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Should Documentary Filmmakers Make Radio Shows Instead?: 10 Things We Learned from Ira Glass at Sheffield Doc/Fest
57 minutes ago
Ira Glass, perhaps America's most popular radio journalist currently on the air, is the man behind "This American Life." The show is broadcast on over 500 public radio stations weekly and the show is often the United States' most downloaded podcast any certain week. He's been in the news recently because of a story he ran from a professional storyteller about a visit to Foxconn that turned out not to be actually true. They ran a redaction of that story. That episode was embarrassing, and now the show hires outside fact checkers. They've also made a real impact with shows like a report on the actions of a judge gone rogue in Georgia. Glass came to Sheffield, England this past weekend, in part to recruit some documentary storytellers from the capable field of filmmakers gathered for Sheffield Doc/Fest. He also gave a rousing presentation that explained how he approaches the show and, »
- Bryce J. Renninger
Watch: Anna Faris and Simon Baker Try to Break Up a Marriage in 'I Give It a Year' Trailer
1 hour ago
Long ago, in a galaxy very, very close by, Anna Faris was a rising star. She was a new hope for comedy fans and started a spoof empire with the original "Scary Movie." No, she was never in "Star Wars," but Faris did appear in "Lost in Translation," "Brokeback Mountain," and had a memorable arc in the last few seasons of "Friends." She even turned "The House Bunny" into a surprise hit in 2009. Then the dark side, er, days arrived as Faris unleashed "What's Your Number," "Yogi Bear," and "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel" & "Chipwrecked." Ever since she and her fans have been waiting for the return of early Faris. Could "I Give It a Year" be that return? The British production played at the SXSW Film Festival this past March and has apparently earned favor from the men's magazine GQ, at least according to the newest trailer. The »
- Ben Travers
Que(e)ries: Considering How Gay Isn't Simply 'The New Black' in Yoruba Richen's Imperative New Doc
1 hour ago
As the Lgbt rights movement moved to the clear forefront of the mainstream civil rights discussion in the United States, numerous media organizations were quick to reduce it to a loaded question: "Is gay the new black?" I'll admit that when I first heard of it simply by name, I assumed that the new documentary -- "The New Black" -- was a film about answering that rather annoying proposal. But, thankfully, it does far more than that. Premiering this past weekend at the Los Angeles Film Festival (before heading to the Human Rights Watch Film Festival in New York tonight and AFI Docs and Frameline next week), Yoruba Richen's film makes it clear that the relationship between the African-American civil rights and the Lgbt rights movements is extraordinarily complex, both comparatively and intersectionally. Whether "gay is the new black" is not Richen's focus, and her film makes it clear »
- Peter Knegt
Trailer of the Week: See Why Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley Won Sundance Acting Honors in 'The Spectacular Now' Trailer
2 hours ago
Before, We Thought: "The Spectacular Now," James Ponsoldt's follow-up to "Smashed," emerged as one of the most acclaimed titles to play at this year's Sundance Film Festival, where it nabbed an acting award shared by both of the film's lead stars, Shailene Woodley and Miles Teller, and a hot buyer in A24 Pictures, the company responsible for releasing the similarly teen-centric indies "Spring Breakers" and "The Bling Ring." And Now? From the looks of the just-released trailer, "The Spectacular Now" has all the makings of a John Hughes coming-of-age charmer with a dose of realism rarely seen in the teen genre and wholly welcome. For more indie film trailers check out Indiewire's trailer page, sponsored by Sony Pictures Classics. Teller looks to give a breakthrough performance as a troubled class clown whose life is turned upside down when he falls for a charming fellow high school student (Woodley) with »
- Nigel M Smith
Indiewire Influencers Video: Vimeo Heads Reveal How They Work and Discuss the Future of Their Company
3 hours ago
As part of the 2013 Indiewire Influencers series, we shot behind-the-scenes footage of our subjects' photo shoots inside the Film Society of Lincoln Center. Each day we will release a new video focusing on one of the 40 people or companies we see influencing the independent film world right now. Today, we take a look at Vimeo, a popular streaming service used by filmmakers to view, rent, and sell their films online. President Dae Mellancamp, CEO Kerry Trainor, and Film+Video Creative Director Jeremy Boxer discuss the recently revolutionized screening process, the future of their company, and how Vimeo works with brands to create content viewers may actually enjoy. Read more about the innovative company at their profile page, and check out the video below. »
