Dig!, a documentary about two bands – The Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Dandy Warhols – is a musical trainwreck, equal parts romantic comedy and horror film that follows the highs and lows of being a musician, in the studio, on the road and in their own heads.
The film, which launched at Sundance in 2004 and is returning to the festival this year with an extended cut, is a favorite among the musical class. I’ve sat in countless tour vans and crappy motels where it’s watched, quoted and dissected by kids with a dream and a drumkit.
Dave Grohl, the legendary Nirvana drummer and Foo Fighters frontman, told me that it’s a “f*cking masterpiece” and that it’s also his favorite horror film.
“Watching a documentary like Dig!, seeing these two bands fall in love with each other, which happens often. You find your brother band, your sister band,...
The film, which launched at Sundance in 2004 and is returning to the festival this year with an extended cut, is a favorite among the musical class. I’ve sat in countless tour vans and crappy motels where it’s watched, quoted and dissected by kids with a dream and a drumkit.
Dave Grohl, the legendary Nirvana drummer and Foo Fighters frontman, told me that it’s a “f*cking masterpiece” and that it’s also his favorite horror film.
“Watching a documentary like Dig!, seeing these two bands fall in love with each other, which happens often. You find your brother band, your sister band,...
- 1/18/2024
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
For four decades, Sundance has maintained a reputation as one of the most important film festivals in America for independent filmmakers from around the globe. To commemorate its 40th anniversary in 2024 and the enormity (and reciprocity) of that cultural footprint, festival leadership set a series of restoration screenings to highlight many of the most memorable films programmed throughout its history.
“When you look at the way the independent film movement has evolved and changed over the years, from the maturation of an industry and the opportunities that artists have found, to the way that an audience has been built around the work, you see a festival that has evolved alongside it,” says John Nein, senior programmer and director of strategic initiatives.
This year’s festival takes place Jan. 18-28, in person in Park City and Salt Lake City, with a selection of titles available online nationwide from Jan. 25-28. The...
“When you look at the way the independent film movement has evolved and changed over the years, from the maturation of an industry and the opportunities that artists have found, to the way that an audience has been built around the work, you see a festival that has evolved alongside it,” says John Nein, senior programmer and director of strategic initiatives.
This year’s festival takes place Jan. 18-28, in person in Park City and Salt Lake City, with a selection of titles available online nationwide from Jan. 25-28. The...
- 1/16/2024
- by Nick Clement
- Variety Film + TV
David O. Russell is set to direct the upcoming Linda Ronstadt biopic, starring Selena Gomez, Variety has confirmed.
The music biopic is currently in pre-production, with producers including James Keach, who produced the 2019 documentary “Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice,” and Ronstadt’s manager, John Boylan.
Gomez teased her involvement in the biopic earlier this week by posting a picture of Ronstadt’s 2013 memoir “Simple Dreams” on her Instagram story. No other casting has been announced.
Ronstadt is a country, rock ‘n’ roll and Latin music legend known for her 1970s albums “Heart Like a Wheel” and “Simple Dreams.” Throughout her career she has released 29 studio albums, won 11 Grammys, and was honored by both the Recording Academy and the Latin Recording Academy with Lifetime Achievement Awards. In 2014, Ronstadt was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Russell is an Oscar-nominated director and writer known for critically acclaimed...
The music biopic is currently in pre-production, with producers including James Keach, who produced the 2019 documentary “Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice,” and Ronstadt’s manager, John Boylan.
Gomez teased her involvement in the biopic earlier this week by posting a picture of Ronstadt’s 2013 memoir “Simple Dreams” on her Instagram story. No other casting has been announced.
Ronstadt is a country, rock ‘n’ roll and Latin music legend known for her 1970s albums “Heart Like a Wheel” and “Simple Dreams.” Throughout her career she has released 29 studio albums, won 11 Grammys, and was honored by both the Recording Academy and the Latin Recording Academy with Lifetime Achievement Awards. In 2014, Ronstadt was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Russell is an Oscar-nominated director and writer known for critically acclaimed...
- 1/13/2024
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety Film + TV
Sundance is celebrating its 40th Anniversary next month and the festival has revealed more programming to highlight its cinematic legacy. Topping the list of events are new 4K restorations of “Napoleon Dynamite,” “Go Fish,” “Three Seasons,” and an extended version of “Dig!,” with over 30 minutes of new footage, retitled “Dig!Xx.” Additionally, there will be screenings of “The Babadook,” and “Pariah” as well as restorations of “Mississippi Masala” and “The Times of Harvey Milk.”
Read More: Sundance 2024: New works from Steven Sodergh, Debra Granik, Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck and more
Alumni always have a home to return to in Park City and 2024 will be no exception.
Continue reading ‘Napoleon Dynamite,’ ‘The Babadook,’ ‘Go Fish’ & More Return To Celebrate Sundance’s 40th Anniversary at The Playlist.
Read More: Sundance 2024: New works from Steven Sodergh, Debra Granik, Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck and more
Alumni always have a home to return to in Park City and 2024 will be no exception.
Continue reading ‘Napoleon Dynamite,’ ‘The Babadook,’ ‘Go Fish’ & More Return To Celebrate Sundance’s 40th Anniversary at The Playlist.
- 12/12/2023
- by Gregory Ellwood
- The Playlist
The 40th Edition of the Sundance Film Festival announced their 53 Short Films for the 2024 lineup in addition to a 20th anniversary 4K restored version of Napoleon Dynamite, as well as other Sundance fave re-releases.
There’s a 30th anniversary of Go Fish, 25th anniversary of Three Seasons and the 20th anniversary of Dig! (with 30 minutes of additional footage), titled Dig! Xx.
There’s also restorations of The Babadook and Pariah, and restorations of Mississippi Masala and The Times of Harvey Milk.
In addition, there’s several Sundance alum panels including Power of Story: Four Decades of Taking Chances about the legacy of independent storytelling featuring Miguel Arteta, Richard Linklater, Dawn Porter, and Christine Vachon; a screening of seminal short films from Sundance’s history hosted by Jay Duplass and Mark Duplass; and a workshop for emerging creators with Carlos López Estrada and others.
The shorts for 2024 were curated from 12,098 submissions,...
There’s a 30th anniversary of Go Fish, 25th anniversary of Three Seasons and the 20th anniversary of Dig! (with 30 minutes of additional footage), titled Dig! Xx.
There’s also restorations of The Babadook and Pariah, and restorations of Mississippi Masala and The Times of Harvey Milk.
In addition, there’s several Sundance alum panels including Power of Story: Four Decades of Taking Chances about the legacy of independent storytelling featuring Miguel Arteta, Richard Linklater, Dawn Porter, and Christine Vachon; a screening of seminal short films from Sundance’s history hosted by Jay Duplass and Mark Duplass; and a workshop for emerging creators with Carlos López Estrada and others.
The shorts for 2024 were curated from 12,098 submissions,...
- 12/12/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
The Sundance Institute unveiled the lineup of 53 short films for the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, taking place Jan. 18-28 in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah. The film fest will happen in person, with a selection of titles available online from Jan. 25-28. Sundance was forced to re-format its 2021 and 2022 editions as virtual events because of the pandemic, but it returned in physical form in 2023.
Celebrating its 40th edition, Sundance will also feature a slate of special screenings including a restored version of “Napoleon Dynamite,” which first premiered at the festival in 2004, as well as 2014’s “The Babadook” and 1984’s “The Times of Harvey Milk.” Festival programming also includes events with Richard Linklater, Miguel Arteta, Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass, Carlos López Estrada, Sterlin Harjo, Steve James, Dawn Porter, Nzingha Stewart and Christine Vachon.
“Selecting the shorts for the Festival Program every year is an exercise in taking the pulse of film culture,...
Celebrating its 40th edition, Sundance will also feature a slate of special screenings including a restored version of “Napoleon Dynamite,” which first premiered at the festival in 2004, as well as 2014’s “The Babadook” and 1984’s “The Times of Harvey Milk.” Festival programming also includes events with Richard Linklater, Miguel Arteta, Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass, Carlos López Estrada, Sterlin Harjo, Steve James, Dawn Porter, Nzingha Stewart and Christine Vachon.
“Selecting the shorts for the Festival Program every year is an exercise in taking the pulse of film culture,...
- 12/12/2023
- by Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety Film + TV
Anniversary screenings include Park City hits Napoleon Dynamite, Mississippi Masala, The Babadook.
Sundance Film Festival has unveiled the 53 shorts as well as the eight films celebrating the festival’s 40th edition – a list which includes Park City hits Napoleon Dynamite, Mississippi Masala, and The Babadook.
The 40th edition celebration screenings and events are set for the second half of the festival from January 23-26, 2024, with a slate of retrospective programming that will bring alumni artists together for conversations and gatherings.
Sundance Film festival runs January 18-28, 2024, in person in Park City and Salt Lake City, with a selection of titles...
Sundance Film Festival has unveiled the 53 shorts as well as the eight films celebrating the festival’s 40th edition – a list which includes Park City hits Napoleon Dynamite, Mississippi Masala, and The Babadook.
The 40th edition celebration screenings and events are set for the second half of the festival from January 23-26, 2024, with a slate of retrospective programming that will bring alumni artists together for conversations and gatherings.
Sundance Film festival runs January 18-28, 2024, in person in Park City and Salt Lake City, with a selection of titles...
- 12/12/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
The 2024 Sundance lineup is coming into fuller view, including celebrations for its 40th edition and its shorts program. The festival will take place January 18 through 28 in-person in Park City and Salt Lake City, with a selection of titles available online nationwide from January 25 through 28 via digital platforms.
