The documentary “Anthropocene: The Human Epoch,” which screens as a Berlinale Special, exists as one part of a multimedia project, conceived by a trio of passionate and dedicated filmmakers: Jennifer Baichwal, Nicholas de Pencier and Edward Burtynsky. The Canadian production enlisted Oscar-winner Alicia Vikander for voice-over duties and serves as one component of a vast spread of multimedia disciplines, with all efforts exploring the intense impact that humans have made on the Earth, in any number of geological ways.
Consisting of the documentary, two museum exhibitions, a photographic essay, a series of film installations, an art book and a virtual reality component, it’s a project on a monumental scale, and one with significant social purpose. “This documentary partially serves as a call to action,” says Burtynsky. “We’re facing an existential threat, which is hard to act on immediately, but it’s something we need to be aware of because time is running out.
Consisting of the documentary, two museum exhibitions, a photographic essay, a series of film installations, an art book and a virtual reality component, it’s a project on a monumental scale, and one with significant social purpose. “This documentary partially serves as a call to action,” says Burtynsky. “We’re facing an existential threat, which is hard to act on immediately, but it’s something we need to be aware of because time is running out.
- 2/13/2019
- by Nick Clement
- Variety Film + TV
Long Time Running, Call Me By Your Name bookend Canadian event.
Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas de Pencier’s Long Time Running will open the Fin: Atlantic International Film Festival, set to run in Halifax, Canada, from September 14-21.
The documentary accompanies Canadian band The Tragically Hip on its 2016 tour across Canada after lead singer Gord Downie announced he had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.
Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me by Your Name is the closing night selection. The coming-of-age film set in Italy in the 1980s stars Timothee Chalamet, Esther Garrel, and Armie Hammer.
More than 120 film screenings and special events will be presented over the eight days, when the programme will include features and documentaries by Canadian and international filmmakers.
The Opening Night Gala is part of the Movie Nights Across Canada initiative presented by Canadian Heritage and Telefilm Canada to celebrate Canadian talent in filmmaking.
Gala Presentations include Canadian filmmakers Michael Melski’s [link...
Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas de Pencier’s Long Time Running will open the Fin: Atlantic International Film Festival, set to run in Halifax, Canada, from September 14-21.
The documentary accompanies Canadian band The Tragically Hip on its 2016 tour across Canada after lead singer Gord Downie announced he had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.
Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me by Your Name is the closing night selection. The coming-of-age film set in Italy in the 1980s stars Timothee Chalamet, Esther Garrel, and Armie Hammer.
More than 120 film screenings and special events will be presented over the eight days, when the programme will include features and documentaries by Canadian and international filmmakers.
The Opening Night Gala is part of the Movie Nights Across Canada initiative presented by Canadian Heritage and Telefilm Canada to celebrate Canadian talent in filmmaking.
Gala Presentations include Canadian filmmakers Michael Melski’s [link...
- 8/16/2017
- ScreenDaily
Last year, 2.5 billion people traveled by rail across the wild expanse of China. With each passing year the country continues to sink massive amounts of money into the high speed infrastructure – this year alone the China Railway Corp. plans to spend a whopping $121.5 billion toward construction and expansion. In The Iron Ministry, the latest feature production from Harvard’s Sensory Ethnography Lab, director/editor/cameraman J.P. Sniadecki attempts to convey what those numbers look like from the inside out. Riding tracks throughout China throughout 2011 and on through 2013 with the camera rolling, Sniadecki’s curious findings flow with affectionate intrigue and an instinctive eye for beauty in the mundane.
The Iron Ministry joins an immense body of train-centric documentary cinema, from its birth back at the beginnings of film itself by way of the Lumière brothers’ Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat through D.A. Pennebaker’s mid-century short Daybreak Express...
The Iron Ministry joins an immense body of train-centric documentary cinema, from its birth back at the beginnings of film itself by way of the Lumière brothers’ Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat through D.A. Pennebaker’s mid-century short Daybreak Express...
- 2/16/2016
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
Plus: Academy announces scientific and technical achievements; and more
Greg Kinnear’s dark comedy is based on a screenplay by Stephen Mazur about a dentist who tries to take control of his life after a patient commits suicide.
Kinnear stars alongside stars Emily Mortimer. Jay Duplass, Robert Forster, Taylor Schilling, Bradley Whitford and Luke Wilson round out the ensemble cast.
The Bron Studios production is in association with Single Cell Pictures, Imperative Entertainment and CW Media Finance. Aaron L Gilbert and Sandy Stern produce with Bradley Thomas. Jason Cloth, Andy Pollack and Ron McLeod serve as executive producers. Wme represents Us rights.
The Academy announced on Friday that it will honour 10 scientific and technical achievements represented by 33 individual award recipients at its annual Scientific and Technical Awards Presentation in Beverly Hills on February 13. In addition the Society Of Motion Picture And Television Engineers will receive a special award recognising “a century of fundamental contributions to the advancement...
Greg Kinnear’s dark comedy is based on a screenplay by Stephen Mazur about a dentist who tries to take control of his life after a patient commits suicide.
Kinnear stars alongside stars Emily Mortimer. Jay Duplass, Robert Forster, Taylor Schilling, Bradley Whitford and Luke Wilson round out the ensemble cast.
The Bron Studios production is in association with Single Cell Pictures, Imperative Entertainment and CW Media Finance. Aaron L Gilbert and Sandy Stern produce with Bradley Thomas. Jason Cloth, Andy Pollack and Ron McLeod serve as executive producers. Wme represents Us rights.
The Academy announced on Friday that it will honour 10 scientific and technical achievements represented by 33 individual award recipients at its annual Scientific and Technical Awards Presentation in Beverly Hills on February 13. In addition the Society Of Motion Picture And Television Engineers will receive a special award recognising “a century of fundamental contributions to the advancement...
- 1/9/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Nearly 60 international and Canadian producers will head to the Ontario Media Development Corporation’s (Omdc) annual International Financing Forum in Toronto.
The 10th anniversary edition of Omdc’s International Financing Forum (Iff), a feature co-financing market for English-language projects, will run Sept 13-14 during Toronto International Film Festival (Sept 10-20).
The projects include Drama, the third feature to be directed by Oscar-winning Us actress Helen Hunt, written by Justin W. Lo (‘Mistresses’).
Scroll down for more projects
The two-day event includes one-on-one meetings, an industry panel discussion, roundtable meetings, a networking luncheon, and a producers’ opening night networking reception.
Iff partners include Telefilm Canada, UK Trade and Investment (Ukti) and new sponsor Canadian Media Producers Association (Cmpa).
More than 750 meetings will be scheduled for the 37 producer teams (20 Canadian projects and 17 international projects).
In total, 56 producers have been selected to participate in the programme from countries including: Australia, Germany, India, Israel, Spain, Uganda...
The 10th anniversary edition of Omdc’s International Financing Forum (Iff), a feature co-financing market for English-language projects, will run Sept 13-14 during Toronto International Film Festival (Sept 10-20).
The projects include Drama, the third feature to be directed by Oscar-winning Us actress Helen Hunt, written by Justin W. Lo (‘Mistresses’).
Scroll down for more projects
The two-day event includes one-on-one meetings, an industry panel discussion, roundtable meetings, a networking luncheon, and a producers’ opening night networking reception.
Iff partners include Telefilm Canada, UK Trade and Investment (Ukti) and new sponsor Canadian Media Producers Association (Cmpa).
More than 750 meetings will be scheduled for the 37 producer teams (20 Canadian projects and 17 international projects).
In total, 56 producers have been selected to participate in the programme from countries including: Australia, Germany, India, Israel, Spain, Uganda...
- 9/1/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Watermark is a documentary filled with images both beautiful and wrenching, yet the film as a whole is a disappointment. In her Manufactured Landscapes (2006), filmmaker Jennifer Baichwal explored the working methods of renowned landscape photographer Edward Burtynsky.
For Watermark, the two co-direct, traveling the world to document the complex interaction of man and water. Aided by cinematographer Nick de Pencier, the filmmakers aim their cameras at the landscapes surrounding the world's great waterways, as well as at the humans who live in and around them.
We bear witness to the construction of the Xiluodu Dam in China and later join in a gathering of Hindus seeking to bathe away their sins in the Ganges. The footage is often alarming, as when t...
For Watermark, the two co-direct, traveling the world to document the complex interaction of man and water. Aided by cinematographer Nick de Pencier, the filmmakers aim their cameras at the landscapes surrounding the world's great waterways, as well as at the humans who live in and around them.
We bear witness to the construction of the Xiluodu Dam in China and later join in a gathering of Hindus seeking to bathe away their sins in the Ganges. The footage is often alarming, as when t...
- 4/2/2014
- Village Voice
The 61st Sydney Film Festival today announced 32 films to be featured in this year.s event (June 4-15) in advance of the full program launch on May 7.
The line-up includes the world premiere of The Redfern Story, 19 Australian premieres, 13 features, 11 documentaries and an eight-film retrospective on maverick American filmmaker Robert Altman. Altman.s son, filmmaker Michael Altman, will attend festival and introduce several of the Altman screenings.
Darlene Johnson.s The Redfern Story chronicles the volatile birth of the first all-Indigenous theatre company, the National Black Theatre. It features interviews with indigenous media pioneer Lester Bostock, writer Gerry Bostock, actor Lillian Crombie, activist-academic Gary Foley, academic Marcia Langton, actors Rachael Maza, Bryan Brown and Bindi Williams. .We are pleased to present this sneak preview of 32 of the 180-plus films in this year.s program,. said Festival Director Nashen Moodley. .We have gathered a selection of the best films from the...
