Hot Docs has wrapped its 30th anniversary edition, handing out its top cash prize and announcing the audience top picks after an 11-day festival, which presented 214 films from 72 countries at 308 live screenings at venues across Toronto.
Philippe Falardeau’s “Lac-Mégantic—This Is Not an Accident” topped the overall audience poll to win the 2023 Hot Docs Audience Award. The four-part series from the Oscar-nominated director explores the causes of one of Canada’s worst rail disasters and what’s needed to prevent such accidents in the future.
“Someone Lives Here,” by Zack Russell, won the Rogers Audience Awards for Best Canadian Documentary, which comes with Cdn. $50,000 cash, and also claimed the second-highest spot in the overall audience poll. The film also won the inaugural Bill Nemtin Award for Best Social Impact Documentary, a jury-chosen prize, at the main awards ceremony held Saturday.
“Someone Lives Here”
“Someone” tells the story of Toronto carpenter Khaleel Seivwright,...
Philippe Falardeau’s “Lac-Mégantic—This Is Not an Accident” topped the overall audience poll to win the 2023 Hot Docs Audience Award. The four-part series from the Oscar-nominated director explores the causes of one of Canada’s worst rail disasters and what’s needed to prevent such accidents in the future.
“Someone Lives Here,” by Zack Russell, won the Rogers Audience Awards for Best Canadian Documentary, which comes with Cdn. $50,000 cash, and also claimed the second-highest spot in the overall audience poll. The film also won the inaugural Bill Nemtin Award for Best Social Impact Documentary, a jury-chosen prize, at the main awards ceremony held Saturday.
“Someone Lives Here”
“Someone” tells the story of Toronto carpenter Khaleel Seivwright,...
- 5/8/2023
- by Jennie Punter
- Variety Film + TV
Joe Piscatella’s 2017 “Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower” offered a fairly exhilarating view of youth activism, as it charted one Hong Kong student’s spearheading public opposition to mainland China’s increasingly heavy-handed takeover. The can-do optimism that documentary left viewers with is on life support in the director’s follow-up, which shifts nominal focus to one of Joshua Wong’s fellow protest leaders. But mostly “Who’s Afraid of Nathan Law?” observes the gradual crushing of a pro-democracy movement that not long ago had promised to engage Beijing in genuine dialogue. This equally skillful if much more downbeat sequel should follow its predecessor to wide travel on the festival circuit, then broadcast and streaming exposure.
Law was a college freshman when he first met then-high school students Wong and so-called “princess of democracy” Agnes Chow. The trio became perhaps the most identifiable faces in a largely youth-driven cause that rose up...
Law was a college freshman when he first met then-high school students Wong and so-called “princess of democracy” Agnes Chow. The trio became perhaps the most identifiable faces in a largely youth-driven cause that rose up...
- 5/8/2023
- by Dennis Harvey
- Variety Film + TV
Despite a dismal documentary distribution landscape, hundreds of nonfiction filmmakers are heading to Toronto for the 30th edition of Hot Docs Canadian Intl. Documentary Festival determined to sell their independently made docus.
This year, Hot Docs’ programming director Shane Smith selected 214 films from 2848 submissions to screen in-person and online beginning April 27. The slate of nonfiction films from 72 countries will be spread across 13 programs and will feature 70 world and 33 international premieres.
“Part of our value proposition is really mining all of the corners and shining a light in all of the corners of the documentary landscape,” Smith tells Variety. “Kanopy and Tenk are going to be here as well as the bigger players like Netflix. So, we are looking to be a valuable resource for the entire landscape of documentary. Not every film is one that the streamers are going to acquire, but there’s a home for every doc that we show in the festival.
This year, Hot Docs’ programming director Shane Smith selected 214 films from 2848 submissions to screen in-person and online beginning April 27. The slate of nonfiction films from 72 countries will be spread across 13 programs and will feature 70 world and 33 international premieres.
“Part of our value proposition is really mining all of the corners and shining a light in all of the corners of the documentary landscape,” Smith tells Variety. “Kanopy and Tenk are going to be here as well as the bigger players like Netflix. So, we are looking to be a valuable resource for the entire landscape of documentary. Not every film is one that the streamers are going to acquire, but there’s a home for every doc that we show in the festival.
- 4/27/2023
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
The folk music documentaries Joan Baez I Am a Noise and Alexandria Bombach’s Indigo Girls documentary It’s Only Life After All are getting international premieres as part of the Hot Docs Festival, which unveiled its 2023 lineup on Tuesday.
Co-directors Miri Navasky, Karen O’Connor and Maeve O’Boyle’s portrait of Baez, the American folk singing legend and civil rights activist, bowed in Berlin. Bombach’s film about Amy Ray and Emily Saliers, who became folk-rock duo Indigo Girls and eventually environmental activists, premiered at Sundance.
The Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival’s 30th edition will be filled with a host of films about activists, as the festival is set to open with a screening of Twice Colonized, Danish director Lin Alluna’s film about Greenlandic Inuit lawyer and protector of her ancestral lands, Aaju Peter.
The Danish film, which had a world premiere at Sundance, will also launch the Copenhagen documentary film festival Cph:dox.
Co-directors Miri Navasky, Karen O’Connor and Maeve O’Boyle’s portrait of Baez, the American folk singing legend and civil rights activist, bowed in Berlin. Bombach’s film about Amy Ray and Emily Saliers, who became folk-rock duo Indigo Girls and eventually environmental activists, premiered at Sundance.
The Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival’s 30th edition will be filled with a host of films about activists, as the festival is set to open with a screening of Twice Colonized, Danish director Lin Alluna’s film about Greenlandic Inuit lawyer and protector of her ancestral lands, Aaju Peter.
The Danish film, which had a world premiere at Sundance, will also launch the Copenhagen documentary film festival Cph:dox.
- 3/28/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Shape of Water and Coco win big at the PGA AwardsThe Shape of Water and Coco win big at the PGA AwardsAdriana Floridia1/22/2018 11:50:00 Am
The Producers Guild of America gave out their top film prizes this weekend. The PGA is often indicative of which movie will win Best Picture on Oscar night.
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missourihas been sweeping the awards race so far this year, but it looks like the edge may be given over to The Shape of Water, which won the coveted PGA on Saturday night. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is the film's biggest competition for a Best Picture Oscar at this rate. To no-one's surprise, Coco won in the animated category and it's a surefire lock for the Animated Feature prize at the Oscars.
Check out the full list of winners below!
Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion...
The Producers Guild of America gave out their top film prizes this weekend. The PGA is often indicative of which movie will win Best Picture on Oscar night.
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missourihas been sweeping the awards race so far this year, but it looks like the edge may be given over to The Shape of Water, which won the coveted PGA on Saturday night. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is the film's biggest competition for a Best Picture Oscar at this rate. To no-one's surprise, Coco won in the animated category and it's a surefire lock for the Animated Feature prize at the Oscars.
Check out the full list of winners below!
Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion...
- 1/22/2018
- by Adriana Floridia
- Cineplex
The Producers Guild of America hands out its awards on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018. That is the night before the Screen Actors Guild does the same. Unlike, the latter, which will air on TNT and TBS, the PGA ceremony is not televised. However, it is an equally important stop on the road to the Oscars.
The PGA Awards has an enviable track record at presaging the eventual Best Picture winner at the Academy Awards. The guild and the academy have agreed on 19 of the most recent 28 Best Picture champs. Last year, all nine Oscar nominees for Best Picture numbered among the 10 PGA contenders; only “Deadpool” was snubbed by the academy. The PGA prize went to “La La Land” while the Oscar was (eventually) won by “Moonlight.”
