This weekend, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is hosting the Regeneration Summit: A Celebration of Black Cinema in honor of their ongoing exhibition Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898–1971, which has been extended through July 16. The three-day festival, which runs Feb. 3-5, will feature live entertainment, workshops, panel discussions and screenings with guests including Julie Dash, Carla Hayden, Janaya Future Khan, Shola Lynch, Justice Maya Singleton and others.
“Our exhibition, Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898–1971, is like no other museum exhibition in that it celebrates Black participation in American cinema from the turn of the 19th century all the way through the Civil Rights Movement in the early 1970s,” Amy Homma, Chief Audience Officer of the Academy Museum, tells The Hollywood Reporter. “We want visitors to understand, celebrate and uplift this history. So what better way to do that than to complement the exhibition with a weekend-long festival?”
Stars and Icons, ‘Regeneration: Black...
“Our exhibition, Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898–1971, is like no other museum exhibition in that it celebrates Black participation in American cinema from the turn of the 19th century all the way through the Civil Rights Movement in the early 1970s,” Amy Homma, Chief Audience Officer of the Academy Museum, tells The Hollywood Reporter. “We want visitors to understand, celebrate and uplift this history. So what better way to do that than to complement the exhibition with a weekend-long festival?”
Stars and Icons, ‘Regeneration: Black...
- 2/3/2023
- by Evan Nicole Brown
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Subject Matter, a recently-launched nonprofit organization that supports social issue documentary films and other nonprofits that work on its featured topics, announced their inaugural grantees, awarding a total of 120,000 to four feature-length documentaries and four of the films’ coinciding nonprofits. Subject Matter launched in July, spearheaded by former Tribeca Film Institute leaders Amy Hobby, David Earls, and Colleen Hammond.
The inaugural grantees were determined by a selection committee that included Subject Matter board members actor Jeffrey Wright, entrepreneur Lily Band, Picture Motion and Kinema founder Christie Marchese, documentary director and producer Ferne Pearlstein and social justice and public health grant maker Julia Greenberg, along with guest jurors filmmaker Shola Lynch and film programmer José Rodriguez.
“All of the films the jury considered were formidable,” Wright said. “But we were especially moved by the handling of the stories in the four selected projects and felt that they are intimate, powerful and...
The inaugural grantees were determined by a selection committee that included Subject Matter board members actor Jeffrey Wright, entrepreneur Lily Band, Picture Motion and Kinema founder Christie Marchese, documentary director and producer Ferne Pearlstein and social justice and public health grant maker Julia Greenberg, along with guest jurors filmmaker Shola Lynch and film programmer José Rodriguez.
“All of the films the jury considered were formidable,” Wright said. “But we were especially moved by the handling of the stories in the four selected projects and felt that they are intimate, powerful and...
- 11/28/2022
- by EJ Panaligan
- Variety Film + TV
Village Roadshow Television has secured the life rights of civil rights, religious and political leader the Rev. Jesse Jackson to adapt his story into a limited series. The company is working closely with Rev. Jackson, as well as his wife, Jaqueline Jackson, and their family to develop the project.
Casting is under way to find a lead to play Rev. Jackson, as development begins on the project. The series, currently untitled, will be developed and executive produced by Rev. Jackson’s son Yusef D. Jackson, as well as William F. Keys. News of the scripted series comes soon after Rev. Jackson and his family also announced plans for a simultaneous documentary about the leader’s life, directed by Shola Lynch.
“Reverend Jackson has lived an extraordinary life, not only through his actions and deeds for America as a nation but also based on what he has personally witnessed and participated in around the world,...
Casting is under way to find a lead to play Rev. Jackson, as development begins on the project. The series, currently untitled, will be developed and executive produced by Rev. Jackson’s son Yusef D. Jackson, as well as William F. Keys. News of the scripted series comes soon after Rev. Jackson and his family also announced plans for a simultaneous documentary about the leader’s life, directed by Shola Lynch.
“Reverend Jackson has lived an extraordinary life, not only through his actions and deeds for America as a nation but also based on what he has personally witnessed and participated in around the world,...
- 5/26/2022
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Rebranding
Germany’s Leonine Studios has rebranded its television subsidiary Odeon Entertainment as Madame Zheng Production to reflect its primary focus of “equality and diversity in every aspect of the production business, both in front of and behind the camera.” Tina Wagner, previously producer and executive producer at RedSeven Entertainment, and Nina Etspüler, co-head of entertainment at Leonine Studios, are joining the management team and will lead the company under Wagner’s direction along with Martin Schneider, Odeon Entertainment’s long-standing managing director.
Fred Kogel, CEO and co-head of entertainment at Leonine Studios, said: “Ever since Nina Etspüler joined Leonine in Jan. 2021, we have jointly pursued the goal of establishing a production brand that advocates for equality and diversity in front of and behind the camera, in order to firmly anchor these themes, which are essential for Leonine Studios, in the production market. The entertainment sector in Germany, in particular,...
Germany’s Leonine Studios has rebranded its television subsidiary Odeon Entertainment as Madame Zheng Production to reflect its primary focus of “equality and diversity in every aspect of the production business, both in front of and behind the camera.” Tina Wagner, previously producer and executive producer at RedSeven Entertainment, and Nina Etspüler, co-head of entertainment at Leonine Studios, are joining the management team and will lead the company under Wagner’s direction along with Martin Schneider, Odeon Entertainment’s long-standing managing director.
Fred Kogel, CEO and co-head of entertainment at Leonine Studios, said: “Ever since Nina Etspüler joined Leonine in Jan. 2021, we have jointly pursued the goal of establishing a production brand that advocates for equality and diversity in front of and behind the camera, in order to firmly anchor these themes, which are essential for Leonine Studios, in the production market. The entertainment sector in Germany, in particular,...
- 3/15/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
The life and career of Reverend Jesse Jackson is set to be examined in a new theatrical documentary film and limited TV series, helmed by Jesse’s son Yusef D. Jackson and director Shola Lynch. According to Deadline, Expanded Media and Lawrence Elman/Nick Fraser’s Docsville Studios are behind the currently untitled project, which will feature exclusive access to the famous Baptist minister and his family, in addition to unseen archival footage dating back 60 years. The project is described as “Reverend Jackson’s personal story, in his own words, for the first time.” Born in 1941 in Greenville, South Carolina, Jesse is a famed civil rights activist and a two-time candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination (1984 and 1988). He served as a shadow U.S. senator for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997 and hosted the weekly news show Both Sides with Jesse Jackson on CNN from 1992 to 2000. “Despite his Parkinson’s,...
- 3/15/2022
- TV Insider
Exclusive: The untold story of Reverend Jesse Jackson is to be made into a theatrical documentary feature and limited TV series, with Jackson’s son Yusef D Jackson set to co-exec and Peabody Award-winning Chisholm ’72: Unbought & Unbossed director Shola Lynch attached.
Expanded Media and Lawrence Elman/Nick Fraser’s Docsville Studios are behind the as-yet-untitled big-budget project, which will include exclusive access to the influential U.S. heavyweight figure and his family, along with unseen archive footage over a period of 60 years.
The producers described the film and series as “Reverend Jackson’s personal story, in his own words, for the first time.”
The civil rights leader and two-time Democratic presidential candidate was born in 1941 in the segregated south and the film will explain and explore what drove him and continues to drive him, detailing his omnipresence wherever civil rights, human rights and injustice are present.
“Despite his Parkinson’s,...
Expanded Media and Lawrence Elman/Nick Fraser’s Docsville Studios are behind the as-yet-untitled big-budget project, which will include exclusive access to the influential U.S. heavyweight figure and his family, along with unseen archive footage over a period of 60 years.
The producers described the film and series as “Reverend Jackson’s personal story, in his own words, for the first time.”
The civil rights leader and two-time Democratic presidential candidate was born in 1941 in the segregated south and the film will explain and explore what drove him and continues to drive him, detailing his omnipresence wherever civil rights, human rights and injustice are present.
“Despite his Parkinson’s,...
- 3/15/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Although it may seem that films are now more accessible than ever, it’s simply not the case for independent film history.
“The truth is that movies are simply not as available today as they were during the heyday of VHS when some brick-and-mortar video stores carried tens of thousands of titles,” the manifesto for indie film preservation group Missing Movies states. “Now, with a few giant companies controlling the most popular streaming services and trying to outdo one another with original content, many older movies are being left behind.”
