Exclusive: Joel ‘Kachi Benson (Madu) has been tapped to direct the documentary The Harvest, on Nigeria’s infamous Boko Haram Kidnappings of 2014, for Hunting Lane and Impact Partners. A first-look still can be found above.
Following four Nigerian mothers as they fight to educate their children in the wake of tragedy, the film marks the 10th anniversary of terrorist organization Boko Haram’s attack and abduction of 276 young girls from a school in the village of Chibok.
Joel ‘Kachi Benson
Nigerian filmmaker Benson came to helm the film after tackling the aftermath of the attacks with previous work including 2019’s Daughters of Chibok, a VR experience he wrote and produced which won the Lion for Best Immersive Story at the 76th Venice Film Festival.
“I have spent the last five years with the mothers and survivors of the Chibok kidnappings,” the filmmaker told Deadline. “I’ve listened to their stories,...
Following four Nigerian mothers as they fight to educate their children in the wake of tragedy, the film marks the 10th anniversary of terrorist organization Boko Haram’s attack and abduction of 276 young girls from a school in the village of Chibok.
Joel ‘Kachi Benson
Nigerian filmmaker Benson came to helm the film after tackling the aftermath of the attacks with previous work including 2019’s Daughters of Chibok, a VR experience he wrote and produced which won the Lion for Best Immersive Story at the 76th Venice Film Festival.
“I have spent the last five years with the mothers and survivors of the Chibok kidnappings,” the filmmaker told Deadline. “I’ve listened to their stories,...
- 4/15/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
“Everything.”
That’s how veteran producer and PGA president Stephanie Allain kicked off a special panel about the ins and outs of the Sundance Film Festival and all things producing, presented by Hyundai. Taking place on Jan. 19 inside The Hollywood Reporter’s studio (sponsored by Heineken, Hyundai, Bogner and Sixt), Allain was explaining how best to describe a producer’s job and the all-encompassing duties they shoulder.
“What don’t we do? The producer is the uber champion of the film, and what that means is when I have a project, no one gets in that circle unless they love the movie, they understand the movie, they can contribute 150 percent to the movie,” said the Hollywood veteran, who returned to Sundance for the world premiere of Titus Kaphar’s Exhibiting Forgiveness, starring Andre Holland and Andra Day. “We work on the script, we work on casting. We go by the costume department,...
That’s how veteran producer and PGA president Stephanie Allain kicked off a special panel about the ins and outs of the Sundance Film Festival and all things producing, presented by Hyundai. Taking place on Jan. 19 inside The Hollywood Reporter’s studio (sponsored by Heineken, Hyundai, Bogner and Sixt), Allain was explaining how best to describe a producer’s job and the all-encompassing duties they shoulder.
“What don’t we do? The producer is the uber champion of the film, and what that means is when I have a project, no one gets in that circle unless they love the movie, they understand the movie, they can contribute 150 percent to the movie,” said the Hollywood veteran, who returned to Sundance for the world premiere of Titus Kaphar’s Exhibiting Forgiveness, starring Andre Holland and Andra Day. “We work on the script, we work on casting. We go by the costume department,...
- 1/23/2024
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
After a season of spending, Freevee knows you don't have to break the bank for quality. The free Amazon streamer has already added several titles to its platform to start the month, including the Tom Hanks-starred "Captain Phillips" and Ryan Coogler's directorial debut "Fruitvale Station," but more great titles will be coming throughout the rest of the month.
Find out The Streamable's top picks for what's here now and what's coming to the streamer throughout January!
Watch Now Free amazonfreevee.com What are the 5 Best Shows and Movies Coming to Freevee in January 2024? “Baby Driver” | Monday, Jan. 1
Edgar Wright helms the action thriller starring Ansel Elgort as Baby, a prodigal heist getaway driver and music-loving orphan in for one last job before riding off into the sunset with his girlfriend Debora (Lily James). Eiza Gonzalez, Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx, Jon Bernthal, and Kevin Spacey make up the supporting...
Find out The Streamable's top picks for what's here now and what's coming to the streamer throughout January!
Watch Now Free amazonfreevee.com What are the 5 Best Shows and Movies Coming to Freevee in January 2024? “Baby Driver” | Monday, Jan. 1
Edgar Wright helms the action thriller starring Ansel Elgort as Baby, a prodigal heist getaway driver and music-loving orphan in for one last job before riding off into the sunset with his girlfriend Debora (Lily James). Eiza Gonzalez, Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx, Jon Bernthal, and Kevin Spacey make up the supporting...
- 1/3/2024
- by Ashley Steves
- The Streamable
Ze (Tergel Bold-Erdene) and Maralaa (Nomin-Erdene Ariunbyamba) in City Of Wind. Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir: 'For me, the film is also an attempt to kind of document this particular time and space that is modern day Mongolia' Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir’s feature debut City Of Wind has made a strong start to its festival run, screening at Venice and, soon, in Toronto. Set in Mongolia’s Ulaanbaatar it is a coming-of-age tale about a young Shaman Ze (newcomer Tergel Bold-Erdene) as he considers his place in the world and navigates the conflicting pressures of being a Shaman and falling in love with fellow teenager Maralaa (Nomin-Erdene Ariunbyamba). We caught up with the director ahead of the Toronto screenings to chat about expressing Shamanism on film, modern Mongolia and the tip she got from A Separation Oscar-winner Asghar Farhadi.
A lot of people, if they like World Cinema, will have come to Mongolia via the countryside,...
A lot of people, if they like World Cinema, will have come to Mongolia via the countryside,...
- 9/6/2023
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Cinemagoers who have caught films about Mongolia previously are likely to have come to the country via the wide open spaces of the countryside captured in the likes of Tuya’s Wedding or The Eagle Huntress. This impressive debut from Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir, in contrast, takes us to the capital Ulaanbaatar. There, modern skyscrapers rub shoulders with brutalist architecture from the Soviet era and, in the ger district on the outskirts of the city, low-rise homes and yurts. This sense of contrast between the old, the new, the modern and the traditional is a current running beneath her tale that focuses on a young Shaman on the brink of adulthood.
Ze (Tergel Bold-Erdene) is 17 and in his last year of senior school, his stern teacher already expecting him to become a high-flying executive. The teenager already has another important job, however, that of being a shaman for his local community. We meet.
Ze (Tergel Bold-Erdene) is 17 and in his last year of senior school, his stern teacher already expecting him to become a high-flying executive. The teenager already has another important job, however, that of being a shaman for his local community. We meet.
- 9/5/2023
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Rachel Lambert’s romantic comedy-drama debuted at Sundance earlier this year.
New Europe Film Sales has acquired international sales rights to Rachel Lambert’s Sundance title Sometimes I Think About Dying, and secured first deals on the film.
It has sold to Benelux (Imagine Distribution) and Turkiye (Filmarti). Further territories are under negotiation, with New Europe bringing the film to next month’s Marche du Film in Cannes (May 16-24).
Oscilloscope acquired US rights to the title from CAA earlier this week.
Sometimes I Think About Dying debuted in the US dramatic competition at Sundance in January. It is the story of Fran,...
New Europe Film Sales has acquired international sales rights to Rachel Lambert’s Sundance title Sometimes I Think About Dying, and secured first deals on the film.
It has sold to Benelux (Imagine Distribution) and Turkiye (Filmarti). Further territories are under negotiation, with New Europe bringing the film to next month’s Marche du Film in Cannes (May 16-24).
Oscilloscope acquired US rights to the title from CAA earlier this week.
Sometimes I Think About Dying debuted in the US dramatic competition at Sundance in January. It is the story of Fran,...
- 4/20/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
There’s surprising news out of “Celebration,” the movable feast pep rally that the Star Wars franchise holds for itself. This year’s event is being held in London, and it opened with a bang as big as an exploding Death Star.
Daisy Ridley will return to the galaxy far, far away and reprise her role of Rey (sometimes called Rey Skywalker) in one of the upcoming Star Wars films. The untitled project is set 15 years after the events of “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” Ridley’s Rey will appear as Jedi master, teaching at a Jedi academy. It is unclear if she is the principal character or not.
Ridley herself appeared on stage with director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Lucasfilm big Kathleen Kennedy to the gasps of the assembled fans.
Welcome home, Daisy. #StarWarsCelebration pic.twitter.com/9wIpKdicbe
— Star Wars | #TheMandalorian is Now Streaming (@starwars) April 7, 2023
Since Star Wars...
