Cph:Forum, the financing and co-production event on the industry programme of Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival, has selected new projects from the producers of Flee and Cow for its 2024 edition; and has refreshed its industry awards with six prizes.
Danish producer Signe Byrge Sorensen will participate with Freedom (working title), directed by Camilla Nielsson, who previously made Sundance 2021 title President about a challenger in Zimbabwe’s corrupt presidential elections.
Scroll down for the full list of Forum projects
Sorensen is CEO of Danish documentary production house Final Cut For Real, which has made films including The Killing Of A Journalist,...
Danish producer Signe Byrge Sorensen will participate with Freedom (working title), directed by Camilla Nielsson, who previously made Sundance 2021 title President about a challenger in Zimbabwe’s corrupt presidential elections.
Scroll down for the full list of Forum projects
Sorensen is CEO of Danish documentary production house Final Cut For Real, which has made films including The Killing Of A Journalist,...
- 2/8/2024
- ScreenDaily
Cph:forum, the financing and co-production section of the Copenhagen Intl. Documentary Film Festival (also known as Cph:dox), will showcase 32 projects, including new works from producers such as Sidsel Lønvig Siersted, Signe Byrge Sørensen (“Flee”), Diane Becker (“Navalny”) and Mandy Chang, the creative director of Fremantle label Undeniable and former head of BBC documentary strand Storyville, as well as directors Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh (“Writing With Fire”), and Mads Brügger (“Cold Case Hammarskjöld”).
Other projects include those by directors Sky Hopinka (“Kicking the Clouds”), Talal Derki (“Of Fathers and Sons”), and Rachel Leah Jones and Philippe Bellaiche (“Advocat”), and producers Lindsey Dryden (“Trans in America”), Mila Aung-Thwin (“Midwives”) and Kat Mansoor (“Cow”).
Cph:forum will bring together more than 65 filmmakers and producers from 26 countries between March 18-21.
The selected projects will compete for a number of long-standing as well as newly-introduced awards at Cph:Industry, the professional section of the festival.
Other projects include those by directors Sky Hopinka (“Kicking the Clouds”), Talal Derki (“Of Fathers and Sons”), and Rachel Leah Jones and Philippe Bellaiche (“Advocat”), and producers Lindsey Dryden (“Trans in America”), Mila Aung-Thwin (“Midwives”) and Kat Mansoor (“Cow”).
Cph:forum will bring together more than 65 filmmakers and producers from 26 countries between March 18-21.
The selected projects will compete for a number of long-standing as well as newly-introduced awards at Cph:Industry, the professional section of the festival.
- 2/8/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Cinema Eye Honors, the organization that recognizes outstanding artistic achievement in nonfiction and documentary films & series, announced the first round of their 2023 awards and nominations at its annual Cinema Eye Fall Lunch held in Los Angeles.
In the five Broadcast categories, HBO film “Four Hours at the Capitol,” an inside look at the January 6th riot, led with three nominations: Broadcast Film, Broadcast Editing and Broadcast Cinematography. Other projects like the Disney+ docuseries “The Beatles: Get Back” and Showtime’s “We Need to Talk About Cosby” also received more than one nomination.
Other announcements at the event include the annual Shorts List, which spotlights 10 of the year’s top documentary short films, and the recipient of the Legacy Award this year, Terry Zwigoff’s 1995 film “Crumb.”
“I’m glad to find out you don’t have to be dead to receive this award,” Zwigoff said in a written statement. “I...
In the five Broadcast categories, HBO film “Four Hours at the Capitol,” an inside look at the January 6th riot, led with three nominations: Broadcast Film, Broadcast Editing and Broadcast Cinematography. Other projects like the Disney+ docuseries “The Beatles: Get Back” and Showtime’s “We Need to Talk About Cosby” also received more than one nomination.
Other announcements at the event include the annual Shorts List, which spotlights 10 of the year’s top documentary short films, and the recipient of the Legacy Award this year, Terry Zwigoff’s 1995 film “Crumb.”
“I’m glad to find out you don’t have to be dead to receive this award,” Zwigoff said in a written statement. “I...
- 10/20/2022
- by Marcus Jones
- Indiewire
Copenhagen Intl. Documentary Film Festival, which runs March 21-April 3, has revealed the lineup for its international financing and co-production event Cph:forum.
Women are taking central stage in the lineup both as characters and storytellers, and the Forum will feature new projects by Jialing Zhang (“One Child Nation”), Ilinca Calugareanu (“Chuck Norris vs. Communism”), Tova Mozard (“Psychic”), Elizabeth Lo (“Stray”) and Lana Wilson (“Miss Americana”) among others.
The selection of 30 projects in this year’s Cph:forum represents a variety of topics, genres and artistic approaches from a diverse group of filmmakers. According to the festival, “Seeking to demonstrate the richness and heterogeneity of the documentary genre, Cph:forum presents a curated slate of films that speak to the major issues of the world we live in.”
Topics of race, equity and colonial legacy connect a personal film of Barbadian filmmaker Jason Fitzroy Jeffers (“Papa Machete”), and the newest project of the Dutch...
Women are taking central stage in the lineup both as characters and storytellers, and the Forum will feature new projects by Jialing Zhang (“One Child Nation”), Ilinca Calugareanu (“Chuck Norris vs. Communism”), Tova Mozard (“Psychic”), Elizabeth Lo (“Stray”) and Lana Wilson (“Miss Americana”) among others.
The selection of 30 projects in this year’s Cph:forum represents a variety of topics, genres and artistic approaches from a diverse group of filmmakers. According to the festival, “Seeking to demonstrate the richness and heterogeneity of the documentary genre, Cph:forum presents a curated slate of films that speak to the major issues of the world we live in.”
Topics of race, equity and colonial legacy connect a personal film of Barbadian filmmaker Jason Fitzroy Jeffers (“Papa Machete”), and the newest project of the Dutch...
- 2/10/2022
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
There are 30 projects in first physical event since 2019.
New works from One Child Nation director Jialing Zhang and Chuck Norris vs. Communism filmmaker Ilinca Calugareanu are among the 30 projects participating in Cph:forum, the financing and co-production market of Cph:dox film festival.
The Forum will run from March 28-31, and will be the first in-person edition since 2019.
Scroll down for the full list of titles
Massachusetts-based Chinese filmmaker Zhang is participating with German-Dutch co-production The Total Trust (working title), produced by Knut Jager through Germany’s Filmtank. The documentary will examine the growth of surveillance culture in China, from cameras to AI profiling.
New works from One Child Nation director Jialing Zhang and Chuck Norris vs. Communism filmmaker Ilinca Calugareanu are among the 30 projects participating in Cph:forum, the financing and co-production market of Cph:dox film festival.
The Forum will run from March 28-31, and will be the first in-person edition since 2019.
