MSNBC’s “Model America” exposes the myth that Teaneck, NJ was a post racial utopian society for Teaneck, NJ by delving into the horrific shooting of Phillip Pannel in 1990.
Growing up in Teaneck, New Jersey, co-director Dani Goffstein first learned about Phillip Pannel, a 16-year-old Black man killed by a white police officer, when his father pointed out a yellow house as they walked home from synagogue. The story of injustice in what many label as a model community of America stayed with him into adulthood when the 2014 killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri prompted Goffstein to examine the similarities of the cases.
“There were two different narratives of what what happened there,” Goffstein told TheWrap. “There was the one from the cop saying that this guy was trying to like shoot him or assault him and the witnesses saying he had his hands up saying ‘don’t shoot.
Growing up in Teaneck, New Jersey, co-director Dani Goffstein first learned about Phillip Pannel, a 16-year-old Black man killed by a white police officer, when his father pointed out a yellow house as they walked home from synagogue. The story of injustice in what many label as a model community of America stayed with him into adulthood when the 2014 killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri prompted Goffstein to examine the similarities of the cases.
“There were two different narratives of what what happened there,” Goffstein told TheWrap. “There was the one from the cop saying that this guy was trying to like shoot him or assault him and the witnesses saying he had his hands up saying ‘don’t shoot.
- 9/24/2022
- by Loree Seitz
- The Wrap
Lionsgate has pulled out of a documentary project about Bill Cosby, Variety has learned. The project was in the works for years with Cosby’s cooperation, and has gained attention since he was released from prison. But now, the company has killed it, opening the door for it to be shopped elsewhere.
Since Cosby was freed on June 30 after his conviction was overturned, his spokesperson Andrew Wyatt has talked up a five-part docuseries by documentarian Michelle Major. According to her credits, Major co-directed and co-produced “Venus and Serena,” a 2013 documentary about the Williams sisters that was distributed by Magnolia Pictures, and was an executive producer on Vice’s “Black Lives Matter: A Global Reckoning” series this year.
Wyatt disputes the assertion that Lionsgate has dropped Major’s Cosby docuseries. Several hours after Variety published this story on Friday, Wyatt responded to a request for comment, and wrote: “I just spoke...
Since Cosby was freed on June 30 after his conviction was overturned, his spokesperson Andrew Wyatt has talked up a five-part docuseries by documentarian Michelle Major. According to her credits, Major co-directed and co-produced “Venus and Serena,” a 2013 documentary about the Williams sisters that was distributed by Magnolia Pictures, and was an executive producer on Vice’s “Black Lives Matter: A Global Reckoning” series this year.
Wyatt disputes the assertion that Lionsgate has dropped Major’s Cosby docuseries. Several hours after Variety published this story on Friday, Wyatt responded to a request for comment, and wrote: “I just spoke...
- 7/30/2021
- by Kate Aurthur
- Variety Film + TV
The Act Of Killing | This Is The End | Despicable Me 2 | The East | Stories We Tell | Hummingbird | Stand Up Guys | Renoir | I Want Your Love | Night Of Silence | The Battle Of The Sexes | Venus And Serena
The Act Of Killing (15)
(Joshua Oppenheimer, 2012, Den/Nor/UK/Swe/Fin) 122 mins
This astounding documentary is so packed with surreal scenarios, casual corruption and inhumanity, it's difficult to believe it's actually true. It tracks down perpetrators of Indonesia's 60s anti-communist massacres, finding them openly unrepentant about their past atrocities; so much so, they're happy to re-enact them as cinematic scenarios. As well as illuminating modern Indonesia, the process says much about history, its representation and its victors.
This Is The End (15)
(Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen, 2013, Us) Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, James Franco, Jonah Hill. 107 mins
The apocalypse crashes James Franco's Hollywood house party, resulting in a enjoyably crude comedy that mixes stoner-buddy goofing...
The Act Of Killing (15)
(Joshua Oppenheimer, 2012, Den/Nor/UK/Swe/Fin) 122 mins
This astounding documentary is so packed with surreal scenarios, casual corruption and inhumanity, it's difficult to believe it's actually true. It tracks down perpetrators of Indonesia's 60s anti-communist massacres, finding them openly unrepentant about their past atrocities; so much so, they're happy to re-enact them as cinematic scenarios. As well as illuminating modern Indonesia, the process says much about history, its representation and its victors.