Daisy Ridley will return to the galaxy far, far away and reprise her role of Rey (sometimes called Rey Skywalker) in one of the upcoming Star Wars films. The untitled project is set 15 years after the events of “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” Ridley’s Rey will appear as Jedi master, teaching at a Jedi academy. It is unclear if she is the principal character or not.
Ridley herself appeared on stage with director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Lucasfilm big Kathleen Kennedy to the gasps of the assembled fans.
Welcome home, Daisy. #StarWarsCelebration pic.twitter.com/9wIpKdicbe
— Star Wars | #TheMandalorian is Now Streaming (@starwars) April 7, 2023
Since Star Wars...
- 4/7/2023
- by Jordan Hoffman
- Gold Derby
CNN Worldwide has tapped Otto Bell to oversee its creative marketing department.
Bell will be senior vice president and chief creative officer, and will report to Kristine Coratti Kelly, the executive vice president and head of global communications. He’ll oversee on-air and off-channel brand and marketing for all CNN Worldwide businesses.
Bell is the founder and chief creative officer of Courageous, the commercial brand studio for CNN. He worked with CNN teams on hundreds of campaigns for hundreds of advertisers.
Before his work at Courageous, Bell helped launch and lead Oglivy’s entertainment practice, where he developed new media models and produced brand-funded television series. Partners included BBC World News, CNBC, Nat Geo and Discovery. He previously worked in brand positioning, brand planning and copywriting over three years in London, Paris and Shanghai as part of Wpp’s “Fellowship” program.
Bell also is a documentary director and producer. His feature debut,...
Bell will be senior vice president and chief creative officer, and will report to Kristine Coratti Kelly, the executive vice president and head of global communications. He’ll oversee on-air and off-channel brand and marketing for all CNN Worldwide businesses.
Bell is the founder and chief creative officer of Courageous, the commercial brand studio for CNN. He worked with CNN teams on hundreds of campaigns for hundreds of advertisers.
Before his work at Courageous, Bell helped launch and lead Oglivy’s entertainment practice, where he developed new media models and produced brand-funded television series. Partners included BBC World News, CNBC, Nat Geo and Discovery. He previously worked in brand positioning, brand planning and copywriting over three years in London, Paris and Shanghai as part of Wpp’s “Fellowship” program.
Bell also is a documentary director and producer. His feature debut,...
- 2/22/2023
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Anonymous Content and Impact Partners have teamed to produce a new doc on a China-based “mistress dispeller,” to be directed and produced by award-winning filmmaker Elizabeth Lo (Stray). Plans for a scripted adaptation of the documentary are also in the works.
The as-yet-untitled feature watches as the mistress dispeller is hired by couples in crisis to break up affairs and save their marriages by any means necessary. Shifting perspectives between husband, wife and mistress, the film is billed as a strikingly intimate story of love and betrayal, as well as a potent exploration of how class, capital and culture collide to shape romantic relationships in contemporary China.
The project produced in association with Cmp is being co-financed by Anonymous Content, Impact Partners and Cmp, having been developed in association with The Concordia Fellowship. Dawn Olmstead, Jessica Grimshaw and Nick Shumaker will exec produce on behalf of Anonymous Content, alongside Jenny Raskin,...
The as-yet-untitled feature watches as the mistress dispeller is hired by couples in crisis to break up affairs and save their marriages by any means necessary. Shifting perspectives between husband, wife and mistress, the film is billed as a strikingly intimate story of love and betrayal, as well as a potent exploration of how class, capital and culture collide to shape romantic relationships in contemporary China.
The project produced in association with Cmp is being co-financed by Anonymous Content, Impact Partners and Cmp, having been developed in association with The Concordia Fellowship. Dawn Olmstead, Jessica Grimshaw and Nick Shumaker will exec produce on behalf of Anonymous Content, alongside Jenny Raskin,...
- 9/14/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Vice has picked up all rights to Valparaiso Pictures’ documentary The Toxic Pigs of Fukushima by The Eagle Huntress filmmaker Otto Bell.
The film charts the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 which triggered a tsunami, nuclear disaster and mass evacuations in Fukushima Prefecture. Today, as part of a government push to encourage resettlement, local hunters have been enlisted to dispose of radiated wild boars that now roam the abandoned streets and buildings.
The film was inspired by the photographs of co-producers Toru Hanai and Yuki Iwanami and the original score was written and performed by ambient artist Midori Takada.
The deal was negotiated by Jason Guberman, Chris Andaya, Maral Usefi and Zara Meerza for Vice. CAA Media Finance, which arranged financing for the film, brokered the deal with Marc Simon of Fox Rothschild on behalf of the filmmakers.
Bell, whose Daisy Ridley-narrated doc The Eagle Huntress...
The film charts the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 which triggered a tsunami, nuclear disaster and mass evacuations in Fukushima Prefecture. Today, as part of a government push to encourage resettlement, local hunters have been enlisted to dispose of radiated wild boars that now roam the abandoned streets and buildings.
The film was inspired by the photographs of co-producers Toru Hanai and Yuki Iwanami and the original score was written and performed by ambient artist Midori Takada.
The deal was negotiated by Jason Guberman, Chris Andaya, Maral Usefi and Zara Meerza for Vice. CAA Media Finance, which arranged financing for the film, brokered the deal with Marc Simon of Fox Rothschild on behalf of the filmmakers.
Bell, whose Daisy Ridley-narrated doc The Eagle Huntress...
- 1/21/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Not everyone in Kazakhstan loved the first Borat film or the character’s depictions of the country. But with the success of Borat 2, aka Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, the tourism board of Kazakhstan is making lemonade out of the sour taste created for the country in some quarters by the first Borat comedy.
Capitalizing on the “Very Nice!” slogan by the fictional Sacha Baron Cohen character, the tourism board has launched four promotional videos for potential tourists that have now been viewed more than 860,000 times on YouTube.
The campaign has boosted interest in the country to the point where the tourism board is now speaking with Amazon, which premiered Borat 2 on October 23, about ways to create further momentum around the promotional materials.
The promo videos contain scenery of Kazakhstan’s natural beauty, impressive cities and cuisine, all mixed with the impressions of real foreign visitors.
Baron Cohen is even making amends.
Capitalizing on the “Very Nice!” slogan by the fictional Sacha Baron Cohen character, the tourism board has launched four promotional videos for potential tourists that have now been viewed more than 860,000 times on YouTube.
The campaign has boosted interest in the country to the point where the tourism board is now speaking with Amazon, which premiered Borat 2 on October 23, about ways to create further momentum around the promotional materials.
The promo videos contain scenery of Kazakhstan’s natural beauty, impressive cities and cuisine, all mixed with the impressions of real foreign visitors.
Baron Cohen is even making amends.
- 10/30/2020
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
The Storyville commissioning team will report to BBC Film head Rose Garnett.
BBC documentary strand Storyville is moving under the remit of BBC Film, as part of a broader restructuring of the BBC’s filmmaking output.
Storyville commissioning editor Mandy Chang and assistant commissioner Hayley Reynolds will now report to BBC Film director Rose Garnett, effective immediately.
Chang and Jo Lapping will work in factual acquisitions across the BBC’s channels and iPlayer, while co-ordinator Hollie Gibson will work across both teams.
The news was announced in an email to staff from Clare Sillery, head of documentaries commissioning at the BBC.
BBC documentary strand Storyville is moving under the remit of BBC Film, as part of a broader restructuring of the BBC’s filmmaking output.
Storyville commissioning editor Mandy Chang and assistant commissioner Hayley Reynolds will now report to BBC Film director Rose Garnett, effective immediately.
Chang and Jo Lapping will work in factual acquisitions across the BBC’s channels and iPlayer, while co-ordinator Hollie Gibson will work across both teams.
The news was announced in an email to staff from Clare Sillery, head of documentaries commissioning at the BBC.
- 10/26/2020
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
"You wouldn't last five seconds on that hill. It takes balls to do it!" Let's get ready to rolllllll!! Let's Roll is the latest short film made by talented UK filmmaker Chris Thomas - he also directed the excellent short films Cropped and Land of Steel we've featured in the past. Chris says that in light of this year's "Gloucester Cheese Roll" being cancelled, they wanted to release the film online to celebrate the spirit of the cheese "in what's usually the build-up to Brockworth's finest hour." The film is a fictionalized dramedy based around the Gloucester cheese roll - an annual event where crazy people chase / roll / tumble after a round of cheese down a steep hill in England. All the real videos from this event are hilarious, but the short film is more of a coming-of-age comedy about how one girl will stop at nothing to compete. This...
