Nadia Hallgren’s career in documentary film began as a camera operator on Fahrenheit 9/11, still the highest grossing doc in America. In the 13 years since she has served as a camera operator on such films as Searching for Sugarman and as a Dp on Citizen Koch and last year’s Trapped. Her latest feature as Dp, Motherland, is a vérité portrait inside a maternity ward in the Philippines. The film, directed by Ramona Diaz, will premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. Below, Hallgren talks about the emotional bond she formed with the women in the film, shooting in the summer heat of the […]...
- 1/21/2017
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Our 22 Favorite Movies Directed by Women in 2016Looking to support great female-directed films? Start here.
Over the years, we’ve heard from our readers that one of the most important things we can do is to help you discover movies that may have slipped by mainstream audiences. And often just as important, our readers ask that we highlight voices that are in the minority in Hollywood. While we’re known for not taking ourselves very seriously, we take this part of our work seriously. Because as many studies have shown, there are some voices that aren’t as well-represented as others. Them’s the facts.
Beyond that, our team has a passion for seeking out and celebrating films directed by women. This is where we often find, as you’re about to see in this list, some of the most unique and interesting stories in the whole of cinema. Another thing we hear often from readers is...
Over the years, we’ve heard from our readers that one of the most important things we can do is to help you discover movies that may have slipped by mainstream audiences. And often just as important, our readers ask that we highlight voices that are in the minority in Hollywood. While we’re known for not taking ourselves very seriously, we take this part of our work seriously. Because as many studies have shown, there are some voices that aren’t as well-represented as others. Them’s the facts.
Beyond that, our team has a passion for seeking out and celebrating films directed by women. This is where we often find, as you’re about to see in this list, some of the most unique and interesting stories in the whole of cinema. Another thing we hear often from readers is...
- 1/18/2017
- by Film School Rejects
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Contrary to the alarmist accounts that cinema as an art form is agonizing and nearing the end of its relevance, 2016 sent a clear message stating that sequels, rehashed ideas, and spinoffs, deserved to be axed and replaced with new concepts — even if that means less billion-dollar tent poles per year. Of course, independent and international films are the heroes that continue to reignite audiences passion for the medium, though most of them struggle to achieve the financial success they deserve.
Cinema is far from dead, and that’s obvious if one is looking away from the star-studded formulaic products and into the land of unknown, subtitled, or thematically challenging content. Latin American films had an enviable year that include an Oscar nomination, presence at all world-class festivals, and success finding distribution in the Us and numerous markets. Animated crafted outside of studio constraints took narrative risks unseen previously and demonstrated...
Cinema is far from dead, and that’s obvious if one is looking away from the star-studded formulaic products and into the land of unknown, subtitled, or thematically challenging content. Latin American films had an enviable year that include an Oscar nomination, presence at all world-class festivals, and success finding distribution in the Us and numerous markets. Animated crafted outside of studio constraints took narrative risks unseen previously and demonstrated...
- 12/30/2016
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
“Truth is stranger than fiction,” as the maxim goes, and that was certainly the case in 2016. Following the election of Donald Trump, the fictional dystopian worlds of The Hunger Games, Westworld, and Black Mirror suddenly seemed pointedly realistic, and our new reality felt mighty strange. Some of the year’s most powerful nonfiction films, including Ava DuVernay’s 13th, Dawn Porter’s Trapped, and Raoul Peck’s I Am Not Your Negro, took on new urgency as civil rights and reproductive rights increasingly came under fire. By intercutting scenes of Trump supporters physically assaulting African-Americans at his rallies with scenes of whites threatening black people during the civil rights movement […]...
- 12/29/2016
- by Paula Bernstein
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Cameraperson's Kirsten Johnson on Jacques Derrida: "He is present." Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Abigail Disney, director of The Armor Of Light and executive producer of Cameraperson with Gini Reticker, director of Pray The Devil Back To Hell, hosted an intimate, cosy and warm reception for Kirsten Johnson. Kirsten as cinematographer has filmed Laura Poitras's Citizenfour, Risk, and The Oath; Dawn Porter's Trapped; Kirby Dick's The Invisible War and This Film Is Not Yet Rated; Linda Hoaglund's The Wound And The Gift with Vanessa Redgrave; Amy Ziering and Dick's Derrida; Leah Wolchok's Very Semi-Serious; Johanna Hamilton's 1971; Christy Turlington's No Woman, No Cry; Catherine Gund's Born To Fly: Elizabeth Streb Vs. Gravity; Katy Chevigny's Election Day and Deadline co-directed by Kirsten.
Election Day director Katy Chevigny and Deadline co-director with Kirsten Johnson Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Cameraperson, which was featured in Doc NYC's Short List programme,...
Abigail Disney, director of The Armor Of Light and executive producer of Cameraperson with Gini Reticker, director of Pray The Devil Back To Hell, hosted an intimate, cosy and warm reception for Kirsten Johnson. Kirsten as cinematographer has filmed Laura Poitras's Citizenfour, Risk, and The Oath; Dawn Porter's Trapped; Kirby Dick's The Invisible War and This Film Is Not Yet Rated; Linda Hoaglund's The Wound And The Gift with Vanessa Redgrave; Amy Ziering and Dick's Derrida; Leah Wolchok's Very Semi-Serious; Johanna Hamilton's 1971; Christy Turlington's No Woman, No Cry; Catherine Gund's Born To Fly: Elizabeth Streb Vs. Gravity; Katy Chevigny's Election Day and Deadline co-directed by Kirsten.
Election Day director Katy Chevigny and Deadline co-director with Kirsten Johnson Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Cameraperson, which was featured in Doc NYC's Short List programme,...
- 12/18/2016
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Members of the film community are coming out of the woodwork to band together and push back on the repression that is anticipated to come out of the incoming Trump administration. From documentarians reaffirming their commitment to exposing hidden truths to narrative filmmakers pledging to combat racism with their work, many are planning a strong response to the 2016 presidential election.
Read More: President Donald Trump: How the Indie Film World Will Respond
The Film Society of Lincoln Center assembled some of those voices Wednesday by convening an “urgent conversation” with Film Quarterly entitled “Film & Media in a Time of Repression.” Moderated by Film Quarterly editor and Uc Santa Cruz professor Ruby Rich, the event featured speakers including “House of Cards” creator Beau Willimon, blacklisted screenwriter Walter Bernstein and Portugese documentary filmmaker Susana de Sousa Dias. Here are some of the highlights from the discussion, which outlined some key points...
Read More: President Donald Trump: How the Indie Film World Will Respond
The Film Society of Lincoln Center assembled some of those voices Wednesday by convening an “urgent conversation” with Film Quarterly entitled “Film & Media in a Time of Repression.” Moderated by Film Quarterly editor and Uc Santa Cruz professor Ruby Rich, the event featured speakers including “House of Cards” creator Beau Willimon, blacklisted screenwriter Walter Bernstein and Portugese documentary filmmaker Susana de Sousa Dias. Here are some of the highlights from the discussion, which outlined some key points...
- 12/16/2016
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
Most film critics who post annual 10 Best lists follow simple rules, and I am no exception — include a few likely Oscar contenders, a few popular hits, and at least one arcane title from the wild blue yonder, either foreign or up-and-coming indie, presented in short readable blurbs. (No photo gallery here.)
And yes, while I keep to a pure Top 10, I do cheat a bit with some extra categories below. So shoot me.
1. “The Jungle Book”
Jon Favreau and screenwriter Justin Marks took Rudyard Kipling’s classic tales of Mowgli and his brothers and, with help from James Cameron and Martin Scorsese’s go-to VFX master Rob Legato, created a seamlessly natural digital world with many vibrant animal characters — and one live boy (Neel Sethi). Maybe Favreau makes it look too easy. This isn’t fantasy-world “Avatar.” This is digital India. He calls up fond memories of Disney’s 1967 animated musical,...
And yes, while I keep to a pure Top 10, I do cheat a bit with some extra categories below. So shoot me.
1. “The Jungle Book”
Jon Favreau and screenwriter Justin Marks took Rudyard Kipling’s classic tales of Mowgli and his brothers and, with help from James Cameron and Martin Scorsese’s go-to VFX master Rob Legato, created a seamlessly natural digital world with many vibrant animal characters — and one live boy (Neel Sethi). Maybe Favreau makes it look too easy. This isn’t fantasy-world “Avatar.” This is digital India. He calls up fond memories of Disney’s 1967 animated musical,...
