It’s clear that meme culture has strangely seeped into the real world over the past decade, and boy, are we still facing its consequences today. How did the culture stir from wholesome trolling like getting Rickrolled to the catastrophic spiral into the Jan. 6 insurrection? The latest Netflix doc, The Antisocial Network: Memes to Mayhem, sees co-directors Giorgio Angelini and Arthur Jones of Feels Good Man—the Pepe the Frog doc— draw the timeline and try to pinpoint the moment(s) when the Agent Smiths of the far right took control of the Matrix and seeped into our daily lives. Yet their approach looks too wistfully toward the early internet days of meme culture, detracting the doc from striking any actual meaning.
Building upon the narrative of the team’s previous meme-centric project, Memes to Mayhem plays as a spiritual sequel—or supplement—as it traces the thesis back to...
Building upon the narrative of the team’s previous meme-centric project, Memes to Mayhem plays as a spiritual sequel—or supplement—as it traces the thesis back to...
- 4/5/2024
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
We’re thrilled to announce the launch of Indie Film Site Network (Ifsn), a collaboration between well-respected media outlets covering the most essential developments in independent and international cinema. Ifsn, which represents The Film Stage, Hammer to Nail, Ioncinema.com, RogerEbert.com, and Screen Anarchy, was created with a mission to support film criticism and foster an ever-growing community of indie film lovers.
In the evolving landscape of filmmaking and film criticism, the very definition of “independent” is shifting and it is our mission to work with sites and distributors that still retain that singular focus on the best in cinema. With Indie Film Site Network, we’re delighted to offer a destination for distributors and filmmakers where they know they will truly be reaching the most passionate fans of independent movies.
Through reviews, interviews, podcasts, news, special features, and extensive coverage from film festivals across the world to theatrical,...
In the evolving landscape of filmmaking and film criticism, the very definition of “independent” is shifting and it is our mission to work with sites and distributors that still retain that singular focus on the best in cinema. With Indie Film Site Network, we’re delighted to offer a destination for distributors and filmmakers where they know they will truly be reaching the most passionate fans of independent movies.
Through reviews, interviews, podcasts, news, special features, and extensive coverage from film festivals across the world to theatrical,...
- 8/31/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Wavelength, the Emmy-award winning film production company behind Feels Good Man, Cusp, and Sundance/SXSW favorite 32 Sounds, has announced a wave of new hires to support their exponential growth in the past year. The newest members of the Wavelength team include award-winning filmmaker Eric Mahoney as Head of Development and Roz Sedaghat as Head of Legal and Business Affairs. Both will work closely with Founder, CEO, and Executive Producer, Jenifer Westphal and President and Executive Producer, Joe Plummer as the company continues to expand to meet content demands.
Having doubled their growth in the past year, Wavelength’s new additions also include Associate Producer-Films Jaimi Cooks, Assistant Editor-Films Hai-Li Kong, Content Producer-Studios Justin Fischer, and Office Manager Cee Williams.
“As Wavelength expands further into the narrative space we are excited to grow our team to meet production demands.” stated Joe Plummer, President and Executive Producer at Wavelength, “With 15 films...
Having doubled their growth in the past year, Wavelength’s new additions also include Associate Producer-Films Jaimi Cooks, Assistant Editor-Films Hai-Li Kong, Content Producer-Studios Justin Fischer, and Office Manager Cee Williams.
“As Wavelength expands further into the narrative space we are excited to grow our team to meet production demands.” stated Joe Plummer, President and Executive Producer at Wavelength, “With 15 films...
- 4/4/2022
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Clean (Paul Solet)
Hard-edged, old-fashioned, and anchored by a sturdy movie star performance from Adrien Brody, Clean plays well as a socially-tinged vigilante thriller. Directed by Paul Solet (from a script he co-wrote with Brody), the film moves fast and rises above certain genre tropes. Brody plays Clean, a garbage man seeped in the sins of his past. In the opening minutes, he goes about his day: driving his early morning route before retiring to his industrial dwelling wherein he retrieves abandoned machines from a junkyard and brings them back to life. The resurrected results he sells to local pawnbroker Kurtis. – Dan M. (full review)
Where to Stream: VOD
The Fallout (Megan Park)
Quite literally saved by her little sister Amelia, school...
Clean (Paul Solet)
Hard-edged, old-fashioned, and anchored by a sturdy movie star performance from Adrien Brody, Clean plays well as a socially-tinged vigilante thriller. Directed by Paul Solet (from a script he co-wrote with Brody), the film moves fast and rises above certain genre tropes. Brody plays Clean, a garbage man seeped in the sins of his past. In the opening minutes, he goes about his day: driving his early morning route before retiring to his industrial dwelling wherein he retrieves abandoned machines from a junkyard and brings them back to life. The resurrected results he sells to local pawnbroker Kurtis. – Dan M. (full review)
Where to Stream: VOD
The Fallout (Megan Park)
Quite literally saved by her little sister Amelia, school...
- 1/28/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Mubi is kicking off the new year with a selection of our 2021 highlights, including some of which haven’t picked up proper distribution yet. Most notably, their own release, Alexandre Koberidze’s dazzling What Do We See When We Look at the Sky?, will premiere along with a New Voices in Georgian Cinema series. Also arriving is Salomé Jashi’s Taming the Garden, Ana Katz’s The Dog Who Wouldn’t Be Quiet, Alex Camilleri’s Luzzu, and Nino Martínez Sosa’s Liborio.
As part of a series of first films, they’ll also feature works from Janicza Bravo, Noah Baumbach, Garrett Bradley, Lucile Hadzihalilovic, Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, Terry Gilliam, and more. A double bill of Federico Fellini classics, Nights of Cabiria and The White Sheik, will also come to the platform.
Check out the lineup below and get 30 days free here.
January 1 | Kicking & Screaming | Noah Baumbach | First Films First
January...
As part of a series of first films, they’ll also feature works from Janicza Bravo, Noah Baumbach, Garrett Bradley, Lucile Hadzihalilovic, Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, Terry Gilliam, and more. A double bill of Federico Fellini classics, Nights of Cabiria and The White Sheik, will also come to the platform.
Check out the lineup below and get 30 days free here.
January 1 | Kicking & Screaming | Noah Baumbach | First Films First
January...
- 12/17/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Exclusive: Wavelength, the Emmy-winning film studio behind titles including Won’t You Be My Neighbor? and Farewell Amor, has signed an exclusive agreement with ICM Partners for global representation.
ICM will now represent all of the projects owned by Wavelength across the mediums of scripted and non-scripted television, documentary TV, motion pictures and digital programming. It will also act as a sales agent for the company’s motion picture projects, advising on their creation, development, financing and production, as well as other means of exploiting them, while assisting in bringing together negotiations and additional key elements.
“Wavelength has always been dedicated to honest storytelling and driving innovation,” said the studio’s President and Executive Producer, Joe Plummer. “Partnering with a renowned global agency like ICM will open new doors for us and take our projects to the next level. We couldn’t have chosen a better agency to represent our studio.
ICM will now represent all of the projects owned by Wavelength across the mediums of scripted and non-scripted television, documentary TV, motion pictures and digital programming. It will also act as a sales agent for the company’s motion picture projects, advising on their creation, development, financing and production, as well as other means of exploiting them, while assisting in bringing together negotiations and additional key elements.
“Wavelength has always been dedicated to honest storytelling and driving innovation,” said the studio’s President and Executive Producer, Joe Plummer. “Partnering with a renowned global agency like ICM will open new doors for us and take our projects to the next level. We couldn’t have chosen a better agency to represent our studio.
- 11/9/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
PBS dominated the documentary portion of this year’s News and Documentary Emmys, landing ten awards overall — including three for “Pov,” two for “Independent Lens” and two for “Frontline,” which are three of the public broadcaster’s long-running, signature series.
Netflix followed with four wins, then Showtime with three. The documentary Emmys were awarded on Wednesday by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the second of two individual ceremonies; categories honoring TV news were handed out on Tuesday.
“Tonight, we celebrate these documentary professionals who in the unprecedented year of 2020 delivered the insightful, clear, factual and timely filmmaking necessary to make sense of the tumultuous times that we live in,” said Adam Sharp, President & CEO, NATAS.
Ozy CEO Carlos Watson had originally signed on to host the documentary ceremony, but bowed out earlier this week following a New York Times article chronicling questionable claims and practices inside his company.
Netflix followed with four wins, then Showtime with three. The documentary Emmys were awarded on Wednesday by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the second of two individual ceremonies; categories honoring TV news were handed out on Tuesday.
“Tonight, we celebrate these documentary professionals who in the unprecedented year of 2020 delivered the insightful, clear, factual and timely filmmaking necessary to make sense of the tumultuous times that we live in,” said Adam Sharp, President & CEO, NATAS.
Ozy CEO Carlos Watson had originally signed on to host the documentary ceremony, but bowed out earlier this week following a New York Times article chronicling questionable claims and practices inside his company.
- 9/30/2021
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
The first movies in the lineup for the Montclair Film Festival were unveiled Friday, with the 10th annual New Jersey fest to open with Wes Anderson’s The Last Dispatch on October 21 and close October 30 with Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog.
The fest, which will be in-person with attendees vaccinated and masked, also will feature Jeymes Samuel’s Western The Harder They Fall as its Fiction Centerpiece on October 22, and will host New Jersey native Dionne Warwick and director Dave Wooley for a post-screening Q&a after the Non-Fiction Centerpiece film, Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over.
This year’s festival will also feature a free outdoor screening of The Mitchells vs. The Machines on October 14 and a screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show on October 30 at organizer Montclair Film’s new art house venue The Clairidge.
Tickets for Montclair Film members go on sale...
The fest, which will be in-person with attendees vaccinated and masked, also will feature Jeymes Samuel’s Western The Harder They Fall as its Fiction Centerpiece on October 22, and will host New Jersey native Dionne Warwick and director Dave Wooley for a post-screening Q&a after the Non-Fiction Centerpiece film, Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over.
This year’s festival will also feature a free outdoor screening of The Mitchells vs. The Machines on October 14 and a screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show on October 30 at organizer Montclair Film’s new art house venue The Clairidge.
Tickets for Montclair Film members go on sale...
- 9/17/2021
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Company had two projects selected at Sundance this year – Cusp and The Blazing World.
Jenifer Westphal’s Brooklyn-based Wavelength Productions, the producer of Farewell Amor and Sundance winners Cusp and Feels Good Man, has rebranded as Wavelength and established two divisions.
Wavelength Films is the documentary and narrative film production arm of the company, while Wavelength Studios is the commercial division aimed at creating elevated content for brands.