- 4/29/2020
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Beijing Juben Productions has taken over rights to the popular “Wolf Totem” novel from China Film Group and is working on a sequel to be delivered in 2021 or Chinese New Year 2022. It also has a zombie film up its sleeve, as well as a British co-production about Shakespeare and a Chinese drama with half an eye on Cannes.
The firm, whose Mandarin name “Juben” translates to “script,” was founded by producer Luna Wang in 2013 and employs a team of ten. It focuses on artistic films with mainstream commercial potential and has mostly worked with early-career directors.
One of its first projects was 2013 comedy “American Dreams in China,” by Peter Chan Ho-sun who is this week head of the competition jury at the International Film Festival Macao.
Juben went on to back “12 Citizens,” a 2014 Chinese remake of “12 Angry Men,” and last year’s “Ayka,” which was shortlisted for the Oscars...
The firm, whose Mandarin name “Juben” translates to “script,” was founded by producer Luna Wang in 2013 and employs a team of ten. It focuses on artistic films with mainstream commercial potential and has mostly worked with early-career directors.
One of its first projects was 2013 comedy “American Dreams in China,” by Peter Chan Ho-sun who is this week head of the competition jury at the International Film Festival Macao.
Juben went on to back “12 Citizens,” a 2014 Chinese remake of “12 Angry Men,” and last year’s “Ayka,” which was shortlisted for the Oscars...
- 12/6/2019
- by Rebecca Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Valparaiso Pictures has wrapped shooting on documentary The Toxic Pigs of Fukushima, directed by BAFTA nominee Otto Bell (The Eagle Huntress), with Emmy winner Joe Bini (You Were Never Really Here) on board to edit.
The 40-minute doc charts the destruction wrought by the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 which triggered a tsunami, nuclear meltdown and mass evacuations. Through the central metaphor of radiated wild boars that now roam the region, Bell and longtime collaborator, cinematographer Simon Niblett, follow the everyday lives of a handful of citizens still struggling to make a life in the much-changed landscape.
Above we can reveal the first-look image from the film.
Los Anglees-based production firm Valparaiso fully financed with David Carrico and Adam Paulsen for Valparaiso and Bell’s Kissaki Films producing. CAA Media Finance is handling sales.
The film was in part inspired by the photographs of Toru Hanai and Yuki Iwanami,...
The 40-minute doc charts the destruction wrought by the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 which triggered a tsunami, nuclear meltdown and mass evacuations. Through the central metaphor of radiated wild boars that now roam the region, Bell and longtime collaborator, cinematographer Simon Niblett, follow the everyday lives of a handful of citizens still struggling to make a life in the much-changed landscape.
Above we can reveal the first-look image from the film.
Los Anglees-based production firm Valparaiso fully financed with David Carrico and Adam Paulsen for Valparaiso and Bell’s Kissaki Films producing. CAA Media Finance is handling sales.
The film was in part inspired by the photographs of Toru Hanai and Yuki Iwanami,...
- 11/16/2019
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: New York Times bestseller The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu is getting a documentary adaptation with director Otto Bell (The Eagle Huntress) and producers Argent Pictures (Chasing Coral), Idil Ibrahim (Fishing Without Nets) and fledgling UK outfit Cove Pictures.
Written by Joshua Hammer, the book, released in April 2017, follows the true story of a group of librarians who undertook a daring cultural evacuation to save ancient texts from Al Qaeda.
The documentary, which due to security concerns has been shot secretly over more than a year in Mali, Africa, focuses on the 300 days of jihadi occupation – from April 2012 to January 2013 – when the infamous Saharan city fell under Al Qaeda’s control. It hones in on a small group of scholars, led by Abdel Kader Haidara, who fearing for the future of their precious manuscripts, transformed themselves into a gang of world-class smugglers. Amid life-and-death stakes, they sneak thousands of books...
Written by Joshua Hammer, the book, released in April 2017, follows the true story of a group of librarians who undertook a daring cultural evacuation to save ancient texts from Al Qaeda.
The documentary, which due to security concerns has been shot secretly over more than a year in Mali, Africa, focuses on the 300 days of jihadi occupation – from April 2012 to January 2013 – when the infamous Saharan city fell under Al Qaeda’s control. It hones in on a small group of scholars, led by Abdel Kader Haidara, who fearing for the future of their precious manuscripts, transformed themselves into a gang of world-class smugglers. Amid life-and-death stakes, they sneak thousands of books...
- 8/27/2019
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Festival favorite “Maiden” is the latest in documentary to buttress a weak summer at the specialty box office. “Maiden” opened in New York and Los Angeles at a level below some of the year’s top entries, but should build word of mouth with Sony Pictures Classics’ careful rollout, as initial audiences were enthusiastic. It’s slim pickings at the moment.
Multiple other films with solid reviews –“The Chambermaid” (Kino Lorber), “Ophelia” (IFC), “The Other Story” (Strand), and “The Plagiarists” (Kimstim) — also made limited debuts but didn’t report lesser grosses. This happens occasionally, but not reporting this many estimates is a sign of an overall problematic market.
A bigger problem is top titles that skip the normal specialized slow expansion route like “Booksmart” (United Artists) and “Late Night” (Amazon). Both have yielded disappointing wider performances, particularly the latter. Both continue at some key arthouse situations.
But the big success...
Multiple other films with solid reviews –“The Chambermaid” (Kino Lorber), “Ophelia” (IFC), “The Other Story” (Strand), and “The Plagiarists” (Kimstim) — also made limited debuts but didn’t report lesser grosses. This happens occasionally, but not reporting this many estimates is a sign of an overall problematic market.
A bigger problem is top titles that skip the normal specialized slow expansion route like “Booksmart” (United Artists) and “Late Night” (Amazon). Both have yielded disappointing wider performances, particularly the latter. Both continue at some key arthouse situations.
But the big success...
- 6/30/2019
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
Initiative will offer range of support from $10,000-$100,000 per project.
Impact Partners, the Brooklyn-based funder of documentaries such as Won’t You Be My Neighbor? and Oscar winner Icarus, has launched a development fund.
Impact Partners said the seven-figure fund will provide annual support to four to eight documentary features and series, or early projects that could turn out to be either format, and will provide $10,000-$100,000 per project.
Filmmakers can apply through Impact Partners’ general submission process and the fund will begin accepting applications on a rolling basis on December 1.
Impact Partners said Filmmakers can apply for a range of reasons,...
Impact Partners, the Brooklyn-based funder of documentaries such as Won’t You Be My Neighbor? and Oscar winner Icarus, has launched a development fund.
Impact Partners said the seven-figure fund will provide annual support to four to eight documentary features and series, or early projects that could turn out to be either format, and will provide $10,000-$100,000 per project.
Filmmakers can apply through Impact Partners’ general submission process and the fund will begin accepting applications on a rolling basis on December 1.
Impact Partners said Filmmakers can apply for a range of reasons,...
- 11/13/2018
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Impact Partners, the Brooklyn-based documentary funders behind last year’s Academy Award winner “Icarus,” has launched a seven-figure development fund to support documentary features and series. It will support the development of four to eight nonfiction projects a year, with a range of $10,000-$100,000 per project.
“We review 800-plus projects a year, and we see so many incredible ideas from filmmakers who have unique access or a fantastic vision for a film,” said Jenny Raskin, executive VP for development and filmmaker relations. “But they often need further development. We are thrilled that we now have a mechanism to give filmmakers the time and resources they need to reach the next stage.”
Prior Impact titles include “Dina,” “The Eagle Huntress,” “The Cove,” “How To Survive a Plague,” and this year’s breakout hit and Oscar hopeful “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” Beyond supplying early financial support to promising projects, Impact...
“We review 800-plus projects a year, and we see so many incredible ideas from filmmakers who have unique access or a fantastic vision for a film,” said Jenny Raskin, executive VP for development and filmmaker relations. “But they often need further development. We are thrilled that we now have a mechanism to give filmmakers the time and resources they need to reach the next stage.”
Prior Impact titles include “Dina,” “The Eagle Huntress,” “The Cove,” “How To Survive a Plague,” and this year’s breakout hit and Oscar hopeful “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” Beyond supplying early financial support to promising projects, Impact...
- 11/13/2018
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
Exclusive: On the heels of its world premiere at Fantastic Fest in Austin, TX; Richard Shepard’s Miramax horror-thriller-drama hybrid The Perfection has been acquired by Netflix for all global rights. Netflix plans to release the title worldwide next year. Deadline hears the acquisition deal was in the high seven-figure range.