- 12/8/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Most film critics who post annual 10 Best lists follow simple rules, and I am no exception — include a few likely Oscar contenders, a few popular hits, and at least one arcane title from the wild blue yonder, either foreign or up-and-coming indie, presented in short readable blurbs. (No photo gallery here.)
And yes, while I keep to a pure Top 10, I do cheat a bit with some extra categories below. So shoot me.
1. “The Jungle Book”
Jon Favreau and screenwriter Justin Marks took Rudyard Kipling’s classic tales of Mowgli and his brothers and, with help from James Cameron and Martin Scorsese’s go-to VFX master Rob Legato, created a seamlessly natural digital world with many vibrant animal characters — and one live boy (Neel Sethi). Maybe Favreau makes it look too easy. This isn’t fantasy-world “Avatar.” This is digital India. He calls up fond memories of Disney’s 1967 animated musical,...
And yes, while I keep to a pure Top 10, I do cheat a bit with some extra categories below. So shoot me.
1. “The Jungle Book”
Jon Favreau and screenwriter Justin Marks took Rudyard Kipling’s classic tales of Mowgli and his brothers and, with help from James Cameron and Martin Scorsese’s go-to VFX master Rob Legato, created a seamlessly natural digital world with many vibrant animal characters — and one live boy (Neel Sethi). Maybe Favreau makes it look too easy. This isn’t fantasy-world “Avatar.” This is digital India. He calls up fond memories of Disney’s 1967 animated musical,...
- 12/8/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
The Academy documentary branch’s shortlist of 15 represents a diverse range of films from all over the world, representing strong political views as well as high artistry. However, this year also stands as the first HBO shutout in recent memory — perhaps because they didn’t campaign assertively.
Rivals PBS landed five, Independent Lens and Showtime three, Netflix two, and American Experience Films, Pov, A&E, Amazon Studios, and Espn each have one. Theatrical distributors Kino Lorber and Magnolia had two, with Sundance Selects, Sony Pictures Classics, Open Road, Janus Films, Film Rise, The Film Collaborative and The Orchard one.
But which will make the final five? Those screeners will eventually be sent to the entire Academy — who have more mainstream taste than this group of professional documentarians. For now, this more demanding group will winnow down the list.
Films on similar topics could knock each other out. For example, voters...
Rivals PBS landed five, Independent Lens and Showtime three, Netflix two, and American Experience Films, Pov, A&E, Amazon Studios, and Espn each have one. Theatrical distributors Kino Lorber and Magnolia had two, with Sundance Selects, Sony Pictures Classics, Open Road, Janus Films, Film Rise, The Film Collaborative and The Orchard one.
But which will make the final five? Those screeners will eventually be sent to the entire Academy — who have more mainstream taste than this group of professional documentarians. For now, this more demanding group will winnow down the list.
Films on similar topics could knock each other out. For example, voters...
- 12/6/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The Academy documentary branch’s shortlist of 15 represents a diverse range of films from all over the world, representing strong political views as well as high artistry. However, this year also stands as the first HBO shutout in recent memory — perhaps because they didn’t campaign assertively.
Rivals PBS landed five, Independent Lens and Showtime three, Netflix two, and American Experience Films, Pov, A&E, Amazon Studios, and Espn each have one. Theatrical distributors Kino Lorber and Magnolia had two, with Sundance Selects, Sony Pictures Classics, Open Road, Janus Films, Film Rise, The Film Collaborative and The Orchard one.
PBS films — 3 are Independent Lens (Tower, I Am Not Your Negro and The Witness), one is Pov (Cameraperson) and one is American Experience (Command And Control.)
best,
Mary Lugo
But which will make the final five? Those screeners will eventually be sent to the entire Academy — who have more mainstream taste...
Rivals PBS landed five, Independent Lens and Showtime three, Netflix two, and American Experience Films, Pov, A&E, Amazon Studios, and Espn each have one. Theatrical distributors Kino Lorber and Magnolia had two, with Sundance Selects, Sony Pictures Classics, Open Road, Janus Films, Film Rise, The Film Collaborative and The Orchard one.
PBS films — 3 are Independent Lens (Tower, I Am Not Your Negro and The Witness), one is Pov (Cameraperson) and one is American Experience (Command And Control.)
best,
Mary Lugo
But which will make the final five? Those screeners will eventually be sent to the entire Academy — who have more mainstream taste...
- 12/6/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Every December it bears repeating: Anyone who thinks this was a bad year for movies simply hasn’t seen enough. In an age of binge-viewing, a preponderance of must-see premium cable shows and, hell, even smartphone apps that command far more attention most feature-length achievements, the true range of quality cinema is often obscured by the noise of an ever-cluttered media landscape. To really assess the state of modern movies, one look beyond the obvious. Sure, it was a weak year for movies that stand out mainly due to star power and sizable marketing budgets, but those options represent only a small fraction of the marketplace.
The film festival circuit provides an ideal alternative to conventional channels for discovering movies worth talking about all year long — and, if they’re lucky enough to land distribution, they quality for year-end celebration on lists like this one. This year, every single finalist...
The film festival circuit provides an ideal alternative to conventional channels for discovering movies worth talking about all year long — and, if they’re lucky enough to land distribution, they quality for year-end celebration on lists like this one. This year, every single finalist...
- 12/5/2016
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
At a Doc NYC panel titled “Out of the Box Funding,” moderator Julia Labassiere (Chief Executive of BAFTA NY) defined the prhase as “anything besides getting a commission (for example, from HBO or National Geographic, etc.).” Marilyn Ness, producer of Cameraperson and Trapped, started the panel off by noting that there are no shortcuts to obtaining so-called “out of the box” money: “It’s a lot of work.” Here are ten tips for how to successfully bring in this type of funding. First Money: Friends, Family and Affinity Groups When you begin a new film, you have to figure out your […]...
- 11/22/2016
- by Audrey Ewell
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Many are called, few are chosen: The number of high-quality, awards-worthy documentaries seems to grow every year, but there’s still only 15 slots on the Oscar documentary shortlist. That will be announced December 5; the final five will be revealed on nominations morning, January 24. This year, 145 features were submitted.
This is the white-knuckle portion of the final campaign stretch, as documentary filmmakers and distributors hope their movies make it onto documentary branch voters’ viewing piles before they file their final grades. Those with the advantage are high-profile established hits and festival award-winners with the right combination of engaging accessibility, artful filmmaking, and gravitas.
So what’s looking like a strong bet? It’s a diverse list in more ways than one. Here are my picks for the Top 15, which are not listed in order of likelihood.
See more ‘Amanda Knox’: Why It Took Five Years to Unravel the Story of...
This is the white-knuckle portion of the final campaign stretch, as documentary filmmakers and distributors hope their movies make it onto documentary branch voters’ viewing piles before they file their final grades. Those with the advantage are high-profile established hits and festival award-winners with the right combination of engaging accessibility, artful filmmaking, and gravitas.
So what’s looking like a strong bet? It’s a diverse list in more ways than one. Here are my picks for the Top 15, which are not listed in order of likelihood.
See more ‘Amanda Knox’: Why It Took Five Years to Unravel the Story of...
- 11/21/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Many are called, few are chosen: The number of high-quality, awards-worthy documentaries seems to grow every year, but there’s still only 15 slots on the Oscar documentary shortlist. That will be announced December 5; the final five will be revealed on nominations morning, January 24. This year, 145 features were submitted.
This is the white-knuckle portion of the final campaign stretch, as documentary filmmakers and distributors hope their movies make it onto documentary branch voters’ viewing piles before they file their final grades. Those with the advantage are high-profile established hits and festival award-winners with the right combination of engaging accessibility, artful filmmaking, and gravitas.
So what’s looking like a strong bet? It’s a diverse list in more ways than one. Here are my picks for the Top 15, which are not listed in order of likelihood.
See more ‘Amanda Knox’: Why It Took Five Years to Unravel the Story of...
This is the white-knuckle portion of the final campaign stretch, as documentary filmmakers and distributors hope their movies make it onto documentary branch voters’ viewing piles before they file their final grades. Those with the advantage are high-profile established hits and festival award-winners with the right combination of engaging accessibility, artful filmmaking, and gravitas.
So what’s looking like a strong bet? It’s a diverse list in more ways than one. Here are my picks for the Top 15, which are not listed in order of likelihood.
