Some star-packed projects are heading to the 19th annual Oscar-qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival. The just-announced lineup includes films featuring, produced or directed by the likes of Tom Hanks, Eva Longoria, Alden Ehrenreich, Queen Latifah, Tom Holland, Keke Palmer, Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, John Travolta and more.
Over 400 short films are programmed in the festival, which runs from August 10-20. It’s a hybrid event, with in-person screenings at the Tcl Chinese Theatres in Hollywood complemented by a virtual program streaming on the platform Bitpix TV. It’s an Oscar-qualifying festival in four categories: Best Documentary Short (newly added this year), Best Short Film Grand Prize, Best Short Animation and Best Short Live Action. Winners of those prizes automatically become eligible for Academy Award consideration.
Mindful of the actors and writers strikes, the festival issued a statement along with the lineup announcement. “HollyShorts supports both the WGA and SAG/AFTRA strikes,...
Over 400 short films are programmed in the festival, which runs from August 10-20. It’s a hybrid event, with in-person screenings at the Tcl Chinese Theatres in Hollywood complemented by a virtual program streaming on the platform Bitpix TV. It’s an Oscar-qualifying festival in four categories: Best Documentary Short (newly added this year), Best Short Film Grand Prize, Best Short Animation and Best Short Live Action. Winners of those prizes automatically become eligible for Academy Award consideration.
Mindful of the actors and writers strikes, the festival issued a statement along with the lineup announcement. “HollyShorts supports both the WGA and SAG/AFTRA strikes,...
- 7/19/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
The Oscar-qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival will return for its 19th edition on Aug. 10.
The event’s organizers have confirmed that the fest will continue despite the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. In a statement, the festival said: “HollyShorts supports both the WGA and SAG/AFTRA strikes. In fact, we support all Labor, including the many people who work so hard behind the scenes to make films, especially independent films which are difficult to get funding for and finish. We owe it to our filmmakers to showcase their wonderful work. HollyShorts 2023 will go forward in this spirit.”
This year’s festival will feature more than 400 films. Some of the talent involved in the films include Ricky Gervais, Tom Holland, Bella Thorne, Cate Blanchett, Alfonso Cuarón, Lauren Keke Palmer and Tom Hanks.
This year’s hybrid event will take place in person with screenings at the Tcl Chinese Theatre in Hollywood and...
The event’s organizers have confirmed that the fest will continue despite the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. In a statement, the festival said: “HollyShorts supports both the WGA and SAG/AFTRA strikes. In fact, we support all Labor, including the many people who work so hard behind the scenes to make films, especially independent films which are difficult to get funding for and finish. We owe it to our filmmakers to showcase their wonderful work. HollyShorts 2023 will go forward in this spirit.”
This year’s festival will feature more than 400 films. Some of the talent involved in the films include Ricky Gervais, Tom Holland, Bella Thorne, Cate Blanchett, Alfonso Cuarón, Lauren Keke Palmer and Tom Hanks.
This year’s hybrid event will take place in person with screenings at the Tcl Chinese Theatre in Hollywood and...
- 7/18/2023
- by William Earl
- Variety Film + TV
The Washington Post Opinions section will distribute the animated short How to Rig An Election: The Racist History of the 1876 Presidential Contest, which recently premiered at the SXSW Festival in Austin.
Tom Hanks narrates the project, which was written and produced by Jeffery Robinson, founder of the Who We Are Project and former ACLU deputy legal director. It’s directed by Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler and was animated by Reginald William Butler
The project is the story of the 1876 presidential election between Republican Rutherford B. Hayes and Republican Samuel Tilden, which was ultimately decided in a backroom deal that effectively ended Reconstruction in the South. Hanks and Robinson will publish an op-ed accompanying the film when it launches on April 3 in the Post’s Opinion section. They also will appear on Washington Post Live for an interview on April 6, moderated by Post Opinions’ Kate Woodsome. Register here.
The 1876 election...
Tom Hanks narrates the project, which was written and produced by Jeffery Robinson, founder of the Who We Are Project and former ACLU deputy legal director. It’s directed by Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler and was animated by Reginald William Butler
The project is the story of the 1876 presidential election between Republican Rutherford B. Hayes and Republican Samuel Tilden, which was ultimately decided in a backroom deal that effectively ended Reconstruction in the South. Hanks and Robinson will publish an op-ed accompanying the film when it launches on April 3 in the Post’s Opinion section. They also will appear on Washington Post Live for an interview on April 6, moderated by Post Opinions’ Kate Woodsome. Register here.
The 1876 election...
- 3/13/2023
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
As we limp into the third year of the pandemic, placating platitudes like “nothing is ever set in stone” continue to be the order of the day, as does tremendous flexibility when it comes to something relatively minor like, oh, when your next favorite movie is coming out. Despite the unpredictability of 2020 and 2021, female filmmakers continue to make great strides, from winning the top awards at the majority of last year’s biggest festivals, notching only the second woman to win the Best Director Oscar (Chloé Zhao for “Nomadland”), and churning out big-time box office hits.
While it’s still unclear if 2022 will provide a bounceback for the box office and its rising (and established) women talents, there are some positive indicators. According to the latest study from the Celluloid Ceiling, the longest-running and most comprehensive study of women’s employment in film, women directors were up overall in 2020. Women...
While it’s still unclear if 2022 will provide a bounceback for the box office and its rising (and established) women talents, there are some positive indicators. According to the latest study from the Celluloid Ceiling, the longest-running and most comprehensive study of women’s employment in film, women directors were up overall in 2020. Women...