Discuss All the Oscar contenders with Hollywood insiders in our notorious forums
Nominees for the 29th annual edition of the PGA awards in the three film...
The PGA Awards has an enviable track record at presaging the eventual Best Picture winner at the Academy Awards. The guild and the academy have agreed on 19 of the most recent 28 Best Picture champs. Last year, all nine Oscar nominees for Best Picture numbered among the 10 PGA contenders; only “Deadpool” was snubbed by the academy. The PGA prize went to “La La Land” while the Oscar was (eventually) won by “Moonlight.”
Discuss All the Oscar contenders with Hollywood insiders in our notorious forums
Nominees for the 29th annual edition of the PGA awards in the three film...
- 1/20/2018
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
With a wide field of potential contenders, the Producers Guild of America made some surprise picks and snubs for its seven nominees for Best Feature Documentary on Monday. The films nominated for the Award for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Motion Pictures are listed below in alphabetical order:
“Chasing Coral” (Jeff Orlowski, Netflix)
“City of Ghosts” (Mattew Heineman, Amazon)
“Cries from Syria” (Evgeny Afineevsky, HBO)
“Earth: One Amazing Day” (Peter Webber, Lixin Fan, Richard Dale, BBC Earth)
“Jane” (Brett Morgen, NatGeo)
“Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower” (Joe Piscatella, Netflix)
“The Newspaperman: The Life and Times of Ben Bradlee” (John Maggio, HBO)
Among the lauded documentaries left off the 2017 PGA nominations were Cannes documentary winner “Faces Places,” directed by Agnes Varda and Jr, Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s portrait of Brooklyn Hassidim, “One of Us,” and popular Turkish cat documentary “Kedi.”
While the PGA’s feature nominees often align with Oscar contenders,...
“Chasing Coral” (Jeff Orlowski, Netflix)
“City of Ghosts” (Mattew Heineman, Amazon)
“Cries from Syria” (Evgeny Afineevsky, HBO)
“Earth: One Amazing Day” (Peter Webber, Lixin Fan, Richard Dale, BBC Earth)
“Jane” (Brett Morgen, NatGeo)
“Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower” (Joe Piscatella, Netflix)
“The Newspaperman: The Life and Times of Ben Bradlee” (John Maggio, HBO)
Among the lauded documentaries left off the 2017 PGA nominations were Cannes documentary winner “Faces Places,” directed by Agnes Varda and Jr, Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s portrait of Brooklyn Hassidim, “One of Us,” and popular Turkish cat documentary “Kedi.”
While the PGA’s feature nominees often align with Oscar contenders,...
- 11/21/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
With a wide field of potential contenders, the Producers Guild of America made some surprise picks and snubs for its seven nominees for Best Feature Documentary on Monday. The films nominated for the Award for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Motion Pictures are listed below in alphabetical order:
“Chasing Coral” (Jeff Orlowski, Netflix)
“City of Ghosts” (Mattew Heineman, Amazon)
“Cries from Syria” (Evgeny Afineevsky, HBO)
“Earth: One Amazing Day” (Peter Webber, Lixin Fan, Richard Dale, BBC Earth)
“Jane” (Brett Morgen, NatGeo)
“Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower” (Joe Piscatella, Netflix)
“The Newspaperman: The Life and Times of Ben Bradlee” (John Maggio, HBO)
Among the lauded documentaries left off the 2017 PGA nominations were Cannes documentary winner “Faces Places,” directed by Agnes Varda and Jr, Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s portrait of Brooklyn Hassidim, “One of Us,” and popular Turkish cat documentary “Kedi.”
While the PGA’s feature nominees often align with Oscar contenders,...
“Chasing Coral” (Jeff Orlowski, Netflix)
“City of Ghosts” (Mattew Heineman, Amazon)
“Cries from Syria” (Evgeny Afineevsky, HBO)
“Earth: One Amazing Day” (Peter Webber, Lixin Fan, Richard Dale, BBC Earth)
“Jane” (Brett Morgen, NatGeo)
“Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower” (Joe Piscatella, Netflix)
“The Newspaperman: The Life and Times of Ben Bradlee” (John Maggio, HBO)
Among the lauded documentaries left off the 2017 PGA nominations were Cannes documentary winner “Faces Places,” directed by Agnes Varda and Jr, Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s portrait of Brooklyn Hassidim, “One of Us,” and popular Turkish cat documentary “Kedi.”
While the PGA’s feature nominees often align with Oscar contenders,...
- 11/21/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Netflix has released the first teaser trailer for its upcoming original documentary “Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower.” The film premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award in the World Cinema Documentary Competition.
Read More: 7 Films New to Netflix to Watch In May 2017, Including ‘Inglourious Basterds’ and ‘War Machine’
Directed by Joe Piscatella (“#chicagoGirl: The Social Network Takes on a Dictator”), the documentary tells the story of Joshua Wong, a teenager who, in 2012, rallied thousands of kids to skip school and occupy the streets after the Chinese Communist Party altered its promise of autonomy to Hong Kong. The teenage activist became an unlikely leader in Hong Kong and one of China’s most notorious dissidents.
Read More: Documentary Sales Are Surging, But What’s Driving the Competition?
“Piscatella has woven together the complex and inspirational story of an unlikely activist, whose acts of bravery and...
Read More: 7 Films New to Netflix to Watch In May 2017, Including ‘Inglourious Basterds’ and ‘War Machine’
Directed by Joe Piscatella (“#chicagoGirl: The Social Network Takes on a Dictator”), the documentary tells the story of Joshua Wong, a teenager who, in 2012, rallied thousands of kids to skip school and occupy the streets after the Chinese Communist Party altered its promise of autonomy to Hong Kong. The teenage activist became an unlikely leader in Hong Kong and one of China’s most notorious dissidents.
Read More: Documentary Sales Are Surging, But What’s Driving the Competition?
“Piscatella has woven together the complex and inspirational story of an unlikely activist, whose acts of bravery and...
- 5/1/2017
- by Yoselin Acevedo
- Indiewire
"The future of Hong Kong should be decided by Hong Kongers" Netflix has revealed an official trailer for a documentary titled Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower, telling the story of Joshua Wong, the main activist who organized and lead the famous "Umbrella Movement" in Hong Kong back in 2014. This film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, and won an Audience Award in the World Cinema Documentary Competition section. I saw this there and totally loved it (read my glowing review). It's more about Joshua and who he is, and the way he was able to rally an entire city behind him, not so much about the Umbrella Movement itself. Though it does tell the story, and it does have some amazing footage, it's more inspiring to learn about who Joshua (and his friends) are and why they're so into politics and activism. Here's the official trailer for Joe Piscatella...
- 5/1/2017
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Work from female directors accounts for close to 48% of selection.
The world premiere of Bee Nation will open the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, set to run in Toronto from April 27-May 7.
Lana Šlezić’s film about students in Saskatchewan who compete in the first province-wide First Nations Spelling Bee is among 230 films from 58 countries that will screen across 13 programmes.
Highlights are expected to include appearances by City Of Ghosts (pictured) director Matthew Heineman and a special guest; film subject and student activist Joshua Wong and director Joe Piscatella from Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower; director Kate Brooks, director of the Centre For Conservation Biology, Dr Sam Wasser and executive director of the Satao Project Gretchen Peters from The Last Animals; and director Jeff Orlowski and founding partner of The Ocean Agency Richard Vevers from Chasing Coral.
Top brass at the upcoming 24th edition received 2,906 film submissions and said work by female directors accounted for close to 48% of...