See more ‘Amanda Knox’: Why It Took Five Years to Unravel the Story of...
- 11/21/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Tower co-executive producers Amy Rapp and Meredith Vieira (also with Steve Eckelman, Pamela Colloff, Luke Wilson, Sally Jo Fifer, Lois Vossen) Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Keith Maitland's Tower joins Richard Ladkani and Kief Davidson's The Ivory Game, Barbara Kopple's Miss Sharon Jones!; Ken Burns and Artemis Joukowsky's Defying The Nazis: The Sharps’ War; Ava Duvernay's 13th; Dawn Porter's Trapped; Andrew Rossi's The First Monday In May; Roger Ross Williams' Life, Animated; Gianfranco Rosi's Fire At Sea (Fuocoammare); Jim Jarmusch's Gimme Danger; Brad Allgood and Graham Townsley's Landfill Harmonic; Steven Cantor's Dancer; Morgan Neville's The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma And The Silk Road Ensemble; Ron Howard's The Beatles: Eight Days A Week – The Touring Years as a key contender for the 89th Academy Awards Oscar shortlist.
University of Texas Austin tower: "We are really immersing you in that day.
Keith Maitland's Tower joins Richard Ladkani and Kief Davidson's The Ivory Game, Barbara Kopple's Miss Sharon Jones!; Ken Burns and Artemis Joukowsky's Defying The Nazis: The Sharps’ War; Ava Duvernay's 13th; Dawn Porter's Trapped; Andrew Rossi's The First Monday In May; Roger Ross Williams' Life, Animated; Gianfranco Rosi's Fire At Sea (Fuocoammare); Jim Jarmusch's Gimme Danger; Brad Allgood and Graham Townsley's Landfill Harmonic; Steven Cantor's Dancer; Morgan Neville's The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma And The Silk Road Ensemble; Ron Howard's The Beatles: Eight Days A Week – The Touring Years as a key contender for the 89th Academy Awards Oscar shortlist.
University of Texas Austin tower: "We are really immersing you in that day.
- 11/20/2016
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Clay Tweel, Kief Davidson, Richard Ladkani, Dawn Porter, Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg with Thom Powers Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
In 2013, Sigourney Weaver, Chuck Close, Iman, Joel Ehrenkranz, James Franco, Agnes Gund, and Uma Thurman hosted a screening of Simon Trevor's White Gold, narrated by Hillary Clinton, produced by Arne Glimcher, on the organised poaching of elephant tusks, at the Museum of Modern Art with Albert Maysles, Barbara Kopple, Meredith Vieira, Christie Brinkley, and #Horror's Tara Subkoff in support.
The Ivory Game cinematographer/co-director Richard Ladkani Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
In 2014, Kathryn Bigelow’s Last Days (Annapurna Pictures) screened at the New York Film Festival before The Crisis In Elephant Poaching panel discussion.
Following the Doc NYC Unfolding Stories panel with the directors of Gleason, Trapped, Weiner, and The Ivory Game (Leonardo DiCaprio executive producer), moderated by Thom Powers, I spoke with Richard Ladkani at the Vulcan Productions reception - two...
In 2013, Sigourney Weaver, Chuck Close, Iman, Joel Ehrenkranz, James Franco, Agnes Gund, and Uma Thurman hosted a screening of Simon Trevor's White Gold, narrated by Hillary Clinton, produced by Arne Glimcher, on the organised poaching of elephant tusks, at the Museum of Modern Art with Albert Maysles, Barbara Kopple, Meredith Vieira, Christie Brinkley, and #Horror's Tara Subkoff in support.
The Ivory Game cinematographer/co-director Richard Ladkani Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
In 2014, Kathryn Bigelow’s Last Days (Annapurna Pictures) screened at the New York Film Festival before The Crisis In Elephant Poaching panel discussion.
Following the Doc NYC Unfolding Stories panel with the directors of Gleason, Trapped, Weiner, and The Ivory Game (Leonardo DiCaprio executive producer), moderated by Thom Powers, I spoke with Richard Ladkani at the Vulcan Productions reception - two...
- 11/13/2016
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Attorney Bryan Stevenson (Ava DuVernay's 13th), Raoul Peck, and Ezra Edelman with Thom Powers Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
At the Doc NYC Short List panel discussions, moderated by Thom Powers, filmmakers Barbara Kopple (Miss Sharon Jones!); Dawn Porter (Trapped); Elyse Steinberg and Josh Kriegman (Weiner); Richard Ladkani and Kief Davidson (The Ivory Game); Rod Blackhurst and Brian McGinn (Amanda Knox); Clay Tweel (Gleason); Brian Oakes (Jim: The James Foley Story); Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato (Mapplethorpe: Look At The Pictures); Raoul Peck (I Am Not Your Negro); Ezra Edelman (O.J.: Made In America); Clive Oppenheimer (Into The Inferno); Roger Ross Williams (Life, Animated); Kirsten Johnson (Cameraperson); Gianfranco Rosi (Fire At Sea), and attorney Bryan Stevenson from Ava DuVernay's 13th gave insight into their working process.
Kirsten Johnson (Cameraperson) and Gianfranco Rosi (Fire At Sea) Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Bailey and Barbato also have their HBO film Every Brilliant Thing on...
At the Doc NYC Short List panel discussions, moderated by Thom Powers, filmmakers Barbara Kopple (Miss Sharon Jones!); Dawn Porter (Trapped); Elyse Steinberg and Josh Kriegman (Weiner); Richard Ladkani and Kief Davidson (The Ivory Game); Rod Blackhurst and Brian McGinn (Amanda Knox); Clay Tweel (Gleason); Brian Oakes (Jim: The James Foley Story); Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato (Mapplethorpe: Look At The Pictures); Raoul Peck (I Am Not Your Negro); Ezra Edelman (O.J.: Made In America); Clive Oppenheimer (Into The Inferno); Roger Ross Williams (Life, Animated); Kirsten Johnson (Cameraperson); Gianfranco Rosi (Fire At Sea), and attorney Bryan Stevenson from Ava DuVernay's 13th gave insight into their working process.
Kirsten Johnson (Cameraperson) and Gianfranco Rosi (Fire At Sea) Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Bailey and Barbato also have their HBO film Every Brilliant Thing on...
- 11/12/2016
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
The documentary community is not backing down from Donald Trump. At the Doc NYC annual Visionaries Tribute lunch in New York Thursday, four honorees from the documentary world received prestigious awards, but rather than bask in the glow of accolades, the winners seized their time in the spotlight to address the urgent need to expose the truth now more than ever as the start of Trump’s presidency draws near.
Read More: Doc NYC 2016: 13 Movies We Can’t Wait to See at the Festival
“I don’t think the election of Trump changes anybody’s personal agenda,” Jonathan Demme said after receiving one of two lifetime achievement awards presented Thursday, the first day of the one-week documentary festival. “We still have our agendas and we’re still going to push for meaningful progressive change. The bar is just higher.”
The other lifetime achievement award recipient, Stanley Nelson, told the...
Read More: Doc NYC 2016: 13 Movies We Can’t Wait to See at the Festival
“I don’t think the election of Trump changes anybody’s personal agenda,” Jonathan Demme said after receiving one of two lifetime achievement awards presented Thursday, the first day of the one-week documentary festival. “We still have our agendas and we’re still going to push for meaningful progressive change. The bar is just higher.”
The other lifetime achievement award recipient, Stanley Nelson, told the...
- 11/11/2016
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
Doc NYC Artistic Director Thom Powers at the IFC Center Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
This year's Doc NYC will open with Valentino: The Last Emperor director Matt Tyrnauer's latest, Citizen Jane: Battle For The City, and close with John Scheinfeld's Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary. Thom Powers and I covered a wide range of films including Dawn Porter's Trapped, Kirsten Johnson's Cameraperson, Werner Herzog's Into The Inferno, Roger Ross Williams's Life, Animated, Ben Bowie and Geoff Luck's Naledi: A Baby Elephant's Tale, Jon Nguyen, Rick Barnes and Olivia Neergaard-Holm's David Lynch: The Art Life, Claire Simon's Le Concours, Richard Ladkani and Kief Davidson's The Ivory Game, Tom Hanks, John Mayer and Sam Shepard in Doug Nichol's California Typewriter, Lara Stolman's Swim Team, Adam Irving's Off The Rails and scads more when I sat down with the...
