The International Documentary Association (IDA), Cinema Eye Honors and Gotham Awards have delivered their verdicts on the top feature docs of the year. And, for the streamers, it’s a grim result.
Absent from the Gothams’ doc feature selections, the Cinema Eye’s top feature and director noms and the IDA’s 17-title shortlist are titles from Netflix, Prime Video and Apple TV+.
The lists read, in the words of one leading awards publicist, “like a giant fuck-you to Netflix.” And with Oscar campaigning in high gear, they pose the question: Is a streamer backlash brewing?
The Gotham noms are mostly non-u.S. productions, including Kino Lorber’s Four Daughters, PBS’ 20 Days in Mariupol and Cinema Guild’s Our Body. Likewise, the IDA’s shortlisted titles included Morocco’s The Mother of All Lies, Colombia’s Anhell69, South African artist portrait Milisuthando, the CBC-backed Twice Colonized and the BBC-backed,...
Absent from the Gothams’ doc feature selections, the Cinema Eye’s top feature and director noms and the IDA’s 17-title shortlist are titles from Netflix, Prime Video and Apple TV+.
The lists read, in the words of one leading awards publicist, “like a giant fuck-you to Netflix.” And with Oscar campaigning in high gear, they pose the question: Is a streamer backlash brewing?
The Gotham noms are mostly non-u.S. productions, including Kino Lorber’s Four Daughters, PBS’ 20 Days in Mariupol and Cinema Guild’s Our Body. Likewise, the IDA’s shortlisted titles included Morocco’s The Mother of All Lies, Colombia’s Anhell69, South African artist portrait Milisuthando, the CBC-backed Twice Colonized and the BBC-backed,...
- 12/14/2023
- by Adam Benzine
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Peacock has acquired U.S. rights to Waad Al-Kateab’s second feature-length documentary “We Dare to Dream.”
The pact comes after the 93-minute film made its world premiere in June at the Tribeca Film Festival and had a Oscar qualifying theatrical run at New York City’s IFC Center in October. The docu, about the refugee Olympic team at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, will begin streaming on Peacock on Dec. 1.
“The fact that Peacock has now acquired our film gives me hope that millions of people will be able to understand our story, and that we, the world’s refugees, are not the crisis,” says Al-Kateab. “We are a consequence of multiple crises in the world from climate instability to political conflict that are causing millions, like me and my children, to lose their homes and their way of life. With new crises at a breaking point today, I think...
The pact comes after the 93-minute film made its world premiere in June at the Tribeca Film Festival and had a Oscar qualifying theatrical run at New York City’s IFC Center in October. The docu, about the refugee Olympic team at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, will begin streaming on Peacock on Dec. 1.
“The fact that Peacock has now acquired our film gives me hope that millions of people will be able to understand our story, and that we, the world’s refugees, are not the crisis,” says Al-Kateab. “We are a consequence of multiple crises in the world from climate instability to political conflict that are causing millions, like me and my children, to lose their homes and their way of life. With new crises at a breaking point today, I think...
- 12/1/2023
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
John Legend is lending his voice to “We Dare to Dream,” a documentary about the refugee Olympic team at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
Legend will write, compose and record “Don’t Need to Sleep,” an original song for the docu, which will open theatrically Oct. 20 at New York’s IFC Center.
Legend as well as his Get Lifted Film co-founders Mike Jackson and Ty Stiklorius will serve as executive producers on the project alongside Angelina Jolie.
“I am honored to contribute an original song to ‘We Dare to Dream,'” says Legend. “Waad Al-Kateab has created an important film and I hope “Don’t Need to Sleep” does the documentary and its extraordinary subjects justice.”
“We Dare to Dream” is director Waad Al-Kateab’s second feature doc. In her first film, “For Sama,” which was nominated for an Academy Award, the Syrian director used her camera to capture her daily...
Legend will write, compose and record “Don’t Need to Sleep,” an original song for the docu, which will open theatrically Oct. 20 at New York’s IFC Center.
Legend as well as his Get Lifted Film co-founders Mike Jackson and Ty Stiklorius will serve as executive producers on the project alongside Angelina Jolie.
“I am honored to contribute an original song to ‘We Dare to Dream,'” says Legend. “Waad Al-Kateab has created an important film and I hope “Don’t Need to Sleep” does the documentary and its extraordinary subjects justice.”
“We Dare to Dream” is director Waad Al-Kateab’s second feature doc. In her first film, “For Sama,” which was nominated for an Academy Award, the Syrian director used her camera to capture her daily...
- 10/17/2023
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Sundance Institute’s Documentary Fund will be supporting 23 selected independent documentary film projects this year through grants totaling over $1 million. This initiative has previously funded notable films including Oscar-nominated features “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution,” “Minding the Gap” and “The Edge of Democracy.”
In addition to shrinking budgets for commissioned docuseries and one-offs, there has been a dramatic decline in distribution deals for indie docs, making the Sundance Institute grant vital to the nonfiction community. Especially to those filmmakers in the docu space working on social issue documentaries.
This year, the documentaries awarded grants explore a large breadth subject matters from around the world, telling stories about Indigenous People and Native Americans, transgender youth, secrets of a family’s lineage, people with disabilities and an untitled feature about Uvalde, Texas. Of the 23 films, six are in development, 14 are in production and three are in post-production.
“The stories and themes explored...
In addition to shrinking budgets for commissioned docuseries and one-offs, there has been a dramatic decline in distribution deals for indie docs, making the Sundance Institute grant vital to the nonfiction community. Especially to those filmmakers in the docu space working on social issue documentaries.
This year, the documentaries awarded grants explore a large breadth subject matters from around the world, telling stories about Indigenous People and Native Americans, transgender youth, secrets of a family’s lineage, people with disabilities and an untitled feature about Uvalde, Texas. Of the 23 films, six are in development, 14 are in production and three are in post-production.
“The stories and themes explored...
- 8/21/2023
- by Sophia Scorziello
- Variety Film + TV
The Sundance Institute has named the 2023 grantees of its Documentary Fund, supporting the work of nonfiction filmmakers from around the globe, with 23 projects being selected for unrestricted grant funding totaling just over $1M.
Six of the selected projects are in development, with 14 in production and three currently in post. Notable filmmakers recognized as part of the group include Oscar and Emmy nominee Lourdes Portillo (with Looking at Ourselves), artist and filmmaker Amy Jenkins (with Adam’s Apple), and Anayansi Prado (with Untitled Uvalde Documentary). Also represented are such sophomore filmmakers coming off strong debuts as Reid Davenport (I Didn’t See You There) with Life After, Sky Hopinka with Powwow People, and Tali Yankelevich (My Darling Supermarket) with Girl-Tubers.
Sundance Institute’s Documentary Fund prioritizes supporting and empowering historically marginalized voices and providing a platform for integral stories to be amplified. Many of the...
Six of the selected projects are in development, with 14 in production and three currently in post. Notable filmmakers recognized as part of the group include Oscar and Emmy nominee Lourdes Portillo (with Looking at Ourselves), artist and filmmaker Amy Jenkins (with Adam’s Apple), and Anayansi Prado (with Untitled Uvalde Documentary). Also represented are such sophomore filmmakers coming off strong debuts as Reid Davenport (I Didn’t See You There) with Life After, Sky Hopinka with Powwow People, and Tali Yankelevich (My Darling Supermarket) with Girl-Tubers.
Sundance Institute’s Documentary Fund prioritizes supporting and empowering historically marginalized voices and providing a platform for integral stories to be amplified. Many of the...
- 8/21/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
“She had the most delirious appreciation of how important it is to have fun.”
Tributes have been pouring in from across the international film and TV industry to Jess Search, who died on Monday, July 31 aged 54.
Doc Society co-founder and CEO Search was a much-loved figure in both the documentary and wider industry.
Screen has collected a range of tributes, below. Please feel free to add further tributes, with your name where possible, via the comments section at the bottom of this page.
Cath Le Couteur, co-founder/CEO, Shooting People
The nub of Jess and my friendship was that we loved film,...
Tributes have been pouring in from across the international film and TV industry to Jess Search, who died on Monday, July 31 aged 54.
Doc Society co-founder and CEO Search was a much-loved figure in both the documentary and wider industry.
Screen has collected a range of tributes, below. Please feel free to add further tributes, with your name where possible, via the comments section at the bottom of this page.
Cath Le Couteur, co-founder/CEO, Shooting People
The nub of Jess and my friendship was that we loved film,...
- 8/3/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Oscar-winning actor and activist Angelina Jolie has signed on as an executive producer on We Dare to Dream, the new documentary from Oscar-nominated director Waad Al-Kateab (For Sama).