This Is The End (15)
(Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen, 2013, Us) Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, James Franco, Jonah Hill. 107 mins
The apocalypse crashes James Franco's Hollywood house party, resulting in a enjoyably crude comedy that mixes stoner-buddy goofing...
- 6/29/2013
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
Currently mired in a bit of controversy with the Usta suing the filmmakers, Magnolia Pictures will release Venus And Serena (the feature documentary directed and produced by Maiken Baird and Michelle Major) in theaters on DVD and Blu-ray on July 2, 2013. The film gives audiences an unfiltered look into the remarkable lives of the greatest sister act professional tennis has ever seen. In a sport where they were not welcomed, the indomitable Williams sisters faced the opposition with grace and courage, not only breaking new ground for female and African American athletes everywhere, but also dominating the women's game for over a decade. The film...
- 6/19/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: July 2, 2013
Price: DVD $26.98, Blu-ray $29.98
Studio: Magnolia
Venus and Serena Williams following the 2008 Wimbledon Women's Singles Final, which Venus won.
The 2012 documentary film Venus and Serena chronicles the lives and careers of the greatest sister-act professional tennis have ever seen, Venus and Serena Williams.
In a sport where they have always courted controversy and they arguably appeared not to be welcome, the indomitable Williams sisters not only faced their opposers on and off the court and broke new ground for female and African American athletes everywhere, but dominated the women’s game for over a decade.
Directed by Maiken Baird and Michelle Major and filled with interviews with the Williams sisters and others, the film picks up in 2011, when Venus grappled with an energy-sapping autoimmune disease and Serena battled back from a dangerous pulmonary embolism
The PG-13-rated film, which opened in a limited theatrical release in May,...
Price: DVD $26.98, Blu-ray $29.98
Studio: Magnolia
Venus and Serena Williams following the 2008 Wimbledon Women's Singles Final, which Venus won.
The 2012 documentary film Venus and Serena chronicles the lives and careers of the greatest sister-act professional tennis have ever seen, Venus and Serena Williams.
In a sport where they have always courted controversy and they arguably appeared not to be welcome, the indomitable Williams sisters not only faced their opposers on and off the court and broke new ground for female and African American athletes everywhere, but dominated the women’s game for over a decade.
Directed by Maiken Baird and Michelle Major and filled with interviews with the Williams sisters and others, the film picks up in 2011, when Venus grappled with an energy-sapping autoimmune disease and Serena battled back from a dangerous pulmonary embolism
The PG-13-rated film, which opened in a limited theatrical release in May,...
- 6/18/2013
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
On the cusp of premiering on Showtime, the documentary Venus and Serena has drawn a lawsuit from the United States Tennis Association. On Friday, the Usta filed a complaint in New York federal court that alleges that filmmakers Maiken Baird and Michelle Major used unauthorized footage in their film about the rise of tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams. The lawsuit has already been discussed by news outlets like The New York Times, reporting about the copyright allegations, but the other claims could make this dispute worth close attention. If this was a straight-forward copyright claim about unlicensed footage,
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- 6/18/2013
- by Eriq Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Veteran broadcast journalists Maiken Baird and Michelle Major spent four years obtaining access to the private world of tennis superstars the Williams sisters for "Venus and Serena," which debuted last September at the Toronto Film Festival. But when the tennis documentary distilled from 450 hours of footage finally premiered, it did so without the Williams sisters. On September 11, they withdrew their support of the film. The sisters signed on knowing they would not have final approval over the film's content, say the filmmakers. As first reported by the La Times, they disagreed with how their father, Richard Williams, was portrayed, and despite several adjustments to the film, the sisters--particularly Venus--were not satisfied at the time of the Toronto premiere. (The festival had moved the premiere date to accommodate their busy schedules.) At a Q & A following the film, Baird said that the Williams sisters simply haven't had time to adjust to seeing themselves.