Five-year-old Wavelength will continue to develop, produce and finance “content that reveals out common humanity”.
Founder, CEO and executive producer Westphal said the rebrand and expansion were “the result of the hard...
Jenifer Westphal’s Brooklyn-based Wavelength Productions, the producer of Farewell Amor and Sundance winners Cusp and Feels Good Man, has rebranded as Wavelength and established two divisions.
Wavelength Films is the documentary and narrative film production arm of the company, while Wavelength Studios is the commercial division aimed at creating elevated content for brands.
Five-year-old Wavelength will continue to develop, produce and finance “content that reveals out common humanity”.
Founder, CEO and executive producer Westphal said the rebrand and expansion were “the result of the hard...
- 5/5/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Wavelength Productions, the company founded and led by producer Jenifer Westphal, unveiled a rebrand on Tuesday. The newly named Wavelength will now operate as two divisions: Wavelength Films, the documentary and narrative film production arm, and Wavelength Studios, its nascent commercials division.
The company, which counts as producing credits the documentaries Where’s My Roy Cohn?, Knock Down the House and Morgan Neville’s Won’t You Be My Neighbor? as well as the Sundance Film Festival-winning pics Cusp, Feels Good Man and Farewell Amor, will continue to focus on developing, producing and financing content with a special focus on early-career filmmakers and marginalized voices.
In addition to the rebrand, Wavelength Films said it has promoted associate producer Taylor Wildenhaus to production manager.
The Wavelength Studios division has been working behind the scenes on the commericals side but is getting its own unit as part of the new structure. It will...
The company, which counts as producing credits the documentaries Where’s My Roy Cohn?, Knock Down the House and Morgan Neville’s Won’t You Be My Neighbor? as well as the Sundance Film Festival-winning pics Cusp, Feels Good Man and Farewell Amor, will continue to focus on developing, producing and financing content with a special focus on early-career filmmakers and marginalized voices.
In addition to the rebrand, Wavelength Films said it has promoted associate producer Taylor Wildenhaus to production manager.
The Wavelength Studios division has been working behind the scenes on the commericals side but is getting its own unit as part of the new structure. It will...
- 5/4/2021
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Sharon Van Etten has officially released her cover of Daniel Johnston’s “Some Things Last a Long Time.”
As Stereogum notes, Van Etten recorded the cover, plus an original song, for the 2020 documentary, Feels Good Man, about the creator of Pepe the Frog. (It’s unclear if this had any bearing on Van Etten’s song choice, but Johnston designed a cartoon frog of his own, “Jeremiah the Innocent,” who appears on the famous Hi, How Are You? mural in Austin; Jeremiah, however, has not been adopted as a favored meme of the alt-right.
As Stereogum notes, Van Etten recorded the cover, plus an original song, for the 2020 documentary, Feels Good Man, about the creator of Pepe the Frog. (It’s unclear if this had any bearing on Van Etten’s song choice, but Johnston designed a cartoon frog of his own, “Jeremiah the Innocent,” who appears on the famous Hi, How Are You? mural in Austin; Jeremiah, however, has not been adopted as a favored meme of the alt-right.
- 4/30/2021
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Wavelength, the award-winning company behind films like “Feels Good Man” and “Farewell Amor,” has named executive Lee Beckett as vice president and head of production for its film division.
Lee will work closely with Wavelength founder and CEO Jenifer Westphal and president Joe Plummer to further the label’s mission to “tell great f—ing stories.” In her new role, Beckett will manage the day-to-day operations for Wavelength’s in-house productions and work to implement the short and long-term production needs for Wavelength Films.
“I am honored to join the Wavelength executive team at this moment of exponential growth in their film division. Their taste, integrity and drive are second to none, and it is such a privilege to join their mission to endow diverse filmmakers and find our common humanity through award-winning storytelling,” said Beckett.
Beckett joins Wavelength from ABC News where she served as vice president of original production for the documentary division,...
Lee will work closely with Wavelength founder and CEO Jenifer Westphal and president Joe Plummer to further the label’s mission to “tell great f—ing stories.” In her new role, Beckett will manage the day-to-day operations for Wavelength’s in-house productions and work to implement the short and long-term production needs for Wavelength Films.
“I am honored to join the Wavelength executive team at this moment of exponential growth in their film division. Their taste, integrity and drive are second to none, and it is such a privilege to join their mission to endow diverse filmmakers and find our common humanity through award-winning storytelling,” said Beckett.
Beckett joins Wavelength from ABC News where she served as vice president of original production for the documentary division,...
- 4/6/2021
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
The documentary film community gathered virtually on Facebook Tuesday night to chat and cheer each other on at the annual Cinema Eye Honors Awards. Oscar ballots are due Wednesday at 5pm Pt, and many documentary branch voters were on the livestream.
At the start of the evening, as we waited for the pre-taped presentation to begin, “Crip Camp” nominee Jim Lebrecht congratulated “The Dissident” director Bryan Fogel for his BAFTA nomination that morning. International Documentary Association chief Simon Kilmurry was on the chat, along with Sundance artistic director Tabitha Jackson and Kirsten (Kj) Johnson.
She took home the directing prize for “Dick Johnson is Dead,” one of nine Netflix films nominated and among three winners for the streamer, including “Rolling Thunder Revue” and non-fiction short “Love Song for Latasha.”
Many filmmakers sent in videos introducing themselves, from Martin Scorsese in New York (“Rolling Thunder Revue” won an editing award) and...
At the start of the evening, as we waited for the pre-taped presentation to begin, “Crip Camp” nominee Jim Lebrecht congratulated “The Dissident” director Bryan Fogel for his BAFTA nomination that morning. International Documentary Association chief Simon Kilmurry was on the chat, along with Sundance artistic director Tabitha Jackson and Kirsten (Kj) Johnson.
She took home the directing prize for “Dick Johnson is Dead,” one of nine Netflix films nominated and among three winners for the streamer, including “Rolling Thunder Revue” and non-fiction short “Love Song for Latasha.”
Many filmmakers sent in videos introducing themselves, from Martin Scorsese in New York (“Rolling Thunder Revue” won an editing award) and...
- 3/10/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The documentary film community gathered virtually on Facebook Tuesday night to chat and cheer each other on at the annual Cinema Eye Honors Awards. Oscar ballots are due Wednesday at 5pm Pt, and many documentary branch voters were on the livestream.
At the start of the evening, as we waited for the pre-taped presentation to begin, “Crip Camp” nominee Jim Lebrecht congratulated “The Dissident” director Bryan Fogel for his BAFTA nomination that morning. International Documentary Association chief Simon Kilmurry was on the chat, along with Sundance artistic director Tabitha Jackson and Kirsten (Kj) Johnson.
She took home the directing prize for “Dick Johnson is Dead,” one of nine Netflix films nominated and among three winners for the streamer, including “Rolling Thunder Revue” and non-fiction short “Love Song for Latasha.”
Many filmmakers sent in videos introducing themselves, from Martin Scorsese in New York (“Rolling Thunder Revue” won an editing award) and...
At the start of the evening, as we waited for the pre-taped presentation to begin, “Crip Camp” nominee Jim Lebrecht congratulated “The Dissident” director Bryan Fogel for his BAFTA nomination that morning. International Documentary Association chief Simon Kilmurry was on the chat, along with Sundance artistic director Tabitha Jackson and Kirsten (Kj) Johnson.
She took home the directing prize for “Dick Johnson is Dead,” one of nine Netflix films nominated and among three winners for the streamer, including “Rolling Thunder Revue” and non-fiction short “Love Song for Latasha.”
Many filmmakers sent in videos introducing themselves, from Martin Scorsese in New York (“Rolling Thunder Revue” won an editing award) and...
- 3/10/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
The Romanian film “Collective” has been named the best nonfiction film of 2020 at the 13th annual Cinema Eye Honors, a New York-based awards show devoted to all facets of documentary filmmaking.
Kirsten Johnson took the directing prize for “Dick Johnson Is Dead,” while the award for outstanding debut went to Garrett Bradley for “Time,” which also won for its editing.
“Boys State” won the Audience Award, the only Cinema Eye Honor category in which the public was invited to cast ballots.
The Spotlight Award, which was designed to put attention on a film that deserves wider exposure, went to “The Earth is Blue as an Orange,” directed by Iryna Tsilyk. The Heterodox Award, given to a film that combines nonfictional and fictional techniques, was won by Bill and Turner Ross’ “Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets.”
“The Truffle Hunters” won for cinematography, while “Feels Good Man” won in the graphic design or...
Kirsten Johnson took the directing prize for “Dick Johnson Is Dead,” while the award for outstanding debut went to Garrett Bradley for “Time,” which also won for its editing.
“Boys State” won the Audience Award, the only Cinema Eye Honor category in which the public was invited to cast ballots.
The Spotlight Award, which was designed to put attention on a film that deserves wider exposure, went to “The Earth is Blue as an Orange,” directed by Iryna Tsilyk. The Heterodox Award, given to a film that combines nonfictional and fictional techniques, was won by Bill and Turner Ross’ “Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets.”
“The Truffle Hunters” won for cinematography, while “Feels Good Man” won in the graphic design or...
- 3/10/2021
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Thursday revealed the 366 feature films that are eligible for consideration at the 93rd Oscars, which are set to air April 25 live on ABC.
The total number of films is up from last year’s 344 films in contention.
This year’s list was compiled based on tweaked eligibility rules implemented because of the coronavirus pandemic, which has pushed the ceremony to its latest date ever. For this year, feature films had to open by February 28 in a commercial motion picture theater for a seven-day qualifying run in at least one of six metro areas: Los Angeles County, New York City, the Bay Area, Chicago, Miami and Atlanta. Drive-in theaters open nightly were included as qualifying venues, as were films intended for theatrical release but because of the lockdown made available first via streaming, VOD service or other broadcast.
Today’s news comes...
The total number of films is up from last year’s 344 films in contention.
This year’s list was compiled based on tweaked eligibility rules implemented because of the coronavirus pandemic, which has pushed the ceremony to its latest date ever. For this year, feature films had to open by February 28 in a commercial motion picture theater for a seven-day qualifying run in at least one of six metro areas: Los Angeles County, New York City, the Bay Area, Chicago, Miami and Atlanta. Drive-in theaters open nightly were included as qualifying venues, as were films intended for theatrical release but because of the lockdown made available first via streaming, VOD service or other broadcast.
Today’s news comes...
- 2/25/2021
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
This year’s Oscars have set a new record for the largest number of entries ever in the Best Original Song category, but the 105 eligible songs do not include Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ “(If Only You Could) Save Me,” a 1930s-style big band song from “Mank” that was recently nominated for the second annual Society of Composers and Lyricists Awards.