- Indiewire
'20 Feet From Stardom' Rising Star Judith Hill On Singing With Michael Jackson and Her Whirlwind Experience on NBC's 'The Voice'
3 hours ago
Morgan Neville's moving tribute to background singers, the documentary "20 Feet From Stardom," opened last Friday in select theaters and in turn brought a lot of overdue attention to the artists profiled in the film. While audiences for the most part are likely unfamiliar with the majority of singers that populate Neville's film, anyone who watches NBC's hit show "The Voice," will no doubt recognize one of the film's key players, aspiring solo star and background vocalist Judith Hill. A contestant from this season of "The Voice" (in a surprising upset she was eliminated in May), Hill endeared herself to the masses thanks to her powerhouse vocals, genuine likeability and unrelenting drive. And unlike many on the show, she came with to the competition with experience -- Hill was slated to duet with Michael Jackson on his "This Is It" worldwide tour before his death; after his passing she sang at his memorial service. »
- Nigel M Smith
Project of the Day: A Young Mother Struggles to Keep Her Family Afloat
3 hours ago
Here's your daily dose of an indie film in progress; at the end of the week, you'll have the chance to vote for your favorite. In the meantime: Is this a movie you’d want to see? Tell us in the comments. "Bug People" Tweetable Logline: A young mother struggles to keep her family afloat after her husband suffers a fatal heart attack while swimming with their son. Elevator Pitch: Bug People is a heartfelt, intimate drama that explores themes of loss and family in a rural lakeside community off the Appalachian Trail. It follows a family as they try to grapple with the death of their father and husband (a bug exterminator), while having to quickly adapt in order to stay afloat. Each character in this multifaceted narrative faces unique challenges: June, the mother, is unemployable, her teenage daughter Dani must work at a wallpaper factory to make ends meet, »
- Indiewire
Queue It Up: The Top 9 Canceled-Too-Soon Sci-Fi Shows On Netflix
4 hours ago
Any true TV fan has a list of series that were canceled far too soon, ready to recite at the mere mention of "Arrested Development"'s rabid fan base. And if you’re science fiction fan, then your list if probably twice as long. They may not all be able to get a second life, but at least with Netflix we can relive what made these shows so great and remind ourselves of all the unfinished plotlines that left us so incredibly frustrated. Whether they were too smart for their own good or were just severely misunderstood by their networks, these nine series are all worth a watch. "Futurama" With the recent news of Comedy Central’s decision to pull the plug on this Matt Groening underdog, it seems only fair to start our list off with "Futurama." If you don’t already know, the animated series follows the adventures of Fry, »
- Arielle Baer
Meet the 2013 Rooftop Filmmakers #7: Matt Johnson Blurs the Line Between Fiction and Reality in 'The Dirties'
20 hours ago
Matt Johnson is a film student from Toronto. Prior to making "The Dirties," he made a webshow called "Nirvana The Band The Show" alongside the same group of collaborators. In addition to directing "The Dirties," Johnson also stars as a bullied, filmmaking teen. What it's about: Two best friends are making an insane action movie about killing all the bullies in their school. When the idea comes up to actually kill their tormentors the line between fiction and reality starts to bend and twist. On the challenges: "Finding the money to make a film that seems so tasteless on paper. We ended up shooting it with 1/10th our intended budget and had to improvise every level of production." What's next: "We're making another fake doc about the Apollo missions in the 1960s." Indiewire invited Rooftop Films 2013 Summer Series directors to tell us about their films, including the challenges they faced and what they're doing next. »
- Indiewire
Meet the 2013 Rooftop Filmmakers #8: Casimir Nozkowski Parts With His Comic Book Past in 'Childhood Sale'
20 hours ago
Casimir Nozkowski is a writer/director and the co-founder of the Internets Celebrities, an injustice-exposing documentary group. He also sits on Rooftop Films' board of directors. His work has been featured in the New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, the Av Club, and on the Brian Lehrer Show, to name a few. Nozkowski's recent work includes the short, "Andrew Sarris: Critic in Focus" which premiered at the 2011 Telluride Film Festival and screened at Moma in September 2012 and the short "Caffe Capri," which screened at the 2013 Brooklyn Film Festival. He also writes and produces promotion for "Mad Men" and "Breaking Bad." What it's about: I collected comics when I was a kid. And I had a lot. When circumstances forced me to liquidate my collection, my only question was how. Ebay: too much trouble. Throwing them out: too sad. An epic stoop sale that I could film? Just right. On the challenges: »
