New York City’s annual Doc NYC festival kicks off this week, including a full-to-bursting slate of some of this year’s most remarkable documentaries. If you’ve been looking to beef up on your documentary consumption, Doc NYC is the perfect chance to check out a wide variety of some of the year’s best fact-based features. Ahead, we pick out 14 of our most anticipated films from the fest, including some awards contenders, a handful of buzzy debuts, and a number of festival favorites. Take a look and start filling up your schedule now.
Doc NYC runs November 9 – 16 in New York City.
“EuroTrump”
Donald Trump may seem like a sui generis figure, a one-of-a-kind monster who was forged in a perfect storm of racism, tweets, and chaos, but history suggests that he’s really just a new breed of an old type. You don’t even have to look...
Doc NYC runs November 9 – 16 in New York City.
“EuroTrump”
Donald Trump may seem like a sui generis figure, a one-of-a-kind monster who was forged in a perfect storm of racism, tweets, and chaos, but history suggests that he’s really just a new breed of an old type. You don’t even have to look...
- 11/7/2017
- by Kate Erbland, David Ehrlich, Jude Dry, Anne Thompson, Chris O'Falt, Michael Nordine and Jenna Marotta
- Indiewire
“Jesus Camp” and “Detropia” documentarian duo Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady return to familiar territory in their latest feature, a Netflix original that will premiere this week at Tiff before going on to the streaming giant later this fall. The new film sees the pair going inside yet an insular community, all in hopes of illuminating without judgement.
Filmed over the course of three years, the film follows a trio of Hasidic Jews, all struggling to break away from the only world they’ve ever known. From actor Luzer, still reeling from the effects of leaving the fold nearly a decade earlier, to teenager Ari, haunted by years of abuse, the film turns a sensitive eye on its subjects and their struggles. But its housewife Etty, a mother of seven who initially seeks to leave her violent husband before discovering the shocking fallout of her choice, that will likely set audiences alight.
Filmed over the course of three years, the film follows a trio of Hasidic Jews, all struggling to break away from the only world they’ve ever known. From actor Luzer, still reeling from the effects of leaving the fold nearly a decade earlier, to teenager Ari, haunted by years of abuse, the film turns a sensitive eye on its subjects and their struggles. But its housewife Etty, a mother of seven who initially seeks to leave her violent husband before discovering the shocking fallout of her choice, that will likely set audiences alight.
- 9/7/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
The Toronto International Film Festival kicks off this week, and with it, the rest of a very busy fall festival season. In preparation for the lauded festival, we’ve hand-picked 20 films we can’t wait to see, from the starriest of premieres to the most unexpected of offerings. Check them out below.
“mother!”
Darren Aronofsky has veered off in many unpredictable directions over the years, but at his core, he’s a master at subverting the horror/thriller genres: From “Pi” to “Black Swan,” the filmmaker excels at taking his stories in creepy, unpredictable directions in which it’s hard to tell how much we can believe onscreen — and whether his characters have lost their minds. That mode certainly seems to be in play for “mother!”, which appears to be a “Rosemary’s Baby”-like tale of a married couple (Jennifer Laurence and Javier Bardem) whose home is infiltrated by...
“mother!”
Darren Aronofsky has veered off in many unpredictable directions over the years, but at his core, he’s a master at subverting the horror/thriller genres: From “Pi” to “Black Swan,” the filmmaker excels at taking his stories in creepy, unpredictable directions in which it’s hard to tell how much we can believe onscreen — and whether his characters have lost their minds. That mode certainly seems to be in play for “mother!”, which appears to be a “Rosemary’s Baby”-like tale of a married couple (Jennifer Laurence and Javier Bardem) whose home is infiltrated by...
- 8/30/2017
- by Kate Erbland, Eric Kohn, Anne Thompson, David Ehrlich, Zack Sharf, Jude Dry, Chris O'Falt, Michael Nordine and Steve Greene
- Indiewire
It’s almost like war has started in our own backyard.
With the current division between Black Lives Matter protests and law enforcement, director Craig Atkinson looks into the current state of policing in America with Do Not Resist.
The film opens with the actual on-the-scene footage of the violent protests in Ferguson, Missouri, in which the law enforcement uses complex training and heavy equipment to quell the unrest. The film observes the current and future directions of law enforcement using high-tech surveillance monitoring technology, military-grade equipment, terrorist conference training and even following a Swat raiding a home to execute a warrant.
Lrm had a phone interview last week to discuss current events and law enforcement technologies with director Craig Atkinson from his documentary Do Not Resist. We’ve covered various topics of law enforcement, his experience in the middle of the Ferguson riots and the future of policing.
Do Not Resist...
With the current division between Black Lives Matter protests and law enforcement, director Craig Atkinson looks into the current state of policing in America with Do Not Resist.
The film opens with the actual on-the-scene footage of the violent protests in Ferguson, Missouri, in which the law enforcement uses complex training and heavy equipment to quell the unrest. The film observes the current and future directions of law enforcement using high-tech surveillance monitoring technology, military-grade equipment, terrorist conference training and even following a Swat raiding a home to execute a warrant.
Lrm had a phone interview last week to discuss current events and law enforcement technologies with director Craig Atkinson from his documentary Do Not Resist. We’ve covered various topics of law enforcement, his experience in the middle of the Ferguson riots and the future of policing.
Do Not Resist...
- 10/18/2016
- by Gig Patta
- LRMonline.com
“Do Not Resist” – the directorial debut of “Detropia” cinematographer Craig Atkinson – offers a stunning look at the current state of policing in America and a glimpse into its future. Opening with startling on-the-scene footage in Ferguson, Missouri, the film… Continue Reading →...
- 10/5/2016
- by shadowandact
- ShadowAndAct
There are four new documentaries that, while timed for Oscar votes, have a much bigger target audience: The American voters. These urgently topical films peel away decades of mythology, propaganda, and misinformation to reveal why so many people in this country are not only incarcerated in our thriving prison economy, but function inside prisons of misguided perception.
It’s easy to see why the New York Film Festival picked Ava DuVernay’s “13th” as its first-ever documentary opening-night film. In the year of Ferguson and Black Lives Matter, as fearful cops continue to gun down unarmed black men in the street, this must-see film will raise consciousness about how race affects the way we regard and behave toward the people around us. “13th” is a history of how white people have treated African-Americans since 1865 — when the 13th Amendment abolished slavery — and it roused the Lincoln Center crowd to multiple standing...
It’s easy to see why the New York Film Festival picked Ava DuVernay’s “13th” as its first-ever documentary opening-night film. In the year of Ferguson and Black Lives Matter, as fearful cops continue to gun down unarmed black men in the street, this must-see film will raise consciousness about how race affects the way we regard and behave toward the people around us. “13th” is a history of how white people have treated African-Americans since 1865 — when the 13th Amendment abolished slavery — and it roused the Lincoln Center crowd to multiple standing...
- 10/3/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
There are four new documentaries that, while timed for Oscar votes, have a much bigger target audience: The American voters. These urgently topical films peel away decades of mythology, propaganda, and misinformation to reveal why so many people in this country are not only incarcerated in our thriving prison economy, but function inside prisons of misguided perception.
It’s easy to see why the New York Film Festival picked Ava DuVernay’s “13th” as its first-ever documentary opening-night film. In the year of Ferguson and Black Lives Matter, as fearful cops continue to gun down unarmed black men in the street, this must-see film will raise consciousness about how race affects the way we regard and behave toward the people around us. “13th” is a history of how white people have treated African-Americans since 1865 — when the 13th Amendment abolished slavery — and it roused the Lincoln Center crowd to multiple standing...
It’s easy to see why the New York Film Festival picked Ava DuVernay’s “13th” as its first-ever documentary opening-night film. In the year of Ferguson and Black Lives Matter, as fearful cops continue to gun down unarmed black men in the street, this must-see film will raise consciousness about how race affects the way we regard and behave toward the people around us. “13th” is a history of how white people have treated African-Americans since 1865 — when the 13th Amendment abolished slavery — and it roused the Lincoln Center crowd to multiple standing...
- 10/3/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
While best documentary conversations start to take shape in January at the Sundance Film Festival, making the transition from rapturous festival play to awards-season contender is a harrowing road. A documentary must be truly extraordinary to make the final Oscar five.
The number of Sundance docs with awards potential is breathtaking: Breaking out of Sundance 2016 were U.S. Grand Jury Prize winner “Weiner” (IFC), an entertaining portrait of a politician brought down by his weakness for sexting, which turned into a summer hit; U.S. Documentary Directing Award winner “Life, Animated” (The Orchard), a moving portrait of an autistic child who grows up with Disney movies; and HBO’s Audience Award winner “Jim: The James Foley Story.”