The song is heard briefly coming from a radio in the background of one scene and plays for only about 40 seconds. Academy rules require “a clearly audible, intelligible, substantive rendition of both lyric and melody,” and the song was judged to not fulfill that requirement.
Other songs that didn’t make the list, although they were thought to be in the running, include “Uh Oh” from “Promising Young Woman” and “Boss Bitch” from “Birds of Prey.” Even without those, the list of eligible songs tops 100 for the first time...
The song is heard briefly coming from a radio in the background of one scene and plays for only about 40 seconds. Academy rules require “a clearly audible, intelligible, substantive rendition of both lyric and melody,” and the song was judged to not fulfill that requirement.
Other songs that didn’t make the list, although they were thought to be in the running, include “Uh Oh” from “Promising Young Woman” and “Boss Bitch” from “Birds of Prey.” Even without those, the list of eligible songs tops 100 for the first time...
- 2/5/2021
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Rodney Ascher’s computer-haunted documentary “A Glitch in the Matrix” is not the most insightful recent examination of boredom-born foggy Internet delusions. That honor likely goes to Arthur Jones’ antic “Feels Good Man.” Still, Ascher’s appropriately discombobulating stew of queasiness, comedy, and terror seems well-cued to the subject matter, even while missing a certain editorial sharpness that might have brought some of its notions into greater clarity.
Continue reading ‘Glitch In The Matrix’: Rodney Ascher Makes A Computer-Haunted Doc About Those That Believe ‘The Matrix’ Is Real [Sundance Review] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Glitch In The Matrix’: Rodney Ascher Makes A Computer-Haunted Doc About Those That Believe ‘The Matrix’ Is Real [Sundance Review] at The Playlist.
- 1/31/2021
- by Chris Barsanti
- The Playlist
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Thursday released its official entries for 2021 Oscars in the categories of Documentary Feature, Animated Feature and International Films. The takeaway: As expected, the eligible Documentary Feature lineup shatters the record for the most ever.
A total of 238 features are eligible for consideration in the Doc Feature category, breaking the previous record of 170 set in 2017. Last year, by contrast, 159 feature documentaries qualified. The Academy relaxed eligibility rules in light of Covid-19, so that any film that could make a claim of an intended theatrical release was deemed eligible. Earning awards from film festivals was an alternative way to qualify.
For the International Feature race, Lesotho, Sudan and Suriname are first-time entrants among the 93 eligible titles, the same total as last year. Earlier this year, the Academy’s Board of Governors boosted the number of films eligible for the shortlist from 10 to 15. Under the new rules,...
A total of 238 features are eligible for consideration in the Doc Feature category, breaking the previous record of 170 set in 2017. Last year, by contrast, 159 feature documentaries qualified. The Academy relaxed eligibility rules in light of Covid-19, so that any film that could make a claim of an intended theatrical release was deemed eligible. Earning awards from film festivals was an alternative way to qualify.
For the International Feature race, Lesotho, Sudan and Suriname are first-time entrants among the 93 eligible titles, the same total as last year. Earlier this year, the Academy’s Board of Governors boosted the number of films eligible for the shortlist from 10 to 15. Under the new rules,...
- 1/28/2021
- by Patrick Hipes and Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Another new streaming service has launched, this one a niche platform called Documentary+ dedicated solely to nonfiction films.
The free, ad-supported streaming platform is available on Thursday and was launched as a joint venture between the nonfiction studio Xtr and the late former Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh.
Documentary+ currently has a library of over 200 feature-length and short documentary films, including classics, cult favorites, true crime stories, sports films and rock docs. Some of the films in the initial catalog include “The Imposter,” “Life, Animated,” “Born Into Brothels,” “Cartel Land” and more. The service also features docs by filmmakers such as Spike Jonze, Kathryn Bigelow, Terrence Malick, Brett Morgen, Roger Ross Williams, Davis Guggenheim and Werner Herzog, including his “My Best Fiend” and “Little Dieter Learns to Fly.”
Other up-and-coming filmmakers with movies on the platform include Lana Wilson, Ramona S. Diaz, Nanfu Wang, Clay Tweel, Kareem Tabsch and Laura Gabbert.
The free, ad-supported streaming platform is available on Thursday and was launched as a joint venture between the nonfiction studio Xtr and the late former Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh.
Documentary+ currently has a library of over 200 feature-length and short documentary films, including classics, cult favorites, true crime stories, sports films and rock docs. Some of the films in the initial catalog include “The Imposter,” “Life, Animated,” “Born Into Brothels,” “Cartel Land” and more. The service also features docs by filmmakers such as Spike Jonze, Kathryn Bigelow, Terrence Malick, Brett Morgen, Roger Ross Williams, Davis Guggenheim and Werner Herzog, including his “My Best Fiend” and “Little Dieter Learns to Fly.”
Other up-and-coming filmmakers with movies on the platform include Lana Wilson, Ramona S. Diaz, Nanfu Wang, Clay Tweel, Kareem Tabsch and Laura Gabbert.
- 1/28/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
When Matt Furie created the cartoon character Pepe the Frog in 2005 for his comic Boy’s Club, the lighthearted cartoonist never imagined his quirky creation would one day be appropriated by the alt-right movement.
The green anthropomorphic frog who once hung out with his teen monster pals on the pages of Furie’s comics has morphed over the years into a symbol of hate with versions of Pepe promoting antisemitism and white supremacy (such as the frog being illustrated as Adolf Hitler).
Once shared on social media by celebrities such as Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj, Pepe caught mainstream media’s attention ...
The green anthropomorphic frog who once hung out with his teen monster pals on the pages of Furie’s comics has morphed over the years into a symbol of hate with versions of Pepe promoting antisemitism and white supremacy (such as the frog being illustrated as Adolf Hitler).
Once shared on social media by celebrities such as Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj, Pepe caught mainstream media’s attention ...
- 1/22/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Wavelength Productions is giving shine to more underrepresented voices with its second annual Wave Grant, which stands for “Women at the Very Edge.” The grant helps first-time, female or non-binary filmmakers of color with the production of their first short documentary or narrative film. This year’s recipients include Fiona Kida, Camille Ramos, and Geena Hernandez.
The three filmmakers will receive $5,000 grant as well as mentorship in the producing, development and post-production of their story as well as fundraising and distribution strategy.
Wavelength, which is the production company behind Sundance pics Feels Good Man and Farewell Amor, received an overwhelming number of candidates and as a result, they tripled their current initiative with the aforementioned three winners.
“Wavelength is honored to expand the Wave Grant to include Fiona, Camille, and Geena to pursue their careers as young filmmakers,” said Jenifer Westphal, Founder, CEO and Executive Producer at Wavelength. “We found their projects to be nuanced,...
The three filmmakers will receive $5,000 grant as well as mentorship in the producing, development and post-production of their story as well as fundraising and distribution strategy.
Wavelength, which is the production company behind Sundance pics Feels Good Man and Farewell Amor, received an overwhelming number of candidates and as a result, they tripled their current initiative with the aforementioned three winners.
“Wavelength is honored to expand the Wave Grant to include Fiona, Camille, and Geena to pursue their careers as young filmmakers,” said Jenifer Westphal, Founder, CEO and Executive Producer at Wavelength. “We found their projects to be nuanced,...
- 1/21/2021
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
The Oscars Best Documentary Feature race, which set a new record for entries in December when it passed the previous record of 170, has now left all previous years in the dust with 240 eligible films.
An additional 25 documentary features were placed in the members-only online screening room devoted to the category on Saturday, in what the Academy told voters would be “the final batch” of this year’s entries. It was the last of seven groups of documentaries that qualified and were placed into the screening room: 25 in July, 12 in August, 16 in September, 33 in October, 36 in November, a huge group of 93 in December and now 25 in January.
Academy rules put in place because of the Covid-19 pandemic made it easier than usual for documentaries to qualify for the Oscars this year, which opened the door for a field that obliterated the previous record, which was set in 2017. Films could qualify simply...
An additional 25 documentary features were placed in the members-only online screening room devoted to the category on Saturday, in what the Academy told voters would be “the final batch” of this year’s entries. It was the last of seven groups of documentaries that qualified and were placed into the screening room: 25 in July, 12 in August, 16 in September, 33 in October, 36 in November, a huge group of 93 in December and now 25 in January.
Academy rules put in place because of the Covid-19 pandemic made it easier than usual for documentaries to qualify for the Oscars this year, which opened the door for a field that obliterated the previous record, which was set in 2017. Films could qualify simply...
- 1/17/2021
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Wavelength, the New York-based indie studio behind Sundance players like “Where’s My Roy Cohn?” and “Farwell Amor,” has named producer Joe Plummer as president.
Founded by CEO Jenifer Westphal in 2015, the company recently saw Plummer serving as supervising producer across the slate. As president, he will oversee operations and spearhead development, production and investment efforts across both the film division and the newly-launched commercial division. He’s also been elevated to executive producer across all titles.
“At Wavelength, I have had the opportunity to produce ground-breaking and beautiful films and to build an unparalleled team, I’m beyond excited about what Wavelength has planned for the future,” Plummer said. “In my role as President, I will continue to develop our slate with Jen while expanding our efforts to launch emerging filmmakers and growing our commercial and branded work.”
Wavelength’s mission is to develop, produce and finance films that reveal common humanity.
Founded by CEO Jenifer Westphal in 2015, the company recently saw Plummer serving as supervising producer across the slate. As president, he will oversee operations and spearhead development, production and investment efforts across both the film division and the newly-launched commercial division. He’s also been elevated to executive producer across all titles.
“At Wavelength, I have had the opportunity to produce ground-breaking and beautiful films and to build an unparalleled team, I’m beyond excited about what Wavelength has planned for the future,” Plummer said. “In my role as President, I will continue to develop our slate with Jen while expanding our efforts to launch emerging filmmakers and growing our commercial and branded work.”
Wavelength’s mission is to develop, produce and finance films that reveal common humanity.
- 1/13/2021
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
The Academy has added 93 more films to the members-only screening room devoted to entries in the Best Documentary Feature category, bringing the total number of eligible contenders to a record-shattering 215.
The previous record for entries was 170 in 2017. And this year’s crop of nonfiction films is expected to pass that number by an even bigger margin — at least 50 — once a final, smaller group of films is added to the screening room in January.
New eligibility rules that were passed in the wake of the Covid-19 theater closings made it easier for documentaries to qualify this year by allowing them to do so by playing at film festivals, even virtual ones, and by easing requirements for theatrical runs. In an email to members detailing the new additions, the Academy said, “The Documentary Branch Executive Committee felt it was important to be inclusive and supportive of documentary filmmakers in this unprecedented and challenging year.