Scroll down for the full list of titles
Massachusetts-based Chinese filmmaker Zhang is participating with German-Dutch co-production The Total Trust (working title), produced by Knut Jager through Germany’s Filmtank. The documentary will examine the growth of surveillance culture in China, from cameras to AI profiling.
- 2/10/2022
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Fathom Events presents Betty White: A Celebration in 1,529 locations nationwide, a one-day-only special event on Monday honoring the actress who died Dec. 31 just a few weeks shy of her 100th birthday. The star-studded reflection on White’s life and career, which had already been set by filmmakers Steven Boettcher and Mike Trinklein to celebrate her centennial Jan. 17, will run three showtimes at 1 pm, 4 pm and 7 pm.
As for weekend openings, a pair of solid documentaries and two dramas — about memory loss and global apocalypse by pink gas — debut in a frame where there isn’t much new. Distributors are carefully weighing expansion for award hopefuls already out amid the ongoing surge in Omicron and ahead of Oscar nods Feb. 8.
Newcomers include Magnolia Pictures’ drama Italian Studies in seven theaters including New York and LA, and on demand. Directed by Adam Leon it stars Vanessa Kirby, Simon Brickner,...
As for weekend openings, a pair of solid documentaries and two dramas — about memory loss and global apocalypse by pink gas — debut in a frame where there isn’t much new. Distributors are carefully weighing expansion for award hopefuls already out amid the ongoing surge in Omicron and ahead of Oscar nods Feb. 8.
Newcomers include Magnolia Pictures’ drama Italian Studies in seven theaters including New York and LA, and on demand. Directed by Adam Leon it stars Vanessa Kirby, Simon Brickner,...
- 1/14/2022
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Corey Pegues grew up dealing drugs for Queens’ notorious Supreme Team gang during the 1980s, but he turned his life around by enlisting in the army and, afterwards, by joining the New York Police Department, where he rose through the ranks. Upon retiring in 2013, he spoke publicly for the first time about his criminal history, putting himself in the center of a department, and media, controversy. Guided by commentary from Pegues and those closest to him, “A Cops and Robbers Story” when it debuts in theaters and on VOD on Jan. 14.
Pegues is the primary narrator of “A Cops and Robbers Story,” although at the outset, director Ilinca Calugareanu’s documentary fails to establish the reason for placing her subject before the camera. That lack of introductory context will frustrate those who don’t already know about Pegues. Despite conveying that he straddled both sides of the law, there’s no sense,...
Pegues is the primary narrator of “A Cops and Robbers Story,” although at the outset, director Ilinca Calugareanu’s documentary fails to establish the reason for placing her subject before the camera. That lack of introductory context will frustrate those who don’t already know about Pegues. Despite conveying that he straddled both sides of the law, there’s no sense,...
- 1/13/2022
- by Nick Schager
- Variety Film + TV
"A story the NYPD doesn’t want you to see." Greenwich Ent. has debuted an official trailer for A Cops and Robbers Story, a searing documentary film from Romanian filmmaker Ilinca Calugareanu. This originally premiered at the 2020 Doc NYC Film Festival last year, and it's finally opening in January 2022. In the 1980s, Corey Pegues found himself embroiled in a life of crime as a member of New York’s City's infamous "Supreme Team" gang. A near-death incident forces Pegues away from the streets, but later he unexpectedly emerges as a rising star in the NYPD, his past unknown to his fellow officers. A decorated 21-year police career is threatened when his political stances and revelations about his former life cause strife within the police community. This sounds like a Very important doc for the times we're living in, but I also doubt it'll make the NYPD fix their problems. it's...
- 12/1/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Exclusive: Greenwich Entertainment has acquired North American rights to Ilinca Calugareanu’s documentary A Cops and Robbers Story, with plans for a day-and-date release January 14.
The film’s subject is Corey Pegues, who in the 1990s found himself embroiled in a life of crime as a member of New York’s City’s infamous Supreme Team gang. After a near-death incident forces Pegues away from the streets, he unexpectedly emerges as a rising star in the NYPD. But when his former life is revealed, Pegues’s police career is threatened, raising the perennial question of who deserves – and who doesn’t deserve – a second chance in life.
The feature which made its world premiere at Doc NYC 2020 was produced by Mara Adina, Calugareanu’s collaborator on the 2015 doc Chuck Norris vs. Communism. Brenda Robinson exec produced with Julie Parker Benello, Erika Olde, Nion McEvoy, Sam Roseme, Tanja Tawadjoh, John Battsek,...
The film’s subject is Corey Pegues, who in the 1990s found himself embroiled in a life of crime as a member of New York’s City’s infamous Supreme Team gang. After a near-death incident forces Pegues away from the streets, he unexpectedly emerges as a rising star in the NYPD. But when his former life is revealed, Pegues’s police career is threatened, raising the perennial question of who deserves – and who doesn’t deserve – a second chance in life.
The feature which made its world premiere at Doc NYC 2020 was produced by Mara Adina, Calugareanu’s collaborator on the 2015 doc Chuck Norris vs. Communism. Brenda Robinson exec produced with Julie Parker Benello, Erika Olde, Nion McEvoy, Sam Roseme, Tanja Tawadjoh, John Battsek,...
- 11/4/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
A pair of Oscar nominations for “Collective,” a blistering exposé of corruption in his native Romania, was certainly a triumph for Alexander Nanau, one of Europe’s most acclaimed documentary filmmakers. But it was a success story shared by co-producer HBO Europe, which has spent the past decade beefing up its documentary arm en route to becoming one of the continent’s leading producers of documentary films.
Now that doc division is readying for the global spotlight, as WarnerMedia begins the international rollout of its HBO Max streaming service, which will launch across Latin America in June and in much of Europe later this year. “This is really an exciting thing, telling local stories for a global audience,” says Hanka Kastelicova, HBO Europe’s VP of documentaries, who spoke to Variety during Hot Docs.
The kudos for “Collective,” which earned a rare double nod from the Academy in the documentary and international feature film categories,...
Now that doc division is readying for the global spotlight, as WarnerMedia begins the international rollout of its HBO Max streaming service, which will launch across Latin America in June and in much of Europe later this year. “This is really an exciting thing, telling local stories for a global audience,” says Hanka Kastelicova, HBO Europe’s VP of documentaries, who spoke to Variety during Hot Docs.
The kudos for “Collective,” which earned a rare double nod from the Academy in the documentary and international feature film categories,...
- 5/7/2021
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Four years ago, Doc NYC was the first major film festival after the election. It was an appropriate time for the country’s largest showcasing of non-fiction cinema, much of which speaks to some of the most pressing issues of our time. That’s true again this year, but the mood is likely to be quite different, and so is the experience as a whole. Like most of the festival circuit this year, Doc NYC is going virtual, which means that people across America can stream all 108 features and 92 shorts over the course of eight packed days.
The lineup encompasses a wide range of subjects, from activism to police brutality and the role of creativity to parse an increasingly complex world. Here are 11 highlights. Browse the full lineup and purchase tickets here. Doc NYC runs November 11-19.