Starring Get Out and Girls’ Allison Williams and Dear White People‘s Logan Browning, The Perfection tells the story of two cello prodigies who reunite in Shanghai, and it concludes with a visual that has reportedly left audiences speechless. Reviews in the wake of its premiere have been spoiler-conscious and mum on details. The linear plot of The Perfection, written by Eric Charmelo, Nicole Snyder and Shepard, is not revealed to the audience until the final moments, and it continuously challenges and subverts trust in both of the main characters. Steven Weber also stars as the duo’s mentor.
Starring Get Out and Girls’ Allison Williams and Dear White People‘s Logan Browning, The Perfection tells the story of two cello prodigies who reunite in Shanghai, and it concludes with a visual that has reportedly left audiences speechless. Reviews in the wake of its premiere have been spoiler-conscious and mum on details. The linear plot of The Perfection, written by Eric Charmelo, Nicole Snyder and Shepard, is not revealed to the audience until the final moments, and it continuously challenges and subverts trust in both of the main characters. Steven Weber also stars as the duo’s mentor.
- 10/5/2018
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Michael Moore’s latest political documentary “Fahrenheit 11/9” (Briarcliff) opened to a little over $3 million this weekend in 1,719 theaters. That comes to about 200 people per theater, or roughly 350,000 ticket buyers. No one expected Moore’s latest effort to replicate the staggering performance of “Fahrenheit 9/11” (tickets sold estimated at over 19 million). Still, his documentary history suggested a wide opening should generate $5 million-$8 million.
Even in the best of scenarios, it’s hard to see this gross much more than $10 million domestic. Despite substantial media attention and a Toronto Film Festival premiere, it will likely end well behind “Won’t You Be My Neighbor,” “Rbg,” and “Three Identical Strangers.” Here’s why.
Michael Moore’s Films Have Declined in Appeal
Since “Fahrenheit 9/11” grossed (all adjusted) $178 million in 2004, he directed “Sicko” (2007/$33 million) and “Capitalism: A Love Story” (2009/$17.5 million), and then “Where to Invade Next” (2016/$4.1 million). “Invade” opened to a little under $1 million in 308 theaters,...
Even in the best of scenarios, it’s hard to see this gross much more than $10 million domestic. Despite substantial media attention and a Toronto Film Festival premiere, it will likely end well behind “Won’t You Be My Neighbor,” “Rbg,” and “Three Identical Strangers.” Here’s why.
Michael Moore’s Films Have Declined in Appeal
Since “Fahrenheit 9/11” grossed (all adjusted) $178 million in 2004, he directed “Sicko” (2007/$33 million) and “Capitalism: A Love Story” (2009/$17.5 million), and then “Where to Invade Next” (2016/$4.1 million). “Invade” opened to a little under $1 million in 308 theaters,...
- 9/25/2018
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Allison Williams (Get Out, Girls) is toplining Richard Shepard's The Perfection, a horror-thriller that crosses borders and boundaries. The film tells the story of two cello prodigies and a sinister obsession. Production is slated to begin in early 2018 in Shanghai and Vancouver. The story was scripted by Shepard, Eric Charmelo and Nicole Snyder. The Perfection will be produced by Miramax CEO Bill Block, Richard Shepard and Stacey Reiss (The Eagle Huntress)…...
- 10/27/2017
- Deadline
The 2017 Academy Awards ceremony was a largely apolitical affair, but Gael Garcia Bernal changed that. Co-presenting the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film, he acknowledged the current tension with the Trump Administration over immigration issues, specifically as they pertained to Mexico. “As a Mexican, as a migrant worker, as a human being, I’m against any form of wall that separates us,” he said.
Over the last 12 years, Bernal has been putting that message of unification to work within the boundaries of his native country, pushing a country marred by reports of a drug war and other problems to find itself at the movies. Along with his close friend and “Y Tu Mama Tambien” co-star Diego Luna and the producer Elena Fortes, Bernal co-founded the Ambulante Documentary Film Festival in 2005. The traveling screening series focuses on non-fiction film that brings its vast programming to cities and rural areas around the...
Over the last 12 years, Bernal has been putting that message of unification to work within the boundaries of his native country, pushing a country marred by reports of a drug war and other problems to find itself at the movies. Along with his close friend and “Y Tu Mama Tambien” co-star Diego Luna and the producer Elena Fortes, Bernal co-founded the Ambulante Documentary Film Festival in 2005. The traveling screening series focuses on non-fiction film that brings its vast programming to cities and rural areas around the...
- 5/10/2017
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
04.27.17: This list is now final. While I may in the future see additional films that were released in the awards year of 2016, no more films will be added to this list. (I may add links to reviews of films listed here.)
This ranking includes only new theatrical releases viewed for the awards year of 2016 (for eligibility for the Academy Awards and the Ofcs and Awfj awards); some films released in the UK without Us releases (and so ineligible for those awards this year) may also be included, for my own bookkeeping purposes. Links go to my review. Numbers after each entry are Date First Viewed/NYC Release Date/London Release Date; year is 2016 unless otherwise noted.
worth paying multiplex prices for
[5 stars]
Arrival (10.10/11.11/11.10)
La La Land (10.07/12.09/01.13.17)
A Monster Calls (10.06/12.23/01.01.17)
The Lobster (07.16.15/05.13/10.16.15)
Zootropolis (aka Zootopia) (02.22/03.04/03.25)
A Bigger Splash (10.08.15/05.04/02.12)
Miss Sloane (11.20/11.25/05.12.17)
London Road (06.03.15/09.09/06.12.15)
The Girl with All the Gifts (07.26/02.24.17/09.23)
I, Daniel Blake...
This ranking includes only new theatrical releases viewed for the awards year of 2016 (for eligibility for the Academy Awards and the Ofcs and Awfj awards); some films released in the UK without Us releases (and so ineligible for those awards this year) may also be included, for my own bookkeeping purposes. Links go to my review. Numbers after each entry are Date First Viewed/NYC Release Date/London Release Date; year is 2016 unless otherwise noted.
worth paying multiplex prices for
[5 stars]
Arrival (10.10/11.11/11.10)
La La Land (10.07/12.09/01.13.17)
A Monster Calls (10.06/12.23/01.01.17)
The Lobster (07.16.15/05.13/10.16.15)
Zootropolis (aka Zootopia) (02.22/03.04/03.25)
A Bigger Splash (10.08.15/05.04/02.12)
Miss Sloane (11.20/11.25/05.12.17)
London Road (06.03.15/09.09/06.12.15)
The Girl with All the Gifts (07.26/02.24.17/09.23)
I, Daniel Blake...
- 4/27/2017
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
The Eagle Huntress Sony Pictures Classics Director: Otto Bell Written by: Otto Bell Cast: Aisholpan Nurgaiv, Rhys Nurgaiv, Kuksyegyen Almagul, Boshai Dalaikhan Screened at: Sony, NYC, 11/30/16 Opens: November 2, 2016 One of the most popular TV game shows ever was “What’s My Line,” which ran from 1950 to 1967 and was parodied by Woody […]
The post The Eagle Huntress Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post The Eagle Huntress Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 4/6/2017
- by Harvey Karten
- ShockYa
Hungry for fresh nourishment, specialty audiences flocked to new World War II drama “The Zookeeper’s Wife” (Focus Features), directed by Niki Caro and starring Jessica Chastain.
While smart-house moviegoers can be discerning — see Fox Searchlight’s “Wilson” — the holocaust drama overcame modest reviews to score in wider initial release. The dearth of other product should help Focus to find bigger success ahead.
Read More: ‘The Zookeeper’s Wife’ Director Niki Caro Has a Plan for Fighting Hollywood’s Gender Gap
New openings finding niche interest were led by “David Lynch – The Art Life” (Janus) as smaller films continue to struggle.
At a time of dwindling movie ad revenue, streaming service Netflix took out two full-page ads for five films in both the New York Times and Los Angeles Times. They touted four Sundance debuts: “The Discovery” starring Robert Redford and Rooney Mara, which played limited theatrical dates with no grosses reported,...
While smart-house moviegoers can be discerning — see Fox Searchlight’s “Wilson” — the holocaust drama overcame modest reviews to score in wider initial release. The dearth of other product should help Focus to find bigger success ahead.
Read More: ‘The Zookeeper’s Wife’ Director Niki Caro Has a Plan for Fighting Hollywood’s Gender Gap
New openings finding niche interest were led by “David Lynch – The Art Life” (Janus) as smaller films continue to struggle.