- 3/11/2022
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Critically acclaimed specialty holdovers continued to plant their flags in theaters as awards season advances and Oscar nominations loom — and on a weekend with few new releases, most not reporting grosses today.
Among the bigger indies, United Artists Releasing’s Licorice Pizza by Paul Thomas Anderson grossed an estimated $683k in week nine from 772 runs (Fri. $207k; Sat. $288k; Sun. $187k est.). That’s a PSA of $885 and total cume of $10.7 million.
Focus Features said Belfast is at $7.5 million domestic and $10.1 million worldwide after garnering another $30k in the U.S. on 63 screens and seeing a strong $3.1 million open in the U.K./Ireland. Earlier this month, the Kenneth Branagh film received 14 nods on the BAFTA long list.
Sony Pictures Classics’ Penelope-Cruz-starrer Parallel Mothers from Pedro Almodovar, in week five, reports $170.4k on 111 screens (up from 50 last week) for a per screen average of 1,535 and a cume of $611,713.
Also from SPC,...
Among the bigger indies, United Artists Releasing’s Licorice Pizza by Paul Thomas Anderson grossed an estimated $683k in week nine from 772 runs (Fri. $207k; Sat. $288k; Sun. $187k est.). That’s a PSA of $885 and total cume of $10.7 million.
Focus Features said Belfast is at $7.5 million domestic and $10.1 million worldwide after garnering another $30k in the U.S. on 63 screens and seeing a strong $3.1 million open in the U.K./Ireland. Earlier this month, the Kenneth Branagh film received 14 nods on the BAFTA long list.
Sony Pictures Classics’ Penelope-Cruz-starrer Parallel Mothers from Pedro Almodovar, in week five, reports $170.4k on 111 screens (up from 50 last week) for a per screen average of 1,535 and a cume of $611,713.
Also from SPC,...
- 1/23/2022
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Mexico’s Oscar-shortlisted Prayers For the Stolen directed by Tatiana Huezo won the Fipresci Prize for Best International Feature Film at the Palm Springs Film Festival, which revealed its juried winners Wednesday despite being forced to cancel its 2022 edition.
The festival, which had been scheduled to run January 6-17 before being scrapped amid the latest Covid surge, is considered a must-stop for International Feature Oscar contenders, with 36 of the 93 official submissions this year slated for the lineup.
The Fipresci jury also awarded Asghar Farhadi’s Iranian Oscar hopeful A Hero two prizes, for Farhadi’s screenplay and best actor for Amir Jadidi. It won three prizes overall, also taking a Mozaik Bridging the Borders Award.
Agathe Roussell, the star of France’s Palme d’Or winner Titane, was named best actress by Fipresci jurors.
Huezo’s Prayers for the Stolen, which was released by Netflix in theaters and on the streaming platform in November,...
The festival, which had been scheduled to run January 6-17 before being scrapped amid the latest Covid surge, is considered a must-stop for International Feature Oscar contenders, with 36 of the 93 official submissions this year slated for the lineup.
The Fipresci jury also awarded Asghar Farhadi’s Iranian Oscar hopeful A Hero two prizes, for Farhadi’s screenplay and best actor for Amir Jadidi. It won three prizes overall, also taking a Mozaik Bridging the Borders Award.
Agathe Roussell, the star of France’s Palme d’Or winner Titane, was named best actress by Fipresci jurors.
Huezo’s Prayers for the Stolen, which was released by Netflix in theaters and on the streaming platform in November,...
- 1/19/2022
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Fathom Events presents Betty White: A Celebration in 1,529 locations nationwide, a one-day-only special event on Monday honoring the actress who died Dec. 31 just a few weeks shy of her 100th birthday. The star-studded reflection on White’s life and career, which had already been set by filmmakers Steven Boettcher and Mike Trinklein to celebrate her centennial Jan. 17, will run three showtimes at 1 pm, 4 pm and 7 pm.
As for weekend openings, a pair of solid documentaries and two dramas — about memory loss and global apocalypse by pink gas — debut in a frame where there isn’t much new. Distributors are carefully weighing expansion for award hopefuls already out amid the ongoing surge in Omicron and ahead of Oscar nods Feb. 8.
Newcomers include Magnolia Pictures’ drama Italian Studies in seven theaters including New York and LA, and on demand. Directed by Adam Leon it stars Vanessa Kirby, Simon Brickner,...
As for weekend openings, a pair of solid documentaries and two dramas — about memory loss and global apocalypse by pink gas — debut in a frame where there isn’t much new. Distributors are carefully weighing expansion for award hopefuls already out amid the ongoing surge in Omicron and ahead of Oscar nods Feb. 8.
Newcomers include Magnolia Pictures’ drama Italian Studies in seven theaters including New York and LA, and on demand. Directed by Adam Leon it stars Vanessa Kirby, Simon Brickner,...
- 1/14/2022
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Ahead of its Jan. 14 release, Sony Pictures Classic has released the first trailer for “Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America.”
The documentary is directed by Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler. Interweaving lectures, personal anecdotes, interviews and shocking revelations, criminal defense and civil rights lawyer Jeffery Robinson draws a stark timeline of anti-Black racism in the United States, from slavery to the modern myth of a post-racial America.
The story is anchored by Robinson’s 2018 presentation at NYC’s historic Town Hall Theater, with the directors capturing Robinson’s meetings with Black change-makers and eyewitnesses to history. From a hanging tree in Charleston, S.C., to a walking tour of the origins of slavery in colonial New York, to the site of a 1947 lynching in rural Alabama, the film brings history to life, exploring the enduring legacy of white supremacy and our collective responsibility to overcome it.
The...
