New to Streaming: La Chimera, Let It Be, The Last Stop in Yuma County, Kim’s Video, The Dry 2 & More
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.
La Chimera (Alice Rohrwacher)
While Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny perhaps garnered more press out of Cannes, another selection involving archaeologists and tomb raiders will have a longer shelf life. Alice Rohrwacher’s latest feature La Chimera ranked quite highly on our top 50 films of 2023 list for good reason. It’s a dreamy, magical odyssey in which the Italian director whisks viewers away with the kind of transportive vision she’s exuded in all her features thus far.
Where to Stream: VOD
Eileen (William Oldroyd)
Considering how many jokesters online talk about supporting women’s wrongs, Eileen should have made a billion dollars. Alas, not everyone can have impeccable taste. William Oldroyd’s character study grabs you from the first scene,...
La Chimera (Alice Rohrwacher)
While Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny perhaps garnered more press out of Cannes, another selection involving archaeologists and tomb raiders will have a longer shelf life. Alice Rohrwacher’s latest feature La Chimera ranked quite highly on our top 50 films of 2023 list for good reason. It’s a dreamy, magical odyssey in which the Italian director whisks viewers away with the kind of transportive vision she’s exuded in all her features thus far.
Where to Stream: VOD
Eileen (William Oldroyd)
Considering how many jokesters online talk about supporting women’s wrongs, Eileen should have made a billion dollars. Alas, not everyone can have impeccable taste. William Oldroyd’s character study grabs you from the first scene,...
- 5/10/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
If the only April release was my top pick of the month it would be one of the finest lineups of the years, but thankfully there’s more to recommend. Featuring films about cinephilic obsession, subversive superhero tales, and what is sure to be at least one divisive big-screen near-future adventure, check out the list of must-sees below.
12 & 11. Kim’s Video (David Redmon and Ashley Sabin; April 5) and I Like Movies (Chandler Levack; April 8)
Anyone interested in physical media will appreciate a pair of films this month. Kim’s Video explores the strange story of the East Village establishment that housed around 55,000 DVDs while I Like Movies is a Canadian coming-of-age tale about a video store clerk who has bigger dreams in life, and is chockfull of cinephile-related humor that rang quite a familiar bell for this writer. John Fink said in his review of the former, “A sweeping documentary...
12 & 11. Kim’s Video (David Redmon and Ashley Sabin; April 5) and I Like Movies (Chandler Levack; April 8)
Anyone interested in physical media will appreciate a pair of films this month. Kim’s Video explores the strange story of the East Village establishment that housed around 55,000 DVDs while I Like Movies is a Canadian coming-of-age tale about a video store clerk who has bigger dreams in life, and is chockfull of cinephile-related humor that rang quite a familiar bell for this writer. John Fink said in his review of the former, “A sweeping documentary...
- 4/2/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Anyone interested in physical media should surely know the tale of Kim’s Video. The East Village establishment last closed its doors in 2014, though its rental collection recently returned to Alamo Drafthouse’s Lower Manhattan location. The story of where the 55,000 films ended up in between is far stranger than one may expect and now its gotten documentary treatment from David Redmon and Ashley Sabin. After premiering at Sundance last year, Drafthouse Films fittingly picked up the film for a release beginning April 5 and now the trailer has arrived.
John Fink said in his review, “A sweeping documentary by David Redmon and Ashley Sabin, Kim’s Video follows the personal-inquiry, man-on-the-street format from their previous works Mardi Gras: Made in China and Girl Model. With Redmon largely remaining behind the scenes, asking questions while holding his camera, the film is simply left to wander where the story takes it: from...
John Fink said in his review, “A sweeping documentary by David Redmon and Ashley Sabin, Kim’s Video follows the personal-inquiry, man-on-the-street format from their previous works Mardi Gras: Made in China and Girl Model. With Redmon largely remaining behind the scenes, asking questions while holding his camera, the film is simply left to wander where the story takes it: from...
- 3/7/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Brooke Shields took a style tip from her 14-year-old daughter, Rowan, that was a real game changer.
The 52-year-old actress covers the January-February issue of Health magazine, and reveals that she recently started wearing a more scantily-clad swimsuit.
"I always wear bathing suits that cover everything, the bottoms in particular—and my older daughter said, ‘You know what? You cannot wear that bottom. It goes all the way under your butt and [makes it look] so much bigger,'" Shields recalls. "So she finds me a new bathing suit, where that whole little shelf was out, and I was horrified, but my husband said, ‘That bathing suit looks great. Rowan’s right. If you show a little bit more, it’s actually more flattering.’ So, I had to learn from her. She said, ‘Mom, face it, you’ve got a great butt.'"
Health magazine
The Suddenly Susan star says she's "never been skinny," but rather appreciates...
The 52-year-old actress covers the January-February issue of Health magazine, and reveals that she recently started wearing a more scantily-clad swimsuit.
"I always wear bathing suits that cover everything, the bottoms in particular—and my older daughter said, ‘You know what? You cannot wear that bottom. It goes all the way under your butt and [makes it look] so much bigger,'" Shields recalls. "So she finds me a new bathing suit, where that whole little shelf was out, and I was horrified, but my husband said, ‘That bathing suit looks great. Rowan’s right. If you show a little bit more, it’s actually more flattering.’ So, I had to learn from her. She said, ‘Mom, face it, you’ve got a great butt.'"
Health magazine
The Suddenly Susan star says she's "never been skinny," but rather appreciates...
- 12/19/2017
- Entertainment Tonight
“Do Donkeys Act?” will have its North American premiere at the Hot Docs Canadian International Film Festival later this month, and will then screen at the Montclair Film Festival in May. Narrated by “Spider-Man” actor Willem Dafoe, the documentary takes viewers to a sanctuary where a group of donkeys is recovering from abuse.
Read More: ‘Behind the White Glasses’ Exclusive Clip and Poster: Documentary Chronicles the Career of Lina Wertmüller — Watch
Helmed by David Redmon and Ashley Sabin — the directing duo behind “Girl Model” and “Choreography” — the unexpectedly emotional documentary seeks to portray how these animals inhabit and interact with each other, while imagining how they communicate among themselves and with humans. The film already screened at the International Film Festival Rotterdam in January and last month at the Copenhagen International Documentary Festival.
Read More: ‘Leaning Into The Wind’ Is A Worthy Sequel To Documentary Smash ‘Rivers And Tides’ — Sf...
Read More: ‘Behind the White Glasses’ Exclusive Clip and Poster: Documentary Chronicles the Career of Lina Wertmüller — Watch
Helmed by David Redmon and Ashley Sabin — the directing duo behind “Girl Model” and “Choreography” — the unexpectedly emotional documentary seeks to portray how these animals inhabit and interact with each other, while imagining how they communicate among themselves and with humans. The film already screened at the International Film Festival Rotterdam in January and last month at the Copenhagen International Documentary Festival.
Read More: ‘Leaning Into The Wind’ Is A Worthy Sequel To Documentary Smash ‘Rivers And Tides’ — Sf...
- 4/12/2017
- by Yoselin Acevedo
- Indiewire
Nancy Schwartzman..
The Australian International Documentary Conference (Aidc).s Impact stream, focused on media-making for social, environmental, and political change, has been confirmed.
This year, sessions will focus will consider the challenges faced by activist filmmakers in an increasingly fraught political environment. It will feature five sessions: Gender, Tech & Resistance; One Film to Save the World?; Impact Strategy Hack 1 & 2; and a screening of.Defiant Lives.
American filmmaker and creator of the White House .Apps Against Abuse. safety app 'Circle of 6', Nancy Schwartzman, will provide the Impact Keynote session: Gender, Tech & Resistance.
Known for her work exploring how youth culture, sexuality and justice intersect with technology, Schwartzman has worked as impact producer on documentaries such as The Invisible War and Girl Model, and is the director of xoxosms, The Line and the upcoming Bertha Foundation-supported Roll Red Roll..
Schwartzman will showcase the approaches she has developed to challenge notions of neutrality in technology,...
The Australian International Documentary Conference (Aidc).s Impact stream, focused on media-making for social, environmental, and political change, has been confirmed.
This year, sessions will focus will consider the challenges faced by activist filmmakers in an increasingly fraught political environment. It will feature five sessions: Gender, Tech & Resistance; One Film to Save the World?; Impact Strategy Hack 1 & 2; and a screening of.Defiant Lives.
American filmmaker and creator of the White House .Apps Against Abuse. safety app 'Circle of 6', Nancy Schwartzman, will provide the Impact Keynote session: Gender, Tech & Resistance.