The line-up includes the world premiere of The Redfern Story, 19 Australian premieres, 13 features, 11 documentaries and an eight-film retrospective on maverick American filmmaker Robert Altman. Altman.s son, filmmaker Michael Altman, will attend festival and introduce several of the Altman screenings.
Darlene Johnson.s The Redfern Story chronicles the volatile birth of the first all-Indigenous theatre company, the National Black Theatre. It features interviews with indigenous media pioneer Lester Bostock, writer Gerry Bostock, actor Lillian Crombie, activist-academic Gary Foley, academic Marcia Langton, actors Rachael Maza, Bryan Brown and Bindi Williams. .We are pleased to present this sneak preview of 32 of the 180-plus films in this year.s program,. said Festival Director Nashen Moodley. .We have gathered a selection of the best films from the...
- 4/1/2014
- by Staff writer
- IF.com.au
London’s Birds Eye View Film Festival will include 10 UK premieres and titles from Girls star Lena Dunham and Kelly Reichardt.
The Birds Eye View Film Festival (April 8-13), celebrating women’s work in film, has revealed details of its 2014 programme including works by British director Destiny Ekaragha and Laura Checkoway to films by Lena Dunham and Kelly Reichardt.
The festival will also celebrate inspiring female filmmakers and actors of recent times including the late pioneering animator Joy Batchelor, Broadway legend Elaine Stritch and award-winning British filmmaker Gurinder Chadha.
The festival will comprise 19 features including 10 UK premieres such as German director Katrin Gebbe’s debut Nothing Bad Can Happen and the London premiere of Jennifer Baichwal and Edward Burtynsky’s Watermark, the follow-up to their 2006 documentary hit Manufactured Landscapes.
The programme also includes an American Indie strand featuring Kelly Reichardt’s thriller Night Moves starring Jesse Eisenberg and Dakota Fanning; Chiemi Karasawa’s documentary Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me; and the...
The Birds Eye View Film Festival (April 8-13), celebrating women’s work in film, has revealed details of its 2014 programme including works by British director Destiny Ekaragha and Laura Checkoway to films by Lena Dunham and Kelly Reichardt.
The festival will also celebrate inspiring female filmmakers and actors of recent times including the late pioneering animator Joy Batchelor, Broadway legend Elaine Stritch and award-winning British filmmaker Gurinder Chadha.
The festival will comprise 19 features including 10 UK premieres such as German director Katrin Gebbe’s debut Nothing Bad Can Happen and the London premiere of Jennifer Baichwal and Edward Burtynsky’s Watermark, the follow-up to their 2006 documentary hit Manufactured Landscapes.
The programme also includes an American Indie strand featuring Kelly Reichardt’s thriller Night Moves starring Jesse Eisenberg and Dakota Fanning; Chiemi Karasawa’s documentary Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me; and the...
- 3/10/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Berlinale Special doc sells to Us, UK, Australia and more.
Well-received Toronto doc Watermark has sold to a number of major territories for eOne Films International, including Us (eOne), Australia (Madman), Benelux (Cineart), German speaking Europe (Senator), UK (Soda Pictures) and India (Pictureworks).
Jennifer Baichwal and Edward Burtynsky’s doc, which screens in the Berlinale Special strand, charts how water shapes the lives of diverse people from around the globe.
The Toronto premiere incorporates floating abalone farms off China’s Fujian coast and the construction site of the biggest arch dam in the world – the Xiluodu, six times the size of the Hoover, the barren desert delta where the mighty Colorado River no longer reaches the ocean, and the water-intensive leather tanneries of Dhaka.
Baichwal’s docs Payback and Manufactured Landscapes both played at Sundance.
Well-received Toronto doc Watermark has sold to a number of major territories for eOne Films International, including Us (eOne), Australia (Madman), Benelux (Cineart), German speaking Europe (Senator), UK (Soda Pictures) and India (Pictureworks).
Jennifer Baichwal and Edward Burtynsky’s doc, which screens in the Berlinale Special strand, charts how water shapes the lives of diverse people from around the globe.
The Toronto premiere incorporates floating abalone farms off China’s Fujian coast and the construction site of the biggest arch dam in the world – the Xiluodu, six times the size of the Hoover, the barren desert delta where the mighty Colorado River no longer reaches the ocean, and the water-intensive leather tanneries of Dhaka.
Baichwal’s docs Payback and Manufactured Landscapes both played at Sundance.
- 2/8/2014
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
Entertainment One has acquired domestic distribution rights to “Watermark,” a documentary about humanity’s influence on the world’s most vital resource. eOne will release the film in theaters next year. Environmental photographer Edward Burtynsky and filmmaker Jennifer Baichwal co-directed the film, which premiered at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival. Baichwal has made seven films, including “Manufactured Landscapes,” a documentary about Burtynsky. Sixth Wave Productions Inc.’ Nicholas de Pencier produced the film while Daniel Iron executive produced with Baichwal and Burtynsky. Also read: January Jones Is Coming Out Guns Blazing in ‘Sweetwater’ Trailer (Video) “’Watermark’ is not only powerful and captivating,...
- 11/19/2013
- by Lucas Shaw
- The Wrap
Magnolia Pictures has acquired Us rights to the crime drama Frontera, while eOne Films Us has picked up the documentary Watermark.
Michael Berry directed Frontera starring Ed Harris, Eva Longoria, Michael Peña, Aden Young and Amy Madigan.
The story takes place around the Us-Mexico border as a former sheriff helps an illegal labourer accused of murder.
Magnolia closed the deal with CAA on behalf of the film-makers at the Baja International Film Festival that ran in Los Cabos, Mexico, from November 13-16. Myriad Pictures represents international sales.
Edward Burtynsky and Jennifer Baichwal reunite after Manufactured Landscapes to direct Watermark, which looks at how humanity has shaped our water resources.
Watermark premiered in Toronto and eOne Films International acquired worldwide rights in August. Mongel Media handles Canadian distribution.
FilmBuff will release the documentary Artifact, about the struggle between Jared Leto’s band Thirty Seconds To Mars and their record label, across all VOD platforms on December 3. Leto directed...
Michael Berry directed Frontera starring Ed Harris, Eva Longoria, Michael Peña, Aden Young and Amy Madigan.
The story takes place around the Us-Mexico border as a former sheriff helps an illegal labourer accused of murder.
Magnolia closed the deal with CAA on behalf of the film-makers at the Baja International Film Festival that ran in Los Cabos, Mexico, from November 13-16. Myriad Pictures represents international sales.
Edward Burtynsky and Jennifer Baichwal reunite after Manufactured Landscapes to direct Watermark, which looks at how humanity has shaped our water resources.
Watermark premiered in Toronto and eOne Films International acquired worldwide rights in August. Mongel Media handles Canadian distribution.
FilmBuff will release the documentary Artifact, about the struggle between Jared Leto’s band Thirty Seconds To Mars and their record label, across all VOD platforms on December 3. Leto directed...
- 11/18/2013
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
eOne Films International has taken worldwide rights except Canada to Jennifer Baichwal and Edward Burtynsky’s upcoming documentary. Mongrel Media will distribute in Canada.
“We’re delighted to secure international sales rights for Watermark and add it to our strong offering in advance of Tiff,” said eOne Films International evp Charlotte Mickie, who handles all sales except Canada.
“It’s exciting to work with insightful films that expose important and timely universal issues.”
Following their triumph with Manufactured Landscapes, photographer Burtynsky and filmmaker Baichwal reunite on Sixth Wave Productions’ Watermark to explore the ways in which humanity has shaped, manipulated and depleted water.
Baichwal directs and Burtynsky serves as executive producer alongside Daniel Iron. Sixth Wave’s Nicholas de Pencier serves as a producer on the film while Daniel Iron also serves as an executive producer.
“eOne’s enthusiasm for Watermark, as well as their sensitivity to its unique blend of artistic and environmental themes, make them the...
“We’re delighted to secure international sales rights for Watermark and add it to our strong offering in advance of Tiff,” said eOne Films International evp Charlotte Mickie, who handles all sales except Canada.
“It’s exciting to work with insightful films that expose important and timely universal issues.”
Following their triumph with Manufactured Landscapes, photographer Burtynsky and filmmaker Baichwal reunite on Sixth Wave Productions’ Watermark to explore the ways in which humanity has shaped, manipulated and depleted water.
Baichwal directs and Burtynsky serves as executive producer alongside Daniel Iron. Sixth Wave’s Nicholas de Pencier serves as a producer on the film while Daniel Iron also serves as an executive producer.
“eOne’s enthusiasm for Watermark, as well as their sensitivity to its unique blend of artistic and environmental themes, make them the...
- 8/29/2013
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Toronto -- Entertainment One has picked up the worldwide rights to the Canadian documentary Watermark by Jennifer Baichwal and Edward Burtynsky, ahead of its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival. Entertainment One Films International will handle international sales of the film, excluding Canada, where Mongrel Media will release. The documentary about how water shapes humanity is a follow up to Manufactured Landscapes, also by photographer Burtynsky and filmmaker Baichwal. Photos: Toronto 2013: The Films “We’re delighted to secure international sales rights for Watermark and add it to our strong offering in advance of [the Toronto Film Festival],” said Charlotte
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- 8/29/2013
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Suburban Horror: Shapiro Dissects Crewdson
Ben Shapiro’s new documentary on renowned suburban photographer Gregory Crewdson is a detrimentally revealing work the focuses on his latest body of work, ‘Beneath The Roses’, which took several year to complete and consists of about fifty massive prints that commiserate with loneliness and regret. Crewdson’s photographs are meticulously staged pieces that mimic the cinematic look of motion pictures, but lack the narrative backbone that comes with making movies. Giving a face and a background to the name, Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters bears bits of his upbringing and plenty regarding the process of the photographer’s hands-off approach to the artwork that carries his name, indirectly teasing out questions of authorship in art.
