday announced its lineup in the short and feature categories, as well as for its Winner’s Circle category and its new section for 2023 titled Come As You Are.
All shortlisted films will have theatrical screenings at the festival. With Tuesday’s announcement, Doc NYC will present a total of 114 features and 129 short films in its 14th year, including 33 world premieres and 29 U.S. premieres.
The festival will run this year Nov. 8-16 at IFC Center, Sva Theatre and Village East Angelika in New York, and will run online through Nov. 26.
The festival’s new Come As You Are section features films about “people striving to find their place in the world, or in their communities,” according to the festival. The Doc NYC Short List for documentary features was launched in 2012. For 10 of the last 11 years, the festival has screened doc features...
All shortlisted films will have theatrical screenings at the festival. With Tuesday’s announcement, Doc NYC will present a total of 114 features and 129 short films in its 14th year, including 33 world premieres and 29 U.S. premieres.
The festival will run this year Nov. 8-16 at IFC Center, Sva Theatre and Village East Angelika in New York, and will run online through Nov. 26.
The festival’s new Come As You Are section features films about “people striving to find their place in the world, or in their communities,” according to the festival. The Doc NYC Short List for documentary features was launched in 2012. For 10 of the last 11 years, the festival has screened doc features...
- 10/17/2023
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
On what would have been Jason David Frank’s 50th birthday, the late actor’s daughter Jenna Frank marked the milestone with a touching social media tribute.
“I can’t put my pain into words. I still can’t believe you’re gone,” Jenna wrote on Instagram Monday, alongside photos of her with her dad. “I was with you on your birthday last year. I picked you up at the airport you were so happy to see me. You are my book to life, you taught me everything I know. You are more than just my dad. You are my very best friend,...
“I can’t put my pain into words. I still can’t believe you’re gone,” Jenna wrote on Instagram Monday, alongside photos of her with her dad. “I was with you on your birthday last year. I picked you up at the airport you were so happy to see me. You are my book to life, you taught me everything I know. You are more than just my dad. You are my very best friend,...
- 9/5/2023
- by Rebecca Iannucci
- TVLine.com
HBO Documentary Films has acquired U.S. and Canada television and streaming rights to Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project, winner of the Grand Jury Prize for U.S. Documentary at Sundance.
The film directed and produced by Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson examines the life and career of poet and activist Nikki Giovanni, who rose to fame in the 1960s through her writings and television appearances. Today’s announcement will come as welcome news to a documentary community concerned about the relatively sluggish pace of acquisitions since at least the beginning of the year. The fact that a Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner wasn’t snapped up right away bred a feeling of gloom that streamers and distributors were only interested in nonfiction content that focused on true crime or celebrities.
Directors Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson
“We are thrilled and deeply honored that HBO Documentary Films, a beacon of innovation, authenticity, and a leading force committed to the art of storytelling, has recognized the significance of our work,” Brewster and Stephenson said. “We believe that through this collaboration, Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project has found a home where it will shine and have a global reach.”
The documentary “travels through time and space to reveal the enduring influence of Nikki Giovanni, one of America’s greatest living artists and social commentators,” HBO Documentary Films said in a release. “Giovanni reckons with the inevitable passing of time in intimate vérité and revealing archival footage. The film is a collision of memories, moments in American history, live readings, and visually innovative treatments of her poetry.”
Producer Tommy Oliver commented, “Joe and Michèle have crafted a bold, glorious, boundary-pushing portrait of one of our Greats and I couldn’t be more excited to partner (yet again) with Lisa [Heller], Nancy [Abraham], and the rest of the wonderful HBO Docs team to bring Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project to the world.”
As we reported last January, Taraji P. Henson voices Giovanni’s poetry in the film and she is one of the documentary’s executive producers.
“I’m thrilled to join Michèle and Joe in bringing Nikki’s remarkable work to life on screen,” Henson said in a statement in January. “Interpreting and giving voice to her powerful words was a revelatory and emotional process, and moved me completely. This film reflects Nikki’s vibrance and legacy in all its complexity, and I am honored to be a part of it.”
Poet Nikki Giovanni
Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project is a production of Confluential Films and Rada Studio, in association with JustFilms | Ford Foundation; in association with Bertha Doc Society. Written and directed by Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson; with the voice of Taraji P. Henson; producers, Joe Brewster, Michèle Stephenson, Tommy Oliver; executive producers, Codie Elaine Oliver, Taraji P. Henson; editors, Terra Long, Lawrence Jackman, Regi Allen.
