Telluride Review: Brie Larson is a Revelation Alongside Stunning Newcomer Jacob Tremblay in 'Room' Aspen FilmFest closed on September 30 after showcasing 23 narrative and documentary films from around the world, giving one Audience Award for each category. The Narrative Award went to "Room," giving the film another festival win ahead of its October 16 release. Starring Brie Larson and outstanding newcomer Jacob Tremblay, the drama is an unexpectedly tender exploration of the boundless love between a mother and child under the most harrowing of circumstances. "Room" won the People's Choice Award at Tiff last month. In the documentary category, "Romeo is Bleeding" took home the top prize. The debut film from director Jason Zeldes, the doc is about a young poet and activist in Richmond, CA. The official festival synopsis reads: "Donté Clark is on a mission to combat his hometown's gang violence with poetry. As Clark and his...
- 10/2/2015
- by Wil Barlow
- Indiewire
"Violence is beyond flesh, it's spiritual."- Donté Clark Most people are first introduced to Shakespeare in high school. As teenagers, we sat hunched over our desks trying to make sense of 16th century prose. More often than not, it felt like a bunch of archaic language mixed in with some incomprehensible jargon, until we were finally able to grasp the stories and the nature of the words.Jason Zeldes’ “Romeo Is Bleeding” is the story of Donté Clark, a young educator, activist, poet and resident of Richmond, California. After rereading Shakespeare’s “Romeo + Juliet”, Clark...
- 9/28/2015
- by Aramide A Tinubu
- ShadowAndAct
Read More: San Francisco Film Society Announces Winners of 2014 Documentary Film Fund Jason Zeldes' documentary "Romeo Is Bleeding" has won top prizes from the San Francisco and Seattle International Film Festivals, and recently screened to acclaim for Rooftop Films. The film is a visualization of spoken word poet Donté Clark's "Romeo and Juliet" adaptation. As the "Romeo Is Bleeding" official synopsis reads: "Like a modern day Verona, Richmond, CA stands divided between two warring factions. Instead of Capulets and Montagues, the feud exists between North and Central Richmond. Amongst the tension stands a young poet named Donté Clark. Armed with passion and intellect he survives the madness of the cities' violence and revenge (all over dispute few can remember) with words." In an exclusive new video, you can get a taste of Clark's unique power as a linguist and a performer. Following the recent "Romeo Is...
- 7/22/2015
- by David Canfield
- Indiewire
An editor on Oscar winner "20 Feet from Stardom," rookie director Jason Zeldes' debut doc "Romeo Is Bleeding" shadows Richmond-based poet and activist Donté Clark as he fights to heal a community ravaged by violence. Here's the synopsis: With the help of teacher/mentor Molly Raynor, Clark collaborates with youth at Raw (Richmond Artists With) Talent to adapt Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet to modern-day Richmond, CA. Instead of Verona and Mantua, Te’s Harmony unfolds in Central and North Richmond and tells a tale of love, revenge and murder amid poverty and family disintegration, with the lines delivered in slang-filled iambic pentameter and hip-hop metaphors. Occasionally, the new script incorporates Shakespeare’s words, adding an extra layer of meaning. The film features interviews with the budding writers of Raw Talent and residents of Richmond, which isn't far from where Bart passenger Oscar Grant was shot by a police officer on New Year's.
- 4/14/2015
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
On the heels of the 39th edition of the Toronto Int. Film Festival (Sept 4-14), Ifp’s Independent Film Week is where a plethora of fiction, non-fiction and new this year, web-based series from the likes of Desiree Akhavan and Calvin Reeder find future coin. Sectioned off as projects at the very beginning of financing to those that are nearing completion, there happens to be tons of Sundance alumni in the names below. Among those that caught our attention we have Medicine for Melancholy‘s Barry Jenkins’ sophomore feature, produced by Bad Milo!‘s Adele Romanski, Moonlight is about “two Miami boys navigate the temptations of the drug trade and their burgeoning sexuality in this triptych drama about black queer youth”. Concussion‘s Stacie Passon digs into the thriller genre with Strange Things Started Happening. Produced by vet Mary Jane Skalski (Mysterious Skin), this is about “a woman who has...
- 7/24/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Earlier today the San Francisco Film Society (Sffs) announced the three winners for their 2014 Documentary Film Fund. Over $75,000 in prizes were awarded to the winners' for their feature-length documentaries, all in post-production. The prize is given to innovative filmmakers working on nonfiction documentary films. This year's winners are (descriptions provided by Ssfs): Moby Longinotto's "The Joneses" -- "The Joneses" is a portrait of Jheri, a 73-year-old transgender trailer park matriarch, who lives in bible belt Mississippi. Reconciled with her family after years of estrangement, and now living with two of her sons, Jheri embarks on a new path to reveal her true self to her grandchildren. Will their family bonds survive? -- $30,627 Jason Zeldes' "Romeo Is Bleeding" -- Donte Clark's poetic voice was honed on the violent street corners of a struggling city. Yet rather than succumb to the pressures of Richmond, CA, Clark uses his artistic.
- 4/9/2014
- by Eric Eidelstein
- Indiewire
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