A Love Song(the much traveled and critically acclaimed Sundance 2022 title) filmmaker Max Walker-Silverman is back in his home state of Colorado for round two. Production on his currently untitled project (coined as a rebuilding project) is set with producers Dan Janvey (won Oscar for Nomadland), Paul Mezey and Jesse Hope. Hope and Janvey were producers on his debut film. Here is the logline, we’ll try to find out who will be cast in the lead roles.
After losing the old family ranch to a wildfire, a cowboy, Dusty, winds up in a small Fema camp in the vast American West.…...
After losing the old family ranch to a wildfire, a cowboy, Dusty, winds up in a small Fema camp in the vast American West.…...
- 7/31/2023
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
The Sands International Film Festival of St Andrews has set Stanley Tucci as a special guest for this year’s edition, where he will present a screening of his 1996 culinary comedy Big Night.
The film will screen at the festival on April 15 at the Byre Theatre. The screening will be followed by an on-stage conversation between Tucci and writer-director Joe Russo (Avengers Endgame). Russo’s Agbo label is among the backers of Sands.
Set in 1950s New Jersey, the pic follows two brothers who run an Italian restaurant. Business is not going well as a rival Italian restaurant is out-competing them. In a final effort to save the restaurant, the brothers plan to put on an evening of incredible food.
Tucci co-wrote the screenplay for Big Night with his cousin Joseph Tropiano and co-directed with fellow actor Campbell Scott (Jurassic World: Dominion). He also stars in the pic, which debuted at Sundance.
The film will screen at the festival on April 15 at the Byre Theatre. The screening will be followed by an on-stage conversation between Tucci and writer-director Joe Russo (Avengers Endgame). Russo’s Agbo label is among the backers of Sands.
Set in 1950s New Jersey, the pic follows two brothers who run an Italian restaurant. Business is not going well as a rival Italian restaurant is out-competing them. In a final effort to save the restaurant, the brothers plan to put on an evening of incredible food.
Tucci co-wrote the screenplay for Big Night with his cousin Joseph Tropiano and co-directed with fellow actor Campbell Scott (Jurassic World: Dominion). He also stars in the pic, which debuted at Sundance.
- 3/31/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: The Sands: International Film Festival of St Andrews, held in northern Scotland, has set the lineup for its second edition, running April 14 – 16.
Over the course of three days, the festival will host a series of official screenings and industry talks from filmmakers and artists such as director Joe Russo, who returns to St Andrews after supporting the inaugural edition in 2022.
Russo will be bringing with him what the festival has described as an “early sneak peek of a hotly anticipated project” that he has executive produced under his Agbo production outfit. The title of the pic will not be unveiled until the screening begins.
The festival has also set Russo as the host of a public discussion on gaming and contemporary storytelling with Epic Games Chief Creative Officer Donald Mustard, who has worked as a creator and director on titles such as Fortnite.
Russo...
Over the course of three days, the festival will host a series of official screenings and industry talks from filmmakers and artists such as director Joe Russo, who returns to St Andrews after supporting the inaugural edition in 2022.
Russo will be bringing with him what the festival has described as an “early sneak peek of a hotly anticipated project” that he has executive produced under his Agbo production outfit. The title of the pic will not be unveiled until the screening begins.
The festival has also set Russo as the host of a public discussion on gaming and contemporary storytelling with Epic Games Chief Creative Officer Donald Mustard, who has worked as a creator and director on titles such as Fortnite.
Russo...
- 3/17/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
The 2023 Oscars hit almost all the right notes, with Jimmy Kimmel doing a terrific job of hosting, starting with a monologue that acknowledged last year’s slap heard around the world. Kimmel used his opening bit to point out there are 16 first-time acting nominees, including two from Encino Man – Brendan Fraser and Ke Huy Quan.
Kimmel poked fun at Babylon for being a bust at the box office and noted Batgirl is the first superhero to be defeated by an accounting department. He also confirmed James Cameron declined his invitation, joking that you know a show is too long when even Cameron can’t sit through it.
“Some of the critics are saying Jim Cameron isn’t here because he didn’t get a ‘Best Director’ nomination. And, well, I find that very hard to believe about a man of such deep humility. He does have a point. I mean,...
Kimmel poked fun at Babylon for being a bust at the box office and noted Batgirl is the first superhero to be defeated by an accounting department. He also confirmed James Cameron declined his invitation, joking that you know a show is too long when even Cameron can’t sit through it.
“Some of the critics are saying Jim Cameron isn’t here because he didn’t get a ‘Best Director’ nomination. And, well, I find that very hard to believe about a man of such deep humility. He does have a point. I mean,...
- 3/13/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
It turned out that “Everything Everywhere All at Once” was pretty much everything to every Oscar voter. Of its 11 nominations, it won seven, including the big one: Best Picture. The last Best Picture winner to win that many statuettes was “Gravity” in 2014.
“Eeaao” started off strong when Ke Huy Quan won Best Supporting Actor. Then Jamie Lee Curtis nabbed Best Supporting Actress and, later in the evening, the Daniels took home Best Original Screenplay. By the time it won Film Editing, the seemingly unstoppable breakout hit‘s momentum was undeniable. It then went on to triumph in Best Director, Best Actress and finally, Best Picture.
Much of the evening went according to Steve Pond‘s predictions in his final analysis of the race. “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” won Best Animated Feature, the first award of the night, and “Navalny” won Best Documentary. During his acceptance speech, “Navalny” director Daniel Roher...
“Eeaao” started off strong when Ke Huy Quan won Best Supporting Actor. Then Jamie Lee Curtis nabbed Best Supporting Actress and, later in the evening, the Daniels took home Best Original Screenplay. By the time it won Film Editing, the seemingly unstoppable breakout hit‘s momentum was undeniable. It then went on to triumph in Best Director, Best Actress and finally, Best Picture.
Much of the evening went according to Steve Pond‘s predictions in his final analysis of the race. “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” won Best Animated Feature, the first award of the night, and “Navalny” won Best Documentary. During his acceptance speech, “Navalny” director Daniel Roher...
- 3/12/2023
- by Missy Schwartz
- The Wrap
Please Note: This forecast, assembled by The Hollywood Reporter’s executive editor of awards, Scott Feinberg, reflects Feinberg’s best attempt to predict the behavior of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, not his personal preferences. He arrives at these standings by drawing upon consultations with voters and industry insiders, analysis of marketing and awards campaigns, results of awards ceremonies that precede the Oscars and the history of the Oscars ceremony itself.
Best Picture
Projected Order of Finish
1. Everything Everywhere All at Once (Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert & Jonathan Wang)
2. All Quiet on the Western Front (Malte Grunert)
3. Top Gun: Maverick (Jerry Bruckheimer, Tom Cruise, David Ellison & Christopher McQuarrie) — podcast (Bruckheimer)
4. Tár (Todd Field, Scott Lambert & Alexandra Milchan)
5. The Banshees of Inisherin (Graham Broadbent, Peter Czernin & Martin McDonagh) — podcast posting soon (McDonagh)
6. Elvis (Gail Berman, Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Pamela McCormick & Schuyler Weiss)
7. The Fabelmans (Kristie Macosko Krieger, Tony Kushner...
Best Picture
Projected Order of Finish
1. Everything Everywhere All at Once (Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert & Jonathan Wang)
2. All Quiet on the Western Front (Malte Grunert)
3. Top Gun: Maverick (Jerry Bruckheimer, Tom Cruise, David Ellison & Christopher McQuarrie) — podcast (Bruckheimer)
4. Tár (Todd Field, Scott Lambert & Alexandra Milchan)
5. The Banshees of Inisherin (Graham Broadbent, Peter Czernin & Martin McDonagh) — podcast posting soon (McDonagh)
6. Elvis (Gail Berman, Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Pamela McCormick & Schuyler Weiss)
7. The Fabelmans (Kristie Macosko Krieger, Tony Kushner...
- 3/4/2023
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Please Note: This forecast, assembled by The Hollywood Reporter’s executive editor of awards, Scott Feinberg, reflects Feinberg’s best attempt to predict the behavior of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, not his personal preferences. He arrives at these standings by drawing upon consultations with voters and industry insiders, analysis of marketing and awards campaigns, results of awards ceremonies that precede the Oscars and the history of the Oscars ceremony itself.
*Best Picture*
Projected Order of Finish
1. Everything Everywhere All at Once (Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert & Jonathan Wang)
2. Top Gun: Maverick (Jerry Bruckheimer, Tom Cruise, David Ellison & Christopher McQuarrie) — podcast (Bruckheimer)
3. All Quiet on the Western Front (Malte Grunert)
4. The Fabelmans (Kristie Macosko Krieger, Tony Kushner & Steven Spielberg) — podcast (Spielberg)
5. The Banshees of Inisherin (Graham Broadbent, Peter Czernin & Martin McDonagh)
6. Tár (Todd Field, Scott Lambert & Alexandra Milchan)
7. Elvis (Gail Berman, Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Pamela McCormick & Schuyler Weiss...
*Best Picture*
Projected Order of Finish
1. Everything Everywhere All at Once (Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert & Jonathan Wang)
2. Top Gun: Maverick (Jerry Bruckheimer, Tom Cruise, David Ellison & Christopher McQuarrie) — podcast (Bruckheimer)
3. All Quiet on the Western Front (Malte Grunert)
4. The Fabelmans (Kristie Macosko Krieger, Tony Kushner & Steven Spielberg) — podcast (Spielberg)
5. The Banshees of Inisherin (Graham Broadbent, Peter Czernin & Martin McDonagh)
6. Tár (Todd Field, Scott Lambert & Alexandra Milchan)
7. Elvis (Gail Berman, Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Pamela McCormick & Schuyler Weiss...
- 2/21/2023
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Stanislaus Katczinsky (Albrecht Schuch), Paul Bäumer (Felix Kammerer), and Tjaden Stackfleet (Edin Hasanovic) in Netflix’s ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’
All Quiet on the Western Front went into the 2023 Ee BAFTA Film Awards with 14 nominations, the most of any film, and emerged the year’s big winner. The brilliant adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque’s classic novel took home Best Film, Best Director (Edward Berger), Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Original Score, Sound, and Film Not in the English Language.
The Banshees of Inisherin scored four wins out of its 10 nominations, collecting acting wins for Barry Keoghan and Kerry Condon as well as Outstanding British Film and Original Screenplay honors. Elvis also took home four wins including Leading Actor (Austin Butler), Casting, Costume Design, and Make Up & Hair.
Austin Butler, Kerry Condon, Barry Keoghan, and Edward Berger earned their first BAFTA wins while Cate Blanchett picked up her fourth with...
All Quiet on the Western Front went into the 2023 Ee BAFTA Film Awards with 14 nominations, the most of any film, and emerged the year’s big winner. The brilliant adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque’s classic novel took home Best Film, Best Director (Edward Berger), Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Original Score, Sound, and Film Not in the English Language.
The Banshees of Inisherin scored four wins out of its 10 nominations, collecting acting wins for Barry Keoghan and Kerry Condon as well as Outstanding British Film and Original Screenplay honors. Elvis also took home four wins including Leading Actor (Austin Butler), Casting, Costume Design, and Make Up & Hair.
Austin Butler, Kerry Condon, Barry Keoghan, and Edward Berger earned their first BAFTA wins while Cate Blanchett picked up her fourth with...
- 2/20/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
This marks the sixth year that the entire membership of the academy can take part in the nomination stage of the Animated Feature Oscar race. Previously, only select members of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch and invited members from the other branches could serve on the committee that decided the nominees. Collectively, the committee tended to favor traditional and stop-motion films over CG fare. (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2023 Oscars Best Animated Feature predictions.)
Mandatory attendance at screenings has been dropped and voters who want to be on the nominations committee need only attest to having seen all the contenders at theaters or screenings or by way of the the academy’s streaming site.
The method of determining the nominees has also changed. Gone is the system where voters scored a film from 6 (poor) to 10 (excellent) with only those movies meriting an average mark of at least 7.5 eligible for a nomination.
Mandatory attendance at screenings has been dropped and voters who want to be on the nominations committee need only attest to having seen all the contenders at theaters or screenings or by way of the the academy’s streaming site.
The method of determining the nominees has also changed. Gone is the system where voters scored a film from 6 (poor) to 10 (excellent) with only those movies meriting an average mark of at least 7.5 eligible for a nomination.
- 2/6/2023
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
Please Note: This forecast, assembled by The Hollywood Reporter’s executive editor of awards, Scott Feinberg, reflects Feinberg’s best attempt to predict the behavior of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, not his personal preferences. He arrives at these standings by drawing upon consultations with voters and industry insiders, analysis of marketing and awards campaigns, results of awards ceremonies that precede the Oscars and the history of the Oscars ceremony itself.
*Best Picture*
Projected Order of Finish
1. Everything Everywhere All at Once (Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert & Jonathan Wang)
2. The Fabelmans (Kristie Macosko Krieger, Tony Kushner & Steven Spielberg) — podcast (Spielberg)
3. Top Gun: Maverick (Jerry Bruckheimer, Tom Cruise, David Ellison & Christopher McQuarrie) — podcast (Bruckheimer)
4. Elvis (Gail Berman, Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Pamela McCormick & Schuyler Weiss)
5. All Quiet on the Western Front (Male Grunert)
6. The Banshees of Inisherin (Graham Broadbent, Peter Czernin & Martin McDonagh)
7. Tár (Todd Field, Scott Lambert & Alexandra Milchan...
*Best Picture*
Projected Order of Finish
1. Everything Everywhere All at Once (Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert & Jonathan Wang)
2. The Fabelmans (Kristie Macosko Krieger, Tony Kushner & Steven Spielberg) — podcast (Spielberg)
3. Top Gun: Maverick (Jerry Bruckheimer, Tom Cruise, David Ellison & Christopher McQuarrie) — podcast (Bruckheimer)
4. Elvis (Gail Berman, Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Pamela McCormick & Schuyler Weiss)
5. All Quiet on the Western Front (Male Grunert)
6. The Banshees of Inisherin (Graham Broadbent, Peter Czernin & Martin McDonagh)
7. Tár (Todd Field, Scott Lambert & Alexandra Milchan...
- 1/24/2023
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Stephanie Hsu, Michelle Yeoh, and Ke Huy Quan in ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ (Photo Credit: Allyson Riggs / A24)
Nominees have been announced for the 95th Oscars and members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences fell in line with most critics groups, awarding Everything Everywhere All At Once the most nominations with 11. The 2023 Academy Awards also recognized All Quiet on the Western Front with nine nominations, making it the eighth feature film to score nominations in both the Best Picture and Best International Feature categories.