The world premiere of Bee Nation will open the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, set to run in Toronto from April 27-May 7.
Lana Šlezić’s film about students in Saskatchewan who compete in the first province-wide First Nations Spelling Bee is among 230 films from 58 countries that will screen across 13 programmes.
Highlights are expected to include appearances by City Of Ghosts (pictured) director Matthew Heineman and a special guest; film subject and student activist Joshua Wong and director Joe Piscatella from Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower; director Kate Brooks, director of the Centre For Conservation Biology, Dr Sam Wasser and executive director of the Satao Project Gretchen Peters from The Last Animals; and director Jeff Orlowski and founding partner of The Ocean Agency Richard Vevers from Chasing Coral.
Top brass at the upcoming 24th edition received 2,906 film submissions and said work by female directors accounted for close to 48% of...
- 3/21/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Sundance is over and the prizes are won. People have dispersed to their homes and the realities that await them there.
This was a Sundance like no other I can remember, and I have attended every single one since 1986! The cold was extreme; and the political engagement and disgust was extreme. Not only did we have the Inauguration the first day, but the Women’s March the second day had probably 6,000 people marching and on that day the first of many deplorable executive orders (this one against women of the world and their control over their own bodies) began flying off the desk of our current president, who has continued to issue at least one every day, each one more despicable than the previous. Politics and women took center stage.
Chelsea Handler leads the women’s march in Park City, Utah. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
The Sundance slant...
This was a Sundance like no other I can remember, and I have attended every single one since 1986! The cold was extreme; and the political engagement and disgust was extreme. Not only did we have the Inauguration the first day, but the Women’s March the second day had probably 6,000 people marching and on that day the first of many deplorable executive orders (this one against women of the world and their control over their own bodies) began flying off the desk of our current president, who has continued to issue at least one every day, each one more despicable than the previous. Politics and women took center stage.
Chelsea Handler leads the women’s march in Park City, Utah. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
The Sundance slant...
- 2/8/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
So far it’s a solid mix of narratives and documentaries.Step
It’s safe to say that the ultimate Sundance dream is to sell a film (second to Ava DuVernay casually walking by you, of course). Filmmakers want to sell their films so that their work can reach more audiences and they can hopefully go on to make bigger and better films. Studios want to buy films so that they can compete in the industry. Patrons especially want sales so that when their friends later ask if they want to see this new indie film that just came out they can casually go, “Is that finally out? It seems like Ages since I saw it at Sundance. Also did I tell you that Ava DuVernay walked by me this year? I did? Okay.”
The 2017 Sundance Film Festival is entering closing weekend with a decent number of those dream sales already under its belt. As...
It’s safe to say that the ultimate Sundance dream is to sell a film (second to Ava DuVernay casually walking by you, of course). Filmmakers want to sell their films so that their work can reach more audiences and they can hopefully go on to make bigger and better films. Studios want to buy films so that they can compete in the industry. Patrons especially want sales so that when their friends later ask if they want to see this new indie film that just came out they can casually go, “Is that finally out? It seems like Ages since I saw it at Sundance. Also did I tell you that Ava DuVernay walked by me this year? I did? Okay.”
The 2017 Sundance Film Festival is entering closing weekend with a decent number of those dream sales already under its belt. As...
- 1/30/2017
- by Siân Melton
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
The power of people. But who is the leader that can inspire people to actually get out and protest? Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower is a documentary about the Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong in 2014, as well as the story of Joshua Wong, the young activist who lead the movement. I've been excited to see a documentary about this specific moment in Hong Kong's history, and this film covers that event and much more. This really shook up something deep inside of me. Joshua Wong is now my idol, I'm totally inspired and invigorated by him and his endless passion for democracy through peaceful protest - power in numbers. I admire this kid so much, and this doc is a fantastic introduction to who he is and what he helped achieve. Directed by Joe Piscatella, Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower tells the story of Joshua Wong - a student who founded a...
- 1/29/2017
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
I don't feel at home in this world anymoreU.S. – DRAMATICGrand Jury PrizeI don't feel at home in this world anymore. (Macon Blair)Directing AwardBeach Rats (Eliza Hittman)Special Jury Award CinematographyDaniel Landin, The Yellow BirdsSpecial Jury Award – Breakthrough Performance Chanté Adams (Roxanne Roxanne)Special Jury Award – Breakthrough Director Novitiate (Maggie Betts)Waldo Salt Screenwriting AwardMatt Spicer and David Branson Smith, Ingrid Goes WestAudience AwardCrown Heights (Matt Ruskin)Next Audience AWARDGook (Justin Chon)U.S. – DOCUMENTARYGrand Jury PrizeDina (Dan Sickles, Antonio Santini)Directing AwardThe Force (Peter Nicks)Special Jury Award for EditingKim Roberts and Emiliano Battista, UnrestSpecial Jury Award for Inspirational FilmmakingSTEP (Amanda Lipitz)Special Jury Award for StorytellingStrong Island (Yance Force)The Orwell AwardICARUS (Bryan Fogel)Audience AwardChasing Coral (Jeff Orlowski)The Nile Hilton IncidentWORLD Cinema – DRAMATICGrand Jury PrizeThe Nile Hilton Incident (Tarik Saleh)Directing AwardGod's Own Country (Francis Lee)Special Jury Award for CinematographyManu Dacosse, Axolotl OverkillSpecial Jury...
- 1/29/2017
- MUBI
The Sundance 2017 juries and audiences unveiled their picks on Saturday night.
In the grand jury prizes, Macon Blair’s I Don’t Feel At Home In This World Anymore claimed the Us dramatic award and Dina by Dan Sickles and Antonio Santini won U.S. documentary.
Tarik Saleh’s The Nile Hilton Incident won world dramatic and Last Men In Aleppo by Feras Fayyad and Steen Johannessen prevailed in the world documentary category.
In the audience awards, Matt Ruski’s Crown Heights and Jeff Orlowski’s Chasing Coral were the favourites in the Us dramatic and documentary strands.
World cinema selections I Dream In Another Language by Ernesto Contreras and Joe Piscatella’s Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower emerged victorious in the dramatic and documentary sections.
“This has been one of the wildest, wackiest and most rewarding festivals in recent memory,” said festival director John Cooper. “From a new government to the independently organised Women’s March On Main...
In the grand jury prizes, Macon Blair’s I Don’t Feel At Home In This World Anymore claimed the Us dramatic award and Dina by Dan Sickles and Antonio Santini won U.S. documentary.
Tarik Saleh’s The Nile Hilton Incident won world dramatic and Last Men In Aleppo by Feras Fayyad and Steen Johannessen prevailed in the world documentary category.
In the audience awards, Matt Ruski’s Crown Heights and Jeff Orlowski’s Chasing Coral were the favourites in the Us dramatic and documentary strands.
World cinema selections I Dream In Another Language by Ernesto Contreras and Joe Piscatella’s Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower emerged victorious in the dramatic and documentary sections.
“This has been one of the wildest, wackiest and most rewarding festivals in recent memory,” said festival director John Cooper. “From a new government to the independently organised Women’s March On Main...
- 1/29/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Relationships between documentary filmmakers and their subjects must balance access and editorial control, which leaves them walking a line between establishing trust and respecting boundaries. It’s a tricky business.
IndieWire recently asked nonfiction filmmakers behind this year’s Sundance documentary features about the understandings they established with their subjects before they started shooting, and if they considered their stars to be collaborators.