Giovanni, who has been named one of Oprah’s “25 Living Legends,” turned 80 in June. She has earned seven NAACP Image Awards, a Grammy nomination, the Maya Angelou Lifetime Achievement Award and numerous other honors in a career spanning more than 50 years.
The film directed and produced by Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson examines the life and career of poet and activist Nikki Giovanni, who rose to fame in the 1960s through her writings and television appearances. Today’s announcement will come as welcome news to a documentary community concerned about the relatively sluggish pace of acquisitions since at least the beginning of the year. The fact that a Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner wasn’t snapped up right away bred a feeling of gloom that streamers and distributors were only interested in nonfiction content that focused on true crime or celebrities.
Directors Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson
“We are thrilled and deeply honored that HBO Documentary Films, a beacon of innovation, authenticity, and a leading force committed to the art of storytelling, has recognized the significance of our work,” Brewster and Stephenson said. “We believe that through this collaboration, Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project has found a home where it will shine and have a global reach.”
The documentary “travels through time and space to reveal the enduring influence of Nikki Giovanni, one of America’s greatest living artists and social commentators,” HBO Documentary Films said in a release. “Giovanni reckons with the inevitable passing of time in intimate vérité and revealing archival footage. The film is a collision of memories, moments in American history, live readings, and visually innovative treatments of her poetry.”
Producer Tommy Oliver commented, “Joe and Michèle have crafted a bold, glorious, boundary-pushing portrait of one of our Greats and I couldn’t be more excited to partner (yet again) with Lisa [Heller], Nancy [Abraham], and the rest of the wonderful HBO Docs team to bring Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project to the world.”
As we reported last January, Taraji P. Henson voices Giovanni’s poetry in the film and she is one of the documentary’s executive producers.
“I’m thrilled to join Michèle and Joe in bringing Nikki’s remarkable work to life on screen,” Henson said in a statement in January. “Interpreting and giving voice to her powerful words was a revelatory and emotional process, and moved me completely. This film reflects Nikki’s vibrance and legacy in all its complexity, and I am honored to be a part of it.”
Poet Nikki Giovanni
Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project is a production of Confluential Films and Rada Studio, in association with JustFilms | Ford Foundation; in association with Bertha Doc Society. Written and directed by Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson; with the voice of Taraji P. Henson; producers, Joe Brewster, Michèle Stephenson, Tommy Oliver; executive producers, Codie Elaine Oliver, Taraji P. Henson; editors, Terra Long, Lawrence Jackman, Regi Allen.
Giovanni, who has been named one of Oprah’s “25 Living Legends,” turned 80 in June. She has earned seven NAACP Image Awards, a Grammy nomination, the Maya Angelou Lifetime Achievement Award and numerous other honors in a career spanning more than 50 years.
- 8/29/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Eight months after it won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, “Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project” has been officially picked up by HBO Documentary Films, which is buying U.S. and Canada television and streaming rights. Backed by Confluential Films and Rada Studio and directed and produced by respected veterans Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson, producer Tommy Oliver (HBO’s “40 Years A Prisoner”), and executive producers Taraji P. Henson and Codie Elaine Oliver, the film will also screen in the Spotlight section of the upcoming 61st New York Film Festival.
To qualify for the Oscars, the film will play in theaters this fall ahead of its 2024 debut on HBO and Max. Sundance always supplies a number of Oscar nominees in the documentary race and “Going to Mars” is a strong contender.
As innovative and unpredictable as its subject, “Going to Mars” travels through time and space,...
To qualify for the Oscars, the film will play in theaters this fall ahead of its 2024 debut on HBO and Max. Sundance always supplies a number of Oscar nominees in the documentary race and “Going to Mars” is a strong contender.
As innovative and unpredictable as its subject, “Going to Mars” travels through time and space,...
- 8/29/2023
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Gabrielle Union and Keith Powers explore uncharted territory in their romantic Netflix adaptation "The Perfect Find," starring as 40- and 20-something-year-old coworkers who get into a "forbidden fruit" entanglement. The movie, based on bestselling author Tia Williams's novel of the same name, follows the meet-cute-gone-wrong of fired-and-rehired fashionista Jenna (Union) and her random fling-turned-colleague Eric (Powers) - who happens to be the son of Jenna's tyrant boss, Darcy (Gina Torres). The film also stars Aisha Hinds, Db Woodside, Janet Hubert, and La La Anthony.