Scoring great reviews were Ezra Edelman’s five-part movie “O.J.: Made in America” (Espn), an exhaustive examination of O.J. Simpson and race relations in Los Angeles from the ’60s through the Trial of...
The number of Sundance docs with awards potential is breathtaking: Breaking out of Sundance 2016 were U.S. Grand Jury Prize winner “Weiner” (IFC), an entertaining portrait of a politician brought down by his weakness for sexting, which turned into a summer hit; U.S. Documentary Directing Award winner “Life, Animated” (The Orchard), a moving portrait of an autistic child who grows up with Disney movies; and HBO’s Audience Award winner “Jim: The James Foley Story.”
Scoring great reviews were Ezra Edelman’s five-part movie “O.J.: Made in America” (Espn), an exhaustive examination of O.J. Simpson and race relations in Los Angeles from the ’60s through the Trial of...
- 9/23/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
While best documentary conversations start to take shape in January at the Sundance Film Festival, making the transition from rapturous festival play to awards-season contender is a harrowing road. A documentary must be truly extraordinary to make the final Oscar five.
The number of Sundance docs with awards potential is breathtaking: Breaking out of Sundance 2016 were U.S. Grand Jury Prize winner “Weiner” (IFC), an entertaining portrait of a politician brought down by his weakness for sexting, which turned into a summer hit; U.S. Documentary Directing Award winner “Life, Animated” (The Orchard), a moving portrait of an autistic child who grows up with Disney movies; and HBO’s Audience Award winner “Jim: The James Foley Story.”
Scoring great reviews were Ezra Edelman’s five-part movie “O.J.: Made in America” (Espn), an exhaustive examination of O.J. Simpson and race relations in Los Angeles from the ’60s through the Trial of...
The number of Sundance docs with awards potential is breathtaking: Breaking out of Sundance 2016 were U.S. Grand Jury Prize winner “Weiner” (IFC), an entertaining portrait of a politician brought down by his weakness for sexting, which turned into a summer hit; U.S. Documentary Directing Award winner “Life, Animated” (The Orchard), a moving portrait of an autistic child who grows up with Disney movies; and HBO’s Audience Award winner “Jim: The James Foley Story.”
Scoring great reviews were Ezra Edelman’s five-part movie “O.J.: Made in America” (Espn), an exhaustive examination of O.J. Simpson and race relations in Los Angeles from the ’60s through the Trial of...
- 9/23/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Cinema Eye has named 10 filmmakers and 20 films that have been voted as the top achievements in documentary filmmaking during the past 10 years. Founded in 2007 to “recognize and honor exemplary craft and innovation in nonfiction film,” Cinema Eye polled 110 members of the documentary community to determine the winning films and filmmakers just as the organization kicks off its tenth year.
Read More: Behind the Scenes of Cinema Eye’s Secret Field Trip for Nominees
Among the films chosen are Joshua Oppenheimer’s “The Act of Killing,” Laura Poitras’ Oscar-winning “Citizenfour” and Banksy’s “Exit Through the Gift Shop.” Poitras and Oppenheimer were both also named to the list of the top documentary filmmakers, joining Alex Gibney, Werner Herzog and Frederick Wiseman, who recently won an honorary Oscar and will be saluted at the annual Governors Awards on November 12.
“It’s fantastic that he is being recognized by the Academy for a...
Read More: Behind the Scenes of Cinema Eye’s Secret Field Trip for Nominees
Among the films chosen are Joshua Oppenheimer’s “The Act of Killing,” Laura Poitras’ Oscar-winning “Citizenfour” and Banksy’s “Exit Through the Gift Shop.” Poitras and Oppenheimer were both also named to the list of the top documentary filmmakers, joining Alex Gibney, Werner Herzog and Frederick Wiseman, who recently won an honorary Oscar and will be saluted at the annual Governors Awards on November 12.
“It’s fantastic that he is being recognized by the Academy for a...
- 9/21/2016
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
Ever since it wowed opening-night crowds at Sundance 2016, documentary biopic “Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You” has met a range of reactions. That’s because it’s more than a straightforward cradle-to-grave chronicle of Lear’s remarkable decades of television creativity. (Music Box opened the film in New York July 8, Los Angeles hits July 15, PBS’s American Masters airs in October, followed in November by Netflix.)
Documentarians Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (Oscar-nominated “Jesus Camp,” shortlisted “Detropia”) recognized that, at 93, their subject is still vital and engaging—years after creating groundbreaking ’70s shows “All in the Family,” “The Jeffersons,” “Maude,” and “Sanford and Sons,” among others, not to mention founding liberal action group People for the American Way.
And so they gave Lear leeway to fashion his on-screen persona, and brought in plenty of friendly talking heads, including, most controversially, George Clooney. In turn, Lear let them dig and...
Documentarians Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (Oscar-nominated “Jesus Camp,” shortlisted “Detropia”) recognized that, at 93, their subject is still vital and engaging—years after creating groundbreaking ’70s shows “All in the Family,” “The Jeffersons,” “Maude,” and “Sanford and Sons,” among others, not to mention founding liberal action group People for the American Way.
And so they gave Lear leeway to fashion his on-screen persona, and brought in plenty of friendly talking heads, including, most controversially, George Clooney. In turn, Lear let them dig and...
- 7/13/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Ever since it wowed opening-night crowds at Sundance 2016, documentary biopic “Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You” has met a range of reactions. That’s because it’s more than a straightforward cradle-to-grave chronicle of Lear’s remarkable decades of television creativity. (Music Box opened the film in New York July 8, Los Angeles hits July 15, PBS’s American Masters airs in October, followed in November by Netflix.)
Documentarians Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (Oscar-nominated “Jesus Camp,” shortlisted “Detropia”) recognized that, at 93, their subject is still vital and engaging—years after creating groundbreaking ’70s shows “All in the Family,” “The Jeffersons,” “Maude,” and “Sanford and Sons,” among others, not to mention founding liberal action group People for the American Way.
And so they gave Lear leeway to fashion his on-screen persona, and brought in plenty of friendly talking heads, including, most controversially, George Clooney. In turn, Lear let them dig and...
Documentarians Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (Oscar-nominated “Jesus Camp,” shortlisted “Detropia”) recognized that, at 93, their subject is still vital and engaging—years after creating groundbreaking ’70s shows “All in the Family,” “The Jeffersons,” “Maude,” and “Sanford and Sons,” among others, not to mention founding liberal action group People for the American Way.
And so they gave Lear leeway to fashion his on-screen persona, and brought in plenty of friendly talking heads, including, most controversially, George Clooney. In turn, Lear let them dig and...
- 7/13/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Academy invitee Eddie Redmayne in 'The Theory of Everything.' Academy invites 322 new members: 'More diverse and inclusive list of filmmakers and artists than ever before' The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has offered membership to 322 individuals "who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures." According to the Academy's press release, "those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy's membership in 2015." In case all 322 potential new members say an enthusiastic Yes, that means an injection of new blood representing about 5 percent of the Academy's current membership. In the words of Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs (as quoted in the press release), in 2015 "our branches have recognized a more diverse and inclusive list of filmmakers and artists than ever before, and we look forward to adding their creativity, ideas and experience to our organization." In recent years, the Academy membership has...
- 7/1/2015
- by Anna Robinson
- Alt Film Guide
©Renzo Piano Building Workshop/©Studio Pali Fekete architects/©A.M.P.A.S.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced this week that the Los Angeles City Council, in a unanimous vote, approved plans for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Construction will begin this summer, and ceremonial groundbreaking festivities will occur this fall.
“I am thrilled that Los Angeles is gaining another architectural and cultural icon,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti. “My office of economic development has worked directly with the museum’s development team to ensure that the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will create jobs, support tourism, and pay homage to the industry that helped define our identity as the creative capital of the world.”
“We are grateful to our incredible community of supporters who have helped make this museum a reality,” said Dawn Hudson, the Academy’s CEO. “Building this museum has been an Academy...
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced this week that the Los Angeles City Council, in a unanimous vote, approved plans for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Construction will begin this summer, and ceremonial groundbreaking festivities will occur this fall.
“I am thrilled that Los Angeles is gaining another architectural and cultural icon,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti. “My office of economic development has worked directly with the museum’s development team to ensure that the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will create jobs, support tourism, and pay homage to the industry that helped define our identity as the creative capital of the world.”