This year's Doc NYC will open with Valentino: The Last Emperor director Matt Tyrnauer's latest, Citizen Jane: Battle For The City, and close with John Scheinfeld's Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary. Thom Powers and I covered a wide range of films including Dawn Porter's Trapped, Kirsten Johnson's Cameraperson, Werner Herzog's Into The Inferno, Roger Ross Williams's Life, Animated, Ben Bowie and Geoff Luck's Naledi: A Baby Elephant's Tale, Jon Nguyen, Rick Barnes and Olivia Neergaard-Holm's David Lynch: The Art Life, Claire Simon's Le Concours, Richard Ladkani and Kief Davidson's The Ivory Game, Tom Hanks, John Mayer and Sam Shepard in Doug Nichol's California Typewriter, Lara Stolman's Swim Team, Adam Irving's Off The Rails and scads more when I sat down with the...
- 11/3/2016
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
John Oliver tore down Donald Trump during a speech at the Center for Reproductive Rights 2016 Gala in New York Tuesday, opening with the cheeky line, "Good evening gentlemen and nasty women – nasty, nasty, nasty women. Some of the nastiest among us, I imagine."
Along with flipping Trump's uncouth quip about Hillary Clinton during the third presidential debate, Oliver also picked apart the Republican nominee's egregious remarks about late-term abortions. "[His comments] showed no real understanding of how abortions work, no clear understanding of the basic biology of women's bodies and a very...
Along with flipping Trump's uncouth quip about Hillary Clinton during the third presidential debate, Oliver also picked apart the Republican nominee's egregious remarks about late-term abortions. "[His comments] showed no real understanding of how abortions work, no clear understanding of the basic biology of women's bodies and a very...
- 10/27/2016
- Rollingstone.com
The Academy will announce its list of Oscar-eligible documentaries this week, a field that counted just 82 entries in 2005; last year, there were 124. And along with this growth comes a new attribute for the much-admired/often ignored genre: Power.
Under Sheila Nevins, HBO led the way in showing how documentaries could draw audiences with nonfiction programming that’s skillful, dynamic, and relevant. Under Lisa Nishimura, Netflix upped the ante with deep-pocketed algorithms that not only proved audiences craved this content (after all, documentaries are the original reality TV), but also guided exactly where those viewers could be found, and what they wanted to see. And while social justice has always been the bailiwick of documentary filmmakers, Diane Weyermann at Participant has given that niche the financing and clout it deserves.
While their business models differ, they’re all producing documentaries that might not otherwise exist, making them better and getting them seen.
Under Sheila Nevins, HBO led the way in showing how documentaries could draw audiences with nonfiction programming that’s skillful, dynamic, and relevant. Under Lisa Nishimura, Netflix upped the ante with deep-pocketed algorithms that not only proved audiences craved this content (after all, documentaries are the original reality TV), but also guided exactly where those viewers could be found, and what they wanted to see. And while social justice has always been the bailiwick of documentary filmmakers, Diane Weyermann at Participant has given that niche the financing and clout it deserves.
While their business models differ, they’re all producing documentaries that might not otherwise exist, making them better and getting them seen.
- 10/24/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The Academy will announce its list of Oscar-eligible documentaries this week, a field that counted just 82 entries in 2005; last year, there were 124. And along with this growth comes a new attribute for the much-admired/often ignored genre: Power.
Under Sheila Nevins, HBO led the way in showing how documentaries could draw audiences with nonfiction programming that’s skillful, dynamic, and relevant. Under Lisa Nishimura, Netflix upped the ante with deep-pocketed algorithms that not only proved audiences craved this content (after all, documentaries are the original reality TV), but also guided exactly where those viewers could be found, and what they wanted to see. And while social justice has always been the balliwick of documentary filmmakers, Diane Weyermann at Participant has given that niche the financing and clout it deserves.
While their business models differ, they’re all producing documentaries that might not otherwise exist, making them better and getting them seen.
Under Sheila Nevins, HBO led the way in showing how documentaries could draw audiences with nonfiction programming that’s skillful, dynamic, and relevant. Under Lisa Nishimura, Netflix upped the ante with deep-pocketed algorithms that not only proved audiences craved this content (after all, documentaries are the original reality TV), but also guided exactly where those viewers could be found, and what they wanted to see. And while social justice has always been the balliwick of documentary filmmakers, Diane Weyermann at Participant has given that niche the financing and clout it deserves.
While their business models differ, they’re all producing documentaries that might not otherwise exist, making them better and getting them seen.
- 10/24/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
For one week in November, virtually the entire documentary film community will gather in New York City for the Doc NYC film festival, where this year’s most acclaimed non-fiction films will screen. With all that talent and experience gathered in one place, Doc NYC has decided to channel it toward a new eight-day conference focusing on the tools and skills needed to fund, create and distribute documentary films.
Read More: ‘Weiner,’ Yes; ‘The Eagle Huntress,’ No: The 15 Documentaries on the Doc NYC Short List
Doc NYC Pro is geared toward documentary professionals looking to advance their careers and filmmaking skills and will be comprised of talks, panels, masterclasses and pitch sessions featuring filmmakers and decision makers behind films like “Weiner,” “O.J.: Made in America,” “Amanda Knox” and “Cartel Land.”
Each day of Doc NYC Pro will begin with a “morning manifesto,” featuring speakers Laura Poitras (“Citizenfour”), Josh Kriegman and...
Read More: ‘Weiner,’ Yes; ‘The Eagle Huntress,’ No: The 15 Documentaries on the Doc NYC Short List
Doc NYC Pro is geared toward documentary professionals looking to advance their careers and filmmaking skills and will be comprised of talks, panels, masterclasses and pitch sessions featuring filmmakers and decision makers behind films like “Weiner,” “O.J.: Made in America,” “Amanda Knox” and “Cartel Land.”
Each day of Doc NYC Pro will begin with a “morning manifesto,” featuring speakers Laura Poitras (“Citizenfour”), Josh Kriegman and...
- 10/14/2016
- by Casey Coit
- Indiewire
One week after La La Land won the Toronto People’s Choice Award – a key indicator of a film’s likelihood of securing an Oscar nomination for Best Picture – another major awards season clue has come to us in the form of the Doc NYC's Short List. Doc NYC is the largest documentary film festival in the country and it has hosted specially curated non-fiction in the city since 2010, but don’t let its infancy fool you. If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere. And by anywhere, I specifically mean the Academy’s own shortlist for Best Documentary Feature; in the last five years, the ultimate winner of the prize and a bulk of runners-up have played the fest.
This year, the crop of fifteen films headed to Doc NYC include Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg’s marvelous collision of media and politics Weiner, Roger Ross Williams’ tear-jerker Life,...
This year, the crop of fifteen films headed to Doc NYC include Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg’s marvelous collision of media and politics Weiner, Roger Ross Williams’ tear-jerker Life,...
- 9/29/2016
- by Daniel Crooke
- FilmExperience
That wailing you hear is all the best-documentary aspirants who did Not make the Doc NYC “Short List.” It’s considered one of several key steps for landing on the Academy doc branch’s eventual short list – which, like the Doc NYC list, also numbers 15.
The stats are impressive: In each of the past three years, the Doc NYC Short List had nine or 10 titles that overlapped with the subsequent Oscar Documentary Short List. For the last five years, Doc NYC screened the documentary that went on to win the Oscar: “Amy” (2015), “Citizenfour” (2014), “20 Feet From Stardom” (2013), “Searching for Sugar Man” (2012), and “Undefeated” (2011).
With such a wide field of contenders, respected festivals wield even more than their usual influence in turning movies into must-sees. Oscar documentary branch voters have to see more than 130 movies released theatrically in 2016; inevitably, the movies nabbing the best reviews and most attention move to the top of the queue.
The stats are impressive: In each of the past three years, the Doc NYC Short List had nine or 10 titles that overlapped with the subsequent Oscar Documentary Short List. For the last five years, Doc NYC screened the documentary that went on to win the Oscar: “Amy” (2015), “Citizenfour” (2014), “20 Feet From Stardom” (2013), “Searching for Sugar Man” (2012), and “Undefeated” (2011).
With such a wide field of contenders, respected festivals wield even more than their usual influence in turning movies into must-sees. Oscar documentary branch voters have to see more than 130 movies released theatrically in 2016; inevitably, the movies nabbing the best reviews and most attention move to the top of the queue.