"I think that that intimidation, and it's not in a bad way, it's more to just keep me on my toes really."
The unconventional love story in director Numa Perrier's vintage Hollywood-inspired rom-com challenged Union and Powers in more ways than one. But working alongside Union, Powers says, especially encouraged him to stay on his A game. "I mean, you just want to make sure you're up to par,...
"I think that that intimidation, and it's not in a bad way, it's more to just keep me on my toes really."
The unconventional love story in director Numa Perrier's vintage Hollywood-inspired rom-com challenged Union and Powers in more ways than one. But working alongside Union, Powers says, especially encouraged him to stay on his A game. "I mean, you just want to make sure you're up to par,...
- 6/23/2023
- by Njera Perkins
- Popsugar.com
The Tribeca Film Festival has announced the 2023 jury members in the 15 different competition categories for this year’s event. Those categories include film, immersive “storyscapes,” games, audio storytelling and more. Among the jury members are Brendan Fraser, Stephanie Hsu, Zoey Deutch, Dianna Agron, Zazie Beetz, Kate Siegel, Mark Duplass, Stephen Kay, Nina Dobrev, Clea DuVall, Piper Perabo, Chance the Rapper, Noah Centineo, Jeremy O. Harris, Andrew Ahn and Chloe Grace Moretz.
Alongside the competitive awards, the fest will present the Nora Ephron Award — created to honor the spirit and vision of the legendary filmmaker and writer. The winning films, projects, filmmakers, storytellers, and actors in each category will be announced at the Tribeca Festival ceremony on June 15th.
“We are thrilled to announce the jury for the 2023 Tribeca Festival,” said Tribeca Festival Executive Vice President of Artist Relations and Special Events Nancy Lefkowitz. “The diversity of perspectives and experiences across...
Alongside the competitive awards, the fest will present the Nora Ephron Award — created to honor the spirit and vision of the legendary filmmaker and writer. The winning films, projects, filmmakers, storytellers, and actors in each category will be announced at the Tribeca Festival ceremony on June 15th.
“We are thrilled to announce the jury for the 2023 Tribeca Festival,” said Tribeca Festival Executive Vice President of Artist Relations and Special Events Nancy Lefkowitz. “The diversity of perspectives and experiences across...
- 6/1/2023
- by Scott Mendelson
- The Wrap
The Tribeca Festival, which gets under way Wednesday in New York, has announced members of the jury who will decide winners in 15 award categories.
The jury roster of several dozen includes Brendan Fraser, Stephanie Hsu, Zoey Deutch, Dianna Agron, Zazie Beetz, Kate Siegel, Mark Duplass, Stephen Kay, Nina Dobrev, Clea DuVall, Piper Perabo, Chance the Rapper, Noah Centineo, Jeremy O. Harris, Andrew Ahn and Chloe Grace Moretz. Along with the competitive categories, the Nora Ephron Award will be presented in the memory of the filmmaker and writer.
While the festival removed the word “film” from its name several years ago to reflect its broad range of offerings in games, podcasts, music and other areas, the film slate has continued as an identifying aspect of the event. This year’s U.S. narrative feature jury includes Hsu, Ramin Bahrani, Zoey Deutch, Mike Flanagan and Tommy Oliver; the international feature jury includes Fraser,...
The jury roster of several dozen includes Brendan Fraser, Stephanie Hsu, Zoey Deutch, Dianna Agron, Zazie Beetz, Kate Siegel, Mark Duplass, Stephen Kay, Nina Dobrev, Clea DuVall, Piper Perabo, Chance the Rapper, Noah Centineo, Jeremy O. Harris, Andrew Ahn and Chloe Grace Moretz. Along with the competitive categories, the Nora Ephron Award will be presented in the memory of the filmmaker and writer.
While the festival removed the word “film” from its name several years ago to reflect its broad range of offerings in games, podcasts, music and other areas, the film slate has continued as an identifying aspect of the event. This year’s U.S. narrative feature jury includes Hsu, Ramin Bahrani, Zoey Deutch, Mike Flanagan and Tommy Oliver; the international feature jury includes Fraser,...
