Playing a man who gets entangled in a murder investigation because his wife (Kaley Cuoco) is obsessed with true crime, “Based on a True Story” kind of hits close to home for Chris Messina. When he was a kid, he and a friend actually may have actually discovered a crime scene.
“I grew up in Northport, Long Island,” Messina told Variety at the Peacock series’ premiere Thursday at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood. “I grew up on Makamah Road, about a block from the Long Island Sound. A buddy and I walked to the Sound and – it was very ‘Stand By Me’ – we found a hand that washed up on the beach.”
They immediately called the cops. “We had to report it,” Messina recalled. “I was pretending to be River Phoenix in ‘Stand By Me.’”
Directed by Rob Reiner, “Stand By Me” starred Phoenix, Jerry O’Connell, Corey Feldman...
“I grew up in Northport, Long Island,” Messina told Variety at the Peacock series’ premiere Thursday at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood. “I grew up on Makamah Road, about a block from the Long Island Sound. A buddy and I walked to the Sound and – it was very ‘Stand By Me’ – we found a hand that washed up on the beach.”
They immediately called the cops. “We had to report it,” Messina recalled. “I was pretending to be River Phoenix in ‘Stand By Me.’”
Directed by Rob Reiner, “Stand By Me” starred Phoenix, Jerry O’Connell, Corey Feldman...
- 6/3/2023
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including red carpets for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, The Crowded Room, Atx TV Festival and Never Have I Ever.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse premiere
Returning stars Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Jake Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry and Luna Lauren Vélez joined newcomers Issa Rae, Daniel Kaluuya and Jason Schwartzman at the Los Angeles premiere of the Spider-Verse sequel on Tuesday night, alongside writers Phil Lord and Chris Miller.
Shea Whigham, Danielle Perez, Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Vélez, Issa Rae, Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Daniel Kaluuya, Jake Johnson, Daniel Pemberton, Rachel Dratch and Christina Steinberg Chris Miller, Justin K. Thompson, Kemp Powers, Joaquim Dos Santos and Phil Lord Daniel Kaluuya and Tom Rothman
Cruel Summer premiere
Executive producer Jessica Biel debuted season two of her Freeform series alongside new cast members Sadie Stanley,...
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse premiere
Returning stars Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Jake Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry and Luna Lauren Vélez joined newcomers Issa Rae, Daniel Kaluuya and Jason Schwartzman at the Los Angeles premiere of the Spider-Verse sequel on Tuesday night, alongside writers Phil Lord and Chris Miller.
Shea Whigham, Danielle Perez, Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Vélez, Issa Rae, Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Daniel Kaluuya, Jake Johnson, Daniel Pemberton, Rachel Dratch and Christina Steinberg Chris Miller, Justin K. Thompson, Kemp Powers, Joaquim Dos Santos and Phil Lord Daniel Kaluuya and Tom Rothman
Cruel Summer premiere
Executive producer Jessica Biel debuted season two of her Freeform series alongside new cast members Sadie Stanley,...
- 6/2/2023
- by Kirsten Chuba
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The biggest challenge in filming Peacock’s dark comedy thriller Based on a True Story? Getting stars Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina to stop laughing in between takes.
“They’re so funny together,” director and executive producer Alexander Buono told The Hollywood Reporter at the show’s Thursday night premiere. “Honestly, the hardest thing was to get them to stop laughing so we could shoot the scene. My role to direct them was often [that I had to] be the wet blanket.”
“We drove people crazy,” Cuoco agrees. “We laughed all the time. We were the duo that we didn’t even know that we needed. He’s hysterical, he’s kind, he’s fun and also just a wonderful person on set. He takes care of everyone, we both do. It’s important to us and it was a great match.”
From creator Craig Rosenberg, the show follows Cuoco and Messina as married...
“They’re so funny together,” director and executive producer Alexander Buono told The Hollywood Reporter at the show’s Thursday night premiere. “Honestly, the hardest thing was to get them to stop laughing so we could shoot the scene. My role to direct them was often [that I had to] be the wet blanket.”
“We drove people crazy,” Cuoco agrees. “We laughed all the time. We were the duo that we didn’t even know that we needed. He’s hysterical, he’s kind, he’s fun and also just a wonderful person on set. He takes care of everyone, we both do. It’s important to us and it was a great match.”
From creator Craig Rosenberg, the show follows Cuoco and Messina as married...
- 6/2/2023
- by Sydney Odman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Coca-Cola, Imagine Entertainment and Amazon have partnered in Christmas Always Finds Its Way, a trilogy of short films that will launch today on Amazon Prime and promoted heavily through the holiday season.
The anthology was created in partnership with the production company Prettybird, which tasked its stable of directors to shoot films in their home countries, about the common theme of real and magical connection in the holiday season. Brazilian helmer Vellas shot Alma, a fable about a town set in Mexico that is famous for its year-round production of Christmas decorations, but whose workers lose the Xmas spirit until it is reignited by an unlikely source; French helmer Jb Braud’s Les Petits Mondes De Noel, is about an estranged couple in Paris that reconnects as they create decorative holiday window displays; and U.S. helmer Alex Buono has gone for the comedy jugular with Christmas Bites, about a...
The anthology was created in partnership with the production company Prettybird, which tasked its stable of directors to shoot films in their home countries, about the common theme of real and magical connection in the holiday season. Brazilian helmer Vellas shot Alma, a fable about a town set in Mexico that is famous for its year-round production of Christmas decorations, but whose workers lose the Xmas spirit until it is reignited by an unlikely source; French helmer Jb Braud’s Les Petits Mondes De Noel, is about an estranged couple in Paris that reconnects as they create decorative holiday window displays; and U.S. helmer Alex Buono has gone for the comedy jugular with Christmas Bites, about a...
- 12/7/2022
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
The upcoming comedic thriller series “Based on a True Story” has added five new cast members, Variety has learned exclusively.
Natalia Dyer, Alex Alomar Akpobome, Aisha Alfa, Annabelle Dexter-Jones, and Li Jun Li have all joined the series. They will star alongside previously announced cast members Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina, as well as Tom Bateman, Liana Liberato, and Priscilla Quintana.
Per the official logline, the series “is about a realtor, a plumber and a former tennis star whose lives unexpectedly collide, exposing America’s obsession with true crime, murder and the slow close toilet seat.”
Dyer is repped by One Entertainment, WME, and Jackoway Austen Tyerman. Akpobome is repped by Gersh and Luber Roklin Entertainment. Alfa is repped by APA and 3 Arts. Dexter-Jones is repped by Gersh, Authentic Talent and Literary Management, Gang Tyre and 42West. Li is repped by Gersh, Authentic Talent and Literary Management, Jackoway Austen Tyerman,...
Natalia Dyer, Alex Alomar Akpobome, Aisha Alfa, Annabelle Dexter-Jones, and Li Jun Li have all joined the series. They will star alongside previously announced cast members Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina, as well as Tom Bateman, Liana Liberato, and Priscilla Quintana.
Per the official logline, the series “is about a realtor, a plumber and a former tennis star whose lives unexpectedly collide, exposing America’s obsession with true crime, murder and the slow close toilet seat.”
Dyer is repped by One Entertainment, WME, and Jackoway Austen Tyerman. Akpobome is repped by Gersh and Luber Roklin Entertainment. Alfa is repped by APA and 3 Arts. Dexter-Jones is repped by Gersh, Authentic Talent and Literary Management, Gang Tyre and 42West. Li is repped by Gersh, Authentic Talent and Literary Management, Jackoway Austen Tyerman,...
- 11/15/2022
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
The upcoming comedic thriller series “Based on a True Story” at Peacock has added three new cast members, Variety has learned exclusively.
Tom Bateman, Liana Liberato, and Priscilla Quintana (“Good Trouble”) have joined the show as series regulars. They will star alongside previously announced cast members Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina.
Per the official logline, the series “is about a realtor, a plumber and a former tennis star whose lives unexpectedly collide, exposing America’s obsession with true crime, murder and the slow close toilet seat.” It was previously announced that Cuoco will play a married woman named Ava Bartlett, while Messina will play a character named Nathan. All other character details are under wraps.
Bateman is repped by CAA, United Agents in the U.K. and attorney Patti Felker. Liberato is repped by Entertainment 360 and Innovative Artists. Quintana is repped by Sdb Partners, Link Entertainment and Hansen Jacobson.
Tom Bateman, Liana Liberato, and Priscilla Quintana (“Good Trouble”) have joined the show as series regulars. They will star alongside previously announced cast members Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina.
Per the official logline, the series “is about a realtor, a plumber and a former tennis star whose lives unexpectedly collide, exposing America’s obsession with true crime, murder and the slow close toilet seat.” It was previously announced that Cuoco will play a married woman named Ava Bartlett, while Messina will play a character named Nathan. All other character details are under wraps.