- 9/28/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
That wailing you hear is all the best-documentary aspirants who did Not make the Doc NYC “Short List.” It’s considered one of several key steps for landing on the Academy doc branch’s eventual short list – which, like the Doc NYC list, also numbers 15.
The stats are impressive: In each of the past three years, the Doc NYC Short List had nine or 10 titles that overlapped with the subsequent Oscar Documentary Short List. For the last five years, Doc NYC screened the documentary that went on to win the Oscar: “Amy” (2015), “Citizenfour” (2014), “20 Feet From Stardom” (2013), “Searching for Sugar Man” (2012), and “Undefeated” (2011).
With such a wide field of contenders, respected festivals wield even more than their usual influence in turning movies into must-sees. Oscar documentary branch voters have to see more than 130 movies released theatrically in 2016; inevitably, the movies nabbing the best reviews and most attention move to the top of the queue.
The stats are impressive: In each of the past three years, the Doc NYC Short List had nine or 10 titles that overlapped with the subsequent Oscar Documentary Short List. For the last five years, Doc NYC screened the documentary that went on to win the Oscar: “Amy” (2015), “Citizenfour” (2014), “20 Feet From Stardom” (2013), “Searching for Sugar Man” (2012), and “Undefeated” (2011).
With such a wide field of contenders, respected festivals wield even more than their usual influence in turning movies into must-sees. Oscar documentary branch voters have to see more than 130 movies released theatrically in 2016; inevitably, the movies nabbing the best reviews and most attention move to the top of the queue.
- 9/28/2016
- 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
Glenn here. Each Tuesday bringing you reviews of documentaries from theatres, festivals and on demand.
Cameraperson is the most extraordinary of documentaries. A compelling first-person visual memoir that intricately weaves some 15 years of filmmaking into a remarkably watchable cinematic patchwork quilt. A truly wondrous mix-tape that finds documentary cinematographer Kirsten Johnson taking directorial duties upon herself in the creation of a film about the creation of films. She utilizes b-roll footage, outtakes, and home movies to build, as if like free-form lego, a powerful portrait of not just herself, but the world we live in. Cameraperson is without a doubt the best documentary of 2016, and just maybe the best film of the year, period.
You have surely seen some of the films that Johnson has used footage from. Popular titles like Fahrenheit 9/11 and Citizenfour from Johnson's frequent collaborator Laura Poitras, the latter of which makes a wonderfully obscure and unexplained...
Cameraperson is the most extraordinary of documentaries. A compelling first-person visual memoir that intricately weaves some 15 years of filmmaking into a remarkably watchable cinematic patchwork quilt. A truly wondrous mix-tape that finds documentary cinematographer Kirsten Johnson taking directorial duties upon herself in the creation of a film about the creation of films. She utilizes b-roll footage, outtakes, and home movies to build, as if like free-form lego, a powerful portrait of not just herself, but the world we live in. Cameraperson is without a doubt the best documentary of 2016, and just maybe the best film of the year, period.
You have surely seen some of the films that Johnson has used footage from. Popular titles like Fahrenheit 9/11 and Citizenfour from Johnson's frequent collaborator Laura Poitras, the latter of which makes a wonderfully obscure and unexplained...
- 9/6/2016
- by Glenn Dunks
- FilmExperience
The New York Times today debuted a new Op-Doc film, The Chosen Life, the latest film in a series by independent filmmakers supported by Chicken & Egg Pictures. Directed by Dawn Porter, The Chosen Life chronicles the challenges faced by Dr. Yashica Robinson, the only practicing Ob Gyn in Huntsville, Alabama who provides abortions. This film was inspired by Porter’s feature Trapped, which premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Special Jury Award for Social Impact Filmmaking. Trapped will appear on PBS’s Independent Lens on June 20. “While making Trapped, I met this beautiful smart determined woman and I […]...
- 6/16/2016
- by Paula Bernstein
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Hot Docs has announced 14 documentary features that will screen in this year¹s Special Presentations program, joining 15 selections previously announced. Special Presentations features a high-profile collection of world and international premieres, award winners from the recent international festival circuit and works by master filmmakers or featuring some star subjects.
Notable subjects featured as part of the Special Presentations program include activist Bobby Sands ("Bobby Sands: 66 Days"), musicians David Byrne, Nelly Furtado and St. Vincent ("Contemporary Color"), filmmaker Brian de Palma ("De Palma"), former NFL defensive back Steve Gleason ("Gleason"), Canadian rapper Shad and hip-hop stars Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash ("Hip-Hop Evolution"), Afghan rapper and activist Sonita Alizadeh ("Sonita"), artist Frida Kahlo ( "The Legacy Of Frida Kahlo"), and comedians Mel Brooks, Sarah Silverman and Carl Reiner ("The Last Laugh").
Award winners from the recent international festival circuit include "Life, Animated" (Directing Award: U.S. Documentary, Sundance 2016), "Trapped" (U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Social Impact Filmmaking, Sundance 2016), and "Sonita" (World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary and Audience Award: World Cinema Documentary, Sundance 2016).
Special Presentations will screen as part of the 2016 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, running April 28 to May 8. Ticket packages and passes as well as single tickets are now on sale online and at the CraveTV Box Office at Hot Docs House, located at 610 Markham Street.
Special Presentation titles are below:
"The Age of Consequences"
D: Jared P. Scott | USA | 2016 | 78 min | World Premiere
Sounding an alarm over the critical and disturbing effects of societal inaction, this revealing film highlights the irreversible impacts of climate change‹resource scarcity, mass migration and conflict‹through the lens of global stability and national security.
"American Movie"
D: Chris Smith | USA | 1999 | 107 min | Cinema Eye Legacy Screening
In this beloved cult classic, an aspiring filmmaker struggles to complete a hilariously lo-fi horror film, only to be derailed by personal demons and the staggering ineptitude of his production team.
"Bobby Sands: 66 Days"
D: Brendan Byrne | Ireland, UK | 2016 | 105 min | World Premiere
This riveting account of a turning point in the Troubles in Northern Ireland is taken straight from the diary of Bobby Sands, who led protests of imprisoned Irish Republicans and a hunger strike with momentous consequences.
"Contemporary Color"
D: Bill Ross IV, Turner Ross | USA | 2016 | 96 min | International Premiere
An extraordinary lineup of top music stars including event mastermind David Byrne of The Talking Heads, Nelly Furtado, St. Vincent and more perform live with 10 ³colour guard² teams‹perfectly synchronized students in pep-rally choreography‹in this one-of-a-kind, kaleidoscopic event.
"De Palma"
D: Noah Baumbach, Jake Paltrow | USA | 2015 | 107 min | Canadian Premiere
From Carrie to Mission: Impossible to Scarface and beyond, Brian de Palma has created some of cinema¹s most iconic work. In this career-spanning, funny and candid conversation, he reveals his unique perspective on life, work and the past 50 years in film.
"Gleason"
D: Clay Tweel | USA | 2016 | 110 min | International Premiere
At age 34, former NFL defensive back and New Orleans hero Steve Gleason was diagnosed with Als. With limited time left to live, he purposefully records his spirited and inspiring life‹a heartfelt time capsule for his newborn son.
"Hip-Hop Evolution"
D: Darby Wheeler | Co-d: Scot McFadyen, Sam Dunn | Canada | 2016 | 90 min | World Premiere
Acclaimed Canadian rapper Shad travels to the Bronx and Harlem to talk with hip-hop¹s originators and biggest stars‹Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash among others‹tracing its evolution from underground to global phenomenon.
"The Last Laugh"
D: Ferne Pearlstein | USA | 2016 | 85 min | International Premiere
Mel Brooks, Sarah Silverman, Carl Reiner, a 90-year-old Auschwitz survivor and others uproariously debate and test the limits of comedy¹s ultimate taboo: how to joke about the Holocaust, or if it¹s even ethical to try.
"The Legacy of Frida Kahlo"
D: Tadasuke Kotani | Japan | 2015 | 89 min | Canadian Premiere
A renowned Japanese photographer inventories iconic Mexican artist Frida Kahlo¹s wardrobe and personal belongings, recently discovered 58 years after her death, lending deserved importance to fashion and ³women¹s work,² while resurrecting the dead through clothing and talismans.