At a time of dwindling movie ad revenue, streaming service Netflix took out two full-page ads for five films in both the New York Times and Los Angeles Times. They touted four Sundance debuts: “The Discovery” starring Robert Redford and Rooney Mara, which played limited theatrical dates with no grosses reported,...
- 4/2/2017
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
The management of a drive-in theater in Henagar, Alabama is refusing to show Disney’s upcoming Beauty And The Beast to the 2,344 inhabitants of the small Southern town, on the grounds that they couldn’t comfortably do so with God or Jesus riding in their car. Per the theater’s Facebook page, that heavenly opposition stems from Disney’s desire to “continually force their views on us” in the form of making one of the movie’s minor character’s—Josh Gad’s LeFou—gay. “We need to take a stand,” the post continues, declaring that the drive-in will no longer serve as the moral crucible in which Alabama children might receive the hideous moral truth that some human beings are gay.
The theater is currently showing The Eagle Huntress and A Dog’s Purpose, even though we’re pretty sure the Bible doesn’t come out in ...
The theater is currently showing The Eagle Huntress and A Dog’s Purpose, even though we’re pretty sure the Bible doesn’t come out in ...
- 3/3/2017
- by William Hughes
- avclub.com
Director Bill Condon promised that there would be a gay character in the live-action version of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and there is in Josh Gad’s character LeFou, who seems to have a crush on the hunk Gaston and reportedly has a scene near the end of the film that suggests his sexuality. And now a small, Christian-operated drive-in theater in Henagar, Al says it won’t show the film because of it. This weekend, the drive-in is playing The Eagle Huntress and A Dog’s P…...
- 3/3/2017
- Deadline
The marathon run of specialized awards contenders reaches its climax tonight. Only a handful will get a further boost. It has been a strong season, with business spread out among multiple films.
Meantime, a handful of releases outside the awards world, led by cat documentary “Kedi” (Oscilloscope) and the wider decently performing “A United Kingdom” (Fox Searchlight) will need to make up the gaps ahead.
One final Oscar nominee, the Swiss animated feature “My Life As a Zucchini” (Oscilloscope) had a decent start in a single theater each in New York and Los Angeles. This will see some niche life ahead as arthouses look for needed supplementary releases.
In every previous case of the first release of a Sundance U.S. Dramatic Competition winner would be the top story in this report, as was the case for “The Birth of a Nation” and “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.
Meantime, a handful of releases outside the awards world, led by cat documentary “Kedi” (Oscilloscope) and the wider decently performing “A United Kingdom” (Fox Searchlight) will need to make up the gaps ahead.
One final Oscar nominee, the Swiss animated feature “My Life As a Zucchini” (Oscilloscope) had a decent start in a single theater each in New York and Los Angeles. This will see some niche life ahead as arthouses look for needed supplementary releases.
In every previous case of the first release of a Sundance U.S. Dramatic Competition winner would be the top story in this report, as was the case for “The Birth of a Nation” and “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.
- 2/26/2017
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
A successful Oscar season is wrapping up, as multiple contenders from the specialty world continuing their long runs. Last out of the gate is Documentary Feature contender “I Am Not Your Negro” (Magnolia) which is rapidly expanding far beyond most similar nominees in an era when most documentaries do not play outside their Oscar-qualifying theatrical runs.
Among limited films, the new releases are mainly niche items without high expectations, and will add little in upcoming weeks. However, strong new Los Angeles dates on the second week of cat documentary “Kedi” (Oscilloscope) showed that its big New York opening was no fluke.
Opening
Everybody Loves Somebody (Lionsgate) – Metacritic: 74; Festivals include: Palm Springs 2017
$1,000,000 in 333 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $3,003,000
The second 2017 release from Lionsgate’s Mexico producing partner Pantelion is a rom-com with a rare female director for this commercial general (mostly Latino) audience. Bilingual, it centers on an Los Angeles-based...
Among limited films, the new releases are mainly niche items without high expectations, and will add little in upcoming weeks. However, strong new Los Angeles dates on the second week of cat documentary “Kedi” (Oscilloscope) showed that its big New York opening was no fluke.
Opening
Everybody Loves Somebody (Lionsgate) – Metacritic: 74; Festivals include: Palm Springs 2017
$1,000,000 in 333 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $3,003,000
The second 2017 release from Lionsgate’s Mexico producing partner Pantelion is a rom-com with a rare female director for this commercial general (mostly Latino) audience. Bilingual, it centers on an Los Angeles-based...
- 2/19/2017
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
Editor’s Note: Click here for more information about the indie films available from Movies on Demand.
It’s frustrating when powerful dramas fail to earn major Oscar nominations and thus risk being drowned out of the conversation of movies you absolutely need to see. Jeff Nichols’ “Loving” seems to be one of those movies this year. An extraordinary true story told with the humanity and restraint it deserves, it takes what could have been an awards-baiting biopic and turns it into a soulful study of two gentle-hearted people whose love defied the law and changed history.
Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton excel in the roles of Mildred and Richard Loving, whose fight to remain married led to the 1967 U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down laws prohibiting interracial marriage. Negga rightfully earned an Oscar nomination for Best Actress (her eyes are a window into her soul), and Joel Edgerton...
It’s frustrating when powerful dramas fail to earn major Oscar nominations and thus risk being drowned out of the conversation of movies you absolutely need to see. Jeff Nichols’ “Loving” seems to be one of those movies this year. An extraordinary true story told with the humanity and restraint it deserves, it takes what could have been an awards-baiting biopic and turns it into a soulful study of two gentle-hearted people whose love defied the law and changed history.
Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton excel in the roles of Mildred and Richard Loving, whose fight to remain married led to the 1967 U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down laws prohibiting interracial marriage. Negga rightfully earned an Oscar nomination for Best Actress (her eyes are a window into her soul), and Joel Edgerton...
- 2/14/2017
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
At last, two 2017 openings have nothing to do with the Oscar race. “Kedi” (Oscilloscope) and “A United Kingdom” (Fox Searchlight) show promising or better initial grosses.
Two others, Best Foreign Language Film nominee “Land of Mine” (Sony Pictures Classics) and “2017 Oscar Nominated Shorts” (Magnolia) are timed to maximize their awards status. The Danish film drew limited interest while the latter, per usual, is nabbing some national attention.
Opening
Kedi (Oscilloscope) – Metacritic: 82; Festivals include: Palm Springs 2017
$40,510 in 1 theater; PTA (per theater average): $40,510
It’s not just Facebook. Moviegoers love cats too. This Turkish documentary about Istanbul’s centuries-old love affair with street felines opened at lower Manhattan’s Metrograph theater. With excellent reviews, two screens and a shorter than average running time, “Kedi” opened to a stellar gross that will likely stand as a high opening weekend mark for some time. Oscilloscope managed this feat without the benefit of heavy...
Two others, Best Foreign Language Film nominee “Land of Mine” (Sony Pictures Classics) and “2017 Oscar Nominated Shorts” (Magnolia) are timed to maximize their awards status. The Danish film drew limited interest while the latter, per usual, is nabbing some national attention.
Opening
Kedi (Oscilloscope) – Metacritic: 82; Festivals include: Palm Springs 2017
$40,510 in 1 theater; PTA (per theater average): $40,510
It’s not just Facebook. Moviegoers love cats too. This Turkish documentary about Istanbul’s centuries-old love affair with street felines opened at lower Manhattan’s Metrograph theater. With excellent reviews, two screens and a shorter than average running time, “Kedi” opened to a stellar gross that will likely stand as a high opening weekend mark for some time. Oscilloscope managed this feat without the benefit of heavy...
- 2/12/2017
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
A simple listing, duplicated from the in cinemas Us and Canada page, of new releases and other stuff currently available, for the benefit of those playing along by RSS or keeping up via the Daily Digest emails (sign up here).
opening this week The Lego Batman Movie Oscar Nominated Documentary Shorts (89th Academy Awards) Speed Sisters A United Kingdom Fifty Shades Darker I’m planning to see… John Wick: Chapter Two Oscar Nominated Animation Shorts (89th Academy Awards) Oscar Nominated Live Action Shorts (89th Academy Awards)
2016’s films, ranked by maryann (still ongoing, now open to all readers)
2017’s films, ranked by maryann (subscribers only until the end of the year)
get all reviews since 1997 here
now in cinemas Allied Antarctica: Ice and Sky (aka Ice and the Sky) Arrival The Eagle Huntress Fences The Founder A Good American Hidden Figures I, Daniel Blake Jackie La La Land Lion Loving...
opening this week The Lego Batman Movie Oscar Nominated Documentary Shorts (89th Academy Awards) Speed Sisters A United Kingdom Fifty Shades Darker I’m planning to see… John Wick: Chapter Two Oscar Nominated Animation Shorts (89th Academy Awards) Oscar Nominated Live Action Shorts (89th Academy Awards)
2016’s films, ranked by maryann (still ongoing, now open to all readers)
2017’s films, ranked by maryann (subscribers only until the end of the year)
get all reviews since 1997 here
now in cinemas Allied Antarctica: Ice and Sky (aka Ice and the Sky) Arrival The Eagle Huntress Fences The Founder A Good American Hidden Figures I, Daniel Blake Jackie La La Land Lion Loving...