The documentary is directed by Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler. Interweaving lectures, personal anecdotes, interviews and shocking revelations, criminal defense and civil rights lawyer Jeffery Robinson draws a stark timeline of anti-Black racism in the United States, from slavery to the modern myth of a post-racial America.
The story is anchored by Robinson’s 2018 presentation at NYC’s historic Town Hall Theater, with the directors capturing Robinson’s meetings with Black change-makers and eyewitnesses to history. From a hanging tree in Charleston, S.C., to a walking tour of the origins of slavery in colonial New York, to the site of a 1947 lynching in rural Alabama, the film brings history to life, exploring the enduring legacy of white supremacy and our collective responsibility to overcome it.
The...
- 12/10/2021
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Jeffrey Robinson, the central figure of Sony Pictures Classics’ Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America, says that despite a long-held belief across the nation that America has been a post-racial society, only now is the country being forced to reckon with that false narrative.
Joined by filmmakers Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler, Robinson, a former ACLU deputy legal director whose bracing presentation on anti-Black racism and white supremacy forms the core of the film, said during Deadline’s Contenders Film: Documentary awards-season event that the reality of America’s racial mythology is only now being examined in a meaningful way.
“The South may have lost the Civil War, but they won the peace,” Robinson said, “by creating this narrative that allows us to think…any disparities that you see in our country are based on Blacks just not working hard enough, whites being more industrious. And those...
Joined by filmmakers Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler, Robinson, a former ACLU deputy legal director whose bracing presentation on anti-Black racism and white supremacy forms the core of the film, said during Deadline’s Contenders Film: Documentary awards-season event that the reality of America’s racial mythology is only now being examined in a meaningful way.
“The South may have lost the Civil War, but they won the peace,” Robinson said, “by creating this narrative that allows us to think…any disparities that you see in our country are based on Blacks just not working hard enough, whites being more industrious. And those...
- 11/21/2021
- by Scott Huver
- Deadline Film + TV
The Woodstock Film Festival has announced the slate for its 22nd edition, with 11 world premieres among the 43 features on the bill.
The festival will take place September 29 to October 3 in three Hudson Valley communities about two hours north of New York City. In-person screenings and events will be featured throughout the fest’s five days, but online options will also enable attendees to connect amid the ongoing challenges of Covid-19.
Panels, concerts and comedy sets along with film screenings are planned in Woodstock, Kingston and Saugerties. Neon chief Tom Quinn is slated to receive the festival’s Honorary Trailblazer Award, an honor announced in 2020 but postponed due to the pandemic.
The festival will kick off with Fanny: The Right to Rock, a documentary about a pathbreaking Filipina-American garage band, with a performance by some of the band’s members following the screening. Music is an annual touchstone for Woodstock’s lineup,...
The festival will take place September 29 to October 3 in three Hudson Valley communities about two hours north of New York City. In-person screenings and events will be featured throughout the fest’s five days, but online options will also enable attendees to connect amid the ongoing challenges of Covid-19.
Panels, concerts and comedy sets along with film screenings are planned in Woodstock, Kingston and Saugerties. Neon chief Tom Quinn is slated to receive the festival’s Honorary Trailblazer Award, an honor announced in 2020 but postponed due to the pandemic.
The festival will kick off with Fanny: The Right to Rock, a documentary about a pathbreaking Filipina-American garage band, with a performance by some of the band’s members following the screening. Music is an annual touchstone for Woodstock’s lineup,...
- 9/1/2021
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Sarah and Emily Kunstler have spent their lives immersed in the civil rights movement, first as the daughters of “The Trial of the Chicago 7” attorney William Kunstler, and then forging their own careers crafting documentaries on criminal justice.
But when filmmaker and lawyer Sarah Kunstler heard a speech by ACLU attorney Jeffery Robinson at a legal education seminar, she wasn’t prepared for the words to change her life. It was an abbreviated version of the presentation on the history of racism in America that Robinson gives on lecture tours around the country, in which he says the failure of white people to oppose the oppression of Black people is akin to condoning the idea of white supremacy. “I walked out of that conference room and would never see the world the same again,” Sarah Kunstler remembers, adding that her first thought was “How can I help Jeffery get...
But when filmmaker and lawyer Sarah Kunstler heard a speech by ACLU attorney Jeffery Robinson at a legal education seminar, she wasn’t prepared for the words to change her life. It was an abbreviated version of the presentation on the history of racism in America that Robinson gives on lecture tours around the country, in which he says the failure of white people to oppose the oppression of Black people is akin to condoning the idea of white supremacy. “I walked out of that conference room and would never see the world the same again,” Sarah Kunstler remembers, adding that her first thought was “How can I help Jeffery get...
- 4/15/2021
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
The 28th SXSW Film Festival revealed the Audience Award winners Tuesday, with Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free, The Fallout and Not Going Quietly among the list of honorees. The news comes after the online edition of the fest announced its jury awards.
The Mary Wharton-directed docu Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free chronicles the iconic musician’s work on his lauded 1994 record Wildflowers via newly discovered archived footage. The film won the Audience Award in the Headliners category, while The Fallout, Megan Park’s reflection on teen grief and trauma after a mass shooting — something all too familiar right now — won under the narrative feature competition banner. On the documentary competition banner, Nicholas Bruckman’s moving feature docu Not Going Quietly took the Audience Award.
Over the course of five days of SXSW Online, the SXSW Film Festival screened 75 features including 57 world premieres, three international premieres, four North American Premieres,...
