This is not the documentary renaissance we hoped for. Despite its 2023 Oscar win for “Navalny,” CNN pulled back on non-fiction production. Non-fiction programming at Showtime Networks, which produced Oscar-nominated “Attica” in 2022, is no more.
“The New York Times Presents” series, which produced titles like “The Killing of Breonna Taylor” and “Framing Britney Spears,” is being phased out in favor of integrating non-fiction video into the media brand. Hot Docs is on the ropes; Participant, which produced documentaries like “An Inconvenient Truth,” “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” and “American Factory,” closed last month.
And then there’s Netflix, which is still very much in the documentary game under Adam Del Deo, Netflix VP of original documentary films and limited series — and can afford to be with nearly 270 million global subscribers. However, it’s a specific sort of gameplay: For tight, high-quality nonfiction work that’s heartwarming, or thrilling, or stars a celebrity,...
“The New York Times Presents” series, which produced titles like “The Killing of Breonna Taylor” and “Framing Britney Spears,” is being phased out in favor of integrating non-fiction video into the media brand. Hot Docs is on the ropes; Participant, which produced documentaries like “An Inconvenient Truth,” “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” and “American Factory,” closed last month.
And then there’s Netflix, which is still very much in the documentary game under Adam Del Deo, Netflix VP of original documentary films and limited series — and can afford to be with nearly 270 million global subscribers. However, it’s a specific sort of gameplay: For tight, high-quality nonfiction work that’s heartwarming, or thrilling, or stars a celebrity,...
- 5/6/2024
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Typically, saying you're more excited about something other than the new Lady Gaga project is fair grounds for having your queer card taken away, but an exception can be made in the case of "The People's Joker." Indeed, as intrigued as I am to watch Gaga's Harley Quinn sing and dance her way through a toxic romance with Joaquin Phoenix's Clown Prince of Crime in Todd Phillips' "Joker: Folie à Deux" (a sentence I couldn't have imagined writing after watching Phillips' original Scorsesean DC drama for the first time back in 2019), it's Vera Drew's trans-coming-of-age DC Comics superhero parody that has my current attention.
Drew, similar to her fellow trans comedienne Harper Steele (the subject of Will Ferrell's acclaimed upcoming Netflix documentary "Will & Harper"), has quietly worked on some of the more memorable and daring comedic offerings of the past decade. In addition to editing Scott Aukerman...
Drew, similar to her fellow trans comedienne Harper Steele (the subject of Will Ferrell's acclaimed upcoming Netflix documentary "Will & Harper"), has quietly worked on some of the more memorable and daring comedic offerings of the past decade. In addition to editing Scott Aukerman...
- 3/5/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Exclusive: Sugarcane has become the latest big documentary deal out of the Sundance Film Festival.
Nat Geo has snapped up the doc, an investigation into abuse and missing children at an Indian residential school which ignites a reckoning on the nearby Sugarcane Reserve.
Deadline understands that the Disney-owned factual brand has struck a deal in the low seven-figures. The doc comes from filmmakers Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie.
National Geographic Documentary Films will roll out Sugarcane at global festivals throughout the rest of the year and release it in theaters before its streaming debut on Disney+.
It is the latest deal out of Sundance for National Geographic Documentary Films; the company picked up Fire Of Love, which was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the Oscars, out of the festival in 2022 as well as The Territory, which came from director Alex Pritz.
There were numerous documentary deals out of...
Nat Geo has snapped up the doc, an investigation into abuse and missing children at an Indian residential school which ignites a reckoning on the nearby Sugarcane Reserve.
Deadline understands that the Disney-owned factual brand has struck a deal in the low seven-figures. The doc comes from filmmakers Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie.
National Geographic Documentary Films will roll out Sugarcane at global festivals throughout the rest of the year and release it in theaters before its streaming debut on Disney+.
It is the latest deal out of Sundance for National Geographic Documentary Films; the company picked up Fire Of Love, which was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the Oscars, out of the festival in 2022 as well as The Territory, which came from director Alex Pritz.
There were numerous documentary deals out of...
- 2/21/2024
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Over 60 films came into this year’s Sundance Film Festival looking for buyers, but many of the key players on the indie film market already had movies premiering in the festival, with many of those among the most commercial and star-studded movies making their debuts.
Last year’s market was slow, especially for documentaries, but this year’s festival market was nothing but robust in 2024. We’re tracking everything that already has a home and will update this space throughout the month with every sale that comes in.
“Good One”
Section: U.S. Dramatic
Director: India Donaldson
Buyer: Metrograph Pictures
Cast: Lily Collias, James Le Gros, Danny McCarthy
Release Plans: Theatrical in Summer 2024
Buzz: India Donaldson’s “Good One” will be the first title acquired by Metrograph Pictures, as the company known for its film restorations and SVOD platform is now getting into theatrical distribution. And they picked a good one too.
Last year’s market was slow, especially for documentaries, but this year’s festival market was nothing but robust in 2024. We’re tracking everything that already has a home and will update this space throughout the month with every sale that comes in.