The previous record for entries was 170 in 2017. And this year’s crop of nonfiction films is expected to pass that number by an even bigger margin — at least 50 — once a final, smaller group of films is added to the screening room in January.
New eligibility rules that were passed in the wake of the Covid-19 theater closings made it easier for documentaries to qualify this year by allowing them to do so by playing at film festivals, even virtual ones, and by easing requirements for theatrical runs. In an email to members detailing the new additions, the Academy said, “The Documentary Branch Executive Committee felt it was important to be inclusive and supportive of documentary filmmakers in this unprecedented and challenging year.
- 12/22/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Given all the hardships of the year just past, it’s certainly understandable that some viewers eschewed some of 2020’s tougher non-fiction storytelling in favor of escapism. But even with — and sometimes because of — everything else going on, the last 12 months delivered some extraordinary documentaries, and whether or not they were directly about aspects of the pandemic, they all had a lot to say about the current state of the world.
10. “Push”: As the recent furor over water being traded as a commodity reminds us, it’s never a good idea to let Wall Street collide with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Director Fredrik Gertten takes viewers through a global crisis, in which poor people are kicked out of neighborhoods so that luxury high-rise apartments can be constructed but never occupied, purely for investment purposes. Thankfully, we also get to meet the people fighting to end this practice.
9. “American...
10. “Push”: As the recent furor over water being traded as a commodity reminds us, it’s never a good idea to let Wall Street collide with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Director Fredrik Gertten takes viewers through a global crisis, in which poor people are kicked out of neighborhoods so that luxury high-rise apartments can be constructed but never occupied, purely for investment purposes. Thankfully, we also get to meet the people fighting to end this practice.
9. “American...
- 12/22/2020
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
Cinema Eye Honors (Ceh) announced the nominees for its 14th annual awards on December 10, raising the profile of three contenders in the Documentary Feature Oscar derby. Garrett Bradley‘s “Time,” Victor Kossakovsky‘s “Gunda,” and Alexander Nanau‘s “Collective” all reaped bids for Best Documentary Feature, Direction and Editing.
“Time” leads the Ceh’s nominees with six overall, including Debut, Score and Audience Choice. “Gunda” added Cinematography to its tally for four overall, equal to the four for “Collective” which added Production. The other two films nominated for Feature are Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss‘s “Boys State” and Kirsten Johnson‘s “Dick Johnson Is Dead.”
In the last five years the group has matched with the academy’s documentary branch on three nominees, including a nomination and win last year for the eventual Oscar champ “American Factory.” With that precedent in mind, we might expect three of Ceh’s...
“Time” leads the Ceh’s nominees with six overall, including Debut, Score and Audience Choice. “Gunda” added Cinematography to its tally for four overall, equal to the four for “Collective” which added Production. The other two films nominated for Feature are Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss‘s “Boys State” and Kirsten Johnson‘s “Dick Johnson Is Dead.”
In the last five years the group has matched with the academy’s documentary branch on three nominees, including a nomination and win last year for the eventual Oscar champ “American Factory.” With that precedent in mind, we might expect three of Ceh’s...
- 12/11/2020
- by John Benutty
- Gold Derby
The influential Cinema Eye Honors nominations, voted on by documentary filmmakers, help to narrow the wide field for documentary awards contenders. Amazon Studios release “Time,” Garrett Bradley’s poetic black-and-white portrait of one family’s struggle through years of incarceration, leads the field with six nominations, including Outstanding Feature, Direction, Editing, Score and Debut.
Garnering four nominations: Alexander Nanau’s Romanian health system exposé “Collective” (Magnolia), Victor Kossakovsky’s story of a mother pig, “Gunda” (Neon), and David France’s “Welcome to Chechnya” (HBO) with four.
With three nominations each: Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss’ “Boys State” (Apple), Kirsten Johnson’s “Dick Johnson is Dead” (Netflix), Liz Garbus’ series “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark” (HBO), Gianfranco Rosi’s Italian Oscar submission “Notturno” (Super Ltd), and Michael Dweck & Gregory Kershaw’s “The Truffle Hunters” (Sony Pictures Classics).
Per usual, prolific Netflix leads all distributors/broadcasters with thirteen nominations, while HBO Documentary Films grabbed ten,...
Garnering four nominations: Alexander Nanau’s Romanian health system exposé “Collective” (Magnolia), Victor Kossakovsky’s story of a mother pig, “Gunda” (Neon), and David France’s “Welcome to Chechnya” (HBO) with four.
With three nominations each: Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss’ “Boys State” (Apple), Kirsten Johnson’s “Dick Johnson is Dead” (Netflix), Liz Garbus’ series “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark” (HBO), Gianfranco Rosi’s Italian Oscar submission “Notturno” (Super Ltd), and Michael Dweck & Gregory Kershaw’s “The Truffle Hunters” (Sony Pictures Classics).
Per usual, prolific Netflix leads all distributors/broadcasters with thirteen nominations, while HBO Documentary Films grabbed ten,...
- 12/10/2020
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The influential Cinema Eye Honors nominations, voted on by documentary filmmakers, help to narrow the wide field for documentary awards contenders. Amazon Studios release “Time,” Garrett Bradley’s poetic black-and-white portrait of one family’s struggle through years of incarceration, leads the field with six nominations, including Outstanding Feature, Direction, Editing, Score and Debut.
Garnering four nominations: Alexander Nanau’s Romanian health system exposé “Collective” (Magnolia), Victor Kossakovsky’s story of a mother pig, “Gunda” (Neon), and David France’s “Welcome to Chechnya” (HBO) with four.
With three nominations each: Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss’ “Boys State” (Apple), Kirsten Johnson’s “Dick Johnson is Dead” (Netflix), Liz Garbus’ series “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark” (HBO), Gianfranco Rosi’s Italian Oscar submission “Notturno” (Super Ltd), and Michael Dweck & Gregory Kershaw’s “The Truffle Hunters” (Sony Pictures Classics).
Per usual, prolific Netflix leads all distributors/broadcasters with thirteen nominations, while HBO Documentary Films grabbed ten,...
Garnering four nominations: Alexander Nanau’s Romanian health system exposé “Collective” (Magnolia), Victor Kossakovsky’s story of a mother pig, “Gunda” (Neon), and David France’s “Welcome to Chechnya” (HBO) with four.
With three nominations each: Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss’ “Boys State” (Apple), Kirsten Johnson’s “Dick Johnson is Dead” (Netflix), Liz Garbus’ series “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark” (HBO), Gianfranco Rosi’s Italian Oscar submission “Notturno” (Super Ltd), and Michael Dweck & Gregory Kershaw’s “The Truffle Hunters” (Sony Pictures Classics).
Per usual, prolific Netflix leads all distributors/broadcasters with thirteen nominations, while HBO Documentary Films grabbed ten,...
- 12/10/2020
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Garrett Bradley’s “Time,” which follows a family through decades of the father’s incarceration, leads all films in nominations for the 14th annual Cinema Eye Honors, a New York-based award established to honor all facets of nonfiction filmmaking.
“Time” received six nominations, including one in the Outstanding Nonfiction Feature category. There, it will compete with “Boys State,” “Collective,” “Dick Johnson Is Dead” and “Gunda.”
“Collective,” “Gunda” and “Welcome to Chechnya” each received four nominations, while “Boys State,” “Dick Johnson Is Dead,” “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark,” “Notturno” and “The Truffle Hunters” landed three each.
“Time” is now the only film to be nominated in the top category by the Cinema Eye Honors, the IDA Documentary Awards, the Critics Choice Documentary Awards and the Gotham Awards, and also receive a spot on Doc NYC’s “Short List” of awards contenders. “Gunda” was honored by four of the five groups,...
“Time” received six nominations, including one in the Outstanding Nonfiction Feature category. There, it will compete with “Boys State,” “Collective,” “Dick Johnson Is Dead” and “Gunda.”
“Collective,” “Gunda” and “Welcome to Chechnya” each received four nominations, while “Boys State,” “Dick Johnson Is Dead,” “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark,” “Notturno” and “The Truffle Hunters” landed three each.
“Time” is now the only film to be nominated in the top category by the Cinema Eye Honors, the IDA Documentary Awards, the Critics Choice Documentary Awards and the Gotham Awards, and also receive a spot on Doc NYC’s “Short List” of awards contenders. “Gunda” was honored by four of the five groups,...
- 12/10/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
“Dick Johnson is Dead” won both Best Documentary Feature and Best Director (Kirsten Johnson) at the fifth annual Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards. This Netflix film came into the competition with four bids; it lost the cinematography race to another Netflix title, “My Octopus Teacher,” and thee narration award to “David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet.” “The Way I See It” won for score while “Totally Under Control” took editing. See the full list of Ccda winners announced on November 16 below.
The six genre prizes were awarded as follows: “MLK/FBI” (Best Archival Documentary); “John Lewis: Good Trouble” (Best Historical/Biographical Documentary); both “Beastie Boys Story” and “The Go-Go’s” (Best Music Documentary); “Boys State” (Best Political Documentary”); “My Octopus Teacher” (Best Science/Nature Documentary); and both “Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes” and “Athlete A” (Best Sports Documentary).
The Shoes in the Bed title “Mr. Soul!” won one of its...
The six genre prizes were awarded as follows: “MLK/FBI” (Best Archival Documentary); “John Lewis: Good Trouble” (Best Historical/Biographical Documentary); both “Beastie Boys Story” and “The Go-Go’s” (Best Music Documentary); “Boys State” (Best Political Documentary”); “My Octopus Teacher” (Best Science/Nature Documentary); and both “Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes” and “Athlete A” (Best Sports Documentary).
The Shoes in the Bed title “Mr. Soul!” won one of its...
- 11/16/2020
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
Sharon Van Etten has released renditions of the holiday classics “Silent Night” and “Blue Christmas.”
“Silent Night,” which she recorded in 2018 for Eric Paschal Johnson’s short film The Letter, is haunting and stark, as she sings against synths. “Blue Christmas,” the B-side, takes on a lighter feel, her lithe vocals backed by guitar. Van Etten recorded it over a decade ago for 2009’s Do You Ear What I Ear, an album for the Association to Benefit Children.
“The holidays are just around the corner, and since I’m always late to the party,...
“Silent Night,” which she recorded in 2018 for Eric Paschal Johnson’s short film The Letter, is haunting and stark, as she sings against synths. “Blue Christmas,” the B-side, takes on a lighter feel, her lithe vocals backed by guitar. Van Etten recorded it over a decade ago for 2009’s Do You Ear What I Ear, an album for the Association to Benefit Children.