The Banshees of Inisherin also picked up nine nominations, including the first-ever Oscar nominations for Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Barry Keoghan, and Kerry Condon. Elvis earned eight nominations, with Austin Butler picking up his first Oscar nomination for channeling the King of Rock and Roll.
The Fabelmans was nominated in seven categories, followed by Tar and Top Gun: Maverick with six.
The...
Nominees have been announced for the 95th Oscars and members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences fell in line with most critics groups, awarding Everything Everywhere All At Once the most nominations with 11. The 2023 Academy Awards also recognized All Quiet on the Western Front with nine nominations, making it the eighth feature film to score nominations in both the Best Picture and Best International Feature categories.
The Banshees of Inisherin also picked up nine nominations, including the first-ever Oscar nominations for Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Barry Keoghan, and Kerry Condon. Elvis earned eight nominations, with Austin Butler picking up his first Oscar nomination for channeling the King of Rock and Roll.
The Fabelmans was nominated in seven categories, followed by Tar and Top Gun: Maverick with six.
The...
- 1/24/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
The nominations for the upcoming 95th edition of Academy Awards were announced on Tuesday by hosts Riz Ahmed and Allison Williams, with ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ leading the pack with as many as nine nominations.
The Colin Farrell-starrer film got nominated in the following categories — Best Supporting Actor (two nominations), Best Supporting Actress, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Original Score, Best Picture, Best Editing and Best Original Screenplay.
India too received three nominations for Best Original Song (‘Naatu Naatu’ from ‘Rrr’), Best Documentary Feature Film (‘All That Breathes’), and Best Documentary Short Film (‘The Elephant Whisperers’).
‘The Fabelmans’ received seven nominations followed by ‘Tar’ and ‘TopGun: Maverick’ (six each), ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ (five), ‘Avatar’ (four), and ‘The Whale’ (three).
Competing for the best picture are ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’, ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’, ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’, ‘Elvis’, ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’, ‘The Fabelmans...
The Colin Farrell-starrer film got nominated in the following categories — Best Supporting Actor (two nominations), Best Supporting Actress, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Original Score, Best Picture, Best Editing and Best Original Screenplay.
India too received three nominations for Best Original Song (‘Naatu Naatu’ from ‘Rrr’), Best Documentary Feature Film (‘All That Breathes’), and Best Documentary Short Film (‘The Elephant Whisperers’).
‘The Fabelmans’ received seven nominations followed by ‘Tar’ and ‘TopGun: Maverick’ (six each), ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ (five), ‘Avatar’ (four), and ‘The Whale’ (three).
Competing for the best picture are ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’, ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’, ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’, ‘Elvis’, ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’, ‘The Fabelmans...
- 1/24/2023
- by News Bureau
- GlamSham
Now the Oscar race can really begin. The year’s biggest breakout indie hit, A24’s “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” led the pack of nominees for the 95th Academy Awards that were announced this morning, with 11 nods, including Best Picture, Director, Actress, Supporting Actress (x2) and Supporting Actor. It was followed by Netflix’s “All Quiet on the Western Front” and Searchlight’s “The Banshees of Inisherin” with nine apiece. Warner Bros.’ “Elvis” picked up eight nods and Universal’s “The Fabelmans” took seven.
Riz Ahmed and Allison Williams announced the nominees live on Tuesday from the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. It was the first in-person nomination announcement with press in attendance since before the pandemic.
As Steve Pond, TheWrap’s Executive Editor, Awards, noted in his final predictions, with the Academy bigger and more international than ever before, it was likely they would throw several surprises.
Riz Ahmed and Allison Williams announced the nominees live on Tuesday from the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. It was the first in-person nomination announcement with press in attendance since before the pandemic.
As Steve Pond, TheWrap’s Executive Editor, Awards, noted in his final predictions, with the Academy bigger and more international than ever before, it was likely they would throw several surprises.
- 1/24/2023
- by Missy Schwartz
- The Wrap
Seen as the main precursor to what you might expect on Oscar nomination morning, the nominations for the 2023 Ee BAFTA Film Awards have been announced, and Netflix’s “All Quiet on the Western Front” gained even more steam as a major awards threat, with an impressive 14 nominations in total. The movie equals Ang Lee’s 2001 “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon” as the film not the English language with the most nominations in BAFTA’s history.
Other films that had a strong showing in overall noms include “The Banshees of Insiherin” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once” (10 each), “Elvis” (9 noms), and “Tar” (5 noms), but possibly the most surprising inclusion was that both leads of the acclaimed indie “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande” — Emma Thompson and Daryl McCormack — scored leading actress and actor nods, respectively.
Among notable snubs are the absence of stateside favorites “The Fabelmans” and “Top Gun: Maverick” in the best film,...
Other films that had a strong showing in overall noms include “The Banshees of Insiherin” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once” (10 each), “Elvis” (9 noms), and “Tar” (5 noms), but possibly the most surprising inclusion was that both leads of the acclaimed indie “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande” — Emma Thompson and Daryl McCormack — scored leading actress and actor nods, respectively.
Among notable snubs are the absence of stateside favorites “The Fabelmans” and “Top Gun: Maverick” in the best film,...
- 1/19/2023
- by Jason Clark
- The Wrap
BAFTA has announced the nominations for the 2023 Ee BAFTA Film Awards, celebrating the very best in film over the past year.
A total of 45 feature films received nominations with 14 nominations for ‘All Quiet on the Western Front,’ 10 nominations for ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ and ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once,’ 9 nominations for ‘Elvis’ and 5 nominations for the Cate Blanchett led ‘Tár.’
Actors Hayley Atwell and Toheeb Jimoh announced the nominations via a live broadcast from BAFTA 195 Piccadilly in London. First-time nominees feature heavily this year, with 14 of the 24 nominees in the performance categories receiving their first BAFTA Film nomination. They include Ana De Armas (Blonde); Angela Bassett (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) Austin Butler (Elvis), Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin); Brendan Fraser (The Whale); Paul Mescal (Aftersun), and Ke Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All At Once).
Alongside this year’s Ee Rising Star nominee Daryl McCormack, four former Ee Rising Stars...
A total of 45 feature films received nominations with 14 nominations for ‘All Quiet on the Western Front,’ 10 nominations for ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ and ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once,’ 9 nominations for ‘Elvis’ and 5 nominations for the Cate Blanchett led ‘Tár.’
Actors Hayley Atwell and Toheeb Jimoh announced the nominations via a live broadcast from BAFTA 195 Piccadilly in London. First-time nominees feature heavily this year, with 14 of the 24 nominees in the performance categories receiving their first BAFTA Film nomination. They include Ana De Armas (Blonde); Angela Bassett (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) Austin Butler (Elvis), Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin); Brendan Fraser (The Whale); Paul Mescal (Aftersun), and Ke Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All At Once).
Alongside this year’s Ee Rising Star nominee Daryl McCormack, four former Ee Rising Stars...
- 1/19/2023
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The first phase of the awards season will be fully underway starting in the Big Apple. Beginning with the Gotham Awards where “Everything Everywhere All at Once” triumphed, the New York Film Critics Circle will be the first major group of film journalists to reveal its winners on Friday, Dec. 2.
Members of NYFCC will be voting without seeing James Cameron’s sci-fi spectacle “Avatar: The Way of Water” and Marc Forster’s Tom Hanks-starrer “A Man Called Otto.” The first screening for Kasi Lemmons’ Whitney Houston biopic “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” with Naomi Ackie took place on Wednesday evening, but it’s unclear how many of the members, if any, attended. Reactions to the film are also under embargo for several weeks.
Stephanie Hsu in “Everything Everywhere All at Once” (A24)
NYFCC loves deep and rich narratives and rarely falls for the presumed Academy frontrunner. The group’s...
Members of NYFCC will be voting without seeing James Cameron’s sci-fi spectacle “Avatar: The Way of Water” and Marc Forster’s Tom Hanks-starrer “A Man Called Otto.” The first screening for Kasi Lemmons’ Whitney Houston biopic “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” with Naomi Ackie took place on Wednesday evening, but it’s unclear how many of the members, if any, attended. Reactions to the film are also under embargo for several weeks.
Stephanie Hsu in “Everything Everywhere All at Once” (A24)
NYFCC loves deep and rich narratives and rarely falls for the presumed Academy frontrunner. The group’s...
- 12/1/2022
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Deadline has an exclusive track from Disasterpeace’s score for the anticipated stop-motion comedy Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, which is set for digital release via Lakeshore Records tomorrow, as A24 releases the pic in North America. (A vinyl edition of the soundtrack is also forthcoming.)
The film centers on Marcel (Jenny Slate), an adorable one-inch-tall shell who ekes out a colorful existence with his grandmother Connie (Isabella Rossellini) and their pet lint, Alan. It’s based on Dean Fleischer-Camp and Slate’s viral stop-motion shorts of the same name, which have garnered more than 50 million YouTube views since their 2010 debut, also spurring the creation of two New York Times bestselling children’s books.
With his vivid yet measured score for the Marcel film, Disasterpeace looked to reflect the distinctively matter-of-fact yet wholly endearing qualities of the character that has gained millions of fans since its introduction. “The...
The film centers on Marcel (Jenny Slate), an adorable one-inch-tall shell who ekes out a colorful existence with his grandmother Connie (Isabella Rossellini) and their pet lint, Alan. It’s based on Dean Fleischer-Camp and Slate’s viral stop-motion shorts of the same name, which have garnered more than 50 million YouTube views since their 2010 debut, also spurring the creation of two New York Times bestselling children’s books.
With his vivid yet measured score for the Marcel film, Disasterpeace looked to reflect the distinctively matter-of-fact yet wholly endearing qualities of the character that has gained millions of fans since its introduction. “The...
- 6/23/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Studio Tour
Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter film franchise, faced a shrieking Mandrake plant as he unveiled Professor Sprout’s Greenhouse, a fan-favorite set from the films, where students were taught their Herbology lessons with Professor Pomona Sprout. Built by the original Harry Potter filmmakers, the greenhouse is home to many exotic and magical plants. The new expansion opens at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter on July 1, and is part of a new feature titled “Mandrakes and Magical Creatures,” which will run through Sept. 12. Visitors to the Studio Tour will be able to step into the greenhouse and stop to pull out a potted Mandrake as part of an interactive display.
The greenhouse is a permanent addition to the Studio Tour. In addition, Warner Bros. Studio Tour London will be expanding the exterior sets in their backlot with the fountain...
Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter film franchise, faced a shrieking Mandrake plant as he unveiled Professor Sprout’s Greenhouse, a fan-favorite set from the films, where students were taught their Herbology lessons with Professor Pomona Sprout. Built by the original Harry Potter filmmakers, the greenhouse is home to many exotic and magical plants. The new expansion opens at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter on July 1, and is part of a new feature titled “Mandrakes and Magical Creatures,” which will run through Sept. 12. Visitors to the Studio Tour will be able to step into the greenhouse and stop to pull out a potted Mandrake as part of an interactive display.
The greenhouse is a permanent addition to the Studio Tour. In addition, Warner Bros. Studio Tour London will be expanding the exterior sets in their backlot with the fountain...
- 6/21/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
The festival runs from August 12-20.
The closing night film of the UK’s Edinburgh International Film Festival (Eiff), which is running August 12-20, is to be Kogonada’s After Yang.
South Korean-American director Kogonada is expected to attend in-person to present the film, which is the first title to be announced from this year’s Eiff line-up.
The feature is Kogonada’s follow-up to his debut Columbus, and is set in a future America influenced by Asian culture, where intelligent artificial humanoids – ‘techno sapiens’ – are standard household items. One such family is left bereft by the loss of their android helper,...
The closing night film of the UK’s Edinburgh International Film Festival (Eiff), which is running August 12-20, is to be Kogonada’s After Yang.
South Korean-American director Kogonada is expected to attend in-person to present the film, which is the first title to be announced from this year’s Eiff line-up.
The feature is Kogonada’s follow-up to his debut Columbus, and is set in a future America influenced by Asian culture, where intelligent artificial humanoids – ‘techno sapiens’ – are standard household items. One such family is left bereft by the loss of their android helper,...
- 6/21/2022
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
A24 is most notable for their filmography in the horror genre (i.e. “Midsommar” and “Hereditary”), but their latest feature aims to be more lighthearted than almost anything they’ve set their sights on previously.
On Tuesday, A24 released the first teaser trailer for Dean Fleischer-Camp’s “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On,” a live-action/animated comedy film from a screenplay by Jenny Slate and Nick Paley, based on a story the three of them created with Elisabeth Holm back in 2010.
Slate reprises her voice role as the titular Marcel, an anthropomorphic shell living with his grandmother Connie. Joining Slate in the cast are Rosa Salazar, Thomas Mann, and Isabella Rossellini.
The film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on September 3, 2021. It is produced by Fleischer-Camp, Slate, Terry Leonard, Holm, Andrew Goldman, Caroline Kaplan, and Paul Mezey.
“Marcel the Shell with Shoes On” is scheduled to be released by A...
On Tuesday, A24 released the first teaser trailer for Dean Fleischer-Camp’s “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On,” a live-action/animated comedy film from a screenplay by Jenny Slate and Nick Paley, based on a story the three of them created with Elisabeth Holm back in 2010.
Slate reprises her voice role as the titular Marcel, an anthropomorphic shell living with his grandmother Connie. Joining Slate in the cast are Rosa Salazar, Thomas Mann, and Isabella Rossellini.
The film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on September 3, 2021. It is produced by Fleischer-Camp, Slate, Terry Leonard, Holm, Andrew Goldman, Caroline Kaplan, and Paul Mezey.
“Marcel the Shell with Shoes On” is scheduled to be released by A...
- 4/5/2022
- by Caillou Pettis
- Gold Derby
A4 presents Kagonada’s second feature After Yang in limited release, the latest in the distributor’s varied indie slate ahead of wide-release horror slasher X on 3/18 and sci-fi adventure Everything Everywhere All At Once on 3/25 — which is also opening SXSW Film Festival.
This is a weekend where The Batman casts a long shadow, but the specialty market is also hungry for new content with moviegoers demonstrably, measurably, more willing to return to theaters in person.
