Power, the new documentary centered on the police in the United States, comes from the stable of Netflix, but it is certainly not your regular “true crime” entertainment. The Yance Ford-directed documentary is not based on any particular event. Instead, it takes the route of being introspective about the whole police system. Ford, who’s an Emmy winner, has already proved his mettle in documentary filmmaking with the very personal Strong Island, where he investigated the murder of his own brother. Unlike Strong Island, Ford’s latest work is based on a general topic and an exploration of it. Let’s take a closer look.
What is the documentary about?
The word “police” implies power, and Ford’s documentary goes deep into finding out the origin of it. Ford starts from the very beginning, which was the creation of the first ever police force in America in 1883 in Boston.
What is the documentary about?
The word “police” implies power, and Ford’s documentary goes deep into finding out the origin of it. Ford starts from the very beginning, which was the creation of the first ever police force in America in 1883 in Boston.
- 5/18/2024
- by Rohitavra Majumdar
- Film Fugitives
One of 2024’s most electric hits is our top pick among this weekend’s streaming releases, but there’s something for everyone, including a searing documentary, an oddball indie, and a couple of middling blockbusters.
The contender to watch this week: “Challengers“
Luca Guadagnino‘s box-office backspin became one of spring’s moviegoing success stories, and we’re all the luckier for it. Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist‘s love-triangle tennis lark is still playing in plenty of theaters across the country, but if you want another serve, it’s available to rent for $19.99 on VOD. It’s not impossible to imagine a “Challengers” resurgence in the fall: Guadagnino is already an Oscar darling thanks to “Call Me by Your Name,” and Zendaya seems especially poised for top-tier accolades. If nothing else, maybe Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross‘ banger of a score can net the duo’s third trophy.
The contender to watch this week: “Challengers“
Luca Guadagnino‘s box-office backspin became one of spring’s moviegoing success stories, and we’re all the luckier for it. Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist‘s love-triangle tennis lark is still playing in plenty of theaters across the country, but if you want another serve, it’s available to rent for $19.99 on VOD. It’s not impossible to imagine a “Challengers” resurgence in the fall: Guadagnino is already an Oscar darling thanks to “Call Me by Your Name,” and Zendaya seems especially poised for top-tier accolades. If nothing else, maybe Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross‘ banger of a score can net the duo’s third trophy.
- 5/18/2024
- by Matthew Jacobs
- Gold Derby
Policing in the US can serve as a sort of Rorschach test: Are the cops a corrective force necessary to combat criminals? Or a hotbed of corruption whose unchecked authority poses a threat to disadvantaged communities? Power, the new documentary by director Yance Ford, addresses these tough questions while carefully considering how policing as we know it came to be.
The subject has interested Ford for decades, a fascination he traces back to the murder of his brother in 1992. He first explored it in his Academy Award-nominated 2017 documentary Strong Island, which revisits a grand jury’s failure to indict the man who committed the crime.
“On some level, I’ve been thinking about the police for 30 years,” Ford tells Tudum, noting that the wellspring of conversation, protests, and police crackdowns during the spring and summer of 2020 led him to reconsider the overall purpose of policing. “In the aftermath...
The subject has interested Ford for decades, a fascination he traces back to the murder of his brother in 1992. He first explored it in his Academy Award-nominated 2017 documentary Strong Island, which revisits a grand jury’s failure to indict the man who committed the crime.
“On some level, I’ve been thinking about the police for 30 years,” Ford tells Tudum, noting that the wellspring of conversation, protests, and police crackdowns during the spring and summer of 2020 led him to reconsider the overall purpose of policing. “In the aftermath...
- 5/16/2024
- by Roxanne Fequiere
- Tudum - Netflix
What is the purpose of police in the U.S.? To ensure public safety, many people might answer. But that’s a thoroughly misleading definition in the view of Oscar-nominated filmmaker Yance Ford. In his new documentary Power, premiering on Netflix this Friday, the filmmaker argues policing in America is really about the maintenance and enforcement of a particular social order, one that privileges property-owning members of society while targeting and disadvantaging others.
Ford, who earned an Academy Award nomination for the 2017 film Strong Island, is our guest on the new episode of Deadline’s Doc Talk podcast, co-hosted by Oscar winner John Ridley and Matt Carey, Deadline’s documentary editor.
“This film offers an analysis of police history that I’d like you to consider,” the director says at the beginning of Power. “This film requires curiosity or at least suspicion. I leave that choice up to you.”
Power...
Ford, who earned an Academy Award nomination for the 2017 film Strong Island, is our guest on the new episode of Deadline’s Doc Talk podcast, co-hosted by Oscar winner John Ridley and Matt Carey, Deadline’s documentary editor.
“This film offers an analysis of police history that I’d like you to consider,” the director says at the beginning of Power. “This film requires curiosity or at least suspicion. I leave that choice up to you.”
Power...
- 5/14/2024
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Divergent PR has announced that veteran publicist Ryan Langrehr, former U.S. Head of Awards at Dda, will join the independent outlet and that Christine Richardson has been promoted to Vice President.
Richardson, a veteran film publicist at Divergent, has successfully managed Oscar-winning campaigns for Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest” and Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale.” Her previous roles included working on documentary titles on Netflix, such as Yance Ford’s Oscar-nominated “Strong Island” and Martin Scorsese’s “Rolling Thunder Revue.” Before joining Divergent, she was the VP of National Publicity at Lionsgate, contributing to the campaign for Damien Chazelle’s best directing winner “La La Land.”
Langrehr is joining Divergent as director of publicity from Dda, where he was responsible for leading the U.S. awards team and managing the launches of films from both domestic and international film festivals. He has represented filmmakers globally and overseen...
Richardson, a veteran film publicist at Divergent, has successfully managed Oscar-winning campaigns for Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest” and Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale.” Her previous roles included working on documentary titles on Netflix, such as Yance Ford’s Oscar-nominated “Strong Island” and Martin Scorsese’s “Rolling Thunder Revue.” Before joining Divergent, she was the VP of National Publicity at Lionsgate, contributing to the campaign for Damien Chazelle’s best directing winner “La La Land.”
Langrehr is joining Divergent as director of publicity from Dda, where he was responsible for leading the U.S. awards team and managing the launches of films from both domestic and international film festivals. He has represented filmmakers globally and overseen...
- 5/1/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Oscar-nominated Strong Island director Yance Ford returned to Sundance Film Festival this year with Power, a lively, detailed essay film that takes a deep look at the history of policing in the United States and unceasing expansion of its scope and scale, much to the detriment of marginalized communities. Another powerful, informative inquiry from the filmmaker about the failings of systems meant to protect citizens, the first trailer has now arrived ahead of a theatrical release on May 10 and Netflix release on May 17.
Dan Mecca said in his Sundance review, “‘Police power is immediate power.’ These opening words from Redditt Hudson––former police officer and co-founder of the National Coalition of Law Enforcement Officers for Justice, Reform, and Accountability––haunt and inform the entirety of Yance Ford’s Power. Ford actually opens the film over black, informing viewers that what they are about to see is ‘an analysis of police...
Dan Mecca said in his Sundance review, “‘Police power is immediate power.’ These opening words from Redditt Hudson––former police officer and co-founder of the National Coalition of Law Enforcement Officers for Justice, Reform, and Accountability––haunt and inform the entirety of Yance Ford’s Power. Ford actually opens the film over black, informing viewers that what they are about to see is ‘an analysis of police...
- 4/23/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Coming straight from Sundance with their respective buzzy docs “Power” – a Netflix Original – and “Union,” U.S. director/producer Yance Ford and his Canadian counterpart Brett Story delivered March 20 an empowering talk at Copenhagen’s “Film:makers in Dialogue” session, where they bounced ideas between each other about power structure in American society, capitalism, race and class divides from historical and contemporary perspectives.
“Power,” which was competing at Cph:dox for the Human Rights Award, is a forceful documentary essay on the origin of U.S. policing spanning 300 years, turning on its dynamics and impact on American society. “I’m interested in U.S. institutions, power, control in our society,” said Ford about his sophomore feature and follow up to his Academy Award-nominated “Strong Island,” acquired by Netflix for global distribution in 2017.