We Dare to Dream tells the story of the young, stateless athletes from Iran, Syria, South Sudan and Cameroon who competed together under the banner of the Ioc Refugee Olympic team at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. We Dare to Dream has its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival on Sunday.
Jolie has long been a vocal advocate for the rights of refugees. The actor and filmmaker served as a goodwill ambassador for Un refugee agency the Unhcr from 2001 to 2012 and as a special envoy from 2012 to 2022.
“I have long admired Angelina’s clear-sighted and principled approach to human rights and refugee issues,” Al-Kateab said in a statement. “She has been a true ally to the refugee community and to me personally over the last two years.
We Dare to Dream tells the story of the young, stateless athletes from Iran, Syria, South Sudan and Cameroon who competed together under the banner of the Ioc Refugee Olympic team at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. We Dare to Dream has its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival on Sunday.
Jolie has long been a vocal advocate for the rights of refugees. The actor and filmmaker served as a goodwill ambassador for Un refugee agency the Unhcr from 2001 to 2012 and as a special envoy from 2012 to 2022.
“I have long admired Angelina’s clear-sighted and principled approach to human rights and refugee issues,” Al-Kateab said in a statement. “She has been a true ally to the refugee community and to me personally over the last two years.
- 6/9/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Last year, Shane Boris received two Oscar nominations for producing National Geographic’s “Fire of Love” and CNN Films’ “Navalny.” In March he garnered an Academy Award for his work on Daniel Roher’s “Navalny,” about anti-Putin freedom fighter Alexei Navalny. During a Hot Docs Industry talk, the producer spoke about a wide variety of topics, including his latest documentary, “King Coal,” what he’s looking for in a docu, and nonfiction’s current distribution landscape.
Boris made his first documentary “You’re Looking at Me Like I Live Here and I Don’t” in 2010. The film, which aired on PBS’s Independent Lens, follows Lee Gorewitz as she struggles to navigate the increasingly confused and confusing landscape of Alzheimers.
“That doc began as a fiction film,” Boris said. “But we went into the Alzheimer’s unit to scout our location, and the person that took us around was starting...
Boris made his first documentary “You’re Looking at Me Like I Live Here and I Don’t” in 2010. The film, which aired on PBS’s Independent Lens, follows Lee Gorewitz as she struggles to navigate the increasingly confused and confusing landscape of Alzheimers.
“That doc began as a fiction film,” Boris said. “But we went into the Alzheimer’s unit to scout our location, and the person that took us around was starting...
- 5/5/2023
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix executive Lisa Nishimura backed some of the streamer’s biggest successes – Tiger King, The Tinder Swindler, The Power of the Dog, Making a Murderer, and American Factory – but in an era of corporate cost-cutting, it wasn’t enough to save her job.
Related Story Netflix Vets Lisa Nishimura & Ian Bricke Depart In Film Group Reorg Related Story Omar Epps Boards Netflix's Limited Series 'The Perfect Couple' Related Story IFC Center's John Vanco Joins Netflix To Oversee Programming For Streamer's Theaters
Her imminent departure as VP of independent film and documentary features, after a 16-year stint at Netflix, has come as a particular shock to the nonfiction film community, which saw her build Netflix into a dominant force in documentary and become, in the process, one of Netflix’s most visible execs.
(L-r) Lisa Nishimura, Taylor Swift and Ted Sarandos attend the Netflix 2019 Golden Globes After Party
“Lisa...
Related Story Netflix Vets Lisa Nishimura & Ian Bricke Depart In Film Group Reorg Related Story Omar Epps Boards Netflix's Limited Series 'The Perfect Couple' Related Story IFC Center's John Vanco Joins Netflix To Oversee Programming For Streamer's Theaters
Her imminent departure as VP of independent film and documentary features, after a 16-year stint at Netflix, has come as a particular shock to the nonfiction film community, which saw her build Netflix into a dominant force in documentary and become, in the process, one of Netflix’s most visible execs.
(L-r) Lisa Nishimura, Taylor Swift and Ted Sarandos attend the Netflix 2019 Golden Globes After Party
“Lisa...
- 3/31/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
The Sundance Film Festival has often been called one of the world’s most important documentary marketplaces, with 39 of the past 65 Best Documentary Feature contenders (60) either beginning or continuing their road to the Oscars in Park City. Examples include “Summer of Soul,” “Flee,” “Writing With Fire,” “Honeyland,” “The Edge of Democracy,” “American Factory,” “Time,” “The Mole Agent,” “Crip Camp,” “Rbg,” “Of Fathers and Sons,” “Minding the Gap,” and “Hale County This Morning, This Evening.”
See 2023 Sundance Film Festival concludes: Highlights and studio acquisitions include ‘Past Lives,’ ‘A Little Prayer,’ ‘Flora and Son’
Two of those–Questlove’s “Summer of Soul” and Netflix’s joint venture with Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions, “American Factory”–won the award. Four of this season’s honorees —“All That Breathes,” “Fire of Love,” “Navalny,” and “A House Made of Splinters”—played the festival in 2022. Climate change, human rights violations, competitive mariachi, and...
See 2023 Sundance Film Festival concludes: Highlights and studio acquisitions include ‘Past Lives,’ ‘A Little Prayer,’ ‘Flora and Son’
Two of those–Questlove’s “Summer of Soul” and Netflix’s joint venture with Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions, “American Factory”–won the award. Four of this season’s honorees —“All That Breathes,” “Fire of Love,” “Navalny,” and “A House Made of Splinters”—played the festival in 2022. Climate change, human rights violations, competitive mariachi, and...
- 1/31/2023
- by Ronald Meyer and Denton Davidson
- Gold Derby
The Sundance Film Festival has often been called one of the world’s most important documentary marketplaces, with 39 of the past 65 Best Documentary Feature contenders (60) either beginning or continuing their road to the Oscars in Park City, Utah. Examples include “Summer of Soul,” “Flee,” “Writing With Fire,” “Honeyland,” “The Edge of Democracy,” “American Factory,” “Time,” “The Mole Agent,” “Crip Camp,” “Rbg,” “Of Fathers and Sons,” “Minding the Gap,” and “Hale County This Morning, This Evening.”
Two of those–Questlove’s “Summer of Soul” and Netflix’s joint venture with Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions, “American Factory”–won the award. Four of this season’s nominees —“All That Breathes,” “Fire of Love,” “Navalny,” and “A House Made of Splinters”—played the festival in 2022. Climate change, human rights violations, competitive mariachi, and manned flight to Mars are only a few of the subjects addressed by this year’s eclectic non-fiction slate.
Two of those–Questlove’s “Summer of Soul” and Netflix’s joint venture with Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions, “American Factory”–won the award. Four of this season’s nominees —“All That Breathes,” “Fire of Love,” “Navalny,” and “A House Made of Splinters”—played the festival in 2022. Climate change, human rights violations, competitive mariachi, and manned flight to Mars are only a few of the subjects addressed by this year’s eclectic non-fiction slate.
- 1/31/2023
- by Ronald Meyer and Denton Davidson
- Gold Derby
Exclusive: Netflix is making changes in its feature documentary division.
Jason Spingarn-Koff, who was responsible for helping Netflix win its first Oscar for short doc The White Helmets, is exiting the streamer.
Spingarn-Koff has been with Netflix since 2015 as part of Lisa Nishimura’s documentary team.
His departure, along with a couple of other executives in the team, follows a couple of waves of layoffs at Netflix, which has cut around 475 staffers in the last three months. This move came as a result of the slowdown in the company’s revenue growth.
In addition to White Helmets, Spingarn-Koff has worked on Academy Awards winners Icarus, American Factory and My Octopus Teacher, Peabody Awards winners The Edge of Democracy, Chasing Coral and Audrie & Daisy and a number of Emmy winners including Strong Island. He was also involved in David Attenborough natural history series Our Planet.
He joined from The New York Times,...
Jason Spingarn-Koff, who was responsible for helping Netflix win its first Oscar for short doc The White Helmets, is exiting the streamer.
Spingarn-Koff has been with Netflix since 2015 as part of Lisa Nishimura’s documentary team.
His departure, along with a couple of other executives in the team, follows a couple of waves of layoffs at Netflix, which has cut around 475 staffers in the last three months. This move came as a result of the slowdown in the company’s revenue growth.
In addition to White Helmets, Spingarn-Koff has worked on Academy Awards winners Icarus, American Factory and My Octopus Teacher, Peabody Awards winners The Edge of Democracy, Chasing Coral and Audrie & Daisy and a number of Emmy winners including Strong Island. He was also involved in David Attenborough natural history series Our Planet.
He joined from The New York Times,...