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Watch Joe Manganiello Dish on New 'True Blood' Season and How He Almost Played Superman in 'Man of Steel'
21 hours ago
Joe Manganiello went on Dailymotion's always-entertaining series "Profound Minutiae" with Anthony Layser to talk about his role on "True Blood," with a lot of detours along the way. The "actor, wolf person, and pride of Pittsburgh, Pa" started off with a tangent on the dynamics of differentiating the werewolf from the vampire after "Twilight" rather indelicately muddled their mythologies. The two continue their deadpan and sometimes Nsfw banter with an in-depth conversation on Arnold Schwartzenegger. Manganiello also revealed that he almost screen-tested for "Man of Steel" (they even started making his suit!), but his "True Blood" duties ultimately got in the way of pursuing it. Stay tuned for tips on how to look like Manganiello, who appears to be allergic to shirts. Watch the video, exclusive to Indiewire, below: »
- Madeline Raynor
Attention Filmmakers: Here's How to Use Moby's Music For Free in Your Films
21 hours ago
Seminal DJ and electronic musician Moby has been making music for decades, beginning with his first solo release in 1991. Since then, Moby has also been vocal about his advocacy for various causes, including The Humane Society, Songs for Tibet, and MoveOn.org. Moby is continuing to combine his love of music and charitable causes by promoting his project Mobygratis. With a website that describes itself as "music for independent filmmakers," the site is a resource for film students and independent and non-profit filmmakers seeking free music for their films. Moby ensures that even if the music is used for commercial films, he gets none of the proceeds; instead, all profits go towards The Humane Society. Mobygratis has a catalog of over 150 tracks by Moby that cover a wide breadth of styles and tempos. You can watch the video below for more info. »
- Julia Selinger
'The Impossible' Filmmaker Juan Antonio Bayona Will Direct the First Two Episodes of Showtime's 'Penny Dreadful'
22 hours ago
"Penny Dreadful," Showtime's upcoming "psychosexual horror series" executive produced by Sam Mendes ("American Beauty") has snagged an impressive director for its first two episodes. Spanish filmmaker Juan Antonio Bayona ("The Impossible") will helm the first two of the eight installments in the season, which will begin shooting in London in the fall.Created, written and executive produced by John Logan ("Hugo," "Skyfall," "Noah"), "Penny Dreadful" weaves together the origin stories of three iconic literary characters -- Dr. Frankenstein and his creature, Dorian Gray and figures from "Dracula" -- in Victorian London. The series will be Logan and Mendes' first collaboration for the small screen (Mendes Ep'd "The Hollow Crown," a new adaptation of Shakespeare's "Henriad," for BBC last year). It will be produced by Mendes' Neal Street Productions.While disaster film "The Impossible" was certainly wrenching, Bayona also has experience directing literary-inflected »
- Alison Willmore
Sundance Selects Acquires Hilla Medalia's Dance Documentary 'Dancing in Jaffa'
23 hours ago
Sundance Selects has acquired North American rights to Hilla Medalia's documentary "Dancing in Jaffa," which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film follows ballroom dancer Pierre Dulaine as he returns to his hometown Jaffa, Israel expecting his old home but greeted by new racial animosity. A firm believer that dance can build self-esteem and social awareness, Dulaine brings his popular Dancing Classrooms program to 5 ethnically diverse Jaffa schools. Dulaine sends the best children to a dance competition, boldly pairing Palestinian and Jewish children and challenging the children's and their family's beliefs. Jonathan Sehring, President of Sundance Selects/IFC Films, said: "Hilla Medalia has created a moving film that highlights the power of dance to unite even the most divided of worlds. We expect this film to be talked about well beyond the dance community since it has such a powerful global message." Sundance Selects has a history of championing dance. »
- Madeline Raynor
Is the Film Industry 'Imploding'? Indiewire's Influencers Respond
23 hours ago
For the occasion of the first Indiewire Influencers list, a survey of 40 people and companies impacting the direction of the film industry, the Los Angeles Film Festival hosted a panel in downtown Los Angeles on Monday night sponsored by Directv and Loyola Marymount University - Los Angeles featuring several people from the list. The hour-long conversation opened with a recent news hook: A recent statement made by Steven Spielberg, during an appearance at USC, that the film industry is on the verge of implosion. With panelists currently embroiled in the process of addressing changes to the marketplace of independent film, the reactions to this statement revolved less around the veracity of Spielberg's statement and instead focused on what kinds of models may come next. Read More: The 2013 Indiewire Influencers Indiewire editor-in-chief Dana Harris moderated the discussion, which featured innovators from across the landscape of independent film production and distribution (click. »