The Mary Wharton-directed docu Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free chronicles the iconic musician’s work on his lauded 1994 record Wildflowers via newly discovered archived footage. The film won the Audience Award in the Headliners category, while The Fallout, Megan Park’s reflection on teen grief and trauma after a mass shooting — something all too familiar right now — won under the narrative feature competition banner. On the documentary competition banner, Nicholas Bruckman’s moving feature docu Not Going Quietly took the Audience Award.
Over the course of five days of SXSW Online, the SXSW Film Festival screened 75 features including 57 world premieres, three international premieres, four North American Premieres,...
- 3/23/2021
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
The documentary “Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free” and Megan Park’s “The Fallout” won the audience awards from the 2021 SXSW Film Festival, it was announced Tuesday.
Mary Wharton’s “Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free,” which tells the backstory behind the late rock star’s “Wildflowers” recording sessions, won among the three headlining films playing the festival. “The Fallout,” a teen drama starring Jenna Ortega and Maddie Ziegler, won the audience prize for narrative features after it also won the category’s jury prize.
“Not Going Quietly,” a documentary by Nicholas Bruckman about progressive political activist Ady Barkan and his fight with Als, won the audience award for films in the documentary feature competition. Director Natalie Morales also won the Narrative Spotlight audience award for her film “Language Lessons,” and Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler won the Documentary Spotlight Audience Award for “Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America.
Mary Wharton’s “Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free,” which tells the backstory behind the late rock star’s “Wildflowers” recording sessions, won among the three headlining films playing the festival. “The Fallout,” a teen drama starring Jenna Ortega and Maddie Ziegler, won the audience prize for narrative features after it also won the category’s jury prize.
“Not Going Quietly,” a documentary by Nicholas Bruckman about progressive political activist Ady Barkan and his fight with Als, won the audience award for films in the documentary feature competition. Director Natalie Morales also won the Narrative Spotlight audience award for her film “Language Lessons,” and Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler won the Documentary Spotlight Audience Award for “Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America.
- 3/23/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Winners include Language Lessons, Who We Are: A Chronicle Of Racism In America.
Documentary Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free and The Fallout and are among SXSW audience award winners announced across multiple sections on Tuesday (March 23).
Narrative feature competition winner The Fallout fared well when the juried award winners were unveiled last week. Megan Park’s follows a high-school student as she navigates life in the wake of a school tragedy.
Mary Wharton directed Headliners winner Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free, which follows the legendary late performer as he records his second solo album ’Wildflowers’.
Nicholas Bruckman’s...
Documentary Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free and The Fallout and are among SXSW audience award winners announced across multiple sections on Tuesday (March 23).
Narrative feature competition winner The Fallout fared well when the juried award winners were unveiled last week. Megan Park’s follows a high-school student as she navigates life in the wake of a school tragedy.
Mary Wharton directed Headliners winner Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free, which follows the legendary late performer as he records his second solo album ’Wildflowers’.
Nicholas Bruckman’s...
- 3/23/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Winners include Language Lessons, Who We Are: A Chronicle Of Racism In America.
Documentary Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free and The Fallout and are among SXSW audience award winners announced across multiple sections on Tuesday (March 23).
Narrative feature competition winner The Fallout fared well when the juried award winners were unveiled last week. Megan Park’s follows a high-school student as she navigates life in the wake of a school tragedy.
Mary Wharton directed Headliners winner Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free, which follows the legendary late performer as he records his second solo album ’Wildflowers’.
Nicholas Bruckman’s...
Documentary Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free and The Fallout and are among SXSW audience award winners announced across multiple sections on Tuesday (March 23).
Narrative feature competition winner The Fallout fared well when the juried award winners were unveiled last week. Megan Park’s follows a high-school student as she navigates life in the wake of a school tragedy.
Mary Wharton directed Headliners winner Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free, which follows the legendary late performer as he records his second solo album ’Wildflowers’.
Nicholas Bruckman’s...
- 3/23/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will kick off Part Two of its 30th annual “Contemporary Documentaries” screening series with the 2010 Oscar®-nominated feature “Exit through the Gift Shop” and “Catfish” on Wednesday, March 21, at 7 p.m. at the Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood. Admission to all screenings in the series is free.
“Exit through the Gift Shop” follows a videographer named Thierry Guetta, who attempts to document the work of some of the world’s best-known guerrilla street artists. When the artist known only as Banksy questions Guetta’s intentions, however, and seizes control of the film, the roles of filmmaker and subject are reversed. Directed by Banksy and produced by Jaimie D’Cruz, “Exit through the Gift Shop” earned an Academy Award® nomination for Documentary Feature.
In late 2007, filmmakers Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost began to film the life of Ariel’s brother, Nev. They had no idea that their project,...
“Exit through the Gift Shop” follows a videographer named Thierry Guetta, who attempts to document the work of some of the world’s best-known guerrilla street artists. When the artist known only as Banksy questions Guetta’s intentions, however, and seizes control of the film, the roles of filmmaker and subject are reversed. Directed by Banksy and produced by Jaimie D’Cruz, “Exit through the Gift Shop” earned an Academy Award® nomination for Documentary Feature.
In late 2007, filmmakers Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost began to film the life of Ariel’s brother, Nev. They had no idea that their project,...
- 3/16/2012
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
"I don't want people who see my films to be scared. I want them to act," Michael Moore told a post-screening audience last night at an event presented by the Center for Constitutional Rights, Chicken & Egg Pictures and Indies Direct. That's why, he said, 2009's "Capitalism: A Love Story" is his last film "until I see that happen. I'm not going to provide entertainment for people who can leave the theater going 'Right on!'" But taking a break from filmmaking himself hasn't stopped Moore from supporting his fellow documentarians, including Emily and Sarah Kunstler, whose "William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe" is on this year's Oscar shortlist.