- 7/30/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
“M*A*S*H,” “I Love Lucy,” “Six Feet Under,” “Beetlejuice” and “The Cosby Show.” What do these classic TV shows or films have in common? They all had a deep impact on five of today’s top TV showrunners. We discuss that and more during our “Meet the Experts” group roundtable panel with 2022 Emmy contenders.
This “Meet the Experts” panel includes showrunners and producers Melissa Joan Hart (“Christmas in Tune”), Sarah Burgess (“Impeachment”), Justin Noble (“The Sex Lives of College Girls”), Dustin Lance Black (“Under the Banner of Heaven”) and Gloria Calderon Kellett (“With Love”). Watch our full group chat above and click on each name above to view each person’s individual interview.
“I was obsessed with ‘M*A*S*H’ growing up,” reveals Black. “And one day I hope I can write like that. Where you can take really dark, deep, challenging subjects and get people to laugh.
This “Meet the Experts” panel includes showrunners and producers Melissa Joan Hart (“Christmas in Tune”), Sarah Burgess (“Impeachment”), Justin Noble (“The Sex Lives of College Girls”), Dustin Lance Black (“Under the Banner of Heaven”) and Gloria Calderon Kellett (“With Love”). Watch our full group chat above and click on each name above to view each person’s individual interview.
“I was obsessed with ‘M*A*S*H’ growing up,” reveals Black. “And one day I hope I can write like that. Where you can take really dark, deep, challenging subjects and get people to laugh.
- 6/6/2022
- by Denton Davidson
- Gold Derby
“I was so mindful that I was coming into a pre-existing, incredibly successful franchise that Ryan [Murphy] built,” explains Sarah Burgess, the co-writer and showrunner for “Impeachment: American Crime Story” on FX. “Because Ryan directed episode one, I first met him through his ideas for my script that I had written. We were supposed to start shooting this show in March of 2020, so there was a very sudden stop. Finally everything came together in the Fall of 2020 and I met him at a production meeting. He mentioned one of my favorite movies without he and I ever speaking about it, ‘The Lies of Others,’ as a visual reference and tone reference for the show. As a neurotic, self-involved writer it meant so much to me that I felt that this person read and understood the anxious tension in the script.”
We talked to Burgess as part of our “Meet the Experts” TV showrunners panel.
We talked to Burgess as part of our “Meet the Experts” TV showrunners panel.
- 6/6/2022
- by Denton Davidson
- Gold Derby
“Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?” is a whip-smart British-set whodunnit, written and directed by Hugh Laurie, based on the iconic 1934 novel by Agatha Christie. If that is not catnip for Emmy voters, then I don’t know what is.
The three-part mystery premiered on upstart streaming service Britbox on April 14. It stars BAFTA Rising Star award winner Will Poulter as the local Vicar’s son, lovable Bobby Jones and Lucy Boynton as his friend, razor-sharp socialite Lady Frances “Frankie” Derwent. Unbeknownst to them while looking for a lost golf ball on a perfectly pleasant Wales gold course, the duo come upon the crumpled body of a dying man who utters the enigmatic query of the show’s title with his last dying breath. The show’s official synopsis then goes on to read, “armed with a photograph of a young woman found in the dead man’s pocket, amateur sleuths...
The three-part mystery premiered on upstart streaming service Britbox on April 14. It stars BAFTA Rising Star award winner Will Poulter as the local Vicar’s son, lovable Bobby Jones and Lucy Boynton as his friend, razor-sharp socialite Lady Frances “Frankie” Derwent. Unbeknownst to them while looking for a lost golf ball on a perfectly pleasant Wales gold course, the duo come upon the crumpled body of a dying man who utters the enigmatic query of the show’s title with his last dying breath. The show’s official synopsis then goes on to read, “armed with a photograph of a young woman found in the dead man’s pocket, amateur sleuths...
- 6/6/2022
- by Rob Licuria
- Gold Derby
Britbox’s flagship drama “Time” is in with a fighting chance at the Emmys this year, potentially giving the upstart streamer its first high-profile success with Emmy voters.
The three-part limited series was created and written by Jimmy McGovern (“Cracker”) and directed by Lewis Arnold (“Broadchurch”), starring Sean Bean (“Game of Thrones”) and Stephen Graham. The series follows family man Mark Cobden (Bean), who is sentenced to four years in prison after accidentally killing a man. Consumed by guilt for his crime, Mark is confronted with navigating his terrifying new life as an inmate, and soon meets Eric McNally (Graham), an upstanding prison officer, who lives to protect the inmates against the odds in an understaffed and volatile modern British penal system. Both Mark and Eric soon come up against one of the most dangerous inmates in the prison, forcing them to make life-or-death choices between principle and survival. After...
The three-part limited series was created and written by Jimmy McGovern (“Cracker”) and directed by Lewis Arnold (“Broadchurch”), starring Sean Bean (“Game of Thrones”) and Stephen Graham. The series follows family man Mark Cobden (Bean), who is sentenced to four years in prison after accidentally killing a man. Consumed by guilt for his crime, Mark is confronted with navigating his terrifying new life as an inmate, and soon meets Eric McNally (Graham), an upstanding prison officer, who lives to protect the inmates against the odds in an understaffed and volatile modern British penal system. Both Mark and Eric soon come up against one of the most dangerous inmates in the prison, forcing them to make life-or-death choices between principle and survival. After...
- 6/6/2022
- by Rob Licuria
- Gold Derby
Neon will partner with National Geographic to release Sara Dosa’s “Fire of Love” documentary, following a successful Sundance debut earlier this year. Neon is planning a theatrical release for this summer, with a streaming release on Disney+ set for later this year.
Dosa’s documentary follows the lives and work of French volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft through rare archival footage. The love story is tinged with passion and tragedy, as the two died while exploring and photographing a volcanic explosion, doing the very thing that brought them together. The film kicked off Sundance’s U.S. documentary competition, and won the Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award. National Geographic Documentary Films acquired the worldwide rights following the film’s Sundance premiere.
Narrated by Miranda July, the film is produced by Shane Boris, Ina Fichman and Dosa. Executive producers are Greg Boustead and Jessica Harrop of Sandbox Films, Carolyn Bernstein of...
Dosa’s documentary follows the lives and work of French volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft through rare archival footage. The love story is tinged with passion and tragedy, as the two died while exploring and photographing a volcanic explosion, doing the very thing that brought them together. The film kicked off Sundance’s U.S. documentary competition, and won the Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award. National Geographic Documentary Films acquired the worldwide rights following the film’s Sundance premiere.
Narrated by Miranda July, the film is produced by Shane Boris, Ina Fichman and Dosa. Executive producers are Greg Boustead and Jessica Harrop of Sandbox Films, Carolyn Bernstein of...
- 4/20/2022
- by Sasha Urban
- Variety Film + TV
Like so many of you, I had a lengthy hiatus from Broadway due to Covid, beginning the day after a part-time usher at “Six” was diagnosed in March 2020 with the disease and Broadway began its shut down. In fact, I had just seen “Six,” a day or so before that, and even had a brief conversation with an usher there, so I was a little nervous. However, unlike so many others, I did not return in the fall. Having a project to finish in Chicago, I did not get back to Broadway until February 9, when I went to see the current revival of one of my all-time favorites, “The Music Man.”
Front and side, at the Winter Garden Theater, I had a great time. I was particularly taken with Benjamin Payjak, playing Winthrop Paroo. When Benjamin sang his verse in the “The Wells Fargo Wagon” number, it was so wonderful that I teared up,...
Front and side, at the Winter Garden Theater, I had a great time. I was particularly taken with Benjamin Payjak, playing Winthrop Paroo. When Benjamin sang his verse in the “The Wells Fargo Wagon” number, it was so wonderful that I teared up,...
- 3/4/2022
- by Susan Haskins-Doloff
- Gold Derby
Exclusive: Sara Dosa, the filmmaker whose documentary Fire of Love recently made a major splash at the Sundance Film Festival, has signed with Anonymous Content for management.
The Independent Spirit Award nominee’s latest feature, narrated by Miranda July, tells the story of legendary French volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft, their love for each other, and their love of getting as close as possible to fiery volcanoes. It won Sundance’s Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award, upon its debut at the festival in January. National Geographic Films acquired Fire of Love in a mid-seven-figure worldwide rights deal following a multi-studio bidding war which also marked the first major deal to take place at this year’s virtual festival. It’s set to be released in theaters later this year.
Dosa’s previous directorial work includes The Seer & Unseen, which garnered a number of awards including the McBaine Bay Area Documentary Prize,...
The Independent Spirit Award nominee’s latest feature, narrated by Miranda July, tells the story of legendary French volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft, their love for each other, and their love of getting as close as possible to fiery volcanoes. It won Sundance’s Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award, upon its debut at the festival in January. National Geographic Films acquired Fire of Love in a mid-seven-figure worldwide rights deal following a multi-studio bidding war which also marked the first major deal to take place at this year’s virtual festival. It’s set to be released in theaters later this year.