Read More: Fox Searchlight Buys Documentary ‘Step’ For More Than $4 Million — Sundance 2017
Amanda Lipitz “Step” The process started with discussing the idea with the families, especially the mothers of the young women on the step team. We set up a meeting after school one day and all the parents/guardians were invited to attend. I explained my vision of the story, with the emphasis on wanting to tell a positive story about Baltimore, these young women, and what they were trying to accomplish. I absolutely consider them collaborators.
IndieWire recently asked nonfiction filmmakers behind this year’s Sundance documentary features about the understandings they established with their subjects before they started shooting, and if they considered their stars to be collaborators.
Read More: Fox Searchlight Buys Documentary ‘Step’ For More Than $4 Million — Sundance 2017
Amanda Lipitz “Step” The process started with discussing the idea with the families, especially the mothers of the young women on the step team. We set up a meeting after school one day and all the parents/guardians were invited to attend. I explained my vision of the story, with the emphasis on wanting to tell a positive story about Baltimore, these young women, and what they were trying to accomplish. I absolutely consider them collaborators.
- 1/28/2017
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
IndieWire reached out to the filmmakers behind the feature-length narrative and documentary films premiering this week to find out what cameras they used and why they chose them. Here are their responses.
Read More: The 2017 IndieWire Sundance Bible – Every Review, Interview and News Item Posted During the Festival
Dramatic Competition & Next
Cory Finley, “Thoroughbred”
Arri Alexa Mini. Panavision G-Series lenses.
The Dp, Lyle Vincent, was very particular about getting a hold of both. They gave us flexibility in shooting and helped create the very precise, high-contrast, and slightly dreamy look we were going for.
Gillian Robespierre, “Landline”
Arri Alexa with some vintage lenses
“Landline” takes place in 1990’s Manhattan. My Dp Chris Teague and I talked a lot about what shooting a period movie from a recent period would look and feel like. Unfortunately, we were not able to shoot on film, and added a texture of LiveGrain during color...
Read More: The 2017 IndieWire Sundance Bible – Every Review, Interview and News Item Posted During the Festival
Dramatic Competition & Next
Cory Finley, “Thoroughbred”
Arri Alexa Mini. Panavision G-Series lenses.
The Dp, Lyle Vincent, was very particular about getting a hold of both. They gave us flexibility in shooting and helped create the very precise, high-contrast, and slightly dreamy look we were going for.
Gillian Robespierre, “Landline”
Arri Alexa with some vintage lenses
“Landline” takes place in 1990’s Manhattan. My Dp Chris Teague and I talked a lot about what shooting a period movie from a recent period would look and feel like. Unfortunately, we were not able to shoot on film, and added a texture of LiveGrain during color...
- 1/25/2017
- by Annakeara Stinson and Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
Netflix has acquired the worldwide rights to the “Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower,” which premiered Friday in the Sundance Film Festival’s World Documentaries section. Directed by Joe Piscatella, the film will premiere on the streaming service later this year.
“Joshua” focuses on a teenager named Joshua Wong who rallies thousands of kids to skip school and occupy the streets when the Chinese Communist Party threatens its promise of autonomy to Hong Kong. Wong becomes an unlikely leader in Hong Kong and one of China’s most notorious dissidents.
“Piscatella has woven together the complex and inspirational story of an unlikely activist, whose acts of bravery and conviction need to be seen around the world,” Lisa Nishimura, Netflix VP of Original Documentaries, said in a statement. “In an era where we are witnessing heightened civic participation and freedom of expression, we are pleased to offer a global platform for audiences to engage on these issues.
“Joshua” focuses on a teenager named Joshua Wong who rallies thousands of kids to skip school and occupy the streets when the Chinese Communist Party threatens its promise of autonomy to Hong Kong. Wong becomes an unlikely leader in Hong Kong and one of China’s most notorious dissidents.
“Piscatella has woven together the complex and inspirational story of an unlikely activist, whose acts of bravery and conviction need to be seen around the world,” Lisa Nishimura, Netflix VP of Original Documentaries, said in a statement. “In an era where we are witnessing heightened civic participation and freedom of expression, we are pleased to offer a global platform for audiences to engage on these issues.
- 1/24/2017
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
Netflix acquired worldwide rights to Joe Piscatella’s documentary “Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower” following its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, the company announced Monday. The film, which is a June Pictures production, will launch globally later this year, simultaneously to Netflix’s over 93 million members in 190 countries. The film focuses on teenage Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong, who rallied thousands of kids to skip school and occupy the streets when Chinese Communist Party threatened its promise of autonomy to Hong Kong. Also Read: 'The New Radical' Sundance Review: Provocative Doc Examines Charismatic Anarchist Wong became an unlikely leader in Hong Kong.
- 1/24/2017
- by Thom Geier
- The Wrap
Netflix is nearing a deal for its second documentary acquisition of the afternoon at the Sundance Film Festival with Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower.
The deal is pegged in the low-seven-figure range and covers worldwide rights.
Directed by Joe Piscatella, the film centers on unlikely hero Joshua Wong. When the Chinese Communist Party backtracks on its promise of autonomy to Hong Kong, the teenager decides to save his city. Rallying thousands of kids to skip school and occupy the streets, Joshua becomes an unlikely leader in Hong Kong and one of China's most notorious dissidents.
“Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower is a filmmaking...
The deal is pegged in the low-seven-figure range and covers worldwide rights.
Directed by Joe Piscatella, the film centers on unlikely hero Joshua Wong. When the Chinese Communist Party backtracks on its promise of autonomy to Hong Kong, the teenager decides to save his city. Rallying thousands of kids to skip school and occupy the streets, Joshua becomes an unlikely leader in Hong Kong and one of China's most notorious dissidents.
“Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower is a filmmaking...
- 1/24/2017
- by Tatiana Siegel
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The streaming giant struck twice as a busy Monday drew to a close and interest mounted on Geremy Jasper’s directorial debut Patti Cake$ starring Danielle MacDonald.
The story of an aspiring white rapper premiered on Monday afternoon and joined Mudbound and Step on the hot list as the Sundance deal flow built momentum.
Netflix paid a little over $3m for world rights to Jim Strouse’s festival closer The Incredible Jessica James (pictured) and around $2m for Joshua: Teenager Vs. Superpower.
The Premieres selection will be branded as a Netflix original film and launch worldwide day-and-date this year. Jessica Williams stars as an aspiring New York playwright dealing with a break-up who goes on a fateful blind date with a recently divorced man played by Chris O’Dowd.
Michael B. Clark and Alex Turtletaub of Beachside produced and Williams and Kerri Hundley serve as executive producers. ICM Partners represented the filmmakers in the deal.
The company...
The story of an aspiring white rapper premiered on Monday afternoon and joined Mudbound and Step on the hot list as the Sundance deal flow built momentum.
Netflix paid a little over $3m for world rights to Jim Strouse’s festival closer The Incredible Jessica James (pictured) and around $2m for Joshua: Teenager Vs. Superpower.
The Premieres selection will be branded as a Netflix original film and launch worldwide day-and-date this year. Jessica Williams stars as an aspiring New York playwright dealing with a break-up who goes on a fateful blind date with a recently divorced man played by Chris O’Dowd.
Michael B. Clark and Alex Turtletaub of Beachside produced and Williams and Kerri Hundley serve as executive producers. ICM Partners represented the filmmakers in the deal.
The company...
- 1/23/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The journey to Sundance is an all-consuming endeavor and most filmmakers don’t lift their heads until they land in Park City with their Dcp in hand.
For some filmmakers, this year was different. The election of Donald Trump, which snapped so many into a new reality they hadn’t imagined, came just two weeks before most Sundance directors received their golden ticket to the festival. So we asked this year’s directors: Did the election change how you thought about your film, and your career as a filmmaker?