“A La Calle”
Following in the tradition of revolutionary documentaries like “The Square” and “Winter on Fire,...
The lineup encompasses a wide range of subjects, from activism to police brutality and the role of creativity to parse an increasingly complex world. Here are 11 highlights. Browse the full lineup and purchase tickets here. Doc NYC runs November 11-19.
“A La Calle”
Following in the tradition of revolutionary documentaries like “The Square” and “Winter on Fire,...
- 11/10/2020
- by Eric Kohn, Kate Erbland, Chris O'Falt, Tambay Obenson and Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Set to make its world premiere at the Doc NYC film festival later this month is director Ilinca Calugareanu’s “A Cops and Robbers Story,” which follows Corey Pegues, whose decorated 21-year career as a Black officer in the New York Police Department is threatened when it’s revealed that prior to joining the NYPD, he dealt crack cocaine for one of NYC’s most notorious drug gangs.There’s the popular suggestion of a thin line between cop and criminal, and “A Cops and Robbers Story” is an engrossing exploration at life on both sides of the law.
Pegues opens up about why he joined the NYPD after years as a drug dealer, coming of age in New York City during the height of the crack epidemic. He’s equally candid about how and why he turned his life around, and takes audiences inside the NYPD, where he became...
Pegues opens up about why he joined the NYPD after years as a drug dealer, coming of age in New York City during the height of the crack epidemic. He’s equally candid about how and why he turned his life around, and takes audiences inside the NYPD, where he became...
- 11/2/2020
- by Tambay Obenson
- Indiewire
Doc NYC, America’s largest documentary festival and staple of the New York film community, announced the lineup for its 11th edition, running online November 11-19 and available to viewers across the US. The program includes new films about John Belushi, Pope Francis, Bill T. Jones, Jamal Khashoggi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Frank Zappa, and many more. The 2020 festival lineup includes 107 feature-length documentaries among over 200 films and dozens of events. Included are 23 World Premieres, 12 international or North American premieres, and 7 US premieres. Fifty-seven features (53% of the lineup) are directed or co-directed by women and 36 by Bipoc directors (34% of the feature program).
World Premieres at the festival include Nelson G. Navarrete and Maxx Caicedo’s “A La Calle,” Petra Epperlein and Michael Tucker’s “The Meaning of Hitler,” Gong Cheng and Yung Chang’s “Wuhan Wuhan,” Sian-Pierre Regis’s “Duty Free,” Noah Hutton’s “In Silico,” Nancy Buirski’s “A Crime on the Bayou,...
World Premieres at the festival include Nelson G. Navarrete and Maxx Caicedo’s “A La Calle,” Petra Epperlein and Michael Tucker’s “The Meaning of Hitler,” Gong Cheng and Yung Chang’s “Wuhan Wuhan,” Sian-Pierre Regis’s “Duty Free,” Noah Hutton’s “In Silico,” Nancy Buirski’s “A Crime on the Bayou,...
- 10/15/2020
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
The first all-virtual edition of the Doc NYC festival of nonfiction films announced its 2020 lineup on Thursday, with 107 feature documentaries about everyone from John Belushi to Jamal Khashoggi and Pope Francis to Frank Zappa,
The lineup for the festival, which runs from Nov. 11 through Nov. 19 and will take place completely online, includes 23 world premieres, among them Petra Epperlein and Michael Tucker’s “The Meaning of Hitler,” Nancy Burski’s “A Crime on the Bayou,” Gong Cheng and Yung Chang’s “Wuhan Wuhan” and Jeff Daniels’ “Television Event.”
Doc NYC, which launched in 2010, is the largest festival of nonfiction films in the United States. This year the festival transitioned to a completely online event separated into 14 themed sections, two of which are competitive sections that will award prizes.
The competitive Viewfinders section consists of 11 films, including films set in Venezuela (“A La Calle”), Puerto Rico (“Landfall”), the Dominican Republic (“Stateless”) and...
The lineup for the festival, which runs from Nov. 11 through Nov. 19 and will take place completely online, includes 23 world premieres, among them Petra Epperlein and Michael Tucker’s “The Meaning of Hitler,” Nancy Burski’s “A Crime on the Bayou,” Gong Cheng and Yung Chang’s “Wuhan Wuhan” and Jeff Daniels’ “Television Event.”
Doc NYC, which launched in 2010, is the largest festival of nonfiction films in the United States. This year the festival transitioned to a completely online event separated into 14 themed sections, two of which are competitive sections that will award prizes.
The competitive Viewfinders section consists of 11 films, including films set in Venezuela (“A La Calle”), Puerto Rico (“Landfall”), the Dominican Republic (“Stateless”) and...
- 10/15/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
The L.A. division of Women in Film on Monday announced nine new grantees for its 34th annual Film Finishing Fund.
Two of this year’s recipients have been selected at major film festivals: Sabrina Doyle’s narrative feature “Lorelei” will screen at the Tribeca Film Festival, while Iram Parveen Bilal’s “I’ll Meet You There” was selected for the recently scuttled SXSW fest. Parveen Bilal and “And She Could Be Next” co-director Grace Lee were both previous grantees, in 2012.
The Film Finishing Fund provides cash grants and in-kind production services to complete films that fit the established criteria of being created by, for or about women. The works-in-progress are viewed by a special jury of women in the industry who select the winning films.
Also Read: 15% in 2020?!: Female Directors Show No Gains on This Year's Studio Release Slates
This year’s nine grantees — including four receiving $25,000 grants from...
Two of this year’s recipients have been selected at major film festivals: Sabrina Doyle’s narrative feature “Lorelei” will screen at the Tribeca Film Festival, while Iram Parveen Bilal’s “I’ll Meet You There” was selected for the recently scuttled SXSW fest. Parveen Bilal and “And She Could Be Next” co-director Grace Lee were both previous grantees, in 2012.
The Film Finishing Fund provides cash grants and in-kind production services to complete films that fit the established criteria of being created by, for or about women. The works-in-progress are viewed by a special jury of women in the industry who select the winning films.
Also Read: 15% in 2020?!: Female Directors Show No Gains on This Year's Studio Release Slates
This year’s nine grantees — including four receiving $25,000 grants from...
- 3/10/2020
- by Thom Geier
- The Wrap
June 4
– The Hamptons International Film Festival (Hiff) SummerDocs series returns for its eleventh year to present entertaining and engaging documentary filmmaking from revolutionary storytellers. The series will kick off with a screening of “Maiden,” directed by Alex Holmes, on June 29, at 7:00pm, followed by “Cold Case Hammarskjold,” directed by Mads Brügger, on July 20 at 7:00pm, and concluding with “Circus of Books,” directed by Rachel Mason, on August 24 at 7:00pm. All screenings will take place at Guild Hall in East Hampton.