Dosa’s previous directorial work includes The Seer & Unseen, which garnered a number of awards including the McBaine Bay Area Documentary Prize,...
- 3/3/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Hulu is now the streaming home of all past and future seasons of Ryan Murphy’s big FX franchises, American Crime Story, American Horror Story and Pose. All three shows left Netflix at the end of February.
While previous seasons of AHS had been available on Hulu, the streaming platform for FX programming within the Disney universe, American Crime Story and Pose had been exclusive to Netflix, which shared AHS with Hulu and Prime Video for the last couple of years. American Crime Story and Pose will join Hulu’s lineup March 7.
Speculation grew over the last couple of weeks that the series may be headed to Hulu after Netflix put up notices that they would be leaving the streamer. The Ryan Murphy shows are part of a major wave of Disney-owned series that are relocating from Netflix to Disney streamers this month; the Defenders Marvel series and Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D....
While previous seasons of AHS had been available on Hulu, the streaming platform for FX programming within the Disney universe, American Crime Story and Pose had been exclusive to Netflix, which shared AHS with Hulu and Prime Video for the last couple of years. American Crime Story and Pose will join Hulu’s lineup March 7.
Speculation grew over the last couple of weeks that the series may be headed to Hulu after Netflix put up notices that they would be leaving the streamer. The Ryan Murphy shows are part of a major wave of Disney-owned series that are relocating from Netflix to Disney streamers this month; the Defenders Marvel series and Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D....
- 3/3/2022
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Last year Steve Martin and Martin Short commemorated the 35th anniversary of their first screen collaboration, “Three Amigos!,” by costarring on the new Hulu comedy series “Only Murders in the Building.” Now their performances have put them both in the running for their first Screen Actors Guild Awards. In Short’s case, this is one of 10 live action series for which he has been credited as a regular over the past five decades. If the 71-year-338-day-old actor wins the favor of his acting peers, he will surpass Jeffrey Tambor as his category’s oldest champion ever.
Aside from Martin, Short’s challengers in the comedy actor contest are Michael Douglas (“The Kominsky Method”) and “Ted Lasso” duo Brett Goldstein and Jason Sudeikis. Last year Sudeikis won this award and contended with Goldstein for the comedy ensemble prize, which went to the cast of “Schitt’s Creek” instead. Douglas is also a past winner,...
Aside from Martin, Short’s challengers in the comedy actor contest are Michael Douglas (“The Kominsky Method”) and “Ted Lasso” duo Brett Goldstein and Jason Sudeikis. Last year Sudeikis won this award and contended with Goldstein for the comedy ensemble prize, which went to the cast of “Schitt’s Creek” instead. Douglas is also a past winner,...
- 2/22/2022
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Sundance Institute’s Documentary Film Program has set its latest cohort of 20 films receiving Documentary Fund Grants, doling out a total of $600,000 in unrestricted support to projects in varying stages of production and distribution, including eight in development, eight in production, three in post-production, and one in post-production and impact.
Grantees currently at the development stage include Aída Bueno Sarduy’s Anna Borges do Sacramento, Ricardo Ruales’ The Broken R, Damon Davis’ Chain of Rocks, Khoroldorj Choijoovanchig’s Colors of White Rock, Gerardo del Valle’s The Past is Waiting Up Ahead, Set Hernandez Rongkilyo’s unseen, and Farid Ahmad’s Waiting For Winter.
Recipients at the production stage include Pascale Appora-Gnekindy and Ningyi Sun’s Eat Bitter, Chan Hau Chun and Chui Chi Yin’s Heatroom, Basel Al Adarra, Yuval Abraham, Hamdan Balal, and Rachel Shor’s No Other Land, Kit Vincent’s Red Herring (working title), Weichao Xu...
Grantees currently at the development stage include Aída Bueno Sarduy’s Anna Borges do Sacramento, Ricardo Ruales’ The Broken R, Damon Davis’ Chain of Rocks, Khoroldorj Choijoovanchig’s Colors of White Rock, Gerardo del Valle’s The Past is Waiting Up Ahead, Set Hernandez Rongkilyo’s unseen, and Farid Ahmad’s Waiting For Winter.
Recipients at the production stage include Pascale Appora-Gnekindy and Ningyi Sun’s Eat Bitter, Chan Hau Chun and Chui Chi Yin’s Heatroom, Basel Al Adarra, Yuval Abraham, Hamdan Balal, and Rachel Shor’s No Other Land, Kit Vincent’s Red Herring (working title), Weichao Xu...
- 10/27/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Brazilian hit comedy troupe Porta Dos Fundos, renowned for its irreverent take on the life of Christ in their annual Christmas Specials, is making its first animated special exclusively for streamer Paramount Plus.
The new Paramount Plus Original, titled “Mean Boys,” is written by troupe co-founder Fábio Porchat and co-produced by Vis Americas and Brazilian animation studio, Estricnina.
The move makes sense given that ViacomCBS took a majority stake in Porta dos Fundos in 2017 and co-produced last year’s special with Porta dos Fundos.
“Mean Boys” will give the audience a peek at Jesus’ teenage life before he became Christ as he enrolls in a new high school and, with the help of his pal Lázaro, tries to fit in. “We always wanted to make an animation [film],” said Porchat, adding: “This pandemic turned our desire into a necessity. After all, drawing can’t transmit a virus.” The pandemic continues to...
The new Paramount Plus Original, titled “Mean Boys,” is written by troupe co-founder Fábio Porchat and co-produced by Vis Americas and Brazilian animation studio, Estricnina.
The move makes sense given that ViacomCBS took a majority stake in Porta dos Fundos in 2017 and co-produced last year’s special with Porta dos Fundos.
“Mean Boys” will give the audience a peek at Jesus’ teenage life before he became Christ as he enrolls in a new high school and, with the help of his pal Lázaro, tries to fit in. “We always wanted to make an animation [film],” said Porchat, adding: “This pandemic turned our desire into a necessity. After all, drawing can’t transmit a virus.” The pandemic continues to...
- 8/30/2021
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
We’ve got questions, and you’ve (maybe) got answers! With another week of TV gone by, we’re lobbing queries left and right about dozens of shows including Burden of Truth, Black Monday, Power Book III and Physical!
1 | How did the Outer Banks kids get that fire started on the deserted island? Are we to believe this was a rubbing-sticks-together situation?
More from TVLinePerformer of the Week: Mandy PatinkinBurden of Truth's Kristin Kreuk Talks Proposal Twist, Baby Name StruggleRose Byrne Talks Physical Finale, Sheila's Spiral of 'Fury and Fear' and That 'Surreal,' Um, Climax
2 | On Burden of Truth,...
1 | How did the Outer Banks kids get that fire started on the deserted island? Are we to believe this was a rubbing-sticks-together situation?
More from TVLinePerformer of the Week: Mandy PatinkinBurden of Truth's Kristin Kreuk Talks Proposal Twist, Baby Name StruggleRose Byrne Talks Physical Finale, Sheila's Spiral of 'Fury and Fear' and That 'Surreal,' Um, Climax
2 | On Burden of Truth,...
- 8/6/2021
- by Vlada Gelman, Matt Webb Mitovich, Michael Ausiello, Kimberly Roots, Andy Swift, Dave Nemetz, Ryan Schwartz, Nick Caruso and Mekeisha Madden Toby
- TVLine.com
FX has found its new Ann Coulter in Cobie Smulders, who will replace Betty Gilpin as the controversial conservative figure in Ryan Murphy’s third installment of “American Crime Story,” “Impeachment.”
Gilpin dropped out earlier this year over scheduling conflicts due to the pandemic.
Written by Sarah Burgess, “Impeachment: American Crime Story” centers on the “national crisis that swept up Paula Jones, Monica Lewinsky and Linda Tripp as principal characters in the country’s first impeachment proceedings in over a century.” It is set to premiere on Tuesday, Sept. 7.
In addition to Beanie Feldstein as Lewinsky, the series also stars Clive Owen as Bill Clinton, Sarah Paulson as Linda Tripp, Annaleigh Ashford as Paula Jones and Billy Eichner as Matt Drudge.
The show, from 20th Television and FX Productions, is executive produced by Murphy, Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, Alexis Martin Woodall, Sarah Burgess, Sarah Paulson, Brad Falchuk, Scott Alexander, Larry Karaszewski and Michael Uppendahl.
Gilpin dropped out earlier this year over scheduling conflicts due to the pandemic.
