During our time at San Diego Comic-Con, we got the chance to sit down with the directors of the Lego Brickumentary and a Lego brick artist. Come inside to check out the interviews!
When I was contacted by their PR rep I immediately jumped at the chance to interview Oscar-Winning, Daniel Junge and Oscar-Nominated Director, Kief Davidson. As an added bonus I also got to speak with Lego brick artist, Nathan Sawaya.
In the past Daniel Junge has worked on documentary such as Iron Ladies of Liberia, They Killed Sister Dorothy, Saving Face and Fight Church to name a few. Co-director, Keif Davidson is best known for his work on The Devil’s Miner, Kassim the Dream and Open Heart. Check out my interview with them below.
As aforementioned, I also spoke to former former lawyer turned award-winning brick artist, Nathan Sawaya. Not only does he work on his own...
When I was contacted by their PR rep I immediately jumped at the chance to interview Oscar-Winning, Daniel Junge and Oscar-Nominated Director, Kief Davidson. As an added bonus I also got to speak with Lego brick artist, Nathan Sawaya.
In the past Daniel Junge has worked on documentary such as Iron Ladies of Liberia, They Killed Sister Dorothy, Saving Face and Fight Church to name a few. Co-director, Keif Davidson is best known for his work on The Devil’s Miner, Kassim the Dream and Open Heart. Check out my interview with them below.
As aforementioned, I also spoke to former former lawyer turned award-winning brick artist, Nathan Sawaya. Not only does he work on his own...
- 7/15/2015
- by feeds@cinelinx.com (Mike Petty)
- Cinelinx
"He was a superhero, a real living superhero," "Jackass" star Johnny Knoxville told EW about stuntman extraordinaire Evel Knievel, adding "he was the ultimate showman/salesman. He was so smart, and he was so charismatic. He could talk anyone into anything. He’s one of the great characters of the 20th century, period." Knoxville shares that sentiment in this exclusive clip from the forthcoming documentary "Being Evel," premiering at the Sundance Film Festival. Co-produced by Knoxville and directed by Daniel Junge ("Fight Church," the Oscar winning "Saving Face"), the film takes viewers back to a time when a real life superhero captured the nation's imagination in the 1970s, risking life and limb (and often broke many in the process) to accomplish fantastic, unprecedented feats. And as you'll see in this exclusive clip, with Knievel visiting Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, sometimes those attempts went horribly,...
- 1/21/2015
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
All judgment aside, the pastors are presented as perfectly nice human beings, but this all just seems a wee bit hypocritical for staunch disciples of Jesus. Storkel and Junge, however, admirably approach their subjects with seemingly no hidden agendas; the perspective of Fight Church is one that is mesmerized by the inherent contradictions of combining Christianity with fighting for sport. If there is one word to synopsize Fight Church it probably would be mesmerizing. Even for someone with little interest in Christianity or mixed martial arts, Fight Church serves as an incredibly intriguing portrait of a strange and utterly inexplicable dichotomy that will prompt you to contemplate the roles of religion and fighting for sport in our crazy modern world.
- 10/8/2014
- by Don Simpson
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
"Jesus never tapped out" is a phrase you'll hear a few times in the documentary "Fight Church," and it's confirmation that Christianity has seeped into the mainstream—and vice versa. From arena-sized places of worship to faith-based box office hits to even modest churches boasting sound and light shows, being a Christian is practically cool, and with the addition of mixed martial arts, enticingly dangerous. Director Bryan Storkel has made the intersection of Christianity and offbeat niches something of a specialty, helming "Holy Rollers: The True Story Of Card Counting Christians" (review here) and producing the Bible Belt true crime tale "Little Hope Was Arson" (review here). While the films may walk in the realm of religion, they don't push an agenda, with the filmmaker seemingly genuinely fascinated by the contradictions of contemporary Christian life. That's true too of "Fight Church," co-directed by Oscar winner Daniel Junge,...
- 9/16/2014
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
The distributor has taken world rights to Electric City Entertainment’s drama starring Chris Messina, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Don Johnson, Derek Luke and Katie Nehra.
Messina makes his feature directorial debut on the drama, which premiered earlier this year at Tribeca and will makes several more stops on the festival circuit prior to a day-and-date theatrical and VOD launch in the first half of 2015.
Wanstead plays a workaholic environmental attorney who must reinvent herself after her husband leaves.
Screen Media negotiated the deal with Kevin Iwashina of Preferred Content.