- 5/10/2013
- by Anne Thompson and Sophia Savage
- Thompson on Hollywood
Magnolia Pictures is opening Venus And Serena (the feature documentary directed and produced by Maiken Baird and Michelle Major) in theaters today, May 10. The film gives audiences an unfiltered look into the remarkable lives of the greatest sister act professional tennis has ever seen. In a sport where they were not welcomed, the indomitable Williams sisters faced the opposition with grace and courage, not only breaking new ground for female and African American athletes everywhere, but also dominating the women's game for over a decade. The film includes interviews with Bill Clinton, Billie Jean King, John McEnroe, Arnon...
- 5/10/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Opening in theaters today, Friday May 10, Toronto Film Festival documentary Venus and Serena follows the famed tennis champions from the Australian Open in January 2011 to the U.S. Open the following fall. What was intended as a victory tale became a film about overcoming adversity as both sisters sustained injuries and illness throughout the course of filming - Venus with a hip injury and Sjogren's syndrome, and Serena with a foot injury and pulmonary embolism. I spoke with producer-directors Michelle Major and Maiken Baird about the film and what it was like to be up close and personal with the Williams sisters for nearly a year. S&A: You spent a year filming with the Williams...
- 5/10/2013
- by Jai Tiggett
- ShadowAndAct
Say some super villain like Lex Luthor or Donald Trump has taken you prisoner and forced you to play a doubles match to save your life. The one person you'd pick to go into battle with would have to be one of the Williams sisters -- Venus Williams or Serena Williams. True warriors of the court, they have dominated the game for a decade and a half and you'd bet your life on their competitive edge.
And you'd need one of them, because chances are, the other has agreed to partner up with the villain.
"Venus and Serena" is an intimate, mostly glowing portrait of these two closer-than-close tennis champions, siblings who have battled the best players the rest of the world has to offer, the tennis establishment and each other, courting controversy almost every step of the way.
Filmmakers Maiken Baird and Michelle Major followed the sisters through a...
And you'd need one of them, because chances are, the other has agreed to partner up with the villain.
"Venus and Serena" is an intimate, mostly glowing portrait of these two closer-than-close tennis champions, siblings who have battled the best players the rest of the world has to offer, the tennis establishment and each other, courting controversy almost every step of the way.
Filmmakers Maiken Baird and Michelle Major followed the sisters through a...
- 5/9/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Pop2it
Magnolia Pictures will release Venus And Serena (the feature documentary directed and produced by Maiken Baird and Michelle Major) in theaters on May 10 (although it's now on iTunes, so you can watch it anytime before May 10, in the comfort of your home). The film gives audiences an unfiltered look into the remarkable lives of the greatest sister act professional tennis has ever seen. In a sport where they were not welcomed, the indomitable Williams sisters faced the opposition with grace and courage, not only breaking new ground for female and African American athletes everywhere, but also dominating the women's game for over a decade. The...
- 4/10/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
After premiering in Toronto and screening at various festivals including Doc NYC and the Miami International Film Festival, Maiken Baird and Michelle Major's upcoming documentary "Venus & Serena," about the famed siblings and tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams, has released a trailer ahead of the film's VOD release later this week. Charting their unlikely path from growing up in Compton to becoming two of the best and most well known players in the sport, the documentary focuses on the opposition facing their journey through the years, whether it be other players, health, or race. The film features interviews with Bill Clinton, Bille Jean King, John McEnroe and many others, in addition to the Williams sisters, who the crew followed through much of the oft-publicized 2011 tennis season in which mounting health problems threatened the future of their careers. Magnolia Pictures will release "Venus & Serena" on VOD on April 4 with a limited theatrical release following a.
- 4/2/2013
- by Cameron Sinz
- Indiewire
Magnolia Pictures will release Venus And Serena (the feature documentary directed and produced by Maiken Baird and Michelle Major) in theaters on May 10 (it'll be on VOD a month before, on April 4). The film gives audiences an unfiltered look into the remarkable lives of the greatest sister act professional tennis has ever seen. In a sport where they were not welcomed, the indomitable Williams sisters faced the opposition with grace and courage, not only breaking new ground for female and African American athletes everywhere, but also dominating the women's game for over a decade. The film includes interviews with Bill Clinton, Billie Jean King, John McEnroe, Arnon Milchan, Gay Telese,...