With help from a small film crew sized collective, each enormous photo in ‘Beneath The Roses’ is taken either on a fully fabricated sound stage or in the fleeting moments...
Ben Shapiro’s new documentary on renowned suburban photographer Gregory Crewdson is a detrimentally revealing work the focuses on his latest body of work, ‘Beneath The Roses’, which took several year to complete and consists of about fifty massive prints that commiserate with loneliness and regret. Crewdson’s photographs are meticulously staged pieces that mimic the cinematic look of motion pictures, but lack the narrative backbone that comes with making movies. Giving a face and a background to the name, Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters bears bits of his upbringing and plenty regarding the process of the photographer’s hands-off approach to the artwork that carries his name, indirectly teasing out questions of authorship in art.
With help from a small film crew sized collective, each enormous photo in ‘Beneath The Roses’ is taken either on a fully fabricated sound stage or in the fleeting moments...
- 12/20/2012
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
Edward Burtynsky has for decades been lensing large scale photographs that document the often devastating visual impact of humans on our environment en masse. The wide angle landscapes he frames are almost always the corollary conclusion of man’s need and abuse of materials, whether a seemingly endless axis of stockpiled iron ore from Canadian mining communities or a countless assemblage of towering skyscrapers set against a meltingly hot Chinese horizon. As an artist who’s body of work stands as an artifact invoking environmentalism, Burtynsky does not use his alien panoramas explicitly for political intrigue. Instead, placed cleanly in galleries around the globe, his massive photographs are taken in on their own visual merits without forced intention, quietly conveying that we are in fact trashing our own planet without directly stating the obvious. A quarter of a million dollar U.S. box office take, Jennifer Baichwal’s poetic 2006 film (2007 selected Sundance entry), Manufactured Landscapes,...
- 12/11/2012
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
As excited as I am about coming to New York for Ifp’s Independent Film Week, this story starts somewhere else….
For the last eight days, I have been fortunate enough to be in Toronto, attending Tiff as a 2012 Talent Lab Fellow alongside 24 very talented filmmakers from around the world. Produced this year by the indomitable Helen DuToit (who also serves as the Artistic Director of the Palm Springs International Film Festival), the Talent Lab was led by a core group of fantastic filmmakers – documentarian Jennifer Baichwal (Manufactured Landscapes), producer Stephen Woolley (presenting both Byzantium and Great Expectations), and directors David Siegel and Scott McGehee (showing What Maisie Knew) – and featured four full days of intense conversation with an amazing list of festival attendees [including Michael Haneke, above center] and participants. For a filmmaker ready to launch the next phase of his career, and who often has trouble finding the space to focus purely on...
For the last eight days, I have been fortunate enough to be in Toronto, attending Tiff as a 2012 Talent Lab Fellow alongside 24 very talented filmmakers from around the world. Produced this year by the indomitable Helen DuToit (who also serves as the Artistic Director of the Palm Springs International Film Festival), the Talent Lab was led by a core group of fantastic filmmakers – documentarian Jennifer Baichwal (Manufactured Landscapes), producer Stephen Woolley (presenting both Byzantium and Great Expectations), and directors David Siegel and Scott McGehee (showing What Maisie Knew) – and featured four full days of intense conversation with an amazing list of festival attendees [including Michael Haneke, above center] and participants. For a filmmaker ready to launch the next phase of his career, and who often has trouble finding the space to focus purely on...
- 9/14/2012
- by Deron Albright
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: Aug. 21, 2012
Price: DVD $29.99
Studio: Zeitgeist
Margaret Atwood consults her notes in Payback.
Margaret Atwood’s 2008 best-selling book Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth is the basis for the 2012 documentary Payback, which looks at the concept of “debt” in its various forms—societal, personal, environmental, spiritual, criminal, and of course, economic.
Filmmaker Jennifer Baichwal (Manufactured Landscapes) interweaves a group of stories about debtor/creditor relationships: two families in a years-long Albanian blood feud; the Bp oil spill vs. the Gulf Coast; mistreated Florida tomato farm workers and their bosses; and imprisoned media mogul Conrad Black and the U.S. justice system.
The film also features commentary by academic/activist Raj Patel, former Un High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour and Atwood herself.
The unrated Payback received a limited rollout to U.S. theaters in April, 2012. It received only fair reviews, though it appears...
Price: DVD $29.99
Studio: Zeitgeist
Margaret Atwood consults her notes in Payback.
Margaret Atwood’s 2008 best-selling book Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth is the basis for the 2012 documentary Payback, which looks at the concept of “debt” in its various forms—societal, personal, environmental, spiritual, criminal, and of course, economic.
Filmmaker Jennifer Baichwal (Manufactured Landscapes) interweaves a group of stories about debtor/creditor relationships: two families in a years-long Albanian blood feud; the Bp oil spill vs. the Gulf Coast; mistreated Florida tomato farm workers and their bosses; and imprisoned media mogul Conrad Black and the U.S. justice system.
The film also features commentary by academic/activist Raj Patel, former Un High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour and Atwood herself.
The unrated Payback received a limited rollout to U.S. theaters in April, 2012. It received only fair reviews, though it appears...
- 8/15/2012
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
Indian independent filmmaket Manjeet Singh has been selected for the Toronto Talent Lab 2012 to be held alongside the Toronto International Film Festival.
Now in its ninth year, Talent Lab is an intensive four-day artistic development programme. Talent Lab leads participants in group discussions on a range of topics focused on the artistic side of filmmaking.
Talent Lab is led by four governors who mentor the participants, guiding them through the sessions with guest speakers. Two of this year’s confirmed governors include producer Stephen Woolley (Great Expectations, The Crying Game, Interview with a Vampire) and documentary filmmaker Jennifer Baichwal (Manufactured Landscapes, Act of God).
Manjeet Singh’s debut feature Mumbai Cha Raja (The King of Mumbai) will screen in the City to City program of the festival.
Now in its ninth year, Talent Lab is an intensive four-day artistic development programme. Talent Lab leads participants in group discussions on a range of topics focused on the artistic side of filmmaking.
Talent Lab is led by four governors who mentor the participants, guiding them through the sessions with guest speakers. Two of this year’s confirmed governors include producer Stephen Woolley (Great Expectations, The Crying Game, Interview with a Vampire) and documentary filmmaker Jennifer Baichwal (Manufactured Landscapes, Act of God).
Manjeet Singh’s debut feature Mumbai Cha Raja (The King of Mumbai) will screen in the City to City program of the festival.
- 8/9/2012
- by NewsDesk
- DearCinema.com
The second London festival of photography begins on Friday 1 June, with shows on everything from British identity to the Gaddafi regime, plus screenings, talks and masterclasses
The 2012 London Festival of Photography begins on Friday (1 June) at several venues across King's Cross, Bloomsbury, Euston and Fitzrovia. This year's theme is Inside Out: Reflections on the Private and the Public, which covers current debates on the nature of street photography, censorship, surveillance, the social media revolution and the attendant democratisation of visual journalism. (A day-by-day festival diary of all exhibitions and events is viewable here.) Here are my personal highlights:
The Gaddafi Archives: Libya Before the Arab Spring, 21–29 June
Photographs, official documents, films and artefacts from the huge archive found by Human Rights Watch in state intelligence buildings and Gaddafi's many residences after the downfall of his regime. A glimpse of a recent secret history and photography's role in recording it.
The 2012 London Festival of Photography begins on Friday (1 June) at several venues across King's Cross, Bloomsbury, Euston and Fitzrovia. This year's theme is Inside Out: Reflections on the Private and the Public, which covers current debates on the nature of street photography, censorship, surveillance, the social media revolution and the attendant democratisation of visual journalism. (A day-by-day festival diary of all exhibitions and events is viewable here.) Here are my personal highlights:
The Gaddafi Archives: Libya Before the Arab Spring, 21–29 June
Photographs, official documents, films and artefacts from the huge archive found by Human Rights Watch in state intelligence buildings and Gaddafi's many residences after the downfall of his regime. A glimpse of a recent secret history and photography's role in recording it.
- 5/30/2012
- by Sean O'Hagan
- The Guardian - Film News
Jennifer Baichwal is an accomplished Canadian filmmaker whose ever-searching documentaries have taken up such diverse subjects as photography (The True Meaning of Pictures: Shelby Lee Adams’ Appalachia), literary biography (Let It Come Down: The Life of Paul Bowles), the metaphysics of lightning strikes (Act of God), and the devastating underside of mass Western consumption (Manufactured Landscapes). In her latest film, Payback, loosely based on the prolific Booker Prize–winning author Margaret Atwood’s book-length study of debt as a structuring principle of life, language, and contemporary culture (the subtitle for her tome is The Shadow Side of Wealth), Baichwal investigates the disparate ways in which the idea of indebtedness has come to define everything from blood feuds to labor practices, prison terms to environmental clean-up efforts.
What does it mean to say we “owe” someone? How are debts created? Under what conditions do we seek justice or retribution, or attempt...
What does it mean to say we “owe” someone? How are debts created? Under what conditions do we seek justice or retribution, or attempt...