Written by Sarah Burgess, “Impeachment: American Crime Story” centers on the “national crisis that swept up Paula Jones, Monica Lewinsky and Linda Tripp as principal characters in the country’s first impeachment proceedings in over a century.” It is set to premiere on Tuesday, Sept. 7.
In addition to Beanie Feldstein as Lewinsky, the series also stars Clive Owen as Bill Clinton, Sarah Paulson as Linda Tripp, Annaleigh Ashford as Paula Jones and Billy Eichner as Matt Drudge.
The show, from 20th Television and FX Productions, is executive produced by Murphy, Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, Alexis Martin Woodall, Sarah Burgess, Sarah Paulson, Brad Falchuk, Scott Alexander, Larry Karaszewski and Michael Uppendahl.
- 8/5/2021
- by Tim Baysinger
- The Wrap
The first footage from Impeachment: American Crime Story makes the Monica Lewinsky/Bill Clinton affair feel as creepy-crawly as a season of American Horror Story… but maybe that’s the point.
FX released a new teaser for the hotly anticipated season, premiering Tuesday, Sept. 7 at 10/9c, and it’s more of a mood-setter, with the camera following Lewinsky (played by Booksmart‘s Beanie Feldstein) as she boxes up a tie for President Clinton and hides it in a file folder before making her way to the Oval Office. As an ominous score plays in the background, an on-screen graphic...
FX released a new teaser for the hotly anticipated season, premiering Tuesday, Sept. 7 at 10/9c, and it’s more of a mood-setter, with the camera following Lewinsky (played by Booksmart‘s Beanie Feldstein) as she boxes up a tie for President Clinton and hides it in a file folder before making her way to the Oval Office. As an ominous score plays in the background, an on-screen graphic...
- 8/4/2021
- by Dave Nemetz
- TVLine.com
On Thursday evening, the Brazilian Cinematheque was engulfed in flames in western Sao Paulo, where the 6,500-square meter building has housed much of the country’s filmmaking legacy for decades. The organization was founded in 1940 and serves as the largest film archive in South America, with 250,000 rolls of film, 90,000 titles, one million documents and historical materials like early projectors.
Early reports suggest that the fire, the second to strike the complex in six years, was caused by a short-circuit in the air conditioning system. However, many in the Brazilian community have been quick to denounce the blaze as the fault of the government, which eliminated funding for the Cinematheque in early 2020 and caused it to remain abandoned since then.
While it remains too early to ascertain the full extent of the damage, early reports from the ground show that while there were no victims in the blaze, the fire has...
Early reports suggest that the fire, the second to strike the complex in six years, was caused by a short-circuit in the air conditioning system. However, many in the Brazilian community have been quick to denounce the blaze as the fault of the government, which eliminated funding for the Cinematheque in early 2020 and caused it to remain abandoned since then.
While it remains too early to ascertain the full extent of the damage, early reports from the ground show that while there were no victims in the blaze, the fire has...
- 7/30/2021
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
They’re the best in town, even if it’s a small town. Will anything slow down Taika Waititi? Since the mainstream success of 2014’s “What We Do In The Shadows,” it’s been one success after another for the New Zealand star. “Hunt For The Wilderpeople” cemented Waititi’s status as a writer/director to watch in 2016. After that, he helmed “Thor: Ragnarok” to wide acclaim and had an Oscar-winner with 2019’s “Jojo Rabbit.”
Read More: FX Shares Summer & Fall Premiere Dates For ‘What We Do In The Shadows,’ ‘Y: The Last Man,’ ‘Impeachment’ & More
With imminent releases of “Thor: Love And Thunder” and his sports comedy “Next Goal Wins,” it’s safe to say Waititi has cemented his status as a Hollywood player.
Continue reading ‘Reservation Dogs’ Trailer: Indigenous Teens Get The Spotlight In New Taika Waititi Comedy Coming In August To FX at The Playlist.
Read More: FX Shares Summer & Fall Premiere Dates For ‘What We Do In The Shadows,’ ‘Y: The Last Man,’ ‘Impeachment’ & More
With imminent releases of “Thor: Love And Thunder” and his sports comedy “Next Goal Wins,” it’s safe to say Waititi has cemented his status as a Hollywood player.
Continue reading ‘Reservation Dogs’ Trailer: Indigenous Teens Get The Spotlight In New Taika Waititi Comedy Coming In August To FX at The Playlist.
- 7/15/2021
- by Ned Booth
- The Playlist
Six years ago, “The Jinx,” HBO’s six-part series about murder suspect and real estate heir Robert Durst, reinvigorated the long-form docuseries format.
A mad rush by premium cablers and streamers to come up with the next “Jinx” followed, with Netflix’s 10-part “Making a Murderer” later that year and ESPN’s format busting “O.J.: Made in America” in 2016 further whetting the appetite for long-form docuseries.
But in the last few years docuseries have become noticeably bloated, so much so that according to several veteran docu producers, major platforms such as HBO, Netflix and Amazon are seeking shorter series or the traditional 90-minute, one-off documentary.
While the explosion of docuseries may have initially garnered subscribers for streamers, viewer data structures and algorithms have convinced doc buyers that more is not necessarily better.
“It seems clear that the data is telling these buyers that there are certain types of projects that...
A mad rush by premium cablers and streamers to come up with the next “Jinx” followed, with Netflix’s 10-part “Making a Murderer” later that year and ESPN’s format busting “O.J.: Made in America” in 2016 further whetting the appetite for long-form docuseries.
But in the last few years docuseries have become noticeably bloated, so much so that according to several veteran docu producers, major platforms such as HBO, Netflix and Amazon are seeking shorter series or the traditional 90-minute, one-off documentary.
While the explosion of docuseries may have initially garnered subscribers for streamers, viewer data structures and algorithms have convinced doc buyers that more is not necessarily better.
“It seems clear that the data is telling these buyers that there are certain types of projects that...
- 7/1/2021
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
“Medusa,” the latest film from rocketing Brazilian director Anita Rocha da Silveira, has released a twisted, neon-soaked trailer ahead of its debut at the Cannes Film Festival next week.
Set in contemporary Brazil, “Medusa” tells the story of 21-year old Mariana, who belongs to a world where women must always look perfect. In the trailer, we see her and her girlfriends try their best to control everything and everyone around them, even going to such extreme lengths as beating up women who have deviated from the right path.
“Mariana, I once read that girls’ names starting with the letter M are names of malicious women,” whispers a friend of Mariana’s into her ear in the opening moments.
The trailer, obtained exclusively by Variety, reveals that at night, Mariana and her friends form a vigilante girl squad put on creepy animal masks to hunt down the local girls who have sinned.
Set in contemporary Brazil, “Medusa” tells the story of 21-year old Mariana, who belongs to a world where women must always look perfect. In the trailer, we see her and her girlfriends try their best to control everything and everyone around them, even going to such extreme lengths as beating up women who have deviated from the right path.
“Mariana, I once read that girls’ names starting with the letter M are names of malicious women,” whispers a friend of Mariana’s into her ear in the opening moments.
The trailer, obtained exclusively by Variety, reveals that at night, Mariana and her friends form a vigilante girl squad put on creepy animal masks to hunt down the local girls who have sinned.
- 6/30/2021
- by Will Thorne
- Variety Film + TV
Monica Lewinsky has inked a first-look production deal with 20th Television ahead of the latest installment of the “American Crime Story” anthology series, “Impeachment,” which the Vanity Fair contributing editor is currently producing.
“Impeachment” chronicles the events that led to Bill Clinton’s (Clive Owen) impeachment, the first of its kind in American history of a sitting president in over a century, with Edie Falco starring as Hillary Clinton, Sarah Paulson as Linda Tripp and Beanie Feldstein as Lewinsky herself, the former White House intern. The series is slated for debut Sept. 7 on FX and is based on Jeffrey Toobin’s book “A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Story of the Sex Scandal That Nearly Brought Down a President.”
After her notorious affair with President Bill Clinton during her time as a White House intern, Lewinsky has become an outspoken advocate against cyberbullying and other forms of online harassment, as well...
“Impeachment” chronicles the events that led to Bill Clinton’s (Clive Owen) impeachment, the first of its kind in American history of a sitting president in over a century, with Edie Falco starring as Hillary Clinton, Sarah Paulson as Linda Tripp and Beanie Feldstein as Lewinsky herself, the former White House intern. The series is slated for debut Sept. 7 on FX and is based on Jeffrey Toobin’s book “A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Story of the Sex Scandal That Nearly Brought Down a President.”
After her notorious affair with President Bill Clinton during her time as a White House intern, Lewinsky has become an outspoken advocate against cyberbullying and other forms of online harassment, as well...