“We are grateful to our incredible community of supporters who have helped make this museum a reality,” said Dawn Hudson, the Academy’s CEO. “Building this museum has been an Academy...
- 6/27/2015
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Strangely dropping a press release on a historic day where the nation's attention is elsewhere, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed their annual list of new member invitees this morning. For those who criticize the makeup of the Academy there was some good news and the stark realization the organization still has a long way to go. The Academy has spent the last eight to 10 years attempting to diversify its membership and this year's class mostly reflects that. There are significantly more invitees of Asian and African-American descent, but the male to female disparity is still depressing. Out of the 25 potential new members of the Actor's Branch only seven are women. And, no, there isn't really an acceptable way for the Academy to spin that sad fact. Additionally, It's important to realize the 322 people noted in the release have only been invited to join Hollywood's most exclusive club.
- 6/26/2015
- by Gregory Ellwood
- Hitfix
David Gordon Green returns to his alma mater to present Manglehorn; local newcomers impress with Homeless feature.Scroll down for full list of winners
RiverRun International Film Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, wrapped last night with Shawkat Amin Korki’s Memories on Stone winning best narrative feature and Hao Zhou’s The Chinese Mayor winning best documentary feature.
In the audience awards, best of the fest went to honoree Stanley Nelson’s The Black Panthers: Vanguard Of The Revolution; best narrative feature went to Anywhere Else by Ester Amrami; best documentary feature went to Marc Silver’s 3 ½ Minutes and best indie was Proud Citizen by Thomas Southerland.
The festival presented 165 films in total in its 17th annual edition; more filmmakers than ever before attended the event.
“Films showcased at our festival this year reflected diverse stories from around the world, immense talent from directors, many trained in Winston-Salem, and a host of passionate projects that are jewels...
RiverRun International Film Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, wrapped last night with Shawkat Amin Korki’s Memories on Stone winning best narrative feature and Hao Zhou’s The Chinese Mayor winning best documentary feature.
In the audience awards, best of the fest went to honoree Stanley Nelson’s The Black Panthers: Vanguard Of The Revolution; best narrative feature went to Anywhere Else by Ester Amrami; best documentary feature went to Marc Silver’s 3 ½ Minutes and best indie was Proud Citizen by Thomas Southerland.
The festival presented 165 films in total in its 17th annual edition; more filmmakers than ever before attended the event.
“Films showcased at our festival this year reflected diverse stories from around the world, immense talent from directors, many trained in Winston-Salem, and a host of passionate projects that are jewels...
- 4/27/2015
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
North Carolina's RiverRun Film Festival has made headlines in the past few years for being one of the USA's great regional fests. Today they announced their lineup for the 2015 fest which runs April 16-26. The fest opens with Quentin Dupieux's latest Reality (pictured) and closes with David Gordon Green's Manglehorn. RiverRun will also again present honorary awards to accomplished talents, this year focusing on the work of exceptional documentarians. Stanley Nelson (Freedom Summer, Freedom Riders) will receive RiverRun's 2015 Master of Cinema Award, and Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (Detropia, Jesus Camp) will receive the Festival's Emerging Master Award. Here is the full lineup: Narrative Competition: The 2015 Narrative Competition is incredibly diverse, including films from around the world that range from international comedies...
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- 3/17/2015
- Screen Anarchy
Symbolically speaking, I wouldn’t be out of line if I compared Motor city as a sister city to Damascus. If you group docs in Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s Detropia, Brenna Sanchez and Tom Putnam’s Burn, and next in line Street Fighting Man, this is one city that is hurting real bad. Andrew James might be know to docuphiles for his 2009, Tiff preemed Cleanfix, and directly after this he found a trio of justice seeking protagonists for what will have been a half decade odyssey to fruition. It began with a successful Kickstarter campaign and has since found support from: the Hot Docs Pitch Forum, Film Independent, the Independent Filmmaker Project (Ifp), the San Francisco Film Society, and of course, the Sundance Institute. Don’t be surprised if Sundance programmers make a citizen’s arrest on this item.
Gist: In a new America where the promise of education,...
Gist: In a new America where the promise of education,...
- 11/14/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
The series will blend animation, comedy, nonfiction and narrative to investigate the current state of the Us economy. "We the Economy" will launch in October across VOD, online, broadcast, mobile and theatrical platforms. Here's the full list of directors, many of whom are respected film and TV actors and auteur filmmakers: Ramin Bahrani ("99 Homes," "Goodbye Solo")Bob Balaban ("Gosford Park," "The Exonerated")Joe Berlinger ("Brother’s Keeper," "Paradise Lost" trilogy) Jon M. Chu ("Step Up," "G.I. Joe: Retaliation") Marshall Curry ("Street Fight," "If a Tree Falls") Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady ("Jesus Camp," "Detropia")Adrian Grenier ("Entourage," "How To Make Money Selling Drugs") Catherine...
- 9/16/2014
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
The Academy has announced the new class of invited members for 2014 and, as is typical, many of which are among last year's nominees, which includes Barkhad Abdi, Michael Fassbender, Sally Hawkins, Mads Mikkelsen, Lupita Nyong'o and June Squibb in the Actors branch not to mention curious additions such as Josh Hutcherson, Rob Riggle and Jason Statham, but, okay. The Directors branch adds Jay and Mark Duplass along with Jean-Marc Vallee, Denis Villeneuve and Thomas Vinterberg. I didn't do an immediate tally of male to female additions or other demographics, but at first glance it seems to be a wide spread batch of new additions on all fronts. The Academy is also clearly attempting to aggressively bump up the demographics as this is the second year in a row where they have added a large number of new members, well over the average of 133 new members from 2004 to 2012. As far as...
- 6/26/2014
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is extending invitations to join the organization to 271 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures.
Those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy’s membership in 2014.
“This year’s class of invitees represents some of the most talented, creative and passionate filmmakers working in our industry today,” said Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs. “Their contributions to film have entertained audiences around the world, and we are proud to welcome them to the Academy.”
The 2014 invitees are:
Actors
Barkhad Abdi – “Captain Phillips”
Clancy Brown – “The Hurricane,” “The Shawshank Redeption”
Paul Dano – “12 Years a Slave,” “Prisoners”
Michael Fassbender – “12 Years a Slave,” “Shame”
Ben Foster – “Lone Survivor,” “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints”
Beth Grant – “The Artist,” “No Country for Old Men”
Clark Gregg – “Much Ado about Nothing,” “Marvel’s The Avengers”
Sally Hawkins – “Blue Jasmine,...
Those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy’s membership in 2014.
“This year’s class of invitees represents some of the most talented, creative and passionate filmmakers working in our industry today,” said Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs. “Their contributions to film have entertained audiences around the world, and we are proud to welcome them to the Academy.”
The 2014 invitees are:
Actors
Barkhad Abdi – “Captain Phillips”
Clancy Brown – “The Hurricane,” “The Shawshank Redeption”
Paul Dano – “12 Years a Slave,” “Prisoners”
Michael Fassbender – “12 Years a Slave,” “Shame”
Ben Foster – “Lone Survivor,” “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints”
Beth Grant – “The Artist,” “No Country for Old Men”
Clark Gregg – “Much Ado about Nothing,” “Marvel’s The Avengers”
Sally Hawkins – “Blue Jasmine,...
- 6/26/2014
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Michael Fassbender and Lupita Nyong’o of 12 Years a Slave were two of the 271 artists and industry leaders invited to become members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which determines nominations and winners at the annual Oscars. The entire list of Academy membership—which numbers about 6,000—isn’t public information so the annual invitation list is often the best indication of the artists involved in the prestigious awards process. It’s worth noting that invitations need to be accepted in order for artists to become members; some artists, like two-time Best Actor winner Sean Penn, have declined membership over the years.
- 6/26/2014
- by Jeff Labrecque
- EW - Inside Movies
Pop quiz: What do Chris Rock, Claire Denis, Eddie Vedder and Josh Hutcherson all have in common? Answer: They could all be Oscar voters very soon. The annual Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences invitation list always makes for interesting reading, shedding light on just how large and far-reaching the group's membership is -- or could be, depending on who accepts their invitations. This year, 271 individuals have been asked to join AMPAS, meaning every one of them could contribute to next year's Academy Awards balloting -- and it's as diverse a list as they've ever assembled. Think the Academy consists entirely of fusty retired white dudes? Not if recent Best Original Song nominee Pharrell Williams takes them up on their offer. Think it's all just a Hollywood insiders' game? Not if French arthouse titans Chantal Akerman and Olivier Assayas join the party. It's a list that subverts expectation at every turn.
