Utopia, the fledgling sales and distribution company co-founded by filmmaker Robert Schwartzman, has picked up North American rights to artist Amalia Ulman’s debut feature ‘El Planeta.’ The dark comedy was one of the buzz titles at Sundance’s World Dramatic competition.
Danielle Digiacomo, Utopia’s Head of Content commented: “Amalia Ulman’s “El Planeta” is a pure, transportive cinematic experience that is deceptively simple in its construction, yet so layered with wit, heart, and humanity that it leaves a profound impression akin to the work of many great auteurs.”
“It is a true gem of a film; Utopia couldn’t be more enamored of Amalia, her vision, and overjoyed about the ability to partner with her on its distribution,” added Digiacomo who joined Utopia early last year.
Set in the industrial northern Spanish city of Gijon during the country’s economic crisis in 2009, “El Planeta” turns on mother and daughter grifters,...
Danielle Digiacomo, Utopia’s Head of Content commented: “Amalia Ulman’s “El Planeta” is a pure, transportive cinematic experience that is deceptively simple in its construction, yet so layered with wit, heart, and humanity that it leaves a profound impression akin to the work of many great auteurs.”
“It is a true gem of a film; Utopia couldn’t be more enamored of Amalia, her vision, and overjoyed about the ability to partner with her on its distribution,” added Digiacomo who joined Utopia early last year.
Set in the industrial northern Spanish city of Gijon during the country’s economic crisis in 2009, “El Planeta” turns on mother and daughter grifters,...
- 3/17/2021
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Thursday released its official entries for 2021 Oscars in the categories of Documentary Feature, Animated Feature and International Films. The takeaway: As expected, the eligible Documentary Feature lineup shatters the record for the most ever.
A total of 238 features are eligible for consideration in the Doc Feature category, breaking the previous record of 170 set in 2017. Last year, by contrast, 159 feature documentaries qualified. The Academy relaxed eligibility rules in light of Covid-19, so that any film that could make a claim of an intended theatrical release was deemed eligible. Earning awards from film festivals was an alternative way to qualify.
For the International Feature race, Lesotho, Sudan and Suriname are first-time entrants among the 93 eligible titles, the same total as last year. Earlier this year, the Academy’s Board of Governors boosted the number of films eligible for the shortlist from 10 to 15. Under the new rules,...
A total of 238 features are eligible for consideration in the Doc Feature category, breaking the previous record of 170 set in 2017. Last year, by contrast, 159 feature documentaries qualified. The Academy relaxed eligibility rules in light of Covid-19, so that any film that could make a claim of an intended theatrical release was deemed eligible. Earning awards from film festivals was an alternative way to qualify.
For the International Feature race, Lesotho, Sudan and Suriname are first-time entrants among the 93 eligible titles, the same total as last year. Earlier this year, the Academy’s Board of Governors boosted the number of films eligible for the shortlist from 10 to 15. Under the new rules,...
- 1/28/2021
- by Patrick Hipes and Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
“Martha: A Picture Story,” a feature documentary about trailblazing graffiti and street photographer Martha Cooper, has been acquired for North American distribution by Utopia.
Cooper was an American photojournalist and the first female staff photographer at the New York Post in the 1970s. She is best known for capturing New York City graffiti in the ’70s and ’80s. Her 1984 book “Subway Art” illustrated the subculture in New York’s transit system.
The commercial failure of the book forced Cooper to leave graffiti behind, moving on to photograph other hidden gems of the city. Only decades later would she realize her influence. Many street artists refer to “Subway Art” as a street art staple. The documentary follows Cooper’s struggle to navigate her way through this new culture while embracing her passion for capturing the creativity that helps people rise above their environment.
Utopia’s noteworthy titles include “Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets,...
Cooper was an American photojournalist and the first female staff photographer at the New York Post in the 1970s. She is best known for capturing New York City graffiti in the ’70s and ’80s. Her 1984 book “Subway Art” illustrated the subculture in New York’s transit system.
The commercial failure of the book forced Cooper to leave graffiti behind, moving on to photograph other hidden gems of the city. Only decades later would she realize her influence. Many street artists refer to “Subway Art” as a street art staple. The documentary follows Cooper’s struggle to navigate her way through this new culture while embracing her passion for capturing the creativity that helps people rise above their environment.