"Life,Animated"
D: Roger Ross Williams | USA | 2015 | 91 min | International Premiere
Disney cartoons play a key role in helping a young autistic boy communicate and understand the world around him in this moving testament to coming-of-age through fantasy, from Academy Awardwinning director Roger Ross Williams.
"Sonita"
D: Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami | Iran, Germany, Switzerland | 2015 | 90 min | Canadian Premiere
After her family attempts to sell her into marriage, a young Afghan refugee in Iran channels her frustrations and seizes her destiny through music. Grabbing the mic, she spits fiery rhymes in the face of oppressive traditions.
"Sour Grapes"
D: Jerry Rothwell | USA, France | 2016 | 96 min | World Premiere
Controversy erupts when an unassuming young man floods the American market with fake vintages valued in the millions, bamboozling wine snobs and the super-wealthy alike, in this suspenseful tale of excess on the eve of the 2008 crash.
"Trapped"
D: Dawn Porter | USA | 2016 | 80 min | International Premiere
American women¹s right to abortion is no longer clear, as 288 dubious laws slyly crafted by the right have decimated access. While a watershed Supreme Court battle looms, witness the human stakes of the right to choose.
"Under the Gun"
D: Stephanie Soechtig | USA | 2016 | 110 min | International Premiere
With razor-sharp arguments and insight, Stephanie Soechtig and Katie Couric (the team behind Fed Up) craft a gripping indictment of American gun culture, meeting communities shattered by shootings and exposing the politics that allow the epidemic of violence to persist.
Notable subjects featured as part of the Special Presentations program include activist Bobby Sands ("Bobby Sands: 66 Days"), musicians David Byrne, Nelly Furtado and St. Vincent ("Contemporary Color"), filmmaker Brian de Palma ("De Palma"), former NFL defensive back Steve Gleason ("Gleason"), Canadian rapper Shad and hip-hop stars Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash ("Hip-Hop Evolution"), Afghan rapper and activist Sonita Alizadeh ("Sonita"), artist Frida Kahlo ( "The Legacy Of Frida Kahlo"), and comedians Mel Brooks, Sarah Silverman and Carl Reiner ("The Last Laugh").
Award winners from the recent international festival circuit include "Life, Animated" (Directing Award: U.S. Documentary, Sundance 2016), "Trapped" (U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Social Impact Filmmaking, Sundance 2016), and "Sonita" (World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary and Audience Award: World Cinema Documentary, Sundance 2016).
Special Presentations will screen as part of the 2016 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, running April 28 to May 8. Ticket packages and passes as well as single tickets are now on sale online and at the CraveTV Box Office at Hot Docs House, located at 610 Markham Street.
Special Presentation titles are below:
"The Age of Consequences"
D: Jared P. Scott | USA | 2016 | 78 min | World Premiere
Sounding an alarm over the critical and disturbing effects of societal inaction, this revealing film highlights the irreversible impacts of climate change‹resource scarcity, mass migration and conflict‹through the lens of global stability and national security.
"American Movie"
D: Chris Smith | USA | 1999 | 107 min | Cinema Eye Legacy Screening
In this beloved cult classic, an aspiring filmmaker struggles to complete a hilariously lo-fi horror film, only to be derailed by personal demons and the staggering ineptitude of his production team.
"Bobby Sands: 66 Days"
D: Brendan Byrne | Ireland, UK | 2016 | 105 min | World Premiere
This riveting account of a turning point in the Troubles in Northern Ireland is taken straight from the diary of Bobby Sands, who led protests of imprisoned Irish Republicans and a hunger strike with momentous consequences.
"Contemporary Color"
D: Bill Ross IV, Turner Ross | USA | 2016 | 96 min | International Premiere
An extraordinary lineup of top music stars including event mastermind David Byrne of The Talking Heads, Nelly Furtado, St. Vincent and more perform live with 10 ³colour guard² teams‹perfectly synchronized students in pep-rally choreography‹in this one-of-a-kind, kaleidoscopic event.
"De Palma"
D: Noah Baumbach, Jake Paltrow | USA | 2015 | 107 min | Canadian Premiere
From Carrie to Mission: Impossible to Scarface and beyond, Brian de Palma has created some of cinema¹s most iconic work. In this career-spanning, funny and candid conversation, he reveals his unique perspective on life, work and the past 50 years in film.
"Gleason"
D: Clay Tweel | USA | 2016 | 110 min | International Premiere
At age 34, former NFL defensive back and New Orleans hero Steve Gleason was diagnosed with Als. With limited time left to live, he purposefully records his spirited and inspiring life‹a heartfelt time capsule for his newborn son.
"Hip-Hop Evolution"
D: Darby Wheeler | Co-d: Scot McFadyen, Sam Dunn | Canada | 2016 | 90 min | World Premiere
Acclaimed Canadian rapper Shad travels to the Bronx and Harlem to talk with hip-hop¹s originators and biggest stars‹Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash among others‹tracing its evolution from underground to global phenomenon.
"The Last Laugh"
D: Ferne Pearlstein | USA | 2016 | 85 min | International Premiere
Mel Brooks, Sarah Silverman, Carl Reiner, a 90-year-old Auschwitz survivor and others uproariously debate and test the limits of comedy¹s ultimate taboo: how to joke about the Holocaust, or if it¹s even ethical to try.
"The Legacy of Frida Kahlo"
D: Tadasuke Kotani | Japan | 2015 | 89 min | Canadian Premiere
A renowned Japanese photographer inventories iconic Mexican artist Frida Kahlo¹s wardrobe and personal belongings, recently discovered 58 years after her death, lending deserved importance to fashion and ³women¹s work,² while resurrecting the dead through clothing and talismans.
"Life,Animated"
D: Roger Ross Williams | USA | 2015 | 91 min | International Premiere
Disney cartoons play a key role in helping a young autistic boy communicate and understand the world around him in this moving testament to coming-of-age through fantasy, from Academy Awardwinning director Roger Ross Williams.
"Sonita"
D: Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami | Iran, Germany, Switzerland | 2015 | 90 min | Canadian Premiere
After her family attempts to sell her into marriage, a young Afghan refugee in Iran channels her frustrations and seizes her destiny through music. Grabbing the mic, she spits fiery rhymes in the face of oppressive traditions.
"Sour Grapes"
D: Jerry Rothwell | USA, France | 2016 | 96 min | World Premiere
Controversy erupts when an unassuming young man floods the American market with fake vintages valued in the millions, bamboozling wine snobs and the super-wealthy alike, in this suspenseful tale of excess on the eve of the 2008 crash.
"Trapped"
D: Dawn Porter | USA | 2016 | 80 min | International Premiere
American women¹s right to abortion is no longer clear, as 288 dubious laws slyly crafted by the right have decimated access. While a watershed Supreme Court battle looms, witness the human stakes of the right to choose.
"Under the Gun"
D: Stephanie Soechtig | USA | 2016 | 110 min | International Premiere
With razor-sharp arguments and insight, Stephanie Soechtig and Katie Couric (the team behind Fed Up) craft a gripping indictment of American gun culture, meeting communities shattered by shootings and exposing the politics that allow the epidemic of violence to persist.
- 4/6/2016
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Dawn Porter’s advocacy film arrives at SXSW as the Us supreme court prepares to decide on the biggest abortion rights case in 20 years
Trapped could hardly be more timely. On 2 March the Us supreme court heard oral arguments for Whole Woman’s Health v Hellerstedt, the biggest abortion rights challenge in two decades. In June a decision will be made, impacting the safe and legal right to choose for millions of women.
Trapped, which premiered at Sundance, was directed by lawyer turned film-maker Dawn Porter (Gideon’s Army), and follows the ongoing struggles of abortion clinic workers in Texas, fighting against so-called Trap laws (hence the film’s title) to keep the procedure safe and legal in the Us. As the documentary explains in one of its many interstitials, the acronym stands for “targeted regulations of abortion providers”. Since 2010, hundreds of these laws have been passed by conservative state legislatures,...
Trapped could hardly be more timely. On 2 March the Us supreme court heard oral arguments for Whole Woman’s Health v Hellerstedt, the biggest abortion rights challenge in two decades. In June a decision will be made, impacting the safe and legal right to choose for millions of women.
Trapped, which premiered at Sundance, was directed by lawyer turned film-maker Dawn Porter (Gideon’s Army), and follows the ongoing struggles of abortion clinic workers in Texas, fighting against so-called Trap laws (hence the film’s title) to keep the procedure safe and legal in the Us. As the documentary explains in one of its many interstitials, the acronym stands for “targeted regulations of abortion providers”. Since 2010, hundreds of these laws have been passed by conservative state legislatures,...