A24 has been a strong voice in the pandemic-scarred cinema landscape. Green Knight, Zola and C’mon, C’mon helped juice the indie box office last year as odd Icelandic horror film Lamb and porno-themed Red Rocket became culty favorites. Other releases included The Humans, The Souvenir: Part II and Saint Maude. The distributor took three Oscar noms with Apple TV+ for The Tragedy of Macbeth. X as well as A24’s upcoming Bodies Bodies Bodies...
This is a weekend where The Batman casts a long shadow, but the specialty market is also hungry for new content with moviegoers demonstrably, measurably, more willing to return to theaters in person.
A24 has been a strong voice in the pandemic-scarred cinema landscape. Green Knight, Zola and C’mon, C’mon helped juice the indie box office last year as odd Icelandic horror film Lamb and porno-themed Red Rocket became culty favorites. Other releases included The Humans, The Souvenir: Part II and Saint Maude. The distributor took three Oscar noms with Apple TV+ for The Tragedy of Macbeth. X as well as A24’s upcoming Bodies Bodies Bodies...
- 3/4/2022
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
The Gotham Awards were handed out on November 29 at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City. So who won at these annual indie film kudos from The Gotham Film and Media Institute, which streamed on YouTube and Facebook? Scroll down for the complete list of winners in all categories.
Netflix’s “The Lost Daughter” and “Passing” went in as the two most nominated films with five apiece, but that didn’t automatically mean they were the front-runners. Categories at these awards are judged by panels of just a handful of industry insiders, often leading to unexpected, under-the-radar winners. You can’t count anyone out at an event where unique juries review all the nominated material.
Seersvp now for November 30: Film producers panel with ‘Being the Ricardos,’ ‘Belfast,’ ‘The Power of the Dog,’ ‘tick, tick… Boom!’
That means these awards can be quite idiosyncratic — they’re independent thinkers, and not...
Netflix’s “The Lost Daughter” and “Passing” went in as the two most nominated films with five apiece, but that didn’t automatically mean they were the front-runners. Categories at these awards are judged by panels of just a handful of industry insiders, often leading to unexpected, under-the-radar winners. You can’t count anyone out at an event where unique juries review all the nominated material.
Seersvp now for November 30: Film producers panel with ‘Being the Ricardos,’ ‘Belfast,’ ‘The Power of the Dog,’ ‘tick, tick… Boom!’
That means these awards can be quite idiosyncratic — they’re independent thinkers, and not...
- 11/30/2021
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Feature based on director Dean Fleischer Camp’s hit stop-motion animated shorts.
A24 has picked up North American rights to Dean Fleischer Camp’s Telluride premiere and stop-motion animation Marcel The Shell With Shoes On featuring Isabella Rossellini.
Based on Camp’s popular stop-motion animated shorts of the same name that have drawn more than 50m views on YouTube since their 2010 debut, the film follows the exploits of one-inch-high shell who lives with his grandmother Connie and their pet lint, Alan.
As a survivor of a mysterious tragedy that took him away from a once sprawling community of shells, Marcel...
A24 has picked up North American rights to Dean Fleischer Camp’s Telluride premiere and stop-motion animation Marcel The Shell With Shoes On featuring Isabella Rossellini.
Based on Camp’s popular stop-motion animated shorts of the same name that have drawn more than 50m views on YouTube since their 2010 debut, the film follows the exploits of one-inch-high shell who lives with his grandmother Connie and their pet lint, Alan.
As a survivor of a mysterious tragedy that took him away from a once sprawling community of shells, Marcel...
- 11/18/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Marcel the Shell (with shoes on) is making the leap from the internet to the big screen.
A24 has acquired the North American rights to the feature film version of “Marcel the Shell With Shoes On,” after its 2021 Telluride Film Festival debut, in a deal negotiated by WME Independent and CAA Media Finance.
“Marcel the Shell With Shoes On” is based on Dean Fleischer Camp and Jenny Slate’s beloved stop-motion animated short films of the same name, which have garnered over 50 million views on YouTube since their 2010 debut, plus two New York Times best-selling children’s books. Slate voices Marcel, an adorable one-inch-tall seashell who lives a colorful existence with his grandmother Connie (Isabella Rossellini) and their pet lint, Alan.
Directed by Camp — who also wrote the screenplay alongside Slate and Nick Paley, from a story by Camp, Slate, Paley, and Elisabeth Holm — “Marcel the Shell With Shoes On...
A24 has acquired the North American rights to the feature film version of “Marcel the Shell With Shoes On,” after its 2021 Telluride Film Festival debut, in a deal negotiated by WME Independent and CAA Media Finance.
“Marcel the Shell With Shoes On” is based on Dean Fleischer Camp and Jenny Slate’s beloved stop-motion animated short films of the same name, which have garnered over 50 million views on YouTube since their 2010 debut, plus two New York Times best-selling children’s books. Slate voices Marcel, an adorable one-inch-tall seashell who lives a colorful existence with his grandmother Connie (Isabella Rossellini) and their pet lint, Alan.
Directed by Camp — who also wrote the screenplay alongside Slate and Nick Paley, from a story by Camp, Slate, Paley, and Elisabeth Holm — “Marcel the Shell With Shoes On...
- 11/18/2021
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
A24 announced today that it has acquired North American rights to Marcell the Shell with Shoes On, a stop-motion feature from Dean Fleischer Camp, which premiered to critical acclaim at the 2021 Telluride Film Festival. Deadline hears that the company nabbed rights in a competitive situation involving at least three other major distributors.
The film centers on Marcel, an adorable one-inch-tall shell who ekes out a colorful existence with his grandmother Connie and their pet lint, Alan. Once part of a sprawling community of shells, they now live alone as the sole survivors of a mysterious tragedy. But when a documentary filmmaker discovers them amongst the clutter of his Airbnb, the short film he posts online brings Marcel millions of passionate fans, as well as unprecedented dangers and a new hope at finding his long-lost family.
Marcell the Shell with Shoes On is based on Camp and Jenny Slate’s beloved...
The film centers on Marcel, an adorable one-inch-tall shell who ekes out a colorful existence with his grandmother Connie and their pet lint, Alan. Once part of a sprawling community of shells, they now live alone as the sole survivors of a mysterious tragedy. But when a documentary filmmaker discovers them amongst the clutter of his Airbnb, the short film he posts online brings Marcel millions of passionate fans, as well as unprecedented dangers and a new hope at finding his long-lost family.
Marcell the Shell with Shoes On is based on Camp and Jenny Slate’s beloved...
- 11/18/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Producers of the Spirit Awards, and non-profit arts organization, Film Independent, announced the five filmmakers and projects selected for their 21st annual producing Lab. The fellows will participate in a program set up to help develop their skills and further their careers by pairing them with a creative advisor who will advise on both the craft and business of independent producing.
The 2021 Producing Lab is supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The Sloan Producers Grant, a $30,000 grant to further develop a project that explores science and technology themes or characters in engaging and innovative ways, was awarded to Cecilia Otero with her project, Upstreamers. Additional support comes from the National Endowment for the Arts.
“We are thrilled to support this year’s talented cohort of Producers who are championing global stories that speak to the universal human experiences of ambition, redemption and connection.” said Angela C. Lee, Associate Director of Artist Development.
The 2021 Producing Lab is supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The Sloan Producers Grant, a $30,000 grant to further develop a project that explores science and technology themes or characters in engaging and innovative ways, was awarded to Cecilia Otero with her project, Upstreamers. Additional support comes from the National Endowment for the Arts.
“We are thrilled to support this year’s talented cohort of Producers who are championing global stories that speak to the universal human experiences of ambition, redemption and connection.” said Angela C. Lee, Associate Director of Artist Development.
- 10/22/2021
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: A24 has won rights to Octavia E. Butler’s science fiction odyssey Parable of the Sower, the first in a two-book series, and has set Time director Garrett Bradley to direct. Originally published in 1993, the book has recently been rediscovered by fans and appeared on the New York Times bestseller list for the first time in September 2020, fulfilling a lifelong dream of Butler’s.
Paul Mezey will produce the film. The rights deal was negotiated by Anonymous Content on behalf of Merrilee Heifetz at Writers House. A24 will finance and distribute.
Set in a near-future Los Angeles devastated by societal collapse, a teenager with a unique gift must lead humanity in a battle against extinction.
The project would mark Bradley’s first feature film at a major studio following a run of critically acclaimed documentaries including the Oscar-nominated Time from Amazon Studios. Her newly released docuseries Naomi Osaka recently premiered on Netflix to acclaim.
Paul Mezey will produce the film. The rights deal was negotiated by Anonymous Content on behalf of Merrilee Heifetz at Writers House. A24 will finance and distribute.
Set in a near-future Los Angeles devastated by societal collapse, a teenager with a unique gift must lead humanity in a battle against extinction.
The project would mark Bradley’s first feature film at a major studio following a run of critically acclaimed documentaries including the Oscar-nominated Time from Amazon Studios. Her newly released docuseries Naomi Osaka recently premiered on Netflix to acclaim.
- 7/26/2021
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
Five fiction, five non-fiction producers will take part in Producers Lab.
Sundance Institute has announced participants for its Producers Lab that takes place from July 25-29 and Producers Summit that runs August 2-5.
Five fiction film and five nonfiction producers and their projects have been selected for the Producers Labs, and more than 50 industry leaders and 65 independent filmmakers will participate in the Producers Summit. Both events are digital-only.
The Fellows and projects selected for the 2021 Feature Film Producers Lab are: Katie White, Caity (US); Deidre Backs (Mark Silverman honouree), Fancy Dance (US); Duran Jones, The Incredible Heist Of Hallelujah Jones (US); Shao Min Chew Chia,...
Sundance Institute has announced participants for its Producers Lab that takes place from July 25-29 and Producers Summit that runs August 2-5.
Five fiction film and five nonfiction producers and their projects have been selected for the Producers Labs, and more than 50 industry leaders and 65 independent filmmakers will participate in the Producers Summit. Both events are digital-only.
The Fellows and projects selected for the 2021 Feature Film Producers Lab are: Katie White, Caity (US); Deidre Backs (Mark Silverman honouree), Fancy Dance (US); Duran Jones, The Incredible Heist Of Hallelujah Jones (US); Shao Min Chew Chia,...
- 7/22/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
The Sundance Institute on Thursday announced 10 participants for its upcoming weeklong Producers Lab — emerging producers behind five nonfiction and five fiction feature projects who will get a year of mentorship, creative support, and networking opportunities.
Additionally, Sundance also announced some of the lineup for its Producers Summit, which runs from August 2-5 on the online Sundance Collab platform. The event brings together financiers, agents, and distributors, alongside emerging and mid-career producers for discussions around issues in the field. Hasan Minhaj will deliver a keynote on the critical role of bold, personal storytelling.
The Producers Lab will take place July 25-29, and represent the beginning of a year of support participants will receive. On the fiction side, this year’s advisors include Mollye Asher (“Nomadland”), Amy Lo (“Nancy”), Paul Mezey (“After Yang”), and Laura Rister (“The Tale”). Nonfiction advisors include Violeta Bava (“Azor”) Jannat Gargi (Vice Studios), Andrea Meditch (“Fathom”), and...
Additionally, Sundance also announced some of the lineup for its Producers Summit, which runs from August 2-5 on the online Sundance Collab platform. The event brings together financiers, agents, and distributors, alongside emerging and mid-career producers for discussions around issues in the field. Hasan Minhaj will deliver a keynote on the critical role of bold, personal storytelling.
The Producers Lab will take place July 25-29, and represent the beginning of a year of support participants will receive. On the fiction side, this year’s advisors include Mollye Asher (“Nomadland”), Amy Lo (“Nancy”), Paul Mezey (“After Yang”), and Laura Rister (“The Tale”). Nonfiction advisors include Violeta Bava (“Azor”) Jannat Gargi (Vice Studios), Andrea Meditch (“Fathom”), and...
- 7/22/2021
- by Chris Lindahl
- Indiewire
Sundance Institute Sets 10 Producers For 2021 Lab & Summit, Unveils Advisors & Industry Participants
On Wednesday, Sundance Institute named the fellows selected for its 2021 Producers Lab and Summit.
Producers and projects selected on the feature film side include Katie White (Caity), Deidre Backs (Fancy Dance), Duran Jones (The Incredible Heist of Hallelujah Jones), Shao Min Chew Chia (The Plutonians), and Austin Sepulveda (Sundown Town).
Those chosen for the Documentary Producers Lab are Jole Estrella Horwitz (All that is Solid (Todo Lo Sólido)), Darcy McKinnon (Commuted), Keith Wilson (I Didn’t See You There), Razi Jafri (Loyalty) and Ann Bennett (Razing Liberty Square).
Fiction producers serving as advisors at this year’s program include Mollye Asher (Nomadland), Amy Lo (Nancy), Paul Mezey (After Yang) and Laura Rister (The Tale). Nonfiction advisors will include Violeta Bava (Azor), Jannat Gargi (Vice Studios), Andrea Meditch (Fathom), and Tracy Rector (Nia Tero).
This year’s Producers Lab is set for July 25-29. The Producers Summit will take place between...
Producers and projects selected on the feature film side include Katie White (Caity), Deidre Backs (Fancy Dance), Duran Jones (The Incredible Heist of Hallelujah Jones), Shao Min Chew Chia (The Plutonians), and Austin Sepulveda (Sundown Town).
Those chosen for the Documentary Producers Lab are Jole Estrella Horwitz (All that is Solid (Todo Lo Sólido)), Darcy McKinnon (Commuted), Keith Wilson (I Didn’t See You There), Razi Jafri (Loyalty) and Ann Bennett (Razing Liberty Square).
Fiction producers serving as advisors at this year’s program include Mollye Asher (Nomadland), Amy Lo (Nancy), Paul Mezey (After Yang) and Laura Rister (The Tale). Nonfiction advisors will include Violeta Bava (Azor), Jannat Gargi (Vice Studios), Andrea Meditch (Fathom), and Tracy Rector (Nia Tero).
This year’s Producers Lab is set for July 25-29. The Producers Summit will take place between...
- 7/22/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Sundance Institute has invited 10 different emerging producers -- six women and four men, split evenly between fiction and non-fiction projects -- to participate in its week-long Producers Lab.