“Good One”
Section: U.S. Dramatic
Director: India Donaldson
Buyer: Metrograph Pictures
Cast: Lily Collias, James Le Gros, Danny McCarthy
Release Plans: Theatrical in Summer 2024
Buzz: India Donaldson’s “Good One” will be the first title acquired by Metrograph Pictures, as the company known for its film restorations and SVOD platform is now getting into theatrical distribution. And they picked a good one too.
- 2/13/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
Top to bottom: Love Me (Sundance Institute), Will & Harper (Sundance Institute), The Bikeriders (Focus Features)Graphic: The A.V. Club
Another year of Sundance is now in the books, and while there may not have been any obvious breakout films along the lines of last year’s Past Lives, the range,...
Another year of Sundance is now in the books, and while there may not have been any obvious breakout films along the lines of last year’s Past Lives, the range,...
- 2/8/2024
- by Cindy White
- avclub.com
Harper Steele is, with no exaggeration, one of my favorite comedy writers to ever do it. Not only did she write on "Saturday Night Live" from 1995-2015, the years when I was developing my own sense of humor, but she's also behind the Lifetime film "A Deadly Adoption" and the Academy Award-nominated Netflix flick, "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga." She was also a writer on the "Doug" episode "Doug's Cool Shoes," which has some of the best visual joke-telling of the animated series' first season. This is to say that Steele has been formative in shaping my ability to find humor in the world around me.
Over the years, Steele has become best friends with Will Ferrell, arguably one of the most recognizable comedic actors in the world. Ferrell and Steele are frequent collaborators, and their latest project is "Will & Harper," a documentary about the pair...
Over the years, Steele has become best friends with Will Ferrell, arguably one of the most recognizable comedic actors in the world. Ferrell and Steele are frequent collaborators, and their latest project is "Will & Harper," a documentary about the pair...
- 2/5/2024
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
Will & Harper sees Will Ferrell take a road trip with his friend of 30 years, who’s coming out as a trans woman.
Among the films making their debut at the Sundance Film Festival early next year is a fresh project starring Will Ferrell. Nothing unusual there, perhaps. Only this time, Ferrell is co-starring in a new documentary film, that takes him and his long-time friend on something of a road trip.
Going by the name Will & Harper, the starting point for the feature is Will Ferrell discovering that his friend of three decades is coming out as a trans woman.
They take the next logical step: a road trip across America, which has been captured on film. Josh Greenbaum has produced and directed the documentary, which is described in the official Sundance listing as follows…
When Will Ferrell finds out his close friend of 30 years is coming out as a trans woman,...
Among the films making their debut at the Sundance Film Festival early next year is a fresh project starring Will Ferrell. Nothing unusual there, perhaps. Only this time, Ferrell is co-starring in a new documentary film, that takes him and his long-time friend on something of a road trip.
Going by the name Will & Harper, the starting point for the feature is Will Ferrell discovering that his friend of three decades is coming out as a trans woman.
They take the next logical step: a road trip across America, which has been captured on film. Josh Greenbaum has produced and directed the documentary, which is described in the official Sundance listing as follows…
When Will Ferrell finds out his close friend of 30 years is coming out as a trans woman,...
- 2/5/2024
- by Simon Brew
- Film Stories
As quickly as it came, Sundance 2024 is in the books, with it another excellent showcase of the hottest titles in independent cinema. This marked my fifteenth year attending the festival in Park City, Utah, and I ended up reviewing twenty-one movies as part of my coverage. Here are a few takeaways from the festival:
Horror is king at Sundance
The midnight section at Sundance has always been extensive, but in the last few years, thanks to the box office success of breakout acquisitions like Hereditary, The Babadook, and last year’s Talk to Me, it’s become the premiere section for big deals. A24 showed up with one of the most buzzed-about titles of the festival, I Saw the TV Glow (which I disliked – but I was in the minority), while Netflix spent $17 million on It’s What’s Inside, which could be a big horror breakout for them. The section is...
Horror is king at Sundance
The midnight section at Sundance has always been extensive, but in the last few years, thanks to the box office success of breakout acquisitions like Hereditary, The Babadook, and last year’s Talk to Me, it’s become the premiere section for big deals. A24 showed up with one of the most buzzed-about titles of the festival, I Saw the TV Glow (which I disliked – but I was in the minority), while Netflix spent $17 million on It’s What’s Inside, which could be a big horror breakout for them. The section is...
- 2/2/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Netflix has acquired Sundance documentary Will & Harper, in which Will Ferrell embarks on a road trip with his longtime friend Harper who is coming out as a trans woman.
Josh Greenbaum’s film played in Premieres and earned a strong reception at its world premiere at The Eccles Theatre.
Ferrell produced with Rafael Marmor, Jessica Elbaum, Greenbaum, and Christopher Leggett
Netflix previously acquired It’s What’s Inside in the marquee deal of the festival at a reported $17m, as well as Daughters, and Ibelin.