“After the George Floyd murder [in 2020], I saw the way the police was acting with unfiltered violence towards people protesting, and decided to step back.
“Power,” which was competing at Cph:dox for the Human Rights Award, is a forceful documentary essay on the origin of U.S. policing spanning 300 years, turning on its dynamics and impact on American society. “I’m interested in U.S. institutions, power, control in our society,” said Ford about his sophomore feature and follow up to his Academy Award-nominated “Strong Island,” acquired by Netflix for global distribution in 2017.
“After the George Floyd murder [in 2020], I saw the way the police was acting with unfiltered violence towards people protesting, and decided to step back.
- 3/22/2024
- by Annika Pham
- Variety Film + TV
American Cinematheque Launches Major New L.A. Documentary Festival This Is Not a Fiction (Exclusive)
The American Cinematheque is kicking off a robust new Los Angeles nonfiction film festival dubbed This Is Not a Fiction, running from April 10-18. The festival opens with docuseries “Thank You, Good Night: The Bon Jovi Story,” with Jon Bon Jovi in-person at the Aero Theatre for the L.A. premiere screening.
The event will include in-person tributes to distinguished documentary filmmakers including Barbara Kopple, Joe Berlinger, Brett Morgen, Bill Morrison, Kirsten Johnson, Terry Zwigoff, Jeff Tremaine and Véréna Paravel and Lucien Castaing-Taylor, as well as a virtual Q&a with Frederick Wiseman.
Other premieres will include “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus,” “Power,” “Strong Island,” “Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg,” a restoration of “Lumumba: Death of a Prophet” and “Incident,” plus special presentations of Morgan Neville’s “Steve! (Martin) A Documentary in 2 Pieces” and “Girls State.” A celebration of the 15th anniversary of “30 for 30” will feature a panel...
The event will include in-person tributes to distinguished documentary filmmakers including Barbara Kopple, Joe Berlinger, Brett Morgen, Bill Morrison, Kirsten Johnson, Terry Zwigoff, Jeff Tremaine and Véréna Paravel and Lucien Castaing-Taylor, as well as a virtual Q&a with Frederick Wiseman.
Other premieres will include “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus,” “Power,” “Strong Island,” “Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg,” a restoration of “Lumumba: Death of a Prophet” and “Incident,” plus special presentations of Morgan Neville’s “Steve! (Martin) A Documentary in 2 Pieces” and “Girls State.” A celebration of the 15th anniversary of “30 for 30” will feature a panel...
- 3/19/2024
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
Sundance film festival: Yance Ford’s follow-up to Oscar-nominated documentary Strong Island is a visually elegant, if a little dry, look at a problematic institution
Power, documentarian Yance Ford’s clinical inquiry into US policing, isn’t trafficking in new information. The 86-minute project billed as an “essay-film”, which premiered at Sundance and will stream on Netflix later this year, has clear eyes on the past, synthesizing the work of several academics with a robust archival record to examine the origins, structure and impact of police power in the United States.
That doesn’t mean it’s unnecessary; the film makes cogent, sweeping sense of the record for perhaps the most illuminative, swift and damning case against the institution of policing – the real fourth estate, as one subject puts it – of the many investigations conducted in the wake of the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests. But there’s a dryness to its procedure.
Power, documentarian Yance Ford’s clinical inquiry into US policing, isn’t trafficking in new information. The 86-minute project billed as an “essay-film”, which premiered at Sundance and will stream on Netflix later this year, has clear eyes on the past, synthesizing the work of several academics with a robust archival record to examine the origins, structure and impact of police power in the United States.
That doesn’t mean it’s unnecessary; the film makes cogent, sweeping sense of the record for perhaps the most illuminative, swift and damning case against the institution of policing – the real fourth estate, as one subject puts it – of the many investigations conducted in the wake of the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests. But there’s a dryness to its procedure.
- 1/20/2024
- by Adrian Horton
- The Guardian - Film News
In an election year when civil rights are being threatened, authoritarianism is spreading around the globe and minorities are a popular political target, it’s no wonder that films exploring the U.S. criminal justice system are everywhere you look in the Sundance Film Festival lineup.
“There’s so much inequality and injustice in the justice system,” says “God Save Texas: Hometown Prison” director Richard Linklater. “There’s a lot to be outraged by and examined.” Variety spoke with him and other filmmakers such as Chiwetel Ejiofor, Debra Granik and Yance Ford about their Park City projects — when taken together, they paint a devastating and sometimes hopeful picture of contemporary policing, criminal trials, incarceration and rehabilitation.
Linklater’s “Prison,” inspired by Lawrence Wright’s book “God Save Texas,” is the first feature in a doc trilogy about his home state, debuting Jan. 23 in Park City and late February on HBO...
“There’s so much inequality and injustice in the justice system,” says “God Save Texas: Hometown Prison” director Richard Linklater. “There’s a lot to be outraged by and examined.” Variety spoke with him and other filmmakers such as Chiwetel Ejiofor, Debra Granik and Yance Ford about their Park City projects — when taken together, they paint a devastating and sometimes hopeful picture of contemporary policing, criminal trials, incarceration and rehabilitation.
Linklater’s “Prison,” inspired by Lawrence Wright’s book “God Save Texas,” is the first feature in a doc trilogy about his home state, debuting Jan. 23 in Park City and late February on HBO...
- 1/20/2024
- by Gregg Goldstein
- Variety Film + TV
A dryly succinct but thoroughly convincing Netflix documentary about the corruptive history of American policing, Yance Ford’s “Power” articulates in the clearest possible terms how 18th century slave patrols and the frontier militias that followed paved the way for a modern police state so violent and unregulated that no democracy would consciously think to invent it.
It begins with a brief voiceover that seems like a targeted overture to the movie’s home audience; the kind of flourish that suggests Ford knew his documentary would bypass a traditional platform rollout in favor of a more geopolitically diverse streaming debut. “This film requires curiosity, or at least suspicion,” the director intones over a black screen. “I’ll leave that choice up to you.”
Tempting as it is to imagine how those words might feel like a trigger warning for any “Blue Lives Matter” types who only started watching “Power” because...
It begins with a brief voiceover that seems like a targeted overture to the movie’s home audience; the kind of flourish that suggests Ford knew his documentary would bypass a traditional platform rollout in favor of a more geopolitically diverse streaming debut. “This film requires curiosity, or at least suspicion,” the director intones over a black screen. “I’ll leave that choice up to you.”
Tempting as it is to imagine how those words might feel like a trigger warning for any “Blue Lives Matter” types who only started watching “Power” because...
- 1/19/2024
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Netflix has set a January 29 streaming premiere date for The Greatest Night in Pop, a feature doc just announced as world premiering at the Sundance Film Festival on the 19th of this month.
Directed by award winner Bao Nguyen (Be Water), the film takes viewers back to January 25, 1985, when dozens of the biggest names in music convened at a Los Angeles studio and checked their egos at the door amidst the recording of a song to benefit African famine relief — one that would alter global pop culture history. Chronicled in the doc is the massive undertaking to assemble the world’s most impressive supergroup in a time before cell phones and email. That group of artists, led by the song’s co-writers and two of the most significant musicians of the 20th century — Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie — came from different worlds but united to record “We Are the World.
Directed by award winner Bao Nguyen (Be Water), the film takes viewers back to January 25, 1985, when dozens of the biggest names in music convened at a Los Angeles studio and checked their egos at the door amidst the recording of a song to benefit African famine relief — one that would alter global pop culture history. Chronicled in the doc is the massive undertaking to assemble the world’s most impressive supergroup in a time before cell phones and email. That group of artists, led by the song’s co-writers and two of the most significant musicians of the 20th century — Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie — came from different worlds but united to record “We Are the World.
- 1/5/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline 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
The Sundance Institute has named the 2023 grantees of its Documentary Fund, supporting the work of nonfiction filmmakers from around the globe, with 23 projects being selected for unrestricted grant funding totaling just over $1M.