Known for her work exploring how youth culture, sexuality and justice intersect with technology, Schwartzman has worked as impact producer on documentaries such as The Invisible War and Girl Model, and is the director of xoxosms, The Line and the upcoming Bertha Foundation-supported Roll Red Roll..
Schwartzman will showcase the approaches she has developed to challenge notions of neutrality in technology,...
- 1/13/2017
- by Staff Writer
- IF.com.au
Sundance: Internet addiction documentary, exec produced by Morgan Spurlock, debuted at the Sundance Film Festival.
UK distributor Dogwoof has secured a sale of documentary Web Junkie to BBC Storyville for broadcast on UK television.
Interview: Shosh Shlam & Hilla Medalia, Web Junkie
The film, directed by Shosh Shlam and Hilla Medalia, centres on a Beijing rehab center where Chinese teenagers are deprogrammed from “internet addiction”. The doc focussed on three teens, their parents and the health professionals determined to help them kick their habit.
Oli Harbottle, head of distribution for Dogwoof, said: “Off the back of the Sundance world premiere for Web Junkie, we are delighted to have found such a good home for the film in the UK with BBC Storyville.”
Nick Fraser, editor of BBC Storyville, described the doc as a “wonderful film”.
“It poses important questions,” he added. “First, does internet addiction rate as a psychological disorder? Secondly, if it is, what...
UK distributor Dogwoof has secured a sale of documentary Web Junkie to BBC Storyville for broadcast on UK television.
Interview: Shosh Shlam & Hilla Medalia, Web Junkie
The film, directed by Shosh Shlam and Hilla Medalia, centres on a Beijing rehab center where Chinese teenagers are deprogrammed from “internet addiction”. The doc focussed on three teens, their parents and the health professionals determined to help them kick their habit.
Oli Harbottle, head of distribution for Dogwoof, said: “Off the back of the Sundance world premiere for Web Junkie, we are delighted to have found such a good home for the film in the UK with BBC Storyville.”
Nick Fraser, editor of BBC Storyville, described the doc as a “wonderful film”.
“It poses important questions,” he added. “First, does internet addiction rate as a psychological disorder? Secondly, if it is, what...
- 1/20/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
The first annual Women and Fashion Film Fest, was founded by Jeanine Jeo-Hi Kim, and brings together the fashion and film industries in order to educate, inspire and examine pressing issues. The mission statement, as per Ms. Kim, “Our Film Fest will spotlight talent, create a forum of women’s issues, as well as, support the creative development of women and students. We will distinguish ourselves through content, compelling panels, and the participation of industry leaders.”
Day 1 was incredible.
In the documentary, Girl Model, the viewer follows Nadya Vall, a young, country girl living in Novokuznetsk, Siberia as she pursues a modeling contract with a Japanese agency that will allow her to travel to Tokyo and earn $8,000 Usd. When she and her colleague arrive unchaperoned, they face language barriers, uncertainty of paid work, weight issues and homesickness.
As many turn to what appears to be the fun, glamorous, financially lucrative, “living the dream,” creative world of fashion, in order to escape from tough economic conditions, the harsh reality still remains that careers in the industry are difficult to break into, are usually begun when girls are just that, ‘girls’ and are still emotionally and physically immature. Also, it usually takes a major investment of your own money to get comp cards and a portfolio together, and can ultimately lead to many dangerous outcomes, such as, eating disorders, drug addiction, kidnappings, sexual harassment, and prostitution.
Luckily, documentaries and discussions can shed light on these human rights issues.
Some of the opinions and statements from the first day of screenings and panel discussions from fashion veterans:
“The Industry remains “The Wild West” and needs laws on the books to help sort through these disconcerting issues. Through legislation and collective conversation, change can occur.”
“Change starts at home through education, preparation and parenting.”
“The industry needs regulation.”
“It is society’s fault. Why do these models have to start at such a young age?”
“The industry needs to be unionized.”
“It is a human rights issue.”
“We are all accountable for our behavior.”
“The careers should be started at 18 years old, the legal working age.”
“Don’t take a job, unless you know how much you are going to make.”
This was a fast response to the problem at hand. As per an article on June 12, 2013,
In the short film, “Blank Canvas,” a woman who has lost all of her hair due to an advanced stage of cancer, demonstrates how she handles the social stigma attached to being bald by having creative Henna designs drawn on to her scalp.
Meanwhile, the short film, “34′′ x 25′′ x 36′′,” philosophized, ”Do we worship the perfect woman?” “Do people have to believe in something?” “What is our salvation as a society?” “Is ‘Barney’s’ the church for today? (insinuating that more people flock to the stores, than to church).
HBO documentary, About Face: Supermodels, Then and Now by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, starts off with the “Velvet Underground” and “Nico” song, “Mirror; I’ll be your mirror, reflect what you are.”
and gets up close and personal with the Supermodels from back in the day; Carmen Dell’Orefice, Isabella Rossellini, Christie Brinkley, Christy Turlington, Jerry Hall, Carol Alt, Paulina Porizkova, Pat Cleveland, Beverly Johnson, Eileen Ford, and Brooke Shields.
Main points from the film: “It is a woman’s business.” “It’s about character and beauty.” ”Modelling allowed me to not have to rely on my father or husband for money.” “It offered me a way to express myself in a way that can not be expressed in words.” “It was an attitude.” “It was living in a bubble.” “I was told to act like I was the most beautiful thing.” “I watched a lot of friends get lost in the wave and pass away from drugs or disease.” “We were clothes hangers.” “Misogyny.” “Confidence.” “Innocent.” “Naivety.” “Discrimination. Color barriers.” “Glad I didn’t die in the process.” “Why shouldn’t we be allowed to age?” Woman are everything; mothers, wives, and business women.” “When I looked like that, I should have walked around naked all the time.” “Modeling: demonstrates insecurity. I’m more beautiful now that I am not a model.” “We all have to go sometime, I want to go with my high heels on.”
Topics discussed in the panel: “Diversity,” “Retouching Photos,” “Strong sense of self” “Strides in diversity,” “Beauty the way you are.” “The more women writers that enter the industry, the better.” “Media should promote healthy eating and living.” “Be true to yourself.” “Aging. Celebrate women as they advance.” “Be Humble.” “Be honest with yourself.” “Spontaneous.” “Fearlessness,” and a “Sense of Humor.”
And wrapping up Day 1: Ralph Rucci: A Designer and his House, by David Boatman displays the hard work involved in creating and displaying a collection.
Article by Sharon Abella
SydneysBuzz is happy to introduce a new blogger, Sharon Abella of One World Cinema, an internationally minded website about film, music and travel. Although the editor-in-chief, Sharon Abella, holds multiple degrees in the sciences, she understands that this site would not be possible without the help of God, family, friends, and life partner, Jon Kilik.
Day 1 was incredible.
In the documentary, Girl Model, the viewer follows Nadya Vall, a young, country girl living in Novokuznetsk, Siberia as she pursues a modeling contract with a Japanese agency that will allow her to travel to Tokyo and earn $8,000 Usd. When she and her colleague arrive unchaperoned, they face language barriers, uncertainty of paid work, weight issues and homesickness.
As many turn to what appears to be the fun, glamorous, financially lucrative, “living the dream,” creative world of fashion, in order to escape from tough economic conditions, the harsh reality still remains that careers in the industry are difficult to break into, are usually begun when girls are just that, ‘girls’ and are still emotionally and physically immature. Also, it usually takes a major investment of your own money to get comp cards and a portfolio together, and can ultimately lead to many dangerous outcomes, such as, eating disorders, drug addiction, kidnappings, sexual harassment, and prostitution.
Luckily, documentaries and discussions can shed light on these human rights issues.
Some of the opinions and statements from the first day of screenings and panel discussions from fashion veterans:
“The Industry remains “The Wild West” and needs laws on the books to help sort through these disconcerting issues. Through legislation and collective conversation, change can occur.”
“Change starts at home through education, preparation and parenting.”
“The industry needs regulation.”
“It is society’s fault. Why do these models have to start at such a young age?”
“The industry needs to be unionized.”
“It is a human rights issue.”
“We are all accountable for our behavior.”
“The careers should be started at 18 years old, the legal working age.”
“Don’t take a job, unless you know how much you are going to make.”
This was a fast response to the problem at hand. As per an article on June 12, 2013,
In the short film, “Blank Canvas,” a woman who has lost all of her hair due to an advanced stage of cancer, demonstrates how she handles the social stigma attached to being bald by having creative Henna designs drawn on to her scalp.