Utopia’s noteworthy titles include “Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets,...
- 1/26/2021
- by Antonio Ferme
- Variety Film + TV
The Academy has added 93 more films to the members-only screening room devoted to entries in the Best Documentary Feature category, bringing the total number of eligible contenders to a record-shattering 215.
The previous record for entries was 170 in 2017. And this year’s crop of nonfiction films is expected to pass that number by an even bigger margin — at least 50 — once a final, smaller group of films is added to the screening room in January.
New eligibility rules that were passed in the wake of the Covid-19 theater closings made it easier for documentaries to qualify this year by allowing them to do so by playing at film festivals, even virtual ones, and by easing requirements for theatrical runs. In an email to members detailing the new additions, the Academy said, “The Documentary Branch Executive Committee felt it was important to be inclusive and supportive of documentary filmmakers in this unprecedented and challenging year.
The previous record for entries was 170 in 2017. And this year’s crop of nonfiction films is expected to pass that number by an even bigger margin — at least 50 — once a final, smaller group of films is added to the screening room in January.
New eligibility rules that were passed in the wake of the Covid-19 theater closings made it easier for documentaries to qualify this year by allowing them to do so by playing at film festivals, even virtual ones, and by easing requirements for theatrical runs. In an email to members detailing the new additions, the Academy said, “The Documentary Branch Executive Committee felt it was important to be inclusive and supportive of documentary filmmakers in this unprecedented and challenging year.
- 12/22/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Robert Schwartzman’s filmmaker-centric distribution company Utopia has launched Utopia Originals which will focus on the development, packaging, and sale of original narrative and documentary feature film as well as television content. For its first project, Utopia Originals has teamed with Norman Reedus’ production banner bigbaldhead and Shout! Studios for a TV adaptation of the cult horror classic Sorority House Massacre which was executive produced by indie trailblazer Roger Corman and directed by Carol Frank.
The inaugural project will be developed in partnership with Stephen Trask, creator of the Tony-Award winning Broadway musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch. The 1986 movie is exactly what it suggests: a story about sorority sisters who are stalked by a psychopathic killer who shares a telepathic link with one of the girls. The horror spawned two sequels that included Sorority House Massacre II and Sorority House Massacre III: Hard to Die. Schwartzman and Reedus...
The inaugural project will be developed in partnership with Stephen Trask, creator of the Tony-Award winning Broadway musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch. The 1986 movie is exactly what it suggests: a story about sorority sisters who are stalked by a psychopathic killer who shares a telepathic link with one of the girls. The horror spawned two sequels that included Sorority House Massacre II and Sorority House Massacre III: Hard to Die. Schwartzman and Reedus...
- 11/11/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
New Foreign
“Parasite” is an often-brutal examination of wealth inequality, and yet its Best Picture win still counts as one of the few universally uplifting moments that 2020 had to offer. This Blu-ray release from The Criterion Collection arrives fully-loaded with extras, including director Bong Joon Ho’s black-and-white rendering of the film — anything but an afterthought, it’s a version that he and cinematographer Kyung-pyo Hong had in mind all along — commentaries, interviews, and a new essay from onetime TheWrap film critic Inkoo Kang.
Also available: Cameroonian college students get pulled into the dark web to pull a “Scam République” (IndiePix); anime saga “Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna” (Shout/Toei) celebrates the franchise’s 20th anniversary; “Three Comrades” (IndiePix) go out to unwind on a Friday night and wind up on an unexpected spree.
Chilean stop-motion feature “The Wolf House” (KimStim) uses unsettling visuals to spin a fable about the...
“Parasite” is an often-brutal examination of wealth inequality, and yet its Best Picture win still counts as one of the few universally uplifting moments that 2020 had to offer. This Blu-ray release from The Criterion Collection arrives fully-loaded with extras, including director Bong Joon Ho’s black-and-white rendering of the film — anything but an afterthought, it’s a version that he and cinematographer Kyung-pyo Hong had in mind all along — commentaries, interviews, and a new essay from onetime TheWrap film critic Inkoo Kang.
Also available: Cameroonian college students get pulled into the dark web to pull a “Scam République” (IndiePix); anime saga “Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna” (Shout/Toei) celebrates the franchise’s 20th anniversary; “Three Comrades” (IndiePix) go out to unwind on a Friday night and wind up on an unexpected spree.