- 2/10/2017
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
A simple listing, duplicated from the in cinemas UK and Ireland page, of new releases and other stuff currently available, for the benefit of those playing along by RSS or keeping up via the Daily Digest emails (sign up here).
opening this week Fences The Lego Batman Movie Prevenge 20th Century Women Fifty Shades Darker The Space Between Us I’m planning to see… Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
2016’s films, ranked by maryann (still ongoing, now open to all readers)
2017’s films, ranked by maryann (subscribers only until the end of the year)
get all reviews since 1997 here
now in cinemas Allied Arrival The Birth of a Nation Chi-Raq Christine Denial The Eagle Huntress Hacksaw Ridge I, Daniel Blake Jackie La La Land Lion Loving Manchester by the Sea Moana A Monster Calls Paterson Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Sing Sully Toni Erdmann T2 Trainspotting Cameraperson Doctor Strange...
opening this week Fences The Lego Batman Movie Prevenge 20th Century Women Fifty Shades Darker The Space Between Us I’m planning to see… Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
2016’s films, ranked by maryann (still ongoing, now open to all readers)
2017’s films, ranked by maryann (subscribers only until the end of the year)
get all reviews since 1997 here
now in cinemas Allied Arrival The Birth of a Nation Chi-Raq Christine Denial The Eagle Huntress Hacksaw Ridge I, Daniel Blake Jackie La La Land Lion Loving Manchester by the Sea Moana A Monster Calls Paterson Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Sing Sully Toni Erdmann T2 Trainspotting Cameraperson Doctor Strange...
- 2/10/2017
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit platforms. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.
Crimson Peak (Guillermo del Toro)
Crimson Peak works as many things: a melodramatic romance; both the recreation of a period and a revival of the way movies have made us perceive it; a genre-jumping comedy; and a critique of capitalistic excess. It does these things earnestly and without compromise, and it’s far braver — far more admirable — for having done so. What Guillermo del Toro’s new film doesn...
Crimson Peak (Guillermo del Toro)
Crimson Peak works as many things: a melodramatic romance; both the recreation of a period and a revival of the way movies have made us perceive it; a genre-jumping comedy; and a critique of capitalistic excess. It does these things earnestly and without compromise, and it’s far braver — far more admirable — for having done so. What Guillermo del Toro’s new film doesn...
- 2/10/2017
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
‘The Eagle Huntress’ is a Rousing Feminist Adventure Every Family Needs to See — IndieWire On Demand
Editor’s Note: Click here for more information about the indie films available from Movies on Demand.
It can be hard to find a good documentary to watch with the whole family. Oscar contenders like “13th,” “I Am Not Your Negro” and “Oj: Made in America” are essential viewing, but they’re not necessarily the best fit for young children. That’s where “The Eagle Huntress” comes in, Otto Bell’s inspirational and rousing documentary about a young girl who does whatever it takes to make dream come true.
“The Eagle Huntress” follows 13-year-old Aisholpan, a Kazakh kid with one main aspiration — to be an eagle huntress. It may sound like a simple enough request, but Aisholpan’s big dream (alongside another desire to become a doctor) isn’t a common one. In fact, she’d be the very first of her kind, at least in her eagle-hunting-crazed region.
Read...
It can be hard to find a good documentary to watch with the whole family. Oscar contenders like “13th,” “I Am Not Your Negro” and “Oj: Made in America” are essential viewing, but they’re not necessarily the best fit for young children. That’s where “The Eagle Huntress” comes in, Otto Bell’s inspirational and rousing documentary about a young girl who does whatever it takes to make dream come true.
“The Eagle Huntress” follows 13-year-old Aisholpan, a Kazakh kid with one main aspiration — to be an eagle huntress. It may sound like a simple enough request, but Aisholpan’s big dream (alongside another desire to become a doctor) isn’t a common one. In fact, she’d be the very first of her kind, at least in her eagle-hunting-crazed region.
Read...
- 2/7/2017
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
“I Am Not Your Negro” (Magnolia), Raoul Peck’s acclaimed documentary on author James Baldwin, opened extremely well this weekend to achieve an elevated position among this year’s Oscar Documentary Features. It also defied the usual strategy for specialized releases, documentary or otherwise, with a wider that usual first week opening.
It joins the Iranian “The Salesman” as a perfectly timed late-stage release. Asghar Faradi’s film expanded in its second weekend to about the same number of theaters showing “Negro.” They stand out as fresh blood in a period when multiple longer running Oscar nominees are still thriving, including a rare trifecta of three Best Picture nominees in the Top Ten: “Hidden Figures,” “La La Land” and “Lion.”
The first two Sundance 2017 films debuted theatrically, both with near-term home viewing prospects. Barbara Kopple’s “This Is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous” (on YouTube Red this Wednesday) and “Oklahoma City” (on...
It joins the Iranian “The Salesman” as a perfectly timed late-stage release. Asghar Faradi’s film expanded in its second weekend to about the same number of theaters showing “Negro.” They stand out as fresh blood in a period when multiple longer running Oscar nominees are still thriving, including a rare trifecta of three Best Picture nominees in the Top Ten: “Hidden Figures,” “La La Land” and “Lion.”
The first two Sundance 2017 films debuted theatrically, both with near-term home viewing prospects. Barbara Kopple’s “This Is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous” (on YouTube Red this Wednesday) and “Oklahoma City” (on...
- 2/5/2017
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
Actress also discusses The Eagle Huntress, Star Wars 8 and resisting Donald Trump.
“It’s a really fucking scary time to be alive,” comments Star Wars’ leading lady Daisy Ridley about the first days of Donald Trump being president of the Us. The actress recently attended the anti-Trump women’s march in London, calling it “an incredible show of democracy”.
Ridley is deeply passionate about tales of female empowerment; from her breakthrough role in Star Wars: The Force Awakens to the her latest film, the Bafta-nominated documentary The Eagle Huntress, which she narrates and exec produced.
Screen sat down with Ridley to discuss the doc, which is the story of a 13-year-old girl in Mongolia who is attempting to become the first female eagle hunter in her country. She also updated on Star Wars: The Last Jedi, talked having to audition for Murder On The Orient Express, and had her say on Piers Morgan’s recent spat with...
“It’s a really fucking scary time to be alive,” comments Star Wars’ leading lady Daisy Ridley about the first days of Donald Trump being president of the Us. The actress recently attended the anti-Trump women’s march in London, calling it “an incredible show of democracy”.
Ridley is deeply passionate about tales of female empowerment; from her breakthrough role in Star Wars: The Force Awakens to the her latest film, the Bafta-nominated documentary The Eagle Huntress, which she narrates and exec produced.
Screen sat down with Ridley to discuss the doc, which is the story of a 13-year-old girl in Mongolia who is attempting to become the first female eagle hunter in her country. She also updated on Star Wars: The Last Jedi, talked having to audition for Murder On The Orient Express, and had her say on Piers Morgan’s recent spat with...
- 2/3/2017
- ScreenDaily
Out of a stellar crop of documentaries to have emerged in 2016, one – from a first time filmmaker – stood out more than most, not just for its astonishing visuals, but because of the hugely ambitious nature of the project.
In The Eagle Huntress, U.S.-based British director Otto Bell tells the remarkable story of Aisholpan, a 13-year-old nomadic Kazakh girl from Mongolia – “the most remote part of the least populated country in the world” – as she trains to become the first female eagle hunter, following in the footsteps of her family while also battling a society where...
In The Eagle Huntress, U.S.-based British director Otto Bell tells the remarkable story of Aisholpan, a 13-year-old nomadic Kazakh girl from Mongolia – “the most remote part of the least populated country in the world” – as she trains to become the first female eagle hunter, following in the footsteps of her family while also battling a society where...