- 6/14/2021
- by Mónica Marie Zorrilla
- Variety Film + TV
Brussels-based company Best Friend Forever has acquired “Medusa,” a timely drama directed by rising Brazilian helmer Anita Rocha da Silveira. The film will world premiere at Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight.
“Medusa” marks Da Silveira’s follow up to her critically acclaimed feature debut “Kill me Please” which premiered at Venice in 2015 and went on to play at SXSW and New Directors/New Films, among other festivals. Da Silveira was previously at Directors’ Fortnight with her 2012 short “The Living Dead.”
Set in contemporary Brazil, “Medusa” tells the story of 21-year old Mariana, who belongs to a world where women must always look perfect. She and her girlfriends try their best to control everything and everyone around them, and that includes beating up women who have deviated from the right path. At night, their vigilante girl squad put on masks and hunt down the sinners.
“Medusa” is headlined by newcomers, including Mari Oliveira (“Kill me Please”), Lara Tremouroux,...
“Medusa” marks Da Silveira’s follow up to her critically acclaimed feature debut “Kill me Please” which premiered at Venice in 2015 and went on to play at SXSW and New Directors/New Films, among other festivals. Da Silveira was previously at Directors’ Fortnight with her 2012 short “The Living Dead.”
Set in contemporary Brazil, “Medusa” tells the story of 21-year old Mariana, who belongs to a world where women must always look perfect. She and her girlfriends try their best to control everything and everyone around them, and that includes beating up women who have deviated from the right path. At night, their vigilante girl squad put on masks and hunt down the sinners.
“Medusa” is headlined by newcomers, including Mari Oliveira (“Kill me Please”), Lara Tremouroux,...
- 6/9/2021
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Summer is just about here – and it’s going to be a big one on FX. The network has just announced the premiere dates for its most anticipated titles of the year, ranging from the return of Taika Waititi’s mockumentary series “What We Do in the Shadows” and the next chapter in Ryan Murphy’s anthology series, “Impeachment: American Crime Story”.
Read More: ‘Pistol’ First Look: Danny Boyle’s Sex Pistols FX Series Is Expected To Debut In 2022
The first title to look out for is “American Horror Stories” on July 15, a spin-off take of Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s hit horror show “American Horror Story,” with a different self-contained episode set to air every week.
these are not your typical bedtime stories.
Continue reading FX Shares Summer & Fall Premiere Dates For ‘What We Do In The Shadows,’ ‘Y: The Last Man,’ ‘Impeachment’ & More at The Playlist.
Read More: ‘Pistol’ First Look: Danny Boyle’s Sex Pistols FX Series Is Expected To Debut In 2022
The first title to look out for is “American Horror Stories” on July 15, a spin-off take of Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s hit horror show “American Horror Story,” with a different self-contained episode set to air every week.
these are not your typical bedtime stories.
Continue reading FX Shares Summer & Fall Premiere Dates For ‘What We Do In The Shadows,’ ‘Y: The Last Man,’ ‘Impeachment’ & More at The Playlist.
- 6/4/2021
- by Ella Kemp
- The Playlist
FX has made its summer plans. The cable net is out with premiere dates for a slew of its new and returning series including the latest installment of American Horror Story, new spinoff American Horror Stories, Y: The Last Man, Impeachment: American Crime Story, new seasons of Archer and What We Do in the Shadows and more.
Also freshly dated are two new FX on Hulu shows: comedy Reservation Dogs and the untitled B.J. Novak anthology series. The list also covers Fxx shows.
Here is the full rundown with dates and series details:
American Horror Stories
New limited series; Thursday, July 15 (FX on Hulu)
American Horror Stories is a spin-off of Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s award-winning hit anthology series American Horror Story. American Horror Stories is a weekly anthology series that will feature a different horror story each episode.
American Horror Stories is executive produced by Ryan Murphy,...
Also freshly dated are two new FX on Hulu shows: comedy Reservation Dogs and the untitled B.J. Novak anthology series. The list also covers Fxx shows.
Here is the full rundown with dates and series details:
American Horror Stories
New limited series; Thursday, July 15 (FX on Hulu)
American Horror Stories is a spin-off of Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s award-winning hit anthology series American Horror Story. American Horror Stories is a weekly anthology series that will feature a different horror story each episode.
American Horror Stories is executive produced by Ryan Murphy,...
- 6/3/2021
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
FX has revealed its summer and fall premiere dates, with the cable network offering a strong slate of programming that includes several long-awaited titles.
The lineup features two American Horror Story projects, along with the long-delayed Impeachment: American Crime Story, the likewise delayed Y: The Last Man drama series, Archer season 12, What We Do in the Shadows season three, and more.
Here’s the full rundown:
July 15: American Horror Stories: Seven-episode limited series spinoff on FX on Hulu. It’s a weekly anthology series from Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk that will feature a different horror story each episode.
Aug. 9: Reservation Dogs on ...
The lineup features two American Horror Story projects, along with the long-delayed Impeachment: American Crime Story, the likewise delayed Y: The Last Man drama series, Archer season 12, What We Do in the Shadows season three, and more.
Here’s the full rundown:
July 15: American Horror Stories: Seven-episode limited series spinoff on FX on Hulu. It’s a weekly anthology series from Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk that will feature a different horror story each episode.
Aug. 9: Reservation Dogs on ...
A version of this story about “Collective” first appeared in the Down to the Wire issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine.
The Oscar category of Best Documentary was once a reliable safe haven for homegrown American films, but in recent years it has gone international. Since 2015, there have been at least one, and often two, non-English-language titles among the nominees. Films like Italy’s “Fire at Sea,” France’s “Faces Places,” and Brazil’s “The Edge of Democracy” have told stories not with an outsider’s eye, but from within the counties and cultures in which they take place.
But no film had ever been nominated for Best Documentary and Best International Feature Film (formerly known as Best Foreign Language Film) until North Macedonia’s “Honeyland” turned that trick last year. This year the doubleheader occurred again with Alexander Nanau’s “Collective,” an accomplishment that was even more notable considering...
The Oscar category of Best Documentary was once a reliable safe haven for homegrown American films, but in recent years it has gone international. Since 2015, there have been at least one, and often two, non-English-language titles among the nominees. Films like Italy’s “Fire at Sea,” France’s “Faces Places,” and Brazil’s “The Edge of Democracy” have told stories not with an outsider’s eye, but from within the counties and cultures in which they take place.
But no film had ever been nominated for Best Documentary and Best International Feature Film (formerly known as Best Foreign Language Film) until North Macedonia’s “Honeyland” turned that trick last year. This year the doubleheader occurred again with Alexander Nanau’s “Collective,” an accomplishment that was even more notable considering...
- 4/16/2021
- by Joe McGovern
- The Wrap
Director Elaine McMillion Sheldon (“Heroin(e)“) and producer Shane Boris (“The Edge of Democracy”), two multi-award winning U.S. filmmakers, are joining forces on hybrid documentary “King Coal,” focused on post-coal Appalachia.
Co-produced by Boris’ outfit Cottage M and Requisite Media, the Tennessee-based company directed by Sheldon, “King Coal” is in an early production stage, scheduled to be completed and delivered by December 2022.
The documentary has been selected to be presented at VdR-Pitching forum, one of the key industry sections at the current Visions du Réel festival edition.
Although its development funding has been grant-driven with partners such as Tribeca, Creative Capital, Sundance, Catapult, Guggenheim Fellowship and West Virginia Humanities Council, the filmmakers continue to apply for grants as well as to speak with potential financing partners to help close its budget and provide strategic and creative support.
“We’ve chosen to independently produce ‘King Coal’ at this time, but...
Co-produced by Boris’ outfit Cottage M and Requisite Media, the Tennessee-based company directed by Sheldon, “King Coal” is in an early production stage, scheduled to be completed and delivered by December 2022.
The documentary has been selected to be presented at VdR-Pitching forum, one of the key industry sections at the current Visions du Réel festival edition.
Although its development funding has been grant-driven with partners such as Tribeca, Creative Capital, Sundance, Catapult, Guggenheim Fellowship and West Virginia Humanities Council, the filmmakers continue to apply for grants as well as to speak with potential financing partners to help close its budget and provide strategic and creative support.
“We’ve chosen to independently produce ‘King Coal’ at this time, but...
- 4/16/2021
- by Emiliano De Pablos
- Variety Film + TV
"She felt no time. All she could feel was ecstasy." An official trailer is available for an intriguing Brazilian documentary film titled Êxtase, which initially premiered at the Cph:dox Film Festival last year. It's next playing at the MoMA Doc Fortnight event in NYC, running online now through April. The 75-minute doc marks the feature debut of Moara Passoni, who has associate produced Petra Costa's other doc films before this including: Elena, Olmo & the Seagull, The Edge of Democracy. Passoni's Êxtase (which just translates to Ecstasy in English) is an "elliptical essay portrait" of a young girl experience both rapture and torture starving herself as a way to find a place in a brutal uncertain world. Reviews say the film is an "imaginative, texturally rich imagery and staged sequences to produce a thoughtful and often troubling account of a young woman’s eating disorders, as lived from the inside.