Meanwhile, the short film, “34′′ x 25′′ x 36′′,” philosophized, ”Do we worship the perfect woman?” “Do people have to believe in something?” “What is our salvation as a society?” “Is ‘Barney’s’ the church for today? (insinuating that more people flock to the stores, than to church).
HBO documentary, About Face: Supermodels, Then and Now by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, starts off with the “Velvet Underground” and “Nico” song, “Mirror; I’ll be your mirror, reflect what you are.”
and gets up close and personal with the Supermodels from back in the day; Carmen Dell’Orefice, Isabella Rossellini, Christie Brinkley, Christy Turlington, Jerry Hall, Carol Alt, Paulina Porizkova, Pat Cleveland, Beverly Johnson, Eileen Ford, and Brooke Shields.
Main points from the film: “It is a woman’s business.” “It’s about character and beauty.” ”Modelling allowed me to not have to rely on my father or husband for money.” “It offered me a way to express myself in a way that can not be expressed in words.” “It was an attitude.” “It was living in a bubble.” “I was told to act like I was the most beautiful thing.” “I watched a lot of friends get lost in the wave and pass away from drugs or disease.” “We were clothes hangers.” “Misogyny.” “Confidence.” “Innocent.” “Naivety.” “Discrimination. Color barriers.” “Glad I didn’t die in the process.” “Why shouldn’t we be allowed to age?” Woman are everything; mothers, wives, and business women.” “When I looked like that, I should have walked around naked all the time.” “Modeling: demonstrates insecurity. I’m more beautiful now that I am not a model.” “We all have to go sometime, I want to go with my high heels on.”
Topics discussed in the panel: “Diversity,” “Retouching Photos,” “Strong sense of self” “Strides in diversity,” “Beauty the way you are.” “The more women writers that enter the industry, the better.” “Media should promote healthy eating and living.” “Be true to yourself.” “Aging. Celebrate women as they advance.” “Be Humble.” “Be honest with yourself.” “Spontaneous.” “Fearlessness,” and a “Sense of Humor.”
And wrapping up Day 1: Ralph Rucci: A Designer and his House, by David Boatman displays the hard work involved in creating and displaying a collection.
Article by Sharon Abella
SydneysBuzz is happy to introduce a new blogger, Sharon Abella of One World Cinema, an internationally minded website about film, music and travel. Although the editor-in-chief, Sharon Abella, holds multiple degrees in the sciences, she understands that this site would not be possible without the help of God, family, friends, and life partner, Jon Kilik.
- 7/28/2013
- by Sharon Abella
- Sydney's Buzz
Yesterday, the Sundance Institute announced the 29 documentary projects that have been selected to receive in total $550,000 worth of grant money from its Documentary Film Program and Fund. A lot of these are for projects in development by emerging filmmakers, but in there are also some films by more established names such as Jesse Moss (Full Battle Rattle), Lucia Small and Ed Pincus (The Axe in the Attic) and Ashley Sabin and David Redmon, who received audience engagement money for their 2011 doc Girl Model. In a press release, Cara Mertes, the Director of the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program …...
- 7/12/2013
- by Nick Dawson
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Cinereach is an innovative new force for good works in the independent film community. This not-for-profit film production company and foundation that champions vital stories, artfully told, was created and led by young philanthropists, entrepreneurs and filmmakers, Cinereach supports fiction and nonfiction filmmakers from all over the world through its Productions, Grants & Awards and Fellowships initiatives, and through partnerships with Sundance Institute’s programs. Cinereach has supported over 100 films in the Us and internationally, including Circumstance, Pariah, The World Before Her, Planet of Snail, Girl Model, Code of the West and many more. Cinereach Production Beasts of the Southern Wild was released in the Us in 2012 by Fox Searchlight Pictures, and is nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
After collaborating with Cinereach for many years on films including Benh Zeitlin’s four time Academy Award nominated film, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Joshua Marston’s The Forgiveness of Blood, and Tom Gilroy’s The Cold Lands (premiering at the 2013 Berlin Film Festival), Paul Mezey has signed on as Producer in Residence at the not-for-profit production company and foundation. Mezey will support development, production and distribution of Cinereach’s productions, as well as being involved in the organization’s grant-making activities and other key initiatives.
Mezey is the founder of Journeyman Pictures, through which he has produced a number of critically acclaimed and award winning films including Maria Full of Grace (2005 Academy Award Nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role) and Half Nelson (2007 Academy Award Nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role).
Cinereach offers each of its productions a custom support framework adapted to its unique needs. This flexible continuum of financing, guidance and infrastructure encourages filmmakers like Beasts of the Southern Wild’s Benh Zeitlin to take essential creative risks. Mezey has been a key architect of this producing approach and, as Producer in Residence, will guide the organization as it continues to evolve.
“Paul has influenced so much of how we approach our work at Cinereach already,” said Cinereach’s founder and Executive Director Philipp Engelhorn. “We look forward to a more holistic collaboration with Paul, and further benefiting from his tremendous experience and courageous independent spirit.”
“Working with Cinereach has been a transformative experience,“ states Mezey. “There is pure dedication to creating the conditions under which filmmakers can flourish and fulfill the full ambition of their work. As a creative producer, I know that our interests are aligned at every step and I am excited to continue to help build a model that can bring surprising and unexpected films to the screen.”...
After collaborating with Cinereach for many years on films including Benh Zeitlin’s four time Academy Award nominated film, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Joshua Marston’s The Forgiveness of Blood, and Tom Gilroy’s The Cold Lands (premiering at the 2013 Berlin Film Festival), Paul Mezey has signed on as Producer in Residence at the not-for-profit production company and foundation. Mezey will support development, production and distribution of Cinereach’s productions, as well as being involved in the organization’s grant-making activities and other key initiatives.
Mezey is the founder of Journeyman Pictures, through which he has produced a number of critically acclaimed and award winning films including Maria Full of Grace (2005 Academy Award Nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role) and Half Nelson (2007 Academy Award Nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role).
Cinereach offers each of its productions a custom support framework adapted to its unique needs. This flexible continuum of financing, guidance and infrastructure encourages filmmakers like Beasts of the Southern Wild’s Benh Zeitlin to take essential creative risks. Mezey has been a key architect of this producing approach and, as Producer in Residence, will guide the organization as it continues to evolve.
“Paul has influenced so much of how we approach our work at Cinereach already,” said Cinereach’s founder and Executive Director Philipp Engelhorn. “We look forward to a more holistic collaboration with Paul, and further benefiting from his tremendous experience and courageous independent spirit.”
“Working with Cinereach has been a transformative experience,“ states Mezey. “There is pure dedication to creating the conditions under which filmmakers can flourish and fulfill the full ambition of their work. As a creative producer, I know that our interests are aligned at every step and I am excited to continue to help build a model that can bring surprising and unexpected films to the screen.”...
- 1/25/2013
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Any fan of repressed British emotional drama and period costumes knows that "Downton Abbey" is set to make its season three return to U.S. television on PBS on Sunday, January 6 at 9pm. But the new PBS lineup for winter and spring brings other welcome news. "Call the Midwife," a BBC medical drama set in 1950s East London and starring Jessica Raine, Miranda Hart, Cliff Parisi, Jenny Agutter, Pam Ferris, Judy Parfitt and Vanessa Redgrave, will be back for a second season in March. Doc "Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry" will premiere via Independent Lens in February, as will "Girl Model," via Pov, in March and Ken and Sarah Burns' acclaimed "The Central Park Five" in April. Programming highlights are below (descriptions courtesy of PBS). Read More: 'Downton Abbey' Renewed for a Fourth Season Secrets Of Highclere Castle Sunday, January 6, 2013, 8:00-9:00 p.m. Et It may...
- 12/6/2012
- by Alison Willmore
- Indiewire
Last night, at a special event in conjunction with the AFI Fest, the nominees for the 2013 Cinema Eye Honors were announced. And once again, the titles contending for the ten feature categories, all of which focus solely on nonfiction films (to make up for the Oscars’ minimal recognition), represent the year’s best in documentaries. As someone who professionally concentrates on docs elsewhere, I tend to feel kinda useless or redundant when Cinema Eye names its nominees, because now when someone asks me what’s great this year I can just point to their list of 31 features. Of course, some of these films are only up for specific honors, like those for original music score and graphic design, and may not be quite as necessary as the six up for the top award or the 10 nominated for the Audience Choice Prize (which sadly, for publicity-sake, lacks a Justin Bieber movie like last year). Also, I...