- 4/27/2012
- by Damon Smith
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Zeitgeist Films has acquired the documentary Payback, which will have its world premiere in the world documentary competition at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in January. The film is scheduled for a late April release. Directed by Jennifer Baichwal (Manufactured Landscapes), the film is based on Margaret Atwood's bestselling book, Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth, which looks at how debt influences relationships, societies, governing structures and the planet in different contexts around the world. Ravida Din of the National Film Board of Canada produced the project. Story: Sundance 2012: 15 Hot Movies Up for Grabs Zeitgeist has recently released Margarethe
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- 12/16/2011
- by Jay A. Fernandez
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Directed by: Kelvin Kyung Kun Park
Reviewed by Elliot V. Kotek
(June 2011, screening at the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival)
With the grind of metal and arbitrary piano keystrokes, we’re thrust into an experimental amalgam of sound and color to accompany the recollection of a dream that could easily be interpreted as a nightmare within Cronenberg’s “Crash.” From this esoteric opening, we’re off to the streets of Korea, escorted by weird sounds, industrial noise and classical violin, and with the medley of music and moving images, we come to realize the nature of the movie, a strange collection of transitioning parts, of daily motion and ritual, an artistic exploration of the mundane exigencies of daily life within Cheonggyecheon’s metal-working classes.
A poetic narration personalizes the piece, which is billed as a letter to director Kelvin Kyung Kun Park’s dead grandfather. What unfolds is a collection of...
Reviewed by Elliot V. Kotek
(June 2011, screening at the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival)
With the grind of metal and arbitrary piano keystrokes, we’re thrust into an experimental amalgam of sound and color to accompany the recollection of a dream that could easily be interpreted as a nightmare within Cronenberg’s “Crash.” From this esoteric opening, we’re off to the streets of Korea, escorted by weird sounds, industrial noise and classical violin, and with the medley of music and moving images, we come to realize the nature of the movie, a strange collection of transitioning parts, of daily motion and ritual, an artistic exploration of the mundane exigencies of daily life within Cheonggyecheon’s metal-working classes.
A poetic narration personalizes the piece, which is billed as a letter to director Kelvin Kyung Kun Park’s dead grandfather. What unfolds is a collection of...
- 6/19/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Network
Directed by: Kelvin Kyung Kun Park
Reviewed by Elliot V. Kotek
(June 2011, screening at the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival)
With the grind of metal and arbitrary piano keystrokes, we’re thrust into an experimental amalgam of sound and color to accompany the recollection of a dream that could easily be interpreted as a nightmare within Cronenberg’s “Crash.” From this esoteric opening, we’re off to the streets of Korea, escorted by weird sounds, industrial noise and classical violin, and with the medley of music and moving images, we come to realize the nature of the movie, a strange collection of transitioning parts, of daily motion and ritual, an artistic exploration of the mundane exigencies of daily life within Cheonggyecheon’s metal-working classes.
A poetic narration personalizes the piece, which is billed as a letter to director Kelvin Kyung Kun Park’s dead grandfather. What unfolds is a collection of...
Reviewed by Elliot V. Kotek
(June 2011, screening at the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival)
With the grind of metal and arbitrary piano keystrokes, we’re thrust into an experimental amalgam of sound and color to accompany the recollection of a dream that could easily be interpreted as a nightmare within Cronenberg’s “Crash.” From this esoteric opening, we’re off to the streets of Korea, escorted by weird sounds, industrial noise and classical violin, and with the medley of music and moving images, we come to realize the nature of the movie, a strange collection of transitioning parts, of daily motion and ritual, an artistic exploration of the mundane exigencies of daily life within Cheonggyecheon’s metal-working classes.
A poetic narration personalizes the piece, which is billed as a letter to director Kelvin Kyung Kun Park’s dead grandfather. What unfolds is a collection of...
- 6/19/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Magazine
Stunning, fugue-like visuals convey a sense of a world out of kilter in this timely oil-industry documentary, says Cath Clarke
This timely oil industry documentary from Greenpeace is only 43 minutes long, but stunning, fugue-like aerial photography justifies its cinema release. The footage was shot from a helicopter over the remote Canadian tar sands, where a massive operation is underway to extract oil from beneath forest and wetlands. The visuals lull us dreamily, gliding over mile after mile of glossy green treetops before catching a glimpse of mine-scarred landscape, which has its own kind of apocalyptic beauty. Giant smokestacks and monster trucks give the impression – like the underground M-machine in Metropolis – of an ungodly engine. The overall effect is something like Koyaanisqatsi, the disturbed sense of the world out of kilter. Blessedly free of a celebrity voiceover, there's just a blippy minimalist soundtrack for company until a short narration at the end by director Peter Mettler,...
This timely oil industry documentary from Greenpeace is only 43 minutes long, but stunning, fugue-like aerial photography justifies its cinema release. The footage was shot from a helicopter over the remote Canadian tar sands, where a massive operation is underway to extract oil from beneath forest and wetlands. The visuals lull us dreamily, gliding over mile after mile of glossy green treetops before catching a glimpse of mine-scarred landscape, which has its own kind of apocalyptic beauty. Giant smokestacks and monster trucks give the impression – like the underground M-machine in Metropolis – of an ungodly engine. The overall effect is something like Koyaanisqatsi, the disturbed sense of the world out of kilter. Blessedly free of a celebrity voiceover, there's just a blippy minimalist soundtrack for company until a short narration at the end by director Peter Mettler,...
- 5/13/2010
- by Cath Clarke
- The Guardian - Film News
Under Rich Earth
This Thursday at the Ottawa Human Rights Watch Film Festival
"Urgent and vital filmmaking in the spirit of Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance and Manufactured Landscapes."
- Jesse Wente, CBC
Followed by a Q&A with director Malcolm Rogge
Date: Thursday, May 13th, 2010
Time: 7:30
Where: The ByTowne Cinema, 325 Rideau Street, Ottawa
Tickets: $15
In a remote mountain valley in Ecuador, coff...
This Thursday at the Ottawa Human Rights Watch Film Festival
"Urgent and vital filmmaking in the spirit of Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance and Manufactured Landscapes."
- Jesse Wente, CBC
Followed by a Q&A with director Malcolm Rogge
Date: Thursday, May 13th, 2010
Time: 7:30
Where: The ByTowne Cinema, 325 Rideau Street, Ottawa
Tickets: $15
In a remote mountain valley in Ecuador, coff...
- 5/13/2010
- by Administrator
- CultureMagazine.ca
A sprawling Rio landfill is the star in \ unsettling but unforgettable documentary 'Waste Land'. Jardim Gramacho is the world's largest landfill located on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. It's also a leading character in director Lucy Walker's unsettling but ultimately inspiring documentary "Waste Land", making its world premiere at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. Brazilian artist Vik Muniz uses garbage from the landfill to create photographs of the people who work there as "Catadores" or "pickers", laborers who retrieve recyclable garbage from the Rio landfill for $25 per day. Lucy Walker filmed "Waste Land" over three years and her efforts have paid off in an incredible journey. "Waste Land' is about more than Muniz's artwork, although his large-scale photographs are worthy of a documentary. What Walker tells is the most powerful of human stories; how an artist can inspire those who are down and out. Muniz's journey...
- 1/22/2010
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Sundance has announced the members for its five juries for 2010. The ten-day fest fest gets under way January 21. U.S. Documentary Competition Jury: filmmaker Greg Barker (Sergio), director/producer Dayna Goldfine (Ballet Russes), Wired senior editor Nancy Miller, documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me) and filmmaker Ondi Timoner (We Live in Public). U.S. Dramatic Competition Jury: novelist Russell Banks (The Sweet Hereafter), producer Jason Kliot (Three Seasons), director Karyn Kusama (Jennifer’s Body), actress Parker Posey (Happy Tears), cinematographer Robert Yeoman (Whip It). World Cinema Documentary Competition Jury: documentarian Jennifer Baichwal (Manufactured Landscapes), PBS correspondent Jeffrey Brown, Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival director Asako Fujioka. World Cinema Dramatic Competition Jury: writer/director Alison Maclean (Jesus’s Son), Entertainment Weekly critic Lisa Schwarzbaum, producer Sigurjon “Joni” Sighvatsson (Arlington Road). …...
- 1/11/2010
- Thompson on Hollywood
- #18. Petropolis: Aerial Perspectives on the Alberta Tar Sands Director: Peter MettlerDistributor: Rights Available. Buzz: Canada is one of the world's worst polluters and thanks to Peter Mettler's keen eye as a cinematographer (Manufactured Landscapes) and filmmaker - words will be totally unnecessary to grasp the full impact of this country's actions. Closer to a short film format than feature length, this should have a healthy life on the film festival circuit and specialized television networks. Check out the aerial footage gathered here. The Gist: Located beneath 4.3 million hectares of boreal forest in Alberta, Canada, the tar sands are a mixture of sand, clay and a heavy crude oil called bitumen that is either mined in open pits or extracted from underground by injecting superheated water. Getting the oil out of the tar sands uses roughly three barrels of water per barrel of oil, or as much water as
- 9/2/2009
- IONCINEMA.com
HNR's Michael Stevens reporting from Toronto... The National Film Board of Canada Mediatheque wraps up its 70th anniversary summer program with the feature docs Nollywood Babylon and Waterlife, plus a night of short films, animation workshops, day camps and free access to 5,000 Nfb titles through digital viewing stations. The Nfb Mediatheque is located at 150 John Street in Toronto. Nollywood Babylon will have its Toronto theatrical premiere, August 11, 12 & 13 at 7 pm, with co-director Samir "Discordia" Mallal in attendance for a Q&A, August 11. "...Nigeria's film industry, "Nollywood" is the third largest in the world, an unstoppable force that is now bursting beyond the borders of Africa. Unfazed by low budgets, enterprising filmmakers create a brash, inventive and wildly popular form of 'B-movie'. An official selection at this year's Sundance Film Festival, 'Nollywood Babylon' delivers an electric vision of Lagos, Africa.s leading metropolis, and a revealing...