“The holidays are just around the corner, and since I’m always late to the party,...
- 11/12/2020
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
Exclusive: U.S. sales and distribution firm Visit Films has hired Jake Riley-Hunte, previously International Sales Manager at Bankside Films, as its new Director of Acquisitions.
Based in London, Riley-Hunte will acquire films for the company’s sales slate across all territories and for Visit’s sister distribution company Monument Releasing.
Riley-Hunte joined Bankside Films in 2015. During his five years there, he worked on movies including Hole In The Ground, Wolf, Ordinary Love and I See You. He previously graduated from Kingston University with a first class Bachelors Degree in Film Studies before attending the National Film & Television School in Beaconsfield, obtaining a Masters Degree in producing. His graduation film Sweet Maddie Stone, starring Jessica Barden, won the Grand Prix award at Encounters Film Festival in 2016.
Ryan Kampe, president of Visit Films, stated: “I am so excited to welcome Jake to the team. I believe that his understanding of the...
Based in London, Riley-Hunte will acquire films for the company’s sales slate across all territories and for Visit’s sister distribution company Monument Releasing.
Riley-Hunte joined Bankside Films in 2015. During his five years there, he worked on movies including Hole In The Ground, Wolf, Ordinary Love and I See You. He previously graduated from Kingston University with a first class Bachelors Degree in Film Studies before attending the National Film & Television School in Beaconsfield, obtaining a Masters Degree in producing. His graduation film Sweet Maddie Stone, starring Jessica Barden, won the Grand Prix award at Encounters Film Festival in 2016.
Ryan Kampe, president of Visit Films, stated: “I am so excited to welcome Jake to the team. I believe that his understanding of the...
- 11/10/2020
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
The Academy dropped another 33 feature films into the online screening room for members of its Documentary Branch on Oct. 30, giving the Oscars doc race its biggest influx of new films to date. The branch now has 86 films to consider, with two or three more batches of films (and potentially more than 50 additional contenders) likely to be added to the field by early January.
Coming the same week that the Critics Choice Documentary Awards announced its nominees and the International Documentary Association’s Ida Documentary Awards revealed the 30-film shortlist from which it will make its final choices, the Academy move kicked the Oscar doc race into another gear in a year that promises to be highly competitive.
Among the docs that were made available to voters this week were Bryce Dallas Howard’s film about fatherhood, “Dads,” which means she’ll be competing against her father, Ron Howard, who is...
Coming the same week that the Critics Choice Documentary Awards announced its nominees and the International Documentary Association’s Ida Documentary Awards revealed the 30-film shortlist from which it will make its final choices, the Academy move kicked the Oscar doc race into another gear in a year that promises to be highly competitive.
Among the docs that were made available to voters this week were Bryce Dallas Howard’s film about fatherhood, “Dads,” which means she’ll be competing against her father, Ron Howard, who is...
- 11/2/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Three films lead the fifth annual Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards with five nominations apiece. “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution” and “Gunda,” both nabbed nominations for Best Documentary Feature and Best Director as well as three others apiece while “Mr. Soul!” was nominated for Best Documentary Feature and Best First Documentary Feature as well as three more.
Netflix led the way of all distributors with an impressive 31 nominations. In addition to “Crip Camp,” the studio also earned Best Documentary Feature bids forr “Athlete A,” “Dick Johnson Is Dead,” “My Octopus Teacher,” “A Secret Love,” and “The Social Dilemma.” Rounding out the top category nominees are “Belushi” and “The Go-Gos” from Showtime, “Feels Good Man” from Wavelength and PBS Independent, “The Fight” from Magnolia, “The Painter and the Thief” from Neon, and “Time” from Amazon. “Gunda” is Neon’s second nominee and “Mr. Soul!” comes to us from Shoes in the Bed.
Netflix led the way of all distributors with an impressive 31 nominations. In addition to “Crip Camp,” the studio also earned Best Documentary Feature bids forr “Athlete A,” “Dick Johnson Is Dead,” “My Octopus Teacher,” “A Secret Love,” and “The Social Dilemma.” Rounding out the top category nominees are “Belushi” and “The Go-Gos” from Showtime, “Feels Good Man” from Wavelength and PBS Independent, “The Fight” from Magnolia, “The Painter and the Thief” from Neon, and “Time” from Amazon. “Gunda” is Neon’s second nominee and “Mr. Soul!” comes to us from Shoes in the Bed.
- 10/26/2020
- by John Benutty
- Gold Derby
“Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution,” “Gunda” and “Mr. Soul” lead the fifth annual Critics Choice Association’s documentary nominations, with five apiece. Among the eclectic list of nominees are Taylor Swift, Greta Thunberg, veteran filmmaker Werner Herzog and longtime disability advocate Judith Heumann, as well as docs about such notables as John Lewis, Muhammad Ali, Bruce Lee and Frank Zappa.
Recognized with four nominations each are “Athlete A,” “Dick Johnson Is Dead,” “My Octopus Teacher” and “Totally Under Control.”
In terms of distributors, Netflix led with 31 nominations, followed by Neon with 14 and Magnolia Pictures with nine. Showtime had six, while HBO, Amazon, National Geographic, PBS Independent Lens and Shoes in the Bed Productions earned five each.
It’s the fifth annual documentary honors for the group, honoring projects released in theaters, on TV and on major digital platforms, as determined by the voting of Cca members. Winners will be announced at a presentation on Nov.
Recognized with four nominations each are “Athlete A,” “Dick Johnson Is Dead,” “My Octopus Teacher” and “Totally Under Control.”
In terms of distributors, Netflix led with 31 nominations, followed by Neon with 14 and Magnolia Pictures with nine. Showtime had six, while HBO, Amazon, National Geographic, PBS Independent Lens and Shoes in the Bed Productions earned five each.
It’s the fifth annual documentary honors for the group, honoring projects released in theaters, on TV and on major digital platforms, as determined by the voting of Cca members. Winners will be announced at a presentation on Nov.
- 10/26/2020
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
“Crip Camp,” “Gunda” and “Mr. Soul!” led all films in nominations for the fifth annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards, which were announced on Monday by the Critics Choice Association.
The three films each received five nominations, including nods in the Best Documentary Feature category. As usual, that category cast a very wide net and contains far more nominees than other awards for nonfiction filmmaking — 14 this year, with nominations also going to “Athlete A,” “Belushi,” “Dick Johnson Is Dead,” “Feels Good Man,” “The Fight,” “The Go-Go’s,” “My Octopus Teacher,” “The Painter and the Thief,” “A Secret Love,” “The Social Dilemma” and “Time.”
Films with four nominations are “Athlete A,” “Dick Johnson Is Dead,” “Octopus Teacher” and “Totally Under Control.”
The list was missing many of the year’s most acclaimed nonfiction films, including “Welcome to Chechnya,” “The Dissident,” “Collective,” “Disclosure,” “76 Days” and “On the Record,” none of which received any nominations.
The three films each received five nominations, including nods in the Best Documentary Feature category. As usual, that category cast a very wide net and contains far more nominees than other awards for nonfiction filmmaking — 14 this year, with nominations also going to “Athlete A,” “Belushi,” “Dick Johnson Is Dead,” “Feels Good Man,” “The Fight,” “The Go-Go’s,” “My Octopus Teacher,” “The Painter and the Thief,” “A Secret Love,” “The Social Dilemma” and “Time.”
Films with four nominations are “Athlete A,” “Dick Johnson Is Dead,” “Octopus Teacher” and “Totally Under Control.”
The list was missing many of the year’s most acclaimed nonfiction films, including “Welcome to Chechnya,” “The Dissident,” “Collective,” “Disclosure,” “76 Days” and “On the Record,” none of which received any nominations.
- 10/26/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
In a year packed with superb documentaries, the Critics Choice Association Documentary Awards nominations, which honor the best non-fiction achievements of 2020, will help other awards groups to winnow down the list of must-sees. “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution” (Netflix), “Gunda” (Neon), and “Mr. Soul!” lead this year’s nominations with five each. Netflix leads the field with 31 nominations, followed by Neon with 14 and Magnolia Pictures with nine.
“The Documentary Branch faced its greatest task yet considering the quantity and quality of nonfiction cinema released this year,” said Christopher Campbell, President of the Critics Choice Association Documentary Branch, in an official statement. “Ultimately, these nominees represent the best of the best of a remarkably fruitful moment for documentary filmmaking.”
Winners will be announced on November 16, 2020.
The Sundance debut “Crip Camp” is nominated for Best Documentary Feature, and also earned nods for James Lebrecht and Nicole Newnham for Best Director, along with Best Editing,...
“The Documentary Branch faced its greatest task yet considering the quantity and quality of nonfiction cinema released this year,” said Christopher Campbell, President of the Critics Choice Association Documentary Branch, in an official statement. “Ultimately, these nominees represent the best of the best of a remarkably fruitful moment for documentary filmmaking.”
Winners will be announced on November 16, 2020.
The Sundance debut “Crip Camp” is nominated for Best Documentary Feature, and also earned nods for James Lebrecht and Nicole Newnham for Best Director, along with Best Editing,...
- 10/26/2020
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
In a year packed with superb documentaries, the Critics Choice Association Documentary Awards nominations, which honor the best non-fiction achievements of 2020, will help other awards groups to winnow down the list of must-sees. “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution” (Netflix), “Gunda” (Neon), and “Mr. Soul!” lead this year’s nominations with five each. Netflix leads the field with 31 nominations, followed by Neon with 14 and Magnolia Pictures with nine.
“The Documentary Branch faced its greatest task yet considering the quantity and quality of nonfiction cinema released this year,” said Christopher Campbell, President of the Critics Choice Association Documentary Branch, in an official statement. “Ultimately, these nominees represent the best of the best of a remarkably fruitful moment for documentary filmmaking.”
Winners will be announced on November 16, 2020.
The Sundance debut “Crip Camp” is nominated for Best Documentary Feature, and also earned nods for James Lebrecht and Nicole Newnham for Best Director, along with Best Editing,...
“The Documentary Branch faced its greatest task yet considering the quantity and quality of nonfiction cinema released this year,” said Christopher Campbell, President of the Critics Choice Association Documentary Branch, in an official statement. “Ultimately, these nominees represent the best of the best of a remarkably fruitful moment for documentary filmmaking.”
Winners will be announced on November 16, 2020.
The Sundance debut “Crip Camp” is nominated for Best Documentary Feature, and also earned nods for James Lebrecht and Nicole Newnham for Best Director, along with Best Editing,...