Read More: The 2017 IndieWire Sundance Bible – Every Review, Interview and News Item Posted During the Festival
John Trengove, “The Wound:” The Us election was a big reason why we chose to premiere in Sundance. With race and Lgbt rights being such heated issues in the Us, we thought it would be meaningful to bring a queer film from South Africa, together...
For some filmmakers, this year was different. The election of Donald Trump, which snapped so many into a new reality they hadn’t imagined, came just two weeks before most Sundance directors received their golden ticket to the festival. So we asked this year’s directors: Did the election change how you thought about your film, and your career as a filmmaker?
Read More: The 2017 IndieWire Sundance Bible – Every Review, Interview and News Item Posted During the Festival
John Trengove, “The Wound:” The Us election was a big reason why we chose to premiere in Sundance. With race and Lgbt rights being such heated issues in the Us, we thought it would be meaningful to bring a queer film from South Africa, together...
- 1/20/2017
- by Annakeara Stinson and Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
January 19 Update: Heading into Park City’s opening night screening of An Inconvenient Sequel on Thursday, we take a look at a dozen acquisition titles likely to spark deals once the action gets underway.
The Sundance Film Festival will unveil 120 features over the course of ten days, setting the tone of Us independent cinema in 2017, unearthing international gems and launching several potential awards contenders.
While a certain number of films arrived with distribution already in place, others have sparked deals in the last few weeks (we’re thinking of you, Call Me By Your Name, Casting JonBenet, Berlin Syndrome and Long Strange Trip).
Then there are the acquisition titles. Sundance inevitably sparks a multitude of deals during and after the event and buyers expect modestly priced transactions in the $3-5m range. This has been a common refrain every year since 2008. Watch the numbers soar on a handful of titles.
What follows...
The Sundance Film Festival will unveil 120 features over the course of ten days, setting the tone of Us independent cinema in 2017, unearthing international gems and launching several potential awards contenders.
While a certain number of films arrived with distribution already in place, others have sparked deals in the last few weeks (we’re thinking of you, Call Me By Your Name, Casting JonBenet, Berlin Syndrome and Long Strange Trip).
Then there are the acquisition titles. Sundance inevitably sparks a multitude of deals during and after the event and buyers expect modestly priced transactions in the $3-5m range. This has been a common refrain every year since 2008. Watch the numbers soar on a handful of titles.
What follows...
- 1/19/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
January 19 Update: Heading into Park City’s opening night screening of An Inconvenient Sequel on Thursday, we take a look at a dozen acquisition titles likely to spark deals once the action gets underway.
The Sundance Film Festival will unveil 120 features over the course of ten days, setting the tone of Us independent cinema in 2017, unearthing international gems and launching several potential awards contenders.
While a certain number of films arrived with distribution already in place, others have sparked deals in the last few weeks (we’re thinking of you, Call Me By Your Name, Casting JonBenet, Berlin Syndrome and Long Strange Trip).
Then there are the acquisition titles. Sundance inevitably sparks a multitude of deals during and after the event and buyers expect modestly priced transactions in the $3-5m range. This has been a common refrain every year since 2008. Watch the numbers soar on a handful of titles.
What follows...
The Sundance Film Festival will unveil 120 features over the course of ten days, setting the tone of Us independent cinema in 2017, unearthing international gems and launching several potential awards contenders.
While a certain number of films arrived with distribution already in place, others have sparked deals in the last few weeks (we’re thinking of you, Call Me By Your Name, Casting JonBenet, Berlin Syndrome and Long Strange Trip).
Then there are the acquisition titles. Sundance inevitably sparks a multitude of deals during and after the event and buyers expect modestly priced transactions in the $3-5m range. This has been a common refrain every year since 2008. Watch the numbers soar on a handful of titles.
What follows...
- 1/19/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Heading into Park City’s opening night screening of An Inconvenient Sequel on Thursday, we take a look at a dozen acquisition titles likely to spark deals once the action gets underway.
The Sundance Film Festival will unveil 120 features over the course of ten days, setting the tone of Us independent cinema in 2017, unearthing international gems and launching several potential awards contenders.
While a certain number of films arrived with distribution already in place, others have sparked deals in the last few weeks (we’re thinking of you, Call Me By Your Name, Casting JonBenet, Berlin Syndrome and Long Strange Trip).
Then there are the acquisition titles. Sundance inevitably sparks a multitude of deals during and after the event and buyers expect modestly priced transactions in the $3-5m range. This has been a common refrain every year since 2008. Watch the numbers soar on a handful of titles.
What follows is a list of 12 films we believe...
The Sundance Film Festival will unveil 120 features over the course of ten days, setting the tone of Us independent cinema in 2017, unearthing international gems and launching several potential awards contenders.
While a certain number of films arrived with distribution already in place, others have sparked deals in the last few weeks (we’re thinking of you, Call Me By Your Name, Casting JonBenet, Berlin Syndrome and Long Strange Trip).
Then there are the acquisition titles. Sundance inevitably sparks a multitude of deals during and after the event and buyers expect modestly priced transactions in the $3-5m range. This has been a common refrain every year since 2008. Watch the numbers soar on a handful of titles.
What follows is a list of 12 films we believe...
- 1/19/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
2016 is nearly over and most people can’t wait to reach the finish line, so the Sundance Film Festival lineup couldn’t arrive at a better moment to give us something to anticipate for the new year.
Read More: Sundance 2017 Announces Competition and Next Lineups, Including Returning Favorites and Major Contenders
With the announcement of the U.S. and World Competition sections as well as the ever-tantalizing Next category of edgier fare, the first set of Sundance announcements kick off a wave of expectations from new talent and veterans alike. There will be much to dig through, from potential sales titles to breakthrough talent, and more announcements to come (the midnight section, short films, and forward-thinking New Frontiers section are all around the corner). In the meantime, we’ve dug through the initial Sundance blast to unearth a few standouts worthy of anticipation.
David Lowery’s Secret Movie Isn’t...
Read More: Sundance 2017 Announces Competition and Next Lineups, Including Returning Favorites and Major Contenders
With the announcement of the U.S. and World Competition sections as well as the ever-tantalizing Next category of edgier fare, the first set of Sundance announcements kick off a wave of expectations from new talent and veterans alike. There will be much to dig through, from potential sales titles to breakthrough talent, and more announcements to come (the midnight section, short films, and forward-thinking New Frontiers section are all around the corner). In the meantime, we’ve dug through the initial Sundance blast to unearth a few standouts worthy of anticipation.
David Lowery’s Secret Movie Isn’t...
- 11/30/2016
- by Eric Kohn and David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Second edition of the Ajyal Youth Film Festival in Doha to include 90 films from 43 countries.
A total of 90 films have been selected for the second edition of the Ajyal Youth Film Festival (Dec 1-6) at the Cultural Village Katara in Doha.
Ten of these features are by first and second-time filmmakers including Macondo by Sudabeh Mortezai, Antboy by Ask Hasselbalch, #chicagoGirl: The Social Network Takes On a Dictator by Joe Piscatella and the opening night world premiere of Speed Sisters by Amber Fares.
Other highlights of this year’s feature film line-up include the Mena premiere of Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet, produced by and starring Salma Hayek-Pinault. The animated feature, which is the Festival’s closing night gala presentation, is an adaptation of Gibran’s book directed by Roger Allers (The Lion King), featuring sequences by directors including Gulf animator Mohammed Saeed Harib.
Special guests confirmed to attend the festival include a delegation from Kahlil Gibran...