- 6/26/2014
- by Guy Lodge
- Hitfix
Detroit is the new Transylvania in Jim Jarmusch's delightfully detached vampire reverie Only Lovers Left Alive. The film manages to build significantly upon and outdo Neil Jordan's recent Byzantium in terms of clawing back the genre from its more recent sparkly teen focus. The mature tone is pregnant with the kind of disaffected slow gaze that would probably result from a century or three on this imperfect earth with its revolving social cycles. It achieves a modern-Gothic romanticism better than pop culture's own aging vampire-queen Anne Rice ever managed in novel form or when adapted to celluloid. It evokes the people exodus and urban decay of Motor City in such a transcendent fashion that it nearly renders Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady's Detropia redundant. Undoubtedly,...
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- 4/10/2014
- Screen Anarchy
Yes, I am hocking my first book, "The $11 Billion Year: From Sundance to the Oscars, an Inside Look at the Changing Hollywood System," which puts the industry under the microscope as I look at the hits and misses of 2012, laying out the current movie ecosystem. After the Oscars, first stop was New York City, where Peggy Siegal and documentarian Katharina Otto ("Absolute Wilson") threw a fantasy book party hosted by Eamonn Bowles, Bruce Cohen, Alex Gibney and James Schamus, among others. I was delighted that so many of my old friends came, from my Premiere pals James Meigs and Glenn Kenny and EW's Mark Harris and Owen Gleiberman, to recent Lincoln Center Film Society chief Rose Kuo, distributors Bob and Jeanne Berney, Ira Deutchman, and Daniel Battsek, producers Christine Vachon and Ed Pressman, critics Molly Haskell and Annette Insdorf, and MoMA's Rajendra Roy and Dave Kehr. Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady...
- 3/14/2014
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
PBS has announced that this summer it will be airing six new hour-long installments in its documentary series "Makers: Women Who Make America." Founded by filmmaker Dyllan McGee, the "Makers" project launched in 2012 and is a multi-platform initiative that also includes a growing online collection of more than 200 original video interviews. The new films, which are directed and produced by the likes of Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing ("Detropia") and Rory Kennedy ("Ghosts of Abu Ghraib"), expand on the three-hour doc "Makers: Women Who Make America," which premiered in February 2013 and told the story of the American women’s movement over the last half-century. Here's the list of new films, which will premiere between June and September -- descriptions are courtesy of PBS: Makers: Women & War looks at American women’s increasing participation in war—from Vietnam to the present—as nurses, soldiers, journalists, diplomats and spies. Among those featured are Linda Bray,...
- 1/21/2014
- by Alison Willmore
- Indiewire
One of the more lively discussions I’ve seen so far at the Independent Filmmaker Conference, “When Documentaries Disturb the Power Structure,” included a panel of heavy-hitters from the documentary world including both filmmakers (Eugene Jarecki, the director of The House I Live In; Rachel Grady, the director of Detropia; and Tia Lessin and Carl Deal the directors of Citizen Koch) and representatives from public broadcast (Mette Hoffmann Meyer, the head of documentary and co-productions at Dr TV/Danish Broadcasting Television and Claire Aguilar, Executive Content Advisor for Itvs/Independent Television Service), all moderated by Deidre Haj, Executive Director of the Full Frame Documentary Film […]...
- 9/18/2013
- by Katie Carman-Lehach
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
One of the more lively discussions I’ve seen so far at the Independent Filmmaker Conference, “When Documentaries Disturb the Power Structure,” included a panel of heavy-hitters from the documentary world including both filmmakers (Eugene Jarecki, the director of The House I Live In; Rachel Grady, the director of Detropia; and Tia Lessin and Carl Deal the directors of Citizen Koch) and representatives from public broadcast (Mette Hoffmann Meyer, the head of documentary and co-productions at Dr TV/Danish Broadcasting Television and Claire Aguilar, Executive Content Advisor for Itvs/Independent Television Service), all moderated by Deidre Haj, Executive Director of the Full Frame Documentary Film […]...
- 9/18/2013
- by Katie Carman-Lehach
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
As the co-founder and Executive Director of the equity fund Impact Partners, Dan Cogan has supported many independent films, including "How to Survive A Plague, "Hell and Back Again," "The Cove," "Detropia," "The Island President" and "Midway." Yesterday at the Doc Conference at The Toronto Film Festival, Cogan presented "The Gift," a speech about how filmmakers can best manage their relationships with the investors who make their work possible. Cogan advised producers to give filmmakers the freedom to make the film they want to make and filmmakers to respect "the gift" they have been given and make the best film they can. Read his full speech below: Venal. Manipulative. Short-sighted. Just downright pathetic. There are no better words to describe the dominant strain in the relationship between film producer and investor throughout the sorry history of filmmaking. Both sides are to blame for this state of affairs. Film producers, often...
- 9/11/2013
- by Indiewire
- Indiewire
Detroit is the new Transylvania in Jim Jarmusch's delightfully detached vampire reverie, Only Lovers Left Alive. The film manages to significantly build upon and outdo Neil Jordan's recent Byzantium in terms of clawing back the genre from its more recent sparkly teen-focus. The mature tone is pregnant with the kind of disaffected slow gaze that would probably result from a century or three on this imperfect earth with its revolving social cycles. It achieves a modern-Gothic romanticism better than pop culture's own aging vampire-queen Anne Rice ever managed in novel form or when adapted to celluloid. It evokes the people exodus and urban decay of Motor City in such a transcendent fashion that it nearly renders Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady's Detropia redundant. Undoubtedly, this is...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 9/6/2013
- Screen Anarchy
Sure, Sunday tends to be overcrowded with high-end TV, including "Breaking Bad," "The Newsroom," "Low Winter Sun," "Dexter," "Ray Donovan" and more, but what to watch the rest of the time? Every Monday, we bring you five noteworthy highlights from the other six days of the week. "Pov": "5 Broken Cameras" Monday, August 25 at 10pm on PBS Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi's Oscar-nominated documentary about protests in a West Bank village comes to PBS this week. Writing to Indiewire about the film, which offers a personal, small scale look at an aspect of the contested region, ahead of its Sundance Us premiere last year, Davidi explained "I think when watching a film that deals with such a painful controversy, people tend to shut down. Most people divide the world into right and wrong, good and bad, Palestinians and Israelis." "Nine for IX": "Branded" Tuesday, August 27 at 8pm on...
- 8/26/2013
- by Alison Willmore
- Indiewire
As usual....these aren't necessarily recommendations. The following are five Netflix streaming options for your viewing this weekend. These are films that we've talked about, covered and/or reviewed on the site and you may want to check them out. 1 - Detropia - A documentary film exploring Detroit's economic decay, which isn't just Detroit's problem, but an American problem. Below is an excerpt from Tambay's review of the film back in September of last year: Natives of Detroit, co-directors Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, are more interested in those who remain in that diminishing city - once a vibrant metropolis with almost 2 million inhabitants not-so-long ago, as...
- 6/21/2013
- by Vanessa Martinez
- ShadowAndAct
The critically acclaimed and celebrated independent documentary by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady,” Detropia (2012)” is a beautifully photographed and brilliantly edited film about the decline and attempted resurrection of the city of Detroit that I as a long time resident of the city eagerly anticipated and couldn’t wait to see. Yet amid the powerful images of urban decay, ironic archival footage of “the city of tomorrow” and contemporary labor/management disputes, I found this film wanting on several levels. Unfortunately, the documentary Detropia does not accurately capture the true sources of the city’s long and painful suffering that in my humble opinion were precipitated 40 years...
- 5/28/2013
- by Andre Seewood
- ShadowAndAct
Sure, Sunday tends to be overcrowded with high-end TV, including "Mad Men," "Game of Thrones," "Veep," "The Borgias," "Family Tree," "Nurse Jackie" and more, but what to watch the rest of the time? Every Monday, we bring you five noteworthy highlights from the other six days of the week. "Independent Lens": "Detropia" Monday, May 27 at 10pm on PBS "Jesus Camp" directors Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady turn their lens to Detroit with this impressionistic documentary that looks at the decline of the Michigan city by way of the owner of a blues bar, a young blogger, an auto union rep, a group of young artists, an opera impresario and a gang of illegal "scrappers." Check out Eric Kohn's review of the film from Sundance, where it had its world premiere last year. "Inside the Actors Studio": 250th Episode Wednesday, May 29 at 7pm on Bravo James Lipton gives his...