Six of the selected projects are in development, with 14 in production and three currently in post. Notable filmmakers recognized as part of the group include Oscar and Emmy nominee Lourdes Portillo (with Looking at Ourselves), artist and filmmaker Amy Jenkins (with Adam’s Apple), and Anayansi Prado (with Untitled Uvalde Documentary). Also represented are such sophomore filmmakers coming off strong debuts as Reid Davenport (I Didn’t See You There) with Life After, Sky Hopinka with Powwow People, and Tali Yankelevich (My Darling Supermarket) with Girl-Tubers.
Sundance Institute’s Documentary Fund prioritizes supporting and empowering historically marginalized voices and providing a platform for integral stories to be amplified. Many of the...
Six of the selected projects are in development, with 14 in production and three currently in post. Notable filmmakers recognized as part of the group include Oscar and Emmy nominee Lourdes Portillo (with Looking at Ourselves), artist and filmmaker Amy Jenkins (with Adam’s Apple), and Anayansi Prado (with Untitled Uvalde Documentary). Also represented are such sophomore filmmakers coming off strong debuts as Reid Davenport (I Didn’t See You There) with Life After, Sky Hopinka with Powwow People, and Tali Yankelevich (My Darling Supermarket) with Girl-Tubers.
Sundance Institute’s Documentary Fund prioritizes supporting and empowering historically marginalized voices and providing a platform for integral stories to be amplified. Many of the...
- 8/21/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
For only the second time in the 19-year existence of the Best Documentary Filmmaking Emmy category, HBO (which has clinched the gold 10 times) doesn’t have a horse in the race. The same is true of Netflix, which achieved its 2018 victory for “Strong Island” in HBO’s absence. As a result, there is a great deal of pressure on two of the 2023 entries: “The Accused: Damned or Devoted?,” which could bring PBS its second consecutive and sixth overall filmmaking win, and “The Territory,” which would be the third National Geographic property to prevail here.
The documentary filmmaking award differs from most other Emmys in that it is juried, meaning that after each entry is exclusively reviewed by members of the TV academy’s documentary peer group, it must obtain unanimous support from them in order to officially be deemed worthy of a win. This also means that the four programs...
The documentary filmmaking award differs from most other Emmys in that it is juried, meaning that after each entry is exclusively reviewed by members of the TV academy’s documentary peer group, it must obtain unanimous support from them in order to officially be deemed worthy of a win. This also means that the four programs...
- 8/7/2023
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Red Crown Productions, the shingle behind films including “Honey Boy,” “Hello My Name is Doris” and “Beasts of No Nation,” is expanding into television — starting with a project based on the advent of the “if it bleeds, it leads” local TV news format.
Red Crown has optioned the television rights to “Lights Camera Crime,” a story for the Philadelphia Inquirer that was written by Layla A. Jones and ran on March 29, 2022 as part of the newspaper’s “A More Perfect Union” series.
The scripted project will adapt the story as a fictionalized scripted account, with Daniel Colameco set to write and Yance Ford (“Strong Island”) on board to direct. Red Crown’s Daniel Crown and Yoni Liebling will produce.
“A More Perfect Union was promoted as “a special project from The Inquirer examining the roots of systemic racism through institutions founded in Philadelphia,” and the article “Lights Camera Crime” looked...
Red Crown has optioned the television rights to “Lights Camera Crime,” a story for the Philadelphia Inquirer that was written by Layla A. Jones and ran on March 29, 2022 as part of the newspaper’s “A More Perfect Union” series.
The scripted project will adapt the story as a fictionalized scripted account, with Daniel Colameco set to write and Yance Ford (“Strong Island”) on board to direct. Red Crown’s Daniel Crown and Yoni Liebling will produce.
“A More Perfect Union was promoted as “a special project from The Inquirer examining the roots of systemic racism through institutions founded in Philadelphia,” and the article “Lights Camera Crime” looked...
- 2/7/2023
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
After parting ways with its parent company First Look Media in December, the non-profit documentary production studio Field of Vision is at Sundance with four docus and actively seeking new donors and supporters.
Founded in 2015 by former Hot Docs programming director Charlotte Cook, “CitizenFour” Oscar winner Laura Poitras and SXSW prize winner A.J. Schnack (“We Always Talk to Strangers”), the company now run by Cook has become a force to be reckoned with in recent years. The filmmaker-driven visual journalism documentary company’s credits include the Oscar-winning film “American Factory” as well Academy Award nominated features including “Ascension,” “Strong Island,” and “Hale County This Morning, This Evening.”
Overall, Field of Vision has supported or produced more than 260 features, shorts, and series mainly via grant money provided by First Look Media, the company run by eBay founder Pierre Olmidyar. Over the last several years, the company has begun commercially investing in docus,...
Founded in 2015 by former Hot Docs programming director Charlotte Cook, “CitizenFour” Oscar winner Laura Poitras and SXSW prize winner A.J. Schnack (“We Always Talk to Strangers”), the company now run by Cook has become a force to be reckoned with in recent years. The filmmaker-driven visual journalism documentary company’s credits include the Oscar-winning film “American Factory” as well Academy Award nominated features including “Ascension,” “Strong Island,” and “Hale County This Morning, This Evening.”
Overall, Field of Vision has supported or produced more than 260 features, shorts, and series mainly via grant money provided by First Look Media, the company run by eBay founder Pierre Olmidyar. Over the last several years, the company has begun commercially investing in docus,...
- 1/25/2023
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Netflix is making changes in its feature documentary division.
Jason Spingarn-Koff, who was responsible for helping Netflix win its first Oscar for short doc The White Helmets, is exiting the streamer.
Spingarn-Koff has been with Netflix since 2015 as part of Lisa Nishimura’s documentary team.
His departure, along with a couple of other executives in the team, follows a couple of waves of layoffs at Netflix, which has cut around 475 staffers in the last three months. This move came as a result of the slowdown in the company’s revenue growth.
In addition to White Helmets, Spingarn-Koff has worked on Academy Awards winners Icarus, American Factory and My Octopus Teacher, Peabody Awards winners The Edge of Democracy, Chasing Coral and Audrie & Daisy and a number of Emmy winners including Strong Island. He was also involved in David Attenborough natural history series Our Planet.
He joined from The New York Times,...
Jason Spingarn-Koff, who was responsible for helping Netflix win its first Oscar for short doc The White Helmets, is exiting the streamer.
Spingarn-Koff has been with Netflix since 2015 as part of Lisa Nishimura’s documentary team.
His departure, along with a couple of other executives in the team, follows a couple of waves of layoffs at Netflix, which has cut around 475 staffers in the last three months. This move came as a result of the slowdown in the company’s revenue growth.
In addition to White Helmets, Spingarn-Koff has worked on Academy Awards winners Icarus, American Factory and My Octopus Teacher, Peabody Awards winners The Edge of Democracy, Chasing Coral and Audrie & Daisy and a number of Emmy winners including Strong Island. He was also involved in David Attenborough natural history series Our Planet.
He joined from The New York Times,...
- 7/30/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
“It was such a shock to become a pop star. It’s not what I wanted. I just wanted to scream,” says Sinéad O’Connor in “Nothing Compares,” a compelling film about her life and career. Directed by Belfast-born Kathryn Ferguson, this unique music documentary strays far from bullet-pointed hagiography, instead digging deep into O’Connor’s childhood trauma and how it mirrors Ireland’s fraught past.
Eschewing talking head interviews in favor of simple voiceover, Ferguson fills out the visuals with a tightly edited collage of archival footage from the era, which punctuates the more expected music videos and concert footage. What emerges is a more ephemeral portrait of the time and place that O’Connor sprang from and was rebelling against.
The film is executive produced by Charlotte Cook and Field of Vision, known for politically charged non-fiction films with cinematic aims, such as “American Factory” and “Strong Island.
Eschewing talking head interviews in favor of simple voiceover, Ferguson fills out the visuals with a tightly edited collage of archival footage from the era, which punctuates the more expected music videos and concert footage. What emerges is a more ephemeral portrait of the time and place that O’Connor sprang from and was rebelling against.
The film is executive produced by Charlotte Cook and Field of Vision, known for politically charged non-fiction films with cinematic aims, such as “American Factory” and “Strong Island.