- 2/3/2017
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In the global furor over President Donald Trump’s ban on Muslims entering the United States, Asghar Farhadi’s Iranian Oscar nominee “The Salesman” (Cohen Media) opened to strong numbers in New York and Los Angeles. This drama had the best initial limited subtitled release in several years, bettering several films that won the Foreign Language Oscar. (Farhadi, who won the Oscar for “A Separation” in 2012, has just announced that he will not attend the Oscars in light of Trump’s ban.)
“The Salesman” was the sole limited opener to make a major impact; other noteworthy titles are films trying to capitalize on this week’s nomination hauls. Platform titles like “Hidden Figures,” “La La Land” (both now over $100 million), “Moonlight,” and “Manchester By the Sea” are now playing in wider breaks. Among the rest, Weinstein’s “Lion” is performing best, with over $2 million in 575 theaters.
See More‘The Salesman...
“The Salesman” was the sole limited opener to make a major impact; other noteworthy titles are films trying to capitalize on this week’s nomination hauls. Platform titles like “Hidden Figures,” “La La Land” (both now over $100 million), “Moonlight,” and “Manchester By the Sea” are now playing in wider breaks. Among the rest, Weinstein’s “Lion” is performing best, with over $2 million in 575 theaters.
See More‘The Salesman...
- 1/29/2017
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
“Arrival,” “Rogue One,” and “Hacksaw Ridge” each received three Mpse sound editing nominations (Dialogue/Adr, Effects/Foley, and Music) in the race for the 64th Golden Reel Awards (held February 19th at the Westin Bonaventure).
While the Oscars singled out Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi thriller, which boasts unique animal sounds and music as well as Mel Gibson’s powerful Okinawa World War II battles, they overlooked Gareth Edwards’ “Star Wars” standalone.
Right behind these three films with two nominations each were Marvel’s “Deadpool” (Dialogue/Adr, Effects/Foley) and “Doctor Strange” (Effects/Folley, Music), plus Disney’s “Moana” (Animation, Musical).
“La La Land” scored a Musical nomination, as did “Forest Foster Jenkins,” “Sing Street,” and DreamWorks’ animated “Trolls.”
Other animated contenders included Oscar nominees from Disney (“Zootopia”) Laika (“Kubo and the Two Strings”) and Studio Ghibli (“The Red Turtle”), plus Pixar’s “Finding Dory” and Netflix’s “The Little Prince.
While the Oscars singled out Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi thriller, which boasts unique animal sounds and music as well as Mel Gibson’s powerful Okinawa World War II battles, they overlooked Gareth Edwards’ “Star Wars” standalone.
Right behind these three films with two nominations each were Marvel’s “Deadpool” (Dialogue/Adr, Effects/Foley) and “Doctor Strange” (Effects/Folley, Music), plus Disney’s “Moana” (Animation, Musical).
“La La Land” scored a Musical nomination, as did “Forest Foster Jenkins,” “Sing Street,” and DreamWorks’ animated “Trolls.”
Other animated contenders included Oscar nominees from Disney (“Zootopia”) Laika (“Kubo and the Two Strings”) and Studio Ghibli (“The Red Turtle”), plus Pixar’s “Finding Dory” and Netflix’s “The Little Prince.
- 1/27/2017
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
The Eagle Huntress is a brilliant fusion of Pixar’s Brave and Dreamworks’ How to Train Your Dragon. Except it’s all real. This is a tale of a young girl battling against sexist tribal elders to become the first eagle huntress; besting her rivals, proving herself against the elements and battling against the odds.
The raw material of isolated Mongolian eagle hunters makes for a potent cinematic cocktail: not just authentic and uplifting, but inherently visually exciting. It’s perhaps no wonder that Ice Age director Chris Wedge has signed on to direct an all-star animated adaptation of the same story.
With its subject’s snowballing fame (and high hopes for the film in awards season), its humble origins are increasingly faintly surreal. It began with photographer Asher Svidensky heading to Mongolia to document the lives of Kazakh eagle hunters, a trip which produced a striking picture of a...
The raw material of isolated Mongolian eagle hunters makes for a potent cinematic cocktail: not just authentic and uplifting, but inherently visually exciting. It’s perhaps no wonder that Ice Age director Chris Wedge has signed on to direct an all-star animated adaptation of the same story.
With its subject’s snowballing fame (and high hopes for the film in awards season), its humble origins are increasingly faintly surreal. It began with photographer Asher Svidensky heading to Mongolia to document the lives of Kazakh eagle hunters, a trip which produced a striking picture of a...
- 1/23/2017
- by David James
- We Got This Covered
As indie buyers determine the fate of this year’s Sundance entries, the specialty market continues to swing dramatically between awards players and soft newbies. New limited releases remain flat.
Showing particular strength is Sundance attendee Harvey Weinstein’s designated Oscar contender “Lion,” which saw a tiny drop as it slowly heads toward wider release. It could get a sizable Oscar boost over the next few weeks. Next week after nominations expect wider breaks for some pictures that have played in theaters for while.
Opening
The Red Turtle (Sony Pictures Classics) – Metacritic: 89; Festivals include: Cannes, Toronto 2016
$21,811 in 3 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $7,270; Cumulative: $39,435
This Belgian animated Cannes breakout (a rare European production from Japan’s Studio Ghibli) opened with high-end reviews in its official initial release in New York and Los Angeles (after an earlier Oscar-qualifying one-week run). The grosses didn’t rise to the level its earlier acclaim promised.
Showing particular strength is Sundance attendee Harvey Weinstein’s designated Oscar contender “Lion,” which saw a tiny drop as it slowly heads toward wider release. It could get a sizable Oscar boost over the next few weeks. Next week after nominations expect wider breaks for some pictures that have played in theaters for while.
Opening
The Red Turtle (Sony Pictures Classics) – Metacritic: 89; Festivals include: Cannes, Toronto 2016
$21,811 in 3 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $7,270; Cumulative: $39,435
This Belgian animated Cannes breakout (a rare European production from Japan’s Studio Ghibli) opened with high-end reviews in its official initial release in New York and Los Angeles (after an earlier Oscar-qualifying one-week run). The grosses didn’t rise to the level its earlier acclaim promised.
- 1/22/2017
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
Sundance 2016 will always be remembered for the record-breaking $17.5 million sale of Nate Parker’s “The Birth of a Nation” to Fox Searchlight, on the heels of the #oscarsowhite backlash — and for the massive marketing fallout that followed in light of Parker’s rape-trial acquittal. With a domestic gross under $16 million, it led to one of the bigger failures among Sundance sales relative to expense.
Netflix outbid Searchlight for “The Birth of a Nation,” but the producers favored the theatrical route (including that company’s proven awards expertise and commercial success) and accepted less money. One wonders if it had been a high-profile Netflix film if the post-Sundance controversy about Nate Parker’s college days would have had the same impact or effect. It will be curious to see if any producer this year is as quick to turn down a high offer from Netflix or similar non-theatrical buyer.
Those memories could temper bidding wars,...
Netflix outbid Searchlight for “The Birth of a Nation,” but the producers favored the theatrical route (including that company’s proven awards expertise and commercial success) and accepted less money. One wonders if it had been a high-profile Netflix film if the post-Sundance controversy about Nate Parker’s college days would have had the same impact or effect. It will be curious to see if any producer this year is as quick to turn down a high offer from Netflix or similar non-theatrical buyer.
Those memories could temper bidding wars,...
- 1/18/2017
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
This year’s award season continues to yield a robust specialized bounty. The Oscar contenders are led by “La La Land” (Lionsgate) and “Hidden Figures” (20th Century Fox). The public, particularly older audiences, are coming out in big numbers for films that launched in limited release.
That doesn’t extend to new limited openings, with nearly all top distributors holding back until the awards noise dies down. Still, a few are venturing out with smaller less heralded films in New York (along with a plethora of Video on Demand releases). This week sees three of note, led by a very surprising total for “World’s Apart” (Cinema Libre), an under-the-radar 2015 Greek economic crisis drama.
Check out our Award Season video interviews.
(All figures for three-day weekend through Sunday January 15.)
Opening
Worlds Apart (Cinema Libre)
$14,000 gross at 1 theater; PTA (per theater average): $14,000
This Greek film, which tells three loosely related...
That doesn’t extend to new limited openings, with nearly all top distributors holding back until the awards noise dies down. Still, a few are venturing out with smaller less heralded films in New York (along with a plethora of Video on Demand releases). This week sees three of note, led by a very surprising total for “World’s Apart” (Cinema Libre), an under-the-radar 2015 Greek economic crisis drama.