Following the screenings, Hiff Co-Chairman Alec Baldwin & Hiff Artistic Director David Nugent will lead conversations with the director of each film along with additional guests to be announced.
“We are proud of how the SummerDocs series has grown over the last 10 years. Bringing exciting documentaries, featuring powerful stories, to our festival community is now a significant part of our programming,” said Baldwin in an official statement.
“With...
– The Hamptons International Film Festival (Hiff) SummerDocs series returns for its eleventh year to present entertaining and engaging documentary filmmaking from revolutionary storytellers. The series will kick off with a screening of “Maiden,” directed by Alex Holmes, on June 29, at 7:00pm, followed by “Cold Case Hammarskjold,” directed by Mads Brügger, on July 20 at 7:00pm, and concluding with “Circus of Books,” directed by Rachel Mason, on August 24 at 7:00pm. All screenings will take place at Guild Hall in East Hampton.
Following the screenings, Hiff Co-Chairman Alec Baldwin & Hiff Artistic Director David Nugent will lead conversations with the director of each film along with additional guests to be announced.
“We are proud of how the SummerDocs series has grown over the last 10 years. Bringing exciting documentaries, featuring powerful stories, to our festival community is now a significant part of our programming,” said Baldwin in an official statement.
“With...
- 6/4/2019
- by Indiewire Staff
- Indiewire
National Geographic Documentary Films and the Sundance Institute today announced Ilinca Calugareanu as the inaugural recipient of the Further Filmmaker Fellowship. The Romania-born filmmaker was selected for her embodiment of National Geographic's ethos, pushing the boundaries of exploration, science and storytelling further. Calugareanu will receive a cash grant along with a personalized experience at the Sundance Film Festival that includes industry meetings, networking…...
- 1/22/2018
- Deadline
Full line-up of the Stockholm film festival includes feature and documentary competition line-ups.Scroll down for full line-up
The Stockholm International Film Festival (Nov 11-22) has unveiled the line-up for its 26th edition, comprising more than 190 films from over 70 countries.
The Stockholm Xxvi Competition includes Marielle Heller’s Us title The Diary of a Teenage Girl and László Nemes’ Holocaust drama Son Of Saul.
It marks the first time Stockholm has a greater number of women than men competing for the Bronze Horse – the festival’s top prize.
The documentary competition includes Amy Berg’s An Open Secret, an investigation into accusations of teenagers being sexually abused within the film industry; and Cosima Spender’s Palio, centred on the annual horse race in Siena, Italy.
Announcing the programme, festival director Git Scheynius also revealed that Chinese artist Ai Weiwei will visit Stockholm for the first time as chairman of the jury for the first Stockholm Impact Award, which...
The Stockholm International Film Festival (Nov 11-22) has unveiled the line-up for its 26th edition, comprising more than 190 films from over 70 countries.
The Stockholm Xxvi Competition includes Marielle Heller’s Us title The Diary of a Teenage Girl and László Nemes’ Holocaust drama Son Of Saul.
It marks the first time Stockholm has a greater number of women than men competing for the Bronze Horse – the festival’s top prize.
The documentary competition includes Amy Berg’s An Open Secret, an investigation into accusations of teenagers being sexually abused within the film industry; and Cosima Spender’s Palio, centred on the annual horse race in Siena, Italy.
Announcing the programme, festival director Git Scheynius also revealed that Chinese artist Ai Weiwei will visit Stockholm for the first time as chairman of the jury for the first Stockholm Impact Award, which...
- 10/20/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
The Loft Film Fest is the first American festival member of the International Confederation of Art Cinemas (Cicae), which brings together more than 3,000 screens and approximately 16 festivals across Europe and around the world to promote the production and exhibition of quality independent films from all countries in all countries.
The Cicae award is designed to bring attention to excellent films in order for them to be seen in art houses around the world. The Cicae award is given out at festivals including the Berlinale Forum and Panorama, the Sarajevo International Film Festival, the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight.
The Loft Film Fest jury for documentary features includes Peter Belsito, film biz consultant, fest panelist and guest blogger for SydneysBuzz on Indiewire, actress/writer/producer Yareli Arizmendi ("Like Water for Chocolate," "A Day Without a Mexican") and Beverly Seckinger, director of University of Arizona Center for Documentary and Docscapes.
The short film jury includes Francesco Clerici, director of "Hand Gestures," Max Cannon, creator of the alternative comic strip "Red Meat", and Lupita Murillo of Kvoa News 4 Tucson.
The documentaries in competition are:
"Florence, Arizona"
Florence, Arizona is a cowboy town with a prison problem. Founded in 1866, this bastion of the Wild West is home to 8,500 civilians and 17,000 inmates spread over nine prisons. Through an unconventional lens, the documentary film "Florence, Arizona" weaves together the stories of four key residents of Florence, whose lives have all been shadowed in some way by the surrounding prison industrial complex. The result is an intricately crafted cinematic tapestry, threaded through with deep strands of Americana, humor, intimacy, and pathos, revealing as much about ourselves as it does about our modern carceral state. (Dir. by Andrea B. Scott, 2014, USA, 78 mins., Not Rated) Official Selection: Doc NYC
"Chuck Norris vs. Communism"
In the 1980s, under the Nicolae Ceaușescu regime, Romanians suffered from little access to foreign goods as well as an information blackout the Communist bureaucrats used to ensure ideological purity. But in clandestine screenings at neighbors’ homes of smuggled VHS tapes dubbed by a one-man distribution network, people got a glimpse of the Western world and a culture of muscular individuality with heroes like Jean-Claude Van Damme, Sylvester Stallone, and, of course, Chuck Norris.
In "Chuck Norris vs Communism," one sees the power of film to change individuals and whole societies. Through the stories of the hardworking female dubber (the most famous voice of Romania), the memories of everyday citizens, evocative re-creations of the time, and an enormous selection of clips from ’80s movies, first-time director Ilinca Calugareanu presents a film about the unexpected consequences of mass entertainment, leading to the conclusion that the greatest threat to Ceaușescu’s dictatorship might just have been the Vcr. (Dir. by Ilinca Calugareanu, 2014, UK/Romania/Germany, in Romanian with subtitles, 83 mins., Not Rated) Official Selection: Sundance Film Festival, Hot Docs
"Bounce"
From Brazilian favelas to dusty Congolese villages, from Neolithic Scottish isles to modern soccer pitches, "Bounce" explores the little-known origins of our favorite sports.
