Messages have been pouring in to pay tribute to Jess Search, producer and co-founder of U.K.’s Doc Society, who died Monday from brain cancer at the age of 54.
Search was a founding director of Doc Society, the mission of which is to “unleash the transformational power of documentary film to address the two critical and intertwined issues of climate change and democracies in crisis.”
Before that, she was a commissioning editor at Channel 4 and a founder of Shooting People, the online filmmakers network. She was also a board member of the U.K. think tank Ippr. She moderated panel discussions for IDFA, the Skoll World Forum, the Trust Women conference, and Doc Society’s Good Pitch.
Search was nominated for an Emmy for “Virunga.” Her recent executive producer credits included “F@ck This Job,” “Welcome to Chechnya” and “Cold Case Hammarskjöld.”
British Film Institute CEO Ben Roberts said:...
Search was a founding director of Doc Society, the mission of which is to “unleash the transformational power of documentary film to address the two critical and intertwined issues of climate change and democracies in crisis.”
Before that, she was a commissioning editor at Channel 4 and a founder of Shooting People, the online filmmakers network. She was also a board member of the U.K. think tank Ippr. She moderated panel discussions for IDFA, the Skoll World Forum, the Trust Women conference, and Doc Society’s Good Pitch.
Search was nominated for an Emmy for “Virunga.” Her recent executive producer credits included “F@ck This Job,” “Welcome to Chechnya” and “Cold Case Hammarskjöld.”
British Film Institute CEO Ben Roberts said:...
- 8/3/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Jess Search, the influential documentary producer and co-founder of the U.K. Doc Society, has died at age 54 after a battle with brain cancer. She passed on July 31 after being diagnosed with cancer in June.
Nearly two decades ago, Search co-founded the non-profit Doc Society, which since 2005 has been dedicated to funding documentaries globally. Search’s many credits as a documentary film producer include the Academy Award-nominated “Virunga” about gorilla protection and for which she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy award, the Emmy-nominated LGBTQ advocacy documentary “Welcome to Chechnya,” and many more.
Doc Society leadership — Megha Agrawal Sood, Shanida Scotland, Sandra Whipham, and Maxyne Franklin — shared a note on Tuesday announcing Search’s passing.
“She was surrounded by the love of her life Beadie Finzi, their children Ella and Ben, and friends. As a fierce supporter of independent artists and co-founder of Doc Society, Jess spent the weeks following...
Nearly two decades ago, Search co-founded the non-profit Doc Society, which since 2005 has been dedicated to funding documentaries globally. Search’s many credits as a documentary film producer include the Academy Award-nominated “Virunga” about gorilla protection and for which she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy award, the Emmy-nominated LGBTQ advocacy documentary “Welcome to Chechnya,” and many more.
Doc Society leadership — Megha Agrawal Sood, Shanida Scotland, Sandra Whipham, and Maxyne Franklin — shared a note on Tuesday announcing Search’s passing.
“She was surrounded by the love of her life Beadie Finzi, their children Ella and Ben, and friends. As a fierce supporter of independent artists and co-founder of Doc Society, Jess spent the weeks following...
- 8/2/2023
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Tubi is offering lots of originals for July, including the thriller “Five Star Murder” on July 28. A concierge and a guest investigate a hotel murder while a storm traps nasty hidden-treasure hunters inside.
Also coming to the streamer, a podcaster investigates his sister’s death in “Deep Web: Murdershow” on July 8. The murder leads him to a site where the highest bidder determines how a victim is killed.
“The Mummy” franchise is available July 1. In the first installment, an adventurer in 1926 Egypt travels to Hamunaptra, the City of the Dead, with a librarian and her older brother. Excited by their discoveries, they accidentally awaken Imhotep, a cursed high priest who was mummified alive. Now, the all-powerful Imhotep must be destroyed before his wrath destroys everything in his path. Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz co-star in the action-packed thriller.
Finally, the cult classic “Big Trouble in Little China” stars Kurt Russell...
Also coming to the streamer, a podcaster investigates his sister’s death in “Deep Web: Murdershow” on July 8. The murder leads him to a site where the highest bidder determines how a victim is killed.
“The Mummy” franchise is available July 1. In the first installment, an adventurer in 1926 Egypt travels to Hamunaptra, the City of the Dead, with a librarian and her older brother. Excited by their discoveries, they accidentally awaken Imhotep, a cursed high priest who was mummified alive. Now, the all-powerful Imhotep must be destroyed before his wrath destroys everything in his path. Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz co-star in the action-packed thriller.
Finally, the cult classic “Big Trouble in Little China” stars Kurt Russell...
- 6/30/2023
- by Fern Siegel
- The Streamable
“Seven Winters in Tehran,” about a 19-year-old Iranian woman sentenced to death for killing the man who tried to rape her, will open the 34th annual Human Rights Watch Film Festival on May 31 in New York City.
The festival, co-presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center and the IFC Center, will feature 10 documentaries about humanitarian challenges around the world. This year’s edition spotlights themes and topics including the Ukraine conflict (“When Spring Came to Bucha”), climate gentrification and justice (“Razing Liberty Square”), women’s rights (“Draw Me Egypt”) transgender rights (“Into My Name”) freedom of the press (“The Etilaat Roz”) and access to health care in the United States (“Pay or Die”).
“From the war in Ukraine to women’s rights and bodily autonomy, to environmental gentrification and freedom of the press, these films span some of the most pressing human rights issues of our time,” says John Biaggi,...
The festival, co-presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center and the IFC Center, will feature 10 documentaries about humanitarian challenges around the world. This year’s edition spotlights themes and topics including the Ukraine conflict (“When Spring Came to Bucha”), climate gentrification and justice (“Razing Liberty Square”), women’s rights (“Draw Me Egypt”) transgender rights (“Into My Name”) freedom of the press (“The Etilaat Roz”) and access to health care in the United States (“Pay or Die”).
“From the war in Ukraine to women’s rights and bodily autonomy, to environmental gentrification and freedom of the press, these films span some of the most pressing human rights issues of our time,” says John Biaggi,...
- 4/27/2023
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Modern Family finally wrapped up its run on ABC in 2020, but actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s career continues to flourish. He went from an accomplished stage actor to a beloved sitcom actor, and now he’s bringing those comedy chops to film. The 47-year-old actor, long well-liked in Hollywood, is finally entering the third act of his career.
That third act was pushed forward by Ferguson’s husband. The pair have become something of a power couple, a successful producer and a talented actor elevating one another. So why did the Modern Family star spend so long lying about how they first met?
Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Justin Mikita | Bruce Glikas/Getty Images Jesse Tyler Ferguson made his way from the stage to one of America’s favorite sitcoms
Celebrate 15 Years of Green and stream all episodes of #ModernFamily on @hulu! #Hulu15 pic.twitter.com/YxhL4IxHh1
— Modern Family (@ModernFam...
That third act was pushed forward by Ferguson’s husband. The pair have become something of a power couple, a successful producer and a talented actor elevating one another. So why did the Modern Family star spend so long lying about how they first met?
Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Justin Mikita | Bruce Glikas/Getty Images Jesse Tyler Ferguson made his way from the stage to one of America’s favorite sitcoms
Celebrate 15 Years of Green and stream all episodes of #ModernFamily on @hulu! #Hulu15 pic.twitter.com/YxhL4IxHh1
— Modern Family (@ModernFam...
- 4/9/2023
- by Agustin Mojica
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The legal principle of “another body” is cited by local and state law enforcement to not pursue charges against the creators of deepfake pornography, content easily generated by online communities that mostly focuses on celebrities and political leaders. The issue is just starting to gain traction as the technology becomes cheaper and easier, and as troubled, vindictive men (both young and old) experiment and take requests on message boards.
While targets of deepfake porn include every actress in Hollywood along with frequent targets of misogyny (e.g. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Greta Thunberg), they do enjoy one advantage that an anonymous college student does not: it would never be assumed to be real nor disqualifying for future prospects.
Another Body is a real story told, like David France’s Welcome to Chechnya, with the assistance of digital facial replacement allowing its subjects to speak anonymously rather than mask faces and voices...