A collaborative effort between filmmakers and cinephiles, Missing Movies sets out to “empower filmmakers, distributors, archivists, and others to locate lost materials, clear rights, and advocate for policies and laws to make the full range of our cinema history available to all,” as IndieWire can exclusively share.
Founding Missing Movies filmmakers include Mary Harron, Shola Lynch, Nancy Savoca, Ira Deutchman,...
“The truth is that movies are simply not as available today as they were during the heyday of VHS when some brick-and-mortar video stores carried tens of thousands of titles,” the manifesto for indie film preservation group Missing Movies states. “Now, with a few giant companies controlling the most popular streaming services and trying to outdo one another with original content, many older movies are being left behind.”
A collaborative effort between filmmakers and cinephiles, Missing Movies sets out to “empower filmmakers, distributors, archivists, and others to locate lost materials, clear rights, and advocate for policies and laws to make the full range of our cinema history available to all,” as IndieWire can exclusively share.
Founding Missing Movies filmmakers include Mary Harron, Shola Lynch, Nancy Savoca, Ira Deutchman,...
- 2/4/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
February is Black History Month, and new content celebrating Black stories across television and film is on its way.
Over the course of Black History Month, many channels will premiere nonfiction specials and programming that spotlight Black leaders in politics, entertainment and social justice. PBS will premiere specials about civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer and singer Marian Anderson, while Starz will premiere a feature length documentary on Congresswoman Barbara Lee.
In addition, the Smithsonian Channel will debut a four-part miniseries tracing the origins exploring the legacy of slavery around the world. Aside from new documentaries and docuseries, streaming channels like Tubi will offer hundreds of hours of Black Cinema to watch, as well as original fiction programming.
Check out the full list of Black History Month programming below. (This list will be updated as more titles are announced).
“Barbara Lee: Speaking Truth to Power” — This feature-length documentary follows the career of congresswoman Barbara Lee,...
Over the course of Black History Month, many channels will premiere nonfiction specials and programming that spotlight Black leaders in politics, entertainment and social justice. PBS will premiere specials about civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer and singer Marian Anderson, while Starz will premiere a feature length documentary on Congresswoman Barbara Lee.
In addition, the Smithsonian Channel will debut a four-part miniseries tracing the origins exploring the legacy of slavery around the world. Aside from new documentaries and docuseries, streaming channels like Tubi will offer hundreds of hours of Black Cinema to watch, as well as original fiction programming.
Check out the full list of Black History Month programming below. (This list will be updated as more titles are announced).
“Barbara Lee: Speaking Truth to Power” — This feature-length documentary follows the career of congresswoman Barbara Lee,...
- 1/31/2022
- by Wilson Chapman, Selome Hailu, Sasha Urban and Wyatte Grantham-Philips
- Variety Film + TV
Next month’s Mubi lineup for the U.S. has been unveiled and a number of our recent festival favorites that were awaiting distribution will be coming to the service, including Mr. Bachmann and His Class, Ballad of a White Cow, Madalena, Taste, The Monopoly of Violence, and For Lucio.
One of last year’s great films, Hong Sangsoo’s The Woman Who Ran, will also be arriving, alongside Abel Ferrara’s Ms. 45, the Safdies’ Heaven Knows What, Sarah Polley’s Take This Waltz, and Leo McCarey’s Love Affair, with the latter two pairing for a Valentine’s Day double feature.
Check out the lineup below and get 30 days free here.
February 1 | The Monopoly of Violence | David Dufresne | From France with Love
February 2 | Looking for Venera | Norika Sefa | Festival Focus: Rotterdam
February 3 | Madalena | Madiano Marcheti | Festival Focus: Rotterdam
February 4 | Honey Cigar | Kamir Aïnouz | From France with Love
February 5 | …and...
One of last year’s great films, Hong Sangsoo’s The Woman Who Ran, will also be arriving, alongside Abel Ferrara’s Ms. 45, the Safdies’ Heaven Knows What, Sarah Polley’s Take This Waltz, and Leo McCarey’s Love Affair, with the latter two pairing for a Valentine’s Day double feature.
Check out the lineup below and get 30 days free here.
February 1 | The Monopoly of Violence | David Dufresne | From France with Love
February 2 | Looking for Venera | Norika Sefa | Festival Focus: Rotterdam
February 3 | Madalena | Madiano Marcheti | Festival Focus: Rotterdam
February 4 | Honey Cigar | Kamir Aïnouz | From France with Love
February 5 | …and...
- 1/20/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
A documentary about the career and life of the late Sidney Poitier is in development at Apple, a source close to the production has confirmed to Variety. Oprah Winfrey is attached as executive producer for the Apple Original Films release.
Apple and Winfrey have been developing the documentary for more than a year. Poitier’s family is participating in the production.
The documentary comes from Harpo Productions and Network Entertainment. Reggie Hudlin will serve as director. Hudlin’s previous directorial credits include 90’s films like “House Party” and “Boomerang,” as well as episodes of TV series like “The Last O.G.” and “Black Monday.” He is also a prolific producer across film and television, serving as a regular executive producer for the NAACP Image Awards since 2013. Hudlin directed the 2019 documentary “The Black Godfather,” which examines the life of music producer Clarence Avant.
Hudlin is also already executive producing two other projects for Apple TV Plus.
Apple and Winfrey have been developing the documentary for more than a year. Poitier’s family is participating in the production.
The documentary comes from Harpo Productions and Network Entertainment. Reggie Hudlin will serve as director. Hudlin’s previous directorial credits include 90’s films like “House Party” and “Boomerang,” as well as episodes of TV series like “The Last O.G.” and “Black Monday.” He is also a prolific producer across film and television, serving as a regular executive producer for the NAACP Image Awards since 2013. Hudlin directed the 2019 documentary “The Black Godfather,” which examines the life of music producer Clarence Avant.
Hudlin is also already executive producing two other projects for Apple TV Plus.
- 1/8/2022
- by J. Kim Murphy
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Story Syndicate, the New York-based film and television production company founded by Oscar- and Emmy-winning filmmaking couple Dan Cogan and Liz Garbus, has added four executives to its growing ranks.
Joining Story Syndicate in the newly-created role of COO is Mala Chapple, a Peabody-winning and Emmy nominated executive producer and production executive who previously held the title of SVP of Content Strategy, Operations, and Media Partnerships at Viacom. Chapple will be tasked with overseeing “the company’s growing production slate as well as its business operations,” according to a release.
Nell Constantinople and Jack Youngelson will take on the roles of SVP of Current, while Shane Tilston joins in the position of VP of Production, reporting to Chapple. All the new hires will “work directly with Cogan and Garbus to continue to expand and build out the company’s production and development content slate.”
Story Syndicate, which describes itself...
Joining Story Syndicate in the newly-created role of COO is Mala Chapple, a Peabody-winning and Emmy nominated executive producer and production executive who previously held the title of SVP of Content Strategy, Operations, and Media Partnerships at Viacom. Chapple will be tasked with overseeing “the company’s growing production slate as well as its business operations,” according to a release.
Nell Constantinople and Jack Youngelson will take on the roles of SVP of Current, while Shane Tilston joins in the position of VP of Production, reporting to Chapple. All the new hires will “work directly with Cogan and Garbus to continue to expand and build out the company’s production and development content slate.”
Story Syndicate, which describes itself...
- 11/8/2021
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Greenwich Entertainment acquired North American distribution rights to Barbara Lee: Speaking Truth to Power, the documentary directed by Peabody winner Abby Ginzberg (Soft Vengeance: Albie Sachs and the New South Africa). The documentary premiered at Doc NYC and Greenwich will release the film in theaters on August 20.
Featuring interviews with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Cory Booker, Alice Walker, John Lewis, and Van Jones, Barbara Lee: Speaking Truth To Power, is a timely portrait of a congresswoman who has been a true pioneer on behalf of racial and economic justice and the lone voice in opposition to the authorization of military force after the September 11th attacks. An array of political commentators, activists, politicians, and family members add depth to the story of the highest-ranking Black woman in the U.S. Congress.
“We are delighted to be partnering with Greenwich Entertainment to bring the film to a wider audience,” said Ginzberg. “It...
Featuring interviews with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Cory Booker, Alice Walker, John Lewis, and Van Jones, Barbara Lee: Speaking Truth To Power, is a timely portrait of a congresswoman who has been a true pioneer on behalf of racial and economic justice and the lone voice in opposition to the authorization of military force after the September 11th attacks. An array of political commentators, activists, politicians, and family members add depth to the story of the highest-ranking Black woman in the U.S. Congress.