- Eric Kohn
Project of the Day: SciFi Thriller Opens Up 70 Year Old Mystery
23 hours ago
Here's your daily dose of an indie film in progress; at the end of the week, you'll have the chance to vote for your favorite. In the meantime: Is this a movie you’d want to see? Tell us in the comments. "Subconscious" Tweetable Logline: SciFi Suspense/thriller Peters compelling story to find the truth behind the 70 yr old mystery of his Grandfather and a Ww II submarine Elevator Pitch: When the Dept of the Navy allows Peter Williams to board a locked down and classified World War II submarine, Peter and his team discover that this story goes deeper than anyone ever imagined. Once on board, they become trapped by the haunted boat itself. The boat comes to life, and into a pitched battle in 1943 with a German U-boat and a Us Navy Destroyer. With the fate of Peter, his crew, the USS Lionfish, and the outcome of World »
- Indiewire
Watch: Ryan Gosling Proves to Be a 'Very Dangerous Boy' in Heart-thumping New 'Only God Forgives' Trailer
18 June 2013 10:52 AM, PDT
The latest trailer for "Only God Forgives," written and directed by Nicholas Winding Refn ("Drive"), offers us a closer look at Julian (Ryan Gosling), the son of a criminal family who seeks revenge for the murder of his brother. His formidable, bloodthirsty mother (Kristin Scott Thomas) demands that the neglected Julian avenge her favorite son by bringing her the killer's head on a silver platter. Take a peek into the dark, tense world of the Bangkok underground, with a pulsing soundscape from Cliff Martinez, in the new trailer below. "Only God Forgives" hits theaters on July 19. Read Indiewire's review of the film from Cannes. »
- Madeline Raynor
Watch: Espn Kicks Off Female-Centric Sports Doc Series 'Nine for IX' With Award-Winning Digital Short 'Coach'
18 June 2013 9:17 AM, PDT
Espn's "Nine for IX" documentary series, a women-centric answer to "30 for 30," will air every Tuesday night on the network at 8pm Et in July and August, kicking off July 2nd with Ava DuVernay's "Venus Vs.," about tennis player Venus Williams. The rest of the schedule: "Pat Xo" (7/9), "Let Them Wear Towels" (7/16), "No Limits" (7/23), "Swoopes" (7/30), "The Diplomat" (8/6), "Runner" (8/13), "The '99ers" (8/20) and "Branded" (8/27). The films aren't only all about female sports figures, they're all directed by female filmmakers, including documentarian duos Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern and Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady. Ahead of the TV premieres, Espn has released a "Nine for IX" short online, below. Directed by Bess Kargman ("First Position") and executive produced by Whoopi Goldberg, "Coach" is a profile of C. Vivian Stringer, one of the most prolific coaches in the history of college basketball. It won best documentary short at Tribeca earlier this year. »
- Alison Willmore
Exclusive: Watch Nicole Kidman Discuss Working With Park Chan-wook in 'Stoker' DVD Extra
18 June 2013 9:00 AM, PDT
"Stoker," the English-language debut from South Korean director Park Chan-wook, is out on Blu-ray and DVD today. The film tells the disturbing tale of a mysterious uncle who infiltrates a small-town family after the father's recent death in a freak car accident. Read More: What to Buy/Rent This Week on DVD/Blu-ray Indiewire has an exclusive peek at a featurette on Chan-wook's process, that comes as an extra on DVD/Blu-ray. Watch Nicole Kidman, Mia Wasikowska, and more talk about what it was like to import the foreign director's style to America and the challenges of working with a Korean-speaking director. »
- Madeline Raynor
'The Attack' Director Ziad Doueiri Shares an Exclusive Scene From His Intense Drama, Based on the Best-Selling Novel by Yasmina Khadra
18 June 2013 8:47 AM, PDT
Winner of two awards at San Sebastian, Ziad Doueiri's "The Attack," based on the bestselling novel by Yasmina Khadra, opens in theaters on June 21 from Cohen Media Group. Below, Doueiri shares one of his favorite sequences from the film. Official synopsis per Cohen Media: Amin Jaafari is an Israeli Palestinian surgeon, fully assimilated into Tel Aviv society. He has a loving wife, an exemplary career, and many Jewish friends. But his picture perfect life is turned upside down when a suicide bombing in a restaurant leaves nineteen dead, and the Israeli police inform him that his wife Sihem, who also died in the explosion, was responsible. Convinced of her innocence, Amin abandons the relative security of his adopted homeland and enters the Palestinian territories in pursuit of the truth. Once there, he finds himself in ever more dangerous places and situations. Determined, he presses on seeking answers to questions he never thought he. »
- Ziad Doueiri
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