The film crosses time, languages and continents to discover how the ball has staked its claim on our lives and fueled our passion to compete. Equal parts science, history and cultural essay, "Bounce" removes us from the scandals and commercialism of today’s sports world to uncover the true reasons we play ball, helping us reclaim our universal connection to the games we love. (Dir. by Jerome Thelia, 2015, USA / Brazil / Congo / India / Ireland / Italy / Mexico / UK, in English with subtitles, 71 mins., Not Rated) Official Selection: SXSW
"Double Digits: The Story of a Neighborhood Movie Star"
Deep in the recesses of YouTube there is an ingenious artist who cannot be stopped. He consistently churns out 3-4 original feature-length films a year. He’s made action movies, horror movies, westerns and more. He’s not rich, he has no crew, no formal training and aside from his action figures, plays virtually every part. Welcome to the inspiring, imaginative, and often handmade world of Ultra-diy filmmaker Richard ‘R.G.’ Miller, a 50 year-old man who creates impossible blockbusters from his tiny studio apartment in Wichita, Kansas. His dream audience? More than 9 people. (Dir. by Justin Johnson, 2015, USA, 76 mins., Not Rated)
"Right Footed"
Born without arms as the result of a severe birth defect, Jessica Cox never allowed herself to believe that she couldn’t accomplish her dreams. An expert martial artist, college graduate and motivational speaker, Jessica is also the world’s only armless airplane pilot, a mentor, and an advocate for people with disability. Directed by Emmy Award winning filmmaker Nick Spark, "Right Footed" chronicles Jessica’s amazing story of overcoming adversity and follows her over a period of two years as she becomes a mentor for children with disabilities and their families, and a disability rights advocate working in the U.S.A. and abroad. (Dir. by Nick Spark, 2015, USA, in English with subtitles, 82 mins., Not Rated)
"Hand Gestures"
"Hand Gestures" follows the process of creating one of Velasco Vitali’s famous dog sculptures, from wax to glazed bronze, at the Battaglia Artistic Foundry in Milan. The film observes the work of a group of skilled artisans in this 100-year old foundry and reveals the ancient traditions of bronze sculpture making, unchanged since the sixth century B.C. This method is not taught in school, but is passed on in the ancient oral tradition and through apprenticeships from artisans. This documentary observes and feels the work of the Battaglia Artistic Foundry: a place where the past and present share the same gestures and where each gesture is a sculpture itself.
An artist who sculpts, who works the waxes, is treated in the same way as a craftsman who turns that wax into bronze, building and destroying other ephemeral sculptures: they have been making the same gestures for centuries, and by showing this to the camera they reveal historical “jumps” in time. Director Francesco Clerici has made a fine-tuned, carefully-observed study of a glorious thing to watch: artisans practicing their craft on film. Winner of the Fipresci award at Berlinale Forum 2015. (Dir. by Francesco Clerici, 2015, Italy, in Italian with subtitles, 77 mins., Not Rated) Official Selection: Berlin International Film Festival, BFI London Film Festival
"Beaver Trilogy Part IV" (USA, dir. Brad Besser)
In 1979, Kutv in Salt Lake City acquired a new video camera. Trent Harris, a producer for the station’s offbeat show Extra, ventured out into the parking lot to test the new equipment and happened upon a young man taking pictures of the station’s news helicopter.
The kid, calling himself “Groovin’ Gary,” was the self-proclaimed Rich Little of Beaver, Utah. His infectious personality and small-town impressions of John Wayne, Sylvester Stallone, and Barry Manilow piqued Harris’s interest enough so he gave him a business card and asked that he alert him if anything newsworthy happened in his hometown. What happened next would become the foundation for "Beaver Trilogy," a unique collection of films that documented Harris’s multiple attempts at re-creating the original magic of the Beaver Kid. Director Brad Besser dives deep into the mystique of this cult classic, unraveling the mystery of Harris’s original inspiration. "Beaver Trilogy Part IV" explores the line between the quest for fame and the exploitation of those who pursue it. (Dir. by Brad Besser, 2015, USA, 84 mins., Not Rated) Official Selection: Sundance Film Festival, Hot Docs
The short films in competition are in two programs:
Program 1
Program 2
The awards will be presented on Sunday October 25 before the final screenings of the festival: "Mia Madre" at 7:15Pm and "Eisenstein in Guanajuato" at 7:45Pm.
Tickets and passes on sale now at www.loftfilmfest.org.
The Cicae award is designed to bring attention to excellent films in order for them to be seen in art houses around the world. The Cicae award is given out at festivals including the Berlinale Forum and Panorama, the Sarajevo International Film Festival, the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight.
The Loft Film Fest jury for documentary features includes Peter Belsito, film biz consultant, fest panelist and guest blogger for SydneysBuzz on Indiewire, actress/writer/producer Yareli Arizmendi ("Like Water for Chocolate," "A Day Without a Mexican") and Beverly Seckinger, director of University of Arizona Center for Documentary and Docscapes.
The short film jury includes Francesco Clerici, director of "Hand Gestures," Max Cannon, creator of the alternative comic strip "Red Meat", and Lupita Murillo of Kvoa News 4 Tucson.
The documentaries in competition are:
"Florence, Arizona"
Florence, Arizona is a cowboy town with a prison problem. Founded in 1866, this bastion of the Wild West is home to 8,500 civilians and 17,000 inmates spread over nine prisons. Through an unconventional lens, the documentary film "Florence, Arizona" weaves together the stories of four key residents of Florence, whose lives have all been shadowed in some way by the surrounding prison industrial complex. The result is an intricately crafted cinematic tapestry, threaded through with deep strands of Americana, humor, intimacy, and pathos, revealing as much about ourselves as it does about our modern carceral state. (Dir. by Andrea B. Scott, 2014, USA, 78 mins., Not Rated) Official Selection: Doc NYC
"Chuck Norris vs. Communism"
In the 1980s, under the Nicolae Ceaușescu regime, Romanians suffered from little access to foreign goods as well as an information blackout the Communist bureaucrats used to ensure ideological purity. But in clandestine screenings at neighbors’ homes of smuggled VHS tapes dubbed by a one-man distribution network, people got a glimpse of the Western world and a culture of muscular individuality with heroes like Jean-Claude Van Damme, Sylvester Stallone, and, of course, Chuck Norris.
In "Chuck Norris vs Communism," one sees the power of film to change individuals and whole societies. Through the stories of the hardworking female dubber (the most famous voice of Romania), the memories of everyday citizens, evocative re-creations of the time, and an enormous selection of clips from ’80s movies, first-time director Ilinca Calugareanu presents a film about the unexpected consequences of mass entertainment, leading to the conclusion that the greatest threat to Ceaușescu’s dictatorship might just have been the Vcr. (Dir. by Ilinca Calugareanu, 2014, UK/Romania/Germany, in Romanian with subtitles, 83 mins., Not Rated) Official Selection: Sundance Film Festival, Hot Docs
"Bounce"
From Brazilian favelas to dusty Congolese villages, from Neolithic Scottish isles to modern soccer pitches, "Bounce" explores the little-known origins of our favorite sports.
