Theo Love's mesmerizing documentary Little Hope Was Arson is as evenhanded as it is unsettling. On the surface, it's the story of Jason Bourque and Daniel McAllister, two angry, drug-addled East Texas youths who, in 2010, felt betrayed by their religion and burned down 10 local churches. But Love neither condemns nor condones the boys' crimes (we don't even know if he thinks they truly deserve their quintuple life sentences, which seem awfully harsh). And, while capturing the variously inflammatory and despondent reactions of relatives and townsfolk, he ensures that no one else in this predominantly Southern Baptist community is cast as villainous or heroic. Even the most wrathful parishioners — some of whom want the boys killed — are somehow empatheti...
- 11/19/2014
- Village Voice
Trailers are an under-appreciated art form insofar that many times they’re seen as vehicles for showing footage, explaining films away, or showing their hand about what moviegoers can expect. Foreign, domestic, independent, big budget: What better way to hone your skills as a thoughtful moviegoer than by deconstructing these little pieces of advertising? This week […]
The post This Week In Trailers: Maidan, Layover, Little Hope Was Arson, Almost There, Happy Valley, Antartica: A Year On Ice appeared first on /Film.
The post This Week In Trailers: Maidan, Layover, Little Hope Was Arson, Almost There, Happy Valley, Antartica: A Year On Ice appeared first on /Film.
- 10/25/2014
- by Christopher Stipp
- Slash Film
"Jesus never tapped out" is a phrase you'll hear a few times in the documentary "Fight Church," and it's confirmation that Christianity has seeped into the mainstream—and vice versa. From arena-sized places of worship to faith-based box office hits to even modest churches boasting sound and light shows, being a Christian is practically cool, and with the addition of mixed martial arts, enticingly dangerous. Director Bryan Storkel has made the intersection of Christianity and offbeat niches something of a specialty, helming "Holy Rollers: The True Story Of Card Counting Christians" (review here) and producing the Bible Belt true crime tale "Little Hope Was Arson" (review here). While the films may walk in the realm of religion, they don't push an agenda, with the filmmaker seemingly genuinely fascinated by the contradictions of contemporary Christian life. That's true too of "Fight Church," co-directed by Oscar winner Daniel Junge,...
- 9/16/2014
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Here's the latest Austin and Texas film news.
Austin City Council unanimously approved a Creative Content Incentive Program late last week, a decision that's expected to increase Austin's advantage for bringing movie, television and digital media industry projects to the city with the goal of creating more employment opportunities. The program will be incentive based, with $250,000 set aside for this fiscal year.The PBS series Independent Lens will partner with movie and music distribution company The Orchard to distribute the East Texas-shot documentary Little Hope Was Arson (Elizabeth's interview), which played at Austin Film Festival 2013. The series will broadcast the movie this season, and The Orchard will release it theatrically in several markets as well as across all major digital outlets.Acquisition news continues: last year's SXSW world premiere, the dramedy Swim Little Fish Swim (Don's review) has been aquired for distribution in Brazil by Providence Filmes and for distribution in Greece by Mikrokosmos Entertainment.
Austin City Council unanimously approved a Creative Content Incentive Program late last week, a decision that's expected to increase Austin's advantage for bringing movie, television and digital media industry projects to the city with the goal of creating more employment opportunities. The program will be incentive based, with $250,000 set aside for this fiscal year.The PBS series Independent Lens will partner with movie and music distribution company The Orchard to distribute the East Texas-shot documentary Little Hope Was Arson (Elizabeth's interview), which played at Austin Film Festival 2013. The series will broadcast the movie this season, and The Orchard will release it theatrically in several markets as well as across all major digital outlets.Acquisition news continues: last year's SXSW world premiere, the dramedy Swim Little Fish Swim (Don's review) has been aquired for distribution in Brazil by Providence Filmes and for distribution in Greece by Mikrokosmos Entertainment.
- 5/19/2014
- by Jordan Gass-Poore'
- Slackerwood
Acclaimed at the 2014 Slamdance Festival, documentary "Little Hope was Arson" will air on PBS's weekly series Independent Lens and receive a theatrical treatment from film and music distributor The Orchard in the U.S. and Canada. This makes "Little Hope was Arson" the only Slamdance film to get picked up (at least so far). From first-time director Theo Love, producer Trenton Waterson and executive producer Bryan Storkel, who made waves with his film "Holy Rollers" in 2010, "Little Hope was Arson" documents the aftermath of the burning of ten churches in East Texas. The ensuing investigation is one of the most thorough and unorthodox the region has ever seen. The Orchard director of acquisitions Danielle Digiamoco said the film "transcends the boundaries of 'true crime documentary' to tell a layered story of faith, family, and forgiveness against the backdrop of the Bible Belt." Independent Lens will air the documentary during its 2014-2015 season.
- 5/15/2014
- by Brandon Latham
- Indiewire
Slamdance documentary Little Hope Was Arson will be distributed by PBS series Independent Lens in conjunction with film and music distributor The Orchard, the film’s producers announced (13).