“We are delighted to be partnering with Greenwich Entertainment to bring the film to a wider audience,” said Ginzberg. “It...
- 5/18/2021
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Apple Original Films has announced “Number One on the Call Sheet,” two companion documentary features that will celebrate Black achievement in Hollywood and explore what it takes for Black actors to be successful in the film industry.
Produced by Jamie Foxx, Kevin Hart, Datari Turner and Dan Cogan, “Number One on the Call Sheet” is executive produced by Angela Bassett, Halle Berry, Reginald Hudlin and Bryan Smiley.
The documentary is separated into two parts, with the first film focusing on the groundbreaking work of Black women actors. “Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Women in Hollywood” is executive produced by Bassett and Berry and directed by Shola Lynch.
The second film celebrates Black achievement in film and highlights the stories and experiences of Black male actors of the past who paved the way for today’s stars. “Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Men in Hollywood” is directed by Reginald Hudlin.
Produced by Jamie Foxx, Kevin Hart, Datari Turner and Dan Cogan, “Number One on the Call Sheet” is executive produced by Angela Bassett, Halle Berry, Reginald Hudlin and Bryan Smiley.
The documentary is separated into two parts, with the first film focusing on the groundbreaking work of Black women actors. “Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Women in Hollywood” is executive produced by Bassett and Berry and directed by Shola Lynch.
The second film celebrates Black achievement in film and highlights the stories and experiences of Black male actors of the past who paved the way for today’s stars. “Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Men in Hollywood” is directed by Reginald Hudlin.
- 4/21/2021
- by Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety Film + TV
Apple Original Films continues its expansion of its award-winning documentary slate with Number One on the Call Sheet, two documentary features from Jamie Foxx, Kevin Hart, Datari Turner and Dan Cogan that will celebrate Black achievement in the film industry, and explore what it takes for Black actors to find success in Hollywood. Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Women in Hollywood celebrates Black achievement in the film industry and what it takes for Black women actors to find success in Hollywood. The film is executive produced by Academy Award nominee Angela Bassett and Academy Award winner Halle Berry, and directed by Shola Lynch and explores and highlights the groundbreaking work of Black women actors of the past who paved the way for Bassett, Berry and so many more. The second film, Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Men in Hollywood, will be directed by Academy...
- 4/21/2021
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
Halle Berry and Angela Bassett are among the executive producers for “Number One on the Call Sheet”
Jamie Foxx and Kevin Hart will produce a pair of documentary films for Apple Studios that will focus on the challenges faced in Hollywood by Black actors and actresses.
“Number One on the Call Sheet” will be two companion films: one specifically focused on what it takes for Black leading men to find success in entertainment, and another that will focus on the challenges faced by Black leading women.
The first film, “Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Women in Hollywood,” will be directed by Shola Lynch, and the second film on leading men will be directed by Reginald Hudlin. Both documentaries are meant to celebrate Black achievement in the film industry and highlight the work of Black actors and actresses who paved the way for today’s stars.
Also Read:...
Jamie Foxx and Kevin Hart will produce a pair of documentary films for Apple Studios that will focus on the challenges faced in Hollywood by Black actors and actresses.
“Number One on the Call Sheet” will be two companion films: one specifically focused on what it takes for Black leading men to find success in entertainment, and another that will focus on the challenges faced by Black leading women.
The first film, “Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Women in Hollywood,” will be directed by Shola Lynch, and the second film on leading men will be directed by Reginald Hudlin. Both documentaries are meant to celebrate Black achievement in the film industry and highlight the work of Black actors and actresses who paved the way for today’s stars.
Also Read:...
- 4/21/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Apple Original Films has picked up Number One on the Call Sheet, two documentary features about pioneering Black actors and actresses, with backing from Jamie Foxx, Kevin Hart, Angela Bassett and Halle Berry.
Apple will debut the companion films globally on Apple TV+. Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Women in Hollywood, directed by Shola Lynch, celebrates Black achievement in the film industry and what it takes for Black women actors to find success in the film business.
The film is executive produced by Bassett and Berry. The second doc, Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Men in ...
Apple will debut the companion films globally on Apple TV+. Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Women in Hollywood, directed by Shola Lynch, celebrates Black achievement in the film industry and what it takes for Black women actors to find success in the film business.
The film is executive produced by Bassett and Berry. The second doc, Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Men in ...
- 4/21/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Apple Original Films has picked up Number One on the Call Sheet, two documentary features about pioneering Black actors and actresses, with backing from Jamie Foxx, Kevin Hart, Angela Bassett and Halle Berry.
Apple will debut the companion films globally on Apple TV+. Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Women in Hollywood, directed by Shola Lynch, celebrates Black achievement in the film industry and what it takes for Black women actors to find success in the film business.
The film is executive produced by Bassett and Berry. The second doc, Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Men in ...
Apple will debut the companion films globally on Apple TV+. Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Women in Hollywood, directed by Shola Lynch, celebrates Black achievement in the film industry and what it takes for Black women actors to find success in the film business.
The film is executive produced by Bassett and Berry. The second doc, Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Men in ...
- 4/21/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Dreams do come true when talented youngsters cross paths with mentors. For track and field U.S. prodigies, Sheppard sisters Tai, Rainn and Brooke, their encounter with coach Jean Bell, their fairy godmother, was pivotal in their sports and personal achievements.
The Netflix Original documentary “Sisters on Track” is unspooling this week in the Special Premiere strand of Scandinavian’s leading documentary festival Cph:dox (April 21-May 12), before heading off to Tribeca’s Viewpoint slot in June.
Brooklyn-based award-winning Corinne van der Borch (“Girls With Black Balloons”) is directing with Norway’s Tone Grøttjord-Glenne (“Brothers”).
The pic charts the inspiring coming-of-age story of the three young Brooklyn-born Sheppard sisters’ race to a brighter future, away from their homelessness past with their mother Tonia Hardy. We follow the three young athletes, Tai (12), Rainn (11) and Brooke (10), from the 2016 media frenzy that followed their plebiscite as “Sports Illustrated Kids of the Year,” to their...
The Netflix Original documentary “Sisters on Track” is unspooling this week in the Special Premiere strand of Scandinavian’s leading documentary festival Cph:dox (April 21-May 12), before heading off to Tribeca’s Viewpoint slot in June.
Brooklyn-based award-winning Corinne van der Borch (“Girls With Black Balloons”) is directing with Norway’s Tone Grøttjord-Glenne (“Brothers”).
The pic charts the inspiring coming-of-age story of the three young Brooklyn-born Sheppard sisters’ race to a brighter future, away from their homelessness past with their mother Tonia Hardy. We follow the three young athletes, Tai (12), Rainn (11) and Brooke (10), from the 2016 media frenzy that followed their plebiscite as “Sports Illustrated Kids of the Year,” to their...
- 4/21/2021
- by Annika Pham
- Variety Film + TV
Hong Kong Arts Centre presents Larger Than Life: the American Civil Rights Movement in Documentaries
To commemorate Black History Month and promote cultural and racial harmony in Hong Kong, moving image showcase Larger Than Life: the American Civil Rights Movement in Documentaries introduces major forces of the African-American civil rights movement with a focus from the 1950s to 1970s, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, the Black Panthers and Shirley Chisholm. Their philosophies still affect racial, class and gender relations in America and the world to this day. This is an occasion to celebrate their influential roles in contributing to the social progress towards greater political and cultural understanding. There will be after-screening talks to further introduce the featured legendary figures, and a talk on racial relations in Hong Kong to accompany this showcase.
Venue: Online (Screenings & After-screening talks); Africa Center Hong Kong (Talk)
Date: 2021.02.25 – 2021.03.01
Price: Free of charge
Programme Schedule:
25/2 (Thu) 8:00pm* ** King in the Wilderness
26/2 (Fri) 8:00pm* ** Malcolm X:...
Venue: Online (Screenings & After-screening talks); Africa Center Hong Kong (Talk)
Date: 2021.02.25 – 2021.03.01
Price: Free of charge
Programme Schedule:
25/2 (Thu) 8:00pm* ** King in the Wilderness
26/2 (Fri) 8:00pm* ** Malcolm X:...
- 2/4/2021
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Industry Conference, talent development details.
A documentary about climate activist Greta Thunberg and a shot film about a teenage Indigenous communities activist have joined the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) line-up.
Nathan Grossman’s I Am Greta chronicles the young Swede’s meteoric rise to public attention, while James Burns’s short film The Water Walker focuses on the work of 15-year-old Autumn Peltier, an Anishinaabe water activist.