- 11/3/2012
- by Christopher Campbell
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Title: Girl Model Directors: David Redmon and Ashley Sabin A vivid and surprisingly emotive exploration of fashion modeling and the refracted reality and cost of the economic opportunities it presents for prepubescent Eastern European girls in particular, the spare but rather superb documentary “Girl Model” walks a tight-rope adjacent to exploitation, peering down into its caverns, and asking uneasy questions about whether the alternatives for so many young girls are really that much better. Narrowly focused in savvy fashion, “Girl Model” interweaves the stories of two subjects who only briefly cross paths. There’s Ashley Arbaugh, an early-30s ex-model turned scout who scours rural Russian open casting calls looking for fresh faces, and [ Read More ]...
- 9/12/2012
- by bsimon
- ShockYa
Moviegoing is like attending church for many of us, and so I’d like to introduce a new regular feature titled “Movie Houses of Worship,” which spotlights our favorite temples of cinema around the world. I’m kicking things off with a theater I frequented often when I was still living in New York City. If you’d like to suggest or submit a place you regularly worship at the altar of cinema, please email me at christopher (at) filmschoolrejects (dot) com. Name: IFC Center Opened: June 2005 (renovated from the famous Waverly Theater/Twin, which existed from 1937-2001 in an actual former church, built in 1831) No. of screens: 5 (two of which were added in 2009, built out of a space once housing an attached bar) Current first run titles: Sleepwalk With Me; Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry; The Ambassador; Beauty is Embarrassing; Detropia; Girl Model; Versailles ’73: American Runway Revolution. Jonathan Demme’s I’m Carolyn Parker: The Good...
- 9/9/2012
- by Christopher Campbell
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
“Girl Model” opens not on a Fashion Week runway in New York or Paris, but in about the last place we would expect to find the starting point of this film: Siberia. Indeed, the sad, eye-opening documentary from directors David Redmon and Ashley Sabin seems to revel in subverting this expectation of what constitutes the fashion industry, starting with ground zero for new talent. Here, in deep Siberia, far from a Vogue photo shoot, a cluster of pale, rail-thin teenagers, many in matching black bikini tops and bottoms, gamely smile as photographers shoot away, and Redmon and Sabin’s camera pans across their wide-eyed, startlingly young faces. As the film’s title appears onscreen, the girls are marched cattle-style, before being called individually before the scouts. Some continue to smile at the directors’ camera, while others eye the lens suspiciously. “I feel like her hips are too big,” says Ashley,...
- 9/5/2012
- by Christopher Schobert
- The Playlist
The work of David Redmon and Ashley Sabin first came on my radar when they arrived in Hartford, Ct to promote their eye-opening documentary, Mardi Gras: Made in China, tracing both the production and disposal of Mardi Gras beads. Recently I chatted with Redmon regarding his latest documentary Girl Model, which he co-directed with Sabin and I reviewed at Tiff. Girl Model has screened at festivals internationally including the One World Human Rights International Documentary Festival and you can read our conversation from SXSW below as the film is now in theaters.
Tfs: We met back in Hartford (at Real Art Ways) a few years ago and I was wondering what role cities with vibrant art communities that house these Micro Cinemas in often non-traditional venues (galleries, bars, libraries, coffee shops) play for you as filmmakers and distributors (via Carnavlesque Films)?
David Redmon: It’s even more necessary than before,...
Tfs: We met back in Hartford (at Real Art Ways) a few years ago and I was wondering what role cities with vibrant art communities that house these Micro Cinemas in often non-traditional venues (galleries, bars, libraries, coffee shops) play for you as filmmakers and distributors (via Carnavlesque Films)?
David Redmon: It’s even more necessary than before,...
- 9/5/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
If You’re Having Girl Problems, I Feel Bad For You Son…
In Serbia, many families ignorantly push their daughters to become models in hopes of pulling themselves from poverty, not knowing that scouting agencies are willing and able to take advantage of their children’s inexperience, often sending them abroad for work only to bring them back confused and in debt. Looking into the disconcerting connection between the Serbian and Japanese modeling industries, directors David Redmon and Ashley Sabin’s Girl Model explores the moral disconnect between those who work in it and the abuses that pervade it.
It’s no secret that underneath the make-up caked glamor of the fashion industry women worldwide are starving their skin and bone bodies for a buck in the name of ‘beauty’, but this is not the trade’s only closeted skeleton. The thoroughly disturbing show Toddlers & Tiaras is proof that the industry starts young,...
In Serbia, many families ignorantly push their daughters to become models in hopes of pulling themselves from poverty, not knowing that scouting agencies are willing and able to take advantage of their children’s inexperience, often sending them abroad for work only to bring them back confused and in debt. Looking into the disconcerting connection between the Serbian and Japanese modeling industries, directors David Redmon and Ashley Sabin’s Girl Model explores the moral disconnect between those who work in it and the abuses that pervade it.
It’s no secret that underneath the make-up caked glamor of the fashion industry women worldwide are starving their skin and bone bodies for a buck in the name of ‘beauty’, but this is not the trade’s only closeted skeleton. The thoroughly disturbing show Toddlers & Tiaras is proof that the industry starts young,...
- 9/3/2012
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
Documentaries find success through compelling stories. Whether a salacious expose on an industry many looking in don’t understand or a stirring rags-to-riches tale depicting a young girl’s rise to fame and fortune—intrigue is the name of the game. Many times directors aren’t even sure what their film will be until everything plays out and the editing process begins. For David Redmon and Ashley Sabin, the simple fact their Girl Model delves into the scary reality of thirteen-year old girls being taken advantage of with the hope to help themselves and their family means controversy is bound to rear its head.
Pitched by the cautiously critical talent scout at its center, Ashley Arbaugh, the film’s genesis begins within the industry. A former model in Japan at 18—shown via autobiographical diary-like footage from 1999—Ashley doesn’t love her job yet continues to stick with it. Often censoring...
Pitched by the cautiously critical talent scout at its center, Ashley Arbaugh, the film’s genesis begins within the industry. A former model in Japan at 18—shown via autobiographical diary-like footage from 1999—Ashley doesn’t love her job yet continues to stick with it. Often censoring...
- 9/3/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
We know all too well the incessant, often pervasive nature of the fashion and marketing industry, but directors David Redmon and Ashley Sabin take a look at an even more disturbing aspect of it: the underage modeling machine. Premiering at Tiff last year, one of the film’s subjects is 13-year-old Siberian model Nadya Vall, who is sent to Tokyo to launch a career in the industry.
We called it a “powerful” look inside this underbelly and the film even stirred up some controversy regarding the now 17-year-old Vall. As she went on to have a healthy modeling career, her current agency wants the film shelved due to her portrayal in the film. It looks like that clearly hasn’t happened as a limited release is kicking off next month. Check out the new trailer below, as well as a new poster, for what could be one of the most eye-opening documentaries of the year.
We called it a “powerful” look inside this underbelly and the film even stirred up some controversy regarding the now 17-year-old Vall. As she went on to have a healthy modeling career, her current agency wants the film shelved due to her portrayal in the film. It looks like that clearly hasn’t happened as a limited release is kicking off next month. Check out the new trailer below, as well as a new poster, for what could be one of the most eye-opening documentaries of the year.
- 8/22/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
A number of our favorite independent films of the year are screening this week at the Northside Festival, a Brooklyn-based film and music event that gathers a number of film organizations, includuing Filmmaker, to guest curate some of its programming. Filmmaker‘s night is Wednesday, when we screen in its New York premiere Andrew Neel’s wickedly funny King Kelly (pictured) and Jeremiah Zagar & Nathan Caswell’s haunting short, Remains, but there are a number of other favorites dotted throughout the schedule. For example, tonight there’s one of the best documentaries of the year, Ashley Sabin and David Redmon’s Girl Model (presented by Pov) as well Ryan O’Nan’s warm and spirited Ifp Lab project, The Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best (presented by Oscilloscope and Rooftop Films). Also tonight is the Cuban artist doc Unfinished Spaces, which you’ll read about in the next issue of the magazine,...
- 6/18/2012
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
The 19th annual Chicago Underground Film Festival, which just ran for the entire first week of June at the Gene Siskel Film Center, have announced their award winners. Picking the winners this year was a jury composed of Julia Gibbs (University of Chicago’s Film Studies Center), Dan Koretzky (Drag City Records) and Jonathan Marlow (Fandor).
Awards were given in seven categories, each of which have a singular winning film and several honorable mentions. Taking home the coveted Made in Chicago Award was Jesse McLean‘s experimental short film Remote, a haunting meditation on nature and technology.