- 1/28/2022
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Louverture Films, the production company founded by actor Danny Glover and Joslyn Barnes, is moving into television as well as animation, gaming and installation works. With two new principal partners in situ, the expansion has enlisted a host of creatives, including directors Apichatpong Weerasethakul and Lucrecia Martel.
Co-founded by Glover and Barnes in 2005 — alongside long-time partners Susan Rockefeller and the Bertha Foundation’s Tony Tabatznik — the company has brought on board Sawsan Asfari and Jeffrey Clark as principal partners. Variety understands that the new partners will allow Louverture to access more funding resources.
In addition, producer Karin Chien, who on Sunday delivered a rousing Sundance Institute Producing Fellows’ keynote, is becoming a partner and executive VP. Meanwhile, Barnes has been promoted to president while Glover remains CEO and co-founder.
Louverture, named after Haitian revolutionary leader Toussaint Louverture, has built its reputation on international and arthouse films and a strong theatrical documentary slate.
Co-founded by Glover and Barnes in 2005 — alongside long-time partners Susan Rockefeller and the Bertha Foundation’s Tony Tabatznik — the company has brought on board Sawsan Asfari and Jeffrey Clark as principal partners. Variety understands that the new partners will allow Louverture to access more funding resources.
In addition, producer Karin Chien, who on Sunday delivered a rousing Sundance Institute Producing Fellows’ keynote, is becoming a partner and executive VP. Meanwhile, Barnes has been promoted to president while Glover remains CEO and co-founder.
Louverture, named after Haitian revolutionary leader Toussaint Louverture, has built its reputation on international and arthouse films and a strong theatrical documentary slate.
- 1/24/2022
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Viola Davis is in talks to star in Two Butterflies, an Amazon drama based on an original idea and script by Evan Dodson, which will be directed by Strong Island‘s Yance Ford.
Two Butterflies follows two estranged sisters who are torn apart by tragedy and forced to reunite when one sister must be transported to an Alzheimer’s facility. Dodson became the youngest scribe ever to make the Black List of the year’s best unproduced screenplays when his script was selected in 2016.
Davis and Julius Tennon will produce the upcoming film for JuVee Productions, with Rob Hardy for Rainforest Entertainment.
Davis is an Oscar, Emmy and Tony winner best known for turns in films including Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Fences, The Help and Doubt, as well as for the role of criminal defense attorney Annalise Keating in ABC...
Two Butterflies follows two estranged sisters who are torn apart by tragedy and forced to reunite when one sister must be transported to an Alzheimer’s facility. Dodson became the youngest scribe ever to make the Black List of the year’s best unproduced screenplays when his script was selected in 2016.
Davis and Julius Tennon will produce the upcoming film for JuVee Productions, with Rob Hardy for Rainforest Entertainment.
Davis is an Oscar, Emmy and Tony winner best known for turns in films including Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Fences, The Help and Doubt, as well as for the role of criminal defense attorney Annalise Keating in ABC...
- 1/11/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
The documentary “Attica” about the 1971 prison riot is all too timely as America continues to grapple with inequities in its criminal justice system. It debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, followed by an October 29 theatrical release and a November 6 premiere on Showtime.
The film chronicles the events that transpired exactly 50 years ago. On September 9 of that year, more than 1,200 inmates took control of the facility, leaving dozens dead but bringing public attention to the abuses rampant in America’s prison system. Critics have described it as “devastating” and “harrowing,” an “essential film that can now stand as a definitive vision of that epochal event.”
SEEFilm documentary roundtable panel: Becoming Cousteau, A Cop Movie, My Name is Pauli Murray, Simple as Water, The Velvet Underground
It earned three Critics Choice Documentary Awards nominations, including Best Documentary Feature and Best Director (Stanley Nelson and Traci Curry). Nelson has won...
The film chronicles the events that transpired exactly 50 years ago. On September 9 of that year, more than 1,200 inmates took control of the facility, leaving dozens dead but bringing public attention to the abuses rampant in America’s prison system. Critics have described it as “devastating” and “harrowing,” an “essential film that can now stand as a definitive vision of that epochal event.”
SEEFilm documentary roundtable panel: Becoming Cousteau, A Cop Movie, My Name is Pauli Murray, Simple as Water, The Velvet Underground
It earned three Critics Choice Documentary Awards nominations, including Best Documentary Feature and Best Director (Stanley Nelson and Traci Curry). Nelson has won...
- 11/29/2021
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Fork Films, a New York production company co-founded by Abigail Disney, has announced 11 grantees for its 2021 round of documentary funding. Topics explored in the slate of films include social justice, the impact of the pandemic on historically marginalized communities, climate gentrification and maternal mortality.
The company has funded over 100 projects over 14 years, adding up to over $4.5 million in documentary grants and support. With an aim to elevate justice-driven filmmakers, Fork Films has funded critically acclaimed projects in the past such as “Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen,” “One Child Nation,” “Cameraperson,” “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution,” “Strong Island,” “The Square” and “The Invisible War.”
This year, along with financial support, Fork Films is offering grantees the opportunity to participate in workshops titled Collective Lens: An Impact Roadmap led by nonprofit organization Peace is Loud. The workshops will cover impact producing strategies, building campaigns and designing distribution plans with impact in mind...
The company has funded over 100 projects over 14 years, adding up to over $4.5 million in documentary grants and support. With an aim to elevate justice-driven filmmakers, Fork Films has funded critically acclaimed projects in the past such as “Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen,” “One Child Nation,” “Cameraperson,” “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution,” “Strong Island,” “The Square” and “The Invisible War.”
This year, along with financial support, Fork Films is offering grantees the opportunity to participate in workshops titled Collective Lens: An Impact Roadmap led by nonprofit organization Peace is Loud. The workshops will cover impact producing strategies, building campaigns and designing distribution plans with impact in mind...
- 11/22/2021
- by Selome Hailu
- Variety 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
Netflix’s awards hopefuls Robert Greene’s “Procession” and Alonso Ruizpalacios’ “A Cop Movie” are heading to Manhattan’s Paris Theater as part of its “New Directions in Documentary” series.
Both hybrid features, which are vying for a spot on this year’s Academy Award doc shortlist, will screen alongside previously celebrated form-bending docus in the upcoming series beginning Oct. 15.
Since 2019 Netflix has operated the 571-seat venue, which the streaming company uses year-round for exclusive theatrical engagements, premieres, special events, retrospectives, and filmmaker appearances.
Curated by Paris Theater programmer David Schwartz, the five-day public event will highlight and celebrate docus that combine elements of fiction and non-fiction into the fabric of their storytelling.
“ ‘Procession’ and ‘A Cop Movie’ are exciting and inventive movies that heighten the documentary form,” says Schwartz. “They find innovative ways to explore truth through deeply personal and dramatic subjects. Their work transcends the formulaic with rigorous fidelity to vision,...
Both hybrid features, which are vying for a spot on this year’s Academy Award doc shortlist, will screen alongside previously celebrated form-bending docus in the upcoming series beginning Oct. 15.
Since 2019 Netflix has operated the 571-seat venue, which the streaming company uses year-round for exclusive theatrical engagements, premieres, special events, retrospectives, and filmmaker appearances.
Curated by Paris Theater programmer David Schwartz, the five-day public event will highlight and celebrate docus that combine elements of fiction and non-fiction into the fabric of their storytelling.
“ ‘Procession’ and ‘A Cop Movie’ are exciting and inventive movies that heighten the documentary form,” says Schwartz. “They find innovative ways to explore truth through deeply personal and dramatic subjects. Their work transcends the formulaic with rigorous fidelity to vision,...
- 10/5/2021
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
For journalist and filmmaker Laura Poitras, surveillance is a given. Before Poitras won an Oscar for her documentary about whistleblower Edward Snowden and his evidence around mass Nsa surveillance, she edited “Citizenfour” in Berlin because she feared the U.S. government would seize her source material. Now, she’s sharing the lessons that other documentarians need to protect their own work.