- 7/29/2009
- HollywoodNorthReport.com
This week plays host to a release slate so big that when it's finished doing the rounds in theaters we expect it to climb out of the sea and attack Japan.
Download this in audio form (MP3: 14:50 minutes, 13.6 Mb) Subscribe to the In Theaters podcast: [Xml] [iTunes]
"Act of God"
Following "Manufactured Landscapes," her compelling 2006 portrait of photographer Edward Burtynsky and the paradoxical beauty of his images of industry, Canadian documentary filmmaker Jennifer Baichwal turns her attention to one of nature's most dynamic phenomenon. Collecting a multitude of testimony from lightning strike survivors and witnesses, Baichwal explores a host of ideas and explanations for this awe-inspiring experience, from the miraculously divine to the maddeningly random.
Opens in Chicago.
"Adam"
With an actual medical condition taking the place of the now-nearly-obligatory dose of quirk, writer/director Max Mayer's gentle story of boy meets girl -- his first film since 1998's...
Download this in audio form (MP3: 14:50 minutes, 13.6 Mb) Subscribe to the In Theaters podcast: [Xml] [iTunes]
"Act of God"
Following "Manufactured Landscapes," her compelling 2006 portrait of photographer Edward Burtynsky and the paradoxical beauty of his images of industry, Canadian documentary filmmaker Jennifer Baichwal turns her attention to one of nature's most dynamic phenomenon. Collecting a multitude of testimony from lightning strike survivors and witnesses, Baichwal explores a host of ideas and explanations for this awe-inspiring experience, from the miraculously divine to the maddeningly random.
Opens in Chicago.
"Adam"
With an actual medical condition taking the place of the now-nearly-obligatory dose of quirk, writer/director Max Mayer's gentle story of boy meets girl -- his first film since 1998's...
- 7/28/2009
- by Neil Pedley
- ifc.com
The 70th anniversary of the National Film Board of Canada is being celebrated @ downtown Toronto's Nfb Mediatheque with a free screening of Pepita Ferrari.s Capturing Reality: The Art of Documentry, Tuesday, June 9 and Wednesday June 10. Ferrari will be in attendance, joined by filmmakers Jennifer "Act Of God" Baichwal, Velcrow "Fierce Light" Ripper, Manfred "Fatherland" Becker and producer Michelle van Beusekom for a post-screening discussion. "...This feature film investigates the genre of documentaries through encounters with some of its most influential practitioners. Over 30 luminaries Â. including Albert Maysles, Errol Morris, Alanis Obomsawin, Michel Brault, Nick Broomfield, Kim Longinotto and that great iconoclast Werner Herzog Â. offer insight into their craft while reflecting on the nature of representation and the perennially contested status of the 'truth'. More than 50 clips from landmark films enliven the discussion, offering a panoramic overview of contemporary documentary cinema..." The Nfb is also offering Free on-demand digital viewing,...
- 6/2/2009
- HollywoodNorthReport.com
You simply cannot go wrong with lightning or storms when making a movie, either fictional (just as John Carpenter or James Cameron) or documentary as in Jennifer Baichwal‘s (Manufactured Landscapes) latest. It is curious that the trailer here does not show more ‘money shots,’ because there is plenty of great lightning footage (captured over a period of three years by the filmmakers, and also found footage) on display in in the full film. The trailer does, however, give a flavor of the human element, thus capturing the tone and the content of the film quite nicely. Sometimes there is truth in advertising, even when the advertising is for a film looking for truth in random acts of meteorological mayhem. The trailer for Act of God, a documentary of tales and thoughts from folks who have been struck by lightning, is after the jump. Enjoy.
- 5/7/2009
- by Kurt Halfyard
- Screen Anarchy
Back in the late 1970s as a young lad, one of my favourite summer past-times was sitting with the family on the stoop of our small condominium townhouse during those wild and crazy summer storms. Watching the lightning, feeling the thunder and daring friends and siblings to run out (prancing like fools) into the downpour and challenge the unlikely (but still finitely possible) event of a bolt of white tagging you into the next life. Kids feel pretty immortal and liberated in those endless summers. You do not think too hard about it, because well, in innocence (a form of arrogance) you have no concept of the consequences.
Enter Jennifer Baichwal, who won a number of awards and notice with her 2007 documentary Manufactured Landscapes. She points her camera on several folks from around the world who actually have been struck by lightening and have lived to tell the tale. The...
Enter Jennifer Baichwal, who won a number of awards and notice with her 2007 documentary Manufactured Landscapes. She points her camera on several folks from around the world who actually have been struck by lightening and have lived to tell the tale. The...
- 5/2/2009
- by Kurt Halfyard
- Screen Anarchy
- Zeitgeist are being struck by Jennifer Baichwal not once, but twice. Baichwal’s previous film, Manufactured Landscapes played extremely well for the unit and without looking at the numbers was probably a box-office draw suggesting that: the privilege of acting on Act of God before it even hit the market or made a public festival impression surely manifested itself months before. Baichwal is a hot asset right now, less than 24 hours ago we announced how she was set to direct the Margaret Atwood project on the current economic downturn. I'll see whether I can score a screener at Cannes in a couple of weeks on her new release or see it at Silverdocs (very likely to play there). Act of God explores the metaphysical effects of being struck by lightning. The film explores seven stories from around the world that raise and respond to these questions, while keeping the
- 4/30/2009
- IONCINEMA.com
- On the eve of her Hot Docs Film Festival world premiere of Act of God, the National Film Board has announced the all-Canadian documentary film project which would see doc filmmaker Jennifer Baichwal adapt author Margaret Atwood's timely piece on the current economic meltdown. The Nfb have optioned Atwood's nonfiction book "Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth". No stragner to the Nfb, Baichwal is of course best know for one of the better documentary films of the past decade (Manufactured Landscapes) on the subject of the global costs, effects and results of our mass consumption from everything to dollar store junk to high end electronics. Not to be confused with the sci-fi thriller starring Ben Affleck, "Payback" will probe how the metaphor of indebtedness has shaped societies over time, including our own. THR reports that Atwood's book grew out of a lecture series sponsored by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.
- 4/29/2009
- IONCINEMA.com
Toronto -- Canadian writer Margaret Atwood will have another of her books turned into a film, this time a documentary.
The National Film Board of Canada has optioned Atwood's nonfiction book "Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth" and has hired veteran documentary maker Jennifer Baichwal ("Manufactured Landscapes") to do the screen adaptation.
On Tuesday, Baichwal promised no expose of Bernie Madoff, but instead said she will probe how the metaphor of indebtedness has shaped societies over time, including our own.
"We want to take what's happening right now and put it into a fascinating historical content," said Baichwal, whose most recent film, "Act of God," will open the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival on Thursday in Toronto.
Atwood's book grew out of a lecture series sponsored by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. that took place in the fall, just as the Wall Street upheaval caused by interlocking global debt began to unfold.
The National Film Board of Canada has optioned Atwood's nonfiction book "Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth" and has hired veteran documentary maker Jennifer Baichwal ("Manufactured Landscapes") to do the screen adaptation.
On Tuesday, Baichwal promised no expose of Bernie Madoff, but instead said she will probe how the metaphor of indebtedness has shaped societies over time, including our own.
"We want to take what's happening right now and put it into a fascinating historical content," said Baichwal, whose most recent film, "Act of God," will open the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival on Thursday in Toronto.
Atwood's book grew out of a lecture series sponsored by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. that took place in the fall, just as the Wall Street upheaval caused by interlocking global debt began to unfold.
- 4/28/2009
- by By Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
New York -- The fifth annual Miami International Film Festival has announced a tribute for director Luc Besson, participants in the Miami Encuentros program for emerging Latino directors, the Reel Education Seminar Series and 16 features in its World & Ibero-American Cinema documentary competition.
Besson, the French helmer of "La Femme Nikita" and "The Fifth Element," will appear at the Career Achievement Tribute and present the East Coast premiere of his tenth film, the black-and-white fable "Angel-a."
The Encuentros program, presented by Eastman Kodak and Entertainment Partners, will give filmmakers from nine Latino projects the chance to present new work to producers, agents, TV stations and distributors. The features set to be screened include Andre Ristum's Brazilian "Square Man," Carlos Moreno's Colombian "Dog Eat Dog," Gonzalo Justiniano's Chilean "Lokas" and Adrian Biniez's Argentinian "Giant." Paramount Vantage's Matt Brodlie, Warner Independent Pictures' Paul Federbush, Kodak's Anne Hubbell, Cinetic Media's Sarah Lash and Wma's Eric Rovner and Jerome Duboz are among the 22 delegates participating as filmmaker advisors.
This year's World & Ibero-American Cinema documentary feature contenders include Tali Shemesh's Holocaust survivor portrait "The Cemetery Club," Marco Williams' tale of post-Civil War discrimination, "Banished," John Fiege's immigration study "Mississippi Chicken" and Jennifer Baichwal's Toronto International Film Festival prizewinner "Manufactured Landscapes."
The winner will receive a $25,000 award sponsored by the John S. and James L. Night Foundation. Two other competitions for dramatic features, World Cinema and Ibero-American Cinema, will also award each winning film a $25,000 prize.