The film crosses time, languages and continents to discover how the ball has staked its claim on our lives and fueled our passion to compete. Equal parts science, history and cultural essay, "Bounce" removes us from the scandals and commercialism of today’s sports world to uncover the true reasons we play ball, helping us reclaim our universal connection to the games we love. (Dir. by Jerome Thelia, 2015, USA / Brazil / Congo / India / Ireland / Italy / Mexico / UK, in English with subtitles, 71 mins., Not Rated) Official Selection: SXSW
"Double Digits: The Story of a Neighborhood Movie Star"
Deep in the recesses of YouTube there is an ingenious artist who cannot be stopped. He consistently churns out 3-4 original feature-length films a year. He’s made action movies, horror movies, westerns and more. He’s not rich, he has no crew, no formal training and aside from his action figures, plays virtually every part. Welcome to the inspiring, imaginative, and often handmade world of Ultra-diy filmmaker Richard ‘R.G.’ Miller, a 50 year-old man who creates impossible blockbusters from his tiny studio apartment in Wichita, Kansas. His dream audience? More than 9 people. (Dir. by Justin Johnson, 2015, USA, 76 mins., Not Rated)
"Right Footed"
Born without arms as the result of a severe birth defect, Jessica Cox never allowed herself to believe that she couldn’t accomplish her dreams. An expert martial artist, college graduate and motivational speaker, Jessica is also the world’s only armless airplane pilot, a mentor, and an advocate for people with disability. Directed by Emmy Award winning filmmaker Nick Spark, "Right Footed" chronicles Jessica’s amazing story of overcoming adversity and follows her over a period of two years as she becomes a mentor for children with disabilities and their families, and a disability rights advocate working in the U.S.A. and abroad. (Dir. by Nick Spark, 2015, USA, in English with subtitles, 82 mins., Not Rated)
"Hand Gestures"
"Hand Gestures" follows the process of creating one of Velasco Vitali’s famous dog sculptures, from wax to glazed bronze, at the Battaglia Artistic Foundry in Milan. The film observes the work of a group of skilled artisans in this 100-year old foundry and reveals the ancient traditions of bronze sculpture making, unchanged since the sixth century B.C. This method is not taught in school, but is passed on in the ancient oral tradition and through apprenticeships from artisans. This documentary observes and feels the work of the Battaglia Artistic Foundry: a place where the past and present share the same gestures and where each gesture is a sculpture itself.
An artist who sculpts, who works the waxes, is treated in the same way as a craftsman who turns that wax into bronze, building and destroying other ephemeral sculptures: they have been making the same gestures for centuries, and by showing this to the camera they reveal historical “jumps” in time. Director Francesco Clerici has made a fine-tuned, carefully-observed study of a glorious thing to watch: artisans practicing their craft on film. Winner of the Fipresci award at Berlinale Forum 2015. (Dir. by Francesco Clerici, 2015, Italy, in Italian with subtitles, 77 mins., Not Rated) Official Selection: Berlin International Film Festival, BFI London Film Festival
"Beaver Trilogy Part IV" (USA, dir. Brad Besser)
In 1979, Kutv in Salt Lake City acquired a new video camera. Trent Harris, a producer for the station’s offbeat show Extra, ventured out into the parking lot to test the new equipment and happened upon a young man taking pictures of the station’s news helicopter.
The kid, calling himself “Groovin’ Gary,” was the self-proclaimed Rich Little of Beaver, Utah. His infectious personality and small-town impressions of John Wayne, Sylvester Stallone, and Barry Manilow piqued Harris’s interest enough so he gave him a business card and asked that he alert him if anything newsworthy happened in his hometown. What happened next would become the foundation for "Beaver Trilogy," a unique collection of films that documented Harris’s multiple attempts at re-creating the original magic of the Beaver Kid. Director Brad Besser dives deep into the mystique of this cult classic, unraveling the mystery of Harris’s original inspiration. "Beaver Trilogy Part IV" explores the line between the quest for fame and the exploitation of those who pursue it. (Dir. by Brad Besser, 2015, USA, 84 mins., Not Rated) Official Selection: Sundance Film Festival, Hot Docs
The short films in competition are in two programs:
Program 1
Program 2
The awards will be presented on Sunday October 25 before the final screenings of the festival: "Mia Madre" at 7:15Pm and "Eisenstein in Guanajuato" at 7:45Pm.
Tickets and passes on sale now at www.loftfilmfest.org.
- 10/13/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
James Vanderbilt’s ‘Rathergate’ scandal drama starring Cate Blanchett and Robert Redford will open the 23rd annual event on October 8.
Topher Grace and Elisabeth Moss round out the key cast on the drama, based on journalist Mary Mapes’ account of the CBS report into former President George W Bush’s dereliction of duty while serving in the National Guard during the Vietnam War.
The government attempted to discredit the 2004 report, which led to the ruining of Rather’s career and the firing of Mapes.
Spc has positioned Truth for a potential awards run and will release it in theatres on October 16. The world premiere is set for Toronto in the Special Presentations strand.
This year’s Narrative Competition feature films include Matt Sobel’s Take Me To The River, Ciro Guerra’s Cannes Directors’ Fortnight winner Embrace Of The Serpent, Avishai Sivan’s Tikkun, Grímur Hákonarson’s Rams and Diastème’s French Blood.
Documentary Competition...
Topher Grace and Elisabeth Moss round out the key cast on the drama, based on journalist Mary Mapes’ account of the CBS report into former President George W Bush’s dereliction of duty while serving in the National Guard during the Vietnam War.
The government attempted to discredit the 2004 report, which led to the ruining of Rather’s career and the firing of Mapes.
Spc has positioned Truth for a potential awards run and will release it in theatres on October 16. The world premiere is set for Toronto in the Special Presentations strand.
This year’s Narrative Competition feature films include Matt Sobel’s Take Me To The River, Ciro Guerra’s Cannes Directors’ Fortnight winner Embrace Of The Serpent, Avishai Sivan’s Tikkun, Grímur Hákonarson’s Rams and Diastème’s French Blood.
Documentary Competition...
- 8/26/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Jasmila Žbanic film among 23 competing in doc strand.Scroll down for full list of films
Jasmila Žbanić (Grbavica) documentary One Day in Sarajevo is among 23 titles set to compete in the documentary strand of the 21st Sarajevo Film Festival (August 14-22).
The line-up includes six world premieres, eight international premieres, three regional premieres and six Bosnia & Herzegovina premieres.
Yesterday the festival announced a lineup of 71 actors, directors, DoPs, film critics, producers and screenwriters for its 2015 Talents Sarajevo initiative.
Last year’s documentary competition was judged by Ananda Scepka (Locarno Film Festival), director Srđan Šarenac (Loca de amor) and director and producer Stefano Tealdi (The Queen of Silence).
The Heart of Sarajevo award, presented to the best documentary film, was given to Tiha K. Gudac for Naked Island (Goli).
World Premieres
Chasing A Dream / U potrazi za snom
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, 2015, 145 min.
Director: Mladen Mitrović
The Fog Of Srebrenica / Izmaglica Srebrenice
Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2015, 60 min.
Director:...