While targets of deepfake porn include every actress in Hollywood along with frequent targets of misogyny (e.g. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Greta Thunberg), they do enjoy one advantage that an anonymous college student does not: it would never be assumed to be real nor disqualifying for future prospects.
Another Body is a real story told, like David France’s Welcome to Chechnya, with the assistance of digital facial replacement allowing its subjects to speak anonymously rather than mask faces and voices...
- 3/13/2023
- by John Fink
- The Film Stage
Simu Liu has been selected to host the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Scientific and Technical Awards presentation on Feb. 24 at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
He will present nine awards including the Gordon E. Sawyer Award, an Oscar statuette to lens innovator Iain Neil, during what will be the first in-person SciTech Awards ceremony since 2019.
Additionally, eight scientific and technical achievements represented by 19 individual award recipients will be honored. Among them are the CineTape distance measurement system and Preston Cinema Systems Light Ranger 2 for on-set use, as well as a couple render farm management systems used in postproduction.
Also during the ceremony, Ryan Laney will receive an award of commendation (special plaque) for his inventive use of AI-driven facial technology to give subjects a digital “disguise” to protect the identities while preserving their facial emotion in documentary filmmaking, as seen in 2020’s Welcome to Chechnya.
Liu...
He will present nine awards including the Gordon E. Sawyer Award, an Oscar statuette to lens innovator Iain Neil, during what will be the first in-person SciTech Awards ceremony since 2019.
Additionally, eight scientific and technical achievements represented by 19 individual award recipients will be honored. Among them are the CineTape distance measurement system and Preston Cinema Systems Light Ranger 2 for on-set use, as well as a couple render farm management systems used in postproduction.
Also during the ceremony, Ryan Laney will receive an award of commendation (special plaque) for his inventive use of AI-driven facial technology to give subjects a digital “disguise” to protect the identities while preserving their facial emotion in documentary filmmaking, as seen in 2020’s Welcome to Chechnya.
Liu...
- 2/17/2023
- by Carolyn Giardina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Recipients to attend first in-person ceremony in four years.
The Academy announced eight scientific and technical achievements represented by 19 individual award recipients will be honoured at its first in-person annual Scientific and Technical Awards in four years on February 24.
The ceremony at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will also see Iain Neil receive the Gordon E. Sawyer Award (an Oscar statuette) for “his extraordinary technological contributions that have brought credit to the industry”.
The Academy Awards for scientific and technical achievements appear below. All synopses adapted from Academy wording:
Technical Achievement Awards (Academy Certificates)
To Howard Jensen and Danny Cangemi...
The Academy announced eight scientific and technical achievements represented by 19 individual award recipients will be honoured at its first in-person annual Scientific and Technical Awards in four years on February 24.
The ceremony at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will also see Iain Neil receive the Gordon E. Sawyer Award (an Oscar statuette) for “his extraordinary technological contributions that have brought credit to the industry”.
The Academy Awards for scientific and technical achievements appear below. All synopses adapted from Academy wording:
Technical Achievement Awards (Academy Certificates)
To Howard Jensen and Danny Cangemi...
- 2/2/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Eight scientific and technical achievements represented by 19 individual award recipients will be honored at The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Scientific and Technical Awards presentation on Feb. 24 at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
Also during the SciTech Awards, which will take place in person for the first time since 2019, veteran lens designer Iain Neil will receive the Gordon E. Sawyer Award (an Oscar statuette) for his “substantial, extensive and innovative lens designs which have had lasting impact in motion picture cinematography.” Additionally, Ryan Laney will receive an award of commendation (special plaque) for his inventive use of AI-driven facial technology to give subjects a digital “disguise” to protect the identities while preserving their facial emotion in documentary filmmaking, as seen in 2020’s Welcome to Chechnya.
Scientific and Engineering awards (Academy plaques) will be presented to Larry Barton and Ben Wilcox for the cinematography electronics CineTape distance measurement...
Also during the SciTech Awards, which will take place in person for the first time since 2019, veteran lens designer Iain Neil will receive the Gordon E. Sawyer Award (an Oscar statuette) for his “substantial, extensive and innovative lens designs which have had lasting impact in motion picture cinematography.” Additionally, Ryan Laney will receive an award of commendation (special plaque) for his inventive use of AI-driven facial technology to give subjects a digital “disguise” to protect the identities while preserving their facial emotion in documentary filmmaking, as seen in 2020’s Welcome to Chechnya.
Scientific and Engineering awards (Academy plaques) will be presented to Larry Barton and Ben Wilcox for the cinematography electronics CineTape distance measurement...
- 2/2/2023
- by Carolyn Giardina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Click here to read the full article.
Oscar-nominated filmmaker David France has signed with CAA.
The New York Times bestselling author and investigative journalist most recently directed the HBO documentary How to Survive a Pandemic, which he also wrote. The film charts the development and distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine, in the U.S. and abroad.
France’s directorial debut, How to Survive a Plague, about AIDS activist group Act Up, was nominated for an Oscar, two Emmys, and a Directors Guild Award. The former Newsweek senior editor went from print journalist to award-winning filmmaker with a documentary that was eventually followed by the book How to Survive a Plague.
France’s credits include The Death & Life of Marsha P. Johnson and Welcome to Chechnya, which earned a Peabody Award for best documentary as the film portrayed a courageous effort to save Chechnya’s queer community from state-sanctioned persecution.
His...
Oscar-nominated filmmaker David France has signed with CAA.
The New York Times bestselling author and investigative journalist most recently directed the HBO documentary How to Survive a Pandemic, which he also wrote. The film charts the development and distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine, in the U.S. and abroad.
France’s directorial debut, How to Survive a Plague, about AIDS activist group Act Up, was nominated for an Oscar, two Emmys, and a Directors Guild Award. The former Newsweek senior editor went from print journalist to award-winning filmmaker with a documentary that was eventually followed by the book How to Survive a Plague.
France’s credits include The Death & Life of Marsha P. Johnson and Welcome to Chechnya, which earned a Peabody Award for best documentary as the film portrayed a courageous effort to save Chechnya’s queer community from state-sanctioned persecution.
His...
- 8/2/2022
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Not that we needed a reminder, but Russia’s recent human rights violations — while flagrant — are sadly not a new phenomenon. David France’s “Welcome to Chechnya” documented the horrific genocide being waged against LGBTQ people in what is now a Russian Republic, a terrifying sign of what could lay in store for LGBTQ Ukrainians. Taking an altogether different tack, the stately period drama “Firebird” tells the true story of an ill-fated military romance between two men in Soviet-occupied Estonia during the late 1970s and early ’80s.
Based on a memoir by Sergey Fetisov, the steamy Cold War drama The film’s tragic throughline won’t break any molds, but with smoldering performances by its two strapping young leads, the target audience is unlikely to care.
Despite the heat of its title, “Firebird” begins in the water as three lithe bodies splash playfully in a dark sea. The horseplay is...
Based on a memoir by Sergey Fetisov, the steamy Cold War drama The film’s tragic throughline won’t break any molds, but with smoldering performances by its two strapping young leads, the target audience is unlikely to care.
Despite the heat of its title, “Firebird” begins in the water as three lithe bodies splash playfully in a dark sea. The horseplay is...
- 4/28/2022
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
‘River’ is in the Highlights strand, with ‘How To Survive A Pandemic’ in Cph:Science.
UK-based sales company Dogwoof has closed deals on two documentaries playing at Denmark’s Cph:dox film festival, which begins today (March 23) in Copenhagen.
David France’s How To Survive A Pandemic has sold to Belgium (Vrt), Spain (Movistar), Denmark (Dr), Netherlands (Nl) and Israel (Yesdocu/Channel 8).
The HBO title will launch on the pay-tv network and streaming platform HBO Max in North America on March 29 and in Latin America the following day. Previously announced deals include to the UK, Germany and Italy (Sky), Norway (Nrk...
UK-based sales company Dogwoof has closed deals on two documentaries playing at Denmark’s Cph:dox film festival, which begins today (March 23) in Copenhagen.
David France’s How To Survive A Pandemic has sold to Belgium (Vrt), Spain (Movistar), Denmark (Dr), Netherlands (Nl) and Israel (Yesdocu/Channel 8).