Peltier will take part in a live conversation with author Naomi Klein that will be made free to international audiences. The date will be announced closer to the start of TIFF, which...
A documentary about climate activist Greta Thunberg and a shot film about a teenage Indigenous communities activist have joined the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) line-up.
Nathan Grossman’s I Am Greta chronicles the young Swede’s meteoric rise to public attention, while James Burns’s short film The Water Walker focuses on the work of 15-year-old Autumn Peltier, an Anishinaabe water activist.
Peltier will take part in a live conversation with author Naomi Klein that will be made free to international audiences. The date will be announced closer to the start of TIFF, which...
- 8/27/2020
- by 36¦Jeremy Kay¦54¦
- ScreenDaily
Stream of the Day: ‘Free Angela and All Political Prisoners’ Still Holds the Power to Inspire Change
With readers turning to their home viewing options more than ever, this daily feature provides one new movie each day worth checking out on a major streaming platform.
Forty years after the high-stakes trial that catapulted 26-year-old scholar and Marxist feminist Angela Davis into the spotlight as a revolutionary icon, Shola Lynch’s 2012 documentary, “Free Angela and All Political Prisoners” relives those transformative years of Davis’ life. It’s quite a journey: Even as she was branded a terrorist, Davis spurred a worldwide political movement for her freedom. The portrait of that story reignites discussion on the radical movement she joined and eventually led, and it still holds the power to inspire a new generation to similar acts of collective progressivism, all in the name of political and social reforms.
“Terrorist” is far from the only label Davis has faced over the years: activist, intellectual, inspiration, and fearless leader all...
Forty years after the high-stakes trial that catapulted 26-year-old scholar and Marxist feminist Angela Davis into the spotlight as a revolutionary icon, Shola Lynch’s 2012 documentary, “Free Angela and All Political Prisoners” relives those transformative years of Davis’ life. It’s quite a journey: Even as she was branded a terrorist, Davis spurred a worldwide political movement for her freedom. The portrait of that story reignites discussion on the radical movement she joined and eventually led, and it still holds the power to inspire a new generation to similar acts of collective progressivism, all in the name of political and social reforms.
“Terrorist” is far from the only label Davis has faced over the years: activist, intellectual, inspiration, and fearless leader all...
- 7/23/2020
- by Tambay Obenson
- Indiewire
Cinedigm and Quincy Newell’s TwentyOne14 Media are partnering to launch an urban multicultural entertainment and lifestyle network yet to be named that will launch in the first quarter of next year.
Focusing on a 21-45 adult multicultural audience and content “that is authentic, diverse and inclusive,” it will be available for linear and AVOD platforms on connected TVs, digital set-top boxes, media-streaming devices and web-based and online Ott services.
“The network will aspire to be a platform where African American, Latinx, Indigenous, and Asian American artists, who are passionate about urban culture, can be their most authentic selves,” the partners said in a release.
“I’m excited to join forces with Cinedigm to create a network where diverse voices are supported and filmmakers of color are encouraged to continue telling stories that offer a rich and more complete portrayal of the world around us,” Newell said “My ultimate mission...
Focusing on a 21-45 adult multicultural audience and content “that is authentic, diverse and inclusive,” it will be available for linear and AVOD platforms on connected TVs, digital set-top boxes, media-streaming devices and web-based and online Ott services.
“The network will aspire to be a platform where African American, Latinx, Indigenous, and Asian American artists, who are passionate about urban culture, can be their most authentic selves,” the partners said in a release.
“I’m excited to join forces with Cinedigm to create a network where diverse voices are supported and filmmakers of color are encouraged to continue telling stories that offer a rich and more complete portrayal of the world around us,” Newell said “My ultimate mission...
- 7/14/2020
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Carole Lambert’s recently launched Windy Prods., which has the Marion Cotillard-starrer “Angel Face” playing in Un Certain Regard, is set to produce Joséphine Derobe’s fantasy feature “Vv,” Eric Capitaine’s “Les bonnes actions” and Manuel Schapira’s “Tropique de la violence.”
Derobe’s “Vv” follows Anna, a woman who wakes up in a hospital room after surviving a deadly car accident. Although she tries to remain optimistic, her return to normal life turns nightmarish as she undergoes rehabilitation therapy using virtual reality. The movie will mark the feature debut of Derobe, who is a well-known French 3D and Vr artist.
Shapira’s “Tropique de la Violence” is co-written with French novelist Delphine de Vigan, whose “Based on a True Story” was adapted into a film by Roman Polanski.
“Tropique” centers on Moïse, a boy who was abandoned at birth and adopted by a nurse in Mayotte who...
Derobe’s “Vv” follows Anna, a woman who wakes up in a hospital room after surviving a deadly car accident. Although she tries to remain optimistic, her return to normal life turns nightmarish as she undergoes rehabilitation therapy using virtual reality. The movie will mark the feature debut of Derobe, who is a well-known French 3D and Vr artist.
Shapira’s “Tropique de la Violence” is co-written with French novelist Delphine de Vigan, whose “Based on a True Story” was adapted into a film by Roman Polanski.
“Tropique” centers on Moïse, a boy who was abandoned at birth and adopted by a nurse in Mayotte who...
- 5/11/2018
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Two of the world’s most influential women — pioneering primatologist Jane Goodall and lauded writer Joan Didion — are both on the receiving end of insightful new documentaries this year, both of which are hitting screens in the coming weeks. Brett Morgen’s “Jane” (which opened just last week to deservedly rave reviews) tracks the early years of Goodall’s work in Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park, combining both new interviews with the still-trailblazing scientist and early footage lensed by her former husband Hugo van Lawick (a celebrated animal photographer) to tell a full-bodied story about Goddall’s amazing ethic and her tremendous empathy for the animals she’s made the center of her life.
This week, Griffin Dunne’s look at Didion’s life, “Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold,” will arrive on Netflix, following her own early years and her current state as a literary icon. Both...
This week, Griffin Dunne’s look at Didion’s life, “Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold,” will arrive on Netflix, following her own early years and her current state as a literary icon. Both...
- 10/24/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Review - Shola Lynch's Candid 'Free Angela & All Political Prisoners' (Bet Premiere Tonight) Continue Reading →...
- 1/26/2017
- by Tambay Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
The International Documentary Association (Ida) announced on Tuesday the programme and additional keynotes for the biennial filmmaker-to-filmmaker conference inaugurated by the Ida and the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences in 2014.
The conference will run from September 27-29 at the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences’ Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study and other locations in Hollywood.
Events will include Ava DuVernay (pictured), Shola Lynch and Steve James, as well as producer Julie Goldman.
Programming features include a Vr Doc Summit and creative case studies on the craft of documentary film-making.
“Getting Real represents the coming together of a diverse and dynamic community, not just to celebrate individual films, but to strengthen the connections within the field,” said Ida executive director Simon Kilmurry.
“While passion for the truth through documentary storytelling drives many of us, it is only through building community and strengthening infrastructure can we forge an industry that thrives.”
A partial...
The conference will run from September 27-29 at the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences’ Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study and other locations in Hollywood.
Events will include Ava DuVernay (pictured), Shola Lynch and Steve James, as well as producer Julie Goldman.
Programming features include a Vr Doc Summit and creative case studies on the craft of documentary film-making.
“Getting Real represents the coming together of a diverse and dynamic community, not just to celebrate individual films, but to strengthen the connections within the field,” said Ida executive director Simon Kilmurry.
“While passion for the truth through documentary storytelling drives many of us, it is only through building community and strengthening infrastructure can we forge an industry that thrives.”
A partial...
- 8/23/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The International Documentary Association (Ida) announced on Tuesday the programme and additional keynotes for the biennial filmmaker-to-filmmaker conference inaugurated by the Ida and the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences in 2014.
The conference will run from September 27-29 at the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences’ Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study and other locations in Hollywood.
Events will include Ava DuVernay (pictured), Shola Lynch and Steve James, as well as producer Julie Goldman.
Programming features include a Vr Doc Summit and creative case studies on the craft of documentary film-making.
“Getting Real represents the coming together of a diverse and dynamic community, not just to celebrate individual films, but to strengthen the connections within the field,” said Ida executive director Simon Kilmurry.
“While passion for the truth through documentary storytelling drives many of us, it is only through building community and strengthening infrastructure can we forge an industry that thrives.”
A partial...
The conference will run from September 27-29 at the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences’ Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study and other locations in Hollywood.
Events will include Ava DuVernay (pictured), Shola Lynch and Steve James, as well as producer Julie Goldman.