Other short films winning awards were Ben Russell‘s ethnographic film River Rites for Best Documentary Short, Bryan Boyce‘s hilarious Walt Disney’s Taxi Driver for Best Film Using Appropriation or Pre-existing Material and Peter Jessien Laugesen’s Nature’s Voice for Best Animation/Experimental Short.
On the feature film front, Daniel Schmidt...
Awards were given in seven categories, each of which have a singular winning film and several honorable mentions. Taking home the coveted Made in Chicago Award was Jesse McLean‘s experimental short film Remote, a haunting meditation on nature and technology.
Other short films winning awards were Ben Russell‘s ethnographic film River Rites for Best Documentary Short, Bryan Boyce‘s hilarious Walt Disney’s Taxi Driver for Best Film Using Appropriation or Pre-existing Material and Peter Jessien Laugesen’s Nature’s Voice for Best Animation/Experimental Short.
On the feature film front, Daniel Schmidt...
- 6/8/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Having been around for eighteen years, the Chicago Underground Film Festival has continually changed what it defines as “underground.”
So its 19th annual edition, which will be held on May 31 to June 7 at the Gene Siskel Film Center, feels like its most experimental edition in recent years.
While things kick off on the 31st with the Vice-produced anthology film The Fourth Dimension by Alexsei Fedorchenko, Harmony Korine and Jan Kwiecinski, the rest of the fest is packed with feature-length and short experimental work, documentaries and alternative narratives.
Some of the experimental feature highlights include the vastly prolific Robert Todd‘s Master Plan, which examines theories of modern housing from private residences to prisons; Australia’s two-person art collective Soda_Jerk’s epic rip on media piracy, Hollywood Burn; Michael Kosakowski’s compendium on murder fantasies, Zero Killing; L.A. filmmaker Daniel Martinico’s meditation on the acting process, Ok, Good...
So its 19th annual edition, which will be held on May 31 to June 7 at the Gene Siskel Film Center, feels like its most experimental edition in recent years.
While things kick off on the 31st with the Vice-produced anthology film The Fourth Dimension by Alexsei Fedorchenko, Harmony Korine and Jan Kwiecinski, the rest of the fest is packed with feature-length and short experimental work, documentaries and alternative narratives.
Some of the experimental feature highlights include the vastly prolific Robert Todd‘s Master Plan, which examines theories of modern housing from private residences to prisons; Australia’s two-person art collective Soda_Jerk’s epic rip on media piracy, Hollywood Burn; Michael Kosakowski’s compendium on murder fantasies, Zero Killing; L.A. filmmaker Daniel Martinico’s meditation on the acting process, Ok, Good...
- 5/8/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Lyricism trumps reportage in documentarians David Redmon and Ashley Sabin's "Downeast," an engrossing look at the politics and interpersonal dramas behind an attempt to open a lobster factory in the quaint town of Gouldsboro, Maine. The filmmakers' last movie, "Girl Model," explored the flaws of the international modeling business through the harrowing experiences of an underage girl; "Downeast," while less sprawling in its scope, also effectively tackles a vast global issue through a deeply humanistic lens. The movie opens with the closure of Gouldsboro's Stinson Cannery, the last remaining sardine factory in the United States, a fixture of the town that had employed many of its residents for decades. Redmon and Sabid quickly establish an intense, soulful connection between the factory and its surrounding environment, rooting the massive building in a snowy landscape that appears to embrace it. The drama gradually seeps into a steady...
- 4/23/2012
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
The sixth annual Indie Grits Festival, hosted by the Nickelodeon Theatre in Columbia, South Carolina, is actually more than just a film festival. Much, much more. From April 20-28, there will be film screenings, food tastings, bands playing, theater performances, a craft fair, a technology conference and oh so much more.
As for the films, though, every night — and a few afternoons — of Indie Grits is jam-packed with unique and creative independent feature-length movies and short films. Screenings take place at two locations: At the original Nickelodeon theater at 937 Main St. and at the New Nick location just up the road at 1607 Main St.
The fest opens with Bill and Turner Ross’ narrative feature Tchoupatoulis, about three brothers who sneak into New Orleans on their own to witness the visual spectacles the city has to offer; and the documentary Dragons of Jim Green, directed by Randy M. Salo, about a...
As for the films, though, every night — and a few afternoons — of Indie Grits is jam-packed with unique and creative independent feature-length movies and short films. Screenings take place at two locations: At the original Nickelodeon theater at 937 Main St. and at the New Nick location just up the road at 1607 Main St.
The fest opens with Bill and Turner Ross’ narrative feature Tchoupatoulis, about three brothers who sneak into New Orleans on their own to witness the visual spectacles the city has to offer; and the documentary Dragons of Jim Green, directed by Randy M. Salo, about a...
- 4/6/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The full lineup for the Dallas International Film Festival, which runs April 12-22 this year, was announced late last week. The films to be screened in Big D include more than a few movies with local and state connections. Here are the ones we found -- let us know if we're missing anything.
America's Parking Lot (Don's review)
Austin actor/filmmaker Jonny Mars shot this documentary about die-hard Dallas Cowboy tailgaters and the impact of the changing economics of pro football games. (Debbie's interview)Bindlestiffs
In this 2012 Slamdance Audience Award winner, three high schoolers decide to head to the inner city to live out the plot of The Catcher in the Rye ... except none of them has read the book. Young director Andrew Edison grew up in Houston and currently hails from Austin.Cinema Six
Filmed last year in Lockhart, this film is a narrative about three friends who work at a small-town movie theater.
America's Parking Lot (Don's review)
Austin actor/filmmaker Jonny Mars shot this documentary about die-hard Dallas Cowboy tailgaters and the impact of the changing economics of pro football games. (Debbie's interview)Bindlestiffs
In this 2012 Slamdance Audience Award winner, three high schoolers decide to head to the inner city to live out the plot of The Catcher in the Rye ... except none of them has read the book. Young director Andrew Edison grew up in Houston and currently hails from Austin.Cinema Six
Filmed last year in Lockhart, this film is a narrative about three friends who work at a small-town movie theater.
- 3/20/2012
- by Elizabeth Stoddard
- Slackerwood
At the beginning of Girl Model, dozens of girls are shown standing in bikinis and heels in a room of mirrors; the metaphor is obvious but succinct. It's hardly news that young women are exploited in the meat market of modeling. But Girl Model explores that on a deeper psycho-emotional level. Motivations are obscured and rationalized, making it impossible for an adult to navigate, let alone pubescent girls.
Filmmakers David Redmon and Ashley Sabin have a well earned reputation with a strong body of work, including Intimidad (SXSW 2008), Kamp Katrina (SXSW 2007), and Mardi Gras: Made in China. Their latest documentary Girl Model attempts to illuminate the illusive reality of young girls in the international modeling industry through a new model and the scout who found her.
read more...
Filmmakers David Redmon and Ashley Sabin have a well earned reputation with a strong body of work, including Intimidad (SXSW 2008), Kamp Katrina (SXSW 2007), and Mardi Gras: Made in China. Their latest documentary Girl Model attempts to illuminate the illusive reality of young girls in the international modeling industry through a new model and the scout who found her.
read more...
- 3/14/2012
- by Jenn Brown
- Slackerwood
David Redmon and Ashley Sabin's modeling documentary "Girl Model" has been acquired by First Run Features. The film will premiere theatrically this summer with DVD and VOD release set for the fall. The film follows a modeling scout and the 13-year-old Siberian girl who she finds as they navigate the complex world of the modeling industry. "We're delighted and thrilled to work with First Run," said Redmond and Sabin. "It is an established, hard-working company with an excellent reputation for distributing a wide range of successful movies in numerous outlets." Full press release below: First Run Nabs U.S. Rights to Girl Model Plans Summer Theatrical Release First Run Features announces today its acquisition of U.S. theatrical, home video and VOD rights to David Redmon and Ashley Sabin's acclaimed documentary Girl Model. First Run plans a summer theatrical release, followed by a fall DVD and VOD release to coincide with.
- 3/12/2012
- by Devin Lee Fuller
- Indiewire
Day two of SXSW, and I'm already exhausted. I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels like the rain has sapped a lot of their energy. And the spring ahead to Daylight Savings Time certainly doesn't help.
Despite all that, I made it to five movies on Saturday. I didn't think I'd make it to Eating Alabama, but it seems every screening I went to was about a half-hour late starting. This very personal approach to the locavore phenomenon was an interesting meditation on the lost art of farming, even in a rural state. The documentary would make a great companion piece to King Korn.
Next up was the provocative and disturbing film Girl Model, but I have to disagree with co-director Dave Redmon, who said in the intro that the documentary wasn't an expose. I think it is, in the sense of holding back the curtain on something...