- 3/11/2016
- by Nigel M Smith
- The Guardian - Film News
Glenn here and welcome to Doc Corner where we're going to bring you reviews of documentaries, hopefully on a weekly basis, from theatres, festivals, and on demand, as well as special features that shine a light on the medium's history and future.
Every few years a documentary about abortion comes along to soberly remind us just how backwards attitudes continue to be towards women’s reproduction rights and just how unbalanced the debate is regarding women’s bodily autonomy in America. Trapped is a new film by Dawn Porter – probably best known for her debut feature Gideon’s Army – and is just the latest on this volatile topic, but while it may lack the epic scope and cinematic power of Tony Kaye’s Lake of Fire, it does work similarly to Martha Shane and Lana Wilson’s After Tiller in the way it examines the more intimate details of the doctors,...
Every few years a documentary about abortion comes along to soberly remind us just how backwards attitudes continue to be towards women’s reproduction rights and just how unbalanced the debate is regarding women’s bodily autonomy in America. Trapped is a new film by Dawn Porter – probably best known for her debut feature Gideon’s Army – and is just the latest on this volatile topic, but while it may lack the epic scope and cinematic power of Tony Kaye’s Lake of Fire, it does work similarly to Martha Shane and Lana Wilson’s After Tiller in the way it examines the more intimate details of the doctors,...
- 3/8/2016
- by Glenn Dunks
- FilmExperience
A new documentary from Dawn Porter (director of 2 excellent documentary features previously covered on this blog - "Gideon's Army" and "Spies Of Mississippi") made its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Ut, last month, where it won a Special Jury Award. Titled "Trapped," in the filmmaker's words, here's a summary of what the film tackles: "'Trapped' is a new documentary I'm creating that follows the progress of Southern reproductive health clinics as they struggle to provide care in the face of an increasingly hostile legal and political climate. I take viewers to the front lines of the war on reproductive...
- 3/4/2016
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
A new documentary from Dawn Porter (director of 2 excellent documentary features previously covered on this blog - "Gideon's Army" and "Spies Of Mississippi") made its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Ut, last month, where it won a Special Jury Award. Titled "Trapped," in the filmmaker's words, here's a summary of what the film tackles: "'Trapped' is a new documentary I'm creating that follows the progress of Southern reproductive health clinics as they struggle to provide care in the face of an increasingly hostile legal and political climate. I take viewers to the front lines of the war on reproductive...
- 2/29/2016
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Simply put, the SXSW Film, Music and Interactive Festival is one of the biggest, most prestigious events in the media calendar. Taking place annually in Austin, Texas, it is beloved by film fans and filmmakers from all over the world, and has reached such heights by building a reputation for showcasing excellent content. This results in a high level of competition, with the Narrative Feature category alone having received 1442 submissions this year, and the documentary feature category having received 1,013.
The 2016 event looks to be particularly exciting, with many world premieres and feature debuts already announced. The Narrative Feature category will include Julia Hart’s Miss Stevens, Debra Eisenstadt’s Before The Sun Explodes, Joey Klein’s The Other Half, and Musa Syeed’s A Stray, among others, while the Headliner category will feature Richard Linklater’s Everybody Wants Some.
The Narrative Spotlight category includes 9 Rides by Matthew A. Cherry; The Waiting...
The 2016 event looks to be particularly exciting, with many world premieres and feature debuts already announced. The Narrative Feature category will include Julia Hart’s Miss Stevens, Debra Eisenstadt’s Before The Sun Explodes, Joey Klein’s The Other Half, and Musa Syeed’s A Stray, among others, while the Headliner category will feature Richard Linklater’s Everybody Wants Some.
The Narrative Spotlight category includes 9 Rides by Matthew A. Cherry; The Waiting...
- 2/10/2016
- by Sarah Myles
- We Got This Covered
A new documentary from Dawn Porter (director of 2 excellent documentary features previously covered on this blog - "Gideon's Army" and "Spies Of Mississippi") made its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Ut, last month, where it won a Special Jury Award. Titled "Trapped," in the filmmaker's words, here's a summary of what the film tackles: "'Trapped' is a new documentary I'm creating that follows the progress of Southern reproductive health clinics as they struggle to provide care in the face of an increasingly hostile legal and political climate. I take viewers to the front lines of the war on reproductive...
- 2/8/2016
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Ro*Co Films, Abramorama, Film Sprout and Independent Lens have sealed a deal to distribute Trapped, Dawn Porter’s pro-choice documentary that won a Special Jury Award at Sundance. The film will open March 4 in Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C., with additional markets added during the spring. PBS’ Independent Lens will air Trapped in June to coincide with the announcement of the Supreme Court’s decision in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, the case that will…...
- 2/5/2016
- Deadline
After winning the U.S. Documentary Social Impact Filmmaking Award at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival last week, Dawn Porter's "Trapped" has set up a theatrical release thanks to a collaborative distribution deal. Trilogy Films, Big Mouth Productions, Cedar Creek Productions and Chicken & Egg Pictures are partnering with Ro*Co Films, Abramorama, Film Sprout and Independent Lens to distribute the documentary beginning in New York City, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. on March 4. Read More: All of the Winners of the 2016 Sundance Film Festival "Trapped" follows the struggles of the clinic workers and lawyers who are on the front lines of a battle to keep abortion safe and legal for millions of American women. The nationwide release of the film will come just as the U.S. Supreme Court takes on Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt, the landmark case that will determine the constitutionality of "Trap" (Targeted Regulation of.
- 2/5/2016
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Plus: Gabriele Muccino circles Laughter In The Dark
Trilogy Films, Big Mouth Productions, Cedar Creek Productions and Chicken & Egg Pictures have struck a partnership with Ro*Co Films, Abramorama, Film Sprout and Independent Lens to distribute Dawn Porter’s Sundance film.
Trapped won the Us Documentary special jury award for social impact filmmaking in Park City and follows the work of clinic workers and lawyers battling to keep abortion legal for American women.
It will open in New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. on March 4.
Gabriele Muccino is in talks to direct the erotic thriller Laughter In The Dark based on the Vladimir Nabokov novel from a script by newcomers Bradley McMann and Justin Parker. Scott Steindorff and Dylan Russell of Stone Village Productions will produce with Sander Soeth of Intuit Films. Stone Village has partnered with investment firm Source Rock Partners to finance. The producers have earmarked a mid-May start in New York...
Trilogy Films, Big Mouth Productions, Cedar Creek Productions and Chicken & Egg Pictures have struck a partnership with Ro*Co Films, Abramorama, Film Sprout and Independent Lens to distribute Dawn Porter’s Sundance film.
Trapped won the Us Documentary special jury award for social impact filmmaking in Park City and follows the work of clinic workers and lawyers battling to keep abortion legal for American women.
It will open in New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. on March 4.
Gabriele Muccino is in talks to direct the erotic thriller Laughter In The Dark based on the Vladimir Nabokov novel from a script by newcomers Bradley McMann and Justin Parker. Scott Steindorff and Dylan Russell of Stone Village Productions will produce with Sander Soeth of Intuit Films. Stone Village has partnered with investment firm Source Rock Partners to finance. The producers have earmarked a mid-May start in New York...
- 2/5/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Documentary filmmaker Dawn Porter first entered the Sundance arena in 2013 with Gideon’s Army, a paean to the work of public defenders. She returns to the festival in 2016 with Trapped, her film about abortion in America. Porter and co-cinematographer Chris Hilleke speak with Filmmaker below about the many hurdles – both aesthetic and ethical – of filming a documentary in an abortion clinic. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of your film? What were the factors and attributes that led to your being hired for this job? Porter: It was really crucial that everyone who shot on this film […]...
- 1/31/2016
- by Soheil Rezayazdi
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Documentary filmmaker Dawn Porter first entered the Sundance arena in 2013 with Gideon’s Army, a paean to the work of public defenders. She returns to the festival in 2016 with Trapped, her film about abortion in America. Porter and co-cinematographer Chris Hilleke speak with Filmmaker below about the many hurdles – both aesthetic and ethical – of filming a documentary in an abortion clinic. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of your film? What were the factors and attributes that led to your being hired for this job? Porter: It was really crucial that everyone who shot on this film […]...