Programming features include a Vr Doc Summit and creative case studies on the craft of documentary film-making.
“Getting Real represents the coming together of a diverse and dynamic community, not just to celebrate individual films, but to strengthen the connections within the field,” said Ida executive director Simon Kilmurry.
“While passion for the truth through documentary storytelling drives many of us, it is only through building community and strengthening infrastructure can we forge an industry that thrives.”
A partial...
- 8/23/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Getting Real 2016: Ida and AMPAS Announce Conference Guests, Including Ava DuvVernay and Steve James
The International Documentary Association (Ida) has announced the lineup and additional keynote presentations for Getting Real ‘16, its biennial filmmaker-to-filmmaker conference inaugurated by the Ida and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2014.
The three-day conference, which will be held September 27-29 at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study and other locations in Hollywood, will include keynotes, conversations with filmmakers and interactive presentations exploring the art and craft of documentary, along with their exclusive “Here’s What Really Happened” sessions, which go behind the scenes into the making and distribution of recent documentaries.
Read More: ‘Cameraperson’ Trailer: Kirsten Johnson’s Acclaimed Documentary Is a Cinematic Self-Portrait
This year will also see a new focus on the evolution of documentary, including a Vr Doc Summit.
Keynote speakers for the latest incarnation of Getting Real include filmmakers Ava DuVernay, Shola Lynch, Ezra Edelman,...
The three-day conference, which will be held September 27-29 at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study and other locations in Hollywood, will include keynotes, conversations with filmmakers and interactive presentations exploring the art and craft of documentary, along with their exclusive “Here’s What Really Happened” sessions, which go behind the scenes into the making and distribution of recent documentaries.
Read More: ‘Cameraperson’ Trailer: Kirsten Johnson’s Acclaimed Documentary Is a Cinematic Self-Portrait
This year will also see a new focus on the evolution of documentary, including a Vr Doc Summit.
Keynote speakers for the latest incarnation of Getting Real include filmmakers Ava DuVernay, Shola Lynch, Ezra Edelman,...
- 8/23/2016
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
The International Documentary Association (Ida) announced today that “Selma” director Ava DuVernay and “Free Angela and All Political Prisoners” filmmaker Shola Lynch have joined the lineup of keynote speakers for Getting Real ’16, a biennial filmmaker-to-filmmaker conference. “Hoop Dreams” director Steve James is also among the celebrated guests. The three-day conference will be Sept. 27-29 at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study and other locations in Hollywood. Events will include keynotes, conversations with noted filmmakers, interactive presentations exploring the art and craft of documentary, distribution of recent documentaries, exclusive Here’s What Really...
- 8/23/2016
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
Lee Daniels will direct a new documentary, The Apollo Theater Film Project, that will chronicle the history of the famed Harlem concert hall.
To make the film, Daniels is seeking the help of the public, requesting any film footage, photographs, audio recordings or other memorabilia related to either Harlem or the Apollo. Details and a submission form are available on the documentary's website.
The Apollo Theater Film Project marks Daniels' first documentary. "I used to go to the Apollo Theater as a kid and never in a million years would...
To make the film, Daniels is seeking the help of the public, requesting any film footage, photographs, audio recordings or other memorabilia related to either Harlem or the Apollo. Details and a submission form are available on the documentary's website.
The Apollo Theater Film Project marks Daniels' first documentary. "I used to go to the Apollo Theater as a kid and never in a million years would...
- 1/28/2016
- Rollingstone.com
The Oscar-nominated director of Precious and The Butler is preparing his first foray into non-fiction features with White Horse Pictures and Piper Cub Productions on board to produce.
The Apollo Theater Film Project will be an authorised account of the Harlem venue that famously started the careers of Jimi Hendrix, Ella Fitzgerald and The Jackson Five.
Daniels and Apollo Theater president Jonelle Procope issued on Thursday a public request for film footage, home movies, photographs or other memorabilia.
“We will, of course, respect everybody’s ownership of their property,” said Daniels, who said he attended the theater in his youth, and Procope. Members of the public can click here for further information.
Impact Partners, StudioCanal, Universal Music Group and Chicago Media Project are jointly financing the film, while StudioCanal, Impact Partners and White Horse Pictures represent Us rights.
StudioCanal will distribute directly in the UK, Australia, France and Germany and is looking to commence sales on remaining...
The Apollo Theater Film Project will be an authorised account of the Harlem venue that famously started the careers of Jimi Hendrix, Ella Fitzgerald and The Jackson Five.
Daniels and Apollo Theater president Jonelle Procope issued on Thursday a public request for film footage, home movies, photographs or other memorabilia.
“We will, of course, respect everybody’s ownership of their property,” said Daniels, who said he attended the theater in his youth, and Procope. Members of the public can click here for further information.
Impact Partners, StudioCanal, Universal Music Group and Chicago Media Project are jointly financing the film, while StudioCanal, Impact Partners and White Horse Pictures represent Us rights.
StudioCanal will distribute directly in the UK, Australia, France and Germany and is looking to commence sales on remaining...
- 1/28/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Read More: 9 Hidden Gems from the 2016 Sundance Lineup The Sundance Institute is putting the final touches on the 2016 Sundance Film Festival by revealing the 23 jury members whose duty it will be to award 27 prizes at the end of the event. The festival takes place January 21-31, with the awards ceremony, hosted by Taika Waititi, being live streamed online on January 30. According to the festival, the six juries screen all films in their respective sections and jointly decide which standout artistic and story elements to recognize with prizes. Festival audiences, meanwhile, get the chance to vote for their favorite films, with five Audience Awards being given in total. Below are all of the 2016 Sundance Film Festival jury members. U.S. Documentary Jury Simon Kilmurry Jill Lepore Shola Lynch Louie Psihoyos Amy Zeiring U.S. Dramatic Jury Lena Dunham Jon Hamm Avy Kaufman Franklin Leonard Randall Poster World Cinematic Dramatic Jury Mark Adams Fernanda Solorzano Apichatpong.
- 1/12/2016
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Read More: 'Citizenfour' Team Edward Snowden and Laura Poitras Talk to the Late David Carr Laura Poitras, the Oscar-winning documentarian behind "Citizenfour" and "The Oath," is launching a new documentary unit alongside Aj Schnack and Charlotte Cook, announced Variety earlier today. Named Field of Vision, the unit is being developed in collaboration with First Look Media and journalism website The Intercept and looks to commission 40-50 short-form docs each year. The unit will launch their debut project at the New York Film Festival in the form of Poitras' "Asylum," a short-form series tracking Julian Assange as he publishes diplomatic cables and seeks asylum in London's Ecuadorian embassy. The official first season of episodes will debut September 29 on The Intercept, with a second season already being planned for early 2016. New works from Kirsten Johnson, Michael Moore, Shola Lynch, Beau Willimon, Katie Galloway and Kelly Duane de...
- 9/9/2015
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
There are few aspects of modern life as crucial to the day-to-day of lives of Americans as the worldwide economic system, but with so many figures, numbers, and phrases thrown out in headlines and turned into soundbites, it can be difficult to understand what the conversation is really about. But the upcoming web series "We The Economy" hopes to change that. Featuring twenty short films directed by Catherine Hardwicke, James Schamus, Chris Henchy, Morgan Spurlock, Jon M. Chu, Ramin Bahrani, Adrien Grenier, Lee Hirsch, Joe Berlinger, Jessica Yi, Barbara Kopple, Marshall Curry, Rachel Grady & Heidi Ewing, Bob Balaban, Albert Hughes, Miao Wang, Jehane Noujaim, Adam McKay, Shola Lynch, Steven James and Mary Harron, "We The Economy" is using some major names to help make the issues a whole lot easier to digest. Actors such as Kerry Bische, Judah Friedlander, Adam Goldberg, Patton Oswalt, Lili Taylor, Werner Herzog, and Isaiah Washington will appear in short.
- 10/3/2014
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
On Saturday night, at the Urbanworld Film Festival in New York, where Ava DuVernay screened about 5 minutes of her upcoming first studio project, "Selma," the director also participated in a panel conversation about the film, with its star, David Oyelowo, who plays Martin Luther King Jr in the film. The panel, introduced by filmmaker Shola Lynch ("Shirley Chisholm: Unbought and Unbossed" and "Free Angela and All Political Prisoners"), is very interesting, and informative, and might whet your appetite for what's to come, when the film opens in theaters later this year. Watch in 3 parts below:...