- 6/1/2023
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
"Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always" is the anniversary special "Power Rangers" fans have been dreaming about for years. While we've had many special episodes throughout the decades, including massive crossover battles involving most Red Rangers (of the time), or different Rangers teams fighting together, this is the first time the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers team has come back, and for a special that is specifically about them. That is, the franchise's first iteration, before it started adapting a different "Super Sentai" show with an entirely different cast, team, and theme song every season.
"Once & Always" pays homage to fallen Rangers, with a lovely and rather emotional tribute to Jason David Frank and Thuy Trang. Trang's character Trini, in particular, is central to the story of the special, with the death of Trini forever impacting the team, and inspiring her daughter Minh to pick up the mantle of the Yellow Ranger.
"Once & Always" pays homage to fallen Rangers, with a lovely and rather emotional tribute to Jason David Frank and Thuy Trang. Trang's character Trini, in particular, is central to the story of the special, with the death of Trini forever impacting the team, and inspiring her daughter Minh to pick up the mantle of the Yellow Ranger.
- 5/7/2023
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
This post contains spoilers for "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always."
It should come as no surprise that "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always" is completely filled with nostalgia. Unlike most other anniversary specials for the beloved tokusatsu franchise, "Once & Always" does not feature several iterations of Power Rangers meeting, like "Forever Red" or "Once a Ranger." Instead, this is entirely focused on the first series in the franchise, the multi-season "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" and its two generations of Rangers.
The special focuses on the return of Rita Repulsa, who has got herself a new robot body and brings tragedy to the Rangers. When Repulsa's armies start attacking Rangers around the world, new heroes will rise and the Power Rangers will see their legacy and their abilities tested. "Once & Always" sees the return of Zack Taylor (Walter Jones) and Billy Cranston (David Yost) from the first team, as...
It should come as no surprise that "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always" is completely filled with nostalgia. Unlike most other anniversary specials for the beloved tokusatsu franchise, "Once & Always" does not feature several iterations of Power Rangers meeting, like "Forever Red" or "Once a Ranger." Instead, this is entirely focused on the first series in the franchise, the multi-season "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" and its two generations of Rangers.
The special focuses on the return of Rita Repulsa, who has got herself a new robot body and brings tragedy to the Rangers. When Repulsa's armies start attacking Rangers around the world, new heroes will rise and the Power Rangers will see their legacy and their abilities tested. "Once & Always" sees the return of Zack Taylor (Walter Jones) and Billy Cranston (David Yost) from the first team, as...
- 4/19/2023
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
Just a few weeks out from the debut of the upcoming Mighty Morphin Power Rangers reunion, Once and Always, actress Amy Jo Johnson (better known to many as the Pink Ranger aka Kimberly Hart) is yet again explaining why she wasn’t part of the moment, debunking any rumors that have come her way.
In a Twitter post from this week, Amy Jo Johnson wrote, “Please stop saying I didn’t do reunion because of money Simply not true. Maybe I just didn’t want to wear spandex in my 50s…or couldn’t go to Nz for a month.Or none of ur beeswax…Jdf & I both chose not to for our own reasons. They filmed before he passed”.
Please stop saying I didn’t do reunion because of money Simply not true. Maybe I just didn’t want to wear spandex in my 50s or couldn’t go to Nz for a month.
In a Twitter post from this week, Amy Jo Johnson wrote, “Please stop saying I didn’t do reunion because of money Simply not true. Maybe I just didn’t want to wear spandex in my 50s…or couldn’t go to Nz for a month.Or none of ur beeswax…Jdf & I both chose not to for our own reasons. They filmed before he passed”.
Please stop saying I didn’t do reunion because of money Simply not true. Maybe I just didn’t want to wear spandex in my 50s or couldn’t go to Nz for a month.
- 3/30/2023
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
The Power Rangers are back!
Netflix is bringing back the “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” cast for a 30th anniversary special, titled “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always,” premiering April 19.
The Netflix special features many of original, beloved heroes, including the Blue Ranger Billy Cranston (David Yost), the first Black Ranger Zack Taylor (Walter E. Jones) and Barbara Goodson, the voice of villain Rita Repulsa. It also includes Catherine Sutherland, the second Pink Ranger; Steve Cardenas, the second Red Ranger; Karan Ashley, the second Yellow Ranger; and Johnny Yong Bosch, the second Black Ranger. In the special, the Rangers reunite to fight Rita Repulsa, who is revealed to have killed Trini, the original Yellow Power Ranger.
“Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” premiered in 1993 on Fox Kids and quickly became a pop-culture phenomenon. The live-action superhero series was based on “Super Sentai,” a Japanese tokusatsu franchise, and ended after three seasons in...
Netflix is bringing back the “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” cast for a 30th anniversary special, titled “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always,” premiering April 19.
The Netflix special features many of original, beloved heroes, including the Blue Ranger Billy Cranston (David Yost), the first Black Ranger Zack Taylor (Walter E. Jones) and Barbara Goodson, the voice of villain Rita Repulsa. It also includes Catherine Sutherland, the second Pink Ranger; Steve Cardenas, the second Red Ranger; Karan Ashley, the second Yellow Ranger; and Johnny Yong Bosch, the second Black Ranger. In the special, the Rangers reunite to fight Rita Repulsa, who is revealed to have killed Trini, the original Yellow Power Ranger.
“Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” premiered in 1993 on Fox Kids and quickly became a pop-culture phenomenon. The live-action superhero series was based on “Super Sentai,” a Japanese tokusatsu franchise, and ended after three seasons in...
- 3/22/2023
- by Julia MacCary
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Bat in the Sun Productions and Bascule Productions Ltd. have set a North American theatrical release for the late Power Rangers star Jason David Frank’s final film, Legend of the White Dragon.
Pic’s release will coincide with what would have been the 50th birthday of the actor and martial artist, who tragically died of suicide in November 2022, aged 49. Scott Kennedy’s Falling Forward Films will release it exclusively in theaters across the top 25 markets this fall.
The fantastical actioner directed by Aaron Schoenke and Sean Schoenke follows Erik Reed aka the White Dragon (Frank), who after being a fugitive on the run for three years, has returned to the city he fought to protect. He must now clear his name and save the family he keeps in secret before the mysterious Dragon Prime (Aaron Schoenke) unleashes his own revenge.
Schoenke and Alex Kellerman wrote the script. Frank...
Pic’s release will coincide with what would have been the 50th birthday of the actor and martial artist, who tragically died of suicide in November 2022, aged 49. Scott Kennedy’s Falling Forward Films will release it exclusively in theaters across the top 25 markets this fall.
The fantastical actioner directed by Aaron Schoenke and Sean Schoenke follows Erik Reed aka the White Dragon (Frank), who after being a fugitive on the run for three years, has returned to the city he fought to protect. He must now clear his name and save the family he keeps in secret before the mysterious Dragon Prime (Aaron Schoenke) unleashes his own revenge.
Schoenke and Alex Kellerman wrote the script. Frank...
- 3/16/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Dubai-based sales agency Cercamon has acquired international sales rights for “Fancy Dance,” the feature debut of Indigenous director Erica Tremblay, following the film’s premiere in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at Sundance. Cercamon is selling the film this week at EFM before it continues its festival run at SXSW.
“Fancy Dance” stars Lily Gladstone as a young woman, Jax, who’s cared for her niece Roki (Isabel Deroy-Olson) since the girl’s mother disappeared. Scraping by on the Seneca-Cayuga Reservation in Oklahoma, she spends every spare minute trying to find her missing sister while also helping Roki prepare for an upcoming powwow.
At the risk of losing custody to Jax’s father, Frank (Shea Whigham), the pair hit the road and scour the backcountry to track down Roki’s mother in time for the powwow. What begins as a search gradually turns into a far deeper investigation into the...
“Fancy Dance” stars Lily Gladstone as a young woman, Jax, who’s cared for her niece Roki (Isabel Deroy-Olson) since the girl’s mother disappeared. Scraping by on the Seneca-Cayuga Reservation in Oklahoma, she spends every spare minute trying to find her missing sister while also helping Roki prepare for an upcoming powwow.
At the risk of losing custody to Jax’s father, Frank (Shea Whigham), the pair hit the road and scour the backcountry to track down Roki’s mother in time for the powwow. What begins as a search gradually turns into a far deeper investigation into the...
- 2/17/2023
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Sundance 2023: ‘Fancy Dance’ Directed by Erica Tremblay
U.S. Dramatic Competition
This is a perfect Sundance film. Regional, authentically true to its roots, it also sounds great, from the Cherokee conversation spoken with total ease and subtitled for English speaking non-Cherokees to the beat of the drum and the music accompanying our two protagonists as they seek their sister and mother.