Jasmila Žbanić (Grbavica) documentary One Day in Sarajevo is among 23 titles set to compete in the documentary strand of the 21st Sarajevo Film Festival (August 14-22).
The line-up includes six world premieres, eight international premieres, three regional premieres and six Bosnia & Herzegovina premieres.
Yesterday the festival announced a lineup of 71 actors, directors, DoPs, film critics, producers and screenwriters for its 2015 Talents Sarajevo initiative.
Last year’s documentary competition was judged by Ananda Scepka (Locarno Film Festival), director Srđan Šarenac (Loca de amor) and director and producer Stefano Tealdi (The Queen of Silence).
The Heart of Sarajevo award, presented to the best documentary film, was given to Tiha K. Gudac for Naked Island (Goli).
World Premieres
Chasing A Dream / U potrazi za snom
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, 2015, 145 min.
Director: Mladen Mitrović
The Fog Of Srebrenica / Izmaglica Srebrenice
Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2015, 60 min.
Director:...
- 7/14/2015
- ScreenDaily
Was there ever a more interesting movie title? Plus, Chuck Norris vs Communism does live up to its name...
In terms of gaining people’s interest, Chuck Norris vs Communism was the clear winner at this year’s Edinburgh Film Festival, based on its title alone. It's a documentary is about the distribution of VHS copies of Western films into Communist Romania in the 80s, a repressive Stalinist regime ruled by Nicolae Ceausescu. But also it’s about the importance of films, conveying their impact and intangible magic against the backdrop of varying sizes of revolution. This isn’t just a movie that is illuminating for people outside Romania, it has apparently answered Romanians’ long-asked questions about people who were deemed semi-legendary.
The approach writer/director Ilinca Calugareanu takes is to interview people who illicitly watched these videos in makeshift home cinemas, and weave their memories into a dramatisation of...
In terms of gaining people’s interest, Chuck Norris vs Communism was the clear winner at this year’s Edinburgh Film Festival, based on its title alone. It's a documentary is about the distribution of VHS copies of Western films into Communist Romania in the 80s, a repressive Stalinist regime ruled by Nicolae Ceausescu. But also it’s about the importance of films, conveying their impact and intangible magic against the backdrop of varying sizes of revolution. This isn’t just a movie that is illuminating for people outside Romania, it has apparently answered Romanians’ long-asked questions about people who were deemed semi-legendary.
The approach writer/director Ilinca Calugareanu takes is to interview people who illicitly watched these videos in makeshift home cinemas, and weave their memories into a dramatisation of...
- 6/30/2015
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
It was Romania, and the year was 1985. A population frightened into submission by secret police and round the clock surveillance under the dictatorial thumb of communist leader Nicolae Ceausescu were unable to act towards their own freedom, or show any act of defiance. But into this dark time came a hero: Chuck Norris. Well, sort of. Ok, not really.
The title of Chuck Norris vs Communism is misleading. It suggests that the 80s action star of such hits as Missing in Action, The Delta Force and Lone Wolf McQuade brought down the Iron Curtain. That may not be true exactly, but it wouldn’t be untruthful to say that Norris didn’t do his part just by being there. In video cassette form.
It’s easy to forget now that with entire film libraries are as close as an internet connection and a Netflix account just how revolutionary home video...
The title of Chuck Norris vs Communism is misleading. It suggests that the 80s action star of such hits as Missing in Action, The Delta Force and Lone Wolf McQuade brought down the Iron Curtain. That may not be true exactly, but it wouldn’t be untruthful to say that Norris didn’t do his part just by being there. In video cassette form.
It’s easy to forget now that with entire film libraries are as close as an internet connection and a Netflix account just how revolutionary home video...
- 5/5/2015
- by Adam A. Donaldson
- We Got This Covered
VHS Revolution: Calugareanu Shoots For Docu-Thrills
Much of the time, American imperialism is a culture destroying force that denigrates through sheer, unwieldy bloat, but in the case of Nicolae Ceausescu’s Romania of the 80s, the underground circulation of American films, especially action films starring the likes of Chuck Norris and Jean-Claude Van Damme, proved to be the catalyst that brought the brutal communist leader’s reign to an end. Thanks to a trio of brave souls and an army of bribed government officials, crudely dubbed VHS copies of American films of all sorts found their way into the packed living rooms of Romanians throughout the country, enlightening the masses to the oppressive state in which they unknowingly lived. Employing a strikingly lensed docudrama format that blends in lively interviews with those involved and many of those affected, director Ilinca Calugareanu elegantly recreates the cultural revelations of Romania still under...
Much of the time, American imperialism is a culture destroying force that denigrates through sheer, unwieldy bloat, but in the case of Nicolae Ceausescu’s Romania of the 80s, the underground circulation of American films, especially action films starring the likes of Chuck Norris and Jean-Claude Van Damme, proved to be the catalyst that brought the brutal communist leader’s reign to an end. Thanks to a trio of brave souls and an army of bribed government officials, crudely dubbed VHS copies of American films of all sorts found their way into the packed living rooms of Romanians throughout the country, enlightening the masses to the oppressive state in which they unknowingly lived. Employing a strikingly lensed docudrama format that blends in lively interviews with those involved and many of those affected, director Ilinca Calugareanu elegantly recreates the cultural revelations of Romania still under...
- 1/31/2015
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
Combining talking head interviews with reenactment footage, first-time director Ilinca Calugareanu reveals the inner workings of an elaborate VHS smuggling ring that arguably might have prompted the eventual overthrow of Calugareanu's tyranny in 1989. Oddly enough, there were plenty of Romanian officials and members of the secret police who helped out the VHS bootleggers (in exchange for free bootlegs, of course). In other words, Calugareanu's government may have contributed to its own demise. Though the title suggests that Chuck Norris was Romania's savior, it was an entire catalog of films, mostly from Hollywood, spanning the gauntlet from action films to romantic comedies. These films taught Romanians about the many wonders of the Western world -- specifically 1980s pop culture, free enterprise and materialism, but the films also served as an escape from the grim reality of their daily existence. While we can certainly debate the educational merit and the sociopolitical messages...
- 1/27/2015
- by Don Simpson
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
The year is 1985, 20 years into Nicolae Ceausescu’s Communist rule in Romania. Freedom of creative expression is at an all-time low as media and entertainment is heavily policed. The introduction and popularization of the video home system (VHS) in Romania on the rise — an underground movement that starts off with little more than a whisper. These events are at the heart of "Chuck Norris vs. Terrorism," director Ilinca Calugareanu’s first feature, an inspiring and nostalgic documentary-narrative hybrid that explores the tale of the guerrilla film-smuggling movement that claims to have toppled the Romanian Communist regime in 1989. Filmed in the traditional talking-head style accompanied by moody, atmospheric reenactments, the events are as murky and morally ambiguous as a John le Carré novel. Read More: The 2015 Indiewire Sundance Film Festival Bible The seeping of VHS films into the Romanian culture at the time was slow and measured, an initiative started by a few.