A total of 90 films have been selected for the second edition of the Ajyal Youth Film Festival (Dec 1-6) at the Cultural Village Katara in Doha.
Ten of these features are by first and second-time filmmakers including Macondo by Sudabeh Mortezai, Antboy by Ask Hasselbalch, #chicagoGirl: The Social Network Takes On a Dictator by Joe Piscatella and the opening night world premiere of Speed Sisters by Amber Fares.
Other highlights of this year’s feature film line-up include the Mena premiere of Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet, produced by and starring Salma Hayek-Pinault. The animated feature, which is the Festival’s closing night gala presentation, is an adaptation of Gibran’s book directed by Roger Allers (The Lion King), featuring sequences by directors including Gulf animator Mohammed Saeed Harib.
Special guests confirmed to attend the festival include a delegation from Kahlil Gibran...
- 11/12/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Hollywood Film Festival executive director Jon Fitzgerald has announced the event’s winners.
The jury prize for best documentary feature went to Joe Piscatella’s #Chicago Girl, while Shawn Christensen’s Before I Disappear won the jury prize for best narrative feature.
Brendan Calder’s Learning To Float won the jury prize for best documentary short and Edwin Adlam Herod and Drue Pennella’s Fourteen Seeds took best narrative short.
Turning to the Cincecause Spotlight filmmakers, Michael Barnett’s Becoming Bulletproof earned recognition in the documentary category while narrative honours went to Andy Landen’s Sequoia.
As previously announced Harry Belafonte was given the first CineCause ChangeMaker Icon honour earlier this year and his daughter Gina Belafonte spoke on his behalf at the celebration.
The revamped Hollywood Film Festival ran from October 16-19.
The jury prize for best documentary feature went to Joe Piscatella’s #Chicago Girl, while Shawn Christensen’s Before I Disappear won the jury prize for best narrative feature.
Brendan Calder’s Learning To Float won the jury prize for best documentary short and Edwin Adlam Herod and Drue Pennella’s Fourteen Seeds took best narrative short.
Turning to the Cincecause Spotlight filmmakers, Michael Barnett’s Becoming Bulletproof earned recognition in the documentary category while narrative honours went to Andy Landen’s Sequoia.
As previously announced Harry Belafonte was given the first CineCause ChangeMaker Icon honour earlier this year and his daughter Gina Belafonte spoke on his behalf at the celebration.
The revamped Hollywood Film Festival ran from October 16-19.
- 10/20/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Day Two at the Port Townsend Film Festival heralded the arrival of legendary independent filmmaker, John Sayles. Screening his Academy Award-nominated film, Lone Star, Sayles comes armed with many stories of horror and inspiration from the indie frontlines. He notes that current “filmmaking has democratized incredibly,” becoming a land of opportunity for young (read: resource poor) filmmakers.
Several features made their debut, including, Noble, the real-life story of the slightly-crazy, Christina Noble. Writer-director, Stephen Bradley, gives us a fictionalized account of Noble’s courageous quest to help the street children of Vietnam. Also premiering was director, Yorgos Tsemberopoulos’ troubling meditation on vengeance, The Enemy Within. Incorporating current social themes in Athens, Greece, this film asks that age-old cinematic question, “How far would you go to protect your home and family?”
Part history lesson, part Ecology 101, Return of the River is an uplifting documentary about how hope and perseverance can sometimes undo past wrongdoings.
Several features made their debut, including, Noble, the real-life story of the slightly-crazy, Christina Noble. Writer-director, Stephen Bradley, gives us a fictionalized account of Noble’s courageous quest to help the street children of Vietnam. Also premiering was director, Yorgos Tsemberopoulos’ troubling meditation on vengeance, The Enemy Within. Incorporating current social themes in Athens, Greece, this film asks that age-old cinematic question, “How far would you go to protect your home and family?”
Part history lesson, part Ecology 101, Return of the River is an uplifting documentary about how hope and perseverance can sometimes undo past wrongdoings.
- 9/21/2014
- by J.R. Kinnard
- SoundOnSight
New section is aimed at engaging young audiences and programmed by a teenage team.
The Edinburgh International Film Festival (Eiff) has announced a new Teen Spirit section and Youth Hub in a bid to engage young audiences and encourage new filmmaking talent.
The films in the Teen Spirit strand, aimed at 15-to 26-year-olds, have been selected by a 16-strong team aged 15-19. During Eiff, the Young Programmers will be hosting Q&As, promoting the films and reporting from within the festival.
The section will comprise six features and six shorts, with tickets priced at £5 to encourage younger cinemagoers.
The line-up includes:
Galore (Rhys Graham)
Ballet Boys (Kenneth Elvebakk)
#Chicagogirl - The Social Network Takes On A Dictator (Joe Piscatella)
Finsterworld (Frauke Finsterwalder)
Korso (Akseli Tuomivaara)
Violet (Bas Devos)
The short films are: Emo (The Musical); Half Sour; Letter From An Old Boy; Schoolyard; Tryouts; and Moritz And The Woodwose.
In addition, Eiff will host...
The Edinburgh International Film Festival (Eiff) has announced a new Teen Spirit section and Youth Hub in a bid to engage young audiences and encourage new filmmaking talent.
The films in the Teen Spirit strand, aimed at 15-to 26-year-olds, have been selected by a 16-strong team aged 15-19. During Eiff, the Young Programmers will be hosting Q&As, promoting the films and reporting from within the festival.
The section will comprise six features and six shorts, with tickets priced at £5 to encourage younger cinemagoers.
The line-up includes:
Galore (Rhys Graham)
Ballet Boys (Kenneth Elvebakk)
#Chicagogirl - The Social Network Takes On A Dictator (Joe Piscatella)
Finsterworld (Frauke Finsterwalder)
Korso (Akseli Tuomivaara)
Violet (Bas Devos)
The short films are: Emo (The Musical); Half Sour; Letter From An Old Boy; Schoolyard; Tryouts; and Moritz And The Woodwose.
In addition, Eiff will host...
- 5/7/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
The nominations in the various competition sections have been announced at the documentary festival.
Idfa (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam) has announced the nominees for its 26th edition. Winners will be named on Friday evening in Amsterdam.
The jury of the Idfa Competition for First Appearance will also present an extra Award in memory of Peter Wintonick, who died earlier this month.
The BankGiro Loterij Idfa Audience Award, worth €5,000, and the Idfa Music Audience Award, worth €2,500, will then also be presented.
In addition, the Mediafonds Kids & Docs Award 2013, which consists of € 15,000 with which to develop a new youth documentary, will be presented by a youth jury.
Idfa Competition for Feature-Length Documentary (€12,500)
Ai Weiwei The Fake Case by Andreas Johnson (Denmark);Ne Me Quitte Pas by Sabine Lubbe Bakker and Niels van Koevorden (the Netherlands / Belgium);Song from the Forest by Michael Obert (Germany).
Idfa Competition for Mid-Length Documentary (€10,000)
Kismet by Nina Maria Paschalidou (Greece / Cyprus);Pussy Versus...
Idfa (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam) has announced the nominees for its 26th edition. Winners will be named on Friday evening in Amsterdam.
The jury of the Idfa Competition for First Appearance will also present an extra Award in memory of Peter Wintonick, who died earlier this month.
The BankGiro Loterij Idfa Audience Award, worth €5,000, and the Idfa Music Audience Award, worth €2,500, will then also be presented.
In addition, the Mediafonds Kids & Docs Award 2013, which consists of € 15,000 with which to develop a new youth documentary, will be presented by a youth jury.