Chilean stop-motion feature “The Wolf House” (KimStim) uses unsettling visuals to spin a fable about the...
- 10/29/2020
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
Utopia has acquired “Dope Is Death,” a look at the establishment of an unconventional detoxification program in the Bronx in the early 1970s to deal with the heroin epidemic.
The sale took place in advance of the film’s screening in November at Doc NYC. Mia Donovan, who previously helmed “Inside Lara Roxx” and “Deprogrammed,” directed the film.
“Dope Is Death” centers on Dr. Mutulu Shakur, stepfather of Tupac Shakur, and a coalition of left-wing activists from the Young Lords and Black Panthers, who combined community health with radical politics to create Lincoln Detox, the first acupuncture detoxification program in America.
The film is slated to premiere on Vice World News — a new series presented by Vice co-founder Suroosh Alvi — before releasing digitally across VOD platforms.
“I feel so honoured to share this story of how community activists confronted the war on drugs with acupuncture and political education,” Donovan said.
The sale took place in advance of the film’s screening in November at Doc NYC. Mia Donovan, who previously helmed “Inside Lara Roxx” and “Deprogrammed,” directed the film.
“Dope Is Death” centers on Dr. Mutulu Shakur, stepfather of Tupac Shakur, and a coalition of left-wing activists from the Young Lords and Black Panthers, who combined community health with radical politics to create Lincoln Detox, the first acupuncture detoxification program in America.
The film is slated to premiere on Vice World News — a new series presented by Vice co-founder Suroosh Alvi — before releasing digitally across VOD platforms.
“I feel so honoured to share this story of how community activists confronted the war on drugs with acupuncture and political education,” Donovan said.
- 10/26/2020
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Ahead of its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, Emma Seligman’s debut feature “Shiva Baby” has sold worldwide rights to Utopia Media.
“Shiva Baby” follows a young bisexual Jewish woman at a shiva — a mourning tradition in the Jewish community — in which her older male paramour and female high school sweetheart are present.
“This film was made to represent the various contradictions and pressures placed upon young women, especially young queer women, from traditional families and communities and the anxiety and insecurities they feel as a result,” Seligman said in a statement. “‘Shiva Baby’ is a comedy about a young woman grappling with her self worth, sexuality and independence and I could not be more thrilled to be working with such a collaborative and filmmaker focused distributor like Utopia.”
The movie, which was written and directed by Seligman, stars Rachel Sennott, Molly Gordon (“Booksmart”), Dianna Agron (“Glee”) and Polly Draper...
“Shiva Baby” follows a young bisexual Jewish woman at a shiva — a mourning tradition in the Jewish community — in which her older male paramour and female high school sweetheart are present.
“This film was made to represent the various contradictions and pressures placed upon young women, especially young queer women, from traditional families and communities and the anxiety and insecurities they feel as a result,” Seligman said in a statement. “‘Shiva Baby’ is a comedy about a young woman grappling with her self worth, sexuality and independence and I could not be more thrilled to be working with such a collaborative and filmmaker focused distributor like Utopia.”
The movie, which was written and directed by Seligman, stars Rachel Sennott, Molly Gordon (“Booksmart”), Dianna Agron (“Glee”) and Polly Draper...
- 9/9/2020
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Outfest Los Angeles is going virtual this year and they have unveiled their stacked lineup for the 11-day festival which kicks off August 20.
The LGBTQ film fest fest will include over 160 films with 35 world premieres, 10 North American premieres and 4 U.S. premieres to Los Angeles for 2020. The fest will live on http://www.outfestla2020.com and there will also be “Outfest LA Under the Stars”, a drive-in experience will take place at the stunning Calamigos Ranch in Malibu, where for two extended weekends the Festival will be hosting a series of drive-in screenings across six-nights on two lots, including both kick-off and closing events. The drive-in screenings will start with the Sundance pic The Nowhere Inn starring musicians Annie Clark and Carrie Brownstein. Other screenings will be announced in the upcoming weeks.
Over 70% of films at Outfest LA directed by female, trans, and Poc filmmakers. The Breakthrough Centerpiece will be...