The HBO title will launch on the pay-tv network and streaming platform HBO Max in North America on March 29 and in Latin America the following day. Previously announced deals include to the UK, Germany and Italy (Sky), Norway (Nrk...
- 3/23/2022
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
BBC Content has advertised for the high powered role of commissioning director, BBC Film and Storyville, a position formerly held by Rose Garnett under the title director of BBC Film.
BBC Film is the feature film-making arm of the BBC, co-producing some 15 films a year. Recent successes include the BAFTA and Critics Choice awards winning “The Power of the Dog” and “The Souvenir” and “The Souvenir: Part II.”
Storyville is the broadcaster’s flagship feature documentary strand and showcases films from around the world including “Welcome to Chechnya” and “Collective.” It moved under the remit of BBC Film in 2020. Storyville was led by Mandy Chang, until the executive left to join Fremantle as global head of factual. “Flee” executive producer Philippa Kowarsky was appointed commissioning editor, reporting into Garnett.
Garnett recently resigned her BBC Film position to join A24 and Eva Yates is currently serving as acting director.
To fill Garnett’s role,...
BBC Film is the feature film-making arm of the BBC, co-producing some 15 films a year. Recent successes include the BAFTA and Critics Choice awards winning “The Power of the Dog” and “The Souvenir” and “The Souvenir: Part II.”
Storyville is the broadcaster’s flagship feature documentary strand and showcases films from around the world including “Welcome to Chechnya” and “Collective.” It moved under the remit of BBC Film in 2020. Storyville was led by Mandy Chang, until the executive left to join Fremantle as global head of factual. “Flee” executive producer Philippa Kowarsky was appointed commissioning editor, reporting into Garnett.
Garnett recently resigned her BBC Film position to join A24 and Eva Yates is currently serving as acting director.
To fill Garnett’s role,...
- 3/15/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Under different circumstances, the 24th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival might have been a more celebratory affair, with coronavirus restrictions gradually loosening across Greece and the country’s second city hosting an in-person edition of a festival that was among the world’s first to go virtual at the start of the pandemic in 2020.
But with the humanitarian toll rising in Ukraine, as Russia continues its relentless assault of its Eastern European neighbor, festival director Orestis Andreadakis offered a sobering reflection on the eve of opening night on war, cinema and the need for solidarity.
“It’s shocking what is happening,” Andreadakis told Variety, likening the threat to the one faced by Europe during World War II. “After the war, we had this slogan: Never again. Never again to war. Never again to Holocaust. Never again to horror. Every time we repeated this phrase, every time we wrote it on the walls,...
But with the humanitarian toll rising in Ukraine, as Russia continues its relentless assault of its Eastern European neighbor, festival director Orestis Andreadakis offered a sobering reflection on the eve of opening night on war, cinema and the need for solidarity.
“It’s shocking what is happening,” Andreadakis told Variety, likening the threat to the one faced by Europe during World War II. “After the war, we had this slogan: Never again. Never again to war. Never again to Holocaust. Never again to horror. Every time we repeated this phrase, every time we wrote it on the walls,...
- 3/10/2022
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
True/False Festival Returns In-Person With Annual Parade and Spirited Response to Docus About Russia
True/False, the preeminent non-fiction festival, returned as an in-person event Thursday, drawing documentary notables and fans of their work to a Missouri college town for the first lineup under the artistic direction of Chloe Trayner.
There were 31 features and 19 short non-fiction films at the fest, which had more of an international tilt than usual and concludes March 6. Eight features, including “Fire of Love,” “I Didn’t See You There” and “The Territory,” had previously debuted virtually at Sundance in January, but screened for the first time for public audiences at True/False.
Their respective directors — Sara Dosa (“Fire of Love”), Reid Davenport (“I Didn’t See You There”) Alex Pritz (“The Territory”) – were among the filmmakers making the trek to Columbia for the 19th edition of True/False. Fellow Sundance 2022 doc directors including Isabel Castro (“Mija”) and Joe Hunting (“We Met in Virtual Reality”) also attended.
“Sundance was amazing, but True...
There were 31 features and 19 short non-fiction films at the fest, which had more of an international tilt than usual and concludes March 6. Eight features, including “Fire of Love,” “I Didn’t See You There” and “The Territory,” had previously debuted virtually at Sundance in January, but screened for the first time for public audiences at True/False.
Their respective directors — Sara Dosa (“Fire of Love”), Reid Davenport (“I Didn’t See You There”) Alex Pritz (“The Territory”) – were among the filmmakers making the trek to Columbia for the 19th edition of True/False. Fellow Sundance 2022 doc directors including Isabel Castro (“Mija”) and Joe Hunting (“We Met in Virtual Reality”) also attended.
“Sundance was amazing, but True...
- 3/6/2022
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars and Emmys ceremonies from film awards editor Clayton Davis. Following history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Oscar and Emmy predictions are updated regularly with the current year's list of contenders in all categories. Variety's Awards Circuit Prediction schedule consists of four phases, running all year long: Draft, Pre-Season, Regular Season and Post Season. The eligibility calendar and dates of awards will determine how long each phase lasts and is subject to change.
To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Oscars Collective
Visit each category, per the individual awards show from The Oscars Hub
Revisit the prediction archive of the 2021 season The Archive
Link to television awards is atTHE Emmys Hub
2022 Oscars Predictions:
Best Visual Effects
Updated: Feb 6, 2022
Awards Prediction Commentary: Marvel Studios’ “Black Widow,” “Eternals” and “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings...
To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Oscars Collective
Visit each category, per the individual awards show from The Oscars Hub
Revisit the prediction archive of the 2021 season The Archive
Link to television awards is atTHE Emmys Hub
2022 Oscars Predictions:
Best Visual Effects
Updated: Feb 6, 2022
Awards Prediction Commentary: Marvel Studios’ “Black Widow,” “Eternals” and “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings...
- 2/7/2022
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
In most Oscar categories, it’s clear what “best” means. Not so the annual animated feature race, in which the ballot presents perhaps the greatest range of any category every year — certainly, in terms of budget, subject matter, artistic style and formal innovation. Where else can you see a pair of superhero movies competing against an ultra-personal Japanese anime and stop-motion Wes Anderson movie, to use 2018 as an example?
Consider this year’s crop: Among the 26 films that qualified, you’ll find everything from a splashy studio hit (“Sing 2”) to a cult-interest Sundance indie (Dash Shaw’s hand-drawn “Cryptozoo”), from a Sony-animated pop-culture phenom (“The Mitchells vs. the Machines”) to a highly targeted, “Heavy Metal”-esque midnight movie (“The Spine of Night”).
Many of the more eccentric submissions will be eliminated in the next phase — including perhaps anime entry “The Laws of the Universe: The Age of Elohim,...
Consider this year’s crop: Among the 26 films that qualified, you’ll find everything from a splashy studio hit (“Sing 2”) to a cult-interest Sundance indie (Dash Shaw’s hand-drawn “Cryptozoo”), from a Sony-animated pop-culture phenom (“The Mitchells vs. the Machines”) to a highly targeted, “Heavy Metal”-esque midnight movie (“The Spine of Night”).
Many of the more eccentric submissions will be eliminated in the next phase — including perhaps anime entry “The Laws of the Universe: The Age of Elohim,...
- 1/11/2022
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
By Ben Miller
The 10 finalists for the Best Visual Effects Oscar were announced last week. Though once reserved for films that pushed the boundaries of what films could visualize, the Oscars have since gravitated towards spectacle and bombast. Of the 10 films, none came from an independent studio or had a budget less than $100 million. That isn't to say their effects should be discounted, but don't expect to see something like Ex Machina or shortlisted documentary Welcome to Chechnya from last year. This category is usually reserved for outright spectacle, and these shortlisted films reflect that.
Let's focus on one specific setpiece per film that highlights the visual effects artists...
The 10 finalists for the Best Visual Effects Oscar were announced last week. Though once reserved for films that pushed the boundaries of what films could visualize, the Oscars have since gravitated towards spectacle and bombast. Of the 10 films, none came from an independent studio or had a budget less than $100 million. That isn't to say their effects should be discounted, but don't expect to see something like Ex Machina or shortlisted documentary Welcome to Chechnya from last year. This category is usually reserved for outright spectacle, and these shortlisted films reflect that.