Idfa Competition for Feature-Length Documentary (€12,500)
Ai Weiwei The Fake Case by Andreas Johnson (Denmark);Ne Me Quitte Pas by Sabine Lubbe Bakker and Niels van Koevorden (the Netherlands / Belgium);Song from the Forest by Michael Obert (Germany).
Idfa Competition for Mid-Length Documentary (€10,000)
Kismet by Nina Maria Paschalidou (Greece / Cyprus);Pussy Versus...
- 11/27/2013
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
The role of social media in fueling the Arab Spring has been a crucial aspect of its progress, so it was only a matter of time before somebody made a documentary about it. In the aptly titled "#chicagoGirl -- The Social Network Takes On a Dictator," director Joe Piscatella explores the phenomenon in the throes of one its more prolonged struggles, the Syrian revolution. The project simplifies the cluttered impact of status updates and video fragments sent forth from the war by focusing on the receiving end, in the form of Illinois-based college freshman activist Ala'a Basatneh, who has aided revolutionaries in Syria online for two years. While hardly a complete picture of the situation or even an especially complex one, "#chicagoGirl" embodies the idealistic spirit of its subject. A Syrian immigrant obsessed with aiding her countrymen overseas, Basatneh wields technology with extraordinary finesse, mapping out escape routes on Google...
- 11/27/2013
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Today we've got an exclusive look at the trailer for "#chicagoGirl: The Social Network Takes on A Dictator," a documentary that captures the involvement of an American teenage girl with the revolution in Syria, made possible by the internet and social media. 19-year-old Ala'a organizes demonstrations, protests and helps to broadcast images of what's happening on the ground in Syria, all from her bedroom in Chicago. Though she's removed from the action, threats start to infiltrate her world, as we can see in the trailer. The film is directed by Joe Piscatella, produced by Mark Rinehart, and features footage from Syria that had to be smuggled out on hard drives, due to the media blackouts. One cameraman, Bassel Shahade, lost his life in the process of capturing these images to show the rest of the world what's going on in the country. The film looks to be a gripping, thrilling...
- 11/13/2013
- by Katie Walsh
- The Playlist
Underdog
Underdog, the live-action Disney film based on the Saturday morning cartoon series that ran from 1964-73, has a tail-wagging sense of wit and fun but gets undone by an increasingly lame story and physical gags in the latter phases of the movie. Still, the movie isn't nearly as bad as you would expect when the studio holds its only press screening the night before a national opening. The film kids superhero movies even as it opens the way for clever canine jokes that do make the movie something of an underdog.
The movie's hero is a lovable Beagle nicknamed Shoeshine that cop-turned-security guard Dan (a subdued and genuinely likable Jim Belushi) finds on a street one fateful night in Capitol City. He and his son Jack Alex Neuberger) are involved in a real-life challenge of coping with the death of the wife and mother, which gives this cartoonish comedy emotional heft.
Unbeknownst to either male, Shoeshine has been accidentally transformed into a canine crime-fighter in the lab of one Dr. Simon Barsinister (Peter Dinklage in a peerless bit of comic clowning), a mad scientist who, as he says, prefers the term "visionary." The dog can blast through walls, lift impossibly heavy objects, think faster than a human and, yes, he can talk. (Voice supplied with a down-home sensibility by Jason Lee.)
It takes a while for Shoeshine and Jack to get comfortable with these brilliant pet tricks, which makes for much of the fun in the early going. So while Shoeshine and Jack get their superhero act going -- which includes pinpointing the right costume after several false starts -- Dr. Simon, his face hideously rearranged by an industrial accident to look truly diabolical, and his wonderfully dense yet resourceful henchman Cal (a narcissistic Patrick Warburton) find new ways to do evil badly.
So the movie, under the direction of Frederik Du Chau (who directed that other critter comedy Racing Stripes), seems to have many things going for it as a family comedy. Alas, it fritters this all away with a Batman-style plot to destroy Capitol City by Dr. Simon and a gang of bad dogs led by a tough called Riff Raff ("Everybody Loves Raymond's" Brad Garrett).
The script by Adam Rifkin, Joe Piscatella & Craig A. Williams doesn't so much go to the dogs as rely too heavily on dogs doing things cute or amazing to take audience minds off a stalled story.
The pet tricks are quite good, and the animation of the animal mouths and the actors' voices synch well. This includes Amy Adams as Shoeshine's love interest, a saucy Spaniel named Polly. Other effects are just so-so, and the production design reflects the film's divided sensibility: Some sets and locations have true grit while others feel like backlot fakery.
UNDERDOG
Buena Vista Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures presents in association with Spyglass Entertainment a Barber-Birnbaum/Jay Polstein production in association with Classic Media
Credits:
Director: Frederik Du Chau
Screenwriters: Adam Rifkin, Joe Piscatella, Craig A. Williams
Story by: Joe Piscatella, Craig A. Williams, Adam Rifkin
Producers: Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum, Jay Polstein
Executive producers: Eric Ellenbogen, Bob Higgins, Todd Arnow
Director of photography: David Eggby
Production designer: Garreth Stover
Music: Randy Edelman
Co-producers: Erin Stam, Rebekah Rudd
Costume designer: Gary Jones; Editor: Tom Finan
Cast:
Voice of Underdog: Jason Lee
Dr. Simon Barsinister: Peter Dinklage
Dan Unger: Jim Belushi
Cad: Patrick Warburton
Jack: Alex Neuberger
Molly: Taylor Momsen
Mayor: John Slattery;
Voice of Polly: Amy Adams
Voice of Riff Raff: Brad Garrett
Running time -- 84 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
The movie's hero is a lovable Beagle nicknamed Shoeshine that cop-turned-security guard Dan (a subdued and genuinely likable Jim Belushi) finds on a street one fateful night in Capitol City. He and his son Jack Alex Neuberger) are involved in a real-life challenge of coping with the death of the wife and mother, which gives this cartoonish comedy emotional heft.
Unbeknownst to either male, Shoeshine has been accidentally transformed into a canine crime-fighter in the lab of one Dr. Simon Barsinister (Peter Dinklage in a peerless bit of comic clowning), a mad scientist who, as he says, prefers the term "visionary." The dog can blast through walls, lift impossibly heavy objects, think faster than a human and, yes, he can talk. (Voice supplied with a down-home sensibility by Jason Lee.)
It takes a while for Shoeshine and Jack to get comfortable with these brilliant pet tricks, which makes for much of the fun in the early going. So while Shoeshine and Jack get their superhero act going -- which includes pinpointing the right costume after several false starts -- Dr. Simon, his face hideously rearranged by an industrial accident to look truly diabolical, and his wonderfully dense yet resourceful henchman Cal (a narcissistic Patrick Warburton) find new ways to do evil badly.
So the movie, under the direction of Frederik Du Chau (who directed that other critter comedy Racing Stripes), seems to have many things going for it as a family comedy. Alas, it fritters this all away with a Batman-style plot to destroy Capitol City by Dr. Simon and a gang of bad dogs led by a tough called Riff Raff ("Everybody Loves Raymond's" Brad Garrett).
The script by Adam Rifkin, Joe Piscatella & Craig A. Williams doesn't so much go to the dogs as rely too heavily on dogs doing things cute or amazing to take audience minds off a stalled story.
The pet tricks are quite good, and the animation of the animal mouths and the actors' voices synch well. This includes Amy Adams as Shoeshine's love interest, a saucy Spaniel named Polly. Other effects are just so-so, and the production design reflects the film's divided sensibility: Some sets and locations have true grit while others feel like backlot fakery.