- 9/22/2014
- by Sergio
- ShadowAndAct
Celebrating its 17th annual festival, The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, one of the nation's premier documentary film festivals, announced its winners yesterday afternoon at the festival's Awards Barbecue. The Full Frame event qualifies for nomination consideration for both Academy Award and Producers Guild of America Awards. Darius Clark Monroe's Evolution of a Criminal won the Grand Jury Award and the Center for Documentary Studies Filmmaker Award at the festival (read S&A's review of the film Here). Regarding the grand jury award win, jury members Shola Lynch, Robb Moss, and Christine O’Malley stated the following: “For its mix of...
- 4/7/2014
- by Vanessa Martinez
- ShadowAndAct
Editor's note: It made its TV broadcast premiere on Bet last night, and my Twitter feed was all abuzz about it, by those who apparently hadn't already seen it. Thus, I thought it would be a good idea to repost this comprehensive interview we did with the director of the film, Shola Lynch, handled by Zeinabu irene Davis, which is an absolute must read, if you missed it when it was originally published last April. Like I said it's quite thorough, so set aside time to read it, because it's a long, informative and entertaining read. On March 27th, I had the great opportunity to interview Shola Lynch about the groundbreaking premiere of her documentary feature, Free Angela and All...
- 2/27/2014
- by Zeinabu irene Davis
- ShadowAndAct
Question: You had a pretty bourgeois and comfortable childhood, in Birmingham; and so did your sister [Angela]; can you trace the development of someone from that kind of background into a revolutionary and Marxist person? Fania Davis: I see in her life, the makings of a revolutionary, not a tragedy. From her time in the south (Birmingham) to her experience with white people in the north, Angela’s education is now being put into practice. A conversation between a journalist and Angela Davis’ sister, Fania Davis, from a scene about mid-way through Shola Lynch's no-frills, candid feature documentary Free Angela & All Political Prisoners, soon after Angela’s arrest, and initial...
- 2/26/2014
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
For those is the New York City area, here's an event, taking place today, Saturday, February 1. A timely symposium, for what should be obvious reasons, taking place at the Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI) in Queens, and put together by Warrington Hudlin. Titled "Massa's Gaze: Screenings and Critical Discussions of the Depictions of Slavery in Film and Television," the event's panelists include: Sheril Antonio, Neema Barnette, Jelani Cobb, Stanley Crouch, Nelson George, Warrington Hudlin, Felicia Lee, Malcolm Lee, Shola Lynch, and Khalil Muhammad. The event is part of MoMI's Changing the Picture (2014) program, sponsored by Time Warner Inc. Again,...
- 2/1/2014
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
SundanceNOW and their Doc Club program have released the full video of last week’s Spotlight on Women Directors panel out of the Sundance Film Festival.
Moderated by Indiewire’s Anne Thompson (@akstanwyck), the panel of talented women filmmakers included Rory Kennedy (Last Days in Vietnam), Shola Lynch (Free Angela and All Political Prisoners), Judith Helfand (Cooked), and Lucy Walker (The Crash Reel).
Curated by Thom Powers (@ThomPowers), January focused on the amazing women directors currently working in documentary filmmaking.
Click here to access the rest of January’s program: http://www.sundancenow.com/doc-club/spotlight-on-women-directors/35. Join Doc Club to access the 8 films highlighted. Sign up now and get your first month free.
SundanceNOW, the digital sister to Sundance Selects, is an online destination where independent film fans can download, watch instantly and discuss a broad range of independent films from around the globe. Offering the option to stream, download...
Moderated by Indiewire’s Anne Thompson (@akstanwyck), the panel of talented women filmmakers included Rory Kennedy (Last Days in Vietnam), Shola Lynch (Free Angela and All Political Prisoners), Judith Helfand (Cooked), and Lucy Walker (The Crash Reel).
Curated by Thom Powers (@ThomPowers), January focused on the amazing women directors currently working in documentary filmmaking.
Click here to access the rest of January’s program: http://www.sundancenow.com/doc-club/spotlight-on-women-directors/35. Join Doc Club to access the 8 films highlighted. Sign up now and get your first month free.
SundanceNOW, the digital sister to Sundance Selects, is an online destination where independent film fans can download, watch instantly and discuss a broad range of independent films from around the globe. Offering the option to stream, download...
- 1/28/2014
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
At Sundance I had the opportunity to moderate a Spotlight on Women Directors panel featuring four prominent women in documentaries: Rory Kennedy ("Last Days in Vietnam"), Lucy Walker ("The Lion's Mouth Opens"), Chicken & Egg's Judith Helfand ("Everything's Cool") and Shola Lynch ("Free Angela and All Political Prisoners"). These demanding filmmakers share how sexism has impacted their work, how they pick their stories, when to kill an idea when it isn't good enough, and how to decide when their films are finished. Sundance Now programmer Thom Powers introduced the lively discussion, below. ...
- 1/25/2014
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
(From Sundance Institue Newsletter)
New research shows Sundance Institute lab projects helmed by women succeed at just shy of equal rates as male-helmed projects in production and top festival exhibition. Collaborative initiative now includes deepened mentorship program, financing intensives, expanded network of allied organizations and updated research. Study conducted by Stacy L. Smith, Ph.D., Katherine Pieper, Ph.D. and Marc Choueiti at Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, University of Southern California.
At a gathering of filmmakers, producers and members of the film distribution industry, at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, Keri Putnam, Executive Director, Sundance Institute, and Cathy Schulman, President, Women In Film Los Angeles, announced significant growth of a collaborative initiative designed to achieve gender parity and sustainable careers for women working in filmed entertainment.
Recent expansions of the initiative, which launched two years ago, include a deepened mentorship program, new financing intensives, an expanded network of allied organizations and new and updated research, the results of which were also released today. The study was commissioned by Sundance Institute and Women In Film Los Angeles and was conducted by Stacy L. Smith, Ph.D., Katherine Pieper, Ph.D. and Marc Choueiti at Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, University of Southern California.
Putnam said, “Our collaborative initiative has furthered the dialogue around the importance of women behind the camera. We are grateful to the researchers and allied organizations in lending their analysis and expertise to help us identify the most productive next steps to address existing challenges.”
Schulman said of the results, “In terms of our committed course of change for women, this year's study is another invaluable tool in understanding how Sundance and Women In Film can help guide the industry to institutionalize permanent progress through our programs and collective influence."
The research documented the gender distribution of filmmakers participating in Sundance Institute Feature Film Program (Ffp) and Documentary Film Program (Dfp) Labs between 2002 and 2013 to determine how many emerging female writers, directors and producers receive critical artistic support as part of their filmmaking background, and how this may affect their careers and the pipeline overall. It also updated last year’s inaugural study by quantitatively examining the gender of 1,163 content creators (directors, writers, producers, cinematographers, and editors) across 82 U.S. films selected and screened at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. Lastly, the research delved deeper into the original qualitative interviews to further explore obstructions facing female directors and producers in the narrative space.
Key findings include:
Artist Support Through Sundance Institute Labs •Female storytellers compete and flourish at Sundance Institute labs. Of the 432 lab fellows between 2002 and 2013, 42.6% were female. Women comprised 39.3% of fellows in the Feature Film Program (Ffp) and 54.5% of fellows in the Documentary Film Program (Dfp).
•Sundance Institute Lab projects helmed by women succeed at just shy of equal rates as male-helmed projects in production and top festival exhibition. The percentage of Ffp lab projects completed did not vary by gender; roughly 41% of male-helmed and female-helmed projects were finished. 81.3% of all finished Ffp films went on to play at the top 10 festivals worldwide, and of these, no gender differences emerged.
Barriers Facing Female FilmmakersThe initial report revealed career obstacles that face female filmmakers, including gendered financial barriers, male-dominated industry networks, and stereotyping on set. We analyzed a subset of the original 51 interviews with industry thought leaders and seasoned content creators.
•When industry leaders think director, they think male. Traits were gathered from 34 narrative and documentary decision-makers and filmmakers. We explored whether attributes of successful directors reflect stereotypical characteristics of men or women. Nearly one-third of traits (32.1%) were coded as masculine and 19.3% feminine. Conceiving of the directing role in masculine terms may limit the extent to which different women are considered for the job.
•Putting female directors on studio lists is limited by stereotypes. A group of 12 individuals working in the narrative realm were asked specifically about hiring directors into top commercial jobs. Two-thirds (66.7%) indicated that there is a smaller pool of qualified female directors. Half mentioned that stereotypically male films (i.e., action, horror) may not appeal as job opportunities to female directors. These findings illustrate how a reliance on stereotypes creates decision-making biases that weaken women’s opportunities.