The festival will introduce new short films for 2024 across eight curated programs, including a festival retrospective hosted by Mark and Jay Duplass. This year’s programming for new titles features 53 short films selected from 12,098 submissions, the highest number on record. Of these submissions, 5,323 were from the U.S., and 6,799 were international. The selected shorts represent 22 countries.
In addition to the shorts programming, the special 40th edition celebration screenings and events kick off on January 23, bringing Sundance alumni together for conversations and gatherings while revisiting iconic films like new 4K restorations of “Napoleon Dynamite” for its 20th anniversary, the 25th anniversary of “Three Seasons,...
The festival will introduce new short films for 2024 across eight curated programs, including a festival retrospective hosted by Mark and Jay Duplass. This year’s programming for new titles features 53 short films selected from 12,098 submissions, the highest number on record. Of these submissions, 5,323 were from the U.S., and 6,799 were international. The selected shorts represent 22 countries.
In addition to the shorts programming, the special 40th edition celebration screenings and events kick off on January 23, bringing Sundance alumni together for conversations and gatherings while revisiting iconic films like new 4K restorations of “Napoleon Dynamite” for its 20th anniversary, the 25th anniversary of “Three Seasons,...
- 12/12/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Queer movies and TV shows are all well and good, but arguably even more important is the existence of great LGBTQ documentaries. Fiction can help provide great representation and tell moving queer stories, but documentary does something else entirely: it preserves entire communities’ stories as snapshots in humanity’s kaleidoscopic history.
Documentary filmmaking has (almost) always been a relative safe haven for LGBTQ cinema, particularly smaller, experimental docs created by independent filmmakers. For years, mainstream films largely sanitized and ignored the LGBTQ community — but the documentary format allowed queer people to capture the truths of their lives that went otherwise undepicted. Great LGBTQ documentaries stretch back as far as 1967, with “Portrait of Jason”: a fascinating profile of a gay nightclub performer. Other early greats provided the first mainstream depictions of vibrant gay subcultures, like 1991 ballroom doc “Paris Is Burning” or 1967’s drag film “The Queen.” And still others provided...
Documentary filmmaking has (almost) always been a relative safe haven for LGBTQ cinema, particularly smaller, experimental docs created by independent filmmakers. For years, mainstream films largely sanitized and ignored the LGBTQ community — but the documentary format allowed queer people to capture the truths of their lives that went otherwise undepicted. Great LGBTQ documentaries stretch back as far as 1967, with “Portrait of Jason”: a fascinating profile of a gay nightclub performer. Other early greats provided the first mainstream depictions of vibrant gay subcultures, like 1991 ballroom doc “Paris Is Burning” or 1967’s drag film “The Queen.” And still others provided...
- 7/27/2023
- by Wilson Chapman and Alison Foreman
- Indiewire
Team Experience has been looking at LGBTQ+ related Oscar nominations.
by Nick Taylor
Over the course of June, one of my big cinematic missions was to watch as many queer documentaries as I could. A broader understanding and recognition of lived queer experiences, either through art or lived interaction, is something I’m finding increasingly valuable and incredibly grateful for. Past or present lives, always reflecting so many potential futures - cherish that shit! Cinema allows for a unique view on long-gone lives I would never have met. A lot of my dive has been focused on the Criterion Channel’s various LGBTQ+ playlists. If you haven’t already seen Dressed in Blue, Tongues Untied, and Shakedown, watch them all now and learn from their authors, the multitude of voices in front of and behind the camera bravely willing to show us who they are and what they know.
Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt,...
by Nick Taylor
Over the course of June, one of my big cinematic missions was to watch as many queer documentaries as I could. A broader understanding and recognition of lived queer experiences, either through art or lived interaction, is something I’m finding increasingly valuable and incredibly grateful for. Past or present lives, always reflecting so many potential futures - cherish that shit! Cinema allows for a unique view on long-gone lives I would never have met. A lot of my dive has been focused on the Criterion Channel’s various LGBTQ+ playlists. If you haven’t already seen Dressed in Blue, Tongues Untied, and Shakedown, watch them all now and learn from their authors, the multitude of voices in front of and behind the camera bravely willing to show us who they are and what they know.
Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt,...
- 7/3/2023
- by Nick Taylor
- FilmExperience
As the clock struck noon on Saturday, October 8th, 2016, Taylor Mac walked on to the stage of St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn. The band of almost two-dozen musicians and backup singers led by musical director Matt Ray were already there, waiting for him. His outfit consisted of a tower of colorful ribbons cascading down his head, a petticoat with a peacock-like tail resembling a fireworks display, and a glittery jersey with a 13 — the number of American colonies in 1776 — on the front. He looked fabulous.
And other than the occasional bathroom break,...
And other than the occasional bathroom break,...
- 6/30/2023
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
Many of the most important queer films in cinema history share a birthplace: the Sundance Film Festival. Organized by the Sundance Institute, the legendary annual fest in Park City, Utah, has boasted international and U.S. premiere titles as varied as the groundbreaking New York ballroom documentary Paris Is Burning in 1991, Donna Deitch’s 1985 lesbian road drama Desert Hearts or even recent masterworks like Luca Guadagnino’s 2017 adaptation of Call Me by Your Name.
The Hollywood Reporter spoke with Kim Yutani, director of programming at Sundance, about some of the most important Lgbtqia+ films to debut there.
“Seeing the films that Sundance has programmed over the years, especially around the early 1990s with the New Queer Wave, that was what attracted me to Sundance,” says Yutani, who’s been working with the festival for 17 years, and has also worked in various positions within the film industry, like as Gregg Araki...
The Hollywood Reporter spoke with Kim Yutani, director of programming at Sundance, about some of the most important Lgbtqia+ films to debut there.
“Seeing the films that Sundance has programmed over the years, especially around the early 1990s with the New Queer Wave, that was what attracted me to Sundance,” says Yutani, who’s been working with the festival for 17 years, and has also worked in various positions within the film industry, like as Gregg Araki...
- 6/26/2023
- by Hilton Dresden
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
From Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, the Oscar-winning filmmakers of “The Times of Harvey Milk” and “Common Threads: Stories From the Quilt,” the documentary “Taylor Mac’s 24-Decade History of Popular Music” is something of a CliffsNotes version of the performance artist’s mammoth, Pulitzer Prize-shortlisted day-long musical revue that encompassed 246 songs culled from 1776 to 2016. Filming took place during its world premiere between Oct. 8 and 9, 2016, at St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn, N.Y. Since then, the piece has been staged as four 6-hour shows.
“Maybe you noticed, this is my subjective take on history,” Mac said during the live set. “I am not interested in this show being about history as much as I am interested in it being about all of us in this room have a lot of history on our backs and we’re trying to figure out what to do with it.”
This little nugget...
“Maybe you noticed, this is my subjective take on history,” Mac said during the live set. “I am not interested in this show being about history as much as I am interested in it being about all of us in this room have a lot of history on our backs and we’re trying to figure out what to do with it.”
This little nugget...
- 6/15/2023
- by Martin Tsai
- The Wrap
Seven years ago this month, in the aftermath of the attack on Orlando’s Pulse nightclub, one call to action rose above the din: “Say their names.” New Yorkers chanted it steps from the Stonewall Inn. The mother of a child gunned down at Sandy Hook penned it in an open letter. The Orlando Sentinel printed the names. Anderson Cooper recited them. A gunman, 29-year-old Omar Mateen, murdered 49 people and wounded 53 others in the wee hours of that awful Sunday, massacring LGBTQ people of color and their allies in the middle of Pride Month, and the commemoration of the dead demanded knowing who they were. “These,” as MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell urged his viewers, “are the names to remember.”
The titles on our list of the best LGBTQ movies of all time are a globe-spanning, multigenerational testament to our existence in a world where our erasure is no abstraction. From...
The titles on our list of the best LGBTQ movies of all time are a globe-spanning, multigenerational testament to our existence in a world where our erasure is no abstraction. From...
- 6/12/2023
- by Slant Staff
- Slant Magazine
France’s mk2 films is set to distribute internationally a collection of Martin Scorsese’s prestigious restored films from the World Cinema Project, which is part of his banner The Film Foundation.
The World Cinema Project has so far restored 51 films from 29 different countries, representing the breadth and diversity of global cinema.
Scorsese, one of the greatest living film legends whose latest movie “Killers of the Flower Moon” world premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 20, created The Film Foundation to raise awareness and funds for the preservation of our cinematic history. Since its formation, The Film Foundation has helped to preserve and restore over 1,000 films from every era and genre, ranging from features to documentaries, newsreels, shorts, home movies, experimental and silent films.
“The Film Foundation’s partnership with mk2 creates greater international visibility for the films restored through the World Cinema Project,” said Scorsese. “These incredible films...
The World Cinema Project has so far restored 51 films from 29 different countries, representing the breadth and diversity of global cinema.
Scorsese, one of the greatest living film legends whose latest movie “Killers of the Flower Moon” world premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 20, created The Film Foundation to raise awareness and funds for the preservation of our cinematic history. Since its formation, The Film Foundation has helped to preserve and restore over 1,000 films from every era and genre, ranging from features to documentaries, newsreels, shorts, home movies, experimental and silent films.
“The Film Foundation’s partnership with mk2 creates greater international visibility for the films restored through the World Cinema Project,” said Scorsese. “These incredible films...
- 5/22/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
The Oscar-nominated documentary “Fire of Love” is getting the narrative remake treatment.
The acclaimed non-fiction movie, concerning the scientific research and on-the-job romance of French volcanologist filmmakers Katia and Maurice Krafft, will become a live-action narrative feature film. Searchlight Pictures snagged remake rights to the acclaimed documentary, which debuted at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival before being acquired by National Geographic Documentary Films.