UNDERDOG
Buena Vista Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures presents in association with Spyglass Entertainment a Barber-Birnbaum/Jay Polstein production in association with Classic Media
Credits:
Director: Frederik Du Chau
Screenwriters: Adam Rifkin, Joe Piscatella, Craig A. Williams
Story by: Joe Piscatella, Craig A. Williams, Adam Rifkin
Producers: Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum, Jay Polstein
Executive producers: Eric Ellenbogen, Bob Higgins, Todd Arnow
Director of photography: David Eggby
Production designer: Garreth Stover
Music: Randy Edelman
Co-producers: Erin Stam, Rebekah Rudd
Costume designer: Gary Jones; Editor: Tom Finan
Cast:
Voice of Underdog: Jason Lee
Dr. Simon Barsinister: Peter Dinklage
Dan Unger: Jim Belushi
Cad: Patrick Warburton
Jack: Alex Neuberger
Molly: Taylor Momsen
Mayor: John Slattery;
Voice of Polly: Amy Adams
Voice of Riff Raff: Brad Garrett
Running time -- 84 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
- 8/4/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Underdog
This review was written for the theatrical release of "Underdog"."Underdog", the live-action Disney film based on the Saturday morning cartoon series that ran from 1964-73, has a tail-wagging sense of wit and fun but gets undone by an increasingly lame story and physical gags in the latter phases of the movie. Still, the movie isn't nearly as bad as you would expect when the studio holds its only press screening the night before a national opening. The film kids superhero movies even as it opens the way for clever canine jokes that do make the movie something of an underdog.
The movie's hero is a lovable Beagle nicknamed Shoeshine that cop-turned-security guard Dan (a subdued and genuinely likable Jim Belushi) finds on a street one fateful night in Capitol City. He and his son Jack Alex Neuberger) are involved in a real-life challenge of coping with the death of the wife and mother, which gives this cartoonish comedy emotional heft.
Unbeknownst to either male, Shoeshine has been accidentally transformed into a canine crime-fighter in the lab of one Dr. Simon Barsinister (Peter Dinklage in a peerless bit of comic clowning), a mad scientist who, as he says, prefers the term "visionary." The dog can blast through walls, lift impossibly heavy objects, think faster than a human and, yes, he can talk. (Voice supplied with a down-home sensibility by Jason Lee.)
It takes a while for Shoeshine and Jack to get comfortable with these brilliant pet tricks, which makes for much of the fun in the early going. So while Shoeshine and Jack get their superhero act going -- which includes pinpointing the right costume after several false starts -- Dr. Simon, his face hideously rearranged by an industrial accident to look truly diabolical, and his wonderfully dense yet resourceful henchman Cal (a narcissistic Patrick Warburton) find new ways to do evil badly.
So the movie, under the direction of Frederik Du Chau (who directed that other critter comedy "Racing Stripes"), seems to have many things going for it as a family comedy. Alas, it fritters this all away with a "Batman"-style plot to destroy Capitol City by Dr. Simon and a gang of bad dogs led by a tough called Riff Raff ("Everybody Loves Raymond's" Brad Garrett).
The script by Adam Rifkin, Joe Piscatella & Craig A. Williams doesn't so much go to the dogs as rely too heavily on dogs doing things cute or amazing to take audience minds off a stalled story.
The pet tricks are quite good, and the animation of the animal mouths and the actors' voices synch well. This includes Amy Adams as Shoeshine's love interest, a saucy Spaniel named Polly. Other effects are just so-so, and the production design reflects the film's divided sensibility: Some sets and locations have true grit while others feel like backlot fakery.
UNDERDOG
Buena Vista Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures presents in association with Spyglass Entertainment a Barber-Birnbaum/Jay Polstein production in association with Classic Media
Credits:
Director: Frederik Du Chau
Screenwriters: Adam Rifkin, Joe Piscatella, Craig A. Williams
Story by: Joe Piscatella, Craig A. Williams, Adam Rifkin
Producers: Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum, Jay Polstein
Executive producers: Eric Ellenbogen, Bob Higgins, Todd Arnow
Director of photography: David Eggby
Production designer: Garreth Stover
Music: Randy Edelman
Co-producers: Erin Stam, Rebekah Rudd
Costume designer: Gary Jones
Editor: Tom Finan
Cast:
Voice of Underdog: Jason Lee
Dr. Simon Barsinister: Peter Dinklage
Dan Unger: Jim Belushi
Cad: Patrick Warburton
Jack: Alex Neuberger
Molly: Taylor Momsen
Mayor: John Slattery
Voice of Polly: Amy Adams
Voice of Riff Raff: Brad Garrett
Running time -- 84 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
The movie's hero is a lovable Beagle nicknamed Shoeshine that cop-turned-security guard Dan (a subdued and genuinely likable Jim Belushi) finds on a street one fateful night in Capitol City. He and his son Jack Alex Neuberger) are involved in a real-life challenge of coping with the death of the wife and mother, which gives this cartoonish comedy emotional heft.
Unbeknownst to either male, Shoeshine has been accidentally transformed into a canine crime-fighter in the lab of one Dr. Simon Barsinister (Peter Dinklage in a peerless bit of comic clowning), a mad scientist who, as he says, prefers the term "visionary." The dog can blast through walls, lift impossibly heavy objects, think faster than a human and, yes, he can talk. (Voice supplied with a down-home sensibility by Jason Lee.)
It takes a while for Shoeshine and Jack to get comfortable with these brilliant pet tricks, which makes for much of the fun in the early going. So while Shoeshine and Jack get their superhero act going -- which includes pinpointing the right costume after several false starts -- Dr. Simon, his face hideously rearranged by an industrial accident to look truly diabolical, and his wonderfully dense yet resourceful henchman Cal (a narcissistic Patrick Warburton) find new ways to do evil badly.
So the movie, under the direction of Frederik Du Chau (who directed that other critter comedy "Racing Stripes"), seems to have many things going for it as a family comedy. Alas, it fritters this all away with a "Batman"-style plot to destroy Capitol City by Dr. Simon and a gang of bad dogs led by a tough called Riff Raff ("Everybody Loves Raymond's" Brad Garrett).
The script by Adam Rifkin, Joe Piscatella & Craig A. Williams doesn't so much go to the dogs as rely too heavily on dogs doing things cute or amazing to take audience minds off a stalled story.
The pet tricks are quite good, and the animation of the animal mouths and the actors' voices synch well. This includes Amy Adams as Shoeshine's love interest, a saucy Spaniel named Polly. Other effects are just so-so, and the production design reflects the film's divided sensibility: Some sets and locations have true grit while others feel like backlot fakery.
UNDERDOG
Buena Vista Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures presents in association with Spyglass Entertainment a Barber-Birnbaum/Jay Polstein production in association with Classic Media
Credits:
Director: Frederik Du Chau
Screenwriters: Adam Rifkin, Joe Piscatella, Craig A. Williams
Story by: Joe Piscatella, Craig A. Williams, Adam Rifkin
Producers: Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum, Jay Polstein
Executive producers: Eric Ellenbogen, Bob Higgins, Todd Arnow
Director of photography: David Eggby
Production designer: Garreth Stover
Music: Randy Edelman
Co-producers: Erin Stam, Rebekah Rudd
Costume designer: Gary Jones
Editor: Tom Finan
Cast:
Voice of Underdog: Jason Lee
Dr. Simon Barsinister: Peter Dinklage
Dan Unger: Jim Belushi
Cad: Patrick Warburton
Jack: Alex Neuberger
Molly: Taylor Momsen
Mayor: John Slattery
Voice of Polly: Amy Adams
Voice of Riff Raff: Brad Garrett
Running time -- 84 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
- 8/3/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.