The film's a portrait of the pair's father, self-described "radical lawyer" William Kunstler, as well as a yearning look back at a turbulent but far more politically active and fiery era. In his career Kunstler represented everyone from the Black Panther Party and...
The film's a portrait of the pair's father, self-described "radical lawyer" William Kunstler, as well as a yearning look back at a turbulent but far more politically active and fiery era. In his career Kunstler represented everyone from the Black Panther Party and...
- 12/7/2010
- by Alison Willmore
- ifc.com
Chicago – Every year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences reveals their short list for the Oscar for Best Documentary and every year there’s a notable snub or two that makes one question the process. Last year, “Anvil: The Story of Anvil,” one of the most-beloved films of the year, didn’t make the cut. This year, “Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work” failed to make the cut, continuing a pattern in which films not deemed “serious enough” by Academy members can’t get past the first round.
The Tillman Story
Photo credit: The Weinstein Company
Luckily, a number of the best documentaries of 2010 were serious enough to pass Academy muster including several films about the economy, a few about the war in Iraq, and a pair of controversial docs about the failures of our current educational system. It should be an interesting battle for the final five in this category.
The Tillman Story
Photo credit: The Weinstein Company
Luckily, a number of the best documentaries of 2010 were serious enough to pass Academy muster including several films about the economy, a few about the war in Iraq, and a pair of controversial docs about the failures of our current educational system. It should be an interesting battle for the final five in this category.
- 11/28/2010
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has whittled down qualified films for the Best Documentary Feature category. Originally, 101 films qualified in the category, and now, there are only 15 movies left standing. These films will advance in the voting process for the 83rd Academy Awards.
The 15 films are (alphabetically):
* .Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer. Alex Gibney, director (Es Productions LLC)
* .Enemies of the People. Rob Lemkin and Thet Sambath, directors (Old Street Films)
* .Exit through the Gift Shop. Banksy, director (Paranoid Pictures)
* .Gasland. Josh Fox, director (Gasland Productions, LLC)
* .Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould. Michele Hozer and Peter Raymont, directors
(White Pine Pictures)
* .Inside Job. Charles Ferguson, director (Representational Pictures)
* .The Lottery. Madeleine Sackler, director (Great Curve Films)
* .Precious Life. Shlomi Eldar, director (Origami Productions) .Megamind.
* .Quest for Honor. Mary Ann Smothers Bruni, director (Smothers Bruni Productions)
* .Restrepo. Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger,...
The 15 films are (alphabetically):
* .Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer. Alex Gibney, director (Es Productions LLC)
* .Enemies of the People. Rob Lemkin and Thet Sambath, directors (Old Street Films)
* .Exit through the Gift Shop. Banksy, director (Paranoid Pictures)
* .Gasland. Josh Fox, director (Gasland Productions, LLC)
* .Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould. Michele Hozer and Peter Raymont, directors
(White Pine Pictures)
* .Inside Job. Charles Ferguson, director (Representational Pictures)
* .The Lottery. Madeleine Sackler, director (Great Curve Films)
* .Precious Life. Shlomi Eldar, director (Origami Productions) .Megamind.
* .Quest for Honor. Mary Ann Smothers Bruni, director (Smothers Bruni Productions)
* .Restrepo. Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger,...
- 11/19/2010
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
The shortlist for the Documentary Feature category of the 2011 Academy Awards has been announced and has been met with equal amounts of pleasant surprise and puzzled scratching of heads. The joyous bemusement in reaction to the inclusion of Banksy's Exit Through the Gift Shop, which many of us were convinced would be this year’s Anvil, and the shock that Laura Poitas' The Oath was notably absent. It’s particularly refreshing to see the inclusion of Exit given the general view that the Academy only saw the more "worthy"-subject based documentaries as genuine contenders, and that more populist fare never stood a chance. As documentaries don't compete within other filmmaking categories such as editing and cinematography (of which Armadillo would certainly deserve to be listed) the Documentary Feature category has always felt that it has to be an award based on overall filmmaking achievement, rather than subject, impact or agenda.
- 11/19/2010
- by Charlotte
- FilmJunk
HollywoodNews.com: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 15 films in the Documentary Feature category will advance in the voting process for the 83rd Academy Awards®. One hundred-one pictures had originally qualified in the category.
The 15 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production company:
“Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer,” Alex Gibney, director (Es Productions LLC)
“Enemies of the People,” Rob Lemkin and Thet Sambath, directors (Old Street Films)
“Exit through the Gift Shop,” Banksy, director (Paranoid Pictures)
“Gasland,” Josh Fox, director (Gasland Productions, LLC)
“Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould,” Michele Hozer and Peter Raymont, directors (White Pine Pictures)
“Inside Job,” Charles Ferguson, director (Representational Pictures)
“The Lottery,” Madeleine Sackler, director (Great Curve Films)
“Precious Life,” Shlomi Eldar, director (Origami Productions)
“Quest for Honor,” Mary Ann Smothers Bruni, director (Smothers Bruni Productions)
“Restrepo,” Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger,...
The 15 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production company:
“Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer,” Alex Gibney, director (Es Productions LLC)
“Enemies of the People,” Rob Lemkin and Thet Sambath, directors (Old Street Films)
“Exit through the Gift Shop,” Banksy, director (Paranoid Pictures)
“Gasland,” Josh Fox, director (Gasland Productions, LLC)
“Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould,” Michele Hozer and Peter Raymont, directors (White Pine Pictures)
“Inside Job,” Charles Ferguson, director (Representational Pictures)
“The Lottery,” Madeleine Sackler, director (Great Curve Films)
“Precious Life,” Shlomi Eldar, director (Origami Productions)
“Quest for Honor,” Mary Ann Smothers Bruni, director (Smothers Bruni Productions)
“Restrepo,” Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger,...