The LGBTQ film fest fest will include over 160 films with 35 world premieres, 10 North American premieres and 4 U.S. premieres to Los Angeles for 2020. The fest will live on http://www.outfestla2020.com and there will also be “Outfest LA Under the Stars”, a drive-in experience will take place at the stunning Calamigos Ranch in Malibu, where for two extended weekends the Festival will be hosting a series of drive-in screenings across six-nights on two lots, including both kick-off and closing events. The drive-in screenings will start with the Sundance pic The Nowhere Inn starring musicians Annie Clark and Carrie Brownstein. Other screenings will be announced in the upcoming weeks.
Over 70% of films at Outfest LA directed by female, trans, and Poc filmmakers. The Breakthrough Centerpiece will be...
- 8/11/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
The official US trailer for ‘House of Cardin’, the critically acclaimed documentary is here! Check it out and be sure to catch the film in North American theaters and virtual theaters late August - and then streaming On Demand starting September 15!
Continue reading on SydneysBuzz The Blog »...
Continue reading on SydneysBuzz The Blog »...
- 8/4/2020
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
The documentary feature "House of Cardin", directed by P. David Ebersole and Todd Hughe, chronicles the life of fashion designer Pierre Cardin, available Digital & On Demand September 15, 2020:
"...with exclusive access to his archives and his empire, 'House of Cardin' offers unprecedented interviews at the sunset of a glorious career. Starring Cardin, Jean-Paul Gaultier and Philippe Starck..."
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "House of Cardin"...
"...with exclusive access to his archives and his empire, 'House of Cardin' offers unprecedented interviews at the sunset of a glorious career. Starring Cardin, Jean-Paul Gaultier and Philippe Starck..."
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "House of Cardin"...
- 7/29/2020
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
"If what we create isn't worn then what is the purpose?" Great question. Utopia has revealed the official trailer for a documentary titled House of Cardin, which initially premiered at the Venice Film Festival last year. It went on to win the Lifetime Achievement, Best Fashion Feature Film, and Best Director of a Feature Fashion Film at the Cinemoi Cinefashion Film Awards, and was also nominated for the Gold Q-Hugo Award at the Chicago Film Festival. The doc film is a rare peek into the mind of a genius, chronicling the life and design of fashion brand Cardin, founded by Pierre Cardin in 1950; he introduced the famous "bubble dress" in 1954. A true original, Mr. Cardin has granted the directors exclusive access to his archives and his empire, and unprecedented interviews at the sunset of a glorious career. Looks like a fascinating doc to see. Official trailer (+ posters) for P. David Ebersole...
- 7/28/2020
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
‘Babyteeth.’
Universal Pictures’ dramedy The King of Staten Island continued its reign at Australian cinemas last weekend as ticket sales slumped, starved of new releases.
Given the depressed state of the market, Shannon Murphy’s Babyteeth, the bittersweet comedy adapted by Rita Kalnejais from her play, launched reasonably well on 46 screens, making $65,000.
The Universal release starring Eliza Scanlen, Toby Wallace, Ben Mendelsohn and Essie Davis registered the second highest per-screen average – $1,419 – among the top 10 titles, behind the market leader’s $1,766.
With 33 per cent of the nation’s cinemas closed and most that are still operating charging half price, the top 20 titles generated a mere $1.7 million, down 27 per cent on the previous frame, according to Numero.
The weekend takings were down 90 per cent on the same weekend last year, when The Lion King, Spider-Man: Far From Home, André Rieu’s Maastricht Concert and Toy Story 4 were raking in millions.
Sony Pictures launched The Burnt Orange Heresy,...
Universal Pictures’ dramedy The King of Staten Island continued its reign at Australian cinemas last weekend as ticket sales slumped, starved of new releases.
Given the depressed state of the market, Shannon Murphy’s Babyteeth, the bittersweet comedy adapted by Rita Kalnejais from her play, launched reasonably well on 46 screens, making $65,000.
The Universal release starring Eliza Scanlen, Toby Wallace, Ben Mendelsohn and Essie Davis registered the second highest per-screen average – $1,419 – among the top 10 titles, behind the market leader’s $1,766.
With 33 per cent of the nation’s cinemas closed and most that are still operating charging half price, the top 20 titles generated a mere $1.7 million, down 27 per cent on the previous frame, according to Numero.
The weekend takings were down 90 per cent on the same weekend last year, when The Lion King, Spider-Man: Far From Home, André Rieu’s Maastricht Concert and Toy Story 4 were raking in millions.