Directors Daniel Junge and Bryan Storkel will partner with Lionsgate and Netflix to distribute their pastor cage fighting documentary Fight Church. The filmmakers have also launched a partnership with Morgan Spurlock’s company Warrior Poets to develop a reality series based on the film. Lionsgate acquired VOD rights for North America and will premiere the film on September 16 on iTunes and other digital platforms. Netflix acquired...
Messina makes his feature directorial debut on the drama, which premiered earlier this year at Tribeca and will makes several more stops on the festival circuit prior to a day-and-date theatrical and VOD launch in the first half of 2015.
Wanstead plays a workaholic environmental attorney who must reinvent herself after her husband leaves.
Screen Media negotiated the deal with Kevin Iwashina of Preferred Content.
Directors Daniel Junge and Bryan Storkel will partner with Lionsgate and Netflix to distribute their pastor cage fighting documentary Fight Church. The filmmakers have also launched a partnership with Morgan Spurlock’s company Warrior Poets to develop a reality series based on the film. Lionsgate acquired VOD rights for North America and will premiere the film on September 16 on iTunes and other digital platforms. Netflix acquired...
- 9/3/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Lionsgate and Morgan Spurlock’s Warrior Poets banner have sealed separate deals for Fight Church, the feature documentary tracking a group of Mixed Martial Arts-fighting pastors whose violent practices have sparked controversy within the Christian community.
Co-directed by Oscar-winner Daniel Junge (Saving Face, Beyond The Brick: A Lego Brickumentary) and Bryan Storkel (Holy Rollers: The True Story Of Card Counting Christians), Fight Church follows several Mma-battling ministers who preach from the pulpit and the octagon and even train fighters using the teachings of the Bible. Lionsgate sprang for North American VOD rights and will debut the film on iTunes and additional digital platforms on September 16, while Netflix will premiere it in multiple territories this Fall.
Given the success of faith-themed content and the controversial subject matter the topic is ripe for exploration; after Deadline premiered the trailer this spring, the film made headlines and drew heated debate online. Oscar-nominated...
Co-directed by Oscar-winner Daniel Junge (Saving Face, Beyond The Brick: A Lego Brickumentary) and Bryan Storkel (Holy Rollers: The True Story Of Card Counting Christians), Fight Church follows several Mma-battling ministers who preach from the pulpit and the octagon and even train fighters using the teachings of the Bible. Lionsgate sprang for North American VOD rights and will debut the film on iTunes and additional digital platforms on September 16, while Netflix will premiere it in multiple territories this Fall.
Given the success of faith-themed content and the controversial subject matter the topic is ripe for exploration; after Deadline premiered the trailer this spring, the film made headlines and drew heated debate online. Oscar-nominated...
- 9/2/2014
- by Jen Yamato
- Deadline
Following previous announcements of their film lineup, the Fantasia International Film Festival has released their full lineup of movies to be shown at the 18th Annual festival, starting July 17.
New additions to the lineup include 2014 Cannes Selection When Animals Dream, directed by Jonas Alexander Amby and the return of Fantasia’s showcase of animated films, Axis.
Tickets for the festival go on sale starting July 16, and the festival runs through August 5.
View the whole press release of additional announcements below:
Fantasia Celebrates Its 18th Birthday
With Over 160 Feature Films Montreal, Thursday July 10, 2014 – 2014 is the year that Fantasia turns 18. We can’t believe it either. Fantasia’s 18th birthday means over 160 features and something in the neighborhood of 300 shorts, many being shown for the first time on this continent, a good number screening here for the first time anywhere in the world.In addition to being stacked with a multitude of breathtaking debut filmmaker discoveries,...
New additions to the lineup include 2014 Cannes Selection When Animals Dream, directed by Jonas Alexander Amby and the return of Fantasia’s showcase of animated films, Axis.
Tickets for the festival go on sale starting July 16, and the festival runs through August 5.
View the whole press release of additional announcements below:
Fantasia Celebrates Its 18th Birthday
With Over 160 Feature Films Montreal, Thursday July 10, 2014 – 2014 is the year that Fantasia turns 18. We can’t believe it either. Fantasia’s 18th birthday means over 160 features and something in the neighborhood of 300 shorts, many being shown for the first time on this continent, a good number screening here for the first time anywhere in the world.In addition to being stacked with a multitude of breathtaking debut filmmaker discoveries,...
- 7/10/2014
- by Brian Welk
- SoundOnSight
Following last week’s first wave of programming announcements, the Fantasia International Film Festival has revealed its second wave of programming, which includes a screening of Ju-On: The Beginning of the End and a 40th anniversary screening of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, where Tobe Hooper will be presented with a lifetime achievement award:
“Official Closing Film – Abel Ferrara’s Welcome To New York
Fantasia will close its 2014 edition with the North American Premiere of Abel Ferrara’s Welcome To New York, the controversial latest from the legendary filmmaker behind such landmarks as Bad Lieutenant, King Of New York, New Rose Hotel and the recently re-released Ms 45.