More to follow…...
Josh Greenbaum’s film played in Premieres and earned a strong reception at its world premiere at The Eccles Theatre.
Ferrell produced with Rafael Marmor, Jessica Elbaum, Greenbaum, and Christopher Leggett
Netflix previously acquired It’s What’s Inside in the marquee deal of the festival at a reported $17m, as well as Daughters, and Ibelin.
More to follow…...
- 2/1/2024
- ScreenDaily
“Will & Harper,” a heartfelt and heartbreaking documentary about Will Ferrell’s cross-country road trip with his best friend Harper Steele, who recently came out as transgender, sold to Netflix after its Sundance Film Festival debut. Financial terms of the pact were not disclosed, but “Will & Harper” was drawing interest from several buyers.
The film, directed by “Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar” filmmaker Josh Greenbaum, was warmly embraced in Park City with two standing ovations after the credits rolled.
“We are thrilled about how audiences received the movie with open arms at Sundance,” the filmmakers said in a statement. “It’s a movie about the power of friendship and acceptance, that we hope can help shift the culture, and so we are excited to have a partner in Netflix that has the ability to reach the largest possible audience worldwide.”
Ferrell and Steele were hired at...
The film, directed by “Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar” filmmaker Josh Greenbaum, was warmly embraced in Park City with two standing ovations after the credits rolled.
“We are thrilled about how audiences received the movie with open arms at Sundance,” the filmmakers said in a statement. “It’s a movie about the power of friendship and acceptance, that we hope can help shift the culture, and so we are excited to have a partner in Netflix that has the ability to reach the largest possible audience worldwide.”
Ferrell and Steele were hired at...
- 2/1/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin and Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
The last of the Sundance buzz titles has landed. Netflix closed an 8-figure deal for Will & Harper, the documentary in which Will Ferrell takes a road trip with his lifelong pal Harper Steele after the latter transitioned. Sources said deal was 8-figures.
In the Josh Greenbaum-directed docu, Ferrell finds out his close friend of three decades came out as a trans woman. Steele is a longtime comedy writer who helped Ferrell gain the confidence for his outlandish comedy on SNL and film comedy hits. All this was completely new territory for Ferrell, as it is for many people who believe in tolerance but just don’t understand. What a great opportunity to have the amiable Ferrell take a cross country road trip with his buddy, and ask every question and process this new stage of their relationship in a portrait of friendship, transition and America.
Seems like a perfect...
In the Josh Greenbaum-directed docu, Ferrell finds out his close friend of three decades came out as a trans woman. Steele is a longtime comedy writer who helped Ferrell gain the confidence for his outlandish comedy on SNL and film comedy hits. All this was completely new territory for Ferrell, as it is for many people who believe in tolerance but just don’t understand. What a great opportunity to have the amiable Ferrell take a cross country road trip with his buddy, and ask every question and process this new stage of their relationship in a portrait of friendship, transition and America.
Seems like a perfect...
- 2/1/2024
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Sundance Film Festival ran from January 18-28 and, after a sluggish start, there were deals (click here for the latest), celebrity sightings, and a protest.
Christopher Nolan turned up to collect an honourary award at the festival’s opening night gala fundraiser and called the occasion a “full circle moment” 23 years after premeiring his breakout thriller Memento there back in 2001.
Kristen Stewart also attended the gala and starred in two films this year, while celebrity guests included Robert Downey Jr., Will Ferrell, and Malia Obama, who managed to attend somewhat under the radar with her short film The Heart credited to Malia Ann.
Christopher Nolan turned up to collect an honourary award at the festival’s opening night gala fundraiser and called the occasion a “full circle moment” 23 years after premeiring his breakout thriller Memento there back in 2001.
Kristen Stewart also attended the gala and starred in two films this year, while celebrity guests included Robert Downey Jr., Will Ferrell, and Malia Obama, who managed to attend somewhat under the radar with her short film The Heart credited to Malia Ann.
- 1/29/2024
- ScreenDaily
On a busy Saturday for two of the biggest Sundance documentaries Netflix confirmed it had picked up worldwide rights to Skywalkers: A Love Story, while Warner Bros was in exclusive negotiations for Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story.
Jeff Zimbalist’s Skywalkers tells of a pair of Russian “rooftoppers” who attempt to perform an acrobatic stunt atop the Merdeka 118 super skyscraper under construction in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in a bid to save their relationship and their careers.
The US Documentary Competition selection took seven years to make and Zimablist and his team accompanied Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus on their mission for much of the ride,...
Jeff Zimbalist’s Skywalkers tells of a pair of Russian “rooftoppers” who attempt to perform an acrobatic stunt atop the Merdeka 118 super skyscraper under construction in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in a bid to save their relationship and their careers.
The US Documentary Competition selection took seven years to make and Zimablist and his team accompanied Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus on their mission for much of the ride,...
- 1/27/2024
- ScreenDaily
Netflix has picked up worldwide rights for Sundance documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story from XYZ Films.