Bateman is repped by CAA, United Agents in the U.K. and attorney Patti Felker. Liberato is repped by Entertainment 360 and Innovative Artists. Quintana is repped by Sdb Partners, Link Entertainment and Hansen Jacobson.
- 11/1/2022
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Oscar and Emmy Award-nominee Alex Buono (Documentary Now!, Russian Doll) has been tapped as producing director and will direct the pilot of Peacock’s Based on a True Story from Craig Rosenberg.
The dark comedy, starring Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina, follows a realtor, a plumber, and a former tennis star whose lives unexpectedly collide, exposing America’s obsession with true crime, murder, and the slow-close toilet seat.
Messina portrays Nathan, the washed-up tennis star husband of realtor Ava Bartlett (Cuoco).
Rosenberg will serve as writer, showrunner, and executive producer of the series. Jason Bateman and Michael Costigan will executive produce for their banner Aggregate Films; Roxie Rodriguez and Melissa Blake serve as co-executive producers for Aggregate. The series will be produced by UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group.
Buono is best known for directing the Emmy-nominated comedy series Documentary Now!, starring Bill Hader and Fred Armisen. Buono...
The dark comedy, starring Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina, follows a realtor, a plumber, and a former tennis star whose lives unexpectedly collide, exposing America’s obsession with true crime, murder, and the slow-close toilet seat.
Messina portrays Nathan, the washed-up tennis star husband of realtor Ava Bartlett (Cuoco).
Rosenberg will serve as writer, showrunner, and executive producer of the series. Jason Bateman and Michael Costigan will executive produce for their banner Aggregate Films; Roxie Rodriguez and Melissa Blake serve as co-executive producers for Aggregate. The series will be produced by UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group.
Buono is best known for directing the Emmy-nominated comedy series Documentary Now!, starring Bill Hader and Fred Armisen. Buono...
- 10/26/2022
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
A comedy series that parodies various documentaries is already a niche idea for a TV show, but for the makers of “Documentary Now!,” leaning into the specific is part of the fun – and part of what makes the show such a fan-favorite for its small but devoted fanbase.
“The good news is, I think we always make them knowing that it will be someone’s favorite,” executive producer, co-creator and writer Seth Meyers told TheWrap in an interview tied to Season 4. “And that is so true of the Agnes Varda [episode]. Like I think for some people, it might be a little bit denser to get into and it’s in French, but it’s gonna be for the people – and again, you’re leaving a lot of money on the table when you don’t go after Varda fans – but they’re gonna be blown away that this much care...
“The good news is, I think we always make them knowing that it will be someone’s favorite,” executive producer, co-creator and writer Seth Meyers told TheWrap in an interview tied to Season 4. “And that is so true of the Agnes Varda [episode]. Like I think for some people, it might be a little bit denser to get into and it’s in French, but it’s gonna be for the people – and again, you’re leaving a lot of money on the table when you don’t go after Varda fans – but they’re gonna be blown away that this much care...
- 10/19/2022
- by Adam Chitwood
- The Wrap
It may be sacrilege to say this: but I’d rather watch Cate Blanchett in a “Documentary Now!” episode than conducting the Berlin Phil while harassing young female virtuosos in the hysteria-tinged arthouse Oscar bait “Tár.”
Among the double Oscar winner’s finest roles was her take last season on the self-serious Serbian conceptual artist Marina Abramovich in the breathlessly hilarious “Waiting for the Artist.” Now, in the new Season 4 (or “Season 53” as the producers tease) premiering Oct. 19 on IFC, Blanchett returns. She plays a forlorn, bespectacled village hairdresser in a riff on beauty-themed docs, “Two Hairdressers in Bagglyport,” opposite “Succession’s” eat-her-young matriarch Lady Caroline Collingwood (Harriet Walter).
Perhaps it all comes down to taste, but I can’t imagine Blanchett better than the wildly freeing, reality-rooted comic performances to which she fully commits here. “Carol?” Not hardly.
The series is the brainchild of Bill Hader, Fred Armisen, Seth Meyers and Rhys Thomas.
Among the double Oscar winner’s finest roles was her take last season on the self-serious Serbian conceptual artist Marina Abramovich in the breathlessly hilarious “Waiting for the Artist.” Now, in the new Season 4 (or “Season 53” as the producers tease) premiering Oct. 19 on IFC, Blanchett returns. She plays a forlorn, bespectacled village hairdresser in a riff on beauty-themed docs, “Two Hairdressers in Bagglyport,” opposite “Succession’s” eat-her-young matriarch Lady Caroline Collingwood (Harriet Walter).
Perhaps it all comes down to taste, but I can’t imagine Blanchett better than the wildly freeing, reality-rooted comic performances to which she fully commits here. “Carol?” Not hardly.
The series is the brainchild of Bill Hader, Fred Armisen, Seth Meyers and Rhys Thomas.
- 10/19/2022
- by Thelma Adams
- The Wrap
The Toronto Intl. Film Festival’s Docs program gets underway Sept. 8 and will feature 22 nonfiction films — a hefty 57 increase from last year’s lineup, which was cut back to 14 due to Covid.
Notable titles include Oscar winner Laura Poitras’ “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” which is pictured above and making its Canadian premiere following a world premiere at the Venice Film Festival; “Blackfish” director Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s latest docu “The Grab” and veteran filmmaker’s Werner Herzog’s “Theatre of Thought.”
Sacha Jenkins’s “Armstrong’s Black & Blues” will serve as TIFF Docs’ opening film.
Thom Powers, lead TIFF documentary programmer, winnowed the list of 22 from 700 submissions. While constructing this year’s program, Powers noticed various themes emerge across submissions, one being being the act of resistance.
“Cowperthwaite’s “The Grab,” which she has been making for seven years under a lot of secrecy, follows journalist Nathan Halverson as...
Notable titles include Oscar winner Laura Poitras’ “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” which is pictured above and making its Canadian premiere following a world premiere at the Venice Film Festival; “Blackfish” director Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s latest docu “The Grab” and veteran filmmaker’s Werner Herzog’s “Theatre of Thought.”
Sacha Jenkins’s “Armstrong’s Black & Blues” will serve as TIFF Docs’ opening film.
Thom Powers, lead TIFF documentary programmer, winnowed the list of 22 from 700 submissions. While constructing this year’s program, Powers noticed various themes emerge across submissions, one being being the act of resistance.
“Cowperthwaite’s “The Grab,” which she has been making for seven years under a lot of secrecy, follows journalist Nathan Halverson as...
- 8/17/2022
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
New films from Werner Herzog, Laura Poitras, Cristian Mungiu and Jerzy Skolimowski have been added to the lineup of the 2022 Toronto International film Festival, TIFF organizers announced on Wednesday.
The new films are in the TIFF Docs and Contemporary World Cinema sections and together will make up almost 75 additions to the lineup of the festival, which will run from Sept. 8-18.
The TIFF Docs section will open with the world premiere of Sacha Jenkins’ “Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues.” Other films in the section include Herzog’s “Theatre of Thought,” which examines new research into the brain; Poitras’ “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” about artist Nan Goldin and her campaign to get museums to reject the patronage of the Purdue Pharma-owning Sackler family; and “In Her Hands,” Tamana Ayazi and Marcel Mettelsiefen’s film about Zarifa Ghafari, the youngest woman mayor in Afghanistan as the Taliban returned to power in that country.
The new films are in the TIFF Docs and Contemporary World Cinema sections and together will make up almost 75 additions to the lineup of the festival, which will run from Sept. 8-18.
The TIFF Docs section will open with the world premiere of Sacha Jenkins’ “Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues.” Other films in the section include Herzog’s “Theatre of Thought,” which examines new research into the brain; Poitras’ “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” about artist Nan Goldin and her campaign to get museums to reject the patronage of the Purdue Pharma-owning Sackler family; and “In Her Hands,” Tamana Ayazi and Marcel Mettelsiefen’s film about Zarifa Ghafari, the youngest woman mayor in Afghanistan as the Taliban returned to power in that country.
- 8/17/2022
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Click here to read the full article.
The Toronto Film Festival has announced new titles for its TIFF Docs and Contemporary World Cinema sections.
The TIFF Docs section will open with the previously announced Sacha Jenkins’ Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues, and there’s a North American premiere for Laura Poitras’ opioid epidemic doc All the Beauty and the Bloodshed from Participant.
The festival will also feature newly-added world bows for Cine-Guerrilas: Scenes from the Labudovic Reels, by director Mila Rurajlic; Documentary Now!, by Alex Buono, Rhys Thomas and Micah Gardner; Sam Soko and Lauren DeFilippo’s Free Money, about a Kenyan village being given a universal basic income by an American organization; The Grab, from Blackfish director Gabriela Cowperthwaite; and Stephanie Johnes’ Maya and the Wave.
Other documentary first looks headed to Toronto include Mark Fletcher’s Patrick and the Whale; Sinead O’Shea’s Pray for our Sinners; Self-Portrait as a Coffee Pot,...
The Toronto Film Festival has announced new titles for its TIFF Docs and Contemporary World Cinema sections.