Searchlight will finance and distribute, with Jamie Patricof’s Hunting Lane developing and producing. “Fire of Love” director/producer Sara Dosa and producer Shane Boris are attached to produce this version as well, while producer Ina Fichman will be an executive producer. Other executive producers include Josh Braun and Ben Braun from Submarine Deluxe, and Greg Boustead and Jessica Harrop from Sandbox Films.
Also Read:
Oscar Voting Has Begun: Here’s What Not to Do, Voters
There is no word on who will direct the picture or anything regarding casting.
The acclaimed non-fiction movie, concerning the scientific research and on-the-job romance of French volcanologist filmmakers Katia and Maurice Krafft, will become a live-action narrative feature film. Searchlight Pictures snagged remake rights to the acclaimed documentary, which debuted at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival before being acquired by National Geographic Documentary Films.
Searchlight will finance and distribute, with Jamie Patricof’s Hunting Lane developing and producing. “Fire of Love” director/producer Sara Dosa and producer Shane Boris are attached to produce this version as well, while producer Ina Fichman will be an executive producer. Other executive producers include Josh Braun and Ben Braun from Submarine Deluxe, and Greg Boustead and Jessica Harrop from Sandbox Films.
Also Read:
Oscar Voting Has Begun: Here’s What Not to Do, Voters
There is no word on who will direct the picture or anything regarding casting.
- 3/2/2023
- by Scott Mendelson
- The Wrap
Jenni Olson's The Royal Road and Arthur Bressan Jr.’s Gay USA are both part of Mubi's Pride Unprejudiced collection. The series Awakenings: Three By Stephen Cone is playing on Mubi in many countries.The Royal RoadThe morning after Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party screened at the Castro Theatre as a part of Frameline 39 (San Francisco LGBT Festival), I sat, severely hungover, in the rear floor section of that historic theatre and watched a matinee screening of Jenni Olson’s The Royal Road, an intimate, 65-minute “essay film” about California, unrequited love, narrative and nostalgia that I would eventually come to consider one of the greatest of all films. Sleep-deprived and heart-pounding from dehydration, I had no business being out in public, but with each serene 16mm California image accompanied by Olson’s dryly humorous, reflective voice-over, I began to feel that, in fact, I had no business being anywhere else.
- 6/28/2021
- MUBI
HBO Max has announced their Shine On spotlight page for Pride Month 2021, which includes an exclusive concert series on the streaming service.
Produced by HBO Max’s Human by Orientation, the concert series will feature musical performances by King Princess, Vincint, Raveena, Soccer Mommy, and Muna, along with comedy specials from Meg Stalter, Ashley Ray, and more.
The Pride package will also include behind-the-scenes interviews for original series like Hacks, as well as drag performance from the stars of We’re Here. The Shine On page will curate a selection of...
Produced by HBO Max’s Human by Orientation, the concert series will feature musical performances by King Princess, Vincint, Raveena, Soccer Mommy, and Muna, along with comedy specials from Meg Stalter, Ashley Ray, and more.
The Pride package will also include behind-the-scenes interviews for original series like Hacks, as well as drag performance from the stars of We’re Here. The Shine On page will curate a selection of...
- 6/1/2021
- by Claire Shaffer
- Rollingstone.com
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As one of the first openly gay politicians in the country to be elected to public office, Harvey Milk was a trailblazer for the LGBTQ community. Born on May 22, 1930, the native New Yorker rose to become an outspoken human rights activist, and an impassioned champion of LGBTQ rights. Milk was assassinated in 1978, just one year after being elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. More than 40 years after his death, Milk continues to be celebrated as an inspirational and courageous leader in the fight for equal rights.
To commemorate “Harvey Milk Day,” we curated a list of movies and books that will help you learn more about the LGBT icon. From biographies and documentaries,...
As one of the first openly gay politicians in the country to be elected to public office, Harvey Milk was a trailblazer for the LGBTQ community. Born on May 22, 1930, the native New Yorker rose to become an outspoken human rights activist, and an impassioned champion of LGBTQ rights. Milk was assassinated in 1978, just one year after being elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. More than 40 years after his death, Milk continues to be celebrated as an inspirational and courageous leader in the fight for equal rights.
To commemorate “Harvey Milk Day,” we curated a list of movies and books that will help you learn more about the LGBT icon. From biographies and documentaries,...
- 5/22/2021
- by Latifah Muhammad
- Indiewire
The pandemic heated up the long-simmering romance between January’s Sundance Film Festival and the Academy Awards: For the first time, the Oscar race showcases four Best Picture contenders that were Sundance premieres. Lee Isaac Chung’s rural family auto-fiction “Minari,” Florian Zeller’s play-to-film “The Father,” and Emerald Fennell’s “Promising Young Woman” all premiered in 2020; the virtual Sundance 2021 presented a late-inning surprise with Shaka King’s studio-financed “Judas and the Black Messiah” two weeks before Warner Bros. released the film day and date on HBO Max.
Sundance is known for delivering high-profile documentary Oscar winners like “American Dream,” “An Inconvenient Truth,” “Searching for Sugar Man,” “The Times Of Harvey Milk,” “The Cove,” “Man on Wire,” and “20 Feet From Stardom.” This year’s Documentary Feature Oscar nominees included three Sundance 2020 non-fiction world premieres: Nicole Newnham and Jim LeBrecht’s “Crip Camp,” Garrett Bradley’s “Time,” and Maite Alberdi’s “The Mole Agent.
Sundance is known for delivering high-profile documentary Oscar winners like “American Dream,” “An Inconvenient Truth,” “Searching for Sugar Man,” “The Times Of Harvey Milk,” “The Cove,” “Man on Wire,” and “20 Feet From Stardom.” This year’s Documentary Feature Oscar nominees included three Sundance 2020 non-fiction world premieres: Nicole Newnham and Jim LeBrecht’s “Crip Camp,” Garrett Bradley’s “Time,” and Maite Alberdi’s “The Mole Agent.
- 4/5/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The pandemic heated up the long-simmering romance between January’s Sundance Film Festival and the Academy Awards: For the first time, the Oscar race showcases four Best Picture contenders that were Sundance premieres. Lee Isaac Chung’s rural family auto-fiction “Minari,” Florian Zeller’s play-to-film “The Father,” and Emerald Fennell’s “Promising Young Woman” all premiered in 2020; the virtual Sundance 2021 presented a late-inning surprise with Shaka King’s studio-financed “Judas and the Black Messiah” two weeks before Warner Bros. released the film day and date on HBO Max.
Sundance is known for delivering high-profile documentary Oscar winners like “American Dream,” “An Inconvenient Truth,” “Searching for Sugar Man,” “The Times Of Harvey Milk,” “The Cove,” “Man on Wire,” and “20 Feet From Stardom.” This year’s Documentary Feature Oscar nominees included three Sundance 2020 non-fiction world premieres: Nicole Newnham and Jim LeBrecht’s “Crip Camp,” Garrett Bradley’s “Time,” and Maite Alberdi’s “The Mole Agent.
Sundance is known for delivering high-profile documentary Oscar winners like “American Dream,” “An Inconvenient Truth,” “Searching for Sugar Man,” “The Times Of Harvey Milk,” “The Cove,” “Man on Wire,” and “20 Feet From Stardom.” This year’s Documentary Feature Oscar nominees included three Sundance 2020 non-fiction world premieres: Nicole Newnham and Jim LeBrecht’s “Crip Camp,” Garrett Bradley’s “Time,” and Maite Alberdi’s “The Mole Agent.
- 4/5/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Features: Harvey Milk, Anne Kronenberg, Tory Hartmann | Written by Judith Coburn, Carter Wilson | Directed by Rob Epstein
Back in 1984, director Rob Epstein along with narration writers Judith Coburn and Carter Wilson, worked together to bring us the acclaimed documentary film, The Times of Harvey Milk. A powerful 90 minute look at the successes and eventual tragic assassination of the trailblazing first elected gay city supervisor of San Francisco. Now, some 36 years later, Criterion, here in the UK, have brought us a spectacular release of the film, along with an array of special features.
Harvey Milk was an outspoken man, a human rights activist and the first openly gay politician in U.S history to be elected to public office. His inspiration to millions of people around the world is well-documented and it continues to this very day, some 42 years after he was killed. This Oscar winning documentary was a vital one,...
Back in 1984, director Rob Epstein along with narration writers Judith Coburn and Carter Wilson, worked together to bring us the acclaimed documentary film, The Times of Harvey Milk. A powerful 90 minute look at the successes and eventual tragic assassination of the trailblazing first elected gay city supervisor of San Francisco. Now, some 36 years later, Criterion, here in the UK, have brought us a spectacular release of the film, along with an array of special features.
Harvey Milk was an outspoken man, a human rights activist and the first openly gay politician in U.S history to be elected to public office. His inspiration to millions of people around the world is well-documented and it continues to this very day, some 42 years after he was killed. This Oscar winning documentary was a vital one,...
- 10/30/2020
- by Chris Cummings
- Nerdly
Tony Sokol Jul 16, 2019
Legendary singer tells a musical story in her own voice in the documentary Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice.
Linda Ronstadt has released over 30 studio albums, charted 38 singles, won 10 Grammys, 3 American Music Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy, and was a nominated for a Tony award for her performance in The Pirates of Penzance before she retired in 2011. Parkinson's disease left her unable to sing. The new documentary Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice, explains what a tragedy that is for music. The film premiered at this year's Tribeca Film Festival. It was picked up by Greenwich Entertainment and 1091, which will open the film in September.
read more: The Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour Could Have Been a Great Prog Rock Classic
"With one of the most memorably stunning voices that has ever hit the airwaves, Linda Ronstadt burst onto the 1960s...