Despite all that, I made it to five movies on Saturday. I didn't think I'd make it to Eating Alabama, but it seems every screening I went to was about a half-hour late starting. This very personal approach to the locavore phenomenon was an interesting meditation on the lost art of farming, even in a rural state. The documentary would make a great companion piece to King Korn.
Next up was the provocative and disturbing film Girl Model, but I have to disagree with co-director Dave Redmon, who said in the intro that the documentary wasn't an expose. I think it is, in the sense of holding back the curtain on something...
- 3/11/2012
- by Jenn Brown
- Slackerwood
Photo by immlass
Year in, year out, the true lone star of SXSW is the city of Austin itself, and its flagship weekly, the Chronicle, has just opened its biggest-ever microsite dedicated to the three-pronged festival (Interactive, Film, Music). SXSW Film opens tomorrow and runs through March 17, perfectly timed for sightings of the first bluebonnets springing up alongside I-35. I'll be posting notes and impressions from the first week of the festival, but for now, here's a quick skim of the previews.
In the Chronicle, Marc Savlov talks with Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon about their Opening Night headliner, The Cabin in the Woods, previews Patrick Forbes's Wikileaks: Secrets and Lies and Brian Knappenberger's We Are Legion: The Rise of the Hacktivists and talks with Gareth Evans about The Raid: Redemption.
Leah Churner meets Danielle McCarthy, producer of Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me, "a new documentary about...
Year in, year out, the true lone star of SXSW is the city of Austin itself, and its flagship weekly, the Chronicle, has just opened its biggest-ever microsite dedicated to the three-pronged festival (Interactive, Film, Music). SXSW Film opens tomorrow and runs through March 17, perfectly timed for sightings of the first bluebonnets springing up alongside I-35. I'll be posting notes and impressions from the first week of the festival, but for now, here's a quick skim of the previews.
In the Chronicle, Marc Savlov talks with Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon about their Opening Night headliner, The Cabin in the Woods, previews Patrick Forbes's Wikileaks: Secrets and Lies and Brian Knappenberger's We Are Legion: The Rise of the Hacktivists and talks with Gareth Evans about The Raid: Redemption.
Leah Churner meets Danielle McCarthy, producer of Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me, "a new documentary about...
- 3/9/2012
- MUBI
Filmmakers David Redmon and Ashley Sabin (pictured above) have been collaborating on documentaries for years, including such titles as Kamp Katrina (SXSW 2007), Mardi Gras: Made in China (which earned a Documentary Grand Jury Prize nomination at Sundance 2005) and Intimidad (SXSW 2008). This time Redmon and Sabin tackle the provocative subject of fashion-model scouting, from the perspective of a former model turned scout and a young girl from Siberia pursuing a modelling career to support her family, in Girl Model. Redmon hails from north Texas.
What’s one thing about Girl Model that is going to make it impossible for people to resist seeing the film?
It's a strange journey into a house of mirrors, a place where you don't know who to trust.
Is there anything the audience should know about the movie before seeing it?
Girl Model took four years to make. We traveled to Siberia, Tokyo, Paris, NYC and...
What’s one thing about Girl Model that is going to make it impossible for people to resist seeing the film?
It's a strange journey into a house of mirrors, a place where you don't know who to trust.
Is there anything the audience should know about the movie before seeing it?
Girl Model took four years to make. We traveled to Siberia, Tokyo, Paris, NYC and...
- 3/5/2012
- by Jenn Brown
- Slackerwood
Debbie rounded up all the Austin films at SXSW Film Festival this year, but there are just a few more films in this year's SXSW fest with Texas connections... as far as we can tell, anyway. In addition to the features mentioned below, you can also catch Lone Star films in the Texas Shorts program (screening times) and the Texas High School Shorts program.
The folks who brought us Intimidad, which premiered at SXSW 2008, made documentary Girl Model (screening times), which follows an American model scout and the Siberian teen she has discovered. Nadya, a 13 year old, seems prime for the Japanese market and heads to Tokyo. Meanwhile, Ashley, the model scout, keeps searching Siberia for more young female faces. Girl Model comes from Carnivalesque Films directors Ashley Sabin and David Redmon. Redmon hails from north Texas.
read more...
The folks who brought us Intimidad, which premiered at SXSW 2008, made documentary Girl Model (screening times), which follows an American model scout and the Siberian teen she has discovered. Nadya, a 13 year old, seems prime for the Japanese market and heads to Tokyo. Meanwhile, Ashley, the model scout, keeps searching Siberia for more young female faces. Girl Model comes from Carnivalesque Films directors Ashley Sabin and David Redmon. Redmon hails from north Texas.
read more...
- 2/21/2012
- by Elizabeth Stoddard
- Slackerwood
Real Steel; Don't Be Afraid of the Dark; Fright Night; X: Night of Vengeance; Girl Model
If you want to know just how thoroughly rotten Michael Bay's infernal Transformers films really are, then look no further than Real Steel (2011, Buena Vista, 12A), a guilty pleasure that demonstrates perfectly how a movie about robots hitting each other should be made. While Bay failed spectacularly over the course of three movies (a fourth instalment is, depressingly, on the way) to conjure up anything vaguely resembling either story or characters, jobbing hack Shawn Levy, whose CV includes such underwhelming fare as Night at the Museum and Date Night, hits the nail right on its metal head on both counts.
While the writing credits may acknowledge Richard Matheson's "Steel" (previously filmed as a Twilight Zone episode in 1963), this shameless crowd-pleaser owes a greater debt to the fists aloft underdog mantra of Rocky.
If you want to know just how thoroughly rotten Michael Bay's infernal Transformers films really are, then look no further than Real Steel (2011, Buena Vista, 12A), a guilty pleasure that demonstrates perfectly how a movie about robots hitting each other should be made. While Bay failed spectacularly over the course of three movies (a fourth instalment is, depressingly, on the way) to conjure up anything vaguely resembling either story or characters, jobbing hack Shawn Levy, whose CV includes such underwhelming fare as Night at the Museum and Date Night, hits the nail right on its metal head on both counts.
While the writing credits may acknowledge Richard Matheson's "Steel" (previously filmed as a Twilight Zone episode in 1963), this shameless crowd-pleaser owes a greater debt to the fists aloft underdog mantra of Rocky.
- 2/19/2012
- by Mark Kermode
- The Guardian - Film News
"Youth is beautiful, there's a luminosity, and that is what my eye is trained to see."
Model scout Ashley, whose job sees her travelling between Russia, China and Japan on the hunt for potential young pin-ups, is the linchpin of the acclaimed documentary Girl Model, in UK cinemas this week, which explores the lives of East European girls - some only 13 or perhaps younger - queuing up in their droves for a chance to enjoy the luxuries of a life that a successful career in front of the camera can bring.
Images we in the west see every day persuade us of the impossibly glamorous world of international modelling - Cindy Crawford on a beach, Kate Moss in boho chic, Iman looking eternally seductive through a dusky night-time haze - it all looks effortless, and the women boast a glow of confidence and security.
This film provides the bleak counterpoint,...
Model scout Ashley, whose job sees her travelling between Russia, China and Japan on the hunt for potential young pin-ups, is the linchpin of the acclaimed documentary Girl Model, in UK cinemas this week, which explores the lives of East European girls - some only 13 or perhaps younger - queuing up in their droves for a chance to enjoy the luxuries of a life that a successful career in front of the camera can bring.
Images we in the west see every day persuade us of the impossibly glamorous world of international modelling - Cindy Crawford on a beach, Kate Moss in boho chic, Iman looking eternally seductive through a dusky night-time haze - it all looks effortless, and the women boast a glow of confidence and security.
This film provides the bleak counterpoint,...
- 2/16/2012
- by Caroline Frost
- Huffington Post
Working in an industry built on child labour and exploitation, it's little wonder models have finally unionised
Model abuse – it sounds like a joke. What exactly do models need to be protected from? The clothes, perhaps, but that is another column, and less important. I don't mind the clothes; the clothes can't weep. With New York fashion week under way, two events – a documentary and a movement – detail the punishment of the model.
The documentary is Girl Model by David Redmon and Ashley Sabin. It is about sick people and it exemplifies the industry. It tells the story of Nadya Vall, a 13-year-old model from Siberia, who is scouted and sent to Tokyo to look for work – plucked from one wasteland, set down in another. Nadya is so young she wears a Teletubbies T-shirt and, like a child in a fairytale, falls into the hands of monsters. One is Tigran,...