- 10/26/2020
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
In what is signaling a very good year for documentaries, the Critics’ Choice Association on Monday announced its list of nominations for the fifth annual Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards, and if the past is any clue it could be an indicator of what to expect from the Oscars next spring.
With an inclusive list, to say the least, of about 50 films from approximately 200 submissions, three docs led the way with five noms apiece: Mr. Soul, about a historic Black TV show; Gunda, a touching film about the daily life of a pig and farm companions from exec producer Joaquin Phoenix; and Netflix’s Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution, an archival film about a summer camp catering to disabled young people.
Close behind with four nods each were Alex Gibney’s striking Covid-19 docu Totally Under Control that was actually just completed about two weeks ago; the personal story of a father and daugher, Dick Johnson Is Dead; the remarkable nature doc My Octopus Teacher; and gymnastics scandal pic Athlete A. The latter three hail from Netflix, which swamped the competition with 31 nominations, a more than 2-to-1 distance between next closest distributor Neon with 14. They are the only two distributors to reach double digits.
Overall the critics were in a generous mood, offering 15 films noms for Best Documentary Feature alone.
“At a unique time for the entertainment industry and the world, documentaries are more important and fortunately more abundant and more available and more essential than ever,” said Christopher Campbell, president of the documentary branch of Cca. “In 2020, documentaries have taken us to places and shown us perspectives we’ve never experienced before. They’ve chronicled events and life stories that are enlightening and enthralling — and sometimes frightening. It is a great honor for the Cca to celebrate these stories and subjects and shed light on the work of so many incredible filmmakers. The Documentary Branch faced its greatest task yet considering the quantity and quality of nonfiction cinema released this year. Ultimately, these nominees represent the best of the best of a remarkably fruitful moment for documentary filmmaking.”
Nominees were selected by Critics’ Choice members who were divided into five committees to whittle down the field.
Belushi (Showtime)
Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (Netflix)
Dick Johnson is Dead (Netflix)
Feels Good Man (Wavelength Productions/PBS Independent Lens)
The Fight (Magnolia Pictures)
The Go-Go’s (Showtime)
Gunda (Neon)
Mr. Soul! (Shoes in the Bed Productions)
My Octopus Teacher (Netflix)
The Painter and the Thief (Neon)
A Secret Love (Netflix)
The Social Dilemma (Netflix)
Time (Amazon Studios)
Best Director
Garrett Bradley, Time (Amazon Studios)
Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk, Athlete A (Netflix)
Kirsten Johnson, Dick Johnson is Dead (Netflix)
Victor Kossakovsky, Gunda (Neon)
James Lebrecht and Nicole Newnham, Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (Netflix)
Dawn Porter, John Lewis: Good Trouble (Magnolia Pictures)
Benjamin Ree, The Painter and the Thief (Neon)
Best First Documentary Feature
Robert S. Bader, Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes (HBO)
Chris Bolan, A Secret Love (Netflix)
Melissa Haizlip, Mr. Soul! (Shoes in the Bed Productions)
Arthur Jones, Feels Good Man (Wavelength Productions/PBS Independent Lens)
Elizabeth Leiter and Kim Woodard, Jane Goodall: The Hope (National Geographic)
Elizabeth Lo, Stray (Magnolia Pictures)
Sasha Joseph Neulinger, Rewind (Grizzly Creek Films/PBS Independent Lens)
Best Cinematography
Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw, The Truffle Hunters (Sony Pictures Classics)
Roger Horrocks, My Octopus Teacher (Netflix)
Kirsten Johnson, Dick Johnson is Dead (Netflix)
Victor Kossakovsky and Egil Håskjold Larsen, Gunda (Neon)
Scott Ressler, Neil Gelinas and Stefan Wiesen, The Last Ice (National Geographic)
Gianfranco Rosi, Notturno (Stemal Entertainment)
Ruben Woodin Dechamps, The Reason I Jump (Kino Lorber)
Best Editing
Don Bernier, Athlete A (Netflix)
Eli Despres, Greg Finton and Kim Roberts, The Fight (Magnolia Pictures)
Lindy Jankura and Alex Keipper, Totally Under Control (Neon)
Helen Kearns, Assassins (Greenwich Entertainment)
Victor Kossakovsky and Ainara Vera, Gunda (Neon)
Eileen Meyer and Andrew Gersh, Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (Netflix)
Charlotte Munch Bengtsen, The Truffle Hunters (Sony Pictures Classics)
Best Score
Ari Balouzian and Ryan Hope, Feels Good Man (Wavelength Productions/PBS Independent Lens)
Marco Beltrami, Brandon Roberts and Buck Sanders, The Way I See It (Focus Features)
Tyler Durham, Sven Faulconer and Xander Rodzinski, The Last Ice (National Geographic)
Peter Nashel and Brian Deming, Totally Under Control (Neon)
Daniel Pemberton, Rising Phoenix (Netflix)
Jeff Tweedy, Long Gone Summer (ESPN)
Jeff Tweedy, Spencer Tweedy and Sammy Tweedy, Showbiz Kids (HBO)
Best Narration
David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet (Netflix)
David Attenborough, Narrator
David Attenborough, Writer
Dick Johnson is Dead (Netflix)
Kirsten Johnson, Narrator
Kirsten Johnson, Writer
Fireball: Visitors From Darker Worlds (Apple)
Werner Herzog, Narrator
Werner Herzog, Writer
Mr. Soul! (Shoes in the Bed Productions)
Blair Underwood, Narrator
Melissa Haizlip, Writer
My Octopus Teacher (Netflix)
Craig Foster, Narrator
Craig Foster, Writer
Time (Amazon Studios)
Fox Rich, Narrator
Fox Rich, Writer
Totally Under Control (Neon)
Alex Gibney, Narrator
Alex Gibney, Writer
Best Archival Documentary
Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes (HBO)
Belushi (Showtime)
Class Action Park (HBO Max)
Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (Netflix)
MLK/FBI (Field of Vision/IFC Films)
Mr. Soul! (Shoes in the Bed Productions)
Spaceship Earth (Neon)
Best Historical/Biographical Documentary
Belushi (Showtime)
Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (Netflix)
Howard (Disney+)
John Lewis: Good Trouble (Magnolia Pictures)
Mr. Soul! (Shoes in the Bed Production)
Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado (Netflix)
Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind (HBO)
Best Music Documentary
Beastie Boys Story (Apple)
Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowan (Magnolia Pictures)
The Go-Go’s (Showtime)
Laurel Canyon (Epix)
Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band (Magnolia Pictures)
Other Music (Factory 25)
Zappa (Magnolia Pictures)
Best Political Documentary
All In: The Fight for Democracy (Amazon Studios)
Boys State (Apple)
John Lewis: Good Trouble (Magnolia Pictures)
MLK/FBI (Field of Vision/IFC Films)
The Social Dilemma (Netflix)
Totally Under Control (Neon)
The Way I See It (Focus Features)
Best Science/Nature Documentary
Coded Bias (7th Empire Media/PBS Independent Lens)
Fantastic Fungi (Moving Art)
Gunda (Neon)
I Am Greta (Hulu)
The Last Ice (National Geographic)
My Octopus Teacher (Netflix)
Spaceship Earth (Neon)
Best Sports Documentary
Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes (HBO)
Athlete A (Netflix)
Be Water (ESPN)
A Most Beautiful Thing (50 Eggs Films)
Red Penguins (Universal Pictures)
Rising Phoenix (Netflix)
You Cannot Kill David Arquette (Super Ltd)
Best Short Documentary
Blackfeet Boxing: Not Invisible (ESPN)
(Directors: Kristen Lappas and Tom Rinaldi. Producers: Craig Lazarus, José Morales, Lindsay Rovegno, Victor Vitarelli and Ben Webber)
The Claudia Kishi Club (Netflix)
(Director and Producer: Sue Ding)
Crescendo! (Quibi)
(Director: Alex Mallis. Producers: Matt O’Neill and Perri Peltz)
Elevator Pitch (Field of Vision)
(Director and Producer: Martyna Starosta)
Hunger Ward (Spin Film/Vulcan Productions/Ryot Films)
(Director and Producer: Skye Fitzgerald. Producer: Michael Scheuerman)
Into the Fire (National Geographic)
(Director: Orlando von Einsiedel. Producers: Mark Bauch, Harri Grace and Dan Lin)
My Father the Mover (MTV Documentary Films)
(Director: Julia Jansch. Producer: Mandilakhe Yengo)
The Rifleman (Field of Vision)
(Director: Sierra Pettengill. Producer: Arielle de Saint Phalle)
The Speed Cubers (Netflix)
(Director and Producer: Sue Kim. Producers: Evan Krauss and Chris Romano)
St. Louis Superman (MTV Documentary Films)
(Directors and Producers: Sami Khan and Smriti Mundhra. Producer: Poh Si Teng)
Most Compelling Living Subjects Of A Documentary (Honor)
Dr. Rick Bright – Totally Under Control (Neon)
Steven Garza – Boys State (Apple)
The Go-Go’s – The Go-Go’s (Showtime)
Judith Heumann – Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (Netflix)
Dick Johnson – Dick Johnson is Dead (Netflix)
Maggie Nichols, Rachael Denhollander, Jamie Dantzscher – Athlete A (Netflix)
Fox Rich – Time (Amazon)
Pete Souza – The Way I See It (Focus Features)
Taylor Swift – Miss Americana (Netflix)
Greta Thunberg – I Am Greta (Hulu)
Distributor Nominations
Netflix: 31
Neon: 14
Magnolia Pictures: 9
Showtime: 6
Amazon Studios: 5
HBO: 5
National Geographic: 5
PBS Independent Lens: 5
Shoes in the Bed Productions: 5
Apple: 4
ESPN: 3
Focus Features: 3
Wavelength Productions: 3
Field of Vision: 2
Hulu: 2
IFC: 2
MTV Documentary Films: 2
Sony: 2
7th Empire Media: 1
50 Eggs Films: 1
Disney+: 1
Epix: 1
Factory 25: 1
Greenwich Entertainment: 1
Grizzly Creek Films: 1
HBO Max: 1
Kino Lorber: 1
Moving Art: 1
Quibi: 1
Spin Film/Vulcan Productions/Ryot Films: 1
Stemal Entertainment: 1
Super Ltd: 1
Universal: 1...
With an inclusive list, to say the least, of about 50 films from approximately 200 submissions, three docs led the way with five noms apiece: Mr. Soul, about a historic Black TV show; Gunda, a touching film about the daily life of a pig and farm companions from exec producer Joaquin Phoenix; and Netflix’s Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution, an archival film about a summer camp catering to disabled young people.