On a busy Saturday morning it also emerged that Warner Bros is in exclusive negotiations with no deal in place yet to acquire worldwide rights for around $15m to Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui’s documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story which Cinetic is selling after fielding intense interest since the January 21 premiere.
Sources had not confirmed the stated $15m deal amount, at time of writing, which would be a huge number for a Sundance documentary sale.
The studio makes sense for Super/Man,...
On a busy Saturday morning it also emerged that Warner Bros is in exclusive negotiations with no deal in place yet to acquire worldwide rights for around $15m to Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui’s documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story which Cinetic is selling after fielding intense interest since the January 21 premiere.
Sources had not confirmed the stated $15m deal amount, at time of writing, which would be a huge number for a Sundance documentary sale.
The studio makes sense for Super/Man,...
- 1/27/2024
- ScreenDaily
Netflix has picked up worldwide rights for Sundance documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story from XYZ Films.
A busy Saturday morning also brought reports that Warner Bros is in advanced talks to acquire Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui’s documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story which Cinetic is selling after fielding intense interest since the January 21 premiere.
Sources had not confirmed the reports, nor the stated $15m deal amount, at time of writing, which would be a huge amount for a Sundance documentary sale.
Jeff Zimbalist’s Skywalkers tells of a pair of Russian “rootoppers” who attempt to scale the Merdeka...
A busy Saturday morning also brought reports that Warner Bros is in advanced talks to acquire Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui’s documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story which Cinetic is selling after fielding intense interest since the January 21 premiere.
Sources had not confirmed the reports, nor the stated $15m deal amount, at time of writing, which would be a huge amount for a Sundance documentary sale.
Jeff Zimbalist’s Skywalkers tells of a pair of Russian “rootoppers” who attempt to scale the Merdeka...
- 1/27/2024
- ScreenDaily
The 40th edition of Sundance proved that despite corporate consolidation, there is still a market for independently made documentaries. While there haven’t been many sales so far, there has been strong buyer interest in two celeb-focused docs — “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” and “Will & Harper,” featuring Will Ferrell — and healthy interest in others.
“The market didn’t have a pulse six months ago,” says Submarine Entertainment sales agent Josh Braun, who came to the festival with nine documentaries seeking distribution, including “Daughters,” “Gaucho Gaucho” and “Union.” “So there was a reason to be a little bit fearful coming into Sundance. But now we are feeling a pulse. We are heading in a good direction. The patient still needs some treatment, but we are no longer in a Doa situation.”
While Submarine has not yet closed deals for any of the titles, Braun is optimistic, given the fact a...
“The market didn’t have a pulse six months ago,” says Submarine Entertainment sales agent Josh Braun, who came to the festival with nine documentaries seeking distribution, including “Daughters,” “Gaucho Gaucho” and “Union.” “So there was a reason to be a little bit fearful coming into Sundance. But now we are feeling a pulse. We are heading in a good direction. The patient still needs some treatment, but we are no longer in a Doa situation.”
While Submarine has not yet closed deals for any of the titles, Braun is optimistic, given the fact a...
- 1/27/2024
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
The Sundance Film Festival 2024, beloved by independent film enthusiasts, opens the film festival circuit with a bustling calendar of parties, thought-provoking panels, and red-carpet premieres.
Celebrating its 40th milestone, the lineup boasts diversity across various categories, featuring 53 short films, 35 documentary features, and 83 feature films. The award-winning films for the 2024 Sundance Film Festival were announced today at The Ray Theatre in Park City during a ceremony.
The jury and audience-awarded prizes include Grand Jury Prizes awarded to In The Summers (U.S. Dramatic Competition), Porcelain War (U.S. Documentary Competition), Sujo (World Cinema Dramatic Competition), and A New Kind of Wilderness (World Cinema Documentary Competition). The Next Innovator Award presented by Adobe was awarded to Little Death.
Related: Sundance Film Festival Awards: ‘In The Summers’, ‘Didi’, ‘Daughters’ Top Winners List
Audiences came together in person over the weekend in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Sundance Resort with talent that included June Squibb,...
Celebrating its 40th milestone, the lineup boasts diversity across various categories, featuring 53 short films, 35 documentary features, and 83 feature films. The award-winning films for the 2024 Sundance Film Festival were announced today at The Ray Theatre in Park City during a ceremony.
The jury and audience-awarded prizes include Grand Jury Prizes awarded to In The Summers (U.S. Dramatic Competition), Porcelain War (U.S. Documentary Competition), Sujo (World Cinema Dramatic Competition), and A New Kind of Wilderness (World Cinema Documentary Competition). The Next Innovator Award presented by Adobe was awarded to Little Death.
Related: Sundance Film Festival Awards: ‘In The Summers’, ‘Didi’, ‘Daughters’ Top Winners List
Audiences came together in person over the weekend in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Sundance Resort with talent that included June Squibb,...