- 5/27/2013
- by Alison Willmore
- Indiewire
If you live in New York or have travel plans to the city April 19-21...... The folks at Creatively Speaking, spearheaded by Michelle Materre, are hosting the film event Urban and Green: Stories of Environmental Injustice this month at Mist (My Image Studios) in Harlem, NY (46 W 116th Street). The event, which includes a few of our film favorites, will feature Byron Hurt's Soul Food Junkies, Kelly Anderson's Brooklyn gentrification documentary My Brooklyn, Luisa Danta's New Orleans-set documentary Land of Opportunity and Heidi Ewing/Rachel Grady's documentary on Detroit's ills titled Detropia. See more information below, along with links to purchase tickets: "The End of Poverty by...
- 4/5/2013
- by Vanessa Martinez
- ShadowAndAct
Cinedigm announced today it will be elevating its Docurama Films independent label into a multi-platform 'Docurama" brand with a series of national theatrical screening events and a streaming network service. For almost 15 years, Docurama Films has presented acclaimed documentaries, including Kirby Dick's "The Invisible War," Danfung Dennis' "Hell and Back Again," Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing's "Detropia" and genre classics such as D.A. Pennebaker's "Don't Look Back" and Robert Drew's "Primary." The Docurama platform will launch on April 22 with a 7-week, 7-film series of screenings across the country, with its free streaming service launching at the same time. Stated Cinedigm chairman and CEO Chris McGurk: "These outstanding films deserve a theatrical release, the boost from which provides ongoing community engagement and discussion. We fervently believe that most consumers desire to see what they want, when they want, on the device of their choosing. This program satisfies.
- 4/2/2013
- by Beth Hanna
- Thompson on Hollywood
The last time Shane Carruth was at Sundance in 2004, he brought his first film Primer, a movie about four corporate engineers who construct a scientifically-sound time-machine in the garage after-hours and proceed to experiment with time-jumping for profit. It cost only $7,000 to make, but it didn’t look or feel like it was made in someone’s garage, even though Carruth wrote, directed, produced, cast, scored, edited, provided sound and production design, and, oh yes, starred in the movie. It quickly became the buzzy must-see at that year’s festival, and it went home with the Grand Jury Prize.
Carruth...
Carruth...
- 1/22/2013
- by Jeff Labrecque
- EW - Inside Movies
It is a story we think we know already. Unions weaken. Corporations outsource. Politicians waver. The economy collapses. Public resources shrivel. A city dies. But that's only the bird's-eye view: in Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady's powerful document of an age of grief, "Detropia" is the way we live now. (The Sundance entry was shortlisted for the doc Oscar, but did not make the final five; we interviewed the filmmakers on their self-release plan.) Detroit is not the only Rust Belt city to suffer the aftereffects of deregulation, neoliberal trade policies, the decline of organized labor, and the whittling down of the post-World War II welfare state, but the severity of its condition has made it a standard-bearer for our most recent malaise. Waves of grass churn and break over derelict playgrounds. Shells of rooms — whether high-school auditoriums or the high-ceilinged parlors of another age — echo with sounds long since gone silent.
- 1/14/2013
- by Matt Brennan
- Thompson on Hollywood
Detroit certainly has seen better days... After a mass exodus of the population in the late 2000s, the city became riddled with empty lots and abandoned buildings. Crime and violence spread rabidly. Television images of the cityscape began to resemble sets from The Walking Dead. It was as if the recent recession triggered a post apocalyptic nightmare... No matter the cause of the economic decline in Detroit, the primary concern now is how to save the city from literally disappearing from the map. This is precisely where Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady's Detropia comes in. The documentary gives us a slice of the history of economics of Detroit, but Ewing and Grady admirably opt to focus primarily on the people who are trying to turn the city around. They keep their message quite positive, unveiling people who have the necessary faith and dedication to their community in order to help rebuild it.
- 1/11/2013
- by Don Simpson
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
Sorry Oscars. But after the Indie Spirit Awards, the number two spot in terms of Award Season importance are the Cinema Eye Honors. Seems like it was only yesterday when Aj Schnack & Thom Powers teamed up for one basic, logical concept: an event that would reward yearly output of documentary film in a rightfully sound manner. With the wind in their sails, the 6th annual edition was held last night and deservingly so, adding to its double wins at the Idfa and Sundance, it is 5 Broken Cameras that took the top honors for Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking. Co-directed by Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi – political activism via you guessed it, five video cameras. The film was released via Kino Lorber.
The night’s only double winner, could be regarded as the silver medal doc film of the year: Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s Detropia grabbed the Outstanding...
The night’s only double winner, could be regarded as the silver medal doc film of the year: Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s Detropia grabbed the Outstanding...
- 1/10/2013
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
At the Museum of the Moving Image last night, Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi’s 5 Broken Cameras took the headlines at the Cinema Eye Honors by taking the top prize, Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking, while Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s Detropia also took two prizes, for directing and score. Jason Tippet and Elizabeth Mims (2012 “25 New Faces” alums for their film Only the Young) won Best Debut Feature, while a slew of acclaimed 2012 docs such as Chasing Ice, How to Survive a Plague, Bully, The Imposter and Searching for Sugar Man picked up statuettes too. With the announcement this morning …...
- 1/10/2013
- by Nick Dawson
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
The Alliance of Women Film Journalists have announced the winners of their awards and Kathryn Bigelow's "Zero Dark Thirty" took the top prize! But my favorite categories are the catty ones, such as the Sequel or Remake That Shouldn.t Have Been Made Award or Actress Most in Need Of A New Agent.
Take a look at the full list of winners below; for winners/nominees of other award-giving bodies, click here:
Best Film
"Argo"
"Lincoln"
*** "Zero Dark Thirty"
Best Director
Ben Affleck, "Argo"
Steven Spielberg, "Lincoln"
*** Kathryn Bigelow, "Zero Dark Thirty"
Best Actor
*** Daniel Day Lewis, "Lincoln"
John Hawkes, "The Sessions"
Joaquin Phoenix, "The Master"
Best Actress
*** Jessica Chastain, "Zero Dark Thirty"
Jennifer Lawrence, "Silver Linings Playbook"
Emmanuelle Riva, "Amour"
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Alan Arkin, "Argo"
*** Phillip Seymour Hoffman, "The Master"
Tommy Lee Jones, "Lincoln"
Christoph Waltz, "Django Unchained"
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Amy Adams,...
Take a look at the full list of winners below; for winners/nominees of other award-giving bodies, click here:
Best Film
"Argo"
"Lincoln"
*** "Zero Dark Thirty"
Best Director
Ben Affleck, "Argo"
Steven Spielberg, "Lincoln"
*** Kathryn Bigelow, "Zero Dark Thirty"
Best Actor
*** Daniel Day Lewis, "Lincoln"
John Hawkes, "The Sessions"
Joaquin Phoenix, "The Master"
Best Actress
*** Jessica Chastain, "Zero Dark Thirty"
Jennifer Lawrence, "Silver Linings Playbook"
Emmanuelle Riva, "Amour"
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Alan Arkin, "Argo"
*** Phillip Seymour Hoffman, "The Master"
Tommy Lee Jones, "Lincoln"
Christoph Waltz, "Django Unchained"
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Amy Adams,...
- 1/8/2013
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Vol. I Issue 3
Join us twice weekly. Send us links to your sizzle reels and film sites.
Chasing Ice directed by Jeff Orlowski
Chasing Ice is the story of James Balog’s mission to change the tide of history by gathering undeniable evidence of our changing planet. Within months of that first trip to Iceland, the photographer conceived the boldest expedition of his life: The Extreme Ice Survey. With a band of young adventurers in tow, Balog began deploying revolutionary time-lapse cameras across the brutal Arctic to capture a multi-year record of the world’s changing glaciers.
In a year where the Short Listed Academy documentary features deal with issues ranging from sexual harassment in the military to the Catholic Church’s cover-up of sexually molesting children, Chasing Ice deals with arguably the most important issue proving that the ice caps are melting and that the warming of the planet will have a catastrophic effect. But this is a year where the MPAA rating of a film about bullying school students has seemed to get the most press. That’s a shame. Chasing Ice needs to be seen. It is the most important short listed documentary film of the year. Like Davis Guggenheim’s Al Gore PowerPoint presentation, this film is scary. With never-before-seen time lapse photography we can dramatically see the ice caps and giant glaciers shrinking. A chunk of ice the size of lower Manhattan crashes into the sea. The ice flows like a river into the sea. We all know that when the ice melts, it releases its fresh water into the sea and that the water will rise. In time a few feet. Say good bye to land that several hundred million people live on.