Sony Pictures launched The Burnt Orange Heresy,...
- 7/27/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
In today’s film news roundup, the documentary “House of Cardin” and crime thriller “Devil’s Night” find distributors and “Lucky Grandma” is raising funds for New York Chinatown.
Acquisitions
Utopia has acquired the North American rights to the fashion documentary “House of Cardin” by filmmakers P. David Ebersole and Todd Hughes.
The film, centering on the life and work of designer and entrepreneur Pierre Cardin, held its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival and was set for a North American tour at the San Francisco, Dallas, Boston, and Seattle Film Festivals before the widespread Covid-19 cancellations and postponements.
Ebersole and Hughes produced under their banner, The Ebersole Hughes Company, alongside Cori Coppola. Utopia will release the film in August ahead of September’s New York Fashion Week and a subsequent Paris premiere hosted by Cardin himself.
“’House of Cardin’ brings a fresh understanding of just how incredibly groundbreaking...
Acquisitions
Utopia has acquired the North American rights to the fashion documentary “House of Cardin” by filmmakers P. David Ebersole and Todd Hughes.
The film, centering on the life and work of designer and entrepreneur Pierre Cardin, held its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival and was set for a North American tour at the San Francisco, Dallas, Boston, and Seattle Film Festivals before the widespread Covid-19 cancellations and postponements.
Ebersole and Hughes produced under their banner, The Ebersole Hughes Company, alongside Cori Coppola. Utopia will release the film in August ahead of September’s New York Fashion Week and a subsequent Paris premiere hosted by Cardin himself.
“’House of Cardin’ brings a fresh understanding of just how incredibly groundbreaking...
- 5/13/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Layering archive footage and soundbites with the kind of quickfire verve suited to a catwalk backdrop, the introductory montage to “House of Cardin” presents us with a number of words to describe Pierre Cardin: “Genius” is the overriding one, uttered by multiple luminaries in his thrall, with other flattering variations rounding it out. Buried in the mix, however, with no identified source, is a somewhat contrasting statement: “a little bit of a sellout.” It portends a note of critical balance in Todd Hughes and P. David Ebersole’s documentary portrait of the Paris couturier turned global one-man brand, though the ensuing film — bright and glitzily entertaining as it is — never quite bears out that promise. Lively as an overview of Cardin’s creative and commercial achievements, “House of Cardin” is considerably vaguer when it comes to his personal life and legacy.
It is Cardin himself, via a decades-old interview clip,...
It is Cardin himself, via a decades-old interview clip,...
- 1/13/2020
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
French sales companies to merge staff, infrastructure and slates.
Jour2Fête, the Paris-based sales and distribution company co-headed by Sarah Chazelle and Etienne Ollagnier, is set to acquire compatriot sales company Doc & Film International, as its CEO Daniela Elstner heads to French cinema agency Unifrance in the role of managing director.
Under the deal, which is in the final stages of completion, Jour2Fête will merge the existing staff, infrastructure, slates and catalogues of both companies into one entity over the coming months.
For the time being, the separate banners of Jour2Fête and Doc & Film will remain in place,...
Jour2Fête, the Paris-based sales and distribution company co-headed by Sarah Chazelle and Etienne Ollagnier, is set to acquire compatriot sales company Doc & Film International, as its CEO Daniela Elstner heads to French cinema agency Unifrance in the role of managing director.
Under the deal, which is in the final stages of completion, Jour2Fête will merge the existing staff, infrastructure, slates and catalogues of both companies into one entity over the coming months.
For the time being, the separate banners of Jour2Fête and Doc & Film will remain in place,...
- 10/11/2019
- by 1100380¦Melanie Goodfellow¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
The best documentaries about haute-couture icons, like Valentino: The Last Emperor or last year’s McQueen, combine breathtaking footage of the portrayed designer’s work with a keen sense of who they were as an individual and how they changed their industry. On those terms, House of Cardin, from U.S. directorial duo P. David Ebersole and Todd Hughes (Mansfield 66/67), is a success. It premiered in the independent Giornate degli Autori section of the recent Venice fest and should see interest from festivals, broadcasters and VOD platforms.
Pierre Cardin, born Pietro Cardin in the countryside near Venice in 1922,...
Pierre Cardin, born Pietro Cardin in the countryside near Venice in 1922,...
- 9/20/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
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.