The 2007 World Cinema dramatic features jury includes writer/director Raoul Peck and producers Christine Vachon and Bernardo Zupnik. Sarajevo Film Festival programmer Howard Feinstein and producers Bertha Navarro and Jim Stark will judge the Ibero-American Cinema dramatic competition. American Documentary vp Cynthia Lopez, Film Forum programmer Mike Maggiore and acquisitions exec Rob Williams will judge the World & Ibero-American docu competition.
The fest's Reel Education Seminars Series will feature a hefty 26 panels. including "Agents, Packaging & Financing -- At What Stage Do I Look for Representation?" with The Collective's Shaun Redick, CAA's Roeg Sutherland, Endeavor Independent's Graham Taylor and UTA's Keya Khayatian. Other discussions include "Pitch to the Pros --? Writing Treatments That Sell" with Silverwood Films' Lynette Howell and UTA's Jon Huddle, "Documentaries --? Why Have They Become So Popular Recently?" with Submarine's Josh Braun and ThinkFilm's Daniel Katz, and "Us Distribution" with Brodlie, Federbush, Focus Features' Jason Resnick and IFC Films' Arianna Bocco.
The festival, presented by Miami Dade College, runs March 2-11.
Besson, the French helmer of "La Femme Nikita" and "The Fifth Element," will appear at the Career Achievement Tribute and present the East Coast premiere of his tenth film, the black-and-white fable "Angel-a."
The Encuentros program, presented by Eastman Kodak and Entertainment Partners, will give filmmakers from nine Latino projects the chance to present new work to producers, agents, TV stations and distributors. The features set to be screened include Andre Ristum's Brazilian "Square Man," Carlos Moreno's Colombian "Dog Eat Dog," Gonzalo Justiniano's Chilean "Lokas" and Adrian Biniez's Argentinian "Giant." Paramount Vantage's Matt Brodlie, Warner Independent Pictures' Paul Federbush, Kodak's Anne Hubbell, Cinetic Media's Sarah Lash and Wma's Eric Rovner and Jerome Duboz are among the 22 delegates participating as filmmaker advisors.
This year's World & Ibero-American Cinema documentary feature contenders include Tali Shemesh's Holocaust survivor portrait "The Cemetery Club," Marco Williams' tale of post-Civil War discrimination, "Banished," John Fiege's immigration study "Mississippi Chicken" and Jennifer Baichwal's Toronto International Film Festival prizewinner "Manufactured Landscapes."
The winner will receive a $25,000 award sponsored by the John S. and James L. Night Foundation. Two other competitions for dramatic features, World Cinema and Ibero-American Cinema, will also award each winning film a $25,000 prize.
The 2007 World Cinema dramatic features jury includes writer/director Raoul Peck and producers Christine Vachon and Bernardo Zupnik. Sarajevo Film Festival programmer Howard Feinstein and producers Bertha Navarro and Jim Stark will judge the Ibero-American Cinema dramatic competition. American Documentary vp Cynthia Lopez, Film Forum programmer Mike Maggiore and acquisitions exec Rob Williams will judge the World & Ibero-American docu competition.
The fest's Reel Education Seminars Series will feature a hefty 26 panels. including "Agents, Packaging & Financing -- At What Stage Do I Look for Representation?" with The Collective's Shaun Redick, CAA's Roeg Sutherland, Endeavor Independent's Graham Taylor and UTA's Keya Khayatian. Other discussions include "Pitch to the Pros --? Writing Treatments That Sell" with Silverwood Films' Lynette Howell and UTA's Jon Huddle, "Documentaries --? Why Have They Become So Popular Recently?" with Submarine's Josh Braun and ThinkFilm's Daniel Katz, and "Us Distribution" with Brodlie, Federbush, Focus Features' Jason Resnick and IFC Films' Arianna Bocco.
The festival, presented by Miami Dade College, runs March 2-11.
- 8/18/2008
- by By Gregg Goldstein
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
- I guess you couldn't ask for anything more than a quality cast and the backing from competent producers if you are in the shoes of Canadian-born filmmaker Ruba Nadda. Screen Daily reports that Patricia Clarkson (Elegy) has boarded the project with co-stars Alexander Siddig (Un homme perdu), Elena Anaya (Savage Grace) and Tom McCamus set for filming. Cairo Time sees Clarkson play a woman (really?) who arrives in Cairo to meet her husband (McCamus) only to be told he is unavoidably delayed in Gaza and has in turn sent his friend (Siddig), a retired Egyptian police officer, to pick her up. The brief love affair that follows catches them both completely off guard. Executive produced by indie vets Christina Vachon and Charles Pugliese of Killer Films, and produced by Ireland's David Collins of Samson Films (Once) and the personable Daniel Iron of Foundry Films (Away From Her, Manufactured Landscapes
- 6/18/2008
- IONCINEMA.com
- In recent years I've often criticized the Academy Awards for not having the foresight and fortitude to include docu films that have not only completely reinvigorated the genre, but have pushed the medium to new possible artistic and narrative terrains. This year's short list of 15 titles only further confirms that the Academy has tremendous difficulty in acknowledging the wider scope of films that merit year-end salutations. The formula for the docu-filmmaking and docu movie-going experience has significantly changed since Y2K, yet the most prestigious award film ceremony seems to come up short when it comes to new trends in storytelling and filmmaking. Today IndieWIRE reports Aj Schnack will collaborate with online independent film distributor IndiePix to launch a new nonfiction filmmaking awards event, set for March 18, 2008 at IFC Center in New York City. Below you find a Top 15 list of films that will be nominated for eight categories,
- 1/7/2008
- IONCINEMA.com
Xstream Pictures
NEW YORK -- Useless, Jia Zhang ke's documentary about Chinese fashion designers and tailors, is a typically thoughtful affair, raising many of the concerns of his feature work including The World and Unknown Pleasures. Relying on careful observation rather than polemic, Jia documents the life of a fashion designer in the city, and tailors in rural areas.
The contrast between old China and new China is pronounced: The designer hosts an arty show in France, while one of the rural tailors is forced to close his business and take up a laboring job to make ends meet. It's a quiet, aesthetically pleasing film that makes its point with a minimum of fuss.
Useless, which has played in several festivals before the New York Film Festival, should see more festival exposure, and could draw viewers to small upscale urban theaters.
The fashion designer Jia portrays is something of a maverick -- her concerns are more artistic than commercial. The first and longest section focuses On Ma Ke, a designer who's interested in discovering the expressive potential of clothing. She buries some of her creations so that they can "absorb the history of the soil," and exhibits them on statuesque models posing atop neon light boxes.
Out in the rural areas, such liberties are impossible. One tailor's business fails because cheap mass-produced clothes have rendered his skills redundant.
As always, Jia tries to slow down the frantic lifestyle of modern China so that it can be closely observed. The style is often reminiscent of a Maysles docu, but there are some direct-to-camera question and answer sessions.
Recent non-Chinese produced docu like Manufactured Landscapes have been more hard-hitting about China's massive social problems. But with patient viewing, Jia's film reveals the underlying split between the "two Chinas," one rich, modern, urban and optimisttic, the other impoverished, rural and desperate.
NEW YORK -- Useless, Jia Zhang ke's documentary about Chinese fashion designers and tailors, is a typically thoughtful affair, raising many of the concerns of his feature work including The World and Unknown Pleasures. Relying on careful observation rather than polemic, Jia documents the life of a fashion designer in the city, and tailors in rural areas.
The contrast between old China and new China is pronounced: The designer hosts an arty show in France, while one of the rural tailors is forced to close his business and take up a laboring job to make ends meet. It's a quiet, aesthetically pleasing film that makes its point with a minimum of fuss.
Useless, which has played in several festivals before the New York Film Festival, should see more festival exposure, and could draw viewers to small upscale urban theaters.
The fashion designer Jia portrays is something of a maverick -- her concerns are more artistic than commercial. The first and longest section focuses On Ma Ke, a designer who's interested in discovering the expressive potential of clothing. She buries some of her creations so that they can "absorb the history of the soil," and exhibits them on statuesque models posing atop neon light boxes.
Out in the rural areas, such liberties are impossible. One tailor's business fails because cheap mass-produced clothes have rendered his skills redundant.
As always, Jia tries to slow down the frantic lifestyle of modern China so that it can be closely observed. The style is often reminiscent of a Maysles docu, but there are some direct-to-camera question and answer sessions.
Recent non-Chinese produced docu like Manufactured Landscapes have been more hard-hitting about China's massive social problems. But with patient viewing, Jia's film reveals the underlying split between the "two Chinas," one rich, modern, urban and optimisttic, the other impoverished, rural and desperate.
- 11/2/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Pusan International Film Festival
BUSAN, South Korea -- China's massive Three Gorges Dam project has been the subject of many films over the past few years, both in the abstract (Manufactured Landscapes) and the concrete (Still Life). With more than 1 million people displaced when the dam is finally complete, unknown environmental damage and no real idea of the economic advantages, there's no question of the enormous effects the project will have. Bingai, premiering at PIFF, follows the plight of one woman who refuses to be cowed by government forces and won't accept mandatory relocation quietly.
Given the subject matter, its unfettered observational tone and engaging central figure, Bingai is sure to be a hit on the documentary festival circuit. However, the low-key emotional punch and workmanlike style mean that any success beyond that will rely largely on specialty cable.
Director Feng Yan documents Bingai's seven-year struggle with her local and provincial councils, village elders and friends and family, many of who believe she's delusional, unreasonable, overly sentimental or all three. When everyone in her farming village opts to move the 120 kilometers downriver on the Yangtze, Bingai opts to fight to stay in her home. She doesn't want to uproot her family and her unhealthy husband, and her attachment to the land that she's lived on for years is fierce.