Since her sister’s disappearance, Jax (Lily Gladstone) has cared for her niece Roki (the luminous Isabel Deroy-Olson) by scraping by on the Seneca-Cayuga Reservation in Oklahoma. Every spare minute goes into finding her missing sister while also helping Roki prepare for an upcoming powwow. At the risk of losing custody to Jax’s father, Frank (Shea Whigham), the pair hit the road and scour the backcountry to track down Roki’s mother in time for the powwow. What begins as a search gradually turns into a far deeper investigation into the complexities and contradictions of Indigenous women moving through a colonized world and at the mercy of a failed justice system.
Jax (Lily Gladstone) and Roki (Isabel Deroy-Olson)
This debut fiction feature demonstrates the talent of Erica Tremblay, an American writer and director from the Seneca-Cayuga Nation. We cast a new eye upon the land and the characters who make up the Cherokee nation. (It was filmed and supported by the Cherokee nation. Erica Tremblay recently worked as an executive story editor on Reservation Dogs at FX, where she directed her 1st TV episode. Together with Sterlin Harjo, she developed a series adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize finalist Yellowbird (2014) for Paramount+. She was an executive story editor on Dark Winds (2022), produced by George R.R. Martin and Robert Redford. Her feature project Fancy Dance (2023) was accepted into the 2021 Sundance Directors and Screenwriters Labs. In 2021, she was awarded the Walter Bernstein Screenwriting Fellowship, the Maja Kristin Directing Fellowship, the Sffilm Rainin Grant and the Lynn Shelton of a Certain Age Grant. Her short film Little Chief (2020) premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and was included on IndieWire’s top-10 list of must-see short films at the festival. In addition to writing and directing, she’s also studying her indigenous language.
Director Erica Tremblay
As the sister and her niece make their way through their journey, the harshness of Jax and the kleptomania of Roki transform into understandable traits, especially for Roki who sees shoplifting as a normal adaptation to being constantly short of money. As for Jax, her dykish behavior which elicits disrespect from some men is a shield for her which hides her totally unconditional dedication to family, except when calling her brother, the sheriff, negligent and uncaring about tracking down their sister who has gone missing.
Tremblay’s unflinching exploration of marginalization uses a mystery narrative as a springboard for an oblique coming-of-age story, lovingly and luminously enacted by Gladstone and Deroy-Olson. Tremblay’s juxtaposition of settler violence against the strength of Indigenous communities offers a nuanced account of the human costs of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women epidemic and the possibilities of healing for those left behind.
Fancy Dance was produced by four deeply engaged producers: Tommy Oliverwhose film 1982 premiered at Sundance in 2013 and who is here this year with three films, Fancy Dance, Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project andYoung. Wild. Free.; longtime programmer for indigenous programming since Sundance first championed the genre N. Bird Runningwater; Forest Whitaker producer of 34 films including this year’s Sundance film To Live and Die and Live and 2013 Sundance great Fruitvale Station; and Heather Rae, born on October 1, 1966 in Venice, California, USA and already producer of 42 films including Mosquito y Mari (Sundance 2012) and Tommy Oliver’s 1982(Sundance 2013). Others are Deidre Backs recipient of the 2021 Sundance Institute Mark Silverman honor as a Sundance Creative Producing Lab fellow and a 2022 Women at Sundance fellow; Nina Yang Bongiovi (30 producer credits), Dylan Brodie (18 credits), two relative newcomers Charlotte Koh, Robert Grigsby Wilson and the writer director herself Erica Tremblay.
While Sundance has morphed over its nearly 40 years from a showcase of small indie regional Americana into a Hollywood hunting ground and showcase of those whose arcs began there but have now made it to the heights, from budgets of $1 million and less to the $30–50 million dollar range, this film is a tribute to all that Robert Redford strove to achieve. It is a classic.
MoviesIndigenousFilm FestivalsWomenInternational Film...
U.S. Dramatic Competition
This is a perfect Sundance film. Regional, authentically true to its roots, it also sounds great, from the Cherokee conversation spoken with total ease and subtitled for English speaking non-Cherokees to the beat of the drum and the music accompanying our two protagonists as they seek their sister and mother.