Let's focus on one specific setpiece per film that highlights the visual effects artists...
- 12/29/2021
- by Ben Miller
- FilmExperience
Before its premiere at Sundance in February 2020, the documentary Welcome to Chechnya — about the persecution of the LGBTQ community in the Russian republic and the activists who attempt to provide a safe haven for its victims — was shown to the staff at The Exchange’s conference room in Hollywood. Brian O’Shea, the company’s founder and CEO, describes the experience as “a teachable moment.
“We were blown away,” recalls the sales agent of 30 years. “We knew that it was going to be hard to sell, and [a documentary] wasn’t our ...
“We were blown away,” recalls the sales agent of 30 years. “We knew that it was going to be hard to sell, and [a documentary] wasn’t our ...
- 11/2/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Before its premiere at Sundance in February 2020, the documentary Welcome to Chechnya — about the persecution of the LGBTQ community in the Russian republic and the activists who attempt to provide a safe haven for its victims — was shown to the staff at The Exchange’s conference room in Hollywood. Brian O’Shea, the company’s founder and CEO, describes the experience as “a teachable moment.
“We were blown away,” recalls the sales agent of 30 years. “We knew that it was going to be hard to sell, and [a documentary] wasn’t our ...
“We were blown away,” recalls the sales agent of 30 years. “We knew that it was going to be hard to sell, and [a documentary] wasn’t our ...
- 11/2/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Sundance Institute’s Documentary Film Program has set its latest cohort of 20 films receiving Documentary Fund Grants, doling out a total of $600,000 in unrestricted support to projects in varying stages of production and distribution, including eight in development, eight in production, three in post-production, and one in post-production and impact.
Grantees currently at the development stage include Aída Bueno Sarduy’s Anna Borges do Sacramento, Ricardo Ruales’ The Broken R, Damon Davis’ Chain of Rocks, Khoroldorj Choijoovanchig’s Colors of White Rock, Gerardo del Valle’s The Past is Waiting Up Ahead, Set Hernandez Rongkilyo’s unseen, and Farid Ahmad’s Waiting For Winter.
Recipients at the production stage include Pascale Appora-Gnekindy and Ningyi Sun’s Eat Bitter, Chan Hau Chun and Chui Chi Yin’s Heatroom, Basel Al Adarra, Yuval Abraham, Hamdan Balal, and Rachel Shor’s No Other Land, Kit Vincent’s Red Herring (working title), Weichao Xu...
Grantees currently at the development stage include Aída Bueno Sarduy’s Anna Borges do Sacramento, Ricardo Ruales’ The Broken R, Damon Davis’ Chain of Rocks, Khoroldorj Choijoovanchig’s Colors of White Rock, Gerardo del Valle’s The Past is Waiting Up Ahead, Set Hernandez Rongkilyo’s unseen, and Farid Ahmad’s Waiting For Winter.
Recipients at the production stage include Pascale Appora-Gnekindy and Ningyi Sun’s Eat Bitter, Chan Hau Chun and Chui Chi Yin’s Heatroom, Basel Al Adarra, Yuval Abraham, Hamdan Balal, and Rachel Shor’s No Other Land, Kit Vincent’s Red Herring (working title), Weichao Xu...
- 10/27/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
A new film about the development, regulation and roll-out of Covid-19 vaccines from “How to Survive a Plague” director David France has scored a raft of international sales.
Documentary specialists Dogwoof have sold the film — which will debut on HBO and HBO Max in 2022 — into Sky in the U.K., Germany and Italy; Nrk for Norway; Dr for Denmark; Svt for Sweden; Channel 8 and YesDocu for Israel; and HBO and HBO Max in Latin America.
Filming on the documentary, which is still untitled, began in April 2020 and wrapped in October. The project is now in post-production.
“Covid-19 has proved one of the most challenging and deadly diseases for vaccine scientists,” said France in a statement. “From the first effective vaccine to the current scramble to respond to an ever-changing virus, to their politically perilous efforts reaching patients in the far corners of the earth, we have been embedded in...
Documentary specialists Dogwoof have sold the film — which will debut on HBO and HBO Max in 2022 — into Sky in the U.K., Germany and Italy; Nrk for Norway; Dr for Denmark; Svt for Sweden; Channel 8 and YesDocu for Israel; and HBO and HBO Max in Latin America.
Filming on the documentary, which is still untitled, began in April 2020 and wrapped in October. The project is now in post-production.
“Covid-19 has proved one of the most challenging and deadly diseases for vaccine scientists,” said France in a statement. “From the first effective vaccine to the current scramble to respond to an ever-changing virus, to their politically perilous efforts reaching patients in the far corners of the earth, we have been embedded in...
- 10/21/2021
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Two years and four months after MTV launched the MTV Documentary Films division headed by Sheila Nevins, the former longtime president of HBO Documentary Films, the unit landed its first Emmy Award with 76 Days.
The film, produced by Hao Wu and Jean Tsien, on Sunday during the Creative Arts Emmys won the Exceptional Merit In Documentary Filmmaking category, which also included Dick Johnson Is Dead and Welcome to Chechnya.
76 Days, which Hao Wu also co-directed, tells the story of the Wuhan lockdown in early 2020, looking behind the frontlines of the crisis in four hospitals to explore the human stories of health care workers and patients who struggle to survive the pandemic.
Emmys Scorecard: Wins By Network & Program After Creative Arts Ceremonies
Accepting the award, Hao Wu thanked his co-directors, Anonymous and Weixi Chen, “who took enormous personal risk filming in Wuhan at the start of the outbreak.”
Nevins,...
The film, produced by Hao Wu and Jean Tsien, on Sunday during the Creative Arts Emmys won the Exceptional Merit In Documentary Filmmaking category, which also included Dick Johnson Is Dead and Welcome to Chechnya.
76 Days, which Hao Wu also co-directed, tells the story of the Wuhan lockdown in early 2020, looking behind the frontlines of the crisis in four hospitals to explore the human stories of health care workers and patients who struggle to survive the pandemic.
Emmys Scorecard: Wins By Network & Program After Creative Arts Ceremonies
Accepting the award, Hao Wu thanked his co-directors, Anonymous and Weixi Chen, “who took enormous personal risk filming in Wuhan at the start of the outbreak.”
Nevins,...
- 9/12/2021
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
The 73rd Primetime Emmys take place on September 19 and air live coast-to-coast on CBS. But the majority of trophies for TV’s highest honor will be handed out at the three Creative Arts Emmy ceremonies that take place in the weekend prior. On Saturday, September 11, and Sunday, September 12, the television academy handed out its Creative Arts Emmy Awards, honoring the best behind-the-scenes artists as well as achievements in animation, documentaries, reality TV, variety, and short form programming.
Saturday’s single ceremony is devoted to crafts while Sunday has back-to-back events with the afternoon focused on reality and documentaries and the evening on acting, music and variety.
Scroll down for the complete 2021 Creative Arts Emmy winners list. Winners are noted with an X and in gold.
Guest Acting
Best Comedy Guest Actress
Yvette Nicole Brown, “A Black Lady Sketch Show”
Issa Rae, “A Black Lady Sketch Show”
Jane Adams, “Hacks”
Maya Rudolph,...
Saturday’s single ceremony is devoted to crafts while Sunday has back-to-back events with the afternoon focused on reality and documentaries and the evening on acting, music and variety.
Scroll down for the complete 2021 Creative Arts Emmy winners list. Winners are noted with an X and in gold.
Guest Acting
Best Comedy Guest Actress
Yvette Nicole Brown, “A Black Lady Sketch Show”
Issa Rae, “A Black Lady Sketch Show”
Jane Adams, “Hacks”
Maya Rudolph,...
- 9/11/2021
- by Paul Sheehan and Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Exclusive: Broadway Rising, a feature length documentary on the reopening of Broadway, has started production, with director Amy Rice (HBO’s By the People: The Election of Barack Obama) producing along with, among others, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Tony-winning Oklahoma! producer Justin Mikita.
The documentary will follow the complex road to reopening Broadway, highlighting not just the familiar onstage faces but the entire theater community, chronicling the hundreds of restaurant owners and staff, costume houses, designers, ushers, specialty craftspeople and theater workers both in back and front of house.