Welcome To New York is loosely based on the Dsk scandal and stars the iconic Gérard Depardieu in one of the bravest performances of his career. Co-starring is the equally sensational Jacqueline Bisset.
Abel Ferrara will be on hand to host this special evening,...
“Official Closing Film – Abel Ferrara’s Welcome To New York
Fantasia will close its 2014 edition with the North American Premiere of Abel Ferrara’s Welcome To New York, the controversial latest from the legendary filmmaker behind such landmarks as Bad Lieutenant, King Of New York, New Rose Hotel and the recently re-released Ms 45.
Welcome To New York is loosely based on the Dsk scandal and stars the iconic Gérard Depardieu in one of the bravest performances of his career. Co-starring is the equally sensational Jacqueline Bisset.
Abel Ferrara will be on hand to host this special evening,...
- 6/27/2014
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
We're back with more titles heading to the 2014 Fantasia Film Festival as well as a few new images and word on a Lifetime Achievement Award for Tobe Hooper. Read on for all the details!
From the Press Release:
Following last week’s first wave of programming announcements, the Fantasia International Film Festival is proud to unveil additional highlights to rev you up for our July 10th Press Conference, where our full 2014 film lineup will be revealed.
Official Closing Film - Abel Ferrara’s Welcome To New York
Fantasia will close its 2014 edition with the North American Premiere of Abel Ferrara’s Welcome To New York, the controversial latest from the legendary filmmaker behind such landmarks as Bad Lieutenant, King Of New York, New Rose Hotel and the recently re-released Ms 45.
Welcome To New York is loosely based on the Dsk scandal and stars the iconic Gérard Depardieu in one of...
From the Press Release:
Following last week’s first wave of programming announcements, the Fantasia International Film Festival is proud to unveil additional highlights to rev you up for our July 10th Press Conference, where our full 2014 film lineup will be revealed.
Official Closing Film - Abel Ferrara’s Welcome To New York
Fantasia will close its 2014 edition with the North American Premiere of Abel Ferrara’s Welcome To New York, the controversial latest from the legendary filmmaker behind such landmarks as Bad Lieutenant, King Of New York, New Rose Hotel and the recently re-released Ms 45.
Welcome To New York is loosely based on the Dsk scandal and stars the iconic Gérard Depardieu in one of...
- 6/26/2014
- by Debi Moore
- DreadCentral.com
The 18th Fantasia International Film Festival’s second lineup of films was unveiled Thursday, and it features the closing night film on August 5, Welcome to New York directed by Abel Ferrara (Bad Lieutenant, Ms. 45).
Ferrara will be present to talk about his latest film, starring Gérard Depardieu and Jacqueline Bisset. The film was received with warm reviews after appearing out of competition at Cannes and at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.
The Fantasia Film Fest runs July 17 to August 5 in Montreal, and the full lineup of films, in addition to the ones already announced, will be released July 10.
View the whole press release of second wave lineup announcements below.
****
Fantasia Announces Second Wave
Of 2014 Programming Montreal, Thursday June 26, 2014 – Following last week’s first wave of programming announcements, the Fantasia International Film Festival is proud to unveil additional highlights to rev you up for our July 10th Press Conference, where...
Ferrara will be present to talk about his latest film, starring Gérard Depardieu and Jacqueline Bisset. The film was received with warm reviews after appearing out of competition at Cannes and at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.
The Fantasia Film Fest runs July 17 to August 5 in Montreal, and the full lineup of films, in addition to the ones already announced, will be released July 10.
View the whole press release of second wave lineup announcements below.
****
Fantasia Announces Second Wave
Of 2014 Programming Montreal, Thursday June 26, 2014 – Following last week’s first wave of programming announcements, the Fantasia International Film Festival is proud to unveil additional highlights to rev you up for our July 10th Press Conference, where...
- 6/26/2014
- by Brian Welk
- SoundOnSight
Abel Ferrara’s controversial Dsk feature to receive North American premiere at the genre festival, which has announced its second wave of programming.
Welcome to New York will receive its North American premiere as the closing film of this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival.
Abel Ferrara’s controversial feature, loosely based on the Dsk scandal, is part of the second wave of programming for the Montreal-based genre festival, along with the international premiere of Masayuki Ochiai’s reboot Ju-on: The Beginning of the End.