Legendary singer tells a musical story in her own voice in the documentary Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice.
Linda Ronstadt has released over 30 studio albums, charted 38 singles, won 10 Grammys, 3 American Music Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy, and was a nominated for a Tony award for her performance in The Pirates of Penzance before she retired in 2011. Parkinson's disease left her unable to sing. The new documentary Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice, explains what a tragedy that is for music. The film premiered at this year's Tribeca Film Festival. It was picked up by Greenwich Entertainment and 1091, which will open the film in September.
read more: The Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour Could Have Been a Great Prog Rock Classic
"With one of the most memorably stunning voices that has ever hit the airwaves, Linda Ronstadt burst onto the 1960s...
- 7/16/2019
- Den of Geek
"That's part of my past, now..." Janus Films has debuted an official trailer for a brand new restoration of the classic documentary Streetwise, which originally showed at the Sundance Film Festival (then known as the "U.S. Film Festival") back in January of 1985. It was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary in 1985, but lost to The Times of Harvey Milk that year. Made by filmmaker Martin Bell, the documentarian returned thirty years later with the new follow-up / sequel titled Tiny: The Life of Erin Blackwell. The original doc is a groundbreaking film on homeless and runaway teenagers, and one of the main subjects was a woman named Tiny. They caught up with her again 30 years later for an update. "Now a forty-four year-old mother of ten, Blackwell reflects with Mark on the journey they've experienced together, from Blackwell's struggles with addiction to her regrets to her dreams for her own children.
- 7/5/2019
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Exclusive: North American distribution rights to Linda Ronstadt: The Sound Of My Voice have been co-acquired by Greenwich Entertainment and 1091 (formerly The Orchard).
The documentary, directed by Oscar winning filmmakers Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman and produced by James Keach and Michele Farinola and CNN Films, had its World Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in April and recently took the Documentary Audience Award at the Provincetown International Film Festival.
Co-financed by Keach’s Pch Films and CNN Films, the latter has also acquired broadcast television rights for North America. It will open in theaters in September. It is a powerful and no-holds barred look at the 1960s and ’70s music icon whose voice transcends all genres, and as I said when I wrote about its Tribeca premiere, the film is another sterling example in the wave of musical documentaries and biopics sweeping the theatrical exhibition scene.
Constructed from interviews over 50 years,...
The documentary, directed by Oscar winning filmmakers Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman and produced by James Keach and Michele Farinola and CNN Films, had its World Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in April and recently took the Documentary Audience Award at the Provincetown International Film Festival.
Co-financed by Keach’s Pch Films and CNN Films, the latter has also acquired broadcast television rights for North America. It will open in theaters in September. It is a powerful and no-holds barred look at the 1960s and ’70s music icon whose voice transcends all genres, and as I said when I wrote about its Tribeca premiere, the film is another sterling example in the wave of musical documentaries and biopics sweeping the theatrical exhibition scene.
Constructed from interviews over 50 years,...
- 7/1/2019
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Netflix may get most of the attention, but it’s hardly a one-stop shop for cinephiles who are looking to stream essential classic and contemporary films. Each of the prominent streaming platforms — and there are more of them all the time — caters to its own niche of film obsessives. From chilling horror fare on Shudder, to the boundless wonders of the Criterion Channel, and esoteric (but unmissable) festival hits on the newly launched Ovid.tv, IndieWire’s monthly guide will highlight the best of what’s coming to every major streaming site, with an eye towards exclusive titles that may help readers decide which of these services is right for them.
Here’s the best of the best for June 2019.
Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime isn’t offering its subscribers much in the way of exclusives this month, and — for reasons that aren’t entirely clear — the brunt of the platform...
Here’s the best of the best for June 2019.
Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime isn’t offering its subscribers much in the way of exclusives this month, and — for reasons that aren’t entirely clear — the brunt of the platform...
- 6/3/2019
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
According to our official racetrack odds, “Black Sheep” looks to be out front for this year’s Oscar for Best Documentary Short Film. Those odds are pulled together from the forecasts made by our Expert film journalists, Gold Derby Editors, top 24 users and the thousands of regular Gold Derby readers predicting the contest in our predictions center.
But how solid is “Black Sheep” in the front-runner position? Is there another short that is a more traditional fit for Oscar voters? Let’s take a more in depth look at all five of this year’s nominated short docs, in order by their current Gold Derby odds.
SEEOscars 2019: Best Animated Short preview of all 5 contenders
“Black Sheep” (odds of winning: 7/2)
This short centers on Cornelius Walker as he reminisces about his experiences dealing with racism in England in 2000. After the publicized killing of Damilola Taylor, a 10-year-old Nigerian boy in London,...
But how solid is “Black Sheep” in the front-runner position? Is there another short that is a more traditional fit for Oscar voters? Let’s take a more in depth look at all five of this year’s nominated short docs, in order by their current Gold Derby odds.
SEEOscars 2019: Best Animated Short preview of all 5 contenders
“Black Sheep” (odds of winning: 7/2)
This short centers on Cornelius Walker as he reminisces about his experiences dealing with racism in England in 2000. After the publicized killing of Damilola Taylor, a 10-year-old Nigerian boy in London,...
- 2/18/2019
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
In the run-up to the Oscars, you may well have already seen all of the contenders — except for those in the shorts categories. Now’s your chance, with the 2019 Oscar Nominated Short Films program, to catch up on these underrated contenders before the office Oscar ballots come around.
They may not have big-name stars or auteur directors behind them, but several of these mini-movies are as effective as a Best Picture nominee when it comes to working on your emotions and leaving you thinking long after their credits roll. And if there’s ever a title that’s not working out for you, a new short will soon follow in its place, like revolving appetizers at a reception.
The shorts are divided into three categories of five titles each: Live Action, Documentary and Animation. Those in the Live Action competition are generally some of the heaviest, most dramatic shorts from filmmakers around the world.
They may not have big-name stars or auteur directors behind them, but several of these mini-movies are as effective as a Best Picture nominee when it comes to working on your emotions and leaving you thinking long after their credits roll. And if there’s ever a title that’s not working out for you, a new short will soon follow in its place, like revolving appetizers at a reception.
The shorts are divided into three categories of five titles each: Live Action, Documentary and Animation. Those in the Live Action competition are generally some of the heaviest, most dramatic shorts from filmmakers around the world.
- 2/6/2019
- by Monica Castillo
- The Wrap
"Helping people live as well as possible for as long as possible." Netflix has unveiled an official trailer for an acclaimed new documentary titled End Game, made by filmmakers Rob Epstein & Jeffrey Friedman. This short doc (runs in total 40 minutes) already played at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year as an officially selected short film. End Game goes inside two San Francisco Bay Area medical facilities offering graceful death. Filmed and edited in intimate vérité style, this work follows visionary medical practitioners who are working on the cutting edge of life and death -- and dedicated to changing our thinking about both. This looks very intriguing and eye-opening, which is always good for a documentary. It seems like it's going to be a very tough watch, and a real punch to your emotions. Here's the trailer (+ poster) for Rob Epstein & Jeffrey Friedman's doc End Game, from YouTube: Where...
- 4/10/2018
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Recently completing one of the longest shoots of his career with The Irishman, most other directors would consider that an accomplishment enough, but in between takes, Martin Scorsese somehow found time to construct a new curriculum as part of his “The Story of Movies” film course, produced with his company Film Foundation. This latest edition is “Portraits of America: Democracy on Film” and is free for students. However, if one would just like to follow along with their own personal screenings, the full list is available.
“We all need to make sense of what we’re seeing. For young people born into this world now, it’s absolutely crucial that they get guided,” Scorsese says (via IndieWire). “They have to learn how to sort the differences between art and pure commerce, between cinema and content, between the secrets of images that are individually crafted and the secrets of images that are mass-produced.
“We all need to make sense of what we’re seeing. For young people born into this world now, it’s absolutely crucial that they get guided,” Scorsese says (via IndieWire). “They have to learn how to sort the differences between art and pure commerce, between cinema and content, between the secrets of images that are individually crafted and the secrets of images that are mass-produced.
- 3/29/2018
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Martin Scorsese and his nonprofit organization The Film Foundation have announced their brand-new film curriculum, “Portraits of America: Democracy on Film.” The curriculum is the latest addition to the group’s ongoing film course “The Story of Movies,” which aims to teach students how to read the language of film and place motion pictures in the context of history, art, and society. Both “Democracy on Film” and the course are completely free for schools and universities.
“Portraits of America: Democracy on Film” is broken down into eight different sections, all of which include in-depth looks at some of the most important American films ever made, from Chaplin to Ford, Coppola, Spielberg, and ultimately Scorsese himself. The program is presented in partnership with Afscme. Scorsese announced the curriculum at a March 27 press conference in New York City.
“We all need to make sense of what we’re seeing,” Scorsese explained. “For...
“Portraits of America: Democracy on Film” is broken down into eight different sections, all of which include in-depth looks at some of the most important American films ever made, from Chaplin to Ford, Coppola, Spielberg, and ultimately Scorsese himself. The program is presented in partnership with Afscme. Scorsese announced the curriculum at a March 27 press conference in New York City.
“We all need to make sense of what we’re seeing,” Scorsese explained. “For...
- 3/27/2018
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
An onslaught of onscreen and offscreen talent unite with a clear sense of purpose in the limited series “When We Rise.” An examination of gay and women’s rights over three decades and how their causes conflict and coalesce, Dustin Lance Black’s new ABC offering emphasizes what’s possible when oppressed minorities come together and fight back against a malicious patriarchy.