Independent Lens acquired Us linear broadcast rights and will distribute the film on PBS during the 2014-2015 season. The Orchard holds all Us and Canadian rights outside of linear broadcast.
The documentary, directed by Theo Love, will be theatrically released in New York and Los Angeles and across all major digital outlets as part of The Orchard’s new festival documentary imprint Opus Docs.
“The Orchard is proud to add Little Hope Was Arson to our imprint of carefully curated, acclaimed festival documentaries, Opus Docs,” said Danielle Digiacomo, The Orchard’s head of documentary acquisitions, who negotiated the deal with Zac Bright and Kevin Iwashina of Preferred Content and Josh Braun and Ben Braun of Submarine for the filmmakers.
“It is a gripping, skilfully made film...
Independent Lens acquired Us linear broadcast rights and will distribute the film on PBS during the 2014-2015 season. The Orchard holds all Us and Canadian rights outside of linear broadcast.
The documentary, directed by Theo Love, will be theatrically released in New York and Los Angeles and across all major digital outlets as part of The Orchard’s new festival documentary imprint Opus Docs.
“The Orchard is proud to add Little Hope Was Arson to our imprint of carefully curated, acclaimed festival documentaries, Opus Docs,” said Danielle Digiacomo, The Orchard’s head of documentary acquisitions, who negotiated the deal with Zac Bright and Kevin Iwashina of Preferred Content and Josh Braun and Ben Braun of Submarine for the filmmakers.
“It is a gripping, skilfully made film...
- 5/14/2014
- ScreenDaily
"Jesus never tapped out" is a phrase you'll hear a few times in the documentary "Fight Church," and it's confirmation that Christianity has seeped into the mainstream—and vice versa. From arena-sized places of worship to faith-based box office hits to even modest churches boasting sound and light shows, being a Christian is practically cool, and with the addition of mixed martial arts, enticingly dangerous. And director Bryan Storkel has made the intersection of Christianity and offbeat niches something of a specialty, helming "Holy Rollers: The True Story Of Card Counting Christians" (review here) and producing the Bible Belt true crime account, "Little Hope Was Arson" (review here). And while the films may walk in the realm of religion, they don't push an agenda, with the filmmaker seemingly genuinely fascinated by the contradictions of contemporary Christian life. And that's true too of "Fight Church," co-directed by Oscar winner Daniel Junge,...
- 4/25/2014
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Little Hope Was Arson captures a small town ravaged by paranoia and fear, and families dealing with the guilt of their own relatives. Relying upon archival news footage to fill in some background regarding the church burnings, director Theo Love then interviews local townspeople to get a more personal interpretation of the events. Once the accused arsonists are revealed, the interviews get all the more interesting, culminating with prison interviews with the arsonists themselves. What is most chilling is the sheer callousness of the arsonists, offering no rhyme or reasons for their actions.
- 1/17/2014
- by Don Simpson
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
We are pleased to present the exclusive debut of the poster for Little Hope Was Arson, a documentary directed by Theo Love that will screen at the Slamdance Film Festival next week. January 2010: In the buckle of the Bible Belt, 10 churches burn to the ground igniting the largest criminal investigation in East Texas history. No stone is left unturned and even Satan himself is considered a suspect in this gripping investigation of a community terrorized from the inside-out. Families are torn apart and communities of faith struggle with forgiveness and justice in this incredible true story. You can inspect the full-sized poster below....
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 1/10/2014
- Screen Anarchy
Many filmmakers got their start on the independent film circuit.
So who will follow the greats such as Christopher Nolan (“The Dark Knight Rises”), Oren Peli (“Paranormal Activity”), Marc Forster (“World War Z”) and Jared Hess (“Napoleon Dynamite”)?
The Slamdance Film Festival announced their lineup for the Narrative and Documentary Feature Film Competition after receiving over 5,000 submissions this year.
All of the competing films are directorial debuts with less than $1 million and without Us distribution. The films include 11 world premieres, 4 North American premieres and one Us premiere.
The 2014 Slamdance Film Festival will take place January 17-23in Park City, Utah at the Treasure Mountain Inn, 255 Main Street.
Here’s the lineup:
Narrative Features Program
Copenhagen – Director & Screenwriter: Mark Raso
(USA, Canada, Denmark) World Premiere
A charming scoundrel visiting the city of his father’s birth, William is drawn to his impromptu guide Effy – wise, spontaneous, and half his age.
Cast: Gethin Anthony,...
So who will follow the greats such as Christopher Nolan (“The Dark Knight Rises”), Oren Peli (“Paranormal Activity”), Marc Forster (“World War Z”) and Jared Hess (“Napoleon Dynamite”)?
The Slamdance Film Festival announced their lineup for the Narrative and Documentary Feature Film Competition after receiving over 5,000 submissions this year.
All of the competing films are directorial debuts with less than $1 million and without Us distribution. The films include 11 world premieres, 4 North American premieres and one Us premiere.