The invited fellows will get mentoring from veteran Hollywood producers between July 25-29 who will aid the independent producers to deepen the creative potential of their projects and develop new creative instincts. They'll then be invited to a Producers Summit between August 2-5, which is a gathering of other producers for a series of roundtables, one-on-one meetings and conversations, including a keynote address by Hasan Minhaj. More than 50 industry leaders and 65 indie filmmakers will participate and will receive ongoing year-long mentorship, creative support and networking opportunities.
Both events will take place digitally this year on Sundance Co//ab. Artist support director Shira Rockowitz and documentary film program deputy director Kristin Feeley are leading the event for the Sundance Institute.
This year’s...
The invited fellows will get mentoring from veteran Hollywood producers between July 25-29 who will aid the independent producers to deepen the creative potential of their projects and develop new creative instincts. They'll then be invited to a Producers Summit between August 2-5, which is a gathering of other producers for a series of roundtables, one-on-one meetings and conversations, including a keynote address by Hasan Minhaj. More than 50 industry leaders and 65 indie filmmakers will participate and will receive ongoing year-long mentorship, creative support and networking opportunities.
Both events will take place digitally this year on Sundance Co//ab. Artist support director Shira Rockowitz and documentary film program deputy director Kristin Feeley are leading the event for the Sundance Institute.
This year’s...
- 7/22/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Elysian Film Group has debuted a new trailer for his follow-up to Benh Zeitlin’s Oscar-nominated film ‘Beasts of The Southern Wild’, ‘Wendy.’
The film follows the classic story of Peter Pan which is wildly reimagined in this ragtag epic starring a stunning cast of young actors, headlined by Devin France in the title role of Wendy.
While lost on a mysterious island where ageing and time have come unglued, Wendy must fight to save her family, her freedom, and the joyous spirit of youth from the deadly peril of growing up.
Photo Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures. © 2019 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation All Rights Reserved
Directed and written by Zeitlin alongside his sister Eliza Zeitlin, he wanted to capture and reinvent the childhood myth that had captivated him and his sister. Rather than Peter’s story, their tale focuses on Wendy who experiences Neverland but has to leave it behind.
The film follows the classic story of Peter Pan which is wildly reimagined in this ragtag epic starring a stunning cast of young actors, headlined by Devin France in the title role of Wendy.
While lost on a mysterious island where ageing and time have come unglued, Wendy must fight to save her family, her freedom, and the joyous spirit of youth from the deadly peril of growing up.
Photo Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures. © 2019 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation All Rights Reserved
Directed and written by Zeitlin alongside his sister Eliza Zeitlin, he wanted to capture and reinvent the childhood myth that had captivated him and his sister. Rather than Peter’s story, their tale focuses on Wendy who experiences Neverland but has to leave it behind.
- 7/19/2021
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Wavelength Productions and The Black TV & Film Collective (Btfc) has revealed their jury selection of six fellows for the inaugural year for The Black Producers Fellowship.
The fellowship, which kicked off in October 2020, awards a $25K production grant to each of the six emerging producers so that they can develop, produce and deliver short narrative films inspired by the Black experience of education in America. In addition to the grant, each participant will receive in-kind support and career mentorship as they pursue their projects with programming and operational support provided by Cinereach.
“We are honored to work with the Black TV & Film Collective to bring to the forefront important narratives highlighting the Black experience in American schools. I was deeply moved by both the compelling personal stories submitted for the grant, and the quality of talent associated with them,” said Wavelength’s Founder, CEO, and Executive Producer Jenifer Westphal.
The fellowship, which kicked off in October 2020, awards a $25K production grant to each of the six emerging producers so that they can develop, produce and deliver short narrative films inspired by the Black experience of education in America. In addition to the grant, each participant will receive in-kind support and career mentorship as they pursue their projects with programming and operational support provided by Cinereach.
“We are honored to work with the Black TV & Film Collective to bring to the forefront important narratives highlighting the Black experience in American schools. I was deeply moved by both the compelling personal stories submitted for the grant, and the quality of talent associated with them,” said Wavelength’s Founder, CEO, and Executive Producer Jenifer Westphal.
- 2/18/2021
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Wavelength Productions has partnered with the Black TV & Film Collective (Btfc) to launch the inaugural Btfc Producers Fellowship. Wavelength has committed to financing and co-producing a collection of six short films, alongside the Btfc and Cinereach to amplify Black creative voices and bring their stories to the screen. This first season of the fellowship will focus on the education sector.
The fellowship educational programming and operational support will be supported by Cinereach while Wavelength Production support will provide fellows a $25K production grant and mentorship as they develop, produce and deliver short narrative films inspired by the Black experience of education in America.
“Wavelength is committed to telling great f**king stories and shining a light on systemic issues,” said Jenifer Westphal, Founder of Wavelength Productions. “We are proud to partner with the Btfc to provide support to six Black filmmakers and we look forward...
The fellowship educational programming and operational support will be supported by Cinereach while Wavelength Production support will provide fellows a $25K production grant and mentorship as they develop, produce and deliver short narrative films inspired by the Black experience of education in America.
“Wavelength is committed to telling great f**king stories and shining a light on systemic issues,” said Jenifer Westphal, Founder of Wavelength Productions. “We are proud to partner with the Btfc to provide support to six Black filmmakers and we look forward...
- 10/14/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Benh Zeitlin was always going to take his time. Seven years ago, his dazzling first feature “Beasts of the Southern Wild” became the breakout story of the year, premiering to raves and a Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. It scored distribution with Fox Searchlight and a first-look deal for its director, who eventually landed an Oscar nomination. The success was unusual considering that the dreamlike project had been made by Zeitlin and his New Orleans-based Court 13 collective on a shoestring budget with non-professional actors, mostly children. But the next step in his story was even more unconventional.
Once the excitement around “Beasts” died down, Zeitlin went right back to work, and never really stopped until a few months ago. At this year’s Sundance, he’ll finally premiere “Wendy,” a freewheeling, ethereal reworking of “Peter Pan” with a cast of energetic children making their acting debuts. Shot...
Once the excitement around “Beasts” died down, Zeitlin went right back to work, and never really stopped until a few months ago. At this year’s Sundance, he’ll finally premiere “Wendy,” a freewheeling, ethereal reworking of “Peter Pan” with a cast of energetic children making their acting debuts. Shot...
- 1/22/2020
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Reimagined story of Peter Pan to premiere at Sundance.
French sales firm Celluloid Dreams has partnered with Fox Searchlight Pictures on the international rights to Benh Zeitlin’s Wendy.
The film, set to receive its world premiere at Sundance on January 26, is a reimagining of the classic Peter Pan story and marks Zeitlin’s long-anticipated follow-up to the Oscar-nominated Beasts Of The Southern Wild.
It is set for release in the Us through Fox Searchlight on February 28. Celluloid Dreams will handle the rest of the world excluding North America, South America, Italy, German-speaking territories, Poland, South Africa, China, Hong Kong,...
French sales firm Celluloid Dreams has partnered with Fox Searchlight Pictures on the international rights to Benh Zeitlin’s Wendy.
The film, set to receive its world premiere at Sundance on January 26, is a reimagining of the classic Peter Pan story and marks Zeitlin’s long-anticipated follow-up to the Oscar-nominated Beasts Of The Southern Wild.
It is set for release in the Us through Fox Searchlight on February 28. Celluloid Dreams will handle the rest of the world excluding North America, South America, Italy, German-speaking territories, Poland, South Africa, China, Hong Kong,...
- 1/16/2020
- by 1100453¦Michael Rosser¦9¦
- ScreenDaily
Fox Searchlight Pictures and Celluloid Dreams have joined forces to co-distribute Benh Zeitlin’s “Wendy” which is set to world premiere at Sundance.
The movie, which will be released in the U.S. on Feb. 28 by Fox Searchlight Pictures, tells wildly reimagined story of Peter Pan through the eyes of Wendy, who finds herself lost on a mysterious island where aging and time have come unglued. Wendy must fight to save her family, her freedom, and the joyous spirit of youth from the deadly peril of growing up. Headlined by newcomer Devin France, the film was produced by Becky Glupczynski, Dan Janvey, Paul Mezey and Josh Penn.
“We are looking forward to working closely with (Celluloid Dreams’s) Hengameh Panahi and Charlotte Mickie on the international distribution plans for Benh Zeitlin’s incredible second film,” said Rebecca Kearey, Searchlight International president.
Zeitlin is best known for his critically acclaimed coming-of-drama...
The movie, which will be released in the U.S. on Feb. 28 by Fox Searchlight Pictures, tells wildly reimagined story of Peter Pan through the eyes of Wendy, who finds herself lost on a mysterious island where aging and time have come unglued. Wendy must fight to save her family, her freedom, and the joyous spirit of youth from the deadly peril of growing up. Headlined by newcomer Devin France, the film was produced by Becky Glupczynski, Dan Janvey, Paul Mezey and Josh Penn.
“We are looking forward to working closely with (Celluloid Dreams’s) Hengameh Panahi and Charlotte Mickie on the international distribution plans for Benh Zeitlin’s incredible second film,” said Rebecca Kearey, Searchlight International president.
Zeitlin is best known for his critically acclaimed coming-of-drama...
- 1/16/2020
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Ahead of the film’s premiere at Sundance, Fox Searchlight and French sales outfit Celluloid Dreams have partnered on international rights to Wendy, the hotly-anticipated first directing joint for Benh Zeitlin since his 2012 debut Beasts Of The Southern Wild.
The pic is dated for a U.S. release on February 28 via Searchlight. Celluloid Dreams has now taken on the rest of the world, excluding South America, Italy, South Africa, German-speaking territories, Poland, China, Hong Kong, and Airlines – Fox retains those rights.
Celluloid Dreams will begin selling territories at Sundance.
The news follows Disney’s acquisition of Fox last year. Searchlight continues to operate as its own entity, now owned by Disney, but its films have been added to a packed Disney slate.
Wendy stars newcomer Devin France as Wendy. It tells a reimagining of the classic Peter Pan story. Lost on a mysterious island where aging and time have come unglued,...
The pic is dated for a U.S. release on February 28 via Searchlight. Celluloid Dreams has now taken on the rest of the world, excluding South America, Italy, South Africa, German-speaking territories, Poland, China, Hong Kong, and Airlines – Fox retains those rights.
Celluloid Dreams will begin selling territories at Sundance.
The news follows Disney’s acquisition of Fox last year. Searchlight continues to operate as its own entity, now owned by Disney, but its films have been added to a packed Disney slate.
Wendy stars newcomer Devin France as Wendy. It tells a reimagining of the classic Peter Pan story. Lost on a mysterious island where aging and time have come unglued,...
- 1/16/2020
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Fox Searchlight has launched a new trailer for the Benh Zeitlin reimagined tale of ‘Peter Pan’, ‘Wendy’.
The classic story of Peter Pan is wildly reimagined in this ragtag epic from Benh Zeitlin, director of ‘Beasts of the Southern Wild’. Written by Benh Zeitlin and Eliza Zeitlin, the film is produced by Becky Glupczynski, Dan Janvey, Paul Mezey and Josh Penn.
Also in trailers – Anthony Hopkins & Jonathan Pryce battle it out in new trailer for Netflix’s The Two Popes
The film has a Us release of February 28th 2020
Wendy Synopsis
Lost on a mysterious island where ageing and time have come unglued, Wendy must fight to save her family, her freedom, and the joyous spirit of youth from the deadly peril of growing up.
The post New trailer for ‘Peter Pan’ reimaging ‘Wendy’ takes us into the wild. appeared first on HeyUGuys.
The classic story of Peter Pan is wildly reimagined in this ragtag epic from Benh Zeitlin, director of ‘Beasts of the Southern Wild’. Written by Benh Zeitlin and Eliza Zeitlin, the film is produced by Becky Glupczynski, Dan Janvey, Paul Mezey and Josh Penn.
Also in trailers – Anthony Hopkins & Jonathan Pryce battle it out in new trailer for Netflix’s The Two Popes
The film has a Us release of February 28th 2020
Wendy Synopsis
Lost on a mysterious island where ageing and time have come unglued, Wendy must fight to save her family, her freedom, and the joyous spirit of youth from the deadly peril of growing up.
The post New trailer for ‘Peter Pan’ reimaging ‘Wendy’ takes us into the wild. appeared first on HeyUGuys.
- 11/7/2019
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The 34th Annual Ida Documentary Awards were handed out Saturday night at the Paramount Theatre in Los Angeles with Bing Liu’s Minding The Gap taking top honors in the Best Feature category.
Hosted by actress and producer Ricki Lake, the ceremony also honored Floyd Russ’s Zion as Best Short as well as Netflix’s Wild Wild Country which won for Best Limited Series.
Other winners for the evening included HBO’s John McCain: For Whom the Bell Tolls for the ABC News VideoSource Award, PBS’ Pov for Best Curated Series, Showtime’s The Trade for Best Episodic Series, Mel Films for Best Short Form Series, and Jayisha Patel’s Circle for the David L. Wolper Student Documentary Award. The New York Times’ Caliphate won the inaugural Best Audio Documentary category.
In addition, the Career Achievement Award was presented to three-time Academy Award winner Julia Reichert and Ida...
Hosted by actress and producer Ricki Lake, the ceremony also honored Floyd Russ’s Zion as Best Short as well as Netflix’s Wild Wild Country which won for Best Limited Series.
Other winners for the evening included HBO’s John McCain: For Whom the Bell Tolls for the ABC News VideoSource Award, PBS’ Pov for Best Curated Series, Showtime’s The Trade for Best Episodic Series, Mel Films for Best Short Form Series, and Jayisha Patel’s Circle for the David L. Wolper Student Documentary Award. The New York Times’ Caliphate won the inaugural Best Audio Documentary category.
In addition, the Career Achievement Award was presented to three-time Academy Award winner Julia Reichert and Ida...
- 12/9/2018
- by Erik Pedersen and Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Sundance Institute has announced the participants for its weeklong Creative Film Producing Initiative at the Sundance Resort in Utah, July 27 – August 3, including nine feature film and documentary projects for the Creative Producing Labs and more than 50 industry leaders for the Creative Producing Summit.
The Institute’s Creative Producing Initiative encompasses a year-round series of Labs, Fellowships, granting and events focusing on nurturing the next generation of independent producers and renewing the community of veteran producers who sustain the vibrancy and vitality of independent film.