Check out our Award Season video interviews.
(All figures for three-day weekend through Sunday January 15.)
Opening
Worlds Apart (Cinema Libre)
$14,000 gross at 1 theater; PTA (per theater average): $14,000
This Greek film, which tells three loosely related...
- 1/15/2017
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
Awards season keeps ticking right along, but tonight’s Cinema Eye Honors promised at least a tiny respite from narrative-based filmmaking, as the New York City-set ceremony is all about honoring the best in the year’s documentary filmmaking.
Big winners included Kirsten Johnson’s “Cameraperson,” which picked up Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking, along with editing and cinematography wins. Right behind it was Ezra Edelman’s “O.J.: Made in America,” which earned Edelman a directing win, along with a production win for Edelman and Caroline Waterlow. Best TV offering went to “Making a Murderer.”
Nominations were lead by Raoul Peck’s “I Am Not Your Negro” and “O.J.: Made in America,” which each pulled in five nominations apiece, though Johnson’s “Cameraperson” and Gianfranco Rosi’s “Fire at Sea” aren’t far behind, with four nominations each. Both Peck and Rosi’s features ultimately walked away without an award.
Big winners included Kirsten Johnson’s “Cameraperson,” which picked up Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking, along with editing and cinematography wins. Right behind it was Ezra Edelman’s “O.J.: Made in America,” which earned Edelman a directing win, along with a production win for Edelman and Caroline Waterlow. Best TV offering went to “Making a Murderer.”
Nominations were lead by Raoul Peck’s “I Am Not Your Negro” and “O.J.: Made in America,” which each pulled in five nominations apiece, though Johnson’s “Cameraperson” and Gianfranco Rosi’s “Fire at Sea” aren’t far behind, with four nominations each. Both Peck and Rosi’s features ultimately walked away without an award.
- 1/12/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
The Directors Guild of America announced the nominees in the television, commercial and documentary categories and the directors for new programs such as “Westworld,” “Stranger Things” and “Atlanta” were rewarded for their work. Additionally, the DGA put their stamp of approval on the theatrical documentaries “Oj: Made in America,” “I Am Not Your Negro,” “Weiner,” “The Eagle Huntress” and “Life Animated.”
The nominations for theatrical motion pictures will be announced tomorrow.
Continue reading ‘Westworld,’ ‘Stranger Things,’ ‘Full Frontal With Samantha Bee’ among DGA TV Nominations at The Playlist.
The nominations for theatrical motion pictures will be announced tomorrow.
Continue reading ‘Westworld,’ ‘Stranger Things,’ ‘Full Frontal With Samantha Bee’ among DGA TV Nominations at The Playlist.
- 1/11/2017
- by Gregory Ellwood
- The Playlist
The Directors Guild Of America on Wednesday unveiled nominees in the documentary, television and commercials categories.
The winners will be announced at the 69th Annual DGA Awards on February 4 in Beverly Hills.
Documentary
Otto Bell, The Eagle Huntress
Ezra Edelman, O.J.: Made in America
Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg, Weiner
Raoul Peck, I Am Not Your Negro
Roger Ross Williams, Life, Animated
Dramatic Series
The Duffer Brothers, Stranger Things, “Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers”
Ryan Murphy, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, “From The Ashes Of Tragedy”
Jonathan Nolan, Westworld, “The Original”
Miguel Sapochnik, Game Of Thrones, “The Battle Of The Bastards”
John Singleton, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, “The Race Card”
Comedy Series
Alec Berg, Silicon Valley, “Daily Active Users”
Donald Glover, Atlanta, “B.A.N.”
Mike Judge, Silicon Valley, “Founder Friendly”
Becky Martin, Veep, “Inauguration”
Dale Stern, Veep, “Mother”
Movies For Television And Mini-series
Raymond De Felitta, [link...
The winners will be announced at the 69th Annual DGA Awards on February 4 in Beverly Hills.
Documentary
Otto Bell, The Eagle Huntress
Ezra Edelman, O.J.: Made in America
Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg, Weiner
Raoul Peck, I Am Not Your Negro
Roger Ross Williams, Life, Animated
Dramatic Series
The Duffer Brothers, Stranger Things, “Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers”
Ryan Murphy, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, “From The Ashes Of Tragedy”
Jonathan Nolan, Westworld, “The Original”
Miguel Sapochnik, Game Of Thrones, “The Battle Of The Bastards”
John Singleton, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, “The Race Card”
Comedy Series
Alec Berg, Silicon Valley, “Daily Active Users”
Donald Glover, Atlanta, “B.A.N.”
Mike Judge, Silicon Valley, “Founder Friendly”
Becky Martin, Veep, “Inauguration”
Dale Stern, Veep, “Mother”
Movies For Television And Mini-series
Raymond De Felitta, [link...
- 1/11/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The five nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary for 2016 are all on the Oscar shortlist of 15.
Getting a boost as Oscar documentary branch voters fill out their ballots this week are six first-time nominees:
Otto Bell “The Eagle Huntress” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Ezra Edelman “O.J.: Made in America” (Espn Films)
John Kriegman & Elyse Steinberg “Weiner” (Sundance Selects)
Raoul Peck “I Am Not Your Negro” (Magnolia Pictures)
Roger Ross Williams “Life, Animated” (The Orchard)
Overlapping with the PGA’s nominated documentaries are “Life, Animated,” “O.J.: Made in America,” and “The Eagle Huntress,” the last of which also landed a BAFTA nod, along with “13th” and “Weiner.”
Related stories'a Man Called Ove' Co-Star Bahar Pars May Not Be Allowed to Attend the Oscars Due to Muslim BanSanta Barbara Film Festival: Oscar Contenders Pack Writer and Producer Panels'La La Land': How Damien Chazelle...
Getting a boost as Oscar documentary branch voters fill out their ballots this week are six first-time nominees:
Otto Bell “The Eagle Huntress” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Ezra Edelman “O.J.: Made in America” (Espn Films)
John Kriegman & Elyse Steinberg “Weiner” (Sundance Selects)
Raoul Peck “I Am Not Your Negro” (Magnolia Pictures)
Roger Ross Williams “Life, Animated” (The Orchard)
Overlapping with the PGA’s nominated documentaries are “Life, Animated,” “O.J.: Made in America,” and “The Eagle Huntress,” the last of which also landed a BAFTA nod, along with “13th” and “Weiner.”
Related stories'a Man Called Ove' Co-Star Bahar Pars May Not Be Allowed to Attend the Oscars Due to Muslim BanSanta Barbara Film Festival: Oscar Contenders Pack Writer and Producer Panels'La La Land': How Damien Chazelle...
- 1/11/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The five nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary for 2016 are all on the Oscar shortlist of 15.
Getting a boost as Oscar documentary branch voters fill out their ballots this week are six first-time nominees:
Otto Bell “The Eagle Huntress” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Ezra Edelman “O.J.: Made in America” (Espn Films)
John Kriegman & Elyse Steinberg “Weiner” (Sundance Selects)
Raoul Peck “I Am Not Your Negro” (Magnolia Pictures)
Roger Ross Williams “Life, Animated” (The Orchard)
Overlapping with the PGA’s nominated documentaries are “Life, Animated,” “O.J.: Made in America,” and “The Eagle Huntress,” the last of which also landed a BAFTA nod, along with “13th” and “Weiner.”
Related storiesCinematographers Guild Nominates Oscar Frontrunners 'La La Land,' 'Moonlight'2016 Directors Guild of America Documentary and TV Nominations: The Year of O.J. ContinuesDenzel Washington Interview: The Director Reveals How He Opened Up 'Fences'...
Getting a boost as Oscar documentary branch voters fill out their ballots this week are six first-time nominees:
Otto Bell “The Eagle Huntress” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Ezra Edelman “O.J.: Made in America” (Espn Films)
John Kriegman & Elyse Steinberg “Weiner” (Sundance Selects)
Raoul Peck “I Am Not Your Negro” (Magnolia Pictures)
Roger Ross Williams “Life, Animated” (The Orchard)
Overlapping with the PGA’s nominated documentaries are “Life, Animated,” “O.J.: Made in America,” and “The Eagle Huntress,” the last of which also landed a BAFTA nod, along with “13th” and “Weiner.”
Related storiesCinematographers Guild Nominates Oscar Frontrunners 'La La Land,' 'Moonlight'2016 Directors Guild of America Documentary and TV Nominations: The Year of O.J. ContinuesDenzel Washington Interview: The Director Reveals How He Opened Up 'Fences'...
- 1/11/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
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