- 3/23/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Several award-winning filmmakers to pitch latest projects at industry platform, which has added three new cash prizes.
Swiss documentary festival Visions de Réel has revealed the industry projects that will be pitched and presented at its 2021 edition, including new features from UK director Mark Cousins and Oscar-nominated US filmmaker Elaine McMillion Sheldon.
In total, 29 projects will participate across the VdR-Pitching, VdR-Work in Progress and VdR-Rough Cut Lab. Industry activity will take place from April 14-22 both online and physically in Nyon, subject to pandemic restrictions.
Full list of projects below
The work in progress strand will include the latest...
Swiss documentary festival Visions de Réel has revealed the industry projects that will be pitched and presented at its 2021 edition, including new features from UK director Mark Cousins and Oscar-nominated US filmmaker Elaine McMillion Sheldon.
In total, 29 projects will participate across the VdR-Pitching, VdR-Work in Progress and VdR-Rough Cut Lab. Industry activity will take place from April 14-22 both online and physically in Nyon, subject to pandemic restrictions.
Full list of projects below
The work in progress strand will include the latest...
- 3/19/2021
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
This year’s contenders are a crew of motley, scrappy, more-indie-than-usual films, led by frontrunners “Nomadland” (Searchlight) and “The Trial of the Chicago 7” (Paramount/Netflix). Which factors will determine those that cross the nomination finish line?
Here’s what I have gleaned about what’s likely in the two-months delayed voting period (March 5-10), when 9,362 Oscar voters (up 893 from 2020) from 17 branches may pick the final contenders in 23 categories. Nominations come March 15, ahead of the latest-ever Oscars on April 25.
1. Besides actors, international Academy voters carry the most sway.
This year, 49 percent of invited new Academy members came from overseas, including such Europeans as the music branch’s Bernie Taupin (“Rocket Man”), director Ladj Ly (“Les Miserables”), and actors Florence Pugh (“Little Women”) and Cynthia Erivo (“Harriet”).
Look at overseas awards for clues of which films have support. It helps to know that Denmark’s “Another Round,” starring popular Mads Mikkelsen,...
Here’s what I have gleaned about what’s likely in the two-months delayed voting period (March 5-10), when 9,362 Oscar voters (up 893 from 2020) from 17 branches may pick the final contenders in 23 categories. Nominations come March 15, ahead of the latest-ever Oscars on April 25.
1. Besides actors, international Academy voters carry the most sway.
This year, 49 percent of invited new Academy members came from overseas, including such Europeans as the music branch’s Bernie Taupin (“Rocket Man”), director Ladj Ly (“Les Miserables”), and actors Florence Pugh (“Little Women”) and Cynthia Erivo (“Harriet”).
Look at overseas awards for clues of which films have support. It helps to know that Denmark’s “Another Round,” starring popular Mads Mikkelsen,...
- 2/19/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
This year’s contenders are a crew of motley, scrappy, more-indie-than-usual films, led by frontrunners “Nomadland” (Searchlight) and “The Trial of the Chicago 7” (Paramount/Netflix). Which factors will determine those that cross the nomination finish line?
Here’s what I have gleaned about what’s likely in the two-months delayed voting period (March 5-10), when 9,362 Oscar voters (up 893 from 2020) from 17 branches may pick the final contenders in 23 categories. Nominations come March 15, ahead of the latest-ever Oscars on April 25.
1. Besides actors, international Academy voters carry the most sway.
This year, 49 percent of invited new Academy members came from overseas, including such Europeans as the music branch’s Bernie Taupin (“Rocket Man”), director Ladj Ly (“Les Miserables”), and actors Florence Pugh (“Little Women”) and Cynthia Erivo (“Harriet”).
Look at overseas awards for clues of which films have support. It helps to know that Denmark’s “Another Round,” starring popular Mads Mikkelsen,...
Here’s what I have gleaned about what’s likely in the two-months delayed voting period (March 5-10), when 9,362 Oscar voters (up 893 from 2020) from 17 branches may pick the final contenders in 23 categories. Nominations come March 15, ahead of the latest-ever Oscars on April 25.
1. Besides actors, international Academy voters carry the most sway.
This year, 49 percent of invited new Academy members came from overseas, including such Europeans as the music branch’s Bernie Taupin (“Rocket Man”), director Ladj Ly (“Les Miserables”), and actors Florence Pugh (“Little Women”) and Cynthia Erivo (“Harriet”).
Look at overseas awards for clues of which films have support. It helps to know that Denmark’s “Another Round,” starring popular Mads Mikkelsen,...
- 2/19/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Medusa
With her 2015 debut Kill Me Please, Brazil’s Anita Rocha da Silveira presented a vibrant giallo inspired film, arriving amongst a first wave of women director’s from her country gearing up to make a mark through Vania Catani of Bananeira Filmes (who produced Lucrecia Martel’s last feature in Zama in 2018 as well as Lisandro Alonso’s upcoming epic Eureka). Her latest finds her returning to work with Dp Joao Atala (who also recently lensed the 2019 doc The Edge of Democracy). Rocha de Silveira’s 2015 debut Kill Me Please premiered at the 2015 Venice Film Festival in the Horizons sidebar.…...
With her 2015 debut Kill Me Please, Brazil’s Anita Rocha da Silveira presented a vibrant giallo inspired film, arriving amongst a first wave of women director’s from her country gearing up to make a mark through Vania Catani of Bananeira Filmes (who produced Lucrecia Martel’s last feature in Zama in 2018 as well as Lisandro Alonso’s upcoming epic Eureka). Her latest finds her returning to work with Dp Joao Atala (who also recently lensed the 2019 doc The Edge of Democracy). Rocha de Silveira’s 2015 debut Kill Me Please premiered at the 2015 Venice Film Festival in the Horizons sidebar.…...
- 1/3/2021
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
More than two dozen Southern California-based television series have been place on extended hiatus amid calls for a pause in production activity as Covid infection rates rise in Los Angeles County.
Warner Bros. TV confirmed Thursday that series productions such as comedies “Mom,” “B Positive,” “Bob Hearts Abishola” for CBS, and dramas “Shameless” (Showtime) and “You” (Netflix) will not resume filming next week as scheduled. The studio aims to return the week of Jan. 11 but will evaluate as conditions evolve.
Universal TV has similarly pressed pause on six comedies — NBC’s “Mr. Mayor,” “Kenan,” “Good Girls” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”; HBO Max’s “Hacks”; and Netflix’s “Never Have I Ever.” Utv is also eyeing a Jan. 11 return date for most of its shows, although “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” is not expected to resume shooting before Jan. 18.
Walt Disney-owned 20th Television and ABC Signature together have extended production hiatuses on 16 shows: “911” (Fox...
Warner Bros. TV confirmed Thursday that series productions such as comedies “Mom,” “B Positive,” “Bob Hearts Abishola” for CBS, and dramas “Shameless” (Showtime) and “You” (Netflix) will not resume filming next week as scheduled. The studio aims to return the week of Jan. 11 but will evaluate as conditions evolve.
Universal TV has similarly pressed pause on six comedies — NBC’s “Mr. Mayor,” “Kenan,” “Good Girls” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”; HBO Max’s “Hacks”; and Netflix’s “Never Have I Ever.” Utv is also eyeing a Jan. 11 return date for most of its shows, although “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” is not expected to resume shooting before Jan. 18.
Walt Disney-owned 20th Television and ABC Signature together have extended production hiatuses on 16 shows: “911” (Fox...
- 1/1/2021
- by Daniel Holloway
- Variety Film + TV
Just confirmed for the 2021 Sundance World Cinema Dramatic Competition, Brazilian Iuli Gerbase’s sci-fi thriller “The Pink Cloud” begins, like the trailer shared in exclusivity with Variety, with a young woman walking her dog, staring at dainty pink clouds encroaching the horizon.
She drops dead 10 seconds later. Sirens awake Giovana and Yago, who only met the night before, instructing them to close all windows and doors immediately.
A stock post-apocalypse thriller would have charted their physical battle to survive confinement, then solve the mystery of the cloud. In her feature debut, written in 2017 and shot in 2019, but made in a remarkable act of prescience, writer-director Gerbase takes “The Pink Cloud” in another, character-driven, direction. The film’s chore is its charting of the distinct emotional reactions of Giovana and Yago as days of lockdown become years.
“When Covid-19 began, I thought people would only see ‘The Pink Cloud’ as reflecting coronavirus,...