Poitras worked with the Freedom of the Press Foundation and Field of Vision to create a site that contains everything from how to create unguessable, four-layer passwords to a 20-page template for Risk Assessment and Security Protocol that asks filmmakers to consider security check-in procedures (time? place? method?), psychological security, and identifying the risk scenarios for your cover stories, if compromised.
Digital Security for Filmmakers includes quotes from fellow filmmakers like Lyric Cabral, who said she knew her work on 2015 FBI counterterrorism documentary “(T)error” was under surveillance, and “Strong Island” director Yance Ford,...
Poitras worked with the Freedom of the Press Foundation and Field of Vision to create a site that contains everything from how to create unguessable, four-layer passwords to a 20-page template for Risk Assessment and Security Protocol that asks filmmakers to consider security check-in procedures (time? place? method?), psychological security, and identifying the risk scenarios for your cover stories, if compromised.
Digital Security for Filmmakers includes quotes from fellow filmmakers like Lyric Cabral, who said she knew her work on 2015 FBI counterterrorism documentary “(T)error” was under surveillance, and “Strong Island” director Yance Ford,...
- 9/15/2021
- by Chris Lindahl
- Indiewire
When documentary filmmaker Ezra Edelman, an Oscar winner with “O.J.: Made in America,” sat down at a panel during the Cannes Doc Day last week and started off by saying he was just talking about the rise of fascism in the world and enduring racism in sports, there was a feeling this session would be an especially poignant one.
The event, organized by Cannes Docs – Marché du Film, in association with L’Œil d’or – Documentary Award, the Cnc, UniFrance and Acid, saw Edelman sit down for an hour-long conversation with film producer Joslyn Barnes, an Oscar nominee with “Strong Island” and “Hale County This Morning, This Evening,” in which they delved into issues ranging from social media anxiety to identity and legitimacy as a filmmaker.
Edelman, who is known for his sports-themed documentaries, was in Cannes this year as jury president of the L’Œil d’Or Documentary Awards,...
The event, organized by Cannes Docs – Marché du Film, in association with L’Œil d’or – Documentary Award, the Cnc, UniFrance and Acid, saw Edelman sit down for an hour-long conversation with film producer Joslyn Barnes, an Oscar nominee with “Strong Island” and “Hale County This Morning, This Evening,” in which they delved into issues ranging from social media anxiety to identity and legitimacy as a filmmaker.
Edelman, who is known for his sports-themed documentaries, was in Cannes this year as jury president of the L’Œil d’Or Documentary Awards,...
- 7/19/2021
- by Alexander Durie
- Variety Film + TV
Two days after Italy defeated England on penalties in the Euro 2020 soccer championship final, followed by England fans heaping racist online abuse on Black players from the team, the topic continues to reverberate at the Cannes Film Festival.
Cannes virtually shut down on Sunday evening while the final was on, with even Spike Lee getting in on the action at the Kering Women in Motion dinner. Lee’s compatriot, documentary filmmaker Ezra Edelman, Oscar winner for “O.J.: Made in America,” was also among those following the game.
Edelman, renowned for his sports-themed documentaries, is in Cannes as the documentary award jury president. Some of the people Edelman was with on Sunday almost scoffed at the idea that he wanted to go and watch a soccer game during the festival, the filmmaker said at a panel during the Cannes Doc Day on Tuesday.
“Some people were confused why I cared about...
Cannes virtually shut down on Sunday evening while the final was on, with even Spike Lee getting in on the action at the Kering Women in Motion dinner. Lee’s compatriot, documentary filmmaker Ezra Edelman, Oscar winner for “O.J.: Made in America,” was also among those following the game.
Edelman, renowned for his sports-themed documentaries, is in Cannes as the documentary award jury president. Some of the people Edelman was with on Sunday almost scoffed at the idea that he wanted to go and watch a soccer game during the festival, the filmmaker said at a panel during the Cannes Doc Day on Tuesday.
“Some people were confused why I cared about...
- 7/13/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
British-Zimbabwean actor and activist Thandiwe Newton, who was named to the Queen’s New Year’s Honors List, receiving an OBE for services to film and charity, has joined documentary “President” as executive producer. The film won a Special Jury Prize at Sundance Film Festival this year and will screen at AFI Docs on Thursday.
The film captures Zimbabwe at a crossroads. In the first election since the removal of Robert Mugabe, the new leader of the opposition Nelson Chamisa is challenging the dictator’s corrupt legacy, and his successor Emmerson “the crocodile” Mnangagwa. The election will be the ultimate test for both sides. How they interpret the principles of democracy, if they can inspire trust among the citizenry, not succumb to violence, and foster faith in institutions, will set the course for the future for the country.
Newton said: “Zimbabwe needs this film like a body needs oxygen. It...
The film captures Zimbabwe at a crossroads. In the first election since the removal of Robert Mugabe, the new leader of the opposition Nelson Chamisa is challenging the dictator’s corrupt legacy, and his successor Emmerson “the crocodile” Mnangagwa. The election will be the ultimate test for both sides. How they interpret the principles of democracy, if they can inspire trust among the citizenry, not succumb to violence, and foster faith in institutions, will set the course for the future for the country.
Newton said: “Zimbabwe needs this film like a body needs oxygen. It...
- 6/24/2021
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Some of the documentary features vying for 2021 Emmys may seem familiar. That’s because a bunch of them pushed through the ultra-long Oscar season last year, and some landed on the Oscar shortlist of 15, only to be left off the final five nominations. Last year’s revised Emmy rules dictate that no Oscar nominees will be chasing one of two Primetime Emmy Award categories for features, Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special or Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking. That’s why you can count out of the Emmy running the Oscar-winning “My Octopus Teacher” (Netflix) and four nominees “Collective” (Magnolia), “Time” (Amazon), “Crip Camp” (Netflix), and “The Mole Agent” (Gravitas Ventures).
Last year, the Television Academy forged a stronger divide between the Emmy Awards and the Oscars to clear up some of the confusion that has reigned as movies have double-dipped from one to the other. The Academy has done its...
Last year, the Television Academy forged a stronger divide between the Emmy Awards and the Oscars to clear up some of the confusion that has reigned as movies have double-dipped from one to the other. The Academy has done its...
- 6/14/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Some of the documentary features vying for 2021 Emmys may seem familiar. That’s because a bunch of them pushed through the ultra-long Oscar season last year, and some landed on the Oscar shortlist of 15, only to be left off the final five nominations. Last year’s revised Emmy rules dictate that no Oscar nominees will be chasing one of two Primetime Emmy Award categories for features, Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special or Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking. That’s why you can count out of the Emmy running the Oscar-winning “My Octopus Teacher” (Netflix) and four nominees “Collective” (Magnolia), “Time” (Amazon), “Crip Camp” (Netflix), and “The Mole Agent” (Gravitas Ventures).
Last year, the Television Academy forged a stronger divide between the Emmy Awards and the Oscars to clear up some of the confusion that has reigned as movies have double-dipped from one to the other. The Academy has done its...
Last year, the Television Academy forged a stronger divide between the Emmy Awards and the Oscars to clear up some of the confusion that has reigned as movies have double-dipped from one to the other. The Academy has done its...
- 6/14/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Every June, a barrage of LGBTQ media and news coverage arrives to announce the beginning of Pride month. The final season of FX’s groundbreaking drama “Pose” debuted in May, and Hulu’s adorable teen coming out story “Love, Victor” will return in two weeks. But for those seeking an engaging and accessible history lesson in the LGBTQ movement, FX’s six-part docuseries “Pride” is a delightful and substantive addition to the canon of Pride-related content. By giving queer filmmakers full creative control, “Pride” goes way beyond the conventional narrative of LGBTQ history.
Part political history, part cultural record, each of “Pride’s” six episodes follow a single decade, beginning with the McCarthyism of the 1950s and ending with the growing mainstream acceptance of the 2000s. Produced by FX, Vice, and Killer Films, each episode is directed by different queer filmmakers who were given full creative license on what to feature.
Part political history, part cultural record, each of “Pride’s” six episodes follow a single decade, beginning with the McCarthyism of the 1950s and ending with the growing mainstream acceptance of the 2000s. Produced by FX, Vice, and Killer Films, each episode is directed by different queer filmmakers who were given full creative license on what to feature.