Updates To Last Year’S Study•Of the 1,163 content creators working behind the camera on 82 U.S. films at Sff in 2013, 28.9% were women and 71.1% were men. The presence of women differed by storytelling genre: 23.8% of content creators were women in narrative films whereas 40.4% were women in documentary films.
•2013 was an extraordinary year for women in documentary filmmaking at Sff. 42.2% of documentary directors and 49.2% of documentary producers were women at the 2013 Festival. Focusing on directors specifically by program category, 46.4% of U.S. documentary competition directors were female as were 30.8% of documentary premiere helmers.
•Female narrative directors saw gains and losses in 2013, but little overall change. For the first time, gender parity was achieved in U.S. dramatic competition movies in 2013 with 50% of all helmers being female. In contrast, only one of the 18 directors in the premieres section was a woman.
•Narrative directors at the 2013 Festival continued to outperform directors in the top 100 box office: Turning to the 100 top-grossing films of 2013, only 2 (1.9%) of the 108 helmers were female. This represents a 48.1% drop from the percentage of female directors in the Festival’s U.S. Dramatic Competition films.
•Examining female participation at the Festival as directors and producers from 2002 to 2013 revealed no meaningful change over time. Instead, the percentages of female participation often fluctuate but no continuous and sustained increases or decreases were observed across the 12 years. For dramatic features, females accounted for 24.4% of all competition helmers and 13.9% of all non-competition helmers. In documentaries, the percentage of female competition directors is 41.7% and 25% of non-competition helmers.From 2002-2013 17.1% of directors of U.S. narrative films and 35.3% of directors of U.S. documentary films at Sff were female.
This year’s mentorship fellows include Producer Brenda Coughlin (Dirty Wars), Director Marta Cunningham (Valentine Road), Director Mari Heller (Diary of a Teenage Girl), Director Shola Lynch (Free Angela and All Political Prisoners), Producer Jordana Mollick (Life Partners) and Producer Kim Sherman (A Teacher).
The Dove short film fellow is Cynthia Wade, who directed a short film entitled Selfie, with producer Sharon Liese. Cynthia was mentored by Academy Award-winning documentarian Barbara Kopple.
In addition, this past year Sundance Institute and Women In Film Los Angeles launched a Finance Forum in Los Angeles, where 68 female filmmakers with 58 industry advisors and guests participated. A second financing intensive will be presented in April 2014 in New York.
Sundance Institute and Women In Film Los Angeles also continued to meet with leading organizations working on gender in media. Allied Organizations involved in and lending counsel to the collaborative project include: AFI Conservatory; Alliance of Women Directors; Athena Film Festival; Chapman University; Chicken & Egg Pictures; Creative Capital; Film Independent; Fledgling Fund; Ford Foundation; Fusion Film Festival at Nyu; Gamechanger Films; Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media; Ifp; Ifp New York; Impact Partners Women's Fund; Loreen Arbus Foundation; Los Angeles Film Festival; Loyola Marymount University; Nyu; Paley Center for Media; Producers Guild of America; Reel Image Inc.; Tangerine; The Harnisch Foundation; Time Warner Foundation; UCLA; USC; USC/Annenberg; Writers Guild of America; Women and Hollywood; Women In Film Nywift; Women In Film; Wifv (DC); Women Make Movies; Women Moving Millions and Women's Media Center.
The Sundance Institute and Women In Film Los Angeles collaboration is supported by Dove, Norlien Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, The Gruber Family Foundation, J. Manus Foundation, Bhakti Chai, and The Harnisch Foundation.
New research shows Sundance Institute lab projects helmed by women succeed at just shy of equal rates as male-helmed projects in production and top festival exhibition. Collaborative initiative now includes deepened mentorship program, financing intensives, expanded network of allied organizations and updated research. Study conducted by Stacy L. Smith, Ph.D., Katherine Pieper, Ph.D. and Marc Choueiti at Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, University of Southern California.
At a gathering of filmmakers, producers and members of the film distribution industry, at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, Keri Putnam, Executive Director, Sundance Institute, and Cathy Schulman, President, Women In Film Los Angeles, announced significant growth of a collaborative initiative designed to achieve gender parity and sustainable careers for women working in filmed entertainment.
Recent expansions of the initiative, which launched two years ago, include a deepened mentorship program, new financing intensives, an expanded network of allied organizations and new and updated research, the results of which were also released today. The study was commissioned by Sundance Institute and Women In Film Los Angeles and was conducted by Stacy L. Smith, Ph.D., Katherine Pieper, Ph.D. and Marc Choueiti at Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, University of Southern California.
Putnam said, “Our collaborative initiative has furthered the dialogue around the importance of women behind the camera. We are grateful to the researchers and allied organizations in lending their analysis and expertise to help us identify the most productive next steps to address existing challenges.”
Schulman said of the results, “In terms of our committed course of change for women, this year's study is another invaluable tool in understanding how Sundance and Women In Film can help guide the industry to institutionalize permanent progress through our programs and collective influence."
The research documented the gender distribution of filmmakers participating in Sundance Institute Feature Film Program (Ffp) and Documentary Film Program (Dfp) Labs between 2002 and 2013 to determine how many emerging female writers, directors and producers receive critical artistic support as part of their filmmaking background, and how this may affect their careers and the pipeline overall. It also updated last year’s inaugural study by quantitatively examining the gender of 1,163 content creators (directors, writers, producers, cinematographers, and editors) across 82 U.S. films selected and screened at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. Lastly, the research delved deeper into the original qualitative interviews to further explore obstructions facing female directors and producers in the narrative space.
Key findings include:
Artist Support Through Sundance Institute Labs •Female storytellers compete and flourish at Sundance Institute labs. Of the 432 lab fellows between 2002 and 2013, 42.6% were female. Women comprised 39.3% of fellows in the Feature Film Program (Ffp) and 54.5% of fellows in the Documentary Film Program (Dfp).
•Sundance Institute Lab projects helmed by women succeed at just shy of equal rates as male-helmed projects in production and top festival exhibition. The percentage of Ffp lab projects completed did not vary by gender; roughly 41% of male-helmed and female-helmed projects were finished. 81.3% of all finished Ffp films went on to play at the top 10 festivals worldwide, and of these, no gender differences emerged.
Barriers Facing Female FilmmakersThe initial report revealed career obstacles that face female filmmakers, including gendered financial barriers, male-dominated industry networks, and stereotyping on set. We analyzed a subset of the original 51 interviews with industry thought leaders and seasoned content creators.
•When industry leaders think director, they think male. Traits were gathered from 34 narrative and documentary decision-makers and filmmakers. We explored whether attributes of successful directors reflect stereotypical characteristics of men or women. Nearly one-third of traits (32.1%) were coded as masculine and 19.3% feminine. Conceiving of the directing role in masculine terms may limit the extent to which different women are considered for the job.
•Putting female directors on studio lists is limited by stereotypes. A group of 12 individuals working in the narrative realm were asked specifically about hiring directors into top commercial jobs. Two-thirds (66.7%) indicated that there is a smaller pool of qualified female directors. Half mentioned that stereotypically male films (i.e., action, horror) may not appeal as job opportunities to female directors. These findings illustrate how a reliance on stereotypes creates decision-making biases that weaken women’s opportunities.
Updates To Last Year’S Study•Of the 1,163 content creators working behind the camera on 82 U.S. films at Sff in 2013, 28.9% were women and 71.1% were men. The presence of women differed by storytelling genre: 23.8% of content creators were women in narrative films whereas 40.4% were women in documentary films.
•2013 was an extraordinary year for women in documentary filmmaking at Sff. 42.2% of documentary directors and 49.2% of documentary producers were women at the 2013 Festival. Focusing on directors specifically by program category, 46.4% of U.S. documentary competition directors were female as were 30.8% of documentary premiere helmers.
•Female narrative directors saw gains and losses in 2013, but little overall change. For the first time, gender parity was achieved in U.S. dramatic competition movies in 2013 with 50% of all helmers being female. In contrast, only one of the 18 directors in the premieres section was a woman.
•Narrative directors at the 2013 Festival continued to outperform directors in the top 100 box office: Turning to the 100 top-grossing films of 2013, only 2 (1.9%) of the 108 helmers were female. This represents a 48.1% drop from the percentage of female directors in the Festival’s U.S. Dramatic Competition films.