- 1/26/2024
- by Robert Lang
- Deadline Film + TV
Amazon MGM Studios is in final negotiations to acquire Megan Park’s sophomore feature “My Old Ass,” starring Aubrey Plaza and Maisy Stella, following its Sundance Film Festival debut.
The high-concept film — which was produced by LuckyChap’s Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley and Josey McNamara, with Indian Paintbrush’s Steven Rales — made its world premiere on Saturday night in a sold-out screening at the Eccles Theatre in Park City, Ut. The deal is for roughly $15 million. It is one of a handful of high-profile Sundance movies that are fielding offers from several bidders, including “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” and “Will & Harper,” a road trip documentary with Will Ferrell and his best friend, Harper Steele.
Amazon MGM is targeting a wide theatrical release for the film in the U.S. and Canada, with international territories still to be determined. Like all of its titles, the ultimate home will be Prime Video.
The high-concept film — which was produced by LuckyChap’s Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley and Josey McNamara, with Indian Paintbrush’s Steven Rales — made its world premiere on Saturday night in a sold-out screening at the Eccles Theatre in Park City, Ut. The deal is for roughly $15 million. It is one of a handful of high-profile Sundance movies that are fielding offers from several bidders, including “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” and “Will & Harper,” a road trip documentary with Will Ferrell and his best friend, Harper Steele.
Amazon MGM is targeting a wide theatrical release for the film in the U.S. and Canada, with international territories still to be determined. Like all of its titles, the ultimate home will be Prime Video.
- 1/26/2024
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
There were a smattering of big sales and buzzy premieres, but as the 40th edition of Sundance ends, it’s impossible to ignore that the indie film business it champions is suffering from an identity crisis. The box office for art-house movies has yet to regain its pre-covid stride. Streaming services once inflated the prices for movies that debuted at the festival because they were desperate for content. Now they’re more conservative in their spending. In this era of economizing, the all-night bidding wars that made Sundance sizzle have become a thing of the past. That’s good for agents and filmmakers looking to get more shut-eye, but it’s not a great sign of the financial health of the industry.
Yet there was still plenty to celebrate. Movies like “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” and “Will & Harper” received emotional standing ovations, while “A Real Pain” and “It’s What’s Inside...
Yet there was still plenty to celebrate. Movies like “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” and “Will & Harper” received emotional standing ovations, while “A Real Pain” and “It’s What’s Inside...
- 1/25/2024
- by Brent Lang and Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Plot: Will Ferrell learns that one of his closest friends and collaborators is now trans. Unsure of the ground rules in the next stage of their relationship, the two drive from New York to Los Angeles together and reconnect.
Review: Will & Harper is a gentle, often hilarious documentary about two friends reconnecting after one comes out as trans. The fact that one of the friends is Will Ferrell made it a must-see for me at Sundance. But, it has a lot of resonance beyond its showbiz aspects, with it a nuanced portrait of a life in transition. It starts with essentially being about how the world views Ferrell’s friend, Harper, but eventually, it becomes more about how she views herself.
It’s a complex question because Harper Steele made her transition later in life, with her being sixty-one as the movie starts. She’s interesting, having been the...
Review: Will & Harper is a gentle, often hilarious documentary about two friends reconnecting after one comes out as trans. The fact that one of the friends is Will Ferrell made it a must-see for me at Sundance. But, it has a lot of resonance beyond its showbiz aspects, with it a nuanced portrait of a life in transition. It starts with essentially being about how the world views Ferrell’s friend, Harper, but eventually, it becomes more about how she views herself.
It’s a complex question because Harper Steele made her transition later in life, with her being sixty-one as the movie starts. She’s interesting, having been the...
- 1/25/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
October 6, 1927, was a pivotal date in the history of Cinema. It was on this date that Warner Bros. released “The Jazz Singer,” the feature film that marked the end of the silent movie era and brought a whole new dimension to the world of video editing: sound.
Today, the music, dialogue and foley that sound editors add to our favorite films are as integral to the experience as the images and script themselves. From Hollywood blockbusters to low-budget short films, sound drives stories forward. It sets the emotional tone, aids in making actors’ performances feel more genuine, and ensures audiences hear exactly and feel exactly what filmmakers want them to hear and feel throughout their viewing experience.
In short, sound editors turn the muffled dialogue and noise recorded by a boom mike and elevate it into the crisp, emotive audio that brings visual storytelling to life.
With the 2024 Sundance Film Festival taking over Park City,...
Today, the music, dialogue and foley that sound editors add to our favorite films are as integral to the experience as the images and script themselves. From Hollywood blockbusters to low-budget short films, sound drives stories forward. It sets the emotional tone, aids in making actors’ performances feel more genuine, and ensures audiences hear exactly and feel exactly what filmmakers want them to hear and feel throughout their viewing experience.
In short, sound editors turn the muffled dialogue and noise recorded by a boom mike and elevate it into the crisp, emotive audio that brings visual storytelling to life.
With the 2024 Sundance Film Festival taking over Park City,...