The TIFF Docs section will open with the previously announced Sacha Jenkins’ Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues, and there’s a North American premiere for Laura Poitras’ opioid epidemic doc All the Beauty and the Bloodshed from Participant.
The festival will also feature newly-added world bows for Cine-Guerrilas: Scenes from the Labudovic Reels, by director Mila Rurajlic; Documentary Now!, by Alex Buono, Rhys Thomas and Micah Gardner; Sam Soko and Lauren DeFilippo’s Free Money, about a Kenyan village being given a universal basic income by an American organization; The Grab, from Blackfish director Gabriela Cowperthwaite; and Stephanie Johnes’ Maya and the Wave.
Other documentary first looks headed to Toronto include Mark Fletcher’s Patrick and the Whale; Sinead O’Shea’s Pray for our Sinners; Self-Portrait as a Coffee Pot,...
- 8/17/2022
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Includes new work from Blackfish director Gabriela Cowperthwaite, Werner Herzog and Klaus Hӓrӧ.
New work from Blackfish director Gabriela Cowperthwaite, Werner Herzog and Klaus Hӓrӧ are among TIFF Docs and Contemporary World Cinema line-ups announced on Wednesday (August 17).
In TIFF Docs, Cowperthwaite’s The Grab exposes the systematic acquisition of food and water resources by international governments and private companies. Herzog returns to the fray with Theatre Of Thought, in which he explores the cutting edge of brain research.
The selection includes Mark Fletcher’s nature documentary Patrick And The Whale (pictured) and opens with Sacha Jenkins’ Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues.
New work from Blackfish director Gabriela Cowperthwaite, Werner Herzog and Klaus Hӓrӧ are among TIFF Docs and Contemporary World Cinema line-ups announced on Wednesday (August 17).
In TIFF Docs, Cowperthwaite’s The Grab exposes the systematic acquisition of food and water resources by international governments and private companies. Herzog returns to the fray with Theatre Of Thought, in which he explores the cutting edge of brain research.
The selection includes Mark Fletcher’s nature documentary Patrick And The Whale (pictured) and opens with Sacha Jenkins’ Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues.
- 8/17/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Documentary Now! is back on IFC and it is set to premiere Season 53 on Wednesday, October 19 at 10 p.m. Et with two new episodes. The titles of the two-part season premiere are “Soldier of Illusion,” written by John Mulaney, and “Trouver Frisson,” which plays tribute to the Agnès Varda films.
Alexander Skarsgard (Big Little Lies), Nicholas Braun (Succession), and August Diehl (Inglorious Bastards) star in the premiere episode titled “Soldier of Illusion,” which was inspired by the Werner Herzog-focused documentary Burden of Dreams. Skarsgard plays a visionary German filmmaker in the 1980s who tries to will his magnum opus into existence while working in the remote, punishing conditions of the Russian Ular mountains.
Deb Hiett returns as narrator in the episode that also stars Kevin Bishop (The Tracey Ullman Show), Gana Bayarsaikhan (Wonder Woman), Matthias Rimpler (Ludzie i Bogowie), and Fred Armisen (SNL).
The second episode of the premiere...
Alexander Skarsgard (Big Little Lies), Nicholas Braun (Succession), and August Diehl (Inglorious Bastards) star in the premiere episode titled “Soldier of Illusion,” which was inspired by the Werner Herzog-focused documentary Burden of Dreams. Skarsgard plays a visionary German filmmaker in the 1980s who tries to will his magnum opus into existence while working in the remote, punishing conditions of the Russian Ular mountains.
Deb Hiett returns as narrator in the episode that also stars Kevin Bishop (The Tracey Ullman Show), Gana Bayarsaikhan (Wonder Woman), Matthias Rimpler (Ludzie i Bogowie), and Fred Armisen (SNL).
The second episode of the premiere...
- 8/7/2022
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
IFC on Friday released a first look teaser of the 4th season of “Documentary Now!” — or in the show’s parody universe, the 53rd season — which finds Alexander Skarsgård as a Werner Herzog-inspired filmmaker slogging through the Russian mountains in the two-part season that premieres on IFC and AMC+ on October 9.
Skarsgård is joined by “Succession” star Nicholas Braun and August Diehl of “Inglourious Basterds” in the John Mulaney-penned ode to Herzog’s “Burden of Dreams.” Kevin Bishop, Gana Bayarsaikhan, Matthias Rimpler, and, series co-creator Fred Armisen will also star.
The new season also spoofs beloved late director Agnès Varda in “Trouver Frisson,” in which French actor Liliane Rovère stars as filmmaker Ida Leos, who is searching for “frisson,” the goosebumps that have always been her guide. Written by series producers Matt Pacult and Tamsin Rawady and co-directed by Micah Gardner, the episode also stars “Documentary Now!” alumni Gary Kraus.
Skarsgård is joined by “Succession” star Nicholas Braun and August Diehl of “Inglourious Basterds” in the John Mulaney-penned ode to Herzog’s “Burden of Dreams.” Kevin Bishop, Gana Bayarsaikhan, Matthias Rimpler, and, series co-creator Fred Armisen will also star.
The new season also spoofs beloved late director Agnès Varda in “Trouver Frisson,” in which French actor Liliane Rovère stars as filmmaker Ida Leos, who is searching for “frisson,” the goosebumps that have always been her guide. Written by series producers Matt Pacult and Tamsin Rawady and co-directed by Micah Gardner, the episode also stars “Documentary Now!” alumni Gary Kraus.
- 8/5/2022
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
The first round of casting for the next season of Documentary Now! is complete.
Cate Blanchett, Jamie Demetriou, Trystan Gravelle, Jonathan Pryce, John Rhys-Davies and Harriet Walter, with singer Tom Jones join the comedy series.
Created by Bill Hader, Fred Armisen, Seth Meyers and Rhys Thomas, and hosted by Dame Helen Mirren is known for lovingly paying homage to the world of documentaries, six all-new episodes of Documentary Now! Season 53 is set to air on IFC and AMC+ in the Fall of 2022. The show is produced by Lorne Michaels and Broadway Video.
The synopsis of three episodes are out and here is the breakdown:
Two Hairdressers in Bagglyport will star Cate Blanchett and Harriet Walter who pay homage to fashion documentaries 3 Salons at the Seaside and The September Issue, the episode is a fly-on-the-wall portrait of a hair salon owner (Walter) and her staff (Blanchett...
Cate Blanchett, Jamie Demetriou, Trystan Gravelle, Jonathan Pryce, John Rhys-Davies and Harriet Walter, with singer Tom Jones join the comedy series.
Created by Bill Hader, Fred Armisen, Seth Meyers and Rhys Thomas, and hosted by Dame Helen Mirren is known for lovingly paying homage to the world of documentaries, six all-new episodes of Documentary Now! Season 53 is set to air on IFC and AMC+ in the Fall of 2022. The show is produced by Lorne Michaels and Broadway Video.
The synopsis of three episodes are out and here is the breakdown:
Two Hairdressers in Bagglyport will star Cate Blanchett and Harriet Walter who pay homage to fashion documentaries 3 Salons at the Seaside and The September Issue, the episode is a fly-on-the-wall portrait of a hair salon owner (Walter) and her staff (Blanchett...
- 7/12/2022
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
IFC today released the first round of casting for “Documentary Now!” Season 4 which includes Cate Blanchett, Jamie Demetriou, Trystan Gravelle (“Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power”), Jonathan Pryce, John Rhys-Davies and Harriet Walter as well as musical artist Tom Jones.
The all new six-episode season will begin airing on IFC and AMC+ later this fall. Blanchett previously guest starred in the Season 2 episode “Waiting for the Artist.”
Co-created by Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, Seth Meyers and Rhys Thomas, and hosted by Helen Mirren, the series is executive produced by Lorne Michaels and produced by Broadway Video. The announced cast toplines the three previously announced episodes from the upcoming season written by Meyers.
Also Read:
‘Unprecedented': 7 Biggest Takeaways From the Trump Documentary
“Two Hairdressers in Bagglyport” will star Blanchett and Walter as it pays homage to fashion documentaries “3 Salons at the Seaside” and “The September Issue.” The episode is...
The all new six-episode season will begin airing on IFC and AMC+ later this fall. Blanchett previously guest starred in the Season 2 episode “Waiting for the Artist.”
Co-created by Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, Seth Meyers and Rhys Thomas, and hosted by Helen Mirren, the series is executive produced by Lorne Michaels and produced by Broadway Video. The announced cast toplines the three previously announced episodes from the upcoming season written by Meyers.
Also Read:
‘Unprecedented': 7 Biggest Takeaways From the Trump Documentary
“Two Hairdressers in Bagglyport” will star Blanchett and Walter as it pays homage to fashion documentaries “3 Salons at the Seaside” and “The September Issue.” The episode is...