There’s no shortage of modern parallels at play, and ABC is counting on the public’s revived passion for protest to drive interest in a show that honors those who paved the way with picket signs and (mostly) passive resistance. The eight-episode series written by Black (mostly) does right by its honorable cause, but it suffers from the strictures of its format. A sprawling story creates an awkward combination of history lessons and personal stories, and broadcast standards prove far too restrictive. The result is a conglomeration...
There’s no shortage of modern parallels at play, and ABC is counting on the public’s revived passion for protest to drive interest in a show that honors those who paved the way with picket signs and (mostly) passive resistance. The eight-episode series written by Black (mostly) does right by its honorable cause, but it suffers from the strictures of its format. A sprawling story creates an awkward combination of history lessons and personal stories, and broadcast standards prove far too restrictive. The result is a conglomeration...
- 2/23/2017
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit platforms. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.
Aquarius (Kleber Mendonça Filho)
The staggeringly accomplished debut feature by Brazilian critic-turned-director Kleber Mendonça Filho, Neighboring Sounds, announced the arrival of a remarkable new talent in international cinema. Clearly recognizable as the work of the same director, Mendonça’s equally assertive follow-up, Aquarius, establishes his authorial voice as well as his place as one of the most eloquent filmic commentators on the contemporary state of Brazilian society. – Giovanni M.
Aquarius (Kleber Mendonça Filho)
The staggeringly accomplished debut feature by Brazilian critic-turned-director Kleber Mendonça Filho, Neighboring Sounds, announced the arrival of a remarkable new talent in international cinema. Clearly recognizable as the work of the same director, Mendonça’s equally assertive follow-up, Aquarius, establishes his authorial voice as well as his place as one of the most eloquent filmic commentators on the contemporary state of Brazilian society. – Giovanni M.
- 1/13/2017
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Awards season keeps ticking right along, but tonight’s Cinema Eye Honors promised at least a tiny respite from narrative-based filmmaking, as the New York City-set ceremony is all about honoring the best in the year’s documentary filmmaking.
Big winners included Kirsten Johnson’s “Cameraperson,” which picked up Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking, along with editing and cinematography wins. Right behind it was Ezra Edelman’s “O.J.: Made in America,” which earned Edelman a directing win, along with a production win for Edelman and Caroline Waterlow. Best TV offering went to “Making a Murderer.”
Nominations were lead by Raoul Peck’s “I Am Not Your Negro” and “O.J.: Made in America,” which each pulled in five nominations apiece, though Johnson’s “Cameraperson” and Gianfranco Rosi’s “Fire at Sea” aren’t far behind, with four nominations each. Both Peck and Rosi’s features ultimately walked away without an award.
Big winners included Kirsten Johnson’s “Cameraperson,” which picked up Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking, along with editing and cinematography wins. Right behind it was Ezra Edelman’s “O.J.: Made in America,” which earned Edelman a directing win, along with a production win for Edelman and Caroline Waterlow. Best TV offering went to “Making a Murderer.”
Nominations were lead by Raoul Peck’s “I Am Not Your Negro” and “O.J.: Made in America,” which each pulled in five nominations apiece, though Johnson’s “Cameraperson” and Gianfranco Rosi’s “Fire at Sea” aren’t far behind, with four nominations each. Both Peck and Rosi’s features ultimately walked away without an award.
- 1/12/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
The Oscars can have its annual celebrity luncheon. This week, several documentarians celebrated the Cinema Eye Honors with an after-hours field trip to the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Conceived in 2008 as a bid to broaden awareness for documentary achievements, the Cinema Eyes highlight a dozen categories that range from best director to best cinematography to graphic design. However, while it began as a tonic to the five-nominee limitations that circumscribe the Oscars, the Cinema Eyes have evolved into an idiosyncratic celebration all its own. Although the awards are Wednesday night at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York, the ceremony is now only the culmination of a full week of programming that includes three days of activities.
“It’s kind of like senior skip week,” said co-founder and filmmaker Aj Schnack, catching his breath on Monday night before delivering a speech to the filmmakers in attendance. “Yes,...
Conceived in 2008 as a bid to broaden awareness for documentary achievements, the Cinema Eyes highlight a dozen categories that range from best director to best cinematography to graphic design. However, while it began as a tonic to the five-nominee limitations that circumscribe the Oscars, the Cinema Eyes have evolved into an idiosyncratic celebration all its own. Although the awards are Wednesday night at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York, the ceremony is now only the culmination of a full week of programming that includes three days of activities.
“It’s kind of like senior skip week,” said co-founder and filmmaker Aj Schnack, catching his breath on Monday night before delivering a speech to the filmmakers in attendance. “Yes,...
- 1/11/2017
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
More than three decades later, “The Times of Harvey Milk” is still earning accolades. Rob Ebstein’s 1984 documentary about the life and assassination of California’s first openly gay elected official is set to receive the 2017 Legacy Award at the 10th Annual Cinema Eye Honors, which will take place next month.
Read More: Cinema Eye Names Top Documentaries and Directors of the Past Decade
Epstein will be present for a screening of his documentary on Tuesday, January 10 at the Museum of the Moving Image; the Honors Lunch takes place the following day. Milk’s life also served as the basis of Gus Van Sant’s 2008 biopic “Milk,” which starred Sean Penn in the title role alongside James Franco and Josh Brolin.
Read More: Oscars 2017: Best Documentary Shortlist Announced, Led by ‘O.J.: Made in America,’ ‘Cameraperson’ and ‘Weiner’
10 filmmakers and 20 films were named to Cinema Eye’s List of Essential Nonfiction earlier this year,...
Read More: Cinema Eye Names Top Documentaries and Directors of the Past Decade
Epstein will be present for a screening of his documentary on Tuesday, January 10 at the Museum of the Moving Image; the Honors Lunch takes place the following day. Milk’s life also served as the basis of Gus Van Sant’s 2008 biopic “Milk,” which starred Sean Penn in the title role alongside James Franco and Josh Brolin.
Read More: Oscars 2017: Best Documentary Shortlist Announced, Led by ‘O.J.: Made in America,’ ‘Cameraperson’ and ‘Weiner’
10 filmmakers and 20 films were named to Cinema Eye’s List of Essential Nonfiction earlier this year,...
- 12/14/2016
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Editor’s Note: This article is presented in partnership with FilmStruck. Developed and managed by Turner Classic Movies (TCM) in collaboration with the Criterion Collection, FilmStruck features the largest streaming library of contemporary and classic arthouse, indie, foreign and cult films as well as extensive bonus content, filmmaker interviews and rare footage. Learn more here.
These are dark times. Dark times for those of you dismayed by recent developments in American politics, and dark times for those of you who aren’t, but still have to reckon with the fact that the sun is going down while you’re still at work (daylight savings is a bi-partisan effort to depress the hell out of you every fall). But movies were meant to be watched in the dark, which makes us all the more grateful that FilmStruck is finally here, offering subscribers a thousand different ways to light up their lives.
These are dark times. Dark times for those of you dismayed by recent developments in American politics, and dark times for those of you who aren’t, but still have to reckon with the fact that the sun is going down while you’re still at work (daylight savings is a bi-partisan effort to depress the hell out of you every fall). But movies were meant to be watched in the dark, which makes us all the more grateful that FilmStruck is finally here, offering subscribers a thousand different ways to light up their lives.
- 11/18/2016
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
The upcoming documentary “Killing The Colorado” examines the man-made water crisis that’s affecting the American West. At one point, water was an abundant necessity, and now it’s a scarce and complex commodity. Though many efforts have been taken to curb excessive water use in the West, it’s not clear shorter showers and ripping out lawns will make any discernible difference. While recent drought conditions have diminished the once-mighty Colorado River — the source of the vast majority of the West’s water — experts are now wondering whether the most severe shortages have been caused not by weather or consumer choices but by short-sighted policies and poor planning. Did we cause this crisis, and can we find a way to fix it? Watch an exclusive clip from the doc below.
Read More: Robert Redford Producing Factual Drama ‘The West’ For Discovery Channel
The film is from Oscar-winning filmmakers Rob Epstein...
Read More: Robert Redford Producing Factual Drama ‘The West’ For Discovery Channel
The film is from Oscar-winning filmmakers Rob Epstein...
- 7/18/2016
- by Vikram Murthi
- Indiewire
The long road to freedom is so easily forgotten. That was a crack a friend made while watching Sam Smith claim to be the first openly gay person to win an Oscar. By now the blogosphere has made hay of Mr. Smith’s misinformed statement. But the corrections, including blogs published by The New York Times and The Hollywood Reporter, have not adequately addressed the specific claim. Thirty-one years ago at the 57th Academy Awards in 1985, I won the Oscar for best documentary feature for The Times of Harvey Milk. My filmmaking partner and co-winner, Richard Schmiechen, and
read more...
read more...
- 3/3/2016
- by Rob Epstein
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Bob Hawk is the Pierre Rissient of American Independent Films. Pierre was for French cinema what Bob is to American independent cinema. When he discovered a film and told Cannes about it, Cannes programmed it. Those who know Pierre and those who know Bob know that their influence cannot be quantified by the number of films they have fostered in one way or another. Bob’s influence extends in innumerable ways throughout the independent film world. Independent films are Bob Hawk's life, and now his life is an independent film.
After the thrill of watching the documentary “Film Hawk” by Jj Garvine and Tai Parquet whose first, ever-so-shocking film “Keeping the Peace” in 2009 was about the brutal and first such beheading in Iraq, I was whisked off to lunch with Bob and the filmmakers Jj Garvine and Tai Parquet. It seemed as if our lunch were a continuation of the film, so alive and vivid was the film and so full of references and ideas was our conversation.