Since her sister’s disappearance, Jax (Lily Gladstone) has cared for her niece Roki (the luminous Isabel Deroy-Olson) by scraping by on the Seneca-Cayuga Reservation in Oklahoma. Every spare minute goes into finding her missing sister while also helping Roki prepare for an upcoming powwow. At the risk of losing custody to Jax’s father, Frank (Shea Whigham), the pair hit the road and scour the backcountry to track down Roki’s mother in time for the powwow. What begins as a search gradually turns into a far deeper investigation into the complexities and contradictions of Indigenous women moving through a colonized world and at the mercy of a failed justice system.
Jax (Lily Gladstone) and Roki (Isabel Deroy-Olson)
This debut fiction feature demonstrates the talent of Erica Tremblay, an American writer and director from the Seneca-Cayuga Nation. We cast a new eye upon the land and the characters who make up the Cherokee nation. (It was filmed and supported by the Cherokee nation. Erica Tremblay recently worked as an executive story editor on Reservation Dogs at FX, where she directed her 1st TV episode. Together with Sterlin Harjo, she developed a series adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize finalist Yellowbird (2014) for Paramount+. She was an executive story editor on Dark Winds (2022), produced by George R.R. Martin and Robert Redford. Her feature project Fancy Dance (2023) was accepted into the 2021 Sundance Directors and Screenwriters Labs. In 2021, she was awarded the Walter Bernstein Screenwriting Fellowship, the Maja Kristin Directing Fellowship, the Sffilm Rainin Grant and the Lynn Shelton of a Certain Age Grant. Her short film Little Chief (2020) premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and was included on IndieWire’s top-10 list of must-see short films at the festival. In addition to writing and directing, she’s also studying her indigenous language.
Director Erica Tremblay
As the sister and her niece make their way through their journey, the harshness of Jax and the kleptomania of Roki transform into understandable traits, especially for Roki who sees shoplifting as a normal adaptation to being constantly short of money. As for Jax, her dykish behavior which elicits disrespect from some men is a shield for her which hides her totally unconditional dedication to family, except when calling her brother, the sheriff, negligent and uncaring about tracking down their sister who has gone missing.
Tremblay’s unflinching exploration of marginalization uses a mystery narrative as a springboard for an oblique coming-of-age story, lovingly and luminously enacted by Gladstone and Deroy-Olson. Tremblay’s juxtaposition of settler violence against the strength of Indigenous communities offers a nuanced account of the human costs of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women epidemic and the possibilities of healing for those left behind.
Fancy Dance was produced by four deeply engaged producers: Tommy Oliverwhose film 1982 premiered at Sundance in 2013 and who is here this year with three films, Fancy Dance, Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project andYoung. Wild. Free.; longtime programmer for indigenous programming since Sundance first championed the genre N. Bird Runningwater; Forest Whitaker producer of 34 films including this year’s Sundance film To Live and Die and Live and 2013 Sundance great Fruitvale Station; and Heather Rae, born on October 1, 1966 in Venice, California, USA and already producer of 42 films including Mosquito y Mari (Sundance 2012) and Tommy Oliver’s 1982(Sundance 2013). Others are Deidre Backs recipient of the 2021 Sundance Institute Mark Silverman honor as a Sundance Creative Producing Lab fellow and a 2022 Women at Sundance fellow; Nina Yang Bongiovi (30 producer credits), Dylan Brodie (18 credits), two relative newcomers Charlotte Koh, Robert Grigsby Wilson and the writer director herself Erica Tremblay.
While Sundance has morphed over its nearly 40 years from a showcase of small indie regional Americana into a Hollywood hunting ground and showcase of those whose arcs began there but have now made it to the heights, from budgets of $1 million and less to the $30–50 million dollar range, this film is a tribute to all that Robert Redford strove to achieve. It is a classic.
MoviesIndigenousFilm FestivalsWomenInternational Film...
- 2/11/2023
- by Sydney
- Sydney's Buzz
This year, women directors – and their women-centric subjects – swept the awards at Sundance Film Festival. Three women directors – Madeleine Gavin, Maryam Keshavarz, and Noora Niasari – won Audience Awards for their films on North Korea (“Beyond Utopia”), intergenerational motherhood (“The Persian Version”), and custody in diaspora (“Shayda”). Portraits of masculinity were also celebrated as well. First-time feature filmmaker Sing J. Lee won the Directing Award for his touching portrait of masculinity and fatherhood in “The Accidental Getaway Driver,” while Sauvnik Kaur’s intimate documentary on brotherhood “Against The Tide” took home a Special Jury Award. After two years of isolation and virtual festival-ing, it seems that stories of tenderness appealed over aggressive storytelling at Park City this year.