- 7/11/2022
- by Brandon Katz
- The Wrap
PaleyFest NY has set sessions on ABC’s “The Conners” and CBS’ “Murphy Brown” as part of the lineup for the annual two-week celebration of TV series.
The schedule includes sessions on AMC’s “The Walking Dead” and Starz’s “Outlander.” The festival will also offer a four-hour workshop session on Oct. 13 for actors looking to break in to TV, presented in connection with the New York City Mayor’s Office for Media and Entertainment.
“The PaleyFest 2018 lineup is a testament to why PaleyFest NY is the premier television festival of the fall,” said Maureen J. Reidy, president-ceo of Paley Center for Media. “We’re proud to feature this incredible schedule of events that represent the best of television across all genres.”
Here’s the lineup:
Friday, October 5: Opening Night: Outlander, 7:00 pm
Featuring: Cast and creative team; full lineup of participants to be announced
Saturday, October 6: The Walking Dead,...
The schedule includes sessions on AMC’s “The Walking Dead” and Starz’s “Outlander.” The festival will also offer a four-hour workshop session on Oct. 13 for actors looking to break in to TV, presented in connection with the New York City Mayor’s Office for Media and Entertainment.
“The PaleyFest 2018 lineup is a testament to why PaleyFest NY is the premier television festival of the fall,” said Maureen J. Reidy, president-ceo of Paley Center for Media. “We’re proud to feature this incredible schedule of events that represent the best of television across all genres.”
Here’s the lineup:
Friday, October 5: Opening Night: Outlander, 7:00 pm
Featuring: Cast and creative team; full lineup of participants to be announced
Saturday, October 6: The Walking Dead,...
- 9/10/2018
- by Variety Staff
- Variety Film + TV
Alex Buono, cinematographer and director of Documentary Now!, reveals the logistics behind the Emmy®-nominated episode “Juan Likes Rice and Chicken.” One of the standout episodes of the second season of IFC’s Documentary Now!
- 8/28/2017
- by Megan McLachlan
- AwardsDaily.com
- 8/17/2017
- Pastemagazine.com
While dramatic television has seen a wave of directorial ingenuity over the last 17 years (see our list of the best-directed dramas for proof), 21st century TV will probably be remembered more for the growth of vision in the comedy genre. What was once a format dominated by multi-cam sitcoms with live studio audiences has become the most auteur-driven genre on television, and the results have been some of the most creative and personal series the small screen has ever aired.
Read More: The 20 Best-Directed TV Drama Series of the 21st Century, Ranked
In brainstorming the best-directed comedy series of the 21st century, it becomes very clear just how much the genre is driven by personal style. Whether it’s Louis C.K.’s grounded realism or the rapid-fire curveballs of Armando Iannucci and Mitch Hurwitz, the showrunner as auteur has become the lynchpin of what makes 21st century TV comedy so...
Read More: The 20 Best-Directed TV Drama Series of the 21st Century, Ranked
In brainstorming the best-directed comedy series of the 21st century, it becomes very clear just how much the genre is driven by personal style. Whether it’s Louis C.K.’s grounded realism or the rapid-fire curveballs of Armando Iannucci and Mitch Hurwitz, the showrunner as auteur has become the lynchpin of what makes 21st century TV comedy so...
- 7/11/2017
- by Liz Shannon Miller and Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
IFC’s “Documentary Now!” has always gone for more than the cheap laugh. While it’s a mockumentary of public-tv programming and the documentaries they feature, the real pleasure lies in watching how it will create homages to great nonfiction filmmaking.
“We really wanted you to be clicking through the channels, landing on our show and thinking that it is a real documentary, and then suddenly say, ‘Hey, hold on for a minute — that’s Fred Armisen, what’s he doing in this documentary?'” said Alexander Buono, the executive producer who has co-directed and served as cinematographer on every episode of the show’s two seasons.
Buono and his fellow co-director, executive producer Rhys Thomas, started their collaboration on “Saturday Night Live” where every week they were charged with creating send-ups of everything from a suspense drama to a pharmaceutical commercial to a music video.
Read More: How ‘The...
“We really wanted you to be clicking through the channels, landing on our show and thinking that it is a real documentary, and then suddenly say, ‘Hey, hold on for a minute — that’s Fred Armisen, what’s he doing in this documentary?'” said Alexander Buono, the executive producer who has co-directed and served as cinematographer on every episode of the show’s two seasons.
Buono and his fellow co-director, executive producer Rhys Thomas, started their collaboration on “Saturday Night Live” where every week they were charged with creating send-ups of everything from a suspense drama to a pharmaceutical commercial to a music video.
Read More: How ‘The...
- 6/7/2017
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
Get ready to hunker down in the bunker. The second season of the Documentary Now! TV show comedy kicks off on IFC tonight, September 14, 2016, at 10:00pm. Watch a sneak peek, and check out photos, below. The season two premiere episode, "The Bunker," is inspired by the 1993 political documentary The War Room, featuring then-Clinton campaign workers, James Carville and George Stephanopoulos.IFC says, "'The Bunker' follows two scheming and cocky campaign managers (Bill Hader and Fred Armisen) working on the heated race for the Governor of Ohio." Created and executive produced by SNL vets Armisen, Hader, Seth Meyers, and Rhys Thomas, each episode of the series is hosted by Dame Helen Mirren. Thomas directs alongside Alex Buono.Guests stars in season two include: Van Epperson, Anne Hathaway, Mia Farrow, Peter Bogdanovich, Peter Fonda, and Maya...
- 9/14/2016
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
They sold out arenas thanks to era-defining ditties like "Freeway," "Walkin' Shoes" and "Mama You're a Dancer." The grainy, faded footage of them in concert in L.A. circa 1974 testifies that no one worked a country-tinged, Am-radio groove better. Cameron Crowe, Daryl Hall and the ladies of Haim are all diehard fans. "Every song was a single, and every single was great," claims Chuck Klosterman, in reference to the chart-topping album Catalina Breeze. "I was completely blown away by that record," says Kenny Loggins. "We all tried to capture that thing,...
- 9/24/2015
- Rollingstone.com
Saturday Night Live alters the style of its opening credit sequence and commercial bumpers every few years, making adjustments for cast additions and departures in the years between. This year is no different, especially as the show celebrates its 40th anniversary. But there's more to the process than most viewers would think. On Wednesday, Alex Buono, director of photography on SNL's film unit, posted a lengthy explainer about making this year's opener. Whether you're a film aficionado looking for detailed discussions of camera lenses, an SNL fan looking for behind-the-scenes details, or a layperson simply interested in learning something new,...
- 10/16/2014
- by Jonathon Dornbush
- EW - Inside TV
The Edward Norton episode of SNL featured a spot-on Wes Anderson parody, “The Midnight Coterie of Sinister Intruders." Not surprisingly, it took a lot of work, as is clear by the sketch's director of photography Alex Buono's thorough blog post about it. It's totally worth a read, as Buono walks through every step, including how they decided on which signature Anderson shots to use and the heated debate over color palette. He writes, "Eventually we combined the dark pink signature color of The Royal Tenenbaums with the wall-papered flourish of Rushmore for the living room along with the faded yellow and teal palette of Life Aquatic and Moonrise Kingdom for the bedroom and kitchen." By the end, he reveals that they were working on it beyond the last minute, as the editor was still making changes after the show had already started. Luckily, it all worked out. Watch the...
- 11/6/2013
- by Jesse David Fox
- Vulture
Vol. I Issue 10 February 2013
Join us twice weekly. Send us links to your sizzle reels and film sites.
As this last weekend approached I was faced with marking my Academy Award ballot. This process is always really difficult. How does one sort out the “best” film or accomplishment of five or nine in the case of the Best Picture? For me it has been over 30 years of screenings. Thousand of films. Some really great films and many not so great. I also try to think what it means to be one of the nominees. What was the off-screen story but always more importantly what their contribution was to the work and how the film compares to others. What’s great about short films is that they can be made for almost nothing by a few filmmakers without a large budget, crew or cast.
The Academy has three nomination categories for films less than 41 minutes in length: short fiction, documentary and animation. Once nominated, there are public screenings and panels to celebrate the nominated films at the Academy in Beverly Hills. A group photograph of all the nominees is taken with a large Oscar in the lobby of the Academy headquarters. It is really a wonderful experience.
It wasn’t always like that. There were no special celebrations for the short or documentary films until the l980s. While the Foreign Language films had their seminar, nothing was done for these films. We tried to remedy that in the 1980s and started the Direct Cinema receptions and screenings with UCLA, USC and, a few years later, the Ida sponsored “Docuday” and the Academy started doing an annual reception for the shorts and documentary filmmakers. Today the Academy’s evening receptions for the short films, animated features (a relatively new Oscar category) and the documentaries are annual sell-out events. The filmmakers and their works are celebrated and it has become a highlight of the Oscar week for the filmmakers and those associated with the films.