- 1/24/2015
- by An Banh
- Indiewire
This is awesome. At The New York Times, documentary filmmaker Ilinca Calugareanu explains:
In 1985, Irina Margareta Nistor, a young translator at the national television station, met a mysterious entrepreneur. He was smuggling, copying and distributing movies on VHS tapes. This was the beginning of a working relationship that lasted more than a decade. In all, Ms. Nistor says she dubbed more than 3,000 different films. Thanks to her, Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Bruce Lee became popular heroes in Romania.
Thanks to these illegal dubbed films, Romanians were introduced to the outside world and got a glimpse of what freedom looked and felt like. This had to have contributed to the revolution that would sweep the country in 1989 and toss out the Communists.
Here’s the film:
As I’ve said before, there’s no such thing as “just a movie.”...
In 1985, Irina Margareta Nistor, a young translator at the national television station, met a mysterious entrepreneur. He was smuggling, copying and distributing movies on VHS tapes. This was the beginning of a working relationship that lasted more than a decade. In all, Ms. Nistor says she dubbed more than 3,000 different films. Thanks to her, Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Bruce Lee became popular heroes in Romania.
Thanks to these illegal dubbed films, Romanians were introduced to the outside world and got a glimpse of what freedom looked and felt like. This had to have contributed to the revolution that would sweep the country in 1989 and toss out the Communists.
Here’s the film:
As I’ve said before, there’s no such thing as “just a movie.”...
- 2/20/2014
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
Dok Leipzig’s Golden Dove for Best International Documentary went to the Us, while Norway scored a hat-trick at the Nordic Film Days in Lübeck.
The top award in Leipzig’s International Documentary Competition went to Italian-born, Us-based film-maker Roberto Minervini’s Stop The Pounding Heart whose portrayal of a strict religious family was described by the jury as ¨refreshing and unsettling at the same time.¨
The Us-Belgian-Italian co-production is handled internationally by Doc & Film.
The Golden Dove in the German Documentary Competition was awarded to Carlo Zoratti for his feature-length debut The Special Need, while the newly-created Golden Dove for the animation-documentary hybrid form was presented to French director Daniela De Felice’s Casa.
A total of 18 prizes with cash awards totalling almost €70,000 ($95,000) included the Fipresci Prize for Gang Zhao’s A Folk Troupe; the Mdr Film Prize for Vitaly Mansky’s Pipeline; and the Youth Jury Prize to Joanna by Aneta Kopacz, a graduate...
The top award in Leipzig’s International Documentary Competition went to Italian-born, Us-based film-maker Roberto Minervini’s Stop The Pounding Heart whose portrayal of a strict religious family was described by the jury as ¨refreshing and unsettling at the same time.¨
The Us-Belgian-Italian co-production is handled internationally by Doc & Film.
The Golden Dove in the German Documentary Competition was awarded to Carlo Zoratti for his feature-length debut The Special Need, while the newly-created Golden Dove for the animation-documentary hybrid form was presented to French director Daniela De Felice’s Casa.
A total of 18 prizes with cash awards totalling almost €70,000 ($95,000) included the Fipresci Prize for Gang Zhao’s A Folk Troupe; the Mdr Film Prize for Vitaly Mansky’s Pipeline; and the Youth Jury Prize to Joanna by Aneta Kopacz, a graduate...
- 11/4/2013
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Nearly 20 rising documentary filmmakers named at the Czech Republic festival.
A total of 19 up-and-coming players in the European creative documentary have been selected for the second edition of the Emerging Producers platform during this year’s Jihlava International Documentary Film Festival (Oct 24-29).
The 2013 line-up includes:
Portuguese producer Joana Gusmao [pictured], who is preparing André Gil Mata’s The Tree to shoot in Sarajevo this December;
Polish producer-director Jacob Dammas whose Polish Illusions was shown at Hot Docs and Cph:dox;
France’s Karim Aitouna who received the Robert Bosch Stiftung Co-Production Prize for his project A Place In The Sun;
Berlin-based Michel Balagué of Mengamuk Films who produced Marcin Malasczcak’s Sieniawka, which premiered at the Berlinale last February. Balagué is now developing a second film with Malasczcak as a co-production between Germany, Poland and the UK;
Croatia’s Morana Komljenovic who served as a co-producer on Nebojsa Slijepcovic’s Gangster Of Love.
Divided into three...
A total of 19 up-and-coming players in the European creative documentary have been selected for the second edition of the Emerging Producers platform during this year’s Jihlava International Documentary Film Festival (Oct 24-29).
The 2013 line-up includes:
Portuguese producer Joana Gusmao [pictured], who is preparing André Gil Mata’s The Tree to shoot in Sarajevo this December;
Polish producer-director Jacob Dammas whose Polish Illusions was shown at Hot Docs and Cph:dox;
France’s Karim Aitouna who received the Robert Bosch Stiftung Co-Production Prize for his project A Place In The Sun;
Berlin-based Michel Balagué of Mengamuk Films who produced Marcin Malasczcak’s Sieniawka, which premiered at the Berlinale last February. Balagué is now developing a second film with Malasczcak as a co-production between Germany, Poland and the UK;
Croatia’s Morana Komljenovic who served as a co-producer on Nebojsa Slijepcovic’s Gangster Of Love.
Divided into three...
- 10/18/2013
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
There are hundreds of films vying for funds on Kickstarter and Indiegogo, and most of them are, to be blunt, not particularly interesting. Of course, there are exceptions, and one that caught our eye recently was Chuck Norris vs Communism. As the blurb on their Kickstarter page puts it:
“Chuck Norris vs Communism tells the story of the transformation of a nation through a seemingly small act of resistance. In the 1980s, Ceausescu, the dictator who had ruled Romania with an iron fist since 1965, became obsessed with repaying Western loans and building a palace of unprecedented proportions. At the same time, hidden from the scrutinising eyes of the Secret Police, Irina Nistor dubbed over 5,000 foreign blockbusters that entered Romania illegally. A sprawling horde of American films was unleashed into Romanian homes featuring everything from Megaforce and Bloodsport to Taxi Driver, from Ninja Death Squad and Fist of Fury to Brazil,...
“Chuck Norris vs Communism tells the story of the transformation of a nation through a seemingly small act of resistance. In the 1980s, Ceausescu, the dictator who had ruled Romania with an iron fist since 1965, became obsessed with repaying Western loans and building a palace of unprecedented proportions. At the same time, hidden from the scrutinising eyes of the Secret Police, Irina Nistor dubbed over 5,000 foreign blockbusters that entered Romania illegally. A sprawling horde of American films was unleashed into Romanian homes featuring everything from Megaforce and Bloodsport to Taxi Driver, from Ninja Death Squad and Fist of Fury to Brazil,...
- 5/2/2013
- by Ben Mortimer
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
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