Producers say the film “celebrates their resilience and determination to achieve what at many points seemed impossible. For months, everyone had to pivot to survive. But when the time came, the heroic people that make up the heartbeat of New York City united their community, turned the lights on & lifted the curtains on the stage. As the saying goes, the show must go on — and finally,...
The documentary will follow the complex road to reopening Broadway, highlighting not just the familiar onstage faces but the entire theater community, chronicling the hundreds of restaurant owners and staff, costume houses, designers, ushers, specialty craftspeople and theater workers both in back and front of house.
Producers say the film “celebrates their resilience and determination to achieve what at many points seemed impossible. For months, everyone had to pivot to survive. But when the time came, the heroic people that make up the heartbeat of New York City united their community, turned the lights on & lifted the curtains on the stage. As the saying goes, the show must go on — and finally,...
- 9/8/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
HBO’s “Welcome to Chechnya” and Netflix’s “Dick Johnson is Dead” were strong contenders for Best Documentary Feature at the Oscars this past year, but neither made the cut with the motion picture academy. However, the Oscars’ loss is the Emmys’ gain as both nonfiction films are nominated for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking, along with another film that just missed out at the Oscars, “76 Days.” But which film will win?
Unlike in past years, there are no Oscar nominees in this year’s Emmy lineup; documentaries used to be anomalous in that they were often eligible at both events. But the Emmys instituted a new rule stating that “any programs that have been nominated for an Oscar are no longer eligible to enter the Primetime Emmy Awards competition.” So no more cases like “Free Solo” winning the Oscar and then sweeping the Emmys a few months later.
Unlike in past years, there are no Oscar nominees in this year’s Emmy lineup; documentaries used to be anomalous in that they were often eligible at both events. But the Emmys instituted a new rule stating that “any programs that have been nominated for an Oscar are no longer eligible to enter the Primetime Emmy Awards competition.” So no more cases like “Free Solo” winning the Oscar and then sweeping the Emmys a few months later.
- 9/1/2021
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
After being delayed a week and switched from an in-person event to a virtual ceremony, the Hollywood Critics Association revealed the winners for its first-ever Hca TV Awards — and Apple TV Plus’ “Ted Lasso” led the pack with four victories.
“Ted Lasso” was named best streaming comedy, best comedy actor in a streaming series (Jason Sudeikis), best comedy supporting actor in a streaming series (Brett Goldstein) and best comedy supporting actress in a streaming series. HBO was the most awarded outlet, with seven wins overall, followed by NBC (six).
The Hca Awards separated streaming from broadcast and cable, making for multiple wins among shows and performers who are going head-to-head in the Emmy race next month — for example, in drama actress, both Emma Corrin (streaming) and Mj Rodriguez (cable) picked up wins at the Hca TV Awards, but they will face off at the Emmys.
The decision to split broadcast,...
“Ted Lasso” was named best streaming comedy, best comedy actor in a streaming series (Jason Sudeikis), best comedy supporting actor in a streaming series (Brett Goldstein) and best comedy supporting actress in a streaming series. HBO was the most awarded outlet, with seven wins overall, followed by NBC (six).
The Hca Awards separated streaming from broadcast and cable, making for multiple wins among shows and performers who are going head-to-head in the Emmy race next month — for example, in drama actress, both Emma Corrin (streaming) and Mj Rodriguez (cable) picked up wins at the Hca TV Awards, but they will face off at the Emmys.
The decision to split broadcast,...
- 8/30/2021
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
For a film that almost didn’t get made, 76 Days has racked up an impressive number of awards.
The documentary directed by Hao Wu, Weixi Chen and a Chinese filmmaker who remains anonymous, and produced by Wu and Jean Tsien, earned a spot on the Oscar shortlist earlier this year, claimed the Audience Award at AFI Fest, and in June won a prestigious Peabody Award. The Peabody committee praised the film for its humanistic approach, immersing viewers within hospitals in Wuhan, China as that city implemented an emergency lockdown in the early days of the Covid-19 outbreak.
“For a film that begins with a wailing nurse shouting out for her dying father,” the committee wrote, “and ends with the screeching of city air raid sirens to honor those who died in the coronavirus pandemic, 76 Days is yet a hopeful film that does more than just document the beginning...
The documentary directed by Hao Wu, Weixi Chen and a Chinese filmmaker who remains anonymous, and produced by Wu and Jean Tsien, earned a spot on the Oscar shortlist earlier this year, claimed the Audience Award at AFI Fest, and in June won a prestigious Peabody Award. The Peabody committee praised the film for its humanistic approach, immersing viewers within hospitals in Wuhan, China as that city implemented an emergency lockdown in the early days of the Covid-19 outbreak.
“For a film that begins with a wailing nurse shouting out for her dying father,” the committee wrote, “and ends with the screeching of city air raid sirens to honor those who died in the coronavirus pandemic, 76 Days is yet a hopeful film that does more than just document the beginning...
- 8/26/2021
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Infusing realistic settings with visual effects is something VFX supervisor Johnny Han is quite used to, being a craftsman who is just as comfortable working in the present and recent past as easily as science fiction and fantasy. HBO’s “The Nevers”, which operates in the latter categories, chronicling a Victorian-age community known as the Touched, who possess unique, manipulative powers for both good and evil, is a project he says is honestly not that different from serious works like 2020’s “One Night in Miami” and “Welcome to Chechnya,” films that used VFX to alter or remove imagery for importance and effect.
“It’s really about breaking things down into a singular, creative message in every shot,” the Emmy nominee Han says. “We often think of periods of the past as a simpler time, so a lot of the fun was boiling it down, even if the shot is one second long,...
“It’s really about breaking things down into a singular, creative message in every shot,” the Emmy nominee Han says. “We often think of periods of the past as a simpler time, so a lot of the fun was boiling it down, even if the shot is one second long,...
- 8/17/2021
- by Jason Clark
- The Wrap
Last month, after the release of his latest documentary, “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain,” Morgan Neville disclosed that he used artificial intelligence to simulate the voice of Bourdain. Outrage ensued and writers used it as an opportunity to pen headlines that said the project served as a reminder that documentaries are journalism.
But while it’s true that documentaries have never been a part of the fourth estate — an institution whose ability to be completely objective is debatable — most documentaries set out to expose a truth via journalistic tactics including research, making sense of the facts and interviewing subjects. This year many such projects — including “City So Real,” “Allen v. Farrow,” “Framing Britney Spears,” “The Social Dilemma” and “Welcome to Chechnya” — received Emmy nominations.
Veteran docu filmmaker Steve James says while he is a “nonfiction storyteller,” that does not relieve him of journalistic principles when making a documentary. James...
But while it’s true that documentaries have never been a part of the fourth estate — an institution whose ability to be completely objective is debatable — most documentaries set out to expose a truth via journalistic tactics including research, making sense of the facts and interviewing subjects. This year many such projects — including “City So Real,” “Allen v. Farrow,” “Framing Britney Spears,” “The Social Dilemma” and “Welcome to Chechnya” — received Emmy nominations.
Veteran docu filmmaker Steve James says while he is a “nonfiction storyteller,” that does not relieve him of journalistic principles when making a documentary. James...
- 8/11/2021
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Emmy nominations in the doc categories are giving films passed over by the Oscars a shot at some trophies of their own.
Dick Johnson Is Dead, directed by Kirsten Johnson, 76 Days, from director Hao Wu, and Welcome to Chechnya, directed by David France, earned nominations in the juried category of Outstanding Merit in Documentary Filmmaking. Each of those films had made the Oscar Documentary Feature shortlist earlier in the year, but didn’t earn Oscar nominations.
The nod to 76 Days, a film set in hospitals in Wuhan, China during the city’s initial lockdown after the outbreak of Covid-19, marks the first Emmy nomination for MTV Documentary Films, the division headed by Sheila Nevins.
“It’s a great honor to be nominated for an Emmy,” Wu said in a statement to Deadline. “As we’re still reeling from the ravages of the Covid-19 pandemic, we sincerely hope that...