When I first became a member of the Academy the short films and animation branch was headed by a number of extraordinary talents: T Hee, Saul Bass and June Forey. These three remarkable artists represented classic Disney animation (T. Hee), fiction and narrative short films (Saul Bass), and the television and theatrical films (June Forey, who voiced hundreds of characters.)
Saul Bass articulated the branch’s membership policy, “We want them to be part of our branch.” This liberal interpretation allowed documentary filmmakers like Ken Burns as well as voice artists and creatives like Stan Friedberg (and June Forey) to be part of a group that included IMAX filmmakers as well as classic character animation directors, colorists, layout artists, producers and other key short film and animation filmmakers. The animation filmmakers represent both the studio animators and the independent animators who work globally doing personal work as well as studio work. Other governors from 1979 to the present have included Hal Elias, who served on the Academy board for 37 years and was a short film publicist for MGM among other things; Bill Littlejohn, who worked on over 90 films as an animator ranging from Charley Brown, Peanuts Christmas Specials to working with the Hubleys’; Bill Scott, who acted and wrote over a hundred animated films, and Carl Bell, who worked on over 35 films at Disney in its animation department.
Unlike most of the other branches, the Short Films branch screens all of the submitted films in 16mm and 35mm and now in Digital Cinema, in an effort to find and nominate the best short films produced in the world. The branch rules allowed films to qualify in an effort to encourage more international entries in the 1990s by taking a first prize at key festivals in addition to the method that all Academy films can use to qualify, a theatrical week long (now three day for shorts) run in a theater in Los Angeles County. Branch screenings were expanded to New York to permit more members to participate in the nomination process in the 1990s. The final short listed screenings are in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Over one-third of the branch participates in the voting. The best change took place this year, sending DVD screeners to all Academy members of the short live action and animated nominated films. While this still won’t force members to watch them, members can’t claim they can’t see them. This is not only great for the branch but great for the nominated filmmakers. Who would not want to screen their short film for Academy members?
The process of the branch for selecting Nominees has remained unchanged for years—members screen the films in a theater rather than on DVDs, which is how the Documentary branch is dealing with the flood of feature docs and their unwillingness to trust committees. Nothing beats seeing films projected on a large screen with perfect sound and that is now lost. In a two step process, a committee (self selected from the branch membership) screens the films and the 15 films with the highest scores are short listed. The short listed films are then screened again and members vote.
The current Short Film Branch governors are Jon Bloom (pictured with the 2007 nominees), a 1983 fiction short nominee, filmmaker, editor and producer who chairs the branch, animator and Disney Creative Head and multi-Oscar winner, John Lasseter, and William "Bill" Kroyer,an award-winning director of animation and computer graphics commercials, short films, movie titles and theatrical films and faculty member Chapman College.
One of the challenges for the branch is how to grow live action producing members. With the addition of feature animation to the awards and the large number of feature animation films being released, the branch would like to have the most qualified animators to become members. The number of animators grows at a far faster rate than that of the live action filmmakers since only a few live action filmmakers can qualify for membership. The commercial success of animated features, the long production schedules and the large number of animators who work in qualifying positions allows for six plus individuals per picture to be eligible for membership. With five nominees a year, the number of individuals who can play a key role in two or three features becoming eligible for membership can easily approach 30 plus individuals annually. Add in the short animation nominees and competition for the limited new slots allocated to the branch can be brutal. The talent pool of animators is both astonishingly strong and suggests that Hollywood can easily double production from the 15 or so films made annually to 25 or 30 without having to compromise on talent.
Many of the filmmakers in the branch who make their Oscar nominated or winning live action short have made or are interested in making feature length works. A number of recent nominees or winners have made that transition. The following list looks at all of the live action nominees from 2001 to 2011, using the Internet Movie Database I looked up each nominee and listed what they reported they were doing professionally. Obviously, this is not intended to show everything. In each case, I listed credits or summarized credits shown in the IMDb listing.
Some observations about 11 years of Live Action Short Film Academy Award Nominees:
There were 86 nominations (out of a possible 110) This is because in some years only three films were nominated and in some cases only one filmmaker from a film was eligible for a nomination. Non-us based filmmakers dominate this category. Despite the huge number of short films being made annually in the Us, a majority of the nominated films come from filmmakers based abroad. In part this is due to the government subsidies available, but it is also due to the strong training programs, commercial support for the short films and a rich tradition of theatrical shorts. This year (2012) four of the five films in the live action category are from Us filmmakers. This is an unusual year. Few filmmakers have more than one nomination, only a handful of the nominees have made multiple Academy worthy short films. As one might expect, many of the filmmakers have continued their film work in television, some in features. The European Oscar winners (vs nominees) have done better at snagging features after a win than have their American counterparts. Again, this is likely a function of government support for entry features. Perhaps one of the short films seem to have been turned into a feature (or television) film. Some of the short films are intended to be sizzle reels for features, but it is not clear why so few of the nominated short films have been turned into features. A number of the Oscar winners have not continued working in film. No record of future productions are shown on IMDb. It would be interesting to see what they are doing now. Two of the Oscar winners have written critically award winning screenplays, one received two Academy Award nominations for his screenwriting. None of these nominees have gone on to win Oscars in directing or producing for feature films.
The data is from the Academy and the IMDb databases.
Apologies in advance, if credits were missed or other factual errors were made. In a week we’ll be able to add this year's winner.
2001 (74th)
Short Film (Live Action) (* won Academy Award)
*the accountant -- Ray McKinnon: Two Features: Randy and the Mob 2007 and Crystal 2004 Lisa Blount: Produced these features. Copy Shop -- Virgil Widrich Gregor's Greatest Invention -- Johannes Kiefer A Man Thing (Meska Sprawa) -- Slawomir Fabicki, Two Features: Loving 2012, Retrieval 2006 (Also wrote) Bogumil Godfrejow Has shot multiple features Speed for Thespians -- Kalman Apple, Shameela Bakhsh
2002 (75th)
Short Film (Live Action)
Fait D'Hiver -- Dirk Beliën, Anja Daelemans produced Comrade Kim Goes North I'll Wait for the Next One... (J'Attendrai Le Suivant...) -- Philippe Orreindy, Thomas Gaudin Inja (Dog) -- Steven Pasvolsky Feature, Deck Dogz Joe Weatherstone, produced episodic television. Johnny Flynton -- Lexi Alexander, directed 3 features: Lifted, Punisher: War Zone and Green Street Hooligans Alexander Buono as a Dp has shot series and features *This Charming Manon (Der Er En Yndig Mand) -- Martin Strange-Hansen, Mie Andreasen produced both features, series and documentaries.
2003 (76th)
Short Film (Live Action)
Die Rote Jacke (The Red Jacket) -- Florian Baxmeyer Multiple television films and series Most (The Bridge) -- Bobby Garabedian, William Zabka Mr. Zabka has appeared as an actor in numerous films and television shows Squash -- Lionel Bailliu Features: Fair Play and Denis (in post) (A) Torzija [(A) Torsion] -- Stefan Arsenijevic Directed: Lost and Found, Love and Other Crimes, and Do Not Forget Me Istanbul *Two Soldiers -- Aaron Schneider,Asc (Cinematographer numerous credits) and feature, Kiss the Girls, Andrew J. Sacks Series The Closer (98 episodes) and Major Crimes.