We immediately began a non-stop talk of passionate love for movies. Bob showed me the tee shirt he wore just for our lunch, a Filmmaker Magazine tee from the early days when Indiewire’s offices were upstairs in the Filmmaker offices. In all the scenes of this film, his tee shirts are remarkable for titles he primarily has worked on or been somehow attached to. He must have hundreds of such mementos of his life.
So how did you make this film? I finally asked, because even if this is “the usual sort of question we get” according to Jj, it is really of interest to me.
Jj and Tai ‘s first film, “Keeping The Peace”, premiered and won the Audience Award at the 2009 Philadelphia Independent Film Festival and went on to be selected for the PBS Pov "United States of Documentaries” series. They are often indistinguishable themselves in their simultaneously answering questions or commenting on the talk. “We decided to make this movie on the day before his 74th birthday when we all went to the IFC Center in New York to see the Spalding Gray movie by Steven Soderbergh. We had a three hour dinner and learned so much about Bob. We then met Soderbergh. Going home we thought his life would make a great story. We knew him because he helped us with our film ‘Keeping the Peace’ but we had never talked about anything but the movie at that time. We said to him, ‘What if we made a short about your life?’ He said ‘What?’ And that was it.
“Film Hawk” itself is a broad swatch of a life well-lived with honesty and integrity. Surrounded by loving family and friends – although he and his brother as boys fought hard and often with each other as they grew up in very different ways. Bob veered toward art and his brother toward sports. Bob knew at an early age he was gay but his brother was strictly sports and girls. They were the sons of a minister, a minister who preached love. Their mother was a copy editor and proofreader – initially of insurance documents -- and Bob credits her with his own love for editing and proofreading. He proofread auction catalogs and the Sharper Image catalog at one point in his life.
Bob: “My mother, who lived to be 97, was a proofreader to the end. She edited and proofed the monthly newsletter of the home in which she lived in good health until she died. In fact, she proofread the April edition of the home’s newsletter, the very month she died.”
He did not like having to be the exemplary son of a minister and he had a stutter. At one point, hearing his father’s oratorical voice in the church, he realized there was a thin line between the church and theater and he choose theater as a young child and he credits his father for his love of dramaturgy and theater.
When he acted, his stutter disappeared and so he acted, though he much preferred working behind the scenes.
Our conversation switched between talk of film and talk of Bob the man. For he is incredibly full of love and life, a man whose boundaries include public and private love and film in one full embrace.
Bob grew up loud and proud, working as a techie Off Broadway in New York City. Even as a high school student he often went to New York City and explored both live theater and underground movies like Jean Genet’s “Un Chant d’Amour” and Kenneth Anger’s “Scorpio Rising”. Those were the predecessors to independent movies, he says.
Eventually he moved to stage managing in San Francisco where he met filmmaker Rob Epstein and contributed his thoughts to the seminal gay-themed documentary “Word Is Out”, made by a film collective that included Rob.
Tai: “Bob was an activist and that led him to film. In 1976 ,when the five hour rough cut of “Word is Out” was previewed for the public in a work-in-progress screening, Bob’s notes as a member of the audience were volumes of comments. In 1978 when Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk were shot and killed by another supervisor, he and Rob, with whom he had become friends, both knew a film had to be made, but it took five years of grassroots fundraising.
Bob: “Rob and producer Richard Schmiechen initially went to Kqed, San Francisco’s public television station, but they turned it down, saying the story was too local. So they went to Wnet in New York, who provided funding for a one hour version. Then we realized that ‘The Times of Harvey Milk’ needed to be a feature, so we went again to Wnet and they gave us the additional money. This was the first film I worked on, as print media researcher and archivist.”
Jj: “Bob researched not only Harvey Milk but the whole era.”
Bob: “I had volumes -- over 600 news and magazine articles -- all organized by 20 main topics like Harvey Milk, George Moscone, Trial, Verdict, Riot, Gay Climate, Dan White and they were cross referenced, so when we had to speak about any subject, we had it ready.”
Says Tai , “Bob’s emphasis is always on storytelling. He even has a sense of arc in his copy editing.”
Tai thought he was a great writer, but Bob is not so sure.
Says Jj : “Bob is not good at original copy because he’s such an editor himself.”
Bob: “Yes, when I write, I feel my editor self looking over my shoulder.”
“The weakness of some narrative indies is that the filmmakers are so eager to shoot that they do not fully develop the script beforehand.”
So Bob is the articulate but silent spokesman for indies, always behind the scenes, editing and tightening scripts, reading copy and imperceptibly influencing a vast body of independent film today.
Tai: “He is like a drop of water in a small stream which he knows runs to the sea and which affects the very water of the ocean.
“Bob is not about connections. He’s about connection.”
There was so much research done for Film Hawk, you must have worked very hard.
Jj: We just listened to Bob and followed all the leads he gave us.
Tai: “Bob is not associated as strictly ‘gay’ or for gay films only. You can see that in his long term relationship to ‘Brothers McMullen’ in the film, but homosexuality is as intrinsic to him as is his whole childhood. He is secure in himself as a person”.
Bob Hawk’s keen insights and feedback became the precious wind that provided flight for many filmmakers. This fiery, eccentric fairy Godfather of indie film not only battled depression, but was the first to discover and champion the talents of Kevin Smith (“Clerks”, “Chasing Amy”), Edward Burns (“The Brothers McMullen”, “Purple Violets”), Ira Sachs (“Keep The Lights On”, “Love Is Strange”) and Scott McGehee and David Siegel (“The Deep End”, “What Maisie Knew”).
Here are what a few have to say about him:
"I didn't ever consider myself an artist, I was just a guy who wanted to make ‘Clerks’, until Bob Hawk started talking about it."
- Kevin Smith
"Bob was always there to encourage me. Bob is a friend and a mentor"
- Ed Burns
With his 30+ year Sundance presence - including work as consultant, programmer, moderator, juror, and impassioned viewer - usually seated front-row and often asking the first question (as in the case of the “Sex, Lies and Videotape” world premiere) Bob deserves kudos and honors and yet has never sought the spotlight for himself.
Not only is this a film about film, but about a man who is as intrinsic to indie films as is the drop of water in a stream that goes into the ocean, but this film should also stand up in educational venues – whether about filmmaking or about standing proud as a gay man in the world.
In many ways this film recalls the classic “Bill Cunningham” that Zeitgeist had such success with in that both films are quintessentially New York films about men whose calling is their life-long love; each is a living example of the importance of love for one’s self and for one’s life lived with passion. “Film Hawk” deserves to be seen at the IFC Center, in the center of New York.
Bob grew up in that time in the 50s when to be gay meant very little to society. Gay men married, had children and if they were lucky they did not find their dual role in life unsettling. He was just at the edge and realized he did not have to go the marriage route and have children, and so he went the art route and his children are numerous.
Bob will be speaking at the Berlinale Queer Academy during the 30th Anniversary of the Teddy Awards and a clip of the film will accompany him. He is also receiving a Maverick of the Year Award from Cinequest this month.
After the thrill of watching the documentary “Film Hawk” by Jj Garvine and Tai Parquet whose first, ever-so-shocking film “Keeping the Peace” in 2009 was about the brutal and first such beheading in Iraq, I was whisked off to lunch with Bob and the filmmakers Jj Garvine and Tai Parquet. It seemed as if our lunch were a continuation of the film, so alive and vivid was the film and so full of references and ideas was our conversation.
We immediately began a non-stop talk of passionate love for movies. Bob showed me the tee shirt he wore just for our lunch, a Filmmaker Magazine tee from the early days when Indiewire’s offices were upstairs in the Filmmaker offices. In all the scenes of this film, his tee shirts are remarkable for titles he primarily has worked on or been somehow attached to. He must have hundreds of such mementos of his life.
So how did you make this film? I finally asked, because even if this is “the usual sort of question we get” according to Jj, it is really of interest to me.
Jj and Tai ‘s first film, “Keeping The Peace”, premiered and won the Audience Award at the 2009 Philadelphia Independent Film Festival and went on to be selected for the PBS Pov "United States of Documentaries” series. They are often indistinguishable themselves in their simultaneously answering questions or commenting on the talk. “We decided to make this movie on the day before his 74th birthday when we all went to the IFC Center in New York to see the Spalding Gray movie by Steven Soderbergh. We had a three hour dinner and learned so much about Bob. We then met Soderbergh. Going home we thought his life would make a great story. We knew him because he helped us with our film ‘Keeping the Peace’ but we had never talked about anything but the movie at that time. We said to him, ‘What if we made a short about your life?’ He said ‘What?’ And that was it.
“Film Hawk” itself is a broad swatch of a life well-lived with honesty and integrity. Surrounded by loving family and friends – although he and his brother as boys fought hard and often with each other as they grew up in very different ways. Bob veered toward art and his brother toward sports. Bob knew at an early age he was gay but his brother was strictly sports and girls. They were the sons of a minister, a minister who preached love. Their mother was a copy editor and proofreader – initially of insurance documents -- and Bob credits her with his own love for editing and proofreading. He proofread auction catalogs and the Sharper Image catalog at one point in his life.
Bob: “My mother, who lived to be 97, was a proofreader to the end. She edited and proofed the monthly newsletter of the home in which she lived in good health until she died. In fact, she proofread the April edition of the home’s newsletter, the very month she died.”
He did not like having to be the exemplary son of a minister and he had a stutter. At one point, hearing his father’s oratorical voice in the church, he realized there was a thin line between the church and theater and he choose theater as a young child and he credits his father for his love of dramaturgy and theater.
When he acted, his stutter disappeared and so he acted, though he much preferred working behind the scenes.
Our conversation switched between talk of film and talk of Bob the man. For he is incredibly full of love and life, a man whose boundaries include public and private love and film in one full embrace.