Model abuse – it sounds like a joke. What exactly do models need to be protected from? The clothes, perhaps, but that is another column, and less important. I don't mind the clothes; the clothes can't weep. With New York fashion week under way, two events – a documentary and a movement – detail the punishment of the model.
The documentary is Girl Model by David Redmon and Ashley Sabin. It is about sick people and it exemplifies the industry. It tells the story of Nadya Vall, a 13-year-old model from Siberia, who is scouted and sent to Tokyo to look for work – plucked from one wasteland, set down in another. Nadya is so young she wears a Teletubbies T-shirt and, like a child in a fairytale, falls into the hands of monsters. One is Tigran,...
- 2/14/2012
- by Tanya Gold
- The Guardian - Film News
A Dangerous Method (15)
(David Cronenberg, 2011, UK/ Ger/Can/Swi) Michael Fassbender, Keira Knightley, Viggo Mortensen, Vincent Cassel, Sarah Gadon. 100 mins
Cronenberg perverts the cause of the costume drama, as Jung and Freud go where no psychoanalyst has gone before, lifting the lid on 19th-century decorum then falling into their own can of worms. Those expecting psychedelic gore (or kinky erotica) will be disappointed; this is intelligent, articulate and restrained, but not quite conventional.
The Muppets (U)
(James Bobin, 2011, Us) Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Kermit The Frog. 110 mins
The faded felt performers mock their own obsolescence in a family musical that's very hard to dislike. Built around a shambolic "let's put on a show" comeback story, it doesn't always crackle with wit, but South Park-ish self-awareness and Conchords-style songs compensate.
The Woman In Black (12A)
(James Watkins, 2012, UK) Daniel Radcliffe, Ciarán Hinds, Janet McTeer. 95 mins
A great many things go bump and argh!
(David Cronenberg, 2011, UK/ Ger/Can/Swi) Michael Fassbender, Keira Knightley, Viggo Mortensen, Vincent Cassel, Sarah Gadon. 100 mins
Cronenberg perverts the cause of the costume drama, as Jung and Freud go where no psychoanalyst has gone before, lifting the lid on 19th-century decorum then falling into their own can of worms. Those expecting psychedelic gore (or kinky erotica) will be disappointed; this is intelligent, articulate and restrained, but not quite conventional.
The Muppets (U)
(James Bobin, 2011, Us) Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Kermit The Frog. 110 mins
The faded felt performers mock their own obsolescence in a family musical that's very hard to dislike. Built around a shambolic "let's put on a show" comeback story, it doesn't always crackle with wit, but South Park-ish self-awareness and Conchords-style songs compensate.
The Woman In Black (12A)
(James Watkins, 2012, UK) Daniel Radcliffe, Ciarán Hinds, Janet McTeer. 95 mins
A great many things go bump and argh!
- 2/11/2012
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
★★★☆☆ Thanks to the unrelenting juxtaposition of the sparse and relatively untainted Siberian landscape with the towering, industrialised metropolis of Tokyo, Japan presents the perfect backdrop for a story that explores the harsh reality of a thriving modeling industry that connects two socially and economically disparate regions. Following the complex supply chain between Siberia, Japan and the Us, David Redmon and Ashley Sabin's Girl Model (2011) tells its story through the eyes of former model-turn talent scout, Ashley Arbaugh and 13-year-old Siberian model Nadya.
Read more »...
Read more »...
- 2/9/2012
- by CineVue
- CineVue
Sound On Sight will once again be covering the SXSW Film Festival this year, making it our second time attending. 130 feature films will screen at the Austin, Texas fest taking place March 9-17, including 65 World Premieres, 17 North American Premieres and 10 U.S. Premieres. As previously announced, Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon’s The Cabin in the Woods will have the honours of opening the festival, and now they have released the full list of films – and it’s looking pretty amazing. Enjoy!
Narrative Feature Competition
This year’s 8 films were selected from 1,112 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere. Films screening in Narrative Feature Competition are:
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin
When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted.
Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail (World Premiere)
Eden
Director: Megan Griffiths,...
Narrative Feature Competition
This year’s 8 films were selected from 1,112 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere. Films screening in Narrative Feature Competition are:
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin
When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted.
Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail (World Premiere)
Eden
Director: Megan Griffiths,...
- 2/3/2012
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Iggy Pop and Debbie Harry, shot by Bob Gruen in 1977
Rock 'N' Roll Exposed: The Photography of Bob Gruen
screens as part of 24 Beats per Second
SXSW Film has just announced its features lineup for the 2012 edition, running March 9 through 17. We already knew that the Opening Night Film would be Drew Goddard's The Cabin in the Woods. For its Closing Night Film, the festival will host the world premiere of of Emmett Malloy’s documentary Big Easy Express (more below). The lineup, with descriptions from the festival:
Narrative Feature Competition
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin. When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted. Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail. (World Premiere)
Eden
Director: Megan Griffiths, Screenwriters: Richard B. Phillips, Megan Griffiths, Story by: Richard B. Phillips & Chong Kim.
Rock 'N' Roll Exposed: The Photography of Bob Gruen
screens as part of 24 Beats per Second
SXSW Film has just announced its features lineup for the 2012 edition, running March 9 through 17. We already knew that the Opening Night Film would be Drew Goddard's The Cabin in the Woods. For its Closing Night Film, the festival will host the world premiere of of Emmett Malloy’s documentary Big Easy Express (more below). The lineup, with descriptions from the festival:
Narrative Feature Competition
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin. When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted. Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail. (World Premiere)
Eden
Director: Megan Griffiths, Screenwriters: Richard B. Phillips, Megan Griffiths, Story by: Richard B. Phillips & Chong Kim.
- 2/1/2012
- MUBI
With Sundance 2012 Film Festival over, the next big one on the horizon is South by Southwest, which we’ll be heavily covering. The biggest chunk of the line-up has been announced today, which has some great premieres including 21 Jump Street, Tiff and Sundance hit The Raid, Will Ferrell‘s Casa de mi Padre, the documentary Girl Model (which we liked at Tiff), as well as the next from Broken Lizard, The Babymakers. There are many other promising titles included and you can see them all below. Check back for our coverage for the fest, kicking off March 9th.
Narrative Feature Competition
This year’s 8 films were selected from 1,112 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere. Films screening in Narrative Feature Competition are:
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin
When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted.
Narrative Feature Competition
This year’s 8 films were selected from 1,112 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere. Films screening in Narrative Feature Competition are:
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin
When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted.
- 2/1/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
Attendees of South by Southwest 2012 are in for a treat. 130 feature films will screen at the Austin, Texas festival taking place March 9-17. Among them are 65 World Premieres, 17 North American Premieres and 10 U.S. Premieres. The organization already announced [1] Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon's The Cabin in the Woods would open the festival (the movie is phenomenal [2]) and today the majority of the remaining line up has been revealed. One of the highlights is the unbelievably smart and hilarious 21 Jump Street, directed by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller. Both of those are World Premieres. Other highlights include The Hunter, Killer Joe, The Babymakers, frankie goes boom, God Bless America, The Imposter, The Raid, Bernie and Casa de mi Padre just to name a few. After the jump, read descriptions of all the films that have been announced so far. Before I copy and paste the rest of the list, a few minor notes.
- 2/1/2012
- by Germain Lussier
- Slash Film
Stranger Than Fiction has released their official winter schedule for the new year, beginning on January 31st with “Girl with Black Balloons,” the full-length documentary debut from director Corinne van der Borch about a legendarily beautiful artist living in her secluded studio. In Stf fashion, screenings in the series will take place every Tuesday night at New York’s IFC Center. Highlights of the rest of the slate includes Woody Allen’s pseudo-doc “Zelig” on Valentine’s Day and a treat for Bruce Springsteen fans, “The Promise: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town.” David Redmon and Ashley Sabin’s “Girl Model” will round out the season on March 20th. Highlights from the Stranger than Fiction Winter Season with descriptions and information provided by Stf Doc: [For a full lineup and more information, visit the Stf Doc website.] "The Girl with the Black...
- 12/13/2011
- Indiewire
Sebastián Borensztein "Un Cuento Chino" took top prizes at the International Rome Film Festival over the weekend, winning the international jury award for best film as well as the Audience nod for best feature at the festival. Ashley Sabin and David Redmon's "Girl Model," meanwhile, took Rome's "Marc' Aurelio Award" for best documentary. The list of 2011 International Rome Film Festival prizes (with information provided by the festival International Jury ...