2004 (77th)
Short Film (Live Action)
Everything in This Country Must -- Gary McKendry Directed Killer Elite, Joseph and the Girl Little Terrorist -- Ashvin Kumar Produced and Directed features (2) and documentaries (2) 7:35 in the Morning (7:35 de la Mañana) -- Nacho Vigalondo Directed and written multiple films, series, shorts Two Cars, One Night -- Taika Waititi, Acted and directed and written multi television and films Ainsley Gardiner Nz based producer of multiple shorts, television and feature films *Wasp -- Andrea Arnold Actor, director and writer of numbers films, television programs
2005 (78th)
Short Film (Live Action)
Ausreisser (The Runaway) -- Ulrike Grote Ms. Grote has acted in over 42 programs, features, television series and films Cashback -- Sean Ellis, Director/Writer Metro Manila, The Broken Lene Bausager Producer, The Broken, Ginger and Rosa The Last Farm -- Rúnar Rúnarsson, Director/Writer Volcano, Thor S. Sigurjónsson Produced multiple features Our Time Is Up -- Rob Pearlstein, Director/Writer multiple television and a feature Pia Clemente Producer, documentaries *Six Shooter -- Martin McDonagh Writer/Director Seven Psychopaths, In Bruges
2006 (79th)
Short Film (Live Action)
Binta and the Great Idea (Binta Y La Gran Idea) -- Javier Fesser, no other credits shown Luis Manso Produced multiple features Éramos Pocos (One Too Many) -- Borja Cobeaga Writer, multi films and television series Helmer & Son -- Søren Pilmark no other credits, Kim Magnusso Producer over 100 film, television films (4 Best Short Film Academy Award nominations) Won for Ernst & Lyset The Saviour -- Peter Templeman, no other credits Stuart Parkyn, Producer, multi-short film credits *West Bank Story -- Ari Sandel Director, one short, one documentary
2007 (80th)
Short Film (Live Action)
At Night -- Christian E. Christiansen, Directed, Features and television series Louise Vesth Producer, multi features Il Supplente (The Substitute) -- Andrea Jublin
*Le Mozart des Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets) -- Philippe Pollet-Villard Actor and director short films, a television film
Tanghi Argentini -- Guido Thys, Director, Multiple television series Anja Daelemans, nominated for 2 Short Film nominations (Gridlock, 2002) Producer/Pm various The Tonto Woman -- Daniel Barber, Directed The Keeping Room, Harry Brown Matthew Brown Produced 2 shorts
2008 (81st)
Short Film (Live Action)
Auf der Strecke (On the Line) -- Reto Caffi Manon on the Asphalt -- Elizabeth Marre, Director, Television series Olivier Pont Director, Television series New Boy -- Steph Green, Director Run and Jump Tamara Anghie Producer Run and Jump The Pig -- Tivi Magnusson, Producer Over 64 titles many short films, Dorte Høgh Writer multiple series, (Directed The Pig) *Spielzeugland (Toyland) -- Jochen Alexander Freydank Producer of multiple television series
2009 (82nd)
Short Film (Live Action)
The Door -- Juanita Wilson, Director As If I Am Not There James Flynn Multiple Producer credits for over 50 titles, television and theatrical Instead of Abracadabra -- Patrik Eklund, Director, Television film and feature Mathias Fjellström Kavi -- Gregg Helvey Miracle Fish -- Luke Doolan, Multiple credits as editor Drew Bailey Multiple credits as Assistant Director *The New Tenants -- Joachim Back, no other credits shown as a director, Tivi Magnusson This is Mr. Magnusson’s first Academy Award and second nomination. See 2008.
2010 (83rd)
Short Film (Live Action)
The Confession -- Tanel Toom The Crush -- Michael Creagh *God of Love -- Luke Matheny Feature Love Sick and multiple Television series episode Na Wewe -- Ivan Goldschmidt Wish 143 -- Ian Barnes, Multiple directing credits Television Samantha Waite Credits as production coordinator on multiple titles
2011 (84th)
Short Film (Live Action)
Pentecost -- Peter McDonald, Credits as actor Eimear O'Kane Credits as Producer on The Shadows and on television programs. Raju -- Max Zähle, Director, Television series Stefan Gieren Producer-Writer credit on feature film, Kunduz: The Incident at Hadji Ghafur *The Shore -- Terry George, Writer Two Oscar nominations for screenplays In the Name of the Father and Hotel Riwanda Producer and director on films and television series Oorlagh George Numerous credits as Assistant on features, documentaries and television shows Time Freak -- Andrew Bowler Writer and actor in a short film Gigi Causey Production manager, producer shorts, series and films
__________________________________________________________________________________
Credits: Editing by Jessica Just for SydneysBuzz
__________________________________________________________________________________
Mitchell Block specializes in conceiving, producing, marketing & distributing independent features & consulting. He is an expert in placing both completed works into distribution & working with producers to make projects fundable. He conducts regular workshops in film producing in Los Angeles and most recently in Maine, Russia and in Myanmar (Burma).
Poster Girl, produced by Block was nominated for a Documentary Academy Award and selected by the Ida as the Best Doc Short 2011. It was also nominated for two Emmy Awards and aired on HBO. He is an executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning PBS series Carrier, a 10-hour series that he conceived & co-created. Block is a graduate of Tisch School and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business. He is a member of Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the Television Academy, a founding member of BAFTA-la and has been teaching at USC School of Cinematic Arts since 1979. Currently Block teaches a required class in the USC Peter Stark Producing Program.
______________________________________________________________________
©2013Mwb All Rights Reserved All Rights Reserved. All information and designs on the Sites are copyrighted material owned by Block. Reproduction, dissemination, or transmission of any part of the material here without the express written consent of the owner is strictly prohibited.All other product names and marks on Block Direct, whether trademarks, service marks, or other type, and whether registered or unregistered, is the property of Block.
Join us twice weekly. Send us links to your sizzle reels and film sites.
As this last weekend approached I was faced with marking my Academy Award ballot. This process is always really difficult. How does one sort out the “best” film or accomplishment of five or nine in the case of the Best Picture? For me it has been over 30 years of screenings. Thousand of films. Some really great films and many not so great. I also try to think what it means to be one of the nominees. What was the off-screen story but always more importantly what their contribution was to the work and how the film compares to others. What’s great about short films is that they can be made for almost nothing by a few filmmakers without a large budget, crew or cast.
The Academy has three nomination categories for films less than 41 minutes in length: short fiction, documentary and animation. Once nominated, there are public screenings and panels to celebrate the nominated films at the Academy in Beverly Hills. A group photograph of all the nominees is taken with a large Oscar in the lobby of the Academy headquarters. It is really a wonderful experience.
It wasn’t always like that. There were no special celebrations for the short or documentary films until the l980s. While the Foreign Language films had their seminar, nothing was done for these films. We tried to remedy that in the 1980s and started the Direct Cinema receptions and screenings with UCLA, USC and, a few years later, the Ida sponsored “Docuday” and the Academy started doing an annual reception for the shorts and documentary filmmakers. Today the Academy’s evening receptions for the short films, animated features (a relatively new Oscar category) and the documentaries are annual sell-out events. The filmmakers and their works are celebrated and it has become a highlight of the Oscar week for the filmmakers and those associated with the films.
When I first became a member of the Academy the short films and animation branch was headed by a number of extraordinary talents: T Hee, Saul Bass and June Forey. These three remarkable artists represented classic Disney animation (T. Hee), fiction and narrative short films (Saul Bass), and the television and theatrical films (June Forey, who voiced hundreds of characters.)
Saul Bass articulated the branch’s membership policy, “We want them to be part of our branch.” This liberal interpretation allowed documentary filmmakers like Ken Burns as well as voice artists and creatives like Stan Friedberg (and June Forey) to be part of a group that included IMAX filmmakers as well as classic character animation directors, colorists, layout artists, producers and other key short film and animation filmmakers. The animation filmmakers represent both the studio animators and the independent animators who work globally doing personal work as well as studio work. Other governors from 1979 to the present have included Hal Elias, who served on the Academy board for 37 years and was a short film publicist for MGM among other things; Bill Littlejohn, who worked on over 90 films as an animator ranging from Charley Brown, Peanuts Christmas Specials to working with the Hubleys’; Bill Scott, who acted and wrote over a hundred animated films, and Carl Bell, who worked on over 35 films at Disney in its animation department.
Unlike most of the other branches, the Short Films branch screens all of the submitted films in 16mm and 35mm and now in Digital Cinema, in an effort to find and nominate the best short films produced in the world. The branch rules allowed films to qualify in an effort to encourage more international entries in the 1990s by taking a first prize at key festivals in addition to the method that all Academy films can use to qualify, a theatrical week long (now three day for shorts) run in a theater in Los Angeles County. Branch screenings were expanded to New York to permit more members to participate in the nomination process in the 1990s. The final short listed screenings are in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Over one-third of the branch participates in the voting. The best change took place this year, sending DVD screeners to all Academy members of the short live action and animated nominated films. While this still won’t force members to watch them, members can’t claim they can’t see them. This is not only great for the branch but great for the nominated filmmakers. Who would not want to screen their short film for Academy members?
The process of the branch for selecting Nominees has remained unchanged for years—members screen the films in a theater rather than on DVDs, which is how the Documentary branch is dealing with the flood of feature docs and their unwillingness to trust committees. Nothing beats seeing films projected on a large screen with perfect sound and that is now lost. In a two step process, a committee (self selected from the branch membership) screens the films and the 15 films with the highest scores are short listed. The short listed films are then screened again and members vote.
The current Short Film Branch governors are Jon Bloom (pictured with the 2007 nominees), a 1983 fiction short nominee, filmmaker, editor and producer who chairs the branch, animator and Disney Creative Head and multi-Oscar winner, John Lasseter, and William "Bill" Kroyer,an award-winning director of animation and computer graphics commercials, short films, movie titles and theatrical films and faculty member Chapman College.
One of the challenges for the branch is how to grow live action producing members. With the addition of feature animation to the awards and the large number of feature animation films being released, the branch would like to have the most qualified animators to become members. The number of animators grows at a far faster rate than that of the live action filmmakers since only a few live action filmmakers can qualify for membership. The commercial success of animated features, the long production schedules and the large number of animators who work in qualifying positions allows for six plus individuals per picture to be eligible for membership. With five nominees a year, the number of individuals who can play a key role in two or three features becoming eligible for membership can easily approach 30 plus individuals annually. Add in the short animation nominees and competition for the limited new slots allocated to the branch can be brutal. The talent pool of animators is both astonishingly strong and suggests that Hollywood can easily double production from the 15 or so films made annually to 25 or 30 without having to compromise on talent.