The film's epilogue states that Bingai lived in a shed for a year after finally losing her home once and for all following her years-long fight, settling for 4,800 yuan (about US$600) as compensation. The outcome of her battle is never in doubt, and it's her unrealistic belief that she can somehow remain after the waters of the rerouted river flood the entire area that is at the heart of the story.
Documentarian Feng dispenses with any examination of the issues surrounding the Three Gorges project -- the ecological impact, environmental aesthetics, economics and human rights -- to focus on one person and her community about to be obliterated in the name of progress. Feng essentially recontextualizes Three Gorges' intellectual place in China, moving it from the purely political realm to the more human one.
The talking heads and long takes of village debates occasionally bring the film to a near halt, hamper any sustained interest in Bingai's story and blunt an emotional connection. The result is a well-intentioned though oddly unaffecting factual account of an increasingly common occurrence in contemporary China.
BINGAI
A Feng Yan production in association with the Asian Network of Documentary Filmmakers, PUFS Fund, Pusan International Film Festival
Credits:
Director: Feng Yan
Producer: Feng Yan
Directors of photography: Feng Yan, Feng Wenze
Editors: Feng Yan, Mathieu Haessler
Running time -- 117 minutes
No MPAA rating...
BUSAN, South Korea -- China's massive Three Gorges Dam project has been the subject of many films over the past few years, both in the abstract (Manufactured Landscapes) and the concrete (Still Life). With more than 1 million people displaced when the dam is finally complete, unknown environmental damage and no real idea of the economic advantages, there's no question of the enormous effects the project will have. Bingai, premiering at PIFF, follows the plight of one woman who refuses to be cowed by government forces and won't accept mandatory relocation quietly.
Given the subject matter, its unfettered observational tone and engaging central figure, Bingai is sure to be a hit on the documentary festival circuit. However, the low-key emotional punch and workmanlike style mean that any success beyond that will rely largely on specialty cable.
Director Feng Yan documents Bingai's seven-year struggle with her local and provincial councils, village elders and friends and family, many of who believe she's delusional, unreasonable, overly sentimental or all three. When everyone in her farming village opts to move the 120 kilometers downriver on the Yangtze, Bingai opts to fight to stay in her home. She doesn't want to uproot her family and her unhealthy husband, and her attachment to the land that she's lived on for years is fierce.
The film's epilogue states that Bingai lived in a shed for a year after finally losing her home once and for all following her years-long fight, settling for 4,800 yuan (about US$600) as compensation. The outcome of her battle is never in doubt, and it's her unrealistic belief that she can somehow remain after the waters of the rerouted river flood the entire area that is at the heart of the story.
Documentarian Feng dispenses with any examination of the issues surrounding the Three Gorges project -- the ecological impact, environmental aesthetics, economics and human rights -- to focus on one person and her community about to be obliterated in the name of progress. Feng essentially recontextualizes Three Gorges' intellectual place in China, moving it from the purely political realm to the more human one.
The talking heads and long takes of village debates occasionally bring the film to a near halt, hamper any sustained interest in Bingai's story and blunt an emotional connection. The result is a well-intentioned though oddly unaffecting factual account of an increasingly common occurrence in contemporary China.
BINGAI
A Feng Yan production in association with the Asian Network of Documentary Filmmakers, PUFS Fund, Pusan International Film Festival
Credits:
Director: Feng Yan
Producer: Feng Yan
Directors of photography: Feng Yan, Feng Wenze
Editors: Feng Yan, Mathieu Haessler
Running time -- 117 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 10/9/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sundance Channel has acquired Peter Bogdanovich's four-hour documentary Runnin' Down a Dream: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers along with 20 films that made their debuts at January's Sundance Film Festival.
Dream, which is set to have its world premiere Oct. 14 at the New York Film Festival, will debut on Sundance at 7 p.m. Oct. 29. It examines three decades in the history of the Grammy-winning rock band, featuring interviews as well as archival and concert footage. The docu also follows Petty's solo career and his time with the Traveling Wilburys.
"This deeply rich portrait of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers by film legend Peter Bogdanovich is a perfect fit for Sundance Channel viewers, who are devoted fans of cinema and music," said Laura Michalchyshyn, executive vp and GM, programming and creative affairs.
In addition, Sundance has acquired rights to 20 films out of the Sundance fest, including features, docus and shorts. The titles include the features Four Sheets to the Wind, The Legacy, Noise and Red Road and the docus Autism Every Day, Manda Bala and Manufactured Landscapes.
The acquisition continues the channel's annual practice of scouting the festival for new titles, which resulted in the acquisition of 12 films from the 2005 festival and 32 from last year's.
Dream, which is set to have its world premiere Oct. 14 at the New York Film Festival, will debut on Sundance at 7 p.m. Oct. 29. It examines three decades in the history of the Grammy-winning rock band, featuring interviews as well as archival and concert footage. The docu also follows Petty's solo career and his time with the Traveling Wilburys.
"This deeply rich portrait of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers by film legend Peter Bogdanovich is a perfect fit for Sundance Channel viewers, who are devoted fans of cinema and music," said Laura Michalchyshyn, executive vp and GM, programming and creative affairs.
In addition, Sundance has acquired rights to 20 films out of the Sundance fest, including features, docus and shorts. The titles include the features Four Sheets to the Wind, The Legacy, Noise and Red Road and the docus Autism Every Day, Manda Bala and Manufactured Landscapes.
The acquisition continues the channel's annual practice of scouting the festival for new titles, which resulted in the acquisition of 12 films from the 2005 festival and 32 from last year's.
- 9/14/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
- Quick Links Complete Film Listing: Premieres: Dramatic Comp: Docu Comp: World Dramatic Comp: Spectrum: Park City at Midnight: New Frontier: Short Film Programs January 18 to 28, 2007 Counting Down: updateCountdownClock('January 18, 2007'); ⢠"Acidente" (Brazil), directed by Cao Guimaraes and Pablo Lobato, an experimental, poetic expression of everyday life culled from images of 20 cities in Menas Gerais, Brazil. ⢠"Bajo Juarez, The City Is Devouring Its Daughters" (Mexico), directed by Alejandra Sanchez, an examination of the societal corruption backdropping the many cases of sexual abuse and murders of women in a Mexican industrial border town. ⢠"Cocalero" (Bolivia), directed by Alejandro Landes, which follows the campaign of Aymaran Indian Evo Morales to becomed the first indigenous president of Bolivia. World premiere. ⢠"Comrades In Dreams" (Germany), directed by Uli Gaulke, a look at four people in different parts of the world who bring cinema to locals. ⢠"Crossing the Line" (U.
- 1/18/2007
- IONCINEMA.com
TORONTO -- The Toronto Film Critics Assn. on Tuesday chose Stephen Frears' The Queen as the best picture of 2006.
The royal drama dominated the voting, with Helen Mirren earning best actress for her portrayal of a frosty Queen Elizabeth II facing the emotionally charged death of Princess Diana, Michael Sheen winning best supporting actor for his performance as British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Peter Morgan taking the screenplay award.
Frears split the best director nod with Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne for their Belgian drama L'Enfant, winner of the Palme D'or at the year's Festival de Cannes.
The other multiple winner this year was Canadian filmmaker Jennifer Baichwal, who picked up the best documentary feature and best Canadian film citations for Manufactured Landscapes, a film shot in China about the world and work of Canadian artist Edward Burtynsky.
Other TFCA awards saw Sacha Baron Cohen winning best actor for his star turn in Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, and Cate Blanchett earning best supporting actress honors for Notes On a Scandal.
Jason Reitman's Thank You For Smoking was the critics' pick for best first feature, while George Miller's Happy Feet earned top honors in the animated feature category.
The royal drama dominated the voting, with Helen Mirren earning best actress for her portrayal of a frosty Queen Elizabeth II facing the emotionally charged death of Princess Diana, Michael Sheen winning best supporting actor for his performance as British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Peter Morgan taking the screenplay award.
Frears split the best director nod with Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne for their Belgian drama L'Enfant, winner of the Palme D'or at the year's Festival de Cannes.
The other multiple winner this year was Canadian filmmaker Jennifer Baichwal, who picked up the best documentary feature and best Canadian film citations for Manufactured Landscapes, a film shot in China about the world and work of Canadian artist Edward Burtynsky.
Other TFCA awards saw Sacha Baron Cohen winning best actor for his star turn in Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, and Cate Blanchett earning best supporting actress honors for Notes On a Scandal.
Jason Reitman's Thank You For Smoking was the critics' pick for best first feature, while George Miller's Happy Feet earned top honors in the animated feature category.
- The Toronto Film Critics Association were faithful to the commonwealth - voting The Queen as the top feature, best screenplay, actress and best supporting actor. Canadian doc Manufactured Landscapes picked up best Canadian film and best documentary. Here are the year’s best list: Best Picture The Queen Best Director (tie): Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne - L'enfant (The Child), Stephen Frears - The Queen Best Actor: Sacha Baron Cohen -Borat Best Actress: Helen Mirren - The Queen Best Supporting Actor: Michael Sheen - The Queen Best Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett - Notes on a Scandal Best Screenplay: The Queen - Peter Morgan Best Foreign Language Film: L'enfant (The Child) , Belgium Best Animated Film: Happy Feet Best Canadian Film: Manufactured Landscapes Best Documentary: Manufactured Landscapes Best First Film: Jason Reitman - Thank You For Smoking ...
- 12/20/2006
- IONCINEMA.com
TORONTO -- The Toronto Film Critics Assn. on Tuesday chose Stephen Frears' The Queen as the best picture of 2006.