- 5/29/2021
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
FX’s upcoming docuseries about the fight for LGBTQ+ civil rights in America, “Pride,” has set its full director slate and lined up a May premiere date at the cable network.
The six-part series, which will begin with the 1950s and work forward through the decades, will see six LGBTQ+ directors explore stories ranging from the FBI surveillance of homosexuals during the 1950s Lavender Scare to the “Culture Wars” of the 1990s and beyond. Civil rights pioneer Bayard Rustin, writer Audre Lord and Senators Tammy Baldwin and Lester Hunt are among those interviewed for the series.
Directors include Tom Kalin (“Swoon”), Andrew Ahn (“Driveways”), Cheryl Dunye (“The Watermelon Woman”), Anthony Caronna and Alex Smith (“Susanne Bartsch: On Top”), Yance Ford (“Strong Island”) and Ro Haber (“Pose”).
The series will premiere with its first three episodes airing back-to-back on May 14. The second half of the series will air the following week...
The six-part series, which will begin with the 1950s and work forward through the decades, will see six LGBTQ+ directors explore stories ranging from the FBI surveillance of homosexuals during the 1950s Lavender Scare to the “Culture Wars” of the 1990s and beyond. Civil rights pioneer Bayard Rustin, writer Audre Lord and Senators Tammy Baldwin and Lester Hunt are among those interviewed for the series.
Directors include Tom Kalin (“Swoon”), Andrew Ahn (“Driveways”), Cheryl Dunye (“The Watermelon Woman”), Anthony Caronna and Alex Smith (“Susanne Bartsch: On Top”), Yance Ford (“Strong Island”) and Ro Haber (“Pose”).
The series will premiere with its first three episodes airing back-to-back on May 14. The second half of the series will air the following week...
- 3/30/2021
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
The Oscar-winning studio behind “Parasite” broke the ice at the 2021 virtual Sundance Film Festival sales market.
The indie company has acquired the documentary “Flee,” also an official selection of Cannes 2020, in a competitive situation after the movie’s Thursday premiere. The doc went for roughly $1 million, individuals familiar with the deal said. Jeff Deutchman negotiated the deal for Neon with 30West and Philippa Kowarsky of Cinephil on behalf of the filmmakers. International sales are being handled by Cinephil.
Jonas Poher Rasmussen directed the project, executive produced by Riz Ahmed and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. The hand-drawn narrative follow an individual named Amin Nawabi (a pseudonym), who grapples with a painful secret he has kept hidden for 20 years. It threatens to derail the life he has built for himself and his soon-to-be husband. Recounted mostly through animation to Rasmussen — his close friend and high-school classmate — he tells for the first time the story...
The indie company has acquired the documentary “Flee,” also an official selection of Cannes 2020, in a competitive situation after the movie’s Thursday premiere. The doc went for roughly $1 million, individuals familiar with the deal said. Jeff Deutchman negotiated the deal for Neon with 30West and Philippa Kowarsky of Cinephil on behalf of the filmmakers. International sales are being handled by Cinephil.
Jonas Poher Rasmussen directed the project, executive produced by Riz Ahmed and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. The hand-drawn narrative follow an individual named Amin Nawabi (a pseudonym), who grapples with a painful secret he has kept hidden for 20 years. It threatens to derail the life he has built for himself and his soon-to-be husband. Recounted mostly through animation to Rasmussen — his close friend and high-school classmate — he tells for the first time the story...
- 1/29/2021
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Neon has made the first acquisition out of this year’s Sundance Film Festival, taking North American rights to Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s Flee for an undisclosed seven-figure sum after an overnight bidding war.
The film, executive produced by Riz Ahmed and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, was an official selection for Cannes 2020 and made its debut on opening night of Sundance in the World Documentary Competition. Rasmussen directed and co-wrote the movie with Amin Nawabi.
Playing in the world premiere section, Flee follows Nawabi, who arrives as an unaccompanied minor in Denmark from Afghanistan. Today, he is a successful academic and is getting married to his longtime boyfriend. A secret he has been hiding for 20 years threatens to ruin the life he has built. Recounted mostly through animation to Rasmussen — his close friend and high school classmate, he tells for the first time the story of his extraordinary journey as a child refugee from Afghanistan.
The film, executive produced by Riz Ahmed and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, was an official selection for Cannes 2020 and made its debut on opening night of Sundance in the World Documentary Competition. Rasmussen directed and co-wrote the movie with Amin Nawabi.
Playing in the world premiere section, Flee follows Nawabi, who arrives as an unaccompanied minor in Denmark from Afghanistan. Today, he is a successful academic and is getting married to his longtime boyfriend. A secret he has been hiding for 20 years threatens to ruin the life he has built. Recounted mostly through animation to Rasmussen — his close friend and high school classmate, he tells for the first time the story of his extraordinary journey as a child refugee from Afghanistan.
- 1/29/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Riz Ahmed, a leading awards contender this year with “Sound of Metal,” and “Game of Thrones” star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau have joined the Danish animated documentary “Flee,” which plays at Sundance, as executive producers. Ahmed and Coster-Waldau will also voice the lead roles in an English-language version of the film, which will debut later this year.
Originally selected for Cannes Film Festival 2020, “Flee” will have its world premiere in world documentary competition at Sundance Film Festival on Thursday. International sales will be handled by Cinephil, while 30West will handle North American sales.
“Flee” tells the story of Amin Nawabi (a pseudonym), a child refugee fleeing his home in Afghanistan to safety in Denmark. Recounted mostly through animation to director Jonas Poher Rasmussen — his close friend and high-school classmate — Amin tells for the first time the story of his extraordinary journey. Ahmed will play Amin, while Coster-Waldau voices Rasmussen.
“I was floored...
Originally selected for Cannes Film Festival 2020, “Flee” will have its world premiere in world documentary competition at Sundance Film Festival on Thursday. International sales will be handled by Cinephil, while 30West will handle North American sales.
“Flee” tells the story of Amin Nawabi (a pseudonym), a child refugee fleeing his home in Afghanistan to safety in Denmark. Recounted mostly through animation to director Jonas Poher Rasmussen — his close friend and high-school classmate — Amin tells for the first time the story of his extraordinary journey. Ahmed will play Amin, while Coster-Waldau voices Rasmussen.
“I was floored...
- 1/22/2021
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
True-crime is a popular genre of documentary these days, yielding multiple Emmy wins for nonfiction series like “The Jinx,” “Making a Murderer” and “Wild Wild Country.” But they haven’t been as common at the Oscars. The tragic story chronicled in “Finding Yingying” could change that.
SEE2021 Oscars: Watch chats with 8 creators of Best Documentary contenders
“Finding Yingying” tells the story of the disappearance of Chinese graduate student Yingying Zhang attending an American university, after which her family travels to the US from their home country to learn what happened to her. But while it deals with crime, it’s not just a procedural about the justice system. It’s also personal, as director Jenny Shi embeds with the Zhang family and draws parallels between herself and Yingying: they were the same age and both attended Peking University in China before traveling to the US.
The film was set to...
SEE2021 Oscars: Watch chats with 8 creators of Best Documentary contenders
“Finding Yingying” tells the story of the disappearance of Chinese graduate student Yingying Zhang attending an American university, after which her family travels to the US from their home country to learn what happened to her. But while it deals with crime, it’s not just a procedural about the justice system. It’s also personal, as director Jenny Shi embeds with the Zhang family and draws parallels between herself and Yingying: they were the same age and both attended Peking University in China before traveling to the US.
The film was set to...
- 12/30/2020
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
The Sundance Film Festival is just around the corner and from the look of things, it’s going to be a little different this year.
The Sundance Institute released a teaser trailer on Tuesday to hype people up for the 2021 iteration Park City-based fest which has been the destination for some of Hollywood’s most critically acclaimed and iconic films. The trailer also serves as the launch of the dedicated online home for the fest. Sundance is set to run from January 28 to February 3, 2021.