The Feature Film Creative Producing Lab (July 27 – July 31) identifies emerging producers and, under the guidance of Creative Advisors, allows them to develop their creative instincts and evolve their communicating and problem-solving skills at all stages of their feature film project. This year’s Creative Advisors include producers Lindsay Doran ("Sense and Sensibility"), Lynette Howell Taylor (The Place Beyond the Pines), Gina Kwon ("Me You and Everyone We Know"), Paul Mezey ("Beasts of the Southern Wild"), Jay Van Hoy (
"Beginners" ) and director Matthew Ross ("28 Hotel Rooms" ).
The Documentary Film Creative Producing Lab (July 27 – August 1) brings together documentarians with award-winning Advisors to focus on their current projects to explore the wide range of creative approaches to distribution, outreach and impact strategies. This year’s Creative Advisors include producers Julie Goldman ( "Best of Enemies"), Bonni Cohen ("3 1/2 Minutes," "10 Bullets"), Ryan Werner (Cinetic), Maxyne Franklin (Britdoc), and Wendy Cohen (Picture Motion).
The Creative Producing Summit takes place immediately following the Labs, July 31 – August 3. More than 50 industry leaders will participate in a series of curated panels, case studies, roundtables, and one-on-one meetings addressing critical issues producers face including financing, distribution, audience engagement, marketing and sustainability. Panelists this year include Len Amato (HBO Films),
Michael Barker (Sony Pictures Classics), Dori Begley (Magnolia Pictures), Josh Braun (Submarine), Dan Cogan (Impact Partners), Victoria S. Cook (Frankfurt Kurnit), Danielle Di Giacomo (The Orchard), Fred Dust (Ideo), Ted Hope (Amazon), Micah Green (CAA), John Hoffman (Discovery Channel), Marcus Hu (Strand Releasing), Charles King (MacRo), Jessica Lacy (ICM Partners), Stephanie Langhoff (Duplass Brothers), David Magdael (Tcdm Associates), Victor Moyers (Broad Green), Annie Roney (ro*co Films), John Sloss (Cinetic Media), Graham Taylor (William Morris Endeavor), and Jay Van Hoy (Parts & Labor).
The Fellows and projects selected for the 2015 Feature Film Creative Producing Lab are:
"50 Miles From Boomtown"
Producing Fellow: Alex Scharfman
After years of saving for her hard-earned dream, the only woman working on the fracking fields of North Dakota can finally quit but unexpectedly finds herself falling in love with the young man she's training to take her place. (writer/director Flo Linus Baumann).
Alex Scharfman is a New York-based producer whose past feature credits include "The Heart Machine" and "Lyle," as well as the short film "Superior," which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2015, and the WGA Award-nominated webseries "F to 7th." He is an executive at Parts & Labor Films where he worked on films including "Keep The Lights On" and "Loitering with Intent." He has also produced content for Vice, Google, the Ford Foundation, and At&T. Alex received his BA from Cornell University, is a former Mfa candidate from Nyu’s Tisch School of the Arts, and received his Mba from Nyu’s Stern School of Business.
"Bexar County"
Mark Silverman Honorees and Producing Fellows: Blake Pickens and Stephen Love Jr.
In sunny San Antonio, Texas, where nothing ever changes, a town is turned on its head when a delusional Texas housewife accidentally poisons her son’s fiancée, learning that killing people is an efficient way to solve her problems. (Co-writer/director Catherine Grieve, co-writer Dylan Slocum)
Blake Pickens is from the south side of Oklahoma City, from a neighborhood known as the Flats. Despite the community’s rampant drug use and gang wars, Blake found his way into storytelling with a writing position at National Lampoon. He later attended the Peter Stark Producing Program at USC where he and his producing partner, Stephen Love Jr., formed their company Bs Pictures. They are currently in pre-production on the Steven Caple Jr.’s film The Land and in development on "The Friendship Nine" with producer Nina Yang Bongiovi. Blake’s aspirations are to tell the stories that make people laugh, cry, and ultimately impact their lives.
Stephen Love Jr. grew up in the rural towns of Filbert and Bennettsville, South Carolina. During his time as a business major at Morehouse College, Love founded the Morehouse Filmmakers' Association, for which Spike Lee is the honorary advisor. He also received his Mfa from USC’s Peter Stark Producing Program and formed Bs Pictures with fellow graduate Blake Pickens. Love’s primary career goal is to produce film and television that gives "a voice to the voiceless" while challenging the confines of the business of filmmaking.
"Dolores"
Producing Fellow: Drew Houpt
A restless teenager becomes obsessed with a mysterious Colombian woman who exploits his desire and lures him into her plot for revenge. (Writer/director Mary Angélica Molina)
Drew Houpt is an independent producer based in Brooklyn. For over ten years he was the head of operations at Mike Zoss Productions, Joel and Ethan Coen’s Tribeca-based production company. During that time he worked on the Academy Award-winning "No Country For Old Men" and the Academy Award-nominated "A Serious Man" and "True Grit." He served as Associate Producer on the Coens’ Grand Prix-winning "Inside Llewyn Davis" and Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Academy Award-winning film "Birdman: or The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance." This past year he co-produced Maris Curran’s directorial-debut "Five Nights in Maine" and produced "Every Day,' a short documentary for Espn’s 30 for 30 Shorts series that had its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2015. He has also produced music videos for the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang and an experimental documentary, "When A Priest Marries A Witch," by Suzanne Bocanegra.
"Rita Mahtoubian Is Not A Terrorist"
Producing Fellow: Deanna Barillari
When Iranian-born Rita Mahtoubian sets out to change her life from ordinary to extraordinary, she accidentally captures the attention of a homeland security agent in this satirical comedy about romance, terrorism and trying to be a better person. (Co-writers/directors Roja Gashtili & Julia Lerman)
Upon graduating Nyu Tisch, Deanna Barillari co-founded a non-profit theater company producing Off-Off-Broadway plays, including the NYC premiere of Leslye Headland's "Cinephilia" (2008), which funded in-school arts initiatives in the NYC Public School system. She then went on to work in TV on NBC's "Mercy" (2009), CBS’ "Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior" (2010), ABC’s "Pan Am," 86th Oscars (Ellen DeGeneres; 2014) and in Drama Development at Universal Television. Recently, she collaborated with AFI Dww Fellows Roja Gashtili and Julia Lerman, producing their web-series K(ID) starring Caterina Scorsone ("Grey's Anatomy") and their short "Rita Mahtoubian Is Not A Terrorist" starring Patrick Fugit ("Almost Famous") which made its World Premiere at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival. She also produces for the La based Ovation Award-winning Iama Theatre Company.
"The Space Between"
Producing Fellow: Angela C. Lee
A female body builder devotes her life to turning ‘pro’ when she unexpectedly falls in love, forcing her to confront her fractured past with her dying father. (Writer/director Philiane Phang)
Angela C. Lee is a Los Angeles based independent producer. She produced "Songs My Brothers Taught Me," which premiered in competition at the Sundance Film Festival and recently screened in the Directors’ Fortnight program at the Cannes Film Festival. Angela is also the Artist Development Manager at Film Independent, where she oversees the selection process and curriculum for the Filmmaker Labs program, including Screenwriting, Directing, Producing, and Documentary Labs, the Fast Track Finance Market and the Fox Writers Intensive, managed in conjunction with Fox Audience Strategy. Previously, Angela served as Director of Creative Affairs at New York based Vox3 Films. Prior to her career in film, Angela was an Associate at Goldman Sachs. A native Chicagoan, Angela graduated from the University of Chicago with a degree in Economics and is on the Board of Directors for the University of Chicago National Arts Alumni Network.
The Fellows and projects selected for the 2015 Documentary Film Creative Producing Lab are:
"Brick"
Co-Directors/Producers: Jessica Dimmock & Christopher Lamarca
"Brick" reveals the raw emotional and physical experience of being a middle aged to senior transgender woman coming out for the first time in the Pacific Northwest. The film follows three intersecting stories of individuals who have lived their whole lives as men and decided this burdensome secret is one they can no longer keep.
Jessica Dimmock is the recipient of the 2013 World Press Photo Multimedia Contest as the director and cinematographer of the online feature, "Too Young to Wed." In 2010, Dimmock won Kodak's Best Cinematography Award at the Hamptons International Film Festival for "Without." The film premiered at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, received an Independent Spirit Award, and was nominated for a Gotham Independent Film Award. Dimmock contributed two short films to Doctors Without Borders' Emmy-nominated campaign, “Starved for Attention.” Her first photojournalism project, “The Ninth Floor” was published as a monograph. Most recently, she worked as photographer and videographer for Emmy-nominated HBO series, "The Weight of the Nation." She is represented by VII agency.
Christopher Lamarca is an award-winning photographer and filmmaker and based in Portland, Oregon. Lamarca has recently entered post-production on his first feature length film, "Boone." In 2012, it was chosen as one of eight films for Film Independent's Documentary Film lab. Lamarca's monograph, “Forest Defenders: The Confrontational American Landscape ” was published by PowerHouse Books in 2008. He was chosen to participate in the International Center of Photography’s triennial exhibition (2007), New York Photo festival (2009) and Lishui photo festival in China (2010). He reported on environmental and energy issues for magazines such as Rolling Stone, GQ, Fortune, and Newsweek.
"The Island and the Whales" (working title)
Directore/Producer: Mike Day
The pilot whale hunters of the Faroe Islands believe that hunting is vital to their way of life, but when a local professor makes a grim discovery about the effects of marine pollution, and the seabirds populations collapse, environmental changes threaten to change the community and their way of life forever.
Mike Day is a Scottish director and producer. Formerly a lawyer in London and the Middle East he founded Intrepid Cinema in 2009 before heading out into the North Atlantic to make his previous film. His debut documentary "The Guga Hunters of Ness" broadcast on the BBC in 2011 and screened at festivals internationally to critical acclaim. It was while at sea in the Atlantic that he met a group of Faroese sailors, leading to his next film. Mike was listed as one of '10 Filmmakers to Watch' by Filmmaker Magazine, he was one of Edn's ’12 for the Future 2012’, and is supported by the Scottish Documentary Institute's Docscene programme. Intrepid Cinema also has two other feature documentaries in development.
"The Road From Hainan"
Director/Producer: Nanfu Wang
State surveillance. Harassment. Imprisonment. Human rights activist Ye Haiyan, Aka Sparrow, knew she faced these risks when she went to Hainan Province to seek justice for six elementary school girls who were sexually abused by their principal. But the scale and intensity of the government's reaction surprised even the most seasoned activists across China.
"The Road From Hainan" follows Sparrow as she was chased from town to town by local governments, national secret police, and even her own neighbors. Nanfu Wang is a documentary filmmaker based in New York. Originally from a remote village in China, Wang overcame poverty and lack of access to formal secondary education and went on to earn graduate degrees in communications and documentary film from universities in China and the United States. Her work often features the stories of marginalized or mistreated people, from Chinese blood donors stricken with HIV after being issued used needles by the government to the left-behind children of migrant laborers. During the production of her first full-length documentary, Wang lived on the streets of Miami with a homeless former drug dealer who relied on the kindness of strangers for his survival. Wang’s short films have been distributed on many platforms and translated into several languages, and she continues to seek out and tell the stories of people who have been ignored by their societies.
"Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four"
Director/Producer: Deborah Esquenazi
"Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four" excavates the nightmarish persecution of Elizabeth Ramirez, Cassandra Rivera, Kristie Mayhugh, and Anna Vasquez — four Latina lesbians wrongfully convicted of allegedly gang-raping two little girls in San Antonio, Texas. The film also unravels the sinister interplay of mythology, homophobia and prosecutorial fervor which led to this modern day witch hunt during the 'Satanic Sexual Abuse Panic' of the late-80's and early-90's in the United States.
Deborah S. Esquenazi is an Austin, Texas-based documentary film and radio producer, instructor, and journalist. Her in-progress documentary feature, "Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four," has received international attention for its investigation into this controversial criminal case, and has been mentioned in Forbes Magazine, New York Times, Texas Observer, Vice Magazine, among others. Her film and radio documentaries have been funded by Chicken & Egg Pictures, Paul Robeson Fund for Independent Media, Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program | John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Initiative, Humanities Texas, Astraea Global Arts Fund, and many others.
The Institute’s Creative Producing Initiative encompasses a year-round series of Labs, Fellowships, granting and events focusing on nurturing the next generation of independent producers and renewing the community of veteran producers who sustain the vibrancy and vitality of independent film.
The Feature Film Creative Producing Lab (July 27 – July 31) identifies emerging producers and, under the guidance of Creative Advisors, allows them to develop their creative instincts and evolve their communicating and problem-solving skills at all stages of their feature film project. This year’s Creative Advisors include producers Lindsay Doran ("Sense and Sensibility"), Lynette Howell Taylor (The Place Beyond the Pines), Gina Kwon ("Me You and Everyone We Know"), Paul Mezey ("Beasts of the Southern Wild"), Jay Van Hoy (
"Beginners" ) and director Matthew Ross ("28 Hotel Rooms" ).
The Documentary Film Creative Producing Lab (July 27 – August 1) brings together documentarians with award-winning Advisors to focus on their current projects to explore the wide range of creative approaches to distribution, outreach and impact strategies. This year’s Creative Advisors include producers Julie Goldman ( "Best of Enemies"), Bonni Cohen ("3 1/2 Minutes," "10 Bullets"), Ryan Werner (Cinetic), Maxyne Franklin (Britdoc), and Wendy Cohen (Picture Motion).
The Creative Producing Summit takes place immediately following the Labs, July 31 – August 3. More than 50 industry leaders will participate in a series of curated panels, case studies, roundtables, and one-on-one meetings addressing critical issues producers face including financing, distribution, audience engagement, marketing and sustainability. Panelists this year include Len Amato (HBO Films),
Michael Barker (Sony Pictures Classics), Dori Begley (Magnolia Pictures), Josh Braun (Submarine), Dan Cogan (Impact Partners), Victoria S. Cook (Frankfurt Kurnit), Danielle Di Giacomo (The Orchard), Fred Dust (Ideo), Ted Hope (Amazon), Micah Green (CAA), John Hoffman (Discovery Channel), Marcus Hu (Strand Releasing), Charles King (MacRo), Jessica Lacy (ICM Partners), Stephanie Langhoff (Duplass Brothers), David Magdael (Tcdm Associates), Victor Moyers (Broad Green), Annie Roney (ro*co Films), John Sloss (Cinetic Media), Graham Taylor (William Morris Endeavor), and Jay Van Hoy (Parts & Labor).