So what’s the problem? They don’t have the press machine of Bob and Harvey Weinstein that makes a mountain out of an MPAA rating. Can the Oscar nomination go to the most important film? (could this paragraph go after next paragraph?)
But wait, there is more. This is a strikingly well made film. It has a compelling character, James Balog, who is giving his body to science and this cause. The cracks we hear are not chunks of ice but his knees disintegrating as he scales cliffs of rock and ice. The filmmakers really are risking their lives making the film, the ice takes no prisoners, the small planes and helicopters regularly crash. The film unfolds with precision; we are moved and awed by the characters and the stunning photography. The score is first rate as is the editing. This is a work that should be short listed but might be overlooked because it lacks the political coolness of some of the other films. This would be a shame.
The Filmmakers
Chasing Ice is directed by Jeff Orlowski, cinematographer for the Extreme Ice Survey, and an award-winning filmmaker. A Stanford University graduate, he has been working with Balog since 2007 and has shot over 300 hours of footage of Eis in the field. His work for Eis has screened on NBC, CNN, PBS, National Geographic, and hundreds of other venues around the world.
The film is produced by Paula DuPre’ Pesmen, the winner of the 2010 Academy Award for Best Documentary and 2010 Producers Guild of America ‘Producer of the Year’ for her role on The Cove. She has also served as producer on three Harry Potter films, Rent, and Mrs. Doubtfire. The film is also produced by Jerry Aronson, nominated for an Academy Award for the documentary The Divided Trail, and the director of The Life and Times of Allen Ginsberg.
Credits:
Director/Producer: Jeff Orlowski
Producers: Paula DuPre’ Pesmen, Jerry Aronson
Executive Producers: David and Linda Cornfield
Writer: Mark Monroe
Cinematography: Jeff Orlowski
Music Composer: J. Ralph
Editor, Mark Monroe
Production: Diamond Docs (in association with)
Exposure Production, Exposure
Distributors (Us): Submarine Deluxe and National Geographic Channel
Maggie Simpson a short animated film by David Silverman
The Longest Daycare is a four-and-a-half-minute-long animated 3D short animated film based on the animated television series The Simpsons.
Directed by David Silverman The Longest Daycare is one of my favorite short animated films short listed for the Oscar this year. Silverman, credited with creating the look of the Simpsons, has directed numerous episodes of this hit series. Daycare has no dialogue. It is hilarious in part because of its silent film style. It is smart and fun. Maggie is a delight. This short film is really special. Between the 3D, the super clever writing and the stunning animation style, it is one of the very rare animations that can be enjoyed by any audience. Silverman’s work deserves an Oscar.
Scored by Hans Zimmer, best known for his work on Hollywood blockbusters, the score references numerous films scores and adds another layer of meaning to this magnificent (really?) work. Silverman attended the University of Maryland College Park and studied animation at UCLA.
Credits:
Directed by: David Silverman
Produced by: James L. Brooks, Matt Groening, Al Jean, Richard Raynis, Richard Sakai
Written by: James L. Brooks, Joel H. Cohen, Matt Groening, Al Jean, David Mirkin, Michael Price
Music by: Hans Zimmer, James Dooley (addition music)
Distributed by: 20th Century Fox
Running time: 4:30
Academy announces 15 feature documentary films shortlisted for the Documentary Film Nomination
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announced the short listed documentary features on December 3, 2012. Under the new documentary branch rules all of the branch members as well as documentary nominees and award winners from other Academy branches could vote for the short listed films. About 180 Academy members participated. Dropping the committee process where four committees would screen one quarter of the submitted films, Documentary Branch Governor Michael Moore pushed the branch to use a preferential voting system with all branch members and other qualified Academy members participating. As this writer expected, works with a lot of hype, such as Bully, were short listed. One can wonder how many members who voted for this film actually saw it. In addition to changing the short listing process, the branch demanded that films had to have been reviewed in either the New York Times or the Los Angeles Times. Voters received 126 DVDs in the mail.
A number of worthy films were omitted, as is always the case, including: The Central Park Five (directed by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon), West of Memphis (directed by Amy Berg), The Queen of Versailles, directed by Lauren Greenfield. I also really liked Bad 25 (directed by Spike Lee) and Love Marilyn (directed by Liz Garbus). Samsara (directed by Ron Fricke) is the year’s best documentary for its sheer poetry
The Academy can choose to nominate up to three people. However, only the director has a lock on the nomination. Individuals credited as “Producer” are vetted by the Producer’s Guild. Each must prove that they did a majority of the producer roles. This is the third year that this rule has been in force. Many of the films have multiple “producers” so it remains to be seen who will receive nominations. The decision of the Academy will be announced once the films are nominated. This has been somewhat contentious in the past.
AMPAS rules follow:
The nominee(s) should be the individual(s) most involved in the key creative aspects of the filmmaking process. A maximum of two persons may be designated as nominees, one of whom must be the credited director who exercised directorial control, and the other of whom must have a producer or director credit. If a producer is named, that individual must have performed a major portion of the producing functions, in accordance with Academy producer criteria. No more than two statuettes will normally be given in the Documentary Feature category. All individuals with a “Producer” or “Produced by” credit on films that reach the semifinal round will automatically be vetted. The Documentary Branch Executive Committee will determine which producers, if any, are eligible to receive an Oscar. In the unlikely event of a dispute, filmmakers may appeal the committee’s decision. In extremely rare circumstances, a third statuette may be awarded. Production companies or persons with the screen credit of executive producer, co-producer or any credit other than director or producer shall not be eligible as nominees for the motion picture.
The Short List:
Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, directed by Alison Klayman
Bully, directed by Lee Hirsch
Chasing Ice, directed by Jeff Orlowski
Detropia, directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady
Ethel, directed by Rory Kennedy
5 Broken Cameras, directed by Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi
The Gatekeepers, directed by Dror Moreh
The House I Live In, directed by Eugene Jarecki
How to Survive a Plague, directed by David France
The Imposter, directed by Bart Layton
The Invisible War, directed by Kirby Dick
Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God, directed by Alex Gibney
Searching for Sugar Man, directed by Malik Bendjelloul
This Is Not a Film, directed by Mojtaba Mirtahmasb and Jafar Panahi
The Waiting Room, directed by Peter Nicks
The nominations for the 85th Academy Awards will be announced at 5:30 am (Pst) on Thursday, January 10, 2013. The awards will be handed out on Sunday, February 24, 2013.
Mitchell Block specializes in conceiving, producing, marketing & distributing independent features & consulting. He is an expert in placing both completed works into distribution & working with producers to make projects fundable. He conducts regular workshops in film producing in Los Angeles and most recently in Maine, Russia and in Myanmar (Burma).
Poster Girl, produced by Block was nominated for a Documentary Academy Award and selected by the Ida as the Best Doc Short 2011. It was also nominated for two Emmy Awards and aired on HBO. He is an executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning PBS series Carrier, a 10-hour series that he conceived & co-created. Block is a graduate of Tisch School and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business. He is a member of Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the Television Academy, a founding member of BAFTA-la and has been teaching at USC School of Cinematic Arts since 1979. Currently Block teaches a required class in the USC Peter Stark Producing Program.
______________________________________________________________________
©2012Mwb All Rights Reserved All Rights Reserved. All information and designs on the Sites are copyrighted material owned by Block. Reproduction, dissemination, or transmission of any part of the material here without the express written consent of the owner is strictly prohibited. All other product names and marks on Block Direct, whether trademarks, service marks, or other type, and whether registered or unregistered, is the property of Block.
Join us twice weekly. Send us links to your sizzle reels and film sites.
Chasing Ice directed by Jeff Orlowski
Chasing Ice is the story of James Balog’s mission to change the tide of history by gathering undeniable evidence of our changing planet. Within months of that first trip to Iceland, the photographer conceived the boldest expedition of his life: The Extreme Ice Survey. With a band of young adventurers in tow, Balog began deploying revolutionary time-lapse cameras across the brutal Arctic to capture a multi-year record of the world’s changing glaciers.
In a year where the Short Listed Academy documentary features deal with issues ranging from sexual harassment in the military to the Catholic Church’s cover-up of sexually molesting children, Chasing Ice deals with arguably the most important issue proving that the ice caps are melting and that the warming of the planet will have a catastrophic effect. But this is a year where the MPAA rating of a film about bullying school students has seemed to get the most press. That’s a shame. Chasing Ice needs to be seen. It is the most important short listed documentary film of the year. Like Davis Guggenheim’s Al Gore PowerPoint presentation, this film is scary. With never-before-seen time lapse photography we can dramatically see the ice caps and giant glaciers shrinking. A chunk of ice the size of lower Manhattan crashes into the sea. The ice flows like a river into the sea. We all know that when the ice melts, it releases its fresh water into the sea and that the water will rise. In time a few feet. Say good bye to land that several hundred million people live on.