“Welcome to the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. A new chapter filled with possibilities. Despite the challenges this year has brought, nothing could stop us from celebrating independent film, visionary artists, unique perspectives, and you, our adventurous audiences. So, for the first time ever, we are bringing the festival to you—both online and in the real world across the US and beyond,” said Festival Director Tabitha Jackson...
The Sundance Institute released a teaser trailer on Tuesday to hype people up for the 2021 iteration Park City-based fest which has been the destination for some of Hollywood’s most critically acclaimed and iconic films. The trailer also serves as the launch of the dedicated online home for the fest. Sundance is set to run from January 28 to February 3, 2021.
“Welcome to the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. A new chapter filled with possibilities. Despite the challenges this year has brought, nothing could stop us from celebrating independent film, visionary artists, unique perspectives, and you, our adventurous audiences. So, for the first time ever, we are bringing the festival to you—both online and in the real world across the US and beyond,” said Festival Director Tabitha Jackson...
- 11/17/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
After premiering to great acclaim at Sundance in early 2020, the documentary “Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen” was eventually acquired by Netflix, and it debuted on the streaming service on June 19 right in the middle of Pride Month. As the studio behind two of the last three winners of Best Documentary Feature at the Oscars (2017’s “Icarus” and 2019’s “American Factory”), could Netflix have another contender on its hands with this film?
Directed by Sam Feder, “Disclosure” examines the history of trans representation in film and television dating back to the early days of silent movies. Throughout we are shown the evolution of trans portrayals in everything from Bugs Bunny cartoons, classic television and film to contemporary series such as FX’s “Pose.” There are also looks at award-winning films and television programs that have, with time, been seen as more controversial and potentially problematic, including Oscar winners “The Silence of the Lambs...
Directed by Sam Feder, “Disclosure” examines the history of trans representation in film and television dating back to the early days of silent movies. Throughout we are shown the evolution of trans portrayals in everything from Bugs Bunny cartoons, classic television and film to contemporary series such as FX’s “Pose.” There are also looks at award-winning films and television programs that have, with time, been seen as more controversial and potentially problematic, including Oscar winners “The Silence of the Lambs...
- 10/19/2020
- by Tony Ruiz
- Gold Derby
Exclusive: Lauren Greenfield’s Girl Culture Films, a female-driven commercial production company founded earlier this year by The Queen of Versailles director and her producing partner/husband Frank Evers, is bolstering its roster and adding a screening series to showcase its clients.
John Lewis: Good Trouble director Dawn Porter, The Breaker Uppers duo Jackie van Beek and Madeleine Sami, and former Snapchat exec Rylee Jean Ebsen are the latest names to join the Girl Culture roster of directors seeking commercial projects and branded content opportunities with the aim to amplify female and diverse voices. That group already includes Karyn Kusama, Catherine Hardwicke, Heidi Ewing and Barbara Kopple among others.
With the additions, Girl Culture on Monday also unwrapped its plans to launch a weekly virtual screening series for the advertising and creative community. It begins this week, October 14, with John Lewis: Good Trouble, Porter’s pic about the congressman and...
John Lewis: Good Trouble director Dawn Porter, The Breaker Uppers duo Jackie van Beek and Madeleine Sami, and former Snapchat exec Rylee Jean Ebsen are the latest names to join the Girl Culture roster of directors seeking commercial projects and branded content opportunities with the aim to amplify female and diverse voices. That group already includes Karyn Kusama, Catherine Hardwicke, Heidi Ewing and Barbara Kopple among others.
With the additions, Girl Culture on Monday also unwrapped its plans to launch a weekly virtual screening series for the advertising and creative community. It begins this week, October 14, with John Lewis: Good Trouble, Porter’s pic about the congressman and...
- 10/12/2020
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Field of Vision on Wednesday announced that, following the indefinite end of Tribeca Film Institute’s programs, the organization will be taking one of Tfi’s filmmaker-mentorship programs under its wing. The If/Then Shorts program, which provides funding and guidance for short documentary filmmakers, will be moving to the nonprofit Field of Vision, along with its program director Chloe Gbai and supervising producer Caitlin Mae Burke.
The move speaks to the value Tfi’s programs have brought to the film community. Filmmakers have voiced disappointment and concern when the for-profit Tribeca Enterprises announced in May that it would be winding down operations at its nonprofit arm, which was widely considered a crown jewel of Tribeca.
“If/Then Shorts is an incredible program, and one that’s vital to the field. We’re so glad that they can find their new home with Field of Vision,” said Charlotte Cook, Fov’s co-founder and executive producer.
The move speaks to the value Tfi’s programs have brought to the film community. Filmmakers have voiced disappointment and concern when the for-profit Tribeca Enterprises announced in May that it would be winding down operations at its nonprofit arm, which was widely considered a crown jewel of Tribeca.
“If/Then Shorts is an incredible program, and one that’s vital to the field. We’re so glad that they can find their new home with Field of Vision,” said Charlotte Cook, Fov’s co-founder and executive producer.
- 7/22/2020
- by Chris Lindahl
- Indiewire
Exclusive: CAA has signed Award-winning filmmaker Yance Ford.
Ford is best known for his Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning documentary Strong Island. The feature premiered at Sundance in 2017 and is a Netflix Original. The feature docu chronicles the 1992 murder of Ford’s brother and the failure of the all-white grand jury to indict his killer. In addition to the Emmy win and the Oscar recognition, the docu raked in prizes from Sundance, Frameline and other festivals, as well as multiple Cinema Eye Honors.
He made history as the first openly trans man to be nominated for an Academy Award and also made Emmy history as the first openly trans man — a trans man of color for that matter — to win Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking for the Netflix documentary.
Ford was previously repped by ICM. He continues to be repped by attorney Nina Shaw at Del, Shaw, Moonves, Tanaka, Finkelstein & Lezcano.
Ford is best known for his Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning documentary Strong Island. The feature premiered at Sundance in 2017 and is a Netflix Original. The feature docu chronicles the 1992 murder of Ford’s brother and the failure of the all-white grand jury to indict his killer. In addition to the Emmy win and the Oscar recognition, the docu raked in prizes from Sundance, Frameline and other festivals, as well as multiple Cinema Eye Honors.
He made history as the first openly trans man to be nominated for an Academy Award and also made Emmy history as the first openly trans man — a trans man of color for that matter — to win Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking for the Netflix documentary.
Ford was previously repped by ICM. He continues to be repped by attorney Nina Shaw at Del, Shaw, Moonves, Tanaka, Finkelstein & Lezcano.
- 6/25/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Now that coronavirus cases are spiking thanks to states who thought it necessary to prematurely relax their social distancing guidelines, don’t look surprised if the entirety of America finds itself under a second lockdown pretty soon. If that happens, our faith in humanity may be lost indefinitely, but at least we’ve got Netflix to help us drown our sorrows in a sea of content. And, to that end, here are some of the best originals currently available on the platform that you may want to watch this month.
Let’s start with some topical entries first. In light of the recent civil rights protests following the death of George Floyd and other African American victims of police brutality and systematic racism, the streamer got busy acquiring a ton of content by, for and/or about minority cultures in order to foster better understanding in this highly diverse nation.
Let’s start with some topical entries first. In light of the recent civil rights protests following the death of George Floyd and other African American victims of police brutality and systematic racism, the streamer got busy acquiring a ton of content by, for and/or about minority cultures in order to foster better understanding in this highly diverse nation.
- 6/19/2020
- by Tim Brinkhof
- We Got This Covered
As an educational resource about systemic racism in the United States, Netflix released the Strong Island documentary for free on YouTube on June 10. Initially released on Netflix in 2017, Strong Island follows director Yance Ford's investigation of the 1992 murder of his brother, William Ford Jr. However, the heartbreaking journey doesn't just follow the murder of an unarmed 24-year-old Black man at the hands of a 19-year-old white mechanic, but the story of Ford's family and how they dealt with racism in America.
Strong Island is a deeply personal documentary, intercut with home movies and family pictures, detailing how such a seemingly close family could fall apart in the wake of tragedy. As a transgender Black filmmaker, Ford feels like he checks "a lot of boxes for other people," and because of this, he hopes he can "help some people maybe go back and see what was in front of their faces the entire time.