The Fellows and projects selected for the 2015 Feature Film Creative Producing Lab are:
"50 Miles From Boomtown"
Producing Fellow: Alex Scharfman
After years of saving for her hard-earned dream, the only woman working on the fracking fields of North Dakota can finally quit but unexpectedly finds herself falling in love with the young man she's training to take her place. (writer/director Flo Linus Baumann).
Alex Scharfman is a New York-based producer whose past feature credits include "The Heart Machine" and "Lyle," as well as the short film "Superior," which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2015, and the WGA Award-nominated webseries "F to 7th." He is an executive at Parts & Labor Films where he worked on films including "Keep The Lights On" and "Loitering with Intent." He has also produced content for Vice, Google, the Ford Foundation, and At&T. Alex received his BA from Cornell University, is a former Mfa candidate from Nyu’s Tisch School of the Arts, and received his Mba from Nyu’s Stern School of Business.
"Bexar County"
Mark Silverman Honorees and Producing Fellows: Blake Pickens and Stephen Love Jr.
In sunny San Antonio, Texas, where nothing ever changes, a town is turned on its head when a delusional Texas housewife accidentally poisons her son’s fiancée, learning that killing people is an efficient way to solve her problems. (Co-writer/director Catherine Grieve, co-writer Dylan Slocum)
Blake Pickens is from the south side of Oklahoma City, from a neighborhood known as the Flats. Despite the community’s rampant drug use and gang wars, Blake found his way into storytelling with a writing position at National Lampoon. He later attended the Peter Stark Producing Program at USC where he and his producing partner, Stephen Love Jr., formed their company Bs Pictures. They are currently in pre-production on the Steven Caple Jr.’s film The Land and in development on "The Friendship Nine" with producer Nina Yang Bongiovi. Blake’s aspirations are to tell the stories that make people laugh, cry, and ultimately impact their lives.
Stephen Love Jr. grew up in the rural towns of Filbert and Bennettsville, South Carolina. During his time as a business major at Morehouse College, Love founded the Morehouse Filmmakers' Association, for which Spike Lee is the honorary advisor. He also received his Mfa from USC’s Peter Stark Producing Program and formed Bs Pictures with fellow graduate Blake Pickens. Love’s primary career goal is to produce film and television that gives "a voice to the voiceless" while challenging the confines of the business of filmmaking.
"Dolores"
Producing Fellow: Drew Houpt
A restless teenager becomes obsessed with a mysterious Colombian woman who exploits his desire and lures him into her plot for revenge. (Writer/director Mary Angélica Molina)
Drew Houpt is an independent producer based in Brooklyn. For over ten years he was the head of operations at Mike Zoss Productions, Joel and Ethan Coen’s Tribeca-based production company. During that time he worked on the Academy Award-winning "No Country For Old Men" and the Academy Award-nominated "A Serious Man" and "True Grit." He served as Associate Producer on the Coens’ Grand Prix-winning "Inside Llewyn Davis" and Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Academy Award-winning film "Birdman: or The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance." This past year he co-produced Maris Curran’s directorial-debut "Five Nights in Maine" and produced "Every Day,' a short documentary for Espn’s 30 for 30 Shorts series that had its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2015. He has also produced music videos for the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang and an experimental documentary, "When A Priest Marries A Witch," by Suzanne Bocanegra.
"Rita Mahtoubian Is Not A Terrorist"
Producing Fellow: Deanna Barillari
When Iranian-born Rita Mahtoubian sets out to change her life from ordinary to extraordinary, she accidentally captures the attention of a homeland security agent in this satirical comedy about romance, terrorism and trying to be a better person. (Co-writers/directors Roja Gashtili & Julia Lerman)
Upon graduating Nyu Tisch, Deanna Barillari co-founded a non-profit theater company producing Off-Off-Broadway plays, including the NYC premiere of Leslye Headland's "Cinephilia" (2008), which funded in-school arts initiatives in the NYC Public School system. She then went on to work in TV on NBC's "Mercy" (2009), CBS’ "Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior" (2010), ABC’s "Pan Am," 86th Oscars (Ellen DeGeneres; 2014) and in Drama Development at Universal Television. Recently, she collaborated with AFI Dww Fellows Roja Gashtili and Julia Lerman, producing their web-series K(ID) starring Caterina Scorsone ("Grey's Anatomy") and their short "Rita Mahtoubian Is Not A Terrorist" starring Patrick Fugit ("Almost Famous") which made its World Premiere at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival. She also produces for the La based Ovation Award-winning Iama Theatre Company.
"The Space Between"
Producing Fellow: Angela C. Lee
A female body builder devotes her life to turning ‘pro’ when she unexpectedly falls in love, forcing her to confront her fractured past with her dying father. (Writer/director Philiane Phang)
Angela C. Lee is a Los Angeles based independent producer. She produced "Songs My Brothers Taught Me," which premiered in competition at the Sundance Film Festival and recently screened in the Directors’ Fortnight program at the Cannes Film Festival. Angela is also the Artist Development Manager at Film Independent, where she oversees the selection process and curriculum for the Filmmaker Labs program, including Screenwriting, Directing, Producing, and Documentary Labs, the Fast Track Finance Market and the Fox Writers Intensive, managed in conjunction with Fox Audience Strategy. Previously, Angela served as Director of Creative Affairs at New York based Vox3 Films. Prior to her career in film, Angela was an Associate at Goldman Sachs. A native Chicagoan, Angela graduated from the University of Chicago with a degree in Economics and is on the Board of Directors for the University of Chicago National Arts Alumni Network.
The Fellows and projects selected for the 2015 Documentary Film Creative Producing Lab are:
"Brick"
Co-Directors/Producers: Jessica Dimmock & Christopher Lamarca
"Brick" reveals the raw emotional and physical experience of being a middle aged to senior transgender woman coming out for the first time in the Pacific Northwest. The film follows three intersecting stories of individuals who have lived their whole lives as men and decided this burdensome secret is one they can no longer keep.
Jessica Dimmock is the recipient of the 2013 World Press Photo Multimedia Contest as the director and cinematographer of the online feature, "Too Young to Wed." In 2010, Dimmock won Kodak's Best Cinematography Award at the Hamptons International Film Festival for "Without." The film premiered at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, received an Independent Spirit Award, and was nominated for a Gotham Independent Film Award. Dimmock contributed two short films to Doctors Without Borders' Emmy-nominated campaign, “Starved for Attention.” Her first photojournalism project, “The Ninth Floor” was published as a monograph. Most recently, she worked as photographer and videographer for Emmy-nominated HBO series, "The Weight of the Nation." She is represented by VII agency.
Christopher Lamarca is an award-winning photographer and filmmaker and based in Portland, Oregon. Lamarca has recently entered post-production on his first feature length film, "Boone." In 2012, it was chosen as one of eight films for Film Independent's Documentary Film lab. Lamarca's monograph, “Forest Defenders: The Confrontational American Landscape ” was published by PowerHouse Books in 2008. He was chosen to participate in the International Center of Photography’s triennial exhibition (2007), New York Photo festival (2009) and Lishui photo festival in China (2010). He reported on environmental and energy issues for magazines such as Rolling Stone, GQ, Fortune, and Newsweek.
"The Island and the Whales" (working title)
Directore/Producer: Mike Day
The pilot whale hunters of the Faroe Islands believe that hunting is vital to their way of life, but when a local professor makes a grim discovery about the effects of marine pollution, and the seabirds populations collapse, environmental changes threaten to change the community and their way of life forever.
Mike Day is a Scottish director and producer. Formerly a lawyer in London and the Middle East he founded Intrepid Cinema in 2009 before heading out into the North Atlantic to make his previous film. His debut documentary "The Guga Hunters of Ness" broadcast on the BBC in 2011 and screened at festivals internationally to critical acclaim. It was while at sea in the Atlantic that he met a group of Faroese sailors, leading to his next film. Mike was listed as one of '10 Filmmakers to Watch' by Filmmaker Magazine, he was one of Edn's ’12 for the Future 2012’, and is supported by the Scottish Documentary Institute's Docscene programme. Intrepid Cinema also has two other feature documentaries in development.
"The Road From Hainan"
Director/Producer: Nanfu Wang
State surveillance. Harassment. Imprisonment. Human rights activist Ye Haiyan, Aka Sparrow, knew she faced these risks when she went to Hainan Province to seek justice for six elementary school girls who were sexually abused by their principal. But the scale and intensity of the government's reaction surprised even the most seasoned activists across China.
"The Road From Hainan" follows Sparrow as she was chased from town to town by local governments, national secret police, and even her own neighbors. Nanfu Wang is a documentary filmmaker based in New York. Originally from a remote village in China, Wang overcame poverty and lack of access to formal secondary education and went on to earn graduate degrees in communications and documentary film from universities in China and the United States. Her work often features the stories of marginalized or mistreated people, from Chinese blood donors stricken with HIV after being issued used needles by the government to the left-behind children of migrant laborers. During the production of her first full-length documentary, Wang lived on the streets of Miami with a homeless former drug dealer who relied on the kindness of strangers for his survival. Wang’s short films have been distributed on many platforms and translated into several languages, and she continues to seek out and tell the stories of people who have been ignored by their societies.
"Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four"
Director/Producer: Deborah Esquenazi
"Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four" excavates the nightmarish persecution of Elizabeth Ramirez, Cassandra Rivera, Kristie Mayhugh, and Anna Vasquez — four Latina lesbians wrongfully convicted of allegedly gang-raping two little girls in San Antonio, Texas. The film also unravels the sinister interplay of mythology, homophobia and prosecutorial fervor which led to this modern day witch hunt during the 'Satanic Sexual Abuse Panic' of the late-80's and early-90's in the United States.
Deborah S. Esquenazi is an Austin, Texas-based documentary film and radio producer, instructor, and journalist. Her in-progress documentary feature, "Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four," has received international attention for its investigation into this controversial criminal case, and has been mentioned in Forbes Magazine, New York Times, Texas Observer, Vice Magazine, among others. Her film and radio documentaries have been funded by Chicken & Egg Pictures, Paul Robeson Fund for Independent Media, Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program | John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Initiative, Humanities Texas, Astraea Global Arts Fund, and many others.
- 7/20/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
From July 27 to August 3 at the Sundance Resort in Utah, the Institute holds its Creative Film Producing Initiative including its latest series of Labs and a special Summit that brings together over 50 industry leaders. The focus is on nurturing the next generation of indie producers. Participants of the Feature Film Creative Producing Lab (July 27 – July 31) work under Creative Advisors including producers Lindsay Doran ("Sense and Sensibility"), Lynette Howell Taylor ("The Place Beyond the Pines"), Gina Kwon ("Me and You and Everyone We Know"), Paul Mezey ("Beasts of the Southern Wild"), Jay Van Hoy ("Beginners") and director Matthew Ross ("28 Hotel Rooms"). The Documentary Film Creative Producing Lab (July 27 – August 1) brings together documentarians under Creative Advisors include producers Julie Goldman ("Best of Enemies"), Bonni Cohen ("3 1/2 Minutes, 10 Bullets"), Ryan Werner (of Cinetic...
- 7/15/2015
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
The Sundance Institute understands that information is power. For filmmakers, producers, exhibitors and distributors, knowing how to crunch the numbers can make all the difference in getting films made at the right production level and sold to the right distributor. There's a lot of guesswork and mystery around the real returns from the multiplatform releases that are so prevalent today. So the Sundance Institute's Executive Director Keri Putnam and Chris Horton, Director of Creative Distribution and Artist Services, along with consultant Brian Newman of Sub-Genre are finally presenting The Transparency Project to the industry, first at the Art House Convergence last week, and on Monday at the Sundance Film Festival's annual Artist Services workshop. Cinereach's Executive Director Phillip Engelhorn and Producer in Residence Paul Mezey are also involved in the project which launched with a pilot study in December, 2013. Their goal...
- 1/26/2015
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Sundance Institute today announced the participants for its annual Creative Producing Labs and Creative Producing Summit, both held the week of July 28 at the Sundance Resort in Sundance, Utah. These activities are part of the Institute’s year-round Creative Producing Initiative, which encompasses a series of Labs, Fellowships and other signature events that support independent producers. The Creative Producing Labs and Summit wrap the summer season of 10 residential Labs hosted in Utah by Sundance Institute, collectively representing 15 weeks of residency support and mentorship for the most promising new independent film and theater projects from the United States and around the world.
Nine films, both documentary and narrative, will participate in the Labs (July 28 – August 1), where they will work with an accomplished group of Creative Advisors to develop their creative producing, communication and problem-solving skills in all stages of film production. These Producing Fellows will also receive ongoing creative and strategic support throughout the year, as well as direct granting for further development and production. This year’s Fellows represent nine projects identified by Sundance Institute’s Feature Film Program and Documentary Film Program. Keri Putnam, Executive Director of Sundance Institute, said, ”Independent producers play a critical role in discovering, fighting for and shaping original voices. Sundance Institute is committed to developing and supporting independent producers whose skills and tenacity are critical to maintaining the health and vibrancy of independent film.”
Immediately following the Labs, the Summit (August 1-4) takes place. The Creative Producing Summit is a three-day, invitation-only gathering that connects 40 independent filmmakers with more than 50 top film industry professionals including producers, distributors, sales agents, financiers and broadcasters to build a dialogue on film producing and the state of the independent film industry. Programmed events include case study sessions, panels, roundtable discussions, one-on-one meetings and pitching sessions. Panelists this year include Michael Barker (Sony Pictures Classics), Christine Vachon (Killer Films), Tom Quinn (Radius-twc), Paul Mezey (Journeyman Pictures), Rena Ronson (UTA), Ron Yerxa (Bona Fide Productions),
Diane Weyermann (Participant), Jessica Lacy (ICM), John Sloss (Cinetic), Jess Search (BritDoc), Kevin Iwashina (Preferred Content), Lois Vossen (Independent Lens), Ian Bricke (Netflix) and Josh Braun (Submarine).
Feature Film Creative Producing Lab
The Feature Film Creative Producing Lab allows emerging narrative feature film producers to work with an accomplished group of Creative Advisors to develop their creative and strategic instincts and skills in all stages of film production. This year’s Creative Advisors include producers Paul Mezey ("Beasts of the Southern Wild"),Pam Koffler ("Boys Don’t Cry"), Jay Van Hoy ("Love is Strange") and Julie Lynn ("Albert Nobbs").