- 1/24/2024
- by IndieWire Staff
- Indiewire
In the latest high-profile acquisition at Sundance Neon is understood to have acquired worldwide rights to Steven Soderbergh’s ghost story Presence starring Lucy Liu.
The Premieres selection debuted last Friday and plays again this upcoming weekend. David Koepp wrote the screenplay.
Shot in one location, Presence follows a family that moves into a suburban home inhabited by a ghost. The cast includes Chris Sullivan, Callina Liang, Julia Fox, Eddy Maday, and West Mulholland.
Julie M. Anderson and Ken Meyer served as producers and Koepp and Corey Bayes are executive producers. Michael Sugar of Sugar23 brokered the deal with attorney Jamie Feldman and Meyer.
The Premieres selection debuted last Friday and plays again this upcoming weekend. David Koepp wrote the screenplay.
Shot in one location, Presence follows a family that moves into a suburban home inhabited by a ghost. The cast includes Chris Sullivan, Callina Liang, Julia Fox, Eddy Maday, and West Mulholland.
Julie M. Anderson and Ken Meyer served as producers and Koepp and Corey Bayes are executive producers. Michael Sugar of Sugar23 brokered the deal with attorney Jamie Feldman and Meyer.
- 1/24/2024
- ScreenDaily
The premise of the documentary “Will & Harper” is so simple that it almost seems presentational, self-serving, or stunt-y. The idea is, after 30 years of friendship, comedian Will Ferrell learns, through a personal email, that an old friend and former “Saturday Night Live” writer, then Andy Steele, is coming out as a trans woman. Ferrell is so shocked, wondering what it all means for their friendship.
Continue reading ‘Will & Harper’ Review: Will Ferrell’s Trans Road Trip Is A Poignant Tale Of Friendship & Acceptance [Sundance] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Will & Harper’ Review: Will Ferrell’s Trans Road Trip Is A Poignant Tale Of Friendship & Acceptance [Sundance] at The Playlist.
- 1/24/2024
- by Rodrigo Perez
- The Playlist
Sundance film festival: The actor goes on a cross-country trip with an old friend who has transitioned in a crowd-pleasing winner that will prove illuminating for many
The crowd-pleasing gloss of the slickly made documentary Will & Harper, premiering to the kind of intense enthusiasm most market titles here would dream of, is both blessing and curse. The film, which follows Will Ferrell as he goes on a road trip with an old SNL friend who has recently transitioned, is told on a grand scale, looking like a narrative studio movie and punctuated with celebrity cameos, and aims to add dimension to an experience most mainstream audiences still know very little about. It’s effective too, working as both buddy comedy and much-needed act of public service.
But sometimes the lines between fact and fiction get a little blurry, those involved with the film a little too self-aware of their wide audience,...
The crowd-pleasing gloss of the slickly made documentary Will & Harper, premiering to the kind of intense enthusiasm most market titles here would dream of, is both blessing and curse. The film, which follows Will Ferrell as he goes on a road trip with an old SNL friend who has recently transitioned, is told on a grand scale, looking like a narrative studio movie and punctuated with celebrity cameos, and aims to add dimension to an experience most mainstream audiences still know very little about. It’s effective too, working as both buddy comedy and much-needed act of public service.
But sometimes the lines between fact and fiction get a little blurry, those involved with the film a little too self-aware of their wide audience,...
- 1/24/2024
- by Benjamin Lee in Park City, Utah
- The Guardian - Film News
When former SNL writer Harper Steele came out as trans, she told her friends and family via email. “I’m old now,” the letter said, “I’ll be transitioning to live as a woman.” In addition to announcing her plans, she also shared some of her anxieties about the process. Her fear was not about transitioning, but that she might lose some people that she loved.
Steele and her close friend Will Ferrell read the email at the top of their endearing documentary, Will & Harper. The film, directed by Josh Greenbaum (Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar) chronicles a 16-day road trip the two friends take across America to process Steele’s transition, reflect on their friendship and consider what it means to be trans in America. On that last subject, the doc is well-meaning but shaky; traveling through some of the most hostile towns in the country...
Steele and her close friend Will Ferrell read the email at the top of their endearing documentary, Will & Harper. The film, directed by Josh Greenbaum (Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar) chronicles a 16-day road trip the two friends take across America to process Steele’s transition, reflect on their friendship and consider what it means to be trans in America. On that last subject, the doc is well-meaning but shaky; traveling through some of the most hostile towns in the country...
- 1/23/2024
- by Lovia Gyarkye
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
At this year’s Sundance Film Festival, the IndieWire team is endeavoring to take you into the heart of the festival experience, thanks to a series of rolling roundups that aim to synthesize each day, all the action, most of the drama, and the stuff everyone is talking about, in Park City and beyond.
Day Five
We’ll admit it: Day 5 at Sundance started on a bit of a slower note, at least over at IndieWire Editorial Condo No. 2, whose inhabitants were still processing both our (In)Famous Chili Party and/or Aaron Schimberg’s wild “A Different Man.” The first day after the festival’s opening weekend tends to spell a slower vibe, with many leaving after the first flush of premieres and parties, and Park City easing, ever so slowly, back into a more normal pace.