Strong Island is a deeply personal documentary, intercut with home movies and family pictures, detailing how such a seemingly close family could fall apart in the wake of tragedy. As a transgender Black filmmaker, Ford feels like he checks "a lot of boxes for other people," and because of this, he hopes he can "help some people maybe go back and see what was in front of their faces the entire time.
- 6/10/2020
- by Grayson Gilcrease
- Popsugar.com
At such an unprecedented moment in time, with more demand than ever for streaming content, the sheer volume of films across all the major Svod platforms — specifically Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu and now Disney+ — can make finding a genuinely great movie an arduous task. But what can be even more aggravating is when a sought-after title is not available on any streaming platform whatsoever. This is currently true for several consequential films directed by black filmmakers, and it behooves any major streamer to consider acquiring these titles for their libraries.
But that’s not to say that there aren’t major films from black directors available on significant Svod platforms. Here are 10 titles that are currently available to stream on either Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu or Disney+, listed in chronological order. This list will be updated regularly.
“School Daze” (1987)
“School Daze” was inspired by director Spike Lee’s own experiences in a deeply entrenched,...
But that’s not to say that there aren’t major films from black directors available on significant Svod platforms. Here are 10 titles that are currently available to stream on either Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu or Disney+, listed in chronological order. This list will be updated regularly.
“School Daze” (1987)
“School Daze” was inspired by director Spike Lee’s own experiences in a deeply entrenched,...
- 5/4/2020
- by Tambay Obenson
- Indiewire
Ava DuVernay’s Array is presenting its fourth filmmaker tweet-a-thon, Array Film Fellowship. The annual daylong social media event is set to kick off on April 30 at 9 am Pt and will run for a staggering 10 hours and feature the voices of over 50 directors.
From Academy Award winners to veterans to legends to new voices the Twitter takeover will feature Guillermo Del Toro, Patty Jenkins, Jon M. Chu, Julie Dash, Jill Soloway, Patricia Cardoso, Mira Nair, George Tillman, Victoria Mahoney, Diane Paragas, Nisha Ganatra, Prentice Penny, Numa Perrier and many more.
More from DeadlineRusso Brothers To Celebrate One-Year Anniversary Of 'Avengers: Endgame' With Live Tweet RewatchSnap Surges 37%, Facebook Follows As Social Media Stocks Rally In Upbeat MarketTwitter Founder-ceo Jack Dorsey Made $1.40 In 2019, Even With Year Before
The filmmakers will wax poetic on the social media platform and share details about their craft, latest projects, take questions from film lovers...
From Academy Award winners to veterans to legends to new voices the Twitter takeover will feature Guillermo Del Toro, Patty Jenkins, Jon M. Chu, Julie Dash, Jill Soloway, Patricia Cardoso, Mira Nair, George Tillman, Victoria Mahoney, Diane Paragas, Nisha Ganatra, Prentice Penny, Numa Perrier and many more.
More from DeadlineRusso Brothers To Celebrate One-Year Anniversary Of 'Avengers: Endgame' With Live Tweet RewatchSnap Surges 37%, Facebook Follows As Social Media Stocks Rally In Upbeat MarketTwitter Founder-ceo Jack Dorsey Made $1.40 In 2019, Even With Year Before
The filmmakers will wax poetic on the social media platform and share details about their craft, latest projects, take questions from film lovers...
- 4/27/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Joslyn Barnes and Chien’s first collaboration is an upcoming installation project by Academy Award nominee RaMell Ross.
Us independent producer Karin Chien is joining forces with New York-based Louverture Films.
Louverture was co-founded by Joslyn Barnes and Danny Glover along with partners Susan Rockefeller, Bertha Foundation and Sawsan Asfari; the company’s credits include Hale County This Morning, This Evening and Strong Island.
Chien has previously won the Cinereach Producing Award and Piaget Independent Spirit Producers Award and has worked on films including Circumstance, The Exploding Girl and Stones In The Sun.
The first collaboration planned between Barnes and...
Us independent producer Karin Chien is joining forces with New York-based Louverture Films.
Louverture was co-founded by Joslyn Barnes and Danny Glover along with partners Susan Rockefeller, Bertha Foundation and Sawsan Asfari; the company’s credits include Hale County This Morning, This Evening and Strong Island.
Chien has previously won the Cinereach Producing Award and Piaget Independent Spirit Producers Award and has worked on films including Circumstance, The Exploding Girl and Stones In The Sun.
The first collaboration planned between Barnes and...
- 2/18/2020
- by 1100142¦Wendy Mitchell¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
During an interview at the Variety Studio at the Sundance Film Festival, a panel of transgender activists — who appear in director Sam Feder’s documentary “Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen,” which premiered at the festival — scoffed at the idea of voting for Pete Buttigieg.
When asked whom they’ll vote for as the primaries approach, Jen Richards — a writer, actor and advocate, who appeared on the Caitlyn Jenner reality series, “I Am Cait” — said she’s voting for Elizabeth Warren. “This is the person so wonky, and who really wants to do things right,” Richards said. “Whether it’s realistic or not, I don’t know. But I support her.”
Zeke Smith, who in 2017 was outed as trans as a contestant on “Survivor,” and was another “Disclosure” panelist, agreed with Richards. “As a high school debater from Oklahoma City who also ended up at Harvard, I feel like I have...
When asked whom they’ll vote for as the primaries approach, Jen Richards — a writer, actor and advocate, who appeared on the Caitlyn Jenner reality series, “I Am Cait” — said she’s voting for Elizabeth Warren. “This is the person so wonky, and who really wants to do things right,” Richards said. “Whether it’s realistic or not, I don’t know. But I support her.”
Zeke Smith, who in 2017 was outed as trans as a contestant on “Survivor,” and was another “Disclosure” panelist, agreed with Richards. “As a high school debater from Oklahoma City who also ended up at Harvard, I feel like I have...
- 1/30/2020
- by Kate Aurthur
- Variety Film + TV
“Psycho.” “The Silence of the Lambs.” “Dressed to Kill.” What do all of these classic films have in common? They feature a transgender or gender variant person as a psychotic, deranged, murderous villain. The pesky trope began with “Psycho,” in what would become a favorite theme of Alfred Hitchcock’s, and proliferated throughout some of the most iconic thrillers of the last fifty years. Then there’s the “trans deception” narrative, which originated with dramas like “The Crying Game” and “M. Butterfly” but soon became a mainstay in comedies like “Tootsie,” “Bosom Buddies,” and “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.”
There are countless troubling examples of trans characters being portrayed as evil and duplicitous or sad and pathetic, far more than the average cinephile realizes. Most of the time, trans characters die before the end of a movie or TV episode. They’re all discussed in “Disclosure: Trans Lives Onscreen,” a new...
There are countless troubling examples of trans characters being portrayed as evil and duplicitous or sad and pathetic, far more than the average cinephile realizes. Most of the time, trans characters die before the end of a movie or TV episode. They’re all discussed in “Disclosure: Trans Lives Onscreen,” a new...
- 1/27/2020
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Each January, the Cinema Eye Honors allow the documentary community to celebrate the non-fiction achievements of the previous year with more energy and authenticity than any of the season’s other, bigger awards shows. In many ways, the 14th edition — which took place at the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens on Monday night — was a typical example, a loose production filled with jocular moments unique to the tight-knit non-fiction crowd. But it wasn’t devoid of somber moments.
The audience was filled with accomplished documentary filmmakers who cheered on their peers as they won in categories that ranged from cinematography to editing and graphic design, spreading the love for documentary achievements on virtually every level of the production process. As usual, the ceremony eschewed star power for presenters from the documentary world, including its host.
While the past five years have been hosted by “Hoop Dreams” director Steve James,...
The audience was filled with accomplished documentary filmmakers who cheered on their peers as they won in categories that ranged from cinematography to editing and graphic design, spreading the love for documentary achievements on virtually every level of the production process. As usual, the ceremony eschewed star power for presenters from the documentary world, including its host.
While the past five years have been hosted by “Hoop Dreams” director Steve James,...
- 1/7/2020
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
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