- 3/28/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Magnolia Pictures will release Venus And Serena (the feature documentary directed and produced by Maiken Baird and Michelle Major) in theaters on May 10 (it'll be on VOD a month before, on April 4). The film takes an unfiltered look into the remarkable lives of the greatest sister-act professional tennis has ever seen. In a sport where they were not welcomed, the indomitable Williams sisters faced the opposition with grace and courage not only breaking new ground for female and African American athletes everywhere, but dominating the women's game for over a decade. The film includes interviews with Bill Clinton, Billie Jean King, John McEnroe, Arnon Milchan, Gay Telese, Anna Wintour among...
- 3/14/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
The end of the Miami International Film Festival was celebrated with Awards Night and a showing of the documentary “Venus and Serena.” The film, created by Maiken Baird and Michelle Major, shows the lives of tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams during the roughest year of their collective careers. The film highlights their health battles–Venus’ diagnosis of Sjogren’s Syndrome and Serena’s battle with blood clots–as well as how the two began their careers as children. What I liked about the film was how it did show the sisters’ initial talent, their father Richard’s intense foresight and the racism the two faced as they advanced in their careers. It was especially [ Read More ]
The post Miami International Film Festival Review: Venus And Serena appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Miami International Film Festival Review: Venus And Serena appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 3/10/2013
- by monique
- ShockYa
Magnolia Pictures will release Venus And Serena (the feature documentary directed and produced by Maiken Baird and Michelle Major) in theatres on May 10 (VOD a month before on April 4). The film takes an unfiltered look into the remarkable lives of the greatest sister-act professional tennis has ever seen. In a sport where they were not welcomed, the indomitable Williams sisters faced the opposition with grace and courage not only breaking new ground for female and African American athletes everywhere, but dominating the women's game for over a decade. he film includes interviews with Bill Clinton, Billie Jean King, John McEnroe, Arnon Milchan, Gay Telese, Anna Wintour among others. By...
- 3/6/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
U.K. and German sales and finance banner K5 International has boarded Maiken Baird and Michelle Major’s controversial documentary Venus and Serena. Baird and Major’s film follows the emergence and rise of tennis’ most formidable and successful siblings, Venus and Serena Williams. Billed as offering a rare opportunity to leap the often media-controlled environment of the living sports legends, Venus and Williams offers unprecedented access to their lives, both in the spotlight and behind closed doors. The movie world-premiered in Toronto with the sisters lined up to attend. But at the last minute, they pulled out, withdrawing support for the film
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- 2/10/2013
- by Stuart Kemp , Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
With their Stranger than Fiction series at New York City’s IFC Center, Thom Powers and Raphaela Neihausen have been curating, programming and advocating for documentary film going on eight years now. Their Tuesday-night events are typically packed, drawing audiences with not only great films but human interaction — Q&A’s with directors, collaborators, and even the film’s subjects. Three years ago, Powers and Neihausen wondered why there wasn’t a major, all-doc festival in New York and decided to embrace the challenge of creating one. The resulting Doc NYC is now in its third year (November 8 – 15), with a new, second theater and its largest program yet (115 events, 61 films and 22 panels and classes). Opening night November 8 features Bartholomew Cubbins’ Artifact, about Jared Leto’s band 30 Seconds to Mars and its legal battle with label Emi (Leto will be in attendance) and Venus and Serena, Michelle Major and Maiken Baird...
- 11/8/2012
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Doc NYC, in its third year, runs November 8-15 and kicks off with two opening night films, "Artifact" and "Venus and Serena," which premiered amidst controversy at Tiff. Director Bartholomew Cubbins' "Artifact," making its Us premiere, follows Jared Leto's band Thirty Seconds to Mars, while Maiken Baird and Michelle Major "Venus and Serena" grants audiences unprecedented access into the lives of the tennis world's famous Williams' sisters. The festival will close with Ken Burns' "The Central Park Five." Also playing at the festival are several high-profile docs and possible Oscar contenders including Malik Bendjelloul's "Searching for Sugar Man" and Bart Layton's "The Imposter" (which both recently topped the Cinema Eye nominations), Amy Berg's "West of Memphis," Rory Kennedy's "Ethel," David France's "How to Survive a Plague," and Alex...
- 11/7/2012
- by Sophia Savage
- Thompson on Hollywood
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