- 11/6/2011
- Indiewire
The buzz word at this year’s Tiff is “doc.” For the first time in its 35-year history, the Toronto International Film Festival opened with a documentary: Davis Guggenheim‘s From The Sky Down, which profiles the world’s most popular rock band, U2. Filmgoers and critics are also buzzing over Crazy Horse, by verite legend Frederick Wiseman; Samsara (by Baraka‘s Ron Fricke); Tony Krawitz‘s The Tall Man,; and Girl Model by Ashley Sabin and David Redmon.
The doc vibe was in the air on Monday morning at a breakfast launch for Focus Foward. Sponsored by Cinelan and Ge, Focus Forward invites big-name documentarians such as Morgan Spurlock (Comic-Con: Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope), Nick Broomfield (Sarah Palin: You Betcha) and Jessica Yu (Last Call at the Oasis) to make three-minute socially conscious docs that A-list festivals like Sundance, Idfa and Tribeca will screen. It was a...
The doc vibe was in the air on Monday morning at a breakfast launch for Focus Foward. Sponsored by Cinelan and Ge, Focus Forward invites big-name documentarians such as Morgan Spurlock (Comic-Con: Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope), Nick Broomfield (Sarah Palin: You Betcha) and Jessica Yu (Last Call at the Oasis) to make three-minute socially conscious docs that A-list festivals like Sundance, Idfa and Tribeca will screen. It was a...
- 9/17/2011
- by Allan Tong
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
It should come as no great surprise that a movie called "Girl Model" has a dark side. The particularly startling aspect of this sharp non-fiction exposé from documentarians David Redmon and Ashley Sabin is the eerie, visceral horror the haunts every scene. "Girl Model" portrays a business defined by inherent corruption. Redmon and Sabin focus on two heroines with vastly different perspectives on this troubled world. A jaded model scout, ...
- 9/17/2011
- Indiewire
The Ifp organized a screening series at Tiff this year for Rbc, the Royal Bank of Canada, at the Thompson Hotel. The event turned into a four-night run of Ryan O’Nan’s festival selection, The Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best, which knocked out the crowd each night. As I moderated the Q&A’s, I can attest: this film plays.
The movie was selected for the Ifp’s Narrative Lab just this past summer, and it happily surprised all of us by finishing so quickly and making it to Toronto. The Brooklyn Brothers is a totally winning tale of a makeshift band on a haphazard cross-country tour. It speaks to both a Diy-youth generation as well as to boomers mulling their own life choices and vicariously living out through the movie their own “what if…?” scenarios. Above are pictured, from left to right, producer Kwesi Collison, writer/director/star O’Nan,...
The movie was selected for the Ifp’s Narrative Lab just this past summer, and it happily surprised all of us by finishing so quickly and making it to Toronto. The Brooklyn Brothers is a totally winning tale of a makeshift band on a haphazard cross-country tour. It speaks to both a Diy-youth generation as well as to boomers mulling their own life choices and vicariously living out through the movie their own “what if…?” scenarios. Above are pictured, from left to right, producer Kwesi Collison, writer/director/star O’Nan,...
- 9/16/2011
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
In both narrative and documentary film, the character of the fashion model has long been a symbol of not only glamor but also a kind of post-modern alienation. Depicting a Russian teen model casting and one young girl’s travel to Japan for modeling work, Girl Model, David Redmon and Ashley Sabin’s absolutely riveting new documentary, is set in a morally adrift culture in which the image of childhood is a globally traded commodity. Nadya is an innocent-looking, blonde 13-year-old for whom modeling work is both a dream and way out of the poverty she’s grown up with in Siberia. But the modeling contract she signs is full of loopholes and onerous clauses (if she gains a centimeter around her waist, it’s void, for example), and, with her parents remaining in Russia, she has no real protectors in Japan.
As a character, Nadya is both heartbreaking but also something of a heroine,...
As a character, Nadya is both heartbreaking but also something of a heroine,...
- 9/14/2011
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
There are a couple of reasons for revisiting the Toronto International Film Festival's lineup for its documentary program, Real to Reel. One of them is Aj Schnack's interview with Thom Powers, Tiff's Documentary and Mavericks Programmer, posted just hours after the Mavericks lineup was announced on Tuesday. Discussing the highlights of both programs, they touch on another reason: Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory is making all sorts of headlines. Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky's third film chronicling the odyssey of Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley Jr, aka the West Memphis Three, through the labyrinth of the Us legal system, follows Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996) and Paradise Lost 2: Revelations (2000). All three films deal with what Powers calls in his Programmer's Note "an 18-year-old murder case that has become an iconic example of a legal witch hunt." In 1993, when all three men were still teens,...
- 8/25/2011
- MUBI
News is rolling out of Toronto for this year's festival, with the Galas and the Special Presentations sections announced. As always with Tiff, the sheer number of films can seem overwhelming, but with new films by David Cronenberg (A Dangerous Method, pictured above), Terence Davies (!), Francis Ford Coppola, Wang Xiaoshuai, Marjane Satrapi & Vincent Paronnaud, and William Friedkin added to big names that premiered already this year (including Almodóvar, Von Trier, Nanni Moretti, and Nicolas Winding Refn) it looks like the 2011 iteration will be as packed with must-see cinema as ever before. We'll be updating this listing as new lineups are announced. See Tiff's official website for details.
Galas
Albert Nobbs (Rodrigo Garcia, Ireland) Butter (Jim Field Smith, USA) A Dangerous Method (David Cronenberg, France/Ireland/UK/Germany/Canada) From the Sky Down (Davis Guggenheim, USA) A Happy Event (Rémi Bezançon, France) The Ides of March (George Clooney, USA) The Lady (Luc Besson,...
Galas
Albert Nobbs (Rodrigo Garcia, Ireland) Butter (Jim Field Smith, USA) A Dangerous Method (David Cronenberg, France/Ireland/UK/Germany/Canada) From the Sky Down (Davis Guggenheim, USA) A Happy Event (Rémi Bezançon, France) The Ides of March (George Clooney, USA) The Lady (Luc Besson,...
- 8/9/2011
- MUBI
The Toronto International Film Festival has released the complete line-up of their impressive documentary slate which include new works from directors such as Morgan Spurlock, Werner Herzog and Alex Gibney. Herzog explores a triple homicide case in Texas in Into the Abyss; Morgan Spurlock follows fans to San Diego’s Comic-Con in Comic-Con: Episode IV – A Fan’s Hope; Jessica Yu delivers a wake-up call about the world’s water supply in Last Call at the Oasis; and Nick Broomfield visits Wasilla, Alaska in his search for the ‘real’ Sarah Palin in Sarah Palin – You Betcha! Here is the complete line-up. Enjoy
Masters
Pina Wim Wenders, Germany/France
Canadian Premiere
German master filmmaker Wim Wenders shoots in 3D to capture the brilliantly inventive dance world of Pina Bausch and her company, Tanztheater Wuppertal. Excerpts from many of her most famous pieces are shot outside in the streets and parks of...
Masters
Pina Wim Wenders, Germany/France
Canadian Premiere
German master filmmaker Wim Wenders shoots in 3D to capture the brilliantly inventive dance world of Pina Bausch and her company, Tanztheater Wuppertal. Excerpts from many of her most famous pieces are shot outside in the streets and parks of...
- 8/3/2011
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
A week after the announcement of the first, and largest, wave of films added to this year’s Toronto International Film Festival slate, the festival is now finally rounding out its list, with some of the most interesting additions yet.
Criterion Collection fans will again see a few of their more beloved filmmakers involved here, as Wim Wenders will be bowing his latest film, Pina, during the festival, as will Werner Herzog (not truly a Criterion Collection approved filmmaker, but we’ll count it). Herzog will be bringing his new documentary, Into The Abyss, which looks at those behind at triple homicide, including one man who is on death row and will be put to death just days after speaking with the filmmaker.
Other additions include Ron Fricke’s Baraka follow up, Samsara, Nick Broomfield’s surely controversial documentary Sarah Palin – You Betcha!, and documentaries from Alex Gibney and Morgan Spurlock.
Criterion Collection fans will again see a few of their more beloved filmmakers involved here, as Wim Wenders will be bowing his latest film, Pina, during the festival, as will Werner Herzog (not truly a Criterion Collection approved filmmaker, but we’ll count it). Herzog will be bringing his new documentary, Into The Abyss, which looks at those behind at triple homicide, including one man who is on death row and will be put to death just days after speaking with the filmmaker.
Other additions include Ron Fricke’s Baraka follow up, Samsara, Nick Broomfield’s surely controversial documentary Sarah Palin – You Betcha!, and documentaries from Alex Gibney and Morgan Spurlock.
- 8/3/2011
- by Joshua Brunsting
- CriterionCast
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