Bob grew up loud and proud, working as a techie Off Broadway in New York City. Even as a high school student he often went to New York City and explored both live theater and underground movies like Jean Genet’s “Un Chant d’Amour” and Kenneth Anger’s “Scorpio Rising”. Those were the predecessors to independent movies, he says.
Eventually he moved to stage managing in San Francisco where he met filmmaker Rob Epstein and contributed his thoughts to the seminal gay-themed documentary “Word Is Out”, made by a film collective that included Rob.
Tai: “Bob was an activist and that led him to film. In 1976 ,when the five hour rough cut of “Word is Out” was previewed for the public in a work-in-progress screening, Bob’s notes as a member of the audience were volumes of comments. In 1978 when Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk were shot and killed by another supervisor, he and Rob, with whom he had become friends, both knew a film had to be made, but it took five years of grassroots fundraising.
Bob: “Rob and producer Richard Schmiechen initially went to Kqed, San Francisco’s public television station, but they turned it down, saying the story was too local. So they went to Wnet in New York, who provided funding for a one hour version. Then we realized that ‘The Times of Harvey Milk’ needed to be a feature, so we went again to Wnet and they gave us the additional money. This was the first film I worked on, as print media researcher and archivist.”
Jj: “Bob researched not only Harvey Milk but the whole era.”
Bob: “I had volumes -- over 600 news and magazine articles -- all organized by 20 main topics like Harvey Milk, George Moscone, Trial, Verdict, Riot, Gay Climate, Dan White and they were cross referenced, so when we had to speak about any subject, we had it ready.”
Says Tai , “Bob’s emphasis is always on storytelling. He even has a sense of arc in his copy editing.”
Tai thought he was a great writer, but Bob is not so sure.
Says Jj : “Bob is not good at original copy because he’s such an editor himself.”
Bob: “Yes, when I write, I feel my editor self looking over my shoulder.”
“The weakness of some narrative indies is that the filmmakers are so eager to shoot that they do not fully develop the script beforehand.”
So Bob is the articulate but silent spokesman for indies, always behind the scenes, editing and tightening scripts, reading copy and imperceptibly influencing a vast body of independent film today.
Tai: “He is like a drop of water in a small stream which he knows runs to the sea and which affects the very water of the ocean.
“Bob is not about connections. He’s about connection.”
There was so much research done for Film Hawk, you must have worked very hard.
Jj: We just listened to Bob and followed all the leads he gave us.
Tai: “Bob is not associated as strictly ‘gay’ or for gay films only. You can see that in his long term relationship to ‘Brothers McMullen’ in the film, but homosexuality is as intrinsic to him as is his whole childhood. He is secure in himself as a person”.
Bob Hawk’s keen insights and feedback became the precious wind that provided flight for many filmmakers. This fiery, eccentric fairy Godfather of indie film not only battled depression, but was the first to discover and champion the talents of Kevin Smith (“Clerks”, “Chasing Amy”), Edward Burns (“The Brothers McMullen”, “Purple Violets”), Ira Sachs (“Keep The Lights On”, “Love Is Strange”) and Scott McGehee and David Siegel (“The Deep End”, “What Maisie Knew”).
Here are what a few have to say about him:
"I didn't ever consider myself an artist, I was just a guy who wanted to make ‘Clerks’, until Bob Hawk started talking about it."
- Kevin Smith
"Bob was always there to encourage me. Bob is a friend and a mentor"
- Ed Burns
With his 30+ year Sundance presence - including work as consultant, programmer, moderator, juror, and impassioned viewer - usually seated front-row and often asking the first question (as in the case of the “Sex, Lies and Videotape” world premiere) Bob deserves kudos and honors and yet has never sought the spotlight for himself.
Not only is this a film about film, but about a man who is as intrinsic to indie films as is the drop of water in a stream that goes into the ocean, but this film should also stand up in educational venues – whether about filmmaking or about standing proud as a gay man in the world.
In many ways this film recalls the classic “Bill Cunningham” that Zeitgeist had such success with in that both films are quintessentially New York films about men whose calling is their life-long love; each is a living example of the importance of love for one’s self and for one’s life lived with passion. “Film Hawk” deserves to be seen at the IFC Center, in the center of New York.
Bob grew up in that time in the 50s when to be gay meant very little to society. Gay men married, had children and if they were lucky they did not find their dual role in life unsettling. He was just at the edge and realized he did not have to go the marriage route and have children, and so he went the art route and his children are numerous.
Bob will be speaking at the Berlinale Queer Academy during the 30th Anniversary of the Teddy Awards and a clip of the film will accompany him. He is also receiving a Maverick of the Year Award from Cinequest this month.
- 2/16/2016
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Perhaps the most inside-baseball of films at Sundance this year, Jj Garvine and Tai Parquet’s Film Hawk is an intimate look at film consultant extraordinaire Bob Hawk. Followers of Kevin Smith will know him as the man who discovered Clerks one Sunday morning in the bowels of the Angelika Film Center during the New York Film Market. (Here Kevin Smith provides his usually hilarious and often sincere commentary, often alongside Hawk.)
Checking in with luminaries and friends, Garvine and Parquet have constructed a loving tribute to 76-year-old Hawk, the openly gay son of a Methodist minister who joined the queer immigration to San Francisco in the 1960s, and later to New York. As it turns out, per Smith, Hawk is a Jersey boy at heart, as we discover in a heartbreaking passage later in the story. Hawk’s early interest included theatre prior to the discovery of independent – then...
Checking in with luminaries and friends, Garvine and Parquet have constructed a loving tribute to 76-year-old Hawk, the openly gay son of a Methodist minister who joined the queer immigration to San Francisco in the 1960s, and later to New York. As it turns out, per Smith, Hawk is a Jersey boy at heart, as we discover in a heartbreaking passage later in the story. Hawk’s early interest included theatre prior to the discovery of independent – then...
- 1/24/2016
- by John Fink
- The Film Stage
The 14 finalists for the Spring 2016 San Francisco Film Society / Kenneth Rainin Foundation Filmmaking Grants highlight a remarkably diverse set of filmmakers, including The Coup vocalist and all-around polymath Boots Riley, making his directorial debut; Iranian American writer/director Maryam Keshavarz, winner of the 2011 Sundance Audience Award for "Circumstance"; and Oscar winner Rob Epstein ("The Times of Harvey Milk," "The Celluloid Closet"). More than $3 million has been awarded through the grant program since its inception in 2009. Winners also receive customized benefits through Filmmaker360, the San Francisco Film Society’s filmmaker services program, including one-on-one project consultations, project feedback, fundraising assistance, resource and service recommendations, and networking opportunities. Past recipients of the grant, awarded twice annually to one of more narrative features at various stages of production that...
- 1/20/2016
- by Matt Brennan
- Thompson on Hollywood
By Michelle McCue and Gary Salem
On Wednesday, the Academy featured the 2014 Oscar-nominated films in the Documentary Short Subject and Documentary Feature categories.
Clips from the nominated films were screened, and nominees for all 10 films took part in panel discussions, talking about their own films and sharing insights on the craft of documentary filmmaking and the greater issues their nominated films explore.
Two-time Oscar winner and Academy documentary branch governor Rob Epstein opened the evening with the documentary shorts.
Epstein won the Oscar for documentary feature in 1984 for The Times Of Harvey Milk and in 1989 for Common Threads: Stories From The Quilt. His other credits include Lovelace (2013) and the TV documentary “And The Oscar Goes To…” (2014)
During his opening remarks, Epstein said the theme that ran through the nominated shorts were “life beginning and life ending.”
All the filmmakers conceded the Cinéma vérité was what was so powerful, so intimate.
On Wednesday, the Academy featured the 2014 Oscar-nominated films in the Documentary Short Subject and Documentary Feature categories.
Clips from the nominated films were screened, and nominees for all 10 films took part in panel discussions, talking about their own films and sharing insights on the craft of documentary filmmaking and the greater issues their nominated films explore.
Two-time Oscar winner and Academy documentary branch governor Rob Epstein opened the evening with the documentary shorts.
Epstein won the Oscar for documentary feature in 1984 for The Times Of Harvey Milk and in 1989 for Common Threads: Stories From The Quilt. His other credits include Lovelace (2013) and the TV documentary “And The Oscar Goes To…” (2014)
During his opening remarks, Epstein said the theme that ran through the nominated shorts were “life beginning and life ending.”
All the filmmakers conceded the Cinéma vérité was what was so powerful, so intimate.
- 2/20/2015
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
©A.M.P.A.S.
In the week leading up to the Academy Awards, movie fans in the Hollywood area will get an up close look at the nominees from six of the categories competing at the 87th Oscars.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present their annual series of public programs celebrating this year’s nominees in the Animated Feature Film, Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject, Foreign Language Film, Makeup and Hairstyling, and Short Film categories.
See the full list of nominees here.
The various hosts chosen for each symposium have all earned their Oscar street cred by being involved with Oscar nominated or winning films and all events will be held at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.
If you’re in the Southern California area, check out the Oscar Week schedule:
Oscar Week: Shorts
Tuesday, February 17, 7 p.m.
Hosted by Sean Astin.
In the week leading up to the Academy Awards, movie fans in the Hollywood area will get an up close look at the nominees from six of the categories competing at the 87th Oscars.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present their annual series of public programs celebrating this year’s nominees in the Animated Feature Film, Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject, Foreign Language Film, Makeup and Hairstyling, and Short Film categories.
See the full list of nominees here.
The various hosts chosen for each symposium have all earned their Oscar street cred by being involved with Oscar nominated or winning films and all events will be held at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.
If you’re in the Southern California area, check out the Oscar Week schedule:
Oscar Week: Shorts
Tuesday, February 17, 7 p.m.