The Fellows and projects selected for the 2014 Feature Film Creative Producing Fellowship are:
Black Bats
Producing Fellows: Adam Hendricks and John Lang
Feeling cast out from society, two teens form a romantic relationship under the belief that they’re transforming into monsters. What begins as fantasy ends with horrific consequences as they both lose touch with reality. (Writer/Director: Rick Spears)
Adam Hendricks has had over a decade of experience in the entertainment industry, including development positions at The Jinks/Cohen Company and Macari Edelstein Entertainment. Adam left development to raise financing and produce the independent feature film Caroline and Jackie (Tribeca Ff 2012). He developed and produced a variety of web series for Fourth Wall Studios, including Dirty Work, winner of the 2012 Emmy for Original Interactive Programming. In 2013, Adam partnered with John Lang to form Divide & Conquer, a production company specializing in independent films, as well as commercials for clients including Ford, EA Sports and Victory Motorcycles.
John Lang began his career in Austin, Texas, working with the Austin Cinemathéque and South by Southwest Film Festival. Since relocating to Los Angeles in 2008, John has worked in a variety of fields within the film industry including production, development, festivals, and sales. In 2011, John joined Rough & Tumble Films as a development and production executive, where he co-produced We Gotta Get Outta this Place (Tiff 2013). In 2013, John partnered with Adam Hendricks to form the commercial and feature film production company, Divide & Conquer.
I’m No Longer Here
Producing Fellows: Gerry Kim and Mayuran Tiruchelvam
Following the death of his older brother, a teenage Mexican boy is forced to migrate to New York City. When he arrives, he quickly realizes that the violence plaguing his home is no match for the feelings of alienation and loneliness he experiences in America. (Writer/Director: Fernando Frias)
Gerry Kim & Mayuran Tiruchelvam formed Dodgeville Films to produce humanistic narrative and documentary films. Their most recent documentary, "To Be Takei," a portrait of actor/activist GeorgeTakei, premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and was acquired by Starz Digital Media. Gerry produced House of Suh, a feature documentary that premiered at HotDocs in 2010 and aired on MSNBC. Mayuran wrote and co-produced "The Girl is in Trouble," executive produced by Spike Lee, and line-produced "The Mend," which premiered at SXSW in 2014. In addition to " I’m No Longer Here," Gerry and Mayuran are developing Christina Choeʼs Nancy, which was selected for the 2013 Ifp Emerging Storytellers Lab, the 2013 Venice Film Festivalʼs Biennale College Cinema Program, and Film Independentʼs Fast Track. They are in post-production on the documentary Farewell, Ferris Wheel, a participant in the 2014 Film Independent Documentary Lab. They received their MFAs from Columbia University in New York City.
Microchip Blues
Producing Fellow: Riel Roch Decter
Fed up with his mundane existence working at the microchip factory, Jimmy teams up with a washed up mystic scientist to build the world's fastest microchip, win back his ex-girlfriend and save his factory from going quantum. (Writer/Director: Aaron Beckum)
Riel Roch Decter is a Canadian-born, Los Angeles-based producer and the Co-Founder of Memory, a new media and film company. Riel began his career as the Director of Production for the independent production company Olympus Pictures working on such films a "Rabbit Hole" and "Beginners." He has produced numerous awarding-winning films including the short "Night Giant"and the feature film The Wait, starring Jena Malone and Chloë Sevigny which premiered at SXSW 2013.
Tracktown, USA
Producing Fellow: Laura Wagner
In a small American town obsessed with competitive running, a famous but sheltered and lonely young runner rebels against her parents, coach and everything she’s ever known in the midst of her first Olympic Trials. (Co-Writer/Director: Jeremy Teicher, Co-Writer: Alexi Pappas)
Laura Wagner is an independent producer, founder of Bay Bridge Productions and current resident at San Francisco Film Society’s FilmHouse. She recently produced the feature film"It Felt Like Love" by Eliza Hittman, which premiered at Sundance in 2013 and opened in theaters in 2014. She also produced the film "Memorial Day" by Josh Fox, and she was Associate Producer of the documentary "John Leguizamo: Tales from a Ghetto Klown," which premiered on PBS and "Pulse: A Stomp Odyssey," the award-winning Imax film directed by the creators of "Stomp."
We the Animals
Mark Silverman Honoree & Producing Fellow: Jeremy Yaches
Based on the bestselling novel by Justin Torres,We the Animals is about the brutal yet loving dynamic of a mixed-race working class family, seen through the eyes of the youngest son, as he discovers his heritage, his sexuality and his madness. (Co-Writer/Director: Jeremiah Zagar, Co-Writer: Dan Kitrosser)
Jeremy Yaches is an Emmy-nominated producer and co-founder of Public Record, a production company that specializes in film, TV, branded content, and commercials. He produced the award-winning documentary "In A Dream," which has screened all over the world and was broadcast on HBO. A graduate of Boston University, Jeremy lives and works in Brooklyn.
Documentary Film Creative Producing Lab
The Documentary Film Creative Producing Lab allows documentary filmmakers to work intensively with award-winning Creative Advisors to hone their craft. The Lab includes sessions on financing, creative distribution, marketing and outreach for independent documentary films. This year’s Creative Advisors include Producers Bonni Cohen ("The Island President"), Brenda Coughlin ("Dirty Wars"), Josh Penn (Court 13) in addition to Nancy Willen (Acme PR), Jess Search (Britdoc), and Josh Braun (Submarine).
The Fellows and projects selected for the 2014 Documentary Film Creative Producing Fellowship are:
Transgender Youth Documentary
Director: Eric Juhola
Producer: Jeremy Stulberg
The Mathis Family in Colorado Springs struggle when their 6-year-old transgender daughter, Coy, is banned from the girl's bathroom at her elementary school. Coy's parents hire a lawyer to fight back and the family is thrust into the media spotlight, causing their lives to change forever.
Eric Juhola founded the film and television production company Still Point Pictures and produced the Gotham Award nominated documentary "Off the Grid: Life on the Mesa," winning 8 best documentary prizes at festivals around the world, followed by a theatrical release and Us broadcast on the Sundance Channel. Eric has additionally directed and produced documentaries and specials for Itvs/PBS, Discovery Channel, MTV, TLC, and TruTV, and has been featured at many film festivals including Tribeca.
Jeremy Stulberg is a documentary filmmaker, writer, and motion picture editor. His feature documentary, "Off the Grid: Life on the Mesa," co-directed with his sister Randy, screened at over 40 film festivals in the Us and Europe Jeremy has produced and edited award winning documentaries and feature films such as "My Mother’s Garden" (HotDocs, MSNBC) and "White Horse" (Berlin Ff 2008, HBO).
(T)error
Co-Directors/Producers: Lyric R. Cabral & David Felix Sutcliffe
"(T)error" is the inside story of ******, an active counterterrorism informant for the FBI. Filmed on the ground, it captures the dramatic unraveling of the informant's 20-year career with the Bureau after the target of his investigation realizes that he’s been set up.
Named one of Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film, Lyric R. Cabral is an independent documentary filmmaker and photojournalist based in New York City. Cabral's photography has been recently published through the Gordon Parks Foundation, the Aperture Foundation, the Smithsonian Institution Photography Initiative, and National Geographic Channel UK.
David Felix Sutcliffe is an independent documentary filmmaker recently named one of the “25 New Faces of Independent Film.” His first film, "Adama," was broadcast on PBS in November 2011. Sutcliffe has worked as a cinematographer on films in Paris, Indonesia, Kenya, and Kansas, and has taught documentary film for the Harlem Children’s Zone, the Tribeca Film Institute, and the Brooklyn Arts Council since 2003.
Uncertain
Co-Directors/Co-Producers: Anna Sandilands & Ewan McNicol
On the shores of a dying lake, neighbors in the once outlaw town of Uncertain, Texas, are haunted by their pasts and battling demons for a future more certain—a tender, humorous southern gothic tale.
Anna Sandilands is a documentary filmmaker and founder of Lucid Inc. a communications company that makes work for clients based in real stories and documentary films. With Ewan McNicol she has made the short films "The Roper," "Missing," "Ufologist," "Dirt Racer," and "Oil Man" and make TV commercials and communications for clients including Google, Apple, Nike, Nokia and BlackBerry. Anna was named Filmmaker Magazine’s “25 Fresh Faces To Watch” in 2013.
Ewan McNicol is a documentary filmmaker, cinematographer, photographer and partner of Lucid Inc. a communications company that makes work for clients based in real stories and documentary films. With Anna Sandilands, his work has received awards including the Webby for Best Documentary, The One Club’s One Screen award for Best Documentary, an Effie and been nominated for a Cinema Eye award. Their films have been screened at film festivals including Sundance, BFI London International Film Festival, Edinburgh, SXSW, True/False, Seattle, Hot Docs, Silverdocs, Visions du Reel and Idfa. Ewan was named Filmmaker Magazine’s “25 Fresh Faces To Watch” in 2013.
Speed Sisters
Producer: Avi Goldstein
The Middle East’s first all-women motor racing team has come together in Palestine. What will it take to go further and faster than anyone thought they could? Speed Sisters captures the drive to follow your dreams against the odds, leaving in its trail shattered stereotypes about gender and the Arab world.
Avi Goldstein co-founded SocDoc Studios to produce story-driven films that engage audiences with social issues. He recently completed the documentary film "Fire Lines" (to be distributed by Journeyman Pictures) with the Ma'an Network in Bethlehem and Common Ground Productions. Avi received an BA in Psychology from Princeton University and was previously a consultant at Vantage Partners, a Boston-based negotiation and relationship management consulting firm spun out of the Harvard Negotiation Project. He recently completed an Ma in Non-Profit Management and Leadership, and facilitates interest-based negotiation and problem-solving skills workshops for high schools students. "Speed Sisters" is his first feature-length documentary.
Sundance Institute
Sundance Institute is a global nonprofit organization founded by Robert Redford in 1981. Through its artistic development programs for directors, screenwriters, producers, composers and playwrights, the Institute seeks to discover and support independent film and theater artists from the United States and around the world, and to introduce audiences to their new work. The Institute promotes independent storytelling to inform, inspire, and unite diverse populations around the globe. Internationally recognized for its annual Sundance Film Festival, Sundance Institute has nurtured such projects as "Born into Brothels," "Trouble the Water," "Son of Babylon," "Amreeka," "An Inconvenient Truth," "Spring Awakening," "I Am My Own Wife," "Light in the Piazza" and "Angels in America."Join Sundance Institute on Facebook,Twitter and YouTube.
Nine films, both documentary and narrative, will participate in the Labs (July 28 – August 1), where they will work with an accomplished group of Creative Advisors to develop their creative producing, communication and problem-solving skills in all stages of film production. These Producing Fellows will also receive ongoing creative and strategic support throughout the year, as well as direct granting for further development and production. This year’s Fellows represent nine projects identified by Sundance Institute’s Feature Film Program and Documentary Film Program. Keri Putnam, Executive Director of Sundance Institute, said, ”Independent producers play a critical role in discovering, fighting for and shaping original voices. Sundance Institute is committed to developing and supporting independent producers whose skills and tenacity are critical to maintaining the health and vibrancy of independent film.”
Immediately following the Labs, the Summit (August 1-4) takes place. The Creative Producing Summit is a three-day, invitation-only gathering that connects 40 independent filmmakers with more than 50 top film industry professionals including producers, distributors, sales agents, financiers and broadcasters to build a dialogue on film producing and the state of the independent film industry. Programmed events include case study sessions, panels, roundtable discussions, one-on-one meetings and pitching sessions. Panelists this year include Michael Barker (Sony Pictures Classics), Christine Vachon (Killer Films), Tom Quinn (Radius-twc), Paul Mezey (Journeyman Pictures), Rena Ronson (UTA), Ron Yerxa (Bona Fide Productions),
Diane Weyermann (Participant), Jessica Lacy (ICM), John Sloss (Cinetic), Jess Search (BritDoc), Kevin Iwashina (Preferred Content), Lois Vossen (Independent Lens), Ian Bricke (Netflix) and Josh Braun (Submarine).
Feature Film Creative Producing Lab
The Feature Film Creative Producing Lab allows emerging narrative feature film producers to work with an accomplished group of Creative Advisors to develop their creative and strategic instincts and skills in all stages of film production. This year’s Creative Advisors include producers Paul Mezey ("Beasts of the Southern Wild"),Pam Koffler ("Boys Don’t Cry"), Jay Van Hoy ("Love is Strange") and Julie Lynn ("Albert Nobbs").
The Fellows and projects selected for the 2014 Feature Film Creative Producing Fellowship are:
Black Bats
Producing Fellows: Adam Hendricks and John Lang
Feeling cast out from society, two teens form a romantic relationship under the belief that they’re transforming into monsters. What begins as fantasy ends with horrific consequences as they both lose touch with reality. (Writer/Director: Rick Spears)
Adam Hendricks has had over a decade of experience in the entertainment industry, including development positions at The Jinks/Cohen Company and Macari Edelstein Entertainment. Adam left development to raise financing and produce the independent feature film Caroline and Jackie (Tribeca Ff 2012). He developed and produced a variety of web series for Fourth Wall Studios, including Dirty Work, winner of the 2012 Emmy for Original Interactive Programming. In 2013, Adam partnered with John Lang to form Divide & Conquer, a production company specializing in independent films, as well as commercials for clients including Ford, EA Sports and Victory Motorcycles.
John Lang began his career in Austin, Texas, working with the Austin Cinemathéque and South by Southwest Film Festival. Since relocating to Los Angeles in 2008, John has worked in a variety of fields within the film industry including production, development, festivals, and sales. In 2011, John joined Rough & Tumble Films as a development and production executive, where he co-produced We Gotta Get Outta this Place (Tiff 2013). In 2013, John partnered with Adam Hendricks to form the commercial and feature film production company, Divide & Conquer.
I’m No Longer Here
Producing Fellows: Gerry Kim and Mayuran Tiruchelvam
Following the death of his older brother, a teenage Mexican boy is forced to migrate to New York City. When he arrives, he quickly realizes that the violence plaguing his home is no match for the feelings of alienation and loneliness he experiences in America. (Writer/Director: Fernando Frias)
Gerry Kim & Mayuran Tiruchelvam formed Dodgeville Films to produce humanistic narrative and documentary films. Their most recent documentary, "To Be Takei," a portrait of actor/activist GeorgeTakei, premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and was acquired by Starz Digital Media. Gerry produced House of Suh, a feature documentary that premiered at HotDocs in 2010 and aired on MSNBC. Mayuran wrote and co-produced "The Girl is in Trouble," executive produced by Spike Lee, and line-produced "The Mend," which premiered at SXSW in 2014. In addition to " I’m No Longer Here," Gerry and Mayuran are developing Christina Choeʼs Nancy, which was selected for the 2013 Ifp Emerging Storytellers Lab, the 2013 Venice Film Festivalʼs Biennale College Cinema Program, and Film Independentʼs Fast Track. They are in post-production on the documentary Farewell, Ferris Wheel, a participant in the 2014 Film Independent Documentary Lab. They received their MFAs from Columbia University in New York City.