Dick Johnson Is Dead, directed by Kirsten Johnson, 76 Days, from director Hao Wu, and Welcome to Chechnya, directed by David France, earned nominations in the juried category of Outstanding Merit in Documentary Filmmaking. Each of those films had made the Oscar Documentary Feature shortlist earlier in the year, but didn’t earn Oscar nominations.
The nod to 76 Days, a film set in hospitals in Wuhan, China during the city’s initial lockdown after the outbreak of Covid-19, marks the first Emmy nomination for MTV Documentary Films, the division headed by Sheila Nevins.
“It’s a great honor to be nominated for an Emmy,” Wu said in a statement to Deadline. “As we’re still reeling from the ravages of the Covid-19 pandemic, we sincerely hope that...
- 7/13/2021
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
The Hollywood Critics Association is out with the nominees for its inaugural Hca TV Awards. Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso scored a leading eight noms overall, followed by Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale with seven. NBC and HBO took network/platform bragging rights with 29 nominations, edging Netflix’s 28.
The trophies will be handed during a August 22 ceremony at the Avalon Hollywood. See the full list of nominations below.
The Hca TV Awards separate their noms by comedies and dramas and, notably, into separate categories for broadcast, cable and streaming shows.
Mckenna Grace and Brooklynn Prince announced the nominees during a livestream this morning on the organization’s official YouTube channel.
Here are the nominees for the first Hca TV Awards, followed by a list on noms by network/platform:
Best Animated Series or Animated Television Movie
Animaniacs (Hulu)
Big Mouth (Netflix)
Bob’s Burgers (Fox)
Harley Quinn (HBO Max)
Invincible (Amazon...
The trophies will be handed during a August 22 ceremony at the Avalon Hollywood. See the full list of nominations below.
The Hca TV Awards separate their noms by comedies and dramas and, notably, into separate categories for broadcast, cable and streaming shows.
Mckenna Grace and Brooklynn Prince announced the nominees during a livestream this morning on the organization’s official YouTube channel.
Here are the nominees for the first Hca TV Awards, followed by a list on noms by network/platform:
Best Animated Series or Animated Television Movie
Animaniacs (Hulu)
Big Mouth (Netflix)
Bob’s Burgers (Fox)
Harley Quinn (HBO Max)
Invincible (Amazon...
- 7/8/2021
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
by Nick Taylor
I am both tremendously enthusiastic and a bit disappointed that I Carry You With Me is finally getting a theatrical release. Enthused because it’s a goddamn gem that ranks among the best films of last year, and sits right alongside Lingua Franca and Welcome to Chechnya as one of the very best queer films. The disappointment comes from the fact that, as far as anyone's concerned, this is a 2020 film. Distributor Sony Pictures Classics went out of its way to give this an awards-qualifying run despite pushing its wide release date further and further back. As with the aesthetically entrancing documentary Gunda or the tonally triumphant, richly acted French Exit (both also distributed by SPC), it’s a bit mystifying that this was seen as the superior strategy rather than letting I Carry You With Me’s reputation build over the course of this year. Art doesn’t need awards,...
I am both tremendously enthusiastic and a bit disappointed that I Carry You With Me is finally getting a theatrical release. Enthused because it’s a goddamn gem that ranks among the best films of last year, and sits right alongside Lingua Franca and Welcome to Chechnya as one of the very best queer films. The disappointment comes from the fact that, as far as anyone's concerned, this is a 2020 film. Distributor Sony Pictures Classics went out of its way to give this an awards-qualifying run despite pushing its wide release date further and further back. As with the aesthetically entrancing documentary Gunda or the tonally triumphant, richly acted French Exit (both also distributed by SPC), it’s a bit mystifying that this was seen as the superior strategy rather than letting I Carry You With Me’s reputation build over the course of this year. Art doesn’t need awards,...
- 6/25/2021
- by Nick Taylor
- FilmExperience
“Small Axe,” “Ted Lasso” and “I May Destroy You” are among the 30 narrative TV shows, documentaries and journalism programs that were awarded this year’s Peabody Awards.
The Peabodys have been announcing prizes all week, and on Thursday presenters tacked on awards for Steve McQueen’s “Small Axe,” the HBO documentary “Welcome to Chechnya” and an “ABC News: 20/20” special on Breonna Taylor, among others.
The honorees join a list that also includes CBS’ “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” Oscar-nominated documentaries “Crip Camp” and “Collective,” and Shudder’s Guatemalan horror movie “La Llorona.”
In the journalism section, “PBS NewsHour” anchor Judy Woodruff was named the first-ever recipient of the Peabody Award for Journalistic Integrity, with “PBS NewsHour” also receiving two Peabodys for their work covering the Covid-19 pandemic and migrant caravans in Central America. Coverage of the Black Lives Matter protests was also honored, with The Washington Post receiving an...
The Peabodys have been announcing prizes all week, and on Thursday presenters tacked on awards for Steve McQueen’s “Small Axe,” the HBO documentary “Welcome to Chechnya” and an “ABC News: 20/20” special on Breonna Taylor, among others.
The honorees join a list that also includes CBS’ “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” Oscar-nominated documentaries “Crip Camp” and “Collective,” and Shudder’s Guatemalan horror movie “La Llorona.”
In the journalism section, “PBS NewsHour” anchor Judy Woodruff was named the first-ever recipient of the Peabody Award for Journalistic Integrity, with “PBS NewsHour” also receiving two Peabodys for their work covering the Covid-19 pandemic and migrant caravans in Central America. Coverage of the Black Lives Matter protests was also honored, with The Washington Post receiving an...
- 6/24/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
The Peabody Awards ended its four days of virtual announcements crowning Steve McQueen’s “Small Axe” as its final entertainment category winner. It was joined by acclaimed documentaries “Welcome to Chechnya” and “The Cave.” Apple TV+’s “Stillwater” rounded out the last children’s and youth category winner.
Read More: “Ted Lasso,” “Time” and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” win 2021 Peabody Awards
Today’s announcements were presented by Cynthia Erivo, Soledad O’Brien, Ronan Farrow, Taraji P.
Continue reading ‘Small Axe,’ ‘Welcome To Chechnya’ Among Final 2021 Peabody Awards Winners at The Playlist.
Read More: “Ted Lasso,” “Time” and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” win 2021 Peabody Awards
Today’s announcements were presented by Cynthia Erivo, Soledad O’Brien, Ronan Farrow, Taraji P.
Continue reading ‘Small Axe,’ ‘Welcome To Chechnya’ Among Final 2021 Peabody Awards Winners at The Playlist.
- 6/24/2021
- by Gregory Ellwood
- The Playlist
Amazon Prime Video’s “Small Axe” is among the final batch of this year’s Peabody Award winners, which have been announced throughout the week. Variety also has a first look at actor Cynthia Erivo presenting the honor to “Small Axe,” and filmmaker Steve McQueen’s acceptance speech; scroll down to watch.
A collection of five films from McQueen about Black West Indian immigrants in 1970s and early 1980s London, “Small Axe” touches on subjects including police brutality, anti-Black racism, immigrant live and the music, food and culture of the time.
“Watching ‘Small Axe’ was an amazing experience, specifically the ‘Lovers Rock’ episode, which showed the influence of Black music within the U.K.,” Erivo said in presenting the award. “It reminded me of the way my mom loves music, of the way I would listen to music when I was younger. It reminded me of family friends, it reminded...
A collection of five films from McQueen about Black West Indian immigrants in 1970s and early 1980s London, “Small Axe” touches on subjects including police brutality, anti-Black racism, immigrant live and the music, food and culture of the time.
“Watching ‘Small Axe’ was an amazing experience, specifically the ‘Lovers Rock’ episode, which showed the influence of Black music within the U.K.,” Erivo said in presenting the award. “It reminded me of the way my mom loves music, of the way I would listen to music when I was younger. It reminded me of family friends, it reminded...
- 6/24/2021
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
“I learned to appreciate the beauty of understated subtlety,” reveals Johnny Han. He serves as visual effects supervisor on HBO’s period/sci-fi epic “The Nevers.” The series depicts individuals of Victorian London who have been granted superhuman “turns” by a mysterious event. But unlike many contemporary stories of enhanced humans, these superpowers have to fit in with the time. “Period is all about referencing what we are familiar with,” says Han. “I was challenged with trying to evoke the familiar, and evoke what one perceives as tangible.” Watch the exclusive video interview above.