The second wave includes three additional world premieres – Tim Grabham & Jasper Sharp’s The Creeping Garden, Joseph O’Brien’s The Devil’s Mile and Chad Archibald’s The Drownsman – while the likes of Brian O’Malley’s Let Us Prey and Maximilian Erlenwein’s Stereo receive their North American premieres at this year’s edition.
Nicholas McCarthy’s At the Devil’s Door (formerly Home), Wong Jin’s From Vegas to Macau...
Welcome to New York will receive its North American premiere as the closing film of this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival.
Abel Ferrara’s controversial feature, loosely based on the Dsk scandal, is part of the second wave of programming for the Montreal-based genre festival, along with the international premiere of Masayuki Ochiai’s reboot Ju-on: The Beginning of the End.
The second wave includes three additional world premieres – Tim Grabham & Jasper Sharp’s The Creeping Garden, Joseph O’Brien’s The Devil’s Mile and Chad Archibald’s The Drownsman – while the likes of Brian O’Malley’s Let Us Prey and Maximilian Erlenwein’s Stereo receive their North American premieres at this year’s edition.
Nicholas McCarthy’s At the Devil’s Door (formerly Home), Wong Jin’s From Vegas to Macau...
- 6/26/2014
- by ian.sandwell@screendaily.com (Ian Sandwell)
- ScreenDaily
At this year’s Independent Film Festival Boston, the panel “The Art of Documentary Film Editing: Case Studies” featured moderator Jim Hession, editor of Rich Hill, Lucia Small, director and editor of One Cut, One Life and Bryan Storkel, editor of Fight Church. An audience member asked the panel how they interviewed people and whether they prepped them beforehand, adding “Whenever I interview people, they’re always really bad talking to the camera.” Storkel: I try and do as little prep as possible. I try to show up and just start talking and get to know them on camera. I’ll have my questions […]...
- 5/2/2014
- by Michael Murie
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
At this year’s Independent Film Festival Boston, the panel “The Art of Documentary Film Editing: Case Studies” featured moderator Jim Hession, editor of Rich Hill, Lucia Small, director and editor of One Cut, One Life and Bryan Storkel, editor of Fight Church. An audience member asked the panel how they interviewed people and whether they prepped them beforehand, adding “Whenever I interview people, they’re always really bad talking to the camera.” Storkel: I try and do as little prep as possible. I try to show up and just start talking and get to know them on camera. I’ll have my questions […]...
- 5/2/2014
- by Michael Murie
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
The documentary Fight Church looks at the intersection of Christianity and mixed martial arts, and how pastors training fighters can reconcile their faith with a violent sport. The film premiered at IFFBoston. Co-director and editor Bryan Storkel previously directed and edited Holy Rollers: The True Story of Card Counting Christians, which examined a devout blackjack team. Filmmaker: How did you get into filmmaking? Storkel: I went to school for media, but I never made my own stuff until after I really became a fan of documentaries. I started watching documentaries and going to film festivals. I think I went to […]...
- 4/30/2014
- by Michael Murie
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
The documentary Fight Church looks at the intersection of Christianity and mixed martial arts, and how pastors training fighters can reconcile their faith with a violent sport. The film premiered at IFFBoston. Co-director and editor Bryan Storkel previously directed and edited Holy Rollers: The True Story of Card Counting Christians, which examined a devout blackjack team. Filmmaker: How did you get into filmmaking? Storkel: I went to school for media, but I never made my own stuff until after I really became a fan of documentaries. I started watching documentaries and going to film festivals. I think I went to […]...
- 4/30/2014
- by Michael Murie
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
"Jesus never tapped out" is a phrase you'll hear a few times in the documentary "Fight Church," and it's confirmation that Christianity has seeped into the mainstream—and vice versa. From arena-sized places of worship to faith-based box office hits to even modest churches boasting sound and light shows, being a Christian is practically cool, and with the addition of mixed martial arts, enticingly dangerous. And director Bryan Storkel has made the intersection of Christianity and offbeat niches something of a specialty, helming "Holy Rollers: The True Story Of Card Counting Christians" (review here) and producing the Bible Belt true crime account, "Little Hope Was Arson" (review here). And while the films may walk in the realm of religion, they don't push an agenda, with the filmmaker seemingly genuinely fascinated by the contradictions of contemporary Christian life. And that's true too of "Fight Church," co-directed by Oscar winner Daniel Junge,...