- 11/18/2010
- by Linny Lum
- Hollywoodnews.com
Do you want answers? Do you believe you’re entitled to them? Do you want the truth? Can you, in fact, handle the truth? The 15 documentaries competing for Oscar have been selected.
Check out the list below [via Oscars.org]:
Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer Alex Gibney, director (Es Productions LLC) Enemies of the People Rob Lemkin and Thet Sambath, directors (Old Street Films) Exit through the Gift Shop Banksy, director (Paranoid Pictures) Gasland Josh Fox, director (Gasland Productions, LLC) Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould Michele Hozer and Peter Raymont, directors
(White Pine Pictures) Inside Job Charles Ferguson, director (Representational Pictures) The Lottery Madeleine Sackler, director (Great Curve Films) Precious Life Shlomi Eldar, director (Origami Productions) “Megamind” Quest for Honor Mary Ann Smothers Bruni, director (Smothers Bruni Productions) Restrepo Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger, directors (Outpost Films) This Way of Life Thomas Burstyn, director (Cloud South Films...
Check out the list below [via Oscars.org]:
Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer Alex Gibney, director (Es Productions LLC) Enemies of the People Rob Lemkin and Thet Sambath, directors (Old Street Films) Exit through the Gift Shop Banksy, director (Paranoid Pictures) Gasland Josh Fox, director (Gasland Productions, LLC) Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould Michele Hozer and Peter Raymont, directors
(White Pine Pictures) Inside Job Charles Ferguson, director (Representational Pictures) The Lottery Madeleine Sackler, director (Great Curve Films) Precious Life Shlomi Eldar, director (Origami Productions) “Megamind” Quest for Honor Mary Ann Smothers Bruni, director (Smothers Bruni Productions) Restrepo Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger, directors (Outpost Films) This Way of Life Thomas Burstyn, director (Cloud South Films...
- 11/18/2010
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
The Academy announced today the 15 Documentary Features eligible for an Oscar and In Contention’s Guy Lodge cleverly quips on who did and didn’t make the shortlist:
“…judging from the Twitter reaction, this year.s most-mourned snubee is the Chinese critical darling .Last Train Home.. (I.d join the pitchfork-wielders, but I haven.t had an opportunity to see the film yet.) More surprising, however, is the omission of such widely fancied contenders as .The Oath. and .A Film Unfinished. . yes, folks, hell is experiencing a cold snap and the Academy snubbed a Holocaust documentary.”
Because as we all know with AMPAS voters, Holocaust films notoriously trump all comers. Too bad Joan Rivers’ A Piece Of Work didn’t make the cut. It’s a fascinating look into her life.
AMPAS Press Release:
Beverly Hills, CA . The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 15 films in...
“…judging from the Twitter reaction, this year.s most-mourned snubee is the Chinese critical darling .Last Train Home.. (I.d join the pitchfork-wielders, but I haven.t had an opportunity to see the film yet.) More surprising, however, is the omission of such widely fancied contenders as .The Oath. and .A Film Unfinished. . yes, folks, hell is experiencing a cold snap and the Academy snubbed a Holocaust documentary.”
Because as we all know with AMPAS voters, Holocaust films notoriously trump all comers. Too bad Joan Rivers’ A Piece Of Work didn’t make the cut. It’s a fascinating look into her life.
AMPAS Press Release:
Beverly Hills, CA . The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 15 films in...
- 11/18/2010
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The Weinstein Company / Paramount
You know what we love? A good, old-fashioned documentary. Sometimes, that’s really the stuff.
And this year there’s been an exceptionally strong batch of documentary features, which explains why more than 100 of them were submitted to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for this year’s Oscars. Now, though, the suits at the Academy have trimmed the field to just 15 finalists… and the controversial “Catfish” and crowd-pleasing “Babies” are nowhere to be seen.
“Catfish,” of course, purported to be a doc about a guy who falls for a Facebook friend only to find out that his new internet love is (spoiler!) a lying liar who lies. Some people felt it was probably about as real in documentary terms as “Paranormal Activity 2,” however, which may explain why it didn’t make the cut.
“Babies,” the much-buzzed about feature showing how infants in wildly...
You know what we love? A good, old-fashioned documentary. Sometimes, that’s really the stuff.
And this year there’s been an exceptionally strong batch of documentary features, which explains why more than 100 of them were submitted to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for this year’s Oscars. Now, though, the suits at the Academy have trimmed the field to just 15 finalists… and the controversial “Catfish” and crowd-pleasing “Babies” are nowhere to be seen.
“Catfish,” of course, purported to be a doc about a guy who falls for a Facebook friend only to find out that his new internet love is (spoiler!) a lying liar who lies. Some people felt it was probably about as real in documentary terms as “Paranormal Activity 2,” however, which may explain why it didn’t make the cut.
“Babies,” the much-buzzed about feature showing how infants in wildly...
- 11/18/2010
- by Scott Harris
- NextMovie
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announced the shortlist of fifteen films now vying for the five “Best Documentary” nominations. The organization will unveil the final five at the announcement ceremony on January 25, 2011, just over a month before the Oscar telecast on February 27. A record-breaking 101 films qualified for the award before the line-up was narrowed to these fifteen:
Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer, Alex Gibney, director (Es Productions LLC)
Enemies of the People, Rob Lemkin and Thet Sambath, directors (Old Street Films)
Exit through the Gift Shop, Banksy, director (Paranoid Pictures)
Gasland, Josh Fox, director (Gasland Productions, LLC)
Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould, Michele Hozer and Peter Raymont, directors (White Pine Pictures)
Inside Job, Charles Ferguson, director (Representational Pictures)
The Lottery, Madeleine Sackler, director (Great Curve Films)
Precious Life, Shlomi Eldar, director (Origami Productions)
Quest for Honor, Mary Ann Smothers Bruni, director (Smothers Bruni Productions)
Restrepo,...
Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer, Alex Gibney, director (Es Productions LLC)
Enemies of the People, Rob Lemkin and Thet Sambath, directors (Old Street Films)
Exit through the Gift Shop, Banksy, director (Paranoid Pictures)
Gasland, Josh Fox, director (Gasland Productions, LLC)
Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould, Michele Hozer and Peter Raymont, directors (White Pine Pictures)
Inside Job, Charles Ferguson, director (Representational Pictures)
The Lottery, Madeleine Sackler, director (Great Curve Films)
Precious Life, Shlomi Eldar, director (Origami Productions)
Quest for Honor, Mary Ann Smothers Bruni, director (Smothers Bruni Productions)
Restrepo,...
- 11/18/2010
- by Jeff Leins
- newsinfilm.com
Not entirely sure why much lauded docs films that stuck out this year in Janus Metz's Armadilllo, Lixin Fan's Last Train Home, Michelangelo Frammartino's le quattro volte and Jeff Malmberg's Marwencol failed to make the grade (I'm not entirely sure how this works with the cut-off dates), but there are plenty on the list of 15 that have earned the right to be deemed among the best docs of the year. Shockingly, they included Exit through the Gift Shop and not surprisingly, this along with seven other docus if my count is good, first began their public life at the January launch-pad known as the Sundance Film Festival. The preliminary round of voting will determine five noms (announced live on Tuesday, January 25, 2011, at 5:30 a.m. Pt) and the only one I can honestly say is a shoe-in for a top 5 nom spot is Charles Ferguson's Inside Job.
- 11/18/2010
- IONCINEMA.com
And it's a good-looking, diverse and hip slate -- at least until the final five nominees are announced, and inevitably three to four of them are the least watched, least known from this selection, making the race opaque to almost everyone. Interesting that two controversial pro-charter school docs, the better known "Waiting for 'Superman'" and the smaller "The Lottery" both made the cut, while the acclaimed "Last Train Home" did not. "The Oath," thought a possible frontrunner by some, also failed to make the snip. But nice to see the excellent "Enemies of the People" on there.
"Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer"
Alex Gibney, director (Es Productions LLC)
"Enemies of the People"
Rob Lemkin and Thet Sambath, directors (Old Street Films)
"Exit through the Gift Shop"
Banksy, director (Paranoid Pictures)
"Gasland"
Josh Fox, director (Gasland Productions, LLC)
"Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould"
Michele Hozer and Peter Raymont,...
"Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer"
Alex Gibney, director (Es Productions LLC)
"Enemies of the People"
Rob Lemkin and Thet Sambath, directors (Old Street Films)
"Exit through the Gift Shop"
Banksy, director (Paranoid Pictures)
"Gasland"
Josh Fox, director (Gasland Productions, LLC)
"Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould"
Michele Hozer and Peter Raymont,...
- 11/18/2010
- by Alison Willmore
- ifc.com
After viewing 101 contenders for Best Feature Documentary for the 83rd Academy Awards, the Documentary Branch has revealed the final 15 contenders shortlist for nomination consideration.
This list is in alphabetical order: Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer Alex Gibney, director (Es Productions LLC) Enemies of the People Rob Lemkin and Thet Sambath, directors (Old Street Films) Exit through the Gift Shop Banksy, director (Paranoid Pictures) Gasland Josh Fox, director (Gasland Productions, LLC) Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould Michele Hozer and Peter Raymont, directors (White Pine Pictures) Inside Job Charles Ferguson, director (Representational Pictures) The Lottery Madeleine Sackler, director (Great Curve Films) Precious Life Shlomi Eldar, director (Origami Productions) Quest for Honor Mary Ann Smothers Bruni, director (Smothers Bruni Productions) Restrepo Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger, directors (Outpost Films) This Way of Life Thomas Burstyn, director (Cloud South Films) The Tillman Story Amir Bar-Lev, director (Passion...
This list is in alphabetical order: Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer Alex Gibney, director (Es Productions LLC) Enemies of the People Rob Lemkin and Thet Sambath, directors (Old Street Films) Exit through the Gift Shop Banksy, director (Paranoid Pictures) Gasland Josh Fox, director (Gasland Productions, LLC) Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould Michele Hozer and Peter Raymont, directors (White Pine Pictures) Inside Job Charles Ferguson, director (Representational Pictures) The Lottery Madeleine Sackler, director (Great Curve Films) Precious Life Shlomi Eldar, director (Origami Productions) Quest for Honor Mary Ann Smothers Bruni, director (Smothers Bruni Productions) Restrepo Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger, directors (Outpost Films) This Way of Life Thomas Burstyn, director (Cloud South Films) The Tillman Story Amir Bar-Lev, director (Passion...
- 11/18/2010
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Rating: 4/5
Bonus Features Rating: 4/5
Directors: Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler
Studio: Arthouse Films
The ’60s and ’70s are notorious for the radical change that was brought to America and her citizens during this time. It’s a period known for a revolution not only in music, but in civil rights for African-Americans and women, JFK, hippies, and so much more that countless amounts of books, movies and so on have documented all the turning points of this decade far better than I could ever describe. People of my generation fondly look at this period and wish it was something we could have been a part of; to witness these massive amounts of history that all took place in America in such a short span of time is truly incredible, and those who were a part of it can consider themselves very fortunate.