•Examining female participation at the Festival as directors and producers from 2002 to 2013 revealed no meaningful change over time. Instead, the percentages of female participation often fluctuate but no continuous and sustained increases or decreases were observed across the 12 years. For dramatic features, females accounted for 24.4% of all competition helmers and 13.9% of all non-competition helmers. In documentaries, the percentage of female competition directors is 41.7% and 25% of non-competition helmers.From 2002-2013 17.1% of directors of U.S. narrative films and 35.3% of directors of U.S. documentary films at Sff were female.
This year’s mentorship fellows include Producer Brenda Coughlin (Dirty Wars), Director Marta Cunningham (Valentine Road), Director Mari Heller (Diary of a Teenage Girl), Director Shola Lynch (Free Angela and All Political Prisoners), Producer Jordana Mollick (Life Partners) and Producer Kim Sherman (A Teacher).
The Dove short film fellow is Cynthia Wade, who directed a short film entitled Selfie, with producer Sharon Liese. Cynthia was mentored by Academy Award-winning documentarian Barbara Kopple.
In addition, this past year Sundance Institute and Women In Film Los Angeles launched a Finance Forum in Los Angeles, where 68 female filmmakers with 58 industry advisors and guests participated. A second financing intensive will be presented in April 2014 in New York.
Sundance Institute and Women In Film Los Angeles also continued to meet with leading organizations working on gender in media. Allied Organizations involved in and lending counsel to the collaborative project include: AFI Conservatory; Alliance of Women Directors; Athena Film Festival; Chapman University; Chicken & Egg Pictures; Creative Capital; Film Independent; Fledgling Fund; Ford Foundation; Fusion Film Festival at Nyu; Gamechanger Films; Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media; Ifp; Ifp New York; Impact Partners Women's Fund; Loreen Arbus Foundation; Los Angeles Film Festival; Loyola Marymount University; Nyu; Paley Center for Media; Producers Guild of America; Reel Image Inc.; Tangerine; The Harnisch Foundation; Time Warner Foundation; UCLA; USC; USC/Annenberg; Writers Guild of America; Women and Hollywood; Women In Film Nywift; Women In Film; Wifv (DC); Women Make Movies; Women Moving Millions and Women's Media Center.
The Sundance Institute and Women In Film Los Angeles collaboration is supported by Dove, Norlien Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, The Gruber Family Foundation, J. Manus Foundation, Bhakti Chai, and The Harnisch Foundation.
- 1/22/2014
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
For those of you who've expressed that you're suffering from "black rom-com fatigue," here's another look at the upcoming psychological thriller, Repentance (previously titled Vipaka). It's been quite an active last 12 months for Jeff Clanagan and his CodeBlack Films, since the launch of 2012's partnership with Lionsgate (also a company that's been on a hit streak lately). On the heels of successful releases like Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain, George Tillman Jr.'s The Inevitable Defeat Of Mister And Pete, and Shola Lynch's Free Angela And All Political Prisoners, Codeblack picked up Us distribution rights to Forest Whitaker‘s thriller...
- 1/14/2014
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
I posted this back in June; and if you missed it before, here’s your chance to see it. And if you’ve seen it before, it’s definitely worth another look. And when you think about it, long extensive interviews with filmmakers on TV are a rare thing indeed.Back in May Free Angela and Free All Political Prisoners filmmaker Shola Lynch, who also directed the terrific 2004 Shirley Chisholm documentary, Chisholm '72 Unbought & Unbossed, did an hour-long interview on the C-span interview program, Q & A, hosted by C-span’s founder and former CEO Brian Lamb, about her films, her career and her life in general.Though filmmaker Zeinabu irene Davis did a fantastic interview with...
- 12/19/2013
- by Sergio
- ShadowAndAct
This is a tough awards season! Lots of great movies to see, so little time! I'm catching up like crazy before we vote for the Critics' Choice Movie Awards for the Broadcast Film Critics Association. So I apologize if I haven't updated you with the latest on the awards season 2013-2014! And there were many award-giving bodies announcing nominations.
We already told you about the Rome Film Festival and the Film Independent Spirit Awards, now let's talk about the 2013 Gotham Awards, the Ida Documentary Awards, the Cinema Eye, and the Producers Guild announcing its best documentary choices.
First stop, we have the 2013 Gotham Awards where Steve McQueen's "12 Years a Slave" topped the nominations with three nods including best feature, best actor for Chiwetel Ejiofor and breakthrough actor for Lupita Nyong'o.
Winners will be announced on Dec. 2nd where Richard Linklater, Forest Whitaker, and Katherine Oliver (head of the NYC...
We already told you about the Rome Film Festival and the Film Independent Spirit Awards, now let's talk about the 2013 Gotham Awards, the Ida Documentary Awards, the Cinema Eye, and the Producers Guild announcing its best documentary choices.
First stop, we have the 2013 Gotham Awards where Steve McQueen's "12 Years a Slave" topped the nominations with three nods including best feature, best actor for Chiwetel Ejiofor and breakthrough actor for Lupita Nyong'o.
Winners will be announced on Dec. 2nd where Richard Linklater, Forest Whitaker, and Katherine Oliver (head of the NYC...
- 12/2/2013
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
For our readers in the Philly area, an event you just might be interested in attending, taking place a week from today, Tuesday, November 26, 2013, from 5pm to 7pm...A Master Class given by Shola Lynch (Free Angela And All Political Prisoners, Chisholm '72: Unbought & Unbossed), titled "The Aesthetics of Archival Filmmaking." In this Master Class, Shola Lynch focuses on the techniques, approaches and aesthetics of archival filmmaking from concept to screen. Examples from Lynch’s documentaries including Chisholm '72 – Unbought & Unbossed, and the more recent Free Angela and All Political Prisoners will demonstrate her practice. The class will be...
- 11/26/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Finding the right archival material for your documentary can be an enormous and daunting undertaking -- one that, if you don't go about it the right way, may not pay off. Panelists on the "Dig Into Archives" panel at Doc NYC yesterday highlighted the most important things to keep in mind when researching and trying to secure the rights to archival material. The panelists included Frank Keraudren, co-director, "The Dog," Shola Lynch, director, "Free Angela and all Political Prisoners," Tom Jennings, director, "Mlk: The Assassination Tapes" and Scott Norman, content manager, NBC News Archives. Judith Aley, who has worked as an archival researcher on "When the Levees Broke," "Sicko" and "The Tillman Story," among other documentaries, moderated. "Free Angela Davis" tells the story of how Angela Davis' radical political stance wrongly implicated her in a kidnapping attempt and landed her on the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted" list. The final...
- 11/20/2013
- by Paula Bernstein
- Indiewire
For those of you who've expressed that you're suffering from "black rom-com fatigue," here's your first look at the first trailer for something that might be of interest. It's been quite an active last 12 months for Jeff Clanagan and his CodeBlack Films, since the launch of last year's partnership with Lionsgate (also a company that's been on a hit streak lately). On the heels of successful releases like Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain, George Tillman Jr.'s The Inevitable Defeat Of Mister And Pete, and Shola Lynch's Free Angela And All Political Prisoners, Codeblack picked up Us distribution rights to Forest Whitaker‘s thriller...
- 11/20/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Jessica Edwards recently published a book of essays she edited, where she asks documentary filmmakers to tell her something -- specifically, some words of advice for other documentary filmmakers. In this excerpt, direct cinema hero Albert Maysles shares his advice for other doc filmmakers. For more information and to buy a copy of the book, visit the book's website here, and if you're in New York this week, Edwards is hosting a panel with documentary filmmakers as a part of Doc NYC's Masterclass panels. Join her and filmmakers Amir Bar-Lev, Shola Lynch, Liz Garbus, Marshall Curry and Doug Block Wednesday at 3:30 Pm at the IFC Center for advice on how to make your film happen. More information on the panel can be found here. A documentary filmmaker needs to be patient and believe in the process of discovery. Orson Welles described the observational method of allowing things to happen on their own,...
- 11/18/2013
- by Albert Maysles
- Indiewire
Woefully underreported by major news outlets to date is the fact that this year, there are at least five feature documentaries directed by black women qualifying for Academy Award consideration, including Gideon's Army by Dawn Porter; Free Angela and All Political Prisoners by Shola Lynch; Valentine Road by Marta Cunningham; The New Black by Yoruba Richen; and American Promise by Michele Stephenson. I've written often here on S&A about the work being done in the documentary world and how it tends to fly under the radar. Even critically acclaimed docs tend to receive less attention,...
- 11/12/2013
- by Jai Tiggett
- ShadowAndAct
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