In early discussions about the look and tone of the new series, Han knew that his effects would have to support the historical setting. “The effects should feel amazing for the other 19th century people in the world,” he explains, “What does a Londoner in 1896 see as amazing and spectacular?” The concept of “subtlety” became a...
In early discussions about the look and tone of the new series, Han knew that his effects would have to support the historical setting. “The effects should feel amazing for the other 19th century people in the world,” he explains, “What does a Londoner in 1896 see as amazing and spectacular?” The concept of “subtlety” became a...
- 6/22/2021
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
The BAFTA TV Awards were announced yesterday with Michaela Coel's critically acclaimed I May Destroy You winning Best Actress and Best Mini-Series. The Crown did not fare well (hits too close to home?) and Steve MQueen's Small Axe picked up just one major prize (Supporting Actor for Malachi Kirby). In better news, Paul Mescal won Best Actor for his exquisite work on Normal People and the superb queer documentary Welcome to Chechnya, which Oscar so unwisely snubbed last season, picked up another award. The winners are listed after the jump...
- 6/7/2021
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Mandy Chang exits after four years to become global head of documentaries.
BBC Storyville commissioner Mandy Chang is to step down after four years and join Fremantle as global head of documentaries.
In the newly-created role, Chang is tasked with setting the strategy and overseeing the production of high-end factual programming at the super-indie. She will take up the post in August, reporting to Fremantle chief operating officer Andrea Scrosati.
The hire follows an increase in documentary investment by Fremantle, which has set up a new global factual division which Chang will lead.
The move comes six months after Storyville was folded into BBC Film.
BBC Storyville commissioner Mandy Chang is to step down after four years and join Fremantle as global head of documentaries.
In the newly-created role, Chang is tasked with setting the strategy and overseeing the production of high-end factual programming at the super-indie. She will take up the post in August, reporting to Fremantle chief operating officer Andrea Scrosati.
The hire follows an increase in documentary investment by Fremantle, which has set up a new global factual division which Chang will lead.
The move comes six months after Storyville was folded into BBC Film.
- 5/10/2021
- by Hannah Bowler Broadcast
- ScreenDaily
Mandy Chang, the head of BBC documentary strand Storyville, is stepping down after four years in the role to join super-indie Fremantle as global head of factual.
Chang, whose role was officially commissioning editor of Storyville and acquisitions, will stay in the post until August, though recruitment for the role will begin in due course. The former Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) arts boss boarded the Beeb in 2017, taking over for Kate Townsend, who left the public broadcaster to join Netflix’s documentary team.
At Fremantle, Chang will oversee the strategy and creation of Fremantle’s new factual arm, reporting into group COO Andrea Scrosati. The super-indie has been investing heavily in unscripted in recent years, launching shows such as Samuel L. Jackson’s “Enslaved” as well as documentary series “Punk.”
At Storyville, Chang helped to deliver more than 85 feature docs, including “The Fourth Estate,” “Maiden,” “The Cleaners,” “The Mole: Infiltrating North Korea,...
Chang, whose role was officially commissioning editor of Storyville and acquisitions, will stay in the post until August, though recruitment for the role will begin in due course. The former Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) arts boss boarded the Beeb in 2017, taking over for Kate Townsend, who left the public broadcaster to join Netflix’s documentary team.
At Fremantle, Chang will oversee the strategy and creation of Fremantle’s new factual arm, reporting into group COO Andrea Scrosati. The super-indie has been investing heavily in unscripted in recent years, launching shows such as Samuel L. Jackson’s “Enslaved” as well as documentary series “Punk.”
At Storyville, Chang helped to deliver more than 85 feature docs, including “The Fourth Estate,” “Maiden,” “The Cleaners,” “The Mole: Infiltrating North Korea,...
- 5/10/2021
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Fremantle has bolstered its push into factual with the hiring of BBC Storyville commissioning editor Mandy Chang as its global head of documentaries.
Chang — a hugely respected name in the doc world who has produced features such as The Fourth Estate, Welcome to Chechnya, Collective, One Child Nation and The Mole Agent — will report to Fremantle’s group COO Andrea Scrosati and will oversee the strategy and creation of the TV giant’s new factual divison.
“Leading BBC Storyville and international acquisitions to bring hundreds of hours of the best international documentaries and factual programming to the BBC’s platforms has been deeply fulfilling ...
Chang — a hugely respected name in the doc world who has produced features such as The Fourth Estate, Welcome to Chechnya, Collective, One Child Nation and The Mole Agent — will report to Fremantle’s group COO Andrea Scrosati and will oversee the strategy and creation of the TV giant’s new factual divison.
“Leading BBC Storyville and international acquisitions to bring hundreds of hours of the best international documentaries and factual programming to the BBC’s platforms has been deeply fulfilling ...
- 5/10/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Fremantle has bolstered its push into factual with the hiring of BBC Storyville commissioning editor Mandy Chang as its global head of documentaries.
Chang — a hugely respected name in the doc world who has produced features such as The Fourth Estate, Welcome to Chechnya, Collective, One Child Nation and The Mole Agent — will report to Fremantle’s group COO Andrea Scrosati and will oversee the strategy and creation of the TV giant’s new factual divison.
“Leading BBC Storyville and international acquisitions to bring hundreds of hours of the best international documentaries and factual programming to the BBC’s platforms has been deeply fulfilling ...
Chang — a hugely respected name in the doc world who has produced features such as The Fourth Estate, Welcome to Chechnya, Collective, One Child Nation and The Mole Agent — will report to Fremantle’s group COO Andrea Scrosati and will oversee the strategy and creation of the TV giant’s new factual divison.
“Leading BBC Storyville and international acquisitions to bring hundreds of hours of the best international documentaries and factual programming to the BBC’s platforms has been deeply fulfilling ...
- 5/10/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
The 14th annual Television Academy Honors list is out, recognizing seven exceptional TV programs and their producers who used powerful and innovative storytelling to advance social change.
The list spans three documentaries, two dramas, an anthology series and a late-night comedy news show: For Life, I Am Greta, I May Destroy You, Little America, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, The Social Dilemma and Welcome to Chechnya. Read details on each program below.
Television Academy Honors annually celebrates programs across numerous platforms and genres that elevate complex issues facing society. This year’s honorees addressed racism, criminal justice, social justice, sexual assault, LGBTQ+ persecution, immigration and climate change — energizing, educating and challenging audiences around the world.
“During one of the most challenging years in television history, these seven extraordinary programs illuminated and championed some of the most critical issues facing our communities,” said Television Academy Chairman and CEO Frank Scherma.
The list spans three documentaries, two dramas, an anthology series and a late-night comedy news show: For Life, I Am Greta, I May Destroy You, Little America, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, The Social Dilemma and Welcome to Chechnya. Read details on each program below.
Television Academy Honors annually celebrates programs across numerous platforms and genres that elevate complex issues facing society. This year’s honorees addressed racism, criminal justice, social justice, sexual assault, LGBTQ+ persecution, immigration and climate change — energizing, educating and challenging audiences around the world.
“During one of the most challenging years in television history, these seven extraordinary programs illuminated and championed some of the most critical issues facing our communities,” said Television Academy Chairman and CEO Frank Scherma.
- 5/3/2021
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
HBO’s ‘I May Destroy You,’ Comedy Central’s ‘The Daily Show’ Among TV Academy Honors 2021 Recipients
The Television Academy has unveiled recipients of its 14th Television Academy Honors, including HBO’s “I May Destroy You” and Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.” The seven honorees also include “For Life,” “I Am Greta,” “Little America,” “The Social Dilemma” and “Welcome to Chechnya.”
“During one of the most challenging years in television history, these seven extraordinary programs illuminated and championed some of the most critical issues facing our communities,” said Television Academy Chairman and CEO Frank Scherma. “We are thrilled to be honoring programs and producers who are influencing social change around the globe.”
The Television Academy Honors are meant to single out “programs across numerous platforms and genres that elevate complex issues facing society,” the org said, Topics addressed in this year’s crop of programs include issues of racism, criminal justice, social justice, sexual assault, LGBTQ+ persecution, immigration and climate change.
Howard Meltzer,...