“This year’s Festival has been an extraordinary experience,” said Joana Vicente, Sundance Institute CEO. “The artists that comprise the 2023 Sundance Film Festival have demonstrated a sense of urgency and dedication to excellence in independent film.
“This year’s Festival has been an extraordinary experience,” said Joana Vicente, Sundance Institute CEO. “The artists that comprise the 2023 Sundance Film Festival have demonstrated a sense of urgency and dedication to excellence in independent film.
- 2/1/2023
- by Grace Han
- AsianMoviePulse
While our Sundance Film Festival 2023 coverage continues to roll in, the respective juries at Park City have doled out their winners, with Grand Jury Prizes awarded to A Thousand and One (U.S. Dramatic), Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project (U.S. Documentary), Scrapper (World Cinema Dramatic), and The Eternal Memory (World Cinema Documentary), and the Next Innovator Award presented by Adobe was awarded to Kokomo City.
Check out the full list of winners below, with our coverage where available.
Grand Jury Prizes
The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented to A.V. Rockwell for A Thousand and One / U.S.A. — Convinced it’s one last, necessary crime on the path to redemption, unapologetic and free-spirited Inez kidnaps 6-year-old Terry from the foster care system. Holding on to their secret and each other, mother and son set out to reclaim their sense of home, identity, and stability in New York City.
Check out the full list of winners below, with our coverage where available.
Grand Jury Prizes
The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented to A.V. Rockwell for A Thousand and One / U.S.A. — Convinced it’s one last, necessary crime on the path to redemption, unapologetic and free-spirited Inez kidnaps 6-year-old Terry from the foster care system. Holding on to their secret and each other, mother and son set out to reclaim their sense of home, identity, and stability in New York City.
- 1/28/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Teyana Taylor and Aaron Kingsley in ‘A Thousand and One’ (Photo Courtesy of Sundance Institute / Photo by Focus Features)
The Sundance Film Festival named A Thousand and One from writer/director A.V. Rockwell the winner of the prestigious U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic. Directors Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson’s The Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project won the U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary at the 2023 festival which hosted in-person screenings as well as access online.
“This year’s Festival has been an extraordinary experience,” said Joana Vicente, Sundance Institute CEO. “The artists that comprise the 2023 Sundance Film Festival have demonstrated a sense of urgency and dedication to excellence in independent film. Today’s award winners highlight our programs’ most impressive achievements in the current moment of cinematic arts. I hope you will join me in congratulating our winners, as well as thanking all artists across sections...
The Sundance Film Festival named A Thousand and One from writer/director A.V. Rockwell the winner of the prestigious U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic. Directors Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson’s The Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project won the U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary at the 2023 festival which hosted in-person screenings as well as access online.
“This year’s Festival has been an extraordinary experience,” said Joana Vicente, Sundance Institute CEO. “The artists that comprise the 2023 Sundance Film Festival have demonstrated a sense of urgency and dedication to excellence in independent film. Today’s award winners highlight our programs’ most impressive achievements in the current moment of cinematic arts. I hope you will join me in congratulating our winners, as well as thanking all artists across sections...
- 1/27/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
It’s been nearly a decade since Justin Simien stormed Sundance with his debut feature “Dear White People.” Premiering in Park City in January 2014 — his first trip to the festival — it marked the realization of a long held dream. The audacious social satire had been Simien’s passion project, inspired by his own college experience and fueled by a concept trailer that went viral and an Indiegogo campaign that raised 40,000 for the cause. The reception to “Dear White People” — for which Simien won the breakthrough talent special jury prize — launched the filmmaker’s career, spawning a four-season Netflix series, his sophomore film “Bad Hair” (which also debuted at Sundance) and Disney’s upcoming “Haunted Mansion.”
Now, he’s back at the festival with a new mission: paying it forward.
“This is my first time going without having a movie there and I’m really excited to do that, because usually I’m a mess,...
Now, he’s back at the festival with a new mission: paying it forward.
“This is my first time going without having a movie there and I’m really excited to do that, because usually I’m a mess,...
- 1/24/2023
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
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