Many of the filmmakers in the branch who make their Oscar nominated or winning live action short have made or are interested in making feature length works. A number of recent nominees or winners have made that transition. The following list looks at all of the live action nominees from 2001 to 2011, using the Internet Movie Database I looked up each nominee and listed what they reported they were doing professionally. Obviously, this is not intended to show everything. In each case, I listed credits or summarized credits shown in the IMDb listing.
Some observations about 11 years of Live Action Short Film Academy Award Nominees:
There were 86 nominations (out of a possible 110) This is because in some years only three films were nominated and in some cases only one filmmaker from a film was eligible for a nomination. Non-us based filmmakers dominate this category. Despite the huge number of short films being made annually in the Us, a majority of the nominated films come from filmmakers based abroad. In part this is due to the government subsidies available, but it is also due to the strong training programs, commercial support for the short films and a rich tradition of theatrical shorts. This year (2012) four of the five films in the live action category are from Us filmmakers. This is an unusual year. Few filmmakers have more than one nomination, only a handful of the nominees have made multiple Academy worthy short films. As one might expect, many of the filmmakers have continued their film work in television, some in features. The European Oscar winners (vs nominees) have done better at snagging features after a win than have their American counterparts. Again, this is likely a function of government support for entry features. Perhaps one of the short films seem to have been turned into a feature (or television) film. Some of the short films are intended to be sizzle reels for features, but it is not clear why so few of the nominated short films have been turned into features. A number of the Oscar winners have not continued working in film. No record of future productions are shown on IMDb. It would be interesting to see what they are doing now. Two of the Oscar winners have written critically award winning screenplays, one received two Academy Award nominations for his screenwriting. None of these nominees have gone on to win Oscars in directing or producing for feature films.
The data is from the Academy and the IMDb databases.
Apologies in advance, if credits were missed or other factual errors were made. In a week we’ll be able to add this year's winner.
2001 (74th)
Short Film (Live Action) (* won Academy Award)
*the accountant -- Ray McKinnon: Two Features: Randy and the Mob 2007 and Crystal 2004 Lisa Blount: Produced these features. Copy Shop -- Virgil Widrich Gregor's Greatest Invention -- Johannes Kiefer A Man Thing (Meska Sprawa) -- Slawomir Fabicki, Two Features: Loving 2012, Retrieval 2006 (Also wrote) Bogumil Godfrejow Has shot multiple features Speed for Thespians -- Kalman Apple, Shameela Bakhsh
2002 (75th)
Short Film (Live Action)
Fait D'Hiver -- Dirk Beliën, Anja Daelemans produced Comrade Kim Goes North I'll Wait for the Next One... (J'Attendrai Le Suivant...) -- Philippe Orreindy, Thomas Gaudin Inja (Dog) -- Steven Pasvolsky Feature, Deck Dogz Joe Weatherstone, produced episodic television. Johnny Flynton -- Lexi Alexander, directed 3 features: Lifted, Punisher: War Zone and Green Street Hooligans Alexander Buono as a Dp has shot series and features *This Charming Manon (Der Er En Yndig Mand) -- Martin Strange-Hansen, Mie Andreasen produced both features, series and documentaries.
2003 (76th)
Short Film (Live Action)
Die Rote Jacke (The Red Jacket) -- Florian Baxmeyer Multiple television films and series Most (The Bridge) -- Bobby Garabedian, William Zabka Mr. Zabka has appeared as an actor in numerous films and television shows Squash -- Lionel Bailliu Features: Fair Play and Denis (in post) (A) Torzija [(A) Torsion] -- Stefan Arsenijevic Directed: Lost and Found, Love and Other Crimes, and Do Not Forget Me Istanbul *Two Soldiers -- Aaron Schneider,Asc (Cinematographer numerous credits) and feature, Kiss the Girls, Andrew J. Sacks Series The Closer (98 episodes) and Major Crimes.
2004 (77th)
Short Film (Live Action)
Everything in This Country Must -- Gary McKendry Directed Killer Elite, Joseph and the Girl Little Terrorist -- Ashvin Kumar Produced and Directed features (2) and documentaries (2) 7:35 in the Morning (7:35 de la Mañana) -- Nacho Vigalondo Directed and written multiple films, series, shorts Two Cars, One Night -- Taika Waititi, Acted and directed and written multi television and films Ainsley Gardiner Nz based producer of multiple shorts, television and feature films *Wasp -- Andrea Arnold Actor, director and writer of numbers films, television programs
2005 (78th)
Short Film (Live Action)
Ausreisser (The Runaway) -- Ulrike Grote Ms. Grote has acted in over 42 programs, features, television series and films Cashback -- Sean Ellis, Director/Writer Metro Manila, The Broken Lene Bausager Producer, The Broken, Ginger and Rosa The Last Farm -- Rúnar Rúnarsson, Director/Writer Volcano, Thor S. Sigurjónsson Produced multiple features Our Time Is Up -- Rob Pearlstein, Director/Writer multiple television and a feature Pia Clemente Producer, documentaries *Six Shooter -- Martin McDonagh Writer/Director Seven Psychopaths, In Bruges
2006 (79th)
Short Film (Live Action)
Binta and the Great Idea (Binta Y La Gran Idea) -- Javier Fesser, no other credits shown Luis Manso Produced multiple features Éramos Pocos (One Too Many) -- Borja Cobeaga Writer, multi films and television series Helmer & Son -- Søren Pilmark no other credits, Kim Magnusso Producer over 100 film, television films (4 Best Short Film Academy Award nominations) Won for Ernst & Lyset The Saviour -- Peter Templeman, no other credits Stuart Parkyn, Producer, multi-short film credits *West Bank Story -- Ari Sandel Director, one short, one documentary
2007 (80th)
Short Film (Live Action)
At Night -- Christian E. Christiansen, Directed, Features and television series Louise Vesth Producer, multi features Il Supplente (The Substitute) -- Andrea Jublin
*Le Mozart des Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets) -- Philippe Pollet-Villard Actor and director short films, a television film
Tanghi Argentini -- Guido Thys, Director, Multiple television series Anja Daelemans, nominated for 2 Short Film nominations (Gridlock, 2002) Producer/Pm various The Tonto Woman -- Daniel Barber, Directed The Keeping Room, Harry Brown Matthew Brown Produced 2 shorts
2008 (81st)
Short Film (Live Action)
Auf der Strecke (On the Line) -- Reto Caffi Manon on the Asphalt -- Elizabeth Marre, Director, Television series Olivier Pont Director, Television series New Boy -- Steph Green, Director Run and Jump Tamara Anghie Producer Run and Jump The Pig -- Tivi Magnusson, Producer Over 64 titles many short films, Dorte Høgh Writer multiple series, (Directed The Pig) *Spielzeugland (Toyland) -- Jochen Alexander Freydank Producer of multiple television series
2009 (82nd)
Short Film (Live Action)
The Door -- Juanita Wilson, Director As If I Am Not There James Flynn Multiple Producer credits for over 50 titles, television and theatrical Instead of Abracadabra -- Patrik Eklund, Director, Television film and feature Mathias Fjellström Kavi -- Gregg Helvey Miracle Fish -- Luke Doolan, Multiple credits as editor Drew Bailey Multiple credits as Assistant Director *The New Tenants -- Joachim Back, no other credits shown as a director, Tivi Magnusson This is Mr. Magnusson’s first Academy Award and second nomination. See 2008.
2010 (83rd)
Short Film (Live Action)
The Confession -- Tanel Toom The Crush -- Michael Creagh *God of Love -- Luke Matheny Feature Love Sick and multiple Television series episode Na Wewe -- Ivan Goldschmidt Wish 143 -- Ian Barnes, Multiple directing credits Television Samantha Waite Credits as production coordinator on multiple titles
2011 (84th)
Short Film (Live Action)
Pentecost -- Peter McDonald, Credits as actor Eimear O'Kane Credits as Producer on The Shadows and on television programs. Raju -- Max Zähle, Director, Television series Stefan Gieren Producer-Writer credit on feature film, Kunduz: The Incident at Hadji Ghafur *The Shore -- Terry George, Writer Two Oscar nominations for screenplays In the Name of the Father and Hotel Riwanda Producer and director on films and television series Oorlagh George Numerous credits as Assistant on features, documentaries and television shows Time Freak -- Andrew Bowler Writer and actor in a short film Gigi Causey Production manager, producer shorts, series and films
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Credits: Editing by Jessica Just for SydneysBuzz
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Mitchell Block specializes in conceiving, producing, marketing & distributing independent features & consulting. He is an expert in placing both completed works into distribution & working with producers to make projects fundable. He conducts regular workshops in film producing in Los Angeles and most recently in Maine, Russia and in Myanmar (Burma).