“During one of the most challenging years in television history, these seven extraordinary programs illuminated and championed some of the most critical issues facing our communities,” said Television Academy Chairman and CEO Frank Scherma. “We are thrilled to be honoring programs and producers who are influencing social change around the globe.”
The Television Academy Honors are meant to single out “programs across numerous platforms and genres that elevate complex issues facing society,” the org said, Topics addressed in this year’s crop of programs include issues of racism, criminal justice, social justice, sexual assault, LGBTQ+ persecution, immigration and climate change.
Howard Meltzer,...
- 5/3/2021
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
For Life, I Am Greta, I May Destroy You, Little America, The Daily Show With Trevor Noah, The Social Dilemma and Welcome to Chechnya will be celebrated at the 14th Television Academy Honors, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences announced Monday.
These seven programs and their producers — three documentaries, two drama series, one anthology series and one late night comedy news show — “have used powerful and innovative storytelling to advance social change” “and “elevate complex issues facing society,” the organization said in a statement.
“During one of the most challenging years in television history,...
These seven programs and their producers — three documentaries, two drama series, one anthology series and one late night comedy news show — “have used powerful and innovative storytelling to advance social change” “and “elevate complex issues facing society,” the organization said in a statement.
“During one of the most challenging years in television history,...
For Life, I Am Greta, I May Destroy You, Little America, The Daily Show With Trevor Noah, The Social Dilemma and Welcome to Chechnya will be celebrated at the 14th Television Academy Honors, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences announced Monday.
These seven programs and their producers — three documentaries, two drama series, one anthology series and one late night comedy news show — “have used powerful and innovative storytelling to advance social change” “and “elevate complex issues facing society,” the organization said in a statement.
“During one of the most challenging years in television history,...
These seven programs and their producers — three documentaries, two drama series, one anthology series and one late night comedy news show — “have used powerful and innovative storytelling to advance social change” “and “elevate complex issues facing society,” the organization said in a statement.
“During one of the most challenging years in television history,...
In 2017, Russia’s Chechen Republic declared open season on LGBTQ people, launching what Human Rights Watch has called a “vicious large-scale anti-gay purge.” David France, director of the HBO documentary Welcome to Chechnya, says there’s another word for it.
“It’s an absolute genocide,” France said during an appearance at Deadline’s Contenders Television: Documentary + Unscripted awards-season event. “It’s the first time since Hitler that a government leader has declared a campaign to round up and eliminate the LGBTQ community. …That’s what’s going on in Chechnya, that’s what’s being permitted by the Russian government, and that’s what we wanted to show in this film.”
The documentary unfolds like a thriller as activists with the Russian LGBT Network enter Chechnya to exfiltrate gay people in danger of being tortured or killed by Chechen authorities. The filmmakers, including director of photography and producer Askold Kurov,...
“It’s an absolute genocide,” France said during an appearance at Deadline’s Contenders Television: Documentary + Unscripted awards-season event. “It’s the first time since Hitler that a government leader has declared a campaign to round up and eliminate the LGBTQ community. …That’s what’s going on in Chechnya, that’s what’s being permitted by the Russian government, and that’s what we wanted to show in this film.”
The documentary unfolds like a thriller as activists with the Russian LGBT Network enter Chechnya to exfiltrate gay people in danger of being tortured or killed by Chechen authorities. The filmmakers, including director of photography and producer Askold Kurov,...
- 5/1/2021
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Padma Lakshmi, the Queer Eye hosts, Stephen Colbert and Demi Lovato are just of the few of the top tiers names joining Deadline’s Contenders Television Documentary + Unscripted event on May 1.
The day-long livestreamed celebration starts at 8 a.m. Pt on Saturday, as the Oscars are in the rearview mirror and awards season puts pedal to the small screen metal.
Along with the Taste the Nation host and the Derek DelGaudio’s In & Of Itself executive producer, this newest addition to our Contenders events will see Demi Lovato, Michael D. Ratner, Derek DelGaudio himself, Frank Oz, Amy Schumer, Malcolm Spellman, Jameela Jamil, Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish will be among participants from the nearly 40 shows from 18 outlets at the virtual event.
Queer Eye’s Bobby Berk, Karamo Brown, Tan France, Antoni Porowski and Jonathan Van Ness will also be there, as will Nicole Byer, a double dipping Ken Jeong, Rachel Brosnahan,...
The day-long livestreamed celebration starts at 8 a.m. Pt on Saturday, as the Oscars are in the rearview mirror and awards season puts pedal to the small screen metal.
Along with the Taste the Nation host and the Derek DelGaudio’s In & Of Itself executive producer, this newest addition to our Contenders events will see Demi Lovato, Michael D. Ratner, Derek DelGaudio himself, Frank Oz, Amy Schumer, Malcolm Spellman, Jameela Jamil, Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish will be among participants from the nearly 40 shows from 18 outlets at the virtual event.
Queer Eye’s Bobby Berk, Karamo Brown, Tan France, Antoni Porowski and Jonathan Van Ness will also be there, as will Nicole Byer, a double dipping Ken Jeong, Rachel Brosnahan,...
- 4/28/2021
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Chloé Zhao’s Oscar frontrunner “Nomadland” won best film and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” was named best LGBTQ Film at the Dorian Awards (Galeca: The Society Of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics) during a virtual ceremony.
“Nomadland” was also named most visually striking film, and Zhao took home the award for best director.
The three-hour Dorians Film Toast was broadcast on LGBTQ+ streaming platform Revry. Karel served as the ceremony’s host.
The late Chadwick Boseman continued with his posthumous honors, winning best actor for his role as Levee in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” Co-star Colman Domingo accepted on his behalf, saying: “[He was] such an incredible human, scholar, humanitarian and a really wonderful actor. Creating complex roles about the African American experience, and about people who are marginalized in society and trying to stand up and have a strong voice, fighting for representation—that is Chadwick Boseman’s legacy.”
Carey Mulligan won best actress.
“Nomadland” was also named most visually striking film, and Zhao took home the award for best director.
The three-hour Dorians Film Toast was broadcast on LGBTQ+ streaming platform Revry. Karel served as the ceremony’s host.
The late Chadwick Boseman continued with his posthumous honors, winning best actor for his role as Levee in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” Co-star Colman Domingo accepted on his behalf, saying: “[He was] such an incredible human, scholar, humanitarian and a really wonderful actor. Creating complex roles about the African American experience, and about people who are marginalized in society and trying to stand up and have a strong voice, fighting for representation—that is Chadwick Boseman’s legacy.”
Carey Mulligan won best actress.
- 4/19/2021
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
The 73rd annual Directors Guild of America Awards kicked off on Saturday evening. The awards honored the best directing in film and television of the past year.
This year, nominees Lee Isaac Chung for “Minari,” Emerald Fennell for “Promising Young Woman,” David Fincher for “Mank,” Aaron Sorkin for “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” and Chloé Zhao for “Nomadland” vied for the top directorial prize for film, with Zhao winning.
On the TV side, “The Queen’s Gambit,” “Homeland,” and “The Flight Attendant” won the major prizes, shaking up the race as we head into Emmys season.
The DGA prize is often considered a bellwether for the Best Director Oscar. Recent DGA winners that went on to repeat at the Academy Awards include Alfonso Cuarón for “Roma,” Guillermo del Toro for “The Shape of Water,” Damien Chazelle for “La La Land,” and Alejandro G. Iñárritu for both “The Revenant” and “Birdman...
This year, nominees Lee Isaac Chung for “Minari,” Emerald Fennell for “Promising Young Woman,” David Fincher for “Mank,” Aaron Sorkin for “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” and Chloé Zhao for “Nomadland” vied for the top directorial prize for film, with Zhao winning.
On the TV side, “The Queen’s Gambit,” “Homeland,” and “The Flight Attendant” won the major prizes, shaking up the race as we head into Emmys season.
The DGA prize is often considered a bellwether for the Best Director Oscar. Recent DGA winners that went on to repeat at the Academy Awards include Alfonso Cuarón for “Roma,” Guillermo del Toro for “The Shape of Water,” Damien Chazelle for “La La Land,” and Alejandro G. Iñárritu for both “The Revenant” and “Birdman...
- 4/11/2021
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
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