Close behind with four nods each were Alex Gibney’s striking Covid-19 docu Totally Under Control that was actually just completed about two weeks ago; the personal story of a father and daugher, Dick Johnson Is Dead; the remarkable nature doc My Octopus Teacher; and gymnastics scandal pic Athlete A. The latter three hail from Netflix, which swamped the competition with 31 nominations, a more than 2-to-1 distance between next closest distributor Neon with 14. They are the only two distributors to reach double digits.
Overall the critics were in a generous mood, offering 15 films noms for Best Documentary Feature alone.
“At a unique time for the entertainment industry and the world, documentaries are more important and fortunately more abundant and more available and more essential than ever,” said Christopher Campbell, president of the documentary branch of Cca. “In 2020, documentaries have taken us to places and shown us perspectives we’ve never experienced before. They’ve chronicled events and life stories that are enlightening and enthralling — and sometimes frightening. It is a great honor for the Cca to celebrate these stories and subjects and shed light on the work of so many incredible filmmakers. The Documentary Branch faced its greatest task yet considering the quantity and quality of nonfiction cinema released this year. Ultimately, these nominees represent the best of the best of a remarkably fruitful moment for documentary filmmaking.”
Nominees were selected by Critics’ Choice members who were divided into five committees to whittle down the field.
Belushi (Showtime)
Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (Netflix)
Dick Johnson is Dead (Netflix)
Feels Good Man (Wavelength Productions/PBS Independent Lens)
The Fight (Magnolia Pictures)
The Go-Go’s (Showtime)
Gunda (Neon)
Mr. Soul! (Shoes in the Bed Productions)
My Octopus Teacher (Netflix)
The Painter and the Thief (Neon)
A Secret Love (Netflix)
The Social Dilemma (Netflix)
Time (Amazon Studios)
Best Director
Garrett Bradley, Time (Amazon Studios)
Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk, Athlete A (Netflix)
Kirsten Johnson, Dick Johnson is Dead (Netflix)
Victor Kossakovsky, Gunda (Neon)
James Lebrecht and Nicole Newnham, Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (Netflix)
Dawn Porter, John Lewis: Good Trouble (Magnolia Pictures)
Benjamin Ree, The Painter and the Thief (Neon)
Best First Documentary Feature
Robert S. Bader, Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes (HBO)
Chris Bolan, A Secret Love (Netflix)
Melissa Haizlip, Mr. Soul! (Shoes in the Bed Productions)
Arthur Jones, Feels Good Man (Wavelength Productions/PBS Independent Lens)
Elizabeth Leiter and Kim Woodard, Jane Goodall: The Hope (National Geographic)
Elizabeth Lo, Stray (Magnolia Pictures)
Sasha Joseph Neulinger, Rewind (Grizzly Creek Films/PBS Independent Lens)
Best Cinematography
Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw, The Truffle Hunters (Sony Pictures Classics)
Roger Horrocks, My Octopus Teacher (Netflix)
Kirsten Johnson, Dick Johnson is Dead (Netflix)
Victor Kossakovsky and Egil Håskjold Larsen, Gunda (Neon)
Scott Ressler, Neil Gelinas and Stefan Wiesen, The Last Ice (National Geographic)
Gianfranco Rosi, Notturno (Stemal Entertainment)
Ruben Woodin Dechamps, The Reason I Jump (Kino Lorber)
Best Editing
Don Bernier, Athlete A (Netflix)
Eli Despres, Greg Finton and Kim Roberts, The Fight (Magnolia Pictures)
Lindy Jankura and Alex Keipper, Totally Under Control (Neon)
Helen Kearns, Assassins (Greenwich Entertainment)
Victor Kossakovsky and Ainara Vera, Gunda (Neon)
Eileen Meyer and Andrew Gersh, Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (Netflix)
Charlotte Munch Bengtsen, The Truffle Hunters (Sony Pictures Classics)
Best Score
Ari Balouzian and Ryan Hope, Feels Good Man (Wavelength Productions/PBS Independent Lens)
Marco Beltrami, Brandon Roberts and Buck Sanders, The Way I See It (Focus Features)
Tyler Durham, Sven Faulconer and Xander Rodzinski, The Last Ice (National Geographic)
Peter Nashel and Brian Deming, Totally Under Control (Neon)
Daniel Pemberton, Rising Phoenix (Netflix)
Jeff Tweedy, Long Gone Summer (ESPN)
Jeff Tweedy, Spencer Tweedy and Sammy Tweedy, Showbiz Kids (HBO)
Best Narration
David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet (Netflix)
David Attenborough, Narrator
David Attenborough, Writer
Dick Johnson is Dead (Netflix)
Kirsten Johnson, Narrator
Kirsten Johnson, Writer
Fireball: Visitors From Darker Worlds (Apple)
Werner Herzog, Narrator
Werner Herzog, Writer
Mr. Soul! (Shoes in the Bed Productions)
Blair Underwood, Narrator
Melissa Haizlip, Writer
My Octopus Teacher (Netflix)
Craig Foster, Narrator
Craig Foster, Writer
Time (Amazon Studios)
Fox Rich, Narrator
Fox Rich, Writer
Totally Under Control (Neon)
Alex Gibney, Narrator
Alex Gibney, Writer
Best Archival Documentary
Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes (HBO)
Belushi (Showtime)
Class Action Park (HBO Max)
Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (Netflix)
MLK/FBI (Field of Vision/IFC Films)
Mr. Soul! (Shoes in the Bed Productions)
Spaceship Earth (Neon)
Best Historical/Biographical Documentary
Belushi (Showtime)
Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (Netflix)
Howard (Disney+)
John Lewis: Good Trouble (Magnolia Pictures)
Mr. Soul! (Shoes in the Bed Production)
Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado (Netflix)
Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind (HBO)
Best Music Documentary
Beastie Boys Story (Apple)
Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowan (Magnolia Pictures)
The Go-Go’s (Showtime)
Laurel Canyon (Epix)
Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band (Magnolia Pictures)
Other Music (Factory 25)
Zappa (Magnolia Pictures)
Best Political Documentary
All In: The Fight for Democracy (Amazon Studios)
Boys State (Apple)
John Lewis: Good Trouble (Magnolia Pictures)
MLK/FBI (Field of Vision/IFC Films)
The Social Dilemma (Netflix)
Totally Under Control (Neon)
The Way I See It (Focus Features)
Best Science/Nature Documentary
Coded Bias (7th Empire Media/PBS Independent Lens)
Fantastic Fungi (Moving Art)
Gunda (Neon)
I Am Greta (Hulu)
The Last Ice (National Geographic)
My Octopus Teacher (Netflix)
Spaceship Earth (Neon)
Best Sports Documentary
Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes (HBO)
Athlete A (Netflix)
Be Water (ESPN)
A Most Beautiful Thing (50 Eggs Films)
Red Penguins (Universal Pictures)
Rising Phoenix (Netflix)
You Cannot Kill David Arquette (Super Ltd)
Best Short Documentary
Blackfeet Boxing: Not Invisible (ESPN)
(Directors: Kristen Lappas and Tom Rinaldi. Producers: Craig Lazarus, José Morales, Lindsay Rovegno, Victor Vitarelli and Ben Webber)
The Claudia Kishi Club (Netflix)
(Director and Producer: Sue Ding)
Crescendo! (Quibi)
(Director: Alex Mallis. Producers: Matt O’Neill and Perri Peltz)
Elevator Pitch (Field of Vision)
(Director and Producer: Martyna Starosta)
Hunger Ward (Spin Film/Vulcan Productions/Ryot Films)
(Director and Producer: Skye Fitzgerald. Producer: Michael Scheuerman)
Into the Fire (National Geographic)
(Director: Orlando von Einsiedel. Producers: Mark Bauch, Harri Grace and Dan Lin)
My Father the Mover (MTV Documentary Films)
(Director: Julia Jansch. Producer: Mandilakhe Yengo)
The Rifleman (Field of Vision)
(Director: Sierra Pettengill. Producer: Arielle de Saint Phalle)
The Speed Cubers (Netflix)
(Director and Producer: Sue Kim. Producers: Evan Krauss and Chris Romano)
St. Louis Superman (MTV Documentary Films)
(Directors and Producers: Sami Khan and Smriti Mundhra. Producer: Poh Si Teng)
Most Compelling Living Subjects Of A Documentary (Honor)
Dr. Rick Bright – Totally Under Control (Neon)
Steven Garza – Boys State (Apple)
The Go-Go’s – The Go-Go’s (Showtime)
Judith Heumann – Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (Netflix)
Dick Johnson – Dick Johnson is Dead (Netflix)
Maggie Nichols, Rachael Denhollander, Jamie Dantzscher – Athlete A (Netflix)
Fox Rich – Time (Amazon)
Pete Souza – The Way I See It (Focus Features)
Taylor Swift – Miss Americana (Netflix)
Greta Thunberg – I Am Greta (Hulu)
Distributor Nominations
Netflix: 31
Neon: 14
Magnolia Pictures: 9
Showtime: 6
Amazon Studios: 5
HBO: 5
National Geographic: 5
PBS Independent Lens: 5
Shoes in the Bed Productions: 5
Apple: 4
ESPN: 3
Focus Features: 3
Wavelength Productions: 3
Field of Vision: 2
Hulu: 2
IFC: 2
MTV Documentary Films: 2
Sony: 2
7th Empire Media: 1
50 Eggs Films: 1
Disney+: 1
Epix: 1
Factory 25: 1
Greenwich Entertainment: 1
Grizzly Creek Films: 1
HBO Max: 1
Kino Lorber: 1
Moving Art: 1
Quibi: 1
Spin Film/Vulcan Productions/Ryot Films: 1
Stemal Entertainment: 1
Super Ltd: 1
Universal: 1...
- 10/26/2020
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
It makes sense that this year’s AFI Fest closed on Thursday night with the premiere of director Errol Morris’ wild and entertaining documentary “My Psychedelic Love Story.” In a year in which reality has smacked all of us in the face, nonfiction filmmaking is in the spotlight more than ever, from a string of docs that deal with issues at stake in the upcoming election to more freewheeling works like Morris’ film, a Wtf concoction from a director who only gets this playful once in a while.
It’s undeniable that the Oscars race for Best Picture is off to a slow start, with fewer films than usual playing the scaled-down fall film festivals and studios reluctant to commit to theatrical openings as the pandemic stretches on. But the race for Best Documentary Feature promises to be a robust one. More than 50 films are now available in the Academy...
It’s undeniable that the Oscars race for Best Picture is off to a slow start, with fewer films than usual playing the scaled-down fall film festivals and studios reluctant to commit to theatrical openings as the pandemic stretches on. But the race for Best Documentary Feature promises to be a robust one. More than 50 films are now available in the Academy...