So what’s the problem? They don’t have the press machine of Bob and Harvey Weinstein that makes a mountain out of an MPAA rating. Can the Oscar nomination go to the most important film? (could this paragraph go after next paragraph?)
But wait, there is more. This is a strikingly well made film. It has a compelling character, James Balog, who is giving his body to science and this cause. The cracks we hear are not chunks of ice but his knees disintegrating as he scales cliffs of rock and ice. The filmmakers really are risking their lives making the film, the ice takes no prisoners, the small planes and helicopters regularly crash. The film unfolds with precision; we are moved and awed by the characters and the stunning photography. The score is first rate as is the editing. This is a work that should be short listed but might be overlooked because it lacks the political coolness of some of the other films. This would be a shame.
The Filmmakers
Chasing Ice is directed by Jeff Orlowski, cinematographer for the Extreme Ice Survey, and an award-winning filmmaker. A Stanford University graduate, he has been working with Balog since 2007 and has shot over 300 hours of footage of Eis in the field. His work for Eis has screened on NBC, CNN, PBS, National Geographic, and hundreds of other venues around the world.
The film is produced by Paula DuPre’ Pesmen, the winner of the 2010 Academy Award for Best Documentary and 2010 Producers Guild of America ‘Producer of the Year’ for her role on The Cove. She has also served as producer on three Harry Potter films, Rent, and Mrs. Doubtfire. The film is also produced by Jerry Aronson, nominated for an Academy Award for the documentary The Divided Trail, and the director of The Life and Times of Allen Ginsberg.
Credits:
Director/Producer: Jeff Orlowski
Producers: Paula DuPre’ Pesmen, Jerry Aronson
Executive Producers: David and Linda Cornfield
Writer: Mark Monroe
Cinematography: Jeff Orlowski
Music Composer: J. Ralph
Editor, Mark Monroe
Production: Diamond Docs (in association with)
Exposure Production, Exposure
Distributors (Us): Submarine Deluxe and National Geographic Channel
Maggie Simpson a short animated film by David Silverman
The Longest Daycare is a four-and-a-half-minute-long animated 3D short animated film based on the animated television series The Simpsons.
Directed by David Silverman The Longest Daycare is one of my favorite short animated films short listed for the Oscar this year. Silverman, credited with creating the look of the Simpsons, has directed numerous episodes of this hit series. Daycare has no dialogue. It is hilarious in part because of its silent film style. It is smart and fun. Maggie is a delight. This short film is really special. Between the 3D, the super clever writing and the stunning animation style, it is one of the very rare animations that can be enjoyed by any audience. Silverman’s work deserves an Oscar.
Scored by Hans Zimmer, best known for his work on Hollywood blockbusters, the score references numerous films scores and adds another layer of meaning to this magnificent (really?) work. Silverman attended the University of Maryland College Park and studied animation at UCLA.
Credits:
Directed by: David Silverman
Produced by: James L. Brooks, Matt Groening, Al Jean, Richard Raynis, Richard Sakai
Written by: James L. Brooks, Joel H. Cohen, Matt Groening, Al Jean, David Mirkin, Michael Price
Music by: Hans Zimmer, James Dooley (addition music)
Distributed by: 20th Century Fox
Running time: 4:30
Academy announces 15 feature documentary films shortlisted for the Documentary Film Nomination
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announced the short listed documentary features on December 3, 2012. Under the new documentary branch rules all of the branch members as well as documentary nominees and award winners from other Academy branches could vote for the short listed films. About 180 Academy members participated. Dropping the committee process where four committees would screen one quarter of the submitted films, Documentary Branch Governor Michael Moore pushed the branch to use a preferential voting system with all branch members and other qualified Academy members participating. As this writer expected, works with a lot of hype, such as Bully, were short listed. One can wonder how many members who voted for this film actually saw it. In addition to changing the short listing process, the branch demanded that films had to have been reviewed in either the New York Times or the Los Angeles Times. Voters received 126 DVDs in the mail.
A number of worthy films were omitted, as is always the case, including: The Central Park Five (directed by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon), West of Memphis (directed by Amy Berg), The Queen of Versailles, directed by Lauren Greenfield. I also really liked Bad 25 (directed by Spike Lee) and Love Marilyn (directed by Liz Garbus). Samsara (directed by Ron Fricke) is the year’s best documentary for its sheer poetry
The Academy can choose to nominate up to three people. However, only the director has a lock on the nomination. Individuals credited as “Producer” are vetted by the Producer’s Guild. Each must prove that they did a majority of the producer roles. This is the third year that this rule has been in force. Many of the films have multiple “producers” so it remains to be seen who will receive nominations. The decision of the Academy will be announced once the films are nominated. This has been somewhat contentious in the past.
AMPAS rules follow:
The nominee(s) should be the individual(s) most involved in the key creative aspects of the filmmaking process. A maximum of two persons may be designated as nominees, one of whom must be the credited director who exercised directorial control, and the other of whom must have a producer or director credit. If a producer is named, that individual must have performed a major portion of the producing functions, in accordance with Academy producer criteria. No more than two statuettes will normally be given in the Documentary Feature category. All individuals with a “Producer” or “Produced by” credit on films that reach the semifinal round will automatically be vetted. The Documentary Branch Executive Committee will determine which producers, if any, are eligible to receive an Oscar. In the unlikely event of a dispute, filmmakers may appeal the committee’s decision. In extremely rare circumstances, a third statuette may be awarded. Production companies or persons with the screen credit of executive producer, co-producer or any credit other than director or producer shall not be eligible as nominees for the motion picture.
The Short List:
Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, directed by Alison Klayman
Bully, directed by Lee Hirsch
Chasing Ice, directed by Jeff Orlowski
Detropia, directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady
Ethel, directed by Rory Kennedy
5 Broken Cameras, directed by Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi
The Gatekeepers, directed by Dror Moreh
The House I Live In, directed by Eugene Jarecki
How to Survive a Plague, directed by David France
The Imposter, directed by Bart Layton
The Invisible War, directed by Kirby Dick
Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God, directed by Alex Gibney
Searching for Sugar Man, directed by Malik Bendjelloul
This Is Not a Film, directed by Mojtaba Mirtahmasb and Jafar Panahi
The Waiting Room, directed by Peter Nicks
The nominations for the 85th Academy Awards will be announced at 5:30 am (Pst) on Thursday, January 10, 2013. The awards will be handed out on Sunday, February 24, 2013.
Mitchell Block specializes in conceiving, producing, marketing & distributing independent features & consulting. He is an expert in placing both completed works into distribution & working with producers to make projects fundable. He conducts regular workshops in film producing in Los Angeles and most recently in Maine, Russia and in Myanmar (Burma).
Poster Girl, produced by Block was nominated for a Documentary Academy Award and selected by the Ida as the Best Doc Short 2011. It was also nominated for two Emmy Awards and aired on HBO. He is an executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning PBS series Carrier, a 10-hour series that he conceived & co-created. Block is a graduate of Tisch School and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business. He is a member of Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the Television Academy, a founding member of BAFTA-la and has been teaching at USC School of Cinematic Arts since 1979. Currently Block teaches a required class in the USC Peter Stark Producing Program.
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- 12/27/2012
- by Mitchell Block
- Sydney's Buzz
The Alliance of Women Film Journalists have chosen the nominees of their annual movie awards. "Argo," "Lincoln," and "Zero Dark Thirty" led the pack with all three films vying for the Best Film award.
Here's the full list of nominees; for winners/nominees of other award-giving bodies, click here:
Best Film
"Argo"
"Lincoln"
"Zero Dark Thirty"
Best Director
Ben Affleck, "Argo"
Steven Spielberg, "Lincoln"
Kathryn Bigelow, "Zero Dark Thirty"
Best Actor
Daniel Day Lewis, "Lincoln"
John Hawkes, "The Sessions"
Joaquin Phoenix, "The Master"
Best Actress
Jessica Chastain, "Zero Dark Thirty"
Jennifer Lawrence, "Silver Linings Playbook"
Emmanuelle Riva, "Amour"
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Alan Arkin, "Argo"
Phillip Seymour Hoffman, "The Master"
Tommy Lee Jones, "Lincoln"
Christoph Waltz, "Django Unchained"
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Amy Adams, "The Master"
Sally Field, "Lincoln"
Anne Hathaway, "Les Misérables"
Best Adapted Screenplay
"Argo"
"Lincoln"
"Silver Linings Playbook"
Best Original Screenplay
"Amour"
"Moonrise Kingdom...