The 2014 Slamdance Film Festival will take place January 17-23in Park City, Utah at the Treasure Mountain Inn, 255 Main Street.
Here’s the lineup:
Narrative Features Program
Copenhagen – Director & Screenwriter: Mark Raso
(USA, Canada, Denmark) World Premiere
A charming scoundrel visiting the city of his father’s birth, William is drawn to his impromptu guide Effy – wise, spontaneous, and half his age.
Cast: Gethin Anthony,...
- 12/3/2013
- by Gig Patta
- LRMonline.com
Top brass at the upcoming 20th Slamdance Film Festival have revealed their narrative feature and documentary line-up, one day before the first programme announcements are due from Park City neighbour Sundance.
There are 10 narrative and eight documentary films including 11 world premieres, four North American and one Us.
Festival organisers sorted through more than 5,000 submissions to find the 18 titles, all of which are feature directorial debuts budgeted at under $1m and without Us distribution.
Jury awards are presented to feature films in both categories and all films are eligible for the Spirit Of Slamdance Award judged by the film-makers themselves. The festival also presents Audience Awards.
“The 2014 Feature Competition bristles with raw talent and innovative filmmaking,” said Slamdance president and co-founder Peter Baxter. “As an organisation run by film-makers for film-makers, we couldn’t imagine a truer way of representing the first 20 years and beginning our next.”
The 2014 Slamdance Film Festival will run concurrently with the Sundance Film Festival...
There are 10 narrative and eight documentary films including 11 world premieres, four North American and one Us.
Festival organisers sorted through more than 5,000 submissions to find the 18 titles, all of which are feature directorial debuts budgeted at under $1m and without Us distribution.
Jury awards are presented to feature films in both categories and all films are eligible for the Spirit Of Slamdance Award judged by the film-makers themselves. The festival also presents Audience Awards.
“The 2014 Feature Competition bristles with raw talent and innovative filmmaking,” said Slamdance president and co-founder Peter Baxter. “As an organisation run by film-makers for film-makers, we couldn’t imagine a truer way of representing the first 20 years and beginning our next.”
The 2014 Slamdance Film Festival will run concurrently with the Sundance Film Festival...
- 12/3/2013
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The Lone Star Film Festival kicks off tonight in Fort Worth, and it will live up to its name with a number of Austin and Texas selections, as well as some honored guests. The festival runs through Sunday, November 10.
The Austin Chronicle co-founder and SXSW director Louis Black, musician and actor Lyle Lovett and Fort Worth businessman Stephen Murrin, Jr. will be honored tomorrow for their role in film and the arts at the Fort Worth Club. In addition, the following movies all have Austin or Lone Star connections:
Bob Birdnow's Remarkable Tale of Human Survival and the Transcendence of Self, about two friends who reunite at a conference, just won the Ron Tibbett Excellence in Filmmaking Award at this year's Memphis Indie fest. Writer/director Eric Steele and producer Adam Donaghey are owners of the Texas Theatre in Oak Cliff, Texas. Donaghey also produced Lsff selection Little Hope Was Arson.
The Austin Chronicle co-founder and SXSW director Louis Black, musician and actor Lyle Lovett and Fort Worth businessman Stephen Murrin, Jr. will be honored tomorrow for their role in film and the arts at the Fort Worth Club. In addition, the following movies all have Austin or Lone Star connections:
Bob Birdnow's Remarkable Tale of Human Survival and the Transcendence of Self, about two friends who reunite at a conference, just won the Ron Tibbett Excellence in Filmmaking Award at this year's Memphis Indie fest. Writer/director Eric Steele and producer Adam Donaghey are owners of the Texas Theatre in Oak Cliff, Texas. Donaghey also produced Lsff selection Little Hope Was Arson.
- 11/7/2013
- by Jordan Gass-Poore'
- Slackerwood
Making its Texas premiere at this week's Austin Film Festival is the debut documentary from Theo Love, Little Hope Was Arson. Love's film takes a close look at the string of fires set at East Texas churches a few years ago, talking to some of the communities affected by the arsons as well as the perpetrators of the destruction.
I conducted an interview with the director via email in the midst of his preparation for the festival.
Slackerwood: What drew you to the subject matter of the 2010 church fires in East Texas? Do you have ties to Texas?
Theo Love: I first learned about the story through an article in a Texas Monthly magazine two years after the events took place. I don't think I read more than two paragraphs before I knew that I had to make this into a movie.
I grew up as the son of missionaries in Southeast Asia,...
I conducted an interview with the director via email in the midst of his preparation for the festival.
Slackerwood: What drew you to the subject matter of the 2010 church fires in East Texas? Do you have ties to Texas?
Theo Love: I first learned about the story through an article in a Texas Monthly magazine two years after the events took place. I don't think I read more than two paragraphs before I knew that I had to make this into a movie.
I grew up as the son of missionaries in Southeast Asia,...
- 10/24/2013
- by Elizabeth Stoddard
- Slackerwood
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.