Though I’d already seen Richard Linklater’s sexy action comedy “Hit Man...
Day Five
We’ll admit it: Day 5 at Sundance started on a bit of a slower note, at least over at IndieWire Editorial Condo No. 2, whose inhabitants were still processing both our (In)Famous Chili Party and/or Aaron Schimberg’s wild “A Different Man.” The first day after the festival’s opening weekend tends to spell a slower vibe, with many leaving after the first flush of premieres and parties, and Park City easing, ever so slowly, back into a more normal pace.
Though I’d already seen Richard Linklater’s sexy action comedy “Hit Man...
- 1/23/2024
- by Kate Erbland, Ryan Lattanzio and Marcus Jones
- Indiewire
Will Ferrell has some pretty cool friends. That shouldn’t come as any kind of surprise to his fans. He appeared on “Saturday Night Live” for seven seasons and still keeps in touch with co-stars like Seth Meyers, Tina Fey and Kristen Wiig. Less familiar, but no less fascinating, is former “SNL” writer Harper Steele, who befriended Ferrell when he first joined the show, believing in the crazy cut-up when others were still skeptical of his talent.
Structured as an on-camera road trip between two longtime friends, fueled by laughs and tears and the occasional “Borat”-style stunt, “Will & Harper” gives the general public a chance to meet this incredible woman. Technically, Ferrell is meeting her for the first time, too, since Steele spent the first six decades of her life as a man. After receiving a long, vulnerable coming-out email from Steele describing her decision to transition at...
Structured as an on-camera road trip between two longtime friends, fueled by laughs and tears and the occasional “Borat”-style stunt, “Will & Harper” gives the general public a chance to meet this incredible woman. Technically, Ferrell is meeting her for the first time, too, since Steele spent the first six decades of her life as a man. After receiving a long, vulnerable coming-out email from Steele describing her decision to transition at...
- 1/23/2024
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
There is an outstanding documentary film that just premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival called Will & Harper, featuring the iconic actor / comedian Will Ferrell and his friend Harper Steele. It's a road trip film, following the two as they embark upon a journey across the United States of America, from New York City to California. However, this film is much more important that just a road trip story. Will learned that his good friend had recently transitioned into a woman, and he didn't quite know how to deal with the situation properly. So he proposed this idea to her and they decide to get a documentary film crew to follow them along as they talk and drive and have a good time. It turned out wonderful. It feels like Will & Harper is a watershed moment for trans visibility and allyship. It may actually cause real change. It's an emotionally honest,...
- 1/23/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Unlike Cannes and Venice, Sundance isn’t a film festival that inspires too many standing ovations. But moviegoers at the Eccles Theatre were moved (more than once!) to stand up and applaud after the premiere of “Will & Harper,” a funny, heartbreaking and poignant documentary about Will Ferrell taking a road trip with his longtime friend, Harper Steele, who transitioned at 61.
“Look at this! And this is for a documentary,” Ferrell said as he greeted the packed house in Park City on Monday night. “Wow! If we were going to be at Sundance, we thought it would be at a 10 a.m. screening in someone’s garage.”
“Will & Harper” chronicles the duo over 17 days as they drive from New York to California, making pit stops at basketball games, dive bars, “swanky” Las Vegas restaurants and other places where Steele hopes to feel more comfortable since she came out as...
“Look at this! And this is for a documentary,” Ferrell said as he greeted the packed house in Park City on Monday night. “Wow! If we were going to be at Sundance, we thought it would be at a 10 a.m. screening in someone’s garage.”
“Will & Harper” chronicles the duo over 17 days as they drive from New York to California, making pit stops at basketball games, dive bars, “swanky” Las Vegas restaurants and other places where Steele hopes to feel more comfortable since she came out as...
- 1/23/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Director Josh Greenbaum was known as a documentary filmmaker before he shifted gears for “Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar,” and with “Will & Harper” — a nonfiction buddy comedy in which Will Ferrell drives across the country with a beloved colleague — he returns to his nonfiction roots in order to confront a series of questions that seem as far from his comfort zone as they are from Ferrell’s. Questions like: How does a straight cis male of a certain age come to terms with the fact that one of his oldest friends has just come out as trans? And what will happen to their friendship when said trans woman refuses to stop for donuts?.
Of course, the more important character in this story is the much less famous — if equally titular — Harper Steele, the Emmy-winning “SNL” senior writer behind such gonzo Ferrell efforts as “EuroVision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga.
Of course, the more important character in this story is the much less famous — if equally titular — Harper Steele, the Emmy-winning “SNL” senior writer behind such gonzo Ferrell efforts as “EuroVision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga.
- 1/23/2024
- by Lauren Wissot
- Indiewire
Netflix has scored the biggest on-site deal at Sundance so far, pouncing on the horror It’s What’s Inside in a reported $17m deal.