The royal drama dominated the voting, with Helen Mirren earning best actress for her portrayal of a frosty Queen Elizabeth II facing the emotionally charged death of Princess Diana, Michael Sheen winning best supporting actor for his performance as British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Peter Morgan taking the screenplay award.
Frears split the best director nod with Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne for their Belgian drama L'Enfant, winner of the Palme D'or at the year's Festival de Cannes.
The other multiple winner this year was Canadian filmmaker Jennifer Baichwal, who picked up the best documentary feature and best Canadian film citations for Manufactured Landscapes, a film shot in China about the world and work of Canadian artist Edward Burtynsky.
Other TFCA awards saw Sacha Baron Cohen winning best actor for his star turn in Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, and Cate Blanchett earning best supporting actress honors for Notes On a Scandal.
Jason Reitman's Thank You For Smoking was the critics' pick for best first feature, while George Miller's Happy Feet earned top honors in the animated feature category.
The royal drama dominated the voting, with Helen Mirren earning best actress for her portrayal of a frosty Queen Elizabeth II facing the emotionally charged death of Princess Diana, Michael Sheen winning best supporting actor for his performance as British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Peter Morgan taking the screenplay award.
Frears split the best director nod with Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne for their Belgian drama L'Enfant, winner of the Palme D'or at the year's Festival de Cannes.
The other multiple winner this year was Canadian filmmaker Jennifer Baichwal, who picked up the best documentary feature and best Canadian film citations for Manufactured Landscapes, a film shot in China about the world and work of Canadian artist Edward Burtynsky.
Other TFCA awards saw Sacha Baron Cohen winning best actor for his star turn in Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, and Cate Blanchett earning best supporting actress honors for Notes On a Scandal.
Jason Reitman's Thank You For Smoking was the critics' pick for best first feature, while George Miller's Happy Feet earned top honors in the animated feature category.
- 12/20/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
TORONTO -- The Toronto Film Critics Assn. on Tuesday chose Stephen Frears' The Queen as the best picture of 2006.
The royal drama dominated the voting, with Helen Mirren earning best actress for her portrayal of a frosty Queen Elizabeth II facing the emotionally charged death of Princess Diana, Michael Sheen winning best supporting actor for his performance as British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Peter Morgan taking the screenplay award.
Frears split the best director nod with Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne for their Belgian drama L'Enfant, winner of the Palme D'or at the year's Festival de Cannes.
The other multiple winner this year was Canadian filmmaker Jennifer Baichwal, who picked up the best documentary feature and best Canadian film citations for Manufactured Landscapes, a film shot in China about the world and work of Canadian artist Edward Burtynsky.
Other TFCA awards saw Sacha Baron Cohen winning best actor for his star turn in Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, and Cate Blanchett earning best supporting actress honors for Notes On a Scandal.
Jason Reitman's Thank You For Smoking was the critics' pick for best first feature, while George Miller's Happy Feet earned top honors in the animated feature category.
The royal drama dominated the voting, with Helen Mirren earning best actress for her portrayal of a frosty Queen Elizabeth II facing the emotionally charged death of Princess Diana, Michael Sheen winning best supporting actor for his performance as British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Peter Morgan taking the screenplay award.
Frears split the best director nod with Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne for their Belgian drama L'Enfant, winner of the Palme D'or at the year's Festival de Cannes.
The other multiple winner this year was Canadian filmmaker Jennifer Baichwal, who picked up the best documentary feature and best Canadian film citations for Manufactured Landscapes, a film shot in China about the world and work of Canadian artist Edward Burtynsky.
Other TFCA awards saw Sacha Baron Cohen winning best actor for his star turn in Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, and Cate Blanchett earning best supporting actress honors for Notes On a Scandal.
Jason Reitman's Thank You For Smoking was the critics' pick for best first feature, while George Miller's Happy Feet earned top honors in the animated feature category.
- 12/20/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
TORONTO -- The Toronto Film Critics Assn. on Tuesday chose Stephen Frears' The Queen as the best picture of 2006.
The royal drama dominated the voting, with Helen Mirren earning best actress for her portrayal of a frosty Queen Elizabeth II facing the emotionally charged death of Princess Diana, Michael Sheen winning best supporting actor for his performance as British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Peter Morgan taking the screenplay award.
Frears split the best director nod with Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne for their Belgian drama L'Enfant, winner of the Palme D'or at the year's Festival de Cannes.
The other multiple winner this year was Canadian filmmaker Jennifer Baichwal, who picked up the best documentary feature and best Canadian film citations for Manufactured Landscapes, a film shot in China about the world and work of Canadian artist Edward Burtynsky.
Other TFCA awards saw Sacha Baron Cohen winning best actor for his star turn in Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, and Cate Blanchett earning best supporting actress honors for Notes On a Scandal.
Jason Reitman's Thank You For Smoking was the critics' pick for best first feature, while George Miller's Happy Feet earned top honors in the animated feature category.
The royal drama dominated the voting, with Helen Mirren earning best actress for her portrayal of a frosty Queen Elizabeth II facing the emotionally charged death of Princess Diana, Michael Sheen winning best supporting actor for his performance as British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Peter Morgan taking the screenplay award.
Frears split the best director nod with Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne for their Belgian drama L'Enfant, winner of the Palme D'or at the year's Festival de Cannes.
The other multiple winner this year was Canadian filmmaker Jennifer Baichwal, who picked up the best documentary feature and best Canadian film citations for Manufactured Landscapes, a film shot in China about the world and work of Canadian artist Edward Burtynsky.
Other TFCA awards saw Sacha Baron Cohen winning best actor for his star turn in Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, and Cate Blanchett earning best supporting actress honors for Notes On a Scandal.
Jason Reitman's Thank You For Smoking was the critics' pick for best first feature, while George Miller's Happy Feet earned top honors in the animated feature category.
- 12/20/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
TORONTO -- The Toronto International Film Festival on Tuesday stirred up controversy by releasing a Top 10 list of Canadian movies for 2006 that left out this year's top two domestic boxoffice earners.
The 2006 list, voted on by selected Canadian filmmakers, producers and critics, includes Mike Clattenburg's Trailer Park Boys: The Movie, a popcorn comedy executive produced by Ivan Reitman about ex-convicts in a Halifax trailer park complex.
The 2006 list also includes Sarah Polley's Away From Her, Zacharias Kunuk and Norman Cohn's The Journals of Knud Rasmussen, which opened the 2006 Toronto festival, and Jennifer Baichwal's Manufactured Landscapes, a feature-length documentary.
But this year's kudos ignored Erik Canuel's Bon Cop, Bad Cop, a bilingual buddy movie that earlier this year became the highest-ever Canadian boxoffice earner. Also passed over was the year's second-highest grosser, Christophe Gans' video game-inspired horror pic Silent Hill, a Canada/France co-production shot in Ontario and produced by Don Carmody and Samuel Hadida.
Toronto-based Carmody said leaving his own film and Bon Cop, Bad Cop off the 2006 Top 10 showed that the 10-member jury was out of step with the tastes of ordinary Canadian cinemagoers.
The 2006 list, voted on by selected Canadian filmmakers, producers and critics, includes Mike Clattenburg's Trailer Park Boys: The Movie, a popcorn comedy executive produced by Ivan Reitman about ex-convicts in a Halifax trailer park complex.
The 2006 list also includes Sarah Polley's Away From Her, Zacharias Kunuk and Norman Cohn's The Journals of Knud Rasmussen, which opened the 2006 Toronto festival, and Jennifer Baichwal's Manufactured Landscapes, a feature-length documentary.
But this year's kudos ignored Erik Canuel's Bon Cop, Bad Cop, a bilingual buddy movie that earlier this year became the highest-ever Canadian boxoffice earner. Also passed over was the year's second-highest grosser, Christophe Gans' video game-inspired horror pic Silent Hill, a Canada/France co-production shot in Ontario and produced by Don Carmody and Samuel Hadida.
Toronto-based Carmody said leaving his own film and Bon Cop, Bad Cop off the 2006 Top 10 showed that the 10-member jury was out of step with the tastes of ordinary Canadian cinemagoers.
- 12/12/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
NEW YORK -- Zeitgeist Films has nabbed all U.S. rights to Jennifer Baichwal's a documentary Manufactured Landscapes, following photographer Edward Burtynsky's quest to document the current industrial revolution in China and Bangladesh.
The film takes a look at the largest hydroelectric dam in the world, the Three Gorges Dam, and the impact of huge factories and globalization. "It'll make you think twice about the next appliance you buy," Zeitgeist co-president Emily Russo said.
Landscapes, which won the best Canadian feature award at this year's Toronto International Film Festival, will be released domestically in the summer.
Nick de Pencier, Daniel Iron and Baichwal produced the project. Zeitgeist released Baichwal's 1998 docu Let It Come Down: The Life of Paul Bowles
Zeitgeist's Russo negotiated the deal with Sheena Macdonald of Rhombus Media.
The film takes a look at the largest hydroelectric dam in the world, the Three Gorges Dam, and the impact of huge factories and globalization. "It'll make you think twice about the next appliance you buy," Zeitgeist co-president Emily Russo said.
Landscapes, which won the best Canadian feature award at this year's Toronto International Film Festival, will be released domestically in the summer.
Nick de Pencier, Daniel Iron and Baichwal produced the project. Zeitgeist released Baichwal's 1998 docu Let It Come Down: The Life of Paul Bowles
Zeitgeist's Russo negotiated the deal with Sheena Macdonald of Rhombus Media.
- 11/17/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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