- 1/31/2016
- by Soheil Rezayazdi
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Nate Parker's racial drama "The Birth of a Nation" took both the top honors of the grand jury prize and the audience award at this year's Sundance Film Festival which held its ceremony tonight.
The film, a drama about the life of Nat Turner and the slave rebellion he led in antebellum Virginia, made headlines several days ago when it was acquired by Fox Searchlight for a record-shattering $17.5 million.
It also marks the fourth year in a row where one film has taken the top two prizes in U.S. dramatic competition following 2013's "Fruitvale Station," 2014's "Whiplash" and last year's "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl". The U.S. documentary grand jury prize was awarded to "Weiner," a behind-the-scenes portrayal of disgraced politician Anthony Weiner's mayoral campaign.
In the World Cinema dramatic competition the grand jury prize went to Elite Ziker's "Sand Storm" which deals with...
The film, a drama about the life of Nat Turner and the slave rebellion he led in antebellum Virginia, made headlines several days ago when it was acquired by Fox Searchlight for a record-shattering $17.5 million.
It also marks the fourth year in a row where one film has taken the top two prizes in U.S. dramatic competition following 2013's "Fruitvale Station," 2014's "Whiplash" and last year's "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl". The U.S. documentary grand jury prize was awarded to "Weiner," a behind-the-scenes portrayal of disgraced politician Anthony Weiner's mayoral campaign.
In the World Cinema dramatic competition the grand jury prize went to Elite Ziker's "Sand Storm" which deals with...
- 1/31/2016
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Nate Parker’s directorial debut claimed the Us Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic and corresponding audience award at the Sundance Film Festival on Saturday, capping off a barnstorming week for the slave revolt drama.
Last week The Birth Of A Nation sparked a bidding frenzy that resulted in the biggest on-site deal in the festival’s history as Fox Searchlight paid $17.5m for worldwide rights.
Sonita, Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami’s film about a rapping Afghan teenager opposed to arranged marriage, earned similar double honours as it won the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary and audience awards.
The Us Grand Jury Prize: Documentary award went to Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg’s Weiner, while the audience voted for Brian Oakes’ Jim: The James Foley Story.
The World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic went to Elite Zexer’s Sand Story and the audience choice was Carlos del Castillo’s Between Land And Sea.
In other winners:...
Last week The Birth Of A Nation sparked a bidding frenzy that resulted in the biggest on-site deal in the festival’s history as Fox Searchlight paid $17.5m for worldwide rights.
Sonita, Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami’s film about a rapping Afghan teenager opposed to arranged marriage, earned similar double honours as it won the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary and audience awards.
The Us Grand Jury Prize: Documentary award went to Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg’s Weiner, while the audience voted for Brian Oakes’ Jim: The James Foley Story.
The World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic went to Elite Zexer’s Sand Story and the audience choice was Carlos del Castillo’s Between Land And Sea.
In other winners:...
- 1/30/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The connection between crowdfunding and Sundance is nothing new. To date, nearly 100 Kickstarter-funded films have been official Sundance Film Festival selections, with 14 at this year's festival. Indiewire recently checked in with the crowdfunding team behind four of these films to get some tips on how to build a successful campaign. Read More: The 2016 Indiewire Sundance Bible: All the Reviews, Interviews and News Posted During The Festival Pre-Launch"Months before my Kickstarter went live, we were absorbing any intel about what it takes to successfully crowdfund. We talked to other filmmakers, read tips online and became very familiar with Kickstarter’s Creator Handbook. Incredibly helpful were Kickstarter’s film team — Dan Schoenbrun and Liz Cook — and people from the Sundance Institute, especially Missy Laney." - Producer/Director Dawn Porter, "Trapped" "A big part of our pre-launch strategy was outreach to influencers and press. Months before the...
- 1/25/2016
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
A new documentary from Dawn Porter (director of 2 excellent documentary features previously covered on this blog - "Gideon's Army" and "Spies Of Mississippi") is making its world premiere at the ongoing Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Ut. Titled "Trapped," in the filmmaker's words, here's a summary of what the film tackles: "'Trapped' is a new documentary I'm creating that follows the progress of Southern reproductive health clinics as they struggle to provide care in the face of an increasingly hostile legal and political climate. I take viewers to the front lines of the war on reproductive rights and show the human effects of...
- 1/25/2016
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
FilmBuff has licensed international rights to Participant Media’s 10-part investigative docu-series about corruption and civil liberties narrated by Maggie Gyllenhaal.
The series will premiere in the Us on Participant Media’s Pivot network on January 22 and FilmBuff will commence talks with buyers at the Realscreen market, which runs in Washington DC from January 31-February 3.
Women In Film, Los Angeles (Wif) awarded $32,000 in cash and in-kind grants at its 10th Annual Women In Film Sundance Filmmakers Panel discussion on Sunday. Dogwalker’s Kim Sherman received the 2016 Women In Film/CalmDown Productions Inc. Grant. Rokhsareh Ghaemmaghami was awarded the Women In Film Documentary Grant for Sonita. Diane Bellino and Adam Davies of The Itching received the newly named Debra Hill Film Grant. Director Dawn Porter and writer-editor Sari Gilman received a new honour, the Women In Film Elevation Grant, for their documentary Trapped.
Stella Artois and Water.org co-founders Matt Damon and Gary White participated in a Sundance...
The series will premiere in the Us on Participant Media’s Pivot network on January 22 and FilmBuff will commence talks with buyers at the Realscreen market, which runs in Washington DC from January 31-February 3.
Women In Film, Los Angeles (Wif) awarded $32,000 in cash and in-kind grants at its 10th Annual Women In Film Sundance Filmmakers Panel discussion on Sunday. Dogwalker’s Kim Sherman received the 2016 Women In Film/CalmDown Productions Inc. Grant. Rokhsareh Ghaemmaghami was awarded the Women In Film Documentary Grant for Sonita. Diane Bellino and Adam Davies of The Itching received the newly named Debra Hill Film Grant. Director Dawn Porter and writer-editor Sari Gilman received a new honour, the Women In Film Elevation Grant, for their documentary Trapped.
Stella Artois and Water.org co-founders Matt Damon and Gary White participated in a Sundance...
- 1/24/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Read More: The Complete 2016 Sundance Film Festival Lineup Take a look inside one of the last remaining abortion clinics in Alabama in the documentary "Trapped," which will premiering over the weekend at the Sundance Film Festival. "Trapped" follows June Ayers, owner and director of the Montgomery-based Reproductive Health Services. Like many other abortion clinics operating in the south, Ayers has to deal with severe pressure from several outside forces, whether they be Trap (or Targeted Regulations of Abortion Providers) laws from state legislature or violent protestors stationed outside the clinic on a daily basis. Indiewire has a first look at the film, directed by Dawn Porter, which you can check out above. This first clip from the film shows the ever-diligent Ayers comparing her situation with being forced to solve a crossword that you have to invent at the same time. Read More: The 30 Most Anticipated Films Of The...
- 1/21/2016
- by Mike Lown
- Indiewire
Athena Film Festival, a public film confab spotlighting works by and about women, will launch this year’s edition with the New York premiere of Dawn Porter’s Trapped, a documentary about Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers (Trap) laws, like those recently passed in Texas and Alabama, that threaten American abortion clinics, allegedly due to concerns over women's safety and health. As clinics are forced to shut their doors, supporters of abortion rights believe the…...
- 1/14/2016
- Deadline
The sixth edition of the Athena Film Festival, created to celebrate women in entertainment and highlight films that focus on stories of women's courage, power, and influence, will feature Sarah Gavron's "Suffragette" as its Centerpiece Film. Two documentaries directed by women, Dawn Porter's "Trapped" and Lesley Chilcott's "Codegirl," will open and close the festival, respectively. Among the other notable inclusions are Oscar-shortlisted foreign-language title "Mustang," "Testament of Youth," starring Alicia Vikander, and Davis Guggenheim's "He Named Me Malala." In addition, the festival will include a master class on documentary filmmaking led by HBO's Sheila Nevins, and present the Laura Ziskin Lifetime Achievement Award to filmmaker Mira Nair. The festival takes place February 18 - 21 on the Barnard College campus in New York. Read the full list of features, shorts, and panels below. Read More: "First...
- 1/13/2016
- by Matt Brennan
- Thompson on Hollywood
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