She drops dead 10 seconds later. Sirens awake Giovana and Yago, who only met the night before, instructing them to close all windows and doors immediately.
A stock post-apocalypse thriller would have charted their physical battle to survive confinement, then solve the mystery of the cloud. In her feature debut, written in 2017 and shot in 2019, but made in a remarkable act of prescience, writer-director Gerbase takes “The Pink Cloud” in another, character-driven, direction. The film’s chore is its charting of the distinct emotional reactions of Giovana and Yago as days of lockdown become years.
“When Covid-19 began, I thought people would only see ‘The Pink Cloud’ as reflecting coronavirus,...
- 12/15/2020
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Brazil’s controversial hit comedy troupe Porta dos Fundos is gearing up to release its annual Christmas Special, “The Edge of Theocracy,” on Dec. 10. A play on Petra Costa’s Oscar-nominated documentary, “The Edge of Democracy,” a trailer released Nov. 20 on its dedicated YouTube channel lured more than 300,000 views in three days.
Porta dos Fundos’ Christmas specials are renowned for their ironic, some would argue profane, take on the life of Christ.
Taking its cue from Costa’s “The Edge of Democracy,’ which points to Brazil’s spiral into far-right politics as a cautionary tale to the world, “The Edge of Theocracy” satirizes Brazil’s political scene and delivers tart comments on global issues, such as polarization, through the prism of Biblical events thousands of years ago. A delighted Costa gave her blessing and makes a brief appearance as herself in the show.
Shot in less than a week, the...
Porta dos Fundos’ Christmas specials are renowned for their ironic, some would argue profane, take on the life of Christ.
Taking its cue from Costa’s “The Edge of Democracy,’ which points to Brazil’s spiral into far-right politics as a cautionary tale to the world, “The Edge of Theocracy” satirizes Brazil’s political scene and delivers tart comments on global issues, such as polarization, through the prism of Biblical events thousands of years ago. A delighted Costa gave her blessing and makes a brief appearance as herself in the show.
Shot in less than a week, the...
- 11/26/2020
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
‘American Crime Story: Impeachment’: Sarah Paulson Teases First Look At Her Portrayal Of Linda Tripp
Sarah Paulson has offered the first glimpse of her portrait of Linda Tripp, the woman whose recordings of conversations with President Bill Clinton’s mistress, Monica Lewinsky, almost ended his administration.
Paulson said on social media that filming has begun on the Impeachment series of episodes on American Crime Story. Paulson plays the frumpy Tripp in the episodes, which examine how Tripp, a coworker of Lewinsky’s at the Defense Department, began secretly recording their conversations.
Lewinsky is played by Booksmart‘s Beanie Feldstein. The Impeachment series will track the three perspectives of Lewinsky, Tripp, and Annaleigh Ashford’s Paula Jones, who sued Clinton for sexual harassment.
Clive Owen plays President Bill Clinton, and Billy Eichner will play web journalist Matt Drudge.
Ryan Murphy executive produces Impeachment: American Crime Story with Monica Lewinsky and Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, Brad Falchuk, Larry Karaszewski, Scott Alexander, and Alexis Martin Woodall.
Linda.
Paulson said on social media that filming has begun on the Impeachment series of episodes on American Crime Story. Paulson plays the frumpy Tripp in the episodes, which examine how Tripp, a coworker of Lewinsky’s at the Defense Department, began secretly recording their conversations.
Lewinsky is played by Booksmart‘s Beanie Feldstein. The Impeachment series will track the three perspectives of Lewinsky, Tripp, and Annaleigh Ashford’s Paula Jones, who sued Clinton for sexual harassment.
Clive Owen plays President Bill Clinton, and Billy Eichner will play web journalist Matt Drudge.
Ryan Murphy executive produces Impeachment: American Crime Story with Monica Lewinsky and Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, Brad Falchuk, Larry Karaszewski, Scott Alexander, and Alexis Martin Woodall.
Linda.
- 11/14/2020
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Hold on to your wigs: Sarah Paulson dropped a first look at her portrayal of Linda Tripp in Ryan Murphy’s “Impeachment: American Crime Story” on Friday and boy, did they nail that look.
“Linda. American Crime Story: Impeachment has begun principle photography @MrRPMurphy,” Paulson tweeted, along with a photo of a TV screen, showing footage of her in her Tripp wig, glasses, outfit and makeup.
Tripp was a former White House employee who was a key figure in the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky scandal in 1998, the story that will be the focus of “Crime Story” Season 3. “Impeachment: American Crime Story” was originally scheduled to premiere this fall on FX but was delayed back in January due to Murphy’s congested schedule.
The season was just two weeks away from going into production when the pandemic hit in March. Not long after that, Tripp passed away. As Paulson said Friday, principle photography on “Impeachment” has begun,...
“Linda. American Crime Story: Impeachment has begun principle photography @MrRPMurphy,” Paulson tweeted, along with a photo of a TV screen, showing footage of her in her Tripp wig, glasses, outfit and makeup.
Tripp was a former White House employee who was a key figure in the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky scandal in 1998, the story that will be the focus of “Crime Story” Season 3. “Impeachment: American Crime Story” was originally scheduled to premiere this fall on FX but was delayed back in January due to Murphy’s congested schedule.
The season was just two weeks away from going into production when the pandemic hit in March. Not long after that, Tripp passed away. As Paulson said Friday, principle photography on “Impeachment” has begun,...
- 11/13/2020
- by Jennifer Maas
- The Wrap
Later than usual, the eleven-year-old Doc NYC, America’s largest documentary festival, has finally revealed its influential 15-film Short List. The festival will open in a new online format with a main lineup of 119 features and 100 short films (November 11-19) available to viewers across the US.
Historically, most of the Doc NYC short list titles overlap with the Academy’s official 15-film Oscar Short List. For the last nine years, Doc NYC has screened the documentary that went on to win the Academy Award, including “American Factory,” “Free Solo,” “Icarus,” “O.J.: Made in America,” “Amy,” “Citizenfour,” “20 Feet From Stardom,” “Searching for Sugar Man,” and “Undefeated.” The festival has screened 24 of the last 25 Oscar-nominated documentary features. In 2019, Doc NYC screened 13 of 15 titles that were named to the subsequent Academy Award Documentary Shortlist.
Thom Powers, Doc NYC’s artistic director as well as documentary programmer for TIFF, oversees curation of the...
Historically, most of the Doc NYC short list titles overlap with the Academy’s official 15-film Oscar Short List. For the last nine years, Doc NYC has screened the documentary that went on to win the Academy Award, including “American Factory,” “Free Solo,” “Icarus,” “O.J.: Made in America,” “Amy,” “Citizenfour,” “20 Feet From Stardom,” “Searching for Sugar Man,” and “Undefeated.” The festival has screened 24 of the last 25 Oscar-nominated documentary features. In 2019, Doc NYC screened 13 of 15 titles that were named to the subsequent Academy Award Documentary Shortlist.
Thom Powers, Doc NYC’s artistic director as well as documentary programmer for TIFF, oversees curation of the...
- 11/9/2020
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Later than usual, the eleven-year-old Doc NYC, America’s largest documentary festival, has finally revealed its influential 15-film Short List. The festival will open in a new online format with a main lineup of 119 features and 100 short films (November 11-19) available to viewers across the US.
Historically, most of the Doc NYC short list titles overlap with the Academy’s official 15-film Oscar Short List. For the last nine years, Doc NYC has screened the documentary that went on to win the Academy Award, including “American Factory,” “Free Solo,” “Icarus,” “O.J.: Made in America,” “Amy,” “Citizenfour,” “20 Feet From Stardom,” “Searching for Sugar Man,” and “Undefeated.” The festival has screened 24 of the last 25 Oscar-nominated documentary features. In 2019, Doc NYC screened 13 of 15 titles that were named to the subsequent Academy Award Documentary Shortlist.
Thom Powers, Doc NYC’s artistic director as well as documentary programmer for TIFF, oversees curation of the...
Historically, most of the Doc NYC short list titles overlap with the Academy’s official 15-film Oscar Short List. For the last nine years, Doc NYC has screened the documentary that went on to win the Academy Award, including “American Factory,” “Free Solo,” “Icarus,” “O.J.: Made in America,” “Amy,” “Citizenfour,” “20 Feet From Stardom,” “Searching for Sugar Man,” and “Undefeated.” The festival has screened 24 of the last 25 Oscar-nominated documentary features. In 2019, Doc NYC screened 13 of 15 titles that were named to the subsequent Academy Award Documentary Shortlist.
Thom Powers, Doc NYC’s artistic director as well as documentary programmer for TIFF, oversees curation of the...
- 11/9/2020
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
“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
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.