Microchip Blues
Producing Fellow: Riel Roch Decter
Fed up with his mundane existence working at the microchip factory, Jimmy teams up with a washed up mystic scientist to build the world's fastest microchip, win back his ex-girlfriend and save his factory from going quantum. (Writer/Director: Aaron Beckum)
Riel Roch Decter is a Canadian-born, Los Angeles-based producer and the Co-Founder of Memory, a new media and film company. Riel began his career as the Director of Production for the independent production company Olympus Pictures working on such films a "Rabbit Hole" and "Beginners." He has produced numerous awarding-winning films including the short "Night Giant"and the feature film The Wait, starring Jena Malone and Chloë Sevigny which premiered at SXSW 2013.
Tracktown, USA
Producing Fellow: Laura Wagner
In a small American town obsessed with competitive running, a famous but sheltered and lonely young runner rebels against her parents, coach and everything she’s ever known in the midst of her first Olympic Trials. (Co-Writer/Director: Jeremy Teicher, Co-Writer: Alexi Pappas)
Laura Wagner is an independent producer, founder of Bay Bridge Productions and current resident at San Francisco Film Society’s FilmHouse. She recently produced the feature film"It Felt Like Love" by Eliza Hittman, which premiered at Sundance in 2013 and opened in theaters in 2014. She also produced the film "Memorial Day" by Josh Fox, and she was Associate Producer of the documentary "John Leguizamo: Tales from a Ghetto Klown," which premiered on PBS and "Pulse: A Stomp Odyssey," the award-winning Imax film directed by the creators of "Stomp."
We the Animals
Mark Silverman Honoree & Producing Fellow: Jeremy Yaches
Based on the bestselling novel by Justin Torres,We the Animals is about the brutal yet loving dynamic of a mixed-race working class family, seen through the eyes of the youngest son, as he discovers his heritage, his sexuality and his madness. (Co-Writer/Director: Jeremiah Zagar, Co-Writer: Dan Kitrosser)
Jeremy Yaches is an Emmy-nominated producer and co-founder of Public Record, a production company that specializes in film, TV, branded content, and commercials. He produced the award-winning documentary "In A Dream," which has screened all over the world and was broadcast on HBO. A graduate of Boston University, Jeremy lives and works in Brooklyn.
Documentary Film Creative Producing Lab
The Documentary Film Creative Producing Lab allows documentary filmmakers to work intensively with award-winning Creative Advisors to hone their craft. The Lab includes sessions on financing, creative distribution, marketing and outreach for independent documentary films. This year’s Creative Advisors include Producers Bonni Cohen ("The Island President"), Brenda Coughlin ("Dirty Wars"), Josh Penn (Court 13) in addition to Nancy Willen (Acme PR), Jess Search (Britdoc), and Josh Braun (Submarine).
The Fellows and projects selected for the 2014 Documentary Film Creative Producing Fellowship are:
Transgender Youth Documentary
Director: Eric Juhola
Producer: Jeremy Stulberg
The Mathis Family in Colorado Springs struggle when their 6-year-old transgender daughter, Coy, is banned from the girl's bathroom at her elementary school. Coy's parents hire a lawyer to fight back and the family is thrust into the media spotlight, causing their lives to change forever.
Eric Juhola founded the film and television production company Still Point Pictures and produced the Gotham Award nominated documentary "Off the Grid: Life on the Mesa," winning 8 best documentary prizes at festivals around the world, followed by a theatrical release and Us broadcast on the Sundance Channel. Eric has additionally directed and produced documentaries and specials for Itvs/PBS, Discovery Channel, MTV, TLC, and TruTV, and has been featured at many film festivals including Tribeca.
Jeremy Stulberg is a documentary filmmaker, writer, and motion picture editor. His feature documentary, "Off the Grid: Life on the Mesa," co-directed with his sister Randy, screened at over 40 film festivals in the Us and Europe Jeremy has produced and edited award winning documentaries and feature films such as "My Mother’s Garden" (HotDocs, MSNBC) and "White Horse" (Berlin Ff 2008, HBO).
(T)error
Co-Directors/Producers: Lyric R. Cabral & David Felix Sutcliffe
"(T)error" is the inside story of ******, an active counterterrorism informant for the FBI. Filmed on the ground, it captures the dramatic unraveling of the informant's 20-year career with the Bureau after the target of his investigation realizes that he’s been set up.
Named one of Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film, Lyric R. Cabral is an independent documentary filmmaker and photojournalist based in New York City. Cabral's photography has been recently published through the Gordon Parks Foundation, the Aperture Foundation, the Smithsonian Institution Photography Initiative, and National Geographic Channel UK.
David Felix Sutcliffe is an independent documentary filmmaker recently named one of the “25 New Faces of Independent Film.” His first film, "Adama," was broadcast on PBS in November 2011. Sutcliffe has worked as a cinematographer on films in Paris, Indonesia, Kenya, and Kansas, and has taught documentary film for the Harlem Children’s Zone, the Tribeca Film Institute, and the Brooklyn Arts Council since 2003.
Uncertain
Co-Directors/Co-Producers: Anna Sandilands & Ewan McNicol
On the shores of a dying lake, neighbors in the once outlaw town of Uncertain, Texas, are haunted by their pasts and battling demons for a future more certain—a tender, humorous southern gothic tale.
Anna Sandilands is a documentary filmmaker and founder of Lucid Inc. a communications company that makes work for clients based in real stories and documentary films. With Ewan McNicol she has made the short films "The Roper," "Missing," "Ufologist," "Dirt Racer," and "Oil Man" and make TV commercials and communications for clients including Google, Apple, Nike, Nokia and BlackBerry. Anna was named Filmmaker Magazine’s “25 Fresh Faces To Watch” in 2013.
Ewan McNicol is a documentary filmmaker, cinematographer, photographer and partner of Lucid Inc. a communications company that makes work for clients based in real stories and documentary films. With Anna Sandilands, his work has received awards including the Webby for Best Documentary, The One Club’s One Screen award for Best Documentary, an Effie and been nominated for a Cinema Eye award. Their films have been screened at film festivals including Sundance, BFI London International Film Festival, Edinburgh, SXSW, True/False, Seattle, Hot Docs, Silverdocs, Visions du Reel and Idfa. Ewan was named Filmmaker Magazine’s “25 Fresh Faces To Watch” in 2013.
Speed Sisters
Producer: Avi Goldstein
The Middle East’s first all-women motor racing team has come together in Palestine. What will it take to go further and faster than anyone thought they could? Speed Sisters captures the drive to follow your dreams against the odds, leaving in its trail shattered stereotypes about gender and the Arab world.
Avi Goldstein co-founded SocDoc Studios to produce story-driven films that engage audiences with social issues. He recently completed the documentary film "Fire Lines" (to be distributed by Journeyman Pictures) with the Ma'an Network in Bethlehem and Common Ground Productions. Avi received an BA in Psychology from Princeton University and was previously a consultant at Vantage Partners, a Boston-based negotiation and relationship management consulting firm spun out of the Harvard Negotiation Project. He recently completed an Ma in Non-Profit Management and Leadership, and facilitates interest-based negotiation and problem-solving skills workshops for high schools students. "Speed Sisters" is his first feature-length documentary.
Sundance Institute
Sundance Institute is a global nonprofit organization founded by Robert Redford in 1981. Through its artistic development programs for directors, screenwriters, producers, composers and playwrights, the Institute seeks to discover and support independent film and theater artists from the United States and around the world, and to introduce audiences to their new work. The Institute promotes independent storytelling to inform, inspire, and unite diverse populations around the globe. Internationally recognized for its annual Sundance Film Festival, Sundance Institute has nurtured such projects as "Born into Brothels," "Trouble the Water," "Son of Babylon," "Amreeka," "An Inconvenient Truth," "Spring Awakening," "I Am My Own Wife," "Light in the Piazza" and "Angels in America."Join Sundance Institute on Facebook,Twitter and YouTube.
- 7/30/2014
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
As we know, a passage through the many Sundance labs doesn’t guarantee a gold ticket for Park City in January, but undoubtably its certainly a professional nudge in the right direction. A total of nine films (5 fiction) will be heading to the Labs (July 28 – August 1) with this year’s Creative Advisors including folk we’ve mentioned on several occasion here in Paul Mezey (Beasts of the Southern Wild), Pam Koffler (Boys Don’t Cry), Jay Van Hoy (Love is Strange) and Julie Lynn (Albert Nobbs). Among this year’s summer camp for film producers we have the likes of Riel Roch Decter (who produced 2013 SXSW entry The Wait
from helmer M. Blash) and producer Laura Wagner (from Eliza Hittman’s It Felt Like Love fame). Here are the projects and producers heading up to the mythic location. Press release follows.
Feature Film Creative Producing Lab
The Feature Film Creative...
from helmer M. Blash) and producer Laura Wagner (from Eliza Hittman’s It Felt Like Love fame). Here are the projects and producers heading up to the mythic location. Press release follows.
Feature Film Creative Producing Lab
The Feature Film Creative...
- 7/29/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
The Academy has announced the new class of invited members for 2014 and, as is typical, many of which are among last year's nominees, which includes Barkhad Abdi, Michael Fassbender, Sally Hawkins, Mads Mikkelsen, Lupita Nyong'o and June Squibb in the Actors branch not to mention curious additions such as Josh Hutcherson, Rob Riggle and Jason Statham, but, okay. The Directors branch adds Jay and Mark Duplass along with Jean-Marc Vallee, Denis Villeneuve and Thomas Vinterberg. I didn't do an immediate tally of male to female additions or other demographics, but at first glance it seems to be a wide spread batch of new additions on all fronts. The Academy is also clearly attempting to aggressively bump up the demographics as this is the second year in a row where they have added a large number of new members, well over the average of 133 new members from 2004 to 2012. As far as...
- 6/26/2014
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is extending invitations to join the organization to 271 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures.
Those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy’s membership in 2014.
“This year’s class of invitees represents some of the most talented, creative and passionate filmmakers working in our industry today,” said Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs. “Their contributions to film have entertained audiences around the world, and we are proud to welcome them to the Academy.”
The 2014 invitees are:
Actors
Barkhad Abdi – “Captain Phillips”
Clancy Brown – “The Hurricane,” “The Shawshank Redeption”
Paul Dano – “12 Years a Slave,” “Prisoners”
Michael Fassbender – “12 Years a Slave,” “Shame”
Ben Foster – “Lone Survivor,” “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints”
Beth Grant – “The Artist,” “No Country for Old Men”
Clark Gregg – “Much Ado about Nothing,” “Marvel’s The Avengers”
Sally Hawkins – “Blue Jasmine,...
Those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy’s membership in 2014.
“This year’s class of invitees represents some of the most talented, creative and passionate filmmakers working in our industry today,” said Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs. “Their contributions to film have entertained audiences around the world, and we are proud to welcome them to the Academy.”
The 2014 invitees are:
Actors
Barkhad Abdi – “Captain Phillips”
Clancy Brown – “The Hurricane,” “The Shawshank Redeption”
Paul Dano – “12 Years a Slave,” “Prisoners”
Michael Fassbender – “12 Years a Slave,” “Shame”
Ben Foster – “Lone Survivor,” “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints”
Beth Grant – “The Artist,” “No Country for Old Men”
Clark Gregg – “Much Ado about Nothing,” “Marvel’s The Avengers”
Sally Hawkins – “Blue Jasmine,...
- 6/26/2014
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Michael Fassbender and Lupita Nyong’o of 12 Years a Slave were two of the 271 artists and industry leaders invited to become members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which determines nominations and winners at the annual Oscars. The entire list of Academy membership—which numbers about 6,000—isn’t public information so the annual invitation list is often the best indication of the artists involved in the prestigious awards process. It’s worth noting that invitations need to be accepted in order for artists to become members; some artists, like two-time Best Actor winner Sean Penn, have declined membership over the years.
- 6/26/2014
- by Jeff Labrecque
- EW - Inside Movies
Pop quiz: What do Chris Rock, Claire Denis, Eddie Vedder and Josh Hutcherson all have in common? Answer: They could all be Oscar voters very soon. The annual Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences invitation list always makes for interesting reading, shedding light on just how large and far-reaching the group's membership is -- or could be, depending on who accepts their invitations. This year, 271 individuals have been asked to join AMPAS, meaning every one of them could contribute to next year's Academy Awards balloting -- and it's as diverse a list as they've ever assembled. Think the Academy consists entirely of fusty retired white dudes? Not if recent Best Original Song nominee Pharrell Williams takes them up on their offer. Think it's all just a Hollywood insiders' game? Not if French arthouse titans Chantal Akerman and Olivier Assayas join the party. It's a list that subverts expectation at every turn.
- 6/26/2014
- by Guy Lodge
- Hitfix
Breaking: Michelle Williams and Joel Edgerton are set to star in The Double Hour, a remake of the 2009 Italian film of the same title. Joshua Marston, helmer of Maria Full Of Grace, is writing and will direct. Silver Reel Entertainment and Lotus Entertainment have partnered to finance and sell in Cannes. It’s a psychological thriller that tells the story of two lovers who find themselves victims in the midst of a dangerous and well planned robbery. Indigo Films’ Nicola Giuliano, Vertigo Entertainment’s Roy Lee and Journeyman Pictures’ Paul Mezey are producing. The original, directed by Giuseppe Capotondi and produced by Giuliano, premiered in competition to critical praise and awards at the 2009 Venice International Film Festival. Silver Reel’s Claudia Blumhuber, Lotus Entertainment’s Bill Johnson and Jim Seibel, Giulio Marantonio, John Powers Middleton, Jacob Pechenik and Florian Dargel will executive produce. UTA Independent Film Group and CAA are co-repping domestic rights.
- 5/15/2013
- by MIKE FLEMING JR
- Deadline
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