- 10/23/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Sharon Van Etten has released a new song, “Let Go,” which will be featured in the upcoming documentary, Feels Good Man, about the history behind the internet meme Pepe the Frog.
As anyone who was too online during the 2016 election knows, Pepe the Frog, originally created by artist Matt Furie, began as a peaceful, stoner-related meme before being co-opted by alt-right and Neo-Nazi communities on websites such as 4chan. As documented in Feels Good Man, Furie has spent much of the past few years trying to regain artistic control of...
As anyone who was too online during the 2016 election knows, Pepe the Frog, originally created by artist Matt Furie, began as a peaceful, stoner-related meme before being co-opted by alt-right and Neo-Nazi communities on websites such as 4chan. As documented in Feels Good Man, Furie has spent much of the past few years trying to regain artistic control of...
- 10/13/2020
- by Claire Shaffer
- Rollingstone.com
Exclusive: Xtr, the non-fiction studio behind films including wrestling doc You Cannot Kill David Arquette and the upcoming Magic Johnson feature doc, has secured a multi-million dollar investment from former Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh.
The company, which was set up by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker and Ryot co-founder Bryn Mooser, has secured $17.5M and will allocate money for its own production slate, as a finishing fund to complete titles from doc filmmakers and for its upcoming documentary streaming service Documentary Plus.
Hsieh spent 21 years at the Amazon-owned shoe company as retired as CEO in August 2020. He previously co-founded Internet advertising network LinkExchange, which he sold to Microsoft in 1998 for $265M.
Xtr scored deals for a number of its documentaries this summer including the Walter Mercado-led film Mucho Mucho Amor with Netflix, Sundance Award-Winner Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets at Utopia, ACLU drama The Fight with Magnolia, You Cannot Kill David...
The company, which was set up by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker and Ryot co-founder Bryn Mooser, has secured $17.5M and will allocate money for its own production slate, as a finishing fund to complete titles from doc filmmakers and for its upcoming documentary streaming service Documentary Plus.
Hsieh spent 21 years at the Amazon-owned shoe company as retired as CEO in August 2020. He previously co-founded Internet advertising network LinkExchange, which he sold to Microsoft in 1998 for $265M.
Xtr scored deals for a number of its documentaries this summer including the Walter Mercado-led film Mucho Mucho Amor with Netflix, Sundance Award-Winner Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets at Utopia, ACLU drama The Fight with Magnolia, You Cannot Kill David...
- 10/7/2020
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Now in its second year, Wavelength Productions is opening submissions for its annual Wave (Women at the Very Edge) Grant which supports women and non-binary individuals of color with a $5,000 grant and mentorship from Wavelength, the production company behind 2020 Sundance titles Feels Good Man, Spaceship Earth and Farewell Amor. Submissions will be open until December 1.
The Wave Grant looks to help a first-time filmmaker with the production of their first short documentary or narrative film. In addition to the grant, Wavelength will provide mentorship in the producing, development and post-production of the filmmaker’s story as well as fundraising and distribution strategy.
“We introduced the Wave Grant last year as a way to champion under-represented female filmmakers in the industry,” said Jenifer Westphal, Founder of Wavelength Productions. “We are thrilled to once again be bringing this opportunity to emerging female and non-binary voices and look forward to supporting and learning...
The Wave Grant looks to help a first-time filmmaker with the production of their first short documentary or narrative film. In addition to the grant, Wavelength will provide mentorship in the producing, development and post-production of the filmmaker’s story as well as fundraising and distribution strategy.
“We introduced the Wave Grant last year as a way to champion under-represented female filmmakers in the industry,” said Jenifer Westphal, Founder of Wavelength Productions. “We are thrilled to once again be bringing this opportunity to emerging female and non-binary voices and look forward to supporting and learning...
- 9/14/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
This is the weekend American film fans have been waiting for with the release of a pair of the year’s biggest movies — Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” and Disney’s live-action version of “Mulan” — after considerable delay.
The fact that the two strategies for sharing these two movies with the public are so wildly different — Nolan insisted on releasing “Tenet” in theaters, while “Mulan” will test Disney Plus’ pricey new “Prime Access” model — shows the degree of turmoil and ingenuity within the industry, as studios do their best to adapt to the coronavirus pandemic. Will audiences find these options safe (or affordable) enough at a time of social distancing and belt-tightening?
Meanwhile, independent distributors have more or less figured out how to deliver their titles — movies that didn’t cost hundreds of millions and therefore don’t rely on grabbing as many viewers as possible over a short span of time — directly to consumers,...
The fact that the two strategies for sharing these two movies with the public are so wildly different — Nolan insisted on releasing “Tenet” in theaters, while “Mulan” will test Disney Plus’ pricey new “Prime Access” model — shows the degree of turmoil and ingenuity within the industry, as studios do their best to adapt to the coronavirus pandemic. Will audiences find these options safe (or affordable) enough at a time of social distancing and belt-tightening?
Meanwhile, independent distributors have more or less figured out how to deliver their titles — movies that didn’t cost hundreds of millions and therefore don’t rely on grabbing as many viewers as possible over a short span of time — directly to consumers,...
- 9/4/2020
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
As the world seems like it is aflame with a pandemic, divisive rhetoric from an oppressive administration and the unjust killing of Black lives at the hands of police officers, hope seems dim. However, there are voices and role models in the world that are fighting for change and on the frontlines fighting against 45, his henchmen and ardent supporters. Enter Stacey Abrams who is essentially the star of the Liz Garbus and Lisa Cortés documentary All In: The Fight For Democracy, which debuts in theaters on September 9 and then on September 18 on Amazon Prime Video — just four days before National Voter Registration Day.
The docu comes as the 2020 presidential is just around the corner and puts a glaring spotlight on the wildly overlooked issue of voter suppression in the country. Through personal experiences, activism and historical All In rips the band-aid off of a problem that has corrupted our democracy...
The docu comes as the 2020 presidential is just around the corner and puts a glaring spotlight on the wildly overlooked issue of voter suppression in the country. Through personal experiences, activism and historical All In rips the band-aid off of a problem that has corrupted our democracy...
- 9/4/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options—not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves–each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit platforms. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Beau Travail (Claire Denis)
One of my most-desired restorations in many years has finally arrived. Claire Denis’s 1999 masterpiece Beau Travail, a Djibouti-set exploration of masculinity, sexuality, isolation, and power structures, will be arriving on The Criterion Collection but first a digital release has landed. Recently undergoing a new 4K digital restoration––supervised by director of photography Agnès Godard and approved by director Claire Denis, courtesy of Janus Films––it is simply one of the best films you will ever see, with an all-timer of an ending. – Jordan R.
Where to Stream: Virtual Cinemas
Feels Good Man (Arthur Jones)
A small, harmless frog peacefully existing by the water is...
Beau Travail (Claire Denis)
One of my most-desired restorations in many years has finally arrived. Claire Denis’s 1999 masterpiece Beau Travail, a Djibouti-set exploration of masculinity, sexuality, isolation, and power structures, will be arriving on The Criterion Collection but first a digital release has landed. Recently undergoing a new 4K digital restoration––supervised by director of photography Agnès Godard and approved by director Claire Denis, courtesy of Janus Films––it is simply one of the best films you will ever see, with an all-timer of an ending. – Jordan R.
Where to Stream: Virtual Cinemas
Feels Good Man (Arthur Jones)
A small, harmless frog peacefully existing by the water is...
- 9/4/2020
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
When you think about Pepe the Frog, what comes to mind? In all likelihood, it’s either something tied to an internet meme, or more recently, the alt-right political movement. For many, that’s the only thing that they’ve been exposed to, in regards to the cartoon frog. However, the drawing began far more harmlessly, which is detailed in the new documentary Feels Good Man. A look not just at how Pepe was co-opted, but how his creator is fighting to reclaim his creation and give it back a purer identity, this is really interesting stuff. An unusual topic for a doc, it winds up being a reasonably thorough dive into both the danger and power of internet culture. The documentary follows underground cartoonist Matt Furie, who created Pepe the Frog, both as we learn about how the cartoon character came to be, as well as how he became an internet meme.
- 9/2/2020
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
A small, harmless frog peacefully existing by the water is the first image presented in Feels Good Man. What follows from that serene moment––a nod to the source of innocent inspiration for Pepe the Frog––is a clear-eyed, disturbing look at how the playful creation was perverted and carried through a malevolent maelstrom of digital discourse in the darkest corners of the internet. Arthur Jones’ documentary stays sharply focused on the specific path in which Pepe the Frog eventually became classified as a hate symbol by the Anti-Defamation League, but he also paints a larger, more terrifying picture of how an anonymous population wields the power to shift political change from their keyboards and the juvenile motivation in which their flimsy ideology is founded upon.
Pepe the Frog, created in 2005 by Matt Furie, began as a “little brother” side character in Boy’s Club, a cult comic hit that reveled in silly,...
Pepe the Frog, created in 2005 by Matt Furie, began as a “little brother” side character in Boy’s Club, a cult comic hit that reveled in silly,...
- 9/2/2020
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
A new documentary traces the hand-drawn figure from its pacifist creator to the insidious white supremacists who used him as a mascot
He’s green. He’s cute. He feels good, man. And he’s an internationally recognized icon of hatred and bigotry.
He’s Pepe the Frog, and he’s the subject of a new documentary tracking his unlikely journey from humble comic-book beginnings to a controversy involving death threats, lawsuits and scores upon scores of online neo-Nazis. Arthur Jones’s debut feature Feels Good Man – so titled for an oft-reposted image in which Pepe uses the phrase to explain why he urinates with his shorts around his ankles – examines how this strange bit of pop-culture ephemera took on a life of its own, far beyond what its creator had ever envisioned for it. The film also peers into the life of the artist Matt Furie, a mild-mannered slacker...
He’s green. He’s cute. He feels good, man. And he’s an internationally recognized icon of hatred and bigotry.
He’s Pepe the Frog, and he’s the subject of a new documentary tracking his unlikely journey from humble comic-book beginnings to a controversy involving death threats, lawsuits and scores upon scores of online neo-Nazis. Arthur Jones’s debut feature Feels Good Man – so titled for an oft-reposted image in which Pepe uses the phrase to explain why he urinates with his shorts around his ankles – examines how this strange bit of pop-culture ephemera took on a life of its own, far beyond what its creator had ever envisioned for it. The film also peers into the life of the artist Matt Furie, a mild-mannered slacker...
- 8/31/2020
- by Charles Bramesco
- The Guardian - Film News
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