Hosted by Sean Astin.
- 2/4/2015
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
A lot of Best Picture hopefuls each year have documentary counterparts. It makes sense, because biopics and other true stories are great fodder for Oscar bait. Some are as easy as Monster and Milk being linked to Nick Broomfield’s Aileen Wuornos films and The Times of Harvey Milk, respectively, in part because the dramas were directly influenced by their doc predecessors. Others, like Dallas Buyers Club and How to Survive a Plague and Captain Phillips and Stolen Seas are not as officially linked but certainly go together by being about the same real-life subject matter. Occasionally even the fictional contenders are informed by docs, as was Gravity heavily modeled after footage from the IMAX movie Hubble 3D. Lately I’ve noticed a phenomenon where a lot of the 2014 Best Picture candidates are not just easily tied to past documentaries but specifically correspond quite perfectly with docs that are also in contention for Academy Awards this year...
- 11/21/2014
- by Christopher Campbell
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Birdman, Fury and Leviathan among main competition titles; Roland Joffé to preside over main jury.
Alejandro G Ińárritu, Yimou Zhang, Mike Leigh and Jean-Marc Vallée are among the directors with films screening in competition at the 22nd Camerimage (Nov 15-22), the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography.
The main competition at the festival, held in the Polish city of Bydgoszcz, comprises:
Alejandro G Ińárritu’s Birdman (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance); USA, 2014; Cinematographer: Emmanuel Lubezki
Yimou Zhang’s Coming Home (Gui lai); China, 2014; Cinematographer: Zhao Xiaoding
Richard Raymond’s Desert Dancer; UK, 2014; Cinematographer: Carlos Catalán Alucha
Lech J. Majewski’s Field of Dogs - Onirica (Onirica - Psie pole); Poland, 2014; Cinematographers: Paweł Tybora and Lech J. Majewski
Krzysztof Zanussi’s Foreign Body (Obce cialo); Poland, Italy, Russia, 2014; Cinematographer: Piotr Niemyjski
David Ayer’s Fury; USA, 2014; Cinematographer: Roman Vasyanov
Tate Taylor’s Get on Up; USA, 2014; Cinematographer: Stephen Goldblatt
Łukasz Palkowski’s Gods (Bogowie); Poland, 2014; Cinematographer:...
Alejandro G Ińárritu, Yimou Zhang, Mike Leigh and Jean-Marc Vallée are among the directors with films screening in competition at the 22nd Camerimage (Nov 15-22), the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography.
The main competition at the festival, held in the Polish city of Bydgoszcz, comprises:
Alejandro G Ińárritu’s Birdman (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance); USA, 2014; Cinematographer: Emmanuel Lubezki
Yimou Zhang’s Coming Home (Gui lai); China, 2014; Cinematographer: Zhao Xiaoding
Richard Raymond’s Desert Dancer; UK, 2014; Cinematographer: Carlos Catalán Alucha
Lech J. Majewski’s Field of Dogs - Onirica (Onirica - Psie pole); Poland, 2014; Cinematographers: Paweł Tybora and Lech J. Majewski
Krzysztof Zanussi’s Foreign Body (Obce cialo); Poland, Italy, Russia, 2014; Cinematographer: Piotr Niemyjski
David Ayer’s Fury; USA, 2014; Cinematographer: Roman Vasyanov
Tate Taylor’s Get on Up; USA, 2014; Cinematographer: Stephen Goldblatt
Łukasz Palkowski’s Gods (Bogowie); Poland, 2014; Cinematographer:...
- 10/31/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Polish film festival sets competition juries; Roland Joffe to preside over main competition.
Camerimage (Nov 15-22), the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography, has set an impressive roster of jurors for its various competition categories.
The Killing Fields director Roland Joffe will preside over the main competition jury, which incldues cinematographers Christian Berger and Manuel Alberto Claro.
Caleb Deschanel has been appointed president of the Polish Films Competition.
The full list of jurors is below.
Main Competition
Roland Joffé – Jury President (director, producer; The Killing Fields, The Mission, Vatel)
Christian Berger (cinematographer; The Piano Teacher, Hidden, The White Ribbon)
Ryszard Bugajski (director, screenwriter; Interrogation, General Nil, The Closed Circuit)
Ryszard Horowitz (photographer)
David Gropman (cinematographer; The Cider House Rules, Chocolat, Life of Pi)
Arthur Reinhart (cinematographer, producer; Crows, Tristan + Isolde, Venice)
Oliver Stapleton (cinematographer; The Cider House Rules, Pay It Forward, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark)
Manuel Alberto Claro (cinematographer; Reconstruction, Melancholia, Nymphomaniac...
Camerimage (Nov 15-22), the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography, has set an impressive roster of jurors for its various competition categories.
The Killing Fields director Roland Joffe will preside over the main competition jury, which incldues cinematographers Christian Berger and Manuel Alberto Claro.
Caleb Deschanel has been appointed president of the Polish Films Competition.
The full list of jurors is below.
Main Competition
Roland Joffé – Jury President (director, producer; The Killing Fields, The Mission, Vatel)
Christian Berger (cinematographer; The Piano Teacher, Hidden, The White Ribbon)
Ryszard Bugajski (director, screenwriter; Interrogation, General Nil, The Closed Circuit)
Ryszard Horowitz (photographer)
David Gropman (cinematographer; The Cider House Rules, Chocolat, Life of Pi)
Arthur Reinhart (cinematographer, producer; Crows, Tristan + Isolde, Venice)
Oliver Stapleton (cinematographer; The Cider House Rules, Pay It Forward, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark)
Manuel Alberto Claro (cinematographer; Reconstruction, Melancholia, Nymphomaniac...
- 10/31/2014
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
The Time Of Harvey Milk (1984), a true classic. Have you seen it?
If there's anything that makes me feel unsophisticated when it comes to the cinema it's my general relationship to documentaries. Like your average movie consumer (non cinephile division) I only see them if the subject matter interests me. If there were a narrative equation wouldn't that be "i'll only see this or that genre"? And ewww, that's not the way to be. Variety is always best when consuming art. Man cannot live by multi-quandrant blockbusters Or art films alone.
Over the years as The Film Experience has expanded we've given more space to documentaries largely because Glenn & Amir are obsessed with them. So for today's Posterized, a special edition surveying the last 30 years of the Best Documentary Feature category. I went back that far because The Times of Harvey Milk (1984) is basically one of my favorite things that...
If there's anything that makes me feel unsophisticated when it comes to the cinema it's my general relationship to documentaries. Like your average movie consumer (non cinephile division) I only see them if the subject matter interests me. If there were a narrative equation wouldn't that be "i'll only see this or that genre"? And ewww, that's not the way to be. Variety is always best when consuming art. Man cannot live by multi-quandrant blockbusters Or art films alone.
Over the years as The Film Experience has expanded we've given more space to documentaries largely because Glenn & Amir are obsessed with them. So for today's Posterized, a special edition surveying the last 30 years of the Best Documentary Feature category. I went back that far because The Times of Harvey Milk (1984) is basically one of my favorite things that...
- 10/24/2014
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
By Anjelica Oswald
Managing Editor
Where feature filmmakers head into a project with a script and a plan, the path for documentarians is unpredictable. They follow real subjects and real issues often in real time — and sometimes for years at a time — and piece everything together as the footage comes along. Sometimes, things fall apart or the subject has to change, such as it with Alex Gibney’s The Armstrong Lie (2013). Though different skill sets go into the distinct film forms, some documentary filmmakers choose to transition to narrative features and vice versa, such as Spike Lee, whose next release will be a documentary titled Go Brasil Go!.
Rob Epstein and Jeff Friedman have made the jump from documentaries to feature films and have said that they intend on continuing to make both types of film. Epstein and Friedman won an Oscar for their first co-directed documentary, Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt...
Managing Editor
Where feature filmmakers head into a project with a script and a plan, the path for documentarians is unpredictable. They follow real subjects and real issues often in real time — and sometimes for years at a time — and piece everything together as the footage comes along. Sometimes, things fall apart or the subject has to change, such as it with Alex Gibney’s The Armstrong Lie (2013). Though different skill sets go into the distinct film forms, some documentary filmmakers choose to transition to narrative features and vice versa, such as Spike Lee, whose next release will be a documentary titled Go Brasil Go!.
Rob Epstein and Jeff Friedman have made the jump from documentaries to feature films and have said that they intend on continuing to make both types of film. Epstein and Friedman won an Oscar for their first co-directed documentary, Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt...
- 9/23/2014
- by Anjelica Oswald
- Scott Feinberg
Today is Wear It Purple Day, which asks people to simply wear the color purple in support of Lgbt equality. It's appropriate then that we continue our celebration of 1989 today with a look at that year's Oscar winner for Best Documentary. Glenn is joined in a conversation by friend of The Film Experience and doco-expert Daniel Walber, writer for Nonfics and Film School Rejects.
Glenn: Daniel, thank you for joining us. While I would obviously love to hear your thoughts on the film, I think I would be just as interested to hear about how well you think Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt sits amongst Oscar's documentary history. So few films about gay issues have even been nominated, yet alone won (the only other winner of its kind is The Times of Harvey Milk, also by Rob Epstein), but does Common Threads hold up as a winner? And furthermore,...
Glenn: Daniel, thank you for joining us. While I would obviously love to hear your thoughts on the film, I think I would be just as interested to hear about how well you think Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt sits amongst Oscar's documentary history. So few films about gay issues have even been nominated, yet alone won (the only other winner of its kind is The Times of Harvey Milk, also by Rob Epstein), but does Common Threads hold up as a winner? And furthermore,...
- 8/29/2014
- by Glenn Dunks
- FilmExperience
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