Here's the full list of nominees; for winners/nominees of other award-giving bodies, click here:
Best Film
"Argo"
"Lincoln"
"Zero Dark Thirty"
Best Director
Ben Affleck, "Argo"
Steven Spielberg, "Lincoln"
Kathryn Bigelow, "Zero Dark Thirty"
Best Actor
Daniel Day Lewis, "Lincoln"
John Hawkes, "The Sessions"
Joaquin Phoenix, "The Master"
Best Actress
Jessica Chastain, "Zero Dark Thirty"
Jennifer Lawrence, "Silver Linings Playbook"
Emmanuelle Riva, "Amour"
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Alan Arkin, "Argo"
Phillip Seymour Hoffman, "The Master"
Tommy Lee Jones, "Lincoln"
Christoph Waltz, "Django Unchained"
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Amy Adams, "The Master"
Sally Field, "Lincoln"
Anne Hathaway, "Les Misérables"
Best Adapted Screenplay
"Argo"
"Lincoln"
"Silver Linings Playbook"
Best Original Screenplay
"Amour"
"Moonrise Kingdom...
- 12/26/2012
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Ed Burns, whose debut film The Brothers McMullen premiered at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival, was announced today as a jury member for next month’s Sundance in Park City, Utah. Burns joins documentary filmmaker Davis Guggenheim, executive Tom Rothman and 16 others named to five juries that will award prizes at independent film’s most high-profile showcase.
Short Film Awards will be announced at a ceremony on Jan. 22, with feature film awards announced at a separate ceremony on Jan. 26. The festival runs this year from Jan. 17-27.
Click below for the entire Sundance jury list:
U.S. Documentary Jury
Liz Garbus is a prolific documentary filmmaker.
Short Film Awards will be announced at a ceremony on Jan. 22, with feature film awards announced at a separate ceremony on Jan. 26. The festival runs this year from Jan. 17-27.
Click below for the entire Sundance jury list:
U.S. Documentary Jury
Liz Garbus is a prolific documentary filmmaker.
- 12/19/2012
- by Jeff Labrecque
- EW - Inside Movies
"The Imposter" and "Searching for Sugar Man" each received 5 nods from the Cinema Eye Honors for Nonfiction Filmmaking. 31 features and 5 shorts will vie for the best of the best in documentary filmmaking. Check out the full list of nominees below including the Audience Award and Heterodox Award.
Winners of the 6th Annual Cinema Eye Honors will be announced on January 9, 2013 as Cinema Eye returns for a third year to New York City.s Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens.
Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking
5 Broken Cameras
Directed by Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi
Produced by Christine Camdessus, Serge Gordey, Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi
Detropia
Directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady
Produced by Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady and Craig Atkinson
The Imposter
Directed by Bart Layton
Produced by Dimitri Doganis
Marina Abramović The Artist is Present
Directed by Matthew Akers
Produced by Jeff Dupre and Maro Chermayeff...
Winners of the 6th Annual Cinema Eye Honors will be announced on January 9, 2013 as Cinema Eye returns for a third year to New York City.s Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens.
Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking
5 Broken Cameras
Directed by Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi
Produced by Christine Camdessus, Serge Gordey, Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi
Detropia
Directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady
Produced by Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady and Craig Atkinson
The Imposter
Directed by Bart Layton
Produced by Dimitri Doganis
Marina Abramović The Artist is Present
Directed by Matthew Akers
Produced by Jeff Dupre and Maro Chermayeff...
- 12/11/2012
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Once considered by many as either high art, propaganda or educational videos, documentary film has developed into a popular and visible form of entertainment, sometimes breaking into the mainstream, and often having a greater effect on society. Every year it seems more and more docs are produced and thus not even our hard working staff can manage to get around to watching them all. But we try our best, and so every year we publish a list of the docs that received high praise from our team. This year, the films appearing range from poetic, semi-expository, strictly observational, participatory, reflexive and even groundbreaking. Here are the 20 best documentaries of 2012, list in alphabetical order, with one special mention. Enjoy!
****
5 Broken Cameras
Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi
5 Broken Cameras is a cinematic achievement, a homemade movie and an extraordinary work of political activism. Co-directed by Palestinian Emad Burnat and Israeli Guy Davidi,...
****
5 Broken Cameras
Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi
5 Broken Cameras is a cinematic achievement, a homemade movie and an extraordinary work of political activism. Co-directed by Palestinian Emad Burnat and Israeli Guy Davidi,...
- 12/6/2012
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Chicago – The short list for Academy Award contenders in the Best Documentary category have been announced. 15 potential nominees were selected with the utilization of new rules spearheaded by Academy Governor Michael Moore. Each entry was required to have screened for at least one week in Los Angeles and New York, and had to be reviewed by at least one newspaper.
Making the cut this year is Alison Klayman’s inspiring profile of the titular Chinese artist, “Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry,” Lee Hirsch’s Weinstein-distributed doc, “Bully,” Jeff Orlowski’s chilling account of global warming, “Chasing Ice,” Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s timely exploration of Detroit’s manufacturing collapse, “Detropia,” Rory Kennedy’s intimate ode to her mother, “Ethel,” Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi’s look at a Palestinian farmer’s nonviolent resistance, “5 Broken Cameras,” Dror Moreh’s discussions with the former heads of Israel’s Secret Service agency, “The Gatekeepers,...
Making the cut this year is Alison Klayman’s inspiring profile of the titular Chinese artist, “Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry,” Lee Hirsch’s Weinstein-distributed doc, “Bully,” Jeff Orlowski’s chilling account of global warming, “Chasing Ice,” Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s timely exploration of Detroit’s manufacturing collapse, “Detropia,” Rory Kennedy’s intimate ode to her mother, “Ethel,” Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi’s look at a Palestinian farmer’s nonviolent resistance, “5 Broken Cameras,” Dror Moreh’s discussions with the former heads of Israel’s Secret Service agency, “The Gatekeepers,...
- 12/5/2012
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
The Motor City could be getting some star treatment at the 2013 Academy Awards, thanks to two Detroit-centered films that are now being considered as candidates for the "Best Documentary" citation.
The movies "Detropia" and "Searching for Sugar Man" have both made it onto a shortlist of 15 nonfiction films that could be nominated for an Oscar in that category. The final five nominees for Best Documentary will be announced on Jan. 10.
"Detropia" is an artistic look at Detroiters trying to make sense of their city's economic plight while dealing with a variety of associated struggles. The film's producers, Metro Detroit native Heidi Ewing and partner Rachel Grady, also directed the Academy Award-nominated documentary, "Jesus Camp."
In "Searching for Sugar Man," Swedish director Malik Bendjelloul examines the epic search two South African begin to track down Sixto Rodriguez, an elusive musician who has become a legendary figure in their country while living...
The movies "Detropia" and "Searching for Sugar Man" have both made it onto a shortlist of 15 nonfiction films that could be nominated for an Oscar in that category. The final five nominees for Best Documentary will be announced on Jan. 10.
"Detropia" is an artistic look at Detroiters trying to make sense of their city's economic plight while dealing with a variety of associated struggles. The film's producers, Metro Detroit native Heidi Ewing and partner Rachel Grady, also directed the Academy Award-nominated documentary, "Jesus Camp."
In "Searching for Sugar Man," Swedish director Malik Bendjelloul examines the epic search two South African begin to track down Sixto Rodriguez, an elusive musician who has become a legendary figure in their country while living...
- 12/4/2012
- by David Sands
- Huffington Post
The Documentary Branch screened 126 films and will now watch the 15 contenders listed below again to determine the final five which will be revealed on Jan. 10, along with the rest of the Oscar nominations. -Insertgroups:8- In alphabetical order: "Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry" Directed by Alison Klayman. Synopsis - Chronicling artist and activist Ai Weiwei as he prepares for a series of exhibitions and gets into an increasing number of clashes with the Chinese government. "Bully" Directed by Lee Hirsch. Synopsis - A documentary on peer-to-peer bullying in schools across America. "Chasing Ice" Directed by Jeff Orlowski. Synopsis - Follow National Geographic photographer James Balog across the Arctic as he deploys time-lapse cameras designed for one purpose: to capture a multi-year record of the world's changing glaciers. "Detropia" Directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady. Synopsis - A documentar...
- 12/4/2012
- Gold Derby
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