Poster Girl, produced by Block was nominated for a Documentary Academy Award and selected by the Ida as the Best Doc Short 2011. It was also nominated for two Emmy Awards and aired on HBO. He is an executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning PBS series Carrier, a 10-hour series that he conceived & co-created. Block is a graduate of Tisch School and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business. He is a member of Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the Television Academy, a founding member of BAFTA-la and has been teaching at USC School of Cinematic Arts since 1979. Currently Block teaches a required class in the USC Peter Stark Producing Program.
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©2013Mwb All Rights Reserved All Rights Reserved. All information and designs on the Sites are copyrighted material owned by Block. Reproduction, dissemination, or transmission of any part of the material here without the express written consent of the owner is strictly prohibited.All other product names and marks on Block Direct, whether trademarks, service marks, or other type, and whether registered or unregistered, is the property of Block.
- 2/28/2013
- by Mitchell Block
- Sydney's Buzz
Alex Buono, the cinematographer for the Saturday Night Live film unit, recently spoke at an event in Boston. (See: Alex Buono: Shooting for Saturday Night Live.) In addition to discussing his work on Saturday Night Live, he also talked about gear, technology, and his philosophy of shooting. Part of the reason Alex gave the presentation was to demonstrate and talk about the Canon C300, but he was careful to stress, as Roger Deakins said, “Cinematography is more than a camera,” or as Alex put it: “Filmmaking is not a science project.” Here are some of the topics he touched on:
On DSLRs and shallow depth-of-field
While lauding their low-light capabilities, and their small size, Alex said DSLRs are “very discreet, kind of invisible. I can wander around in public and pretend like I’m a still photographer if people start to notice me.” Alex said that he’s not an...
On DSLRs and shallow depth-of-field
While lauding their low-light capabilities, and their small size, Alex said DSLRs are “very discreet, kind of invisible. I can wander around in public and pretend like I’m a still photographer if people start to notice me.” Alex said that he’s not an...
- 8/17/2012
- by Michael Murie
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Alex Buono is perhaps best known for his work with the Saturday Night Live Film Unit. He shot the current opening for SNL, as well as many of the fake commercials seen on the show, but his passion is documentary and making independent films. “I’m always trying to get the next one off the ground,” says Buono, “and SNL, as much as I like it, it’s a lot of fun and I really like who I’m working with, [but] it’s this great day job I do while I’m trying to get a movie [going].”
Most recently, Alex worked on the pilot for NBC of a series called Chicago Fire, shooting second unit with DSLRs and a Canon C300. “I’m able to do things that [others] don’t understand how you can accomplish without 60 people?”
Alex recently spoke about his work on SNL, and shooting with DSLRs and...
Most recently, Alex worked on the pilot for NBC of a series called Chicago Fire, shooting second unit with DSLRs and a Canon C300. “I’m able to do things that [others] don’t understand how you can accomplish without 60 people?”
Alex recently spoke about his work on SNL, and shooting with DSLRs and...
- 8/16/2012
- by Michael Murie
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
OPENS: Friday, May 30 (Magnolia Pictures)
A documentary with both brains and brawn, "Bigger, Stronger, Faster*" provides a lively and incisive look into the nation's growing preoccupation with pumped-up superlatives.
Director and career gym rat Christopher Bell turns a personal odyssey through the performance-enhancing subculture into a freewheeling survey of the state of the juiced union, where Schwarzenegger and Hulk Hogan go mano a mano with Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds.
Paraphrasing from the Six Million Dollar Man's "Better, Stronger, Faster" mantra, the Magnolia Pictures release, which screened this year at Sundance, could go the distance theatrically on the strength of enthusiastic reviews.
Bell, who shares writing credit with director of photography Alex Buono and Tamsin Rawady, grew up in the supersized '80s, worshipping at the butt-kicking muscles of Arnold, the Hulkster and Stallone before trading his Poughkeepsie, N.Y., home for Venice Beach, Calif.
But unlike his similarly pumped siblings Mike aka "Mad Dog" and Mark aka "Smelly", Chris never got into steroids and now questions whether he made the right decision.
His investigation into everything from the congressional hearing into steroid use in baseball to troubling contemporary images of American masculinity (as evidenced by the evolution of the increasingly juiced G.I. Joe doll over the past several decades) yields some unexpectedly thought-provoking results.
We learn, for example, that performance-enhancing drugs have been a fact of life among U.S. Olympic teams dating back to the mid-'50s, when a drunken Soviet coach bragged to an American coach that Russian athletes had been injected with testosterone injections since the mid-'40s.
Soon after that confession, American scientists were hard at work developing a more powerful oral anabolic steroid.
But though Bell tracks down an unusually colorful lineup of talking heads and archival footage, he never veers too far from his own brothers and sympathetic parents, who keep "Bigger, Stronger, Faster", so relatably and affectingly down-to-earth.
DIRECTOR: Christopher Bell SCREENWRITERS: Christopher Bell, Alexander Buono, Tamsin Rawady EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Terrance J. Aarnio, Robert Weiser, Richard Schiffrin PRODUCERS: Alex Buono, Tamsin Rawady, Jim Czarnecki DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Alex Buono MUSIC: Dave Porter EDITOR: Brian Singbiel Rated PG-13, 106 minutes.
A documentary with both brains and brawn, "Bigger, Stronger, Faster*" provides a lively and incisive look into the nation's growing preoccupation with pumped-up superlatives.
Director and career gym rat Christopher Bell turns a personal odyssey through the performance-enhancing subculture into a freewheeling survey of the state of the juiced union, where Schwarzenegger and Hulk Hogan go mano a mano with Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds.
Paraphrasing from the Six Million Dollar Man's "Better, Stronger, Faster" mantra, the Magnolia Pictures release, which screened this year at Sundance, could go the distance theatrically on the strength of enthusiastic reviews.
Bell, who shares writing credit with director of photography Alex Buono and Tamsin Rawady, grew up in the supersized '80s, worshipping at the butt-kicking muscles of Arnold, the Hulkster and Stallone before trading his Poughkeepsie, N.Y., home for Venice Beach, Calif.
But unlike his similarly pumped siblings Mike aka "Mad Dog" and Mark aka "Smelly", Chris never got into steroids and now questions whether he made the right decision.
His investigation into everything from the congressional hearing into steroid use in baseball to troubling contemporary images of American masculinity (as evidenced by the evolution of the increasingly juiced G.I. Joe doll over the past several decades) yields some unexpectedly thought-provoking results.
We learn, for example, that performance-enhancing drugs have been a fact of life among U.S. Olympic teams dating back to the mid-'50s, when a drunken Soviet coach bragged to an American coach that Russian athletes had been injected with testosterone injections since the mid-'40s.
Soon after that confession, American scientists were hard at work developing a more powerful oral anabolic steroid.
But though Bell tracks down an unusually colorful lineup of talking heads and archival footage, he never veers too far from his own brothers and sympathetic parents, who keep "Bigger, Stronger, Faster", so relatably and affectingly down-to-earth.
DIRECTOR: Christopher Bell SCREENWRITERS: Christopher Bell, Alexander Buono, Tamsin Rawady EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Terrance J. Aarnio, Robert Weiser, Richard Schiffrin PRODUCERS: Alex Buono, Tamsin Rawady, Jim Czarnecki DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Alex Buono MUSIC: Dave Porter EDITOR: Brian Singbiel Rated PG-13, 106 minutes.
- 5/29/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
- With three post-Sundance buy announcements within a space of 24 hours (and there are many more to come), it's evident that it is the buyers who seem to have the edge this year. There are more film distribution players now and it seems that every friday (release day) we find a trafficked filled jam of film offerings. It's simple: indie distributors are becoming a whole lot more methodicial with their buys: factoring in the P&A commitment and then weathering the storm of competitition. Today Magnolia Pictures have added a docu film that gels well with the company's usual docu fair. Written by Bell, Alexander Buono and Tamsin Rawady, Bigger, Faster, Stronger is about three brothers, one of whom is the filmmaker, who use steroids. The docu asks viewers to look within when considering the rampant steroid scandals that have been dominating the headlines. Is it any wonder that so
- 2/27/2008
- IONCINEMA.com
- New works from documentary filmmaker faves in Alex Gibney (Gonzo: The Life and Times of Hunter Thompson), Margaret Brown (The Order of Myths) and Patrick Creadon (I.O.U.S.A.) and many first time doc filmmakers make up the section in this year's documentary Comp lineup. I don't count many Iraq-war related items listed below, telling us that the doc vague of such films is officially D.O.A. Click on the individual links below for more info on each film (including official sites and trailers). Documentary COMPETITIONAn American Soldier directed and written by Edet Belzberg ("Children Underground"), a look at one of the U.S. Army's all-time top recruiters, Sgt. 1st Class Clay Usie.American Teen directed and written by Nanette Burstein ("On the Ropes"), an irreverent, frank account of four Indiana high school seniors.Bigger, Faster, Stronger directed by Christopher Bell and written by Bell, Alexander Buono and Tamsin Rawady,
- 11/28/2007
- IONCINEMA.com
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