Greg Jardin’s Midnight selection premiered on Friday and centres on a pre-wedding party that goes horrifically wrong when a former friend of the group arrives bearing a suitcase.
William Rosenfeld, Kate Andrews, Jason Baum and Raúl Domingo produced the film, which CAA Media Finance represented for sales and had been in talks with buyers since Friday’s world premiere.
The ensemble cast features Brittany O’Grady, James Morosini, Alycia Debnam-Carey, and Devon Terrell, among others.
It’s What’s Inside...
Greg Jardin’s Midnight selection premiered on Friday and centres on a pre-wedding party that goes horrifically wrong when a former friend of the group arrives bearing a suitcase.
William Rosenfeld, Kate Andrews, Jason Baum and Raúl Domingo produced the film, which CAA Media Finance represented for sales and had been in talks with buyers since Friday’s world premiere.
The ensemble cast features Brittany O’Grady, James Morosini, Alycia Debnam-Carey, and Devon Terrell, among others.
It’s What’s Inside...
- 1/22/2024
- ScreenDaily
Will Ferrell and longtime friend Harper Steele discussed the origins of their road-trip documentary Will & Harper at The Hollywood Reporter’s studio during the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
Ferrell and Steele have been best friends for 30 years and worked together at Saturday Night Live when they were both launching their Hollywood careers in comedy. Their new film documents the pair taking a cross-country road trip together following Steele coming out as a trans woman.
“The conception of the whole discussion, for some reason in my head, was a documentary,” Ferrell said. “Of course, I made it clear to Harper, ‘I don’t want to exploit our friendship, but this could, I think, be just a wonderful way for us to explore this topic. Obviously, for me to learn, ask all the questions that I have about what you’re going through and who you are, have you changed?'”
He continued,...
Ferrell and Steele have been best friends for 30 years and worked together at Saturday Night Live when they were both launching their Hollywood careers in comedy. Their new film documents the pair taking a cross-country road trip together following Steele coming out as a trans woman.
“The conception of the whole discussion, for some reason in my head, was a documentary,” Ferrell said. “Of course, I made it clear to Harper, ‘I don’t want to exploit our friendship, but this could, I think, be just a wonderful way for us to explore this topic. Obviously, for me to learn, ask all the questions that I have about what you’re going through and who you are, have you changed?'”
He continued,...
- 1/22/2024
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Will Ferrell touched down at the Sundance Film Festival to world premiere the new documentary “Will & Harper,” which centers on the relationship between the beloved comedian and his best friend Harper Steele as they take a road trip. The two met during their days on “Saturday Night Live,” which Harper wrote for from 1995 to 2008. Harper came out as transgender in 2022.
“It was three summers ago in which Harper emailed a lot of her close friends with the headline: ‘Here’s a Weird One,'” Ferrell said at the Variety Studio presented by Audible. “She went on to explain she was going to transition and we were all of course excited to hear the news and surprised to hear the news. All of us were extremely supportive and expressed love…but that sort of opened the questions like, how can we help you? What do you need us to do?...
“It was three summers ago in which Harper emailed a lot of her close friends with the headline: ‘Here’s a Weird One,'” Ferrell said at the Variety Studio presented by Audible. “She went on to explain she was going to transition and we were all of course excited to hear the news and surprised to hear the news. All of us were extremely supportive and expressed love…but that sort of opened the questions like, how can we help you? What do you need us to do?...
- 1/22/2024
- by Zack Sharf and Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Documentary lovers are digesting the announcement of the Sundance nonfiction lineup, a slate of films certain to factor in awards conversation into next Oscar season.
“I think there’s a lot of discoveries in there,” Sundance Senior Nonfiction Programmer Basil Tsiokos says of the lineup revealed on Wednesday. “It’s a nice blend of new filmmakers and alumni, lots of different kinds of approaches to filmmaking… There’s biodocs, but there’s also films that are political. There’s films that are dealing with the environment. There’s lots of other things happening, so it’s a nice mix we think.”
Will Ferrell and Harper Steele ‘in Will & Harper’
Among the most eye-popping titles are Will & Harper, Josh Greenbaum’s nonfiction road movie about comedian Will Ferrell and Harper Steele, his close friend of 30 years who came out as trans. “The two decide to embark on a cross-country...
“I think there’s a lot of discoveries in there,” Sundance Senior Nonfiction Programmer Basil Tsiokos says of the lineup revealed on Wednesday. “It’s a nice blend of new filmmakers and alumni, lots of different kinds of approaches to filmmaking… There’s biodocs, but there’s also films that are political. There’s films that are dealing with the environment. There’s lots of other things happening, so it’s a nice mix we think.”
Will Ferrell and Harper Steele ‘in Will & Harper’
Among the most eye-popping titles are Will & Harper, Josh Greenbaum’s nonfiction road movie about comedian Will Ferrell and Harper Steele, his close friend of 30 years who came out as trans. “The two decide to embark on a cross-country...
- 12/8/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
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