- 4/25/2014
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Ever wish your pastor was a little more kick ass? Well, then Fight Church is perfect for you. This documentary follows a selection of pastors who are as passionate about the gospel of Christ as they are about mixed martial arts. So, they combined their passions as a tool to praise in an unexpected way: church sanctioned cage fights. Check out this wild concept in the trailer above. Deadline shares Fight Church's first trailer, and notes that aside from the cage-fighting pastors seen above, the doc also features interviews from pro fighters Benson Henderson and Jon Jones. But not everyone in the doc is on board with this combination of blood lust and Bible study, as the trailer itself teases. Sure, Jesus threw over the tables of money changers in the temple, but he didn't roundhouse kick anyone in the face as far as I remember. The fight for...
- 4/3/2014
- cinemablend.com
First rule of Fight Church: Constantly talk about Fight Church. In fact, allow a team of documentary filmmakers lead by Oscar-winning director Daniel Junge to capture the tension-filled interplay between Mma, modern masculinity, and the message of the Christian faith, then talk about it with them. If you want a place to fight where people don't talk about it, brother, you know where you can go.
- 4/3/2014
- by Halle Kiefer
- Vulture
Exclusive: Andrew Herwitz’s The Film Sales Company has come on to represent three documentaries in the run-up to the Santa Monica market.
Daniel Junge is in post-production on Fight Church, which explores the confluence of Christianity and Mixed Martial arts at ministries that train fighters.
Tina Mascara and Guido Santi’s Monk With A Camera follows Diana Vreeland’s grandson Nicholas as he evolves from jetsetter to reportedly the first Westerner to become a Buddhist abbot. Herwitz (pictured) also serves as executive producer.
The third project is Jody Lee Lipes’ work in progress about the New York City Ballet.
Herwitz served as executive producer on Let The Fire Burn, recipient this week of three Ida nominations, and was associate producer on the box office hit and awards contender Lee Daniels’ The Butler.
Daniel Junge is in post-production on Fight Church, which explores the confluence of Christianity and Mixed Martial arts at ministries that train fighters.
Tina Mascara and Guido Santi’s Monk With A Camera follows Diana Vreeland’s grandson Nicholas as he evolves from jetsetter to reportedly the first Westerner to become a Buddhist abbot. Herwitz (pictured) also serves as executive producer.
The third project is Jody Lee Lipes’ work in progress about the New York City Ballet.
Herwitz served as executive producer on Let The Fire Burn, recipient this week of three Ida nominations, and was associate producer on the box office hit and awards contender Lee Daniels’ The Butler.
- 10/30/2013
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
A new documentary called 'Fight Church' showcases Christians who, according to Gawker, like to "pummel each other in the name of Jesus."
The documentary, which is still in production, focuses on the unusual presence of Mixed Martial Arts (Mma) within Evangelical Christianity and explores the inherent tension of such a violent practice inside the church.
The Fight Church trailer above offers up some choice quotes such as: "The greatest examples in scripture of Jesus is as a fighter, that is the kind of Jesus that I would want to serve."; "My hope is that through the fight I can create a relationship with the person I am fighting and extend Christ to him."; "I'm gonna go in there and rip this kid's head off."; and the ultimate question: "Can you love your neighbor as yourself and at the same time knee him in the face as hard as you can?...
The documentary, which is still in production, focuses on the unusual presence of Mixed Martial Arts (Mma) within Evangelical Christianity and explores the inherent tension of such a violent practice inside the church.
The Fight Church trailer above offers up some choice quotes such as: "The greatest examples in scripture of Jesus is as a fighter, that is the kind of Jesus that I would want to serve."; "My hope is that through the fight I can create a relationship with the person I am fighting and extend Christ to him."; "I'm gonna go in there and rip this kid's head off."; and the ultimate question: "Can you love your neighbor as yourself and at the same time knee him in the face as hard as you can?...
- 6/18/2012
- by Paul Brandeis Raushenbush
- Huffington Post
Here's your daily dose of an indie film in progress; at the end of the week, you'll have the chance to vote for your favorite. In the meantime: Is this a movie you’d want to see? Tell us in the comments. "Fight Church" Tweetable Logline: A pastor holds Mma Fights in his church, raising the question, "Can you love your neighbor as yourself and then punch him in the face?" Elevator Pitch: Fight Church is mainly the story of Paul, a pastor/fighter who holds Mma style fights in his church. We follow him and several other Christian fighters in a quest to reconcile their faith with a sport that many consider violent and barbaric. Faith is tried and questions are raised. Can you really love your neighbor as yourself and then punch him in the face? The film is being directed by Oscar-winning director, Daniel Junge and his directing partner,...
- 5/24/2012
- by Indiewire
- Indiewire
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.