Read more on DVD Review: William Kunstler: Disturbing The Universe…...
Bonus Features Rating: 4/5
Directors: Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler
Studio: Arthouse Films
The ’60s and ’70s are notorious for the radical change that was brought to America and her citizens during this time. It’s a period known for a revolution not only in music, but in civil rights for African-Americans and women, JFK, hippies, and so much more that countless amounts of books, movies and so on have documented all the turning points of this decade far better than I could ever describe. People of my generation fondly look at this period and wish it was something we could have been a part of; to witness these massive amounts of history that all took place in America in such a short span of time is truly incredible, and those who were a part of it can consider themselves very fortunate.
Read more on DVD Review: William Kunstler: Disturbing The Universe…...
- 4/24/2010
- by Lauren Lester
- GordonandtheWhale
The film presents the sisters' struggles with their dad's seeming loss of principle and his use of courtrooms as dramatic stages to "stand up" to oppression.
"Dad's clients gave us nightmares," narrates Emily Kunstler. "He told us that everyone deserves a lawyer, but sometimes we didn’t understand why that lawyer had to be our father." Speaking for herself and sister/co-director Sarah, Emily here lays out the conundrum embodied by William Kunstler. Dynamic, charismatic, and apparently infinitely passionate, he was also drawn to controversy and celebrity, taking cases that made headlines. But the hubbub that seemed to buoy him made his daughters…...
"Dad's clients gave us nightmares," narrates Emily Kunstler. "He told us that everyone deserves a lawyer, but sometimes we didn’t understand why that lawyer had to be our father." Speaking for herself and sister/co-director Sarah, Emily here lays out the conundrum embodied by William Kunstler. Dynamic, charismatic, and apparently infinitely passionate, he was also drawn to controversy and celebrity, taking cases that made headlines. But the hubbub that seemed to buoy him made his daughters…...
- 12/10/2009
- by Cynthia Fuchs
- PopMatters
The 2010s are fast approaching - 48 days and counting - and indieWIRE is continuing this weekly Friday chart devoted to glancing back at the past ten years. With a film opening each weekend as a starting point, we’re charting various sub-categories of 2000s film, focusing on their North American box office performance. This week, with Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler’s “William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe” marking one of the very …...
- 11/13/2009
- Indiewire
George Ovashvili's "The Other Bank" was awarded the grand jury's New Directors Showcase Award and Barbara Schroeder's "talhotblond" was the documentary grand jury winner at the 35th International Seattle Film Festival, which concluded Sunday.
The doc jury also awarded a special jury prize to Yoshio Harada's "Manhole Children."
The Golden Space Needle Audience Award for best film went to Scott Sanders' "Black Dynamite." First runner-up was Benoit Pilon's "The Necessities of Life," with runner-up awards also going to: second runner-up: Marc Webb's "(500) Days of Summer"; third (tie): Kevin Hamedani's "Zmd: Zombies of Mass Destruction" and Lucy Akhurst's "Morris: A Life with Bells On"; and fourth: Philipp Stolzl's "North Face."
Louie Psihoyos' "The Cove" took home the Golden Space Needle Award for best documentary.
Runners-up were: Sandy Cioffi's "Sweet Crude"; Sarah Kunstler and Emily Kunstler's "William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe"; James D. Stern...
The doc jury also awarded a special jury prize to Yoshio Harada's "Manhole Children."
The Golden Space Needle Audience Award for best film went to Scott Sanders' "Black Dynamite." First runner-up was Benoit Pilon's "The Necessities of Life," with runner-up awards also going to: second runner-up: Marc Webb's "(500) Days of Summer"; third (tie): Kevin Hamedani's "Zmd: Zombies of Mass Destruction" and Lucy Akhurst's "Morris: A Life with Bells On"; and fourth: Philipp Stolzl's "North Face."
Louie Psihoyos' "The Cove" took home the Golden Space Needle Award for best documentary.
Runners-up were: Sandy Cioffi's "Sweet Crude"; Sarah Kunstler and Emily Kunstler's "William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe"; James D. Stern...
- 6/14/2009
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Pictured above: Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler, directors of the recently-acquired William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe (See Deals below.)
Welcome to Indie Roundup, a new weekly post in which we present news and coverage of the indie film world over the past seven days in one neat package for your perusal.
Deals. As many expected (and hoped) after Sundance concluded, distribution deals for films that premiered there have been slowly finalized. Eric D. wrote about Lionsgate picking up the acclaimed Push: Based on a Novel by Sapphire, aided by Oprah and Tyler Perry.
Arthouse Films acquired the doc William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe and plans a theatrical release in mid-2009, according to indieWIRE. Kunstler, a famed civil rights attorney, is revealed in a portrait directed by his two younger daughters, Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler (pictured above).
Rj Cutler's The September Issue will get a theatrical release in -- surprise!
Welcome to Indie Roundup, a new weekly post in which we present news and coverage of the indie film world over the past seven days in one neat package for your perusal.
Deals. As many expected (and hoped) after Sundance concluded, distribution deals for films that premiered there have been slowly finalized. Eric D. wrote about Lionsgate picking up the acclaimed Push: Based on a Novel by Sapphire, aided by Oprah and Tyler Perry.
Arthouse Films acquired the doc William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe and plans a theatrical release in mid-2009, according to indieWIRE. Kunstler, a famed civil rights attorney, is revealed in a portrait directed by his two younger daughters, Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler (pictured above).
Rj Cutler's The September Issue will get a theatrical release in -- surprise!
- 2/5/2009
- by Peter Martin
- Cinematical
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