Stanley Nelson has been set to direct a feature-length documentary on the life of Charlie Sifford, the first Black golfer to play on the PGA Tour.
Sifford, who has been called the Jackie Robinson of golf, was instrumental in getting the biggest professional golf tournament in the U.S. to terminate the “Caucasian-only” membership clause, an achievement that allowed him to play at the age of 39.
He became a full member of the PGA Tour and notched several victories, including the Greater Hartford Open in 1967 and the Los Angeles Open in 1969. Through those achievements, he won more than $1.2 million and became one of the PGA’s top 60 money-winners of that decade.
Among Sifford’s many accolades, he was a six-time Uga National Negro Open champion, and he received an honorary doctorate from University of St. Andrews. He was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama. Sifford...
Sifford, who has been called the Jackie Robinson of golf, was instrumental in getting the biggest professional golf tournament in the U.S. to terminate the “Caucasian-only” membership clause, an achievement that allowed him to play at the age of 39.
He became a full member of the PGA Tour and notched several victories, including the Greater Hartford Open in 1967 and the Los Angeles Open in 1969. Through those achievements, he won more than $1.2 million and became one of the PGA’s top 60 money-winners of that decade.
Among Sifford’s many accolades, he was a six-time Uga National Negro Open champion, and he received an honorary doctorate from University of St. Andrews. He was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama. Sifford...
- 9/13/2021
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Showtime Documentary Films has set Attica from Emmy winner Stanley Nelson. The timely feature-length docu chronicles the five-day prison rebellion that transpired in the fall of 1971 in upstate New York and still stands as the largest and deadliest the country has ever witnessed. Vinnie Malhotra, Executive Vice President, Nonfiction Programming, Showtime Networks Inc. made the announcement today. Attica is slated to debut on Showtime in 2021 which marks the 50th anniversary of the uprising.
Attica will go beyond the five days of rebellion and give a broader understanding of the Attica tragedy in the crosscurrents of politics, race, power and punishment during the early 1970s. Through expert voices and archival images of urban and suburban life, the film explores the tensions between a young, radicalized population of mostly black and Latino inmates, and correctional officers from a predominately white company town, where the Attica...
Attica will go beyond the five days of rebellion and give a broader understanding of the Attica tragedy in the crosscurrents of politics, race, power and punishment during the early 1970s. Through expert voices and archival images of urban and suburban life, the film explores the tensions between a young, radicalized population of mostly black and Latino inmates, and correctional officers from a predominately white company town, where the Attica...
- 6/8/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Showtime Documentary Films announced today a new feature-length film from acclaimed Emmy-winning documentarian Stanley Nelson about the Attica Prison Uprising. “Attica” will detail the five-day prison rebellion that took place in the fall of 1971 in upstate New York, which remains the largest and deadliest the country has ever witnessed. The film is set to premiere on Showtime in 2021, the 50th anniversary of the uprising.
The official synopsis reads: “More than a simple recounting of the five days of rebellion, ‘Attica’ will also offer a broader understanding of the Attica tragedy in the crosscurrents of politics, race, power and punishment during the early 1970s. Through expert voices and archival images of urban and suburban life, the film explores the tensions between a young, radicalized population of mostly Black and Latino inmates, and correctional officers from a predominately white company town, where the Attica prison was the primary employer for generations of families.
The official synopsis reads: “More than a simple recounting of the five days of rebellion, ‘Attica’ will also offer a broader understanding of the Attica tragedy in the crosscurrents of politics, race, power and punishment during the early 1970s. Through expert voices and archival images of urban and suburban life, the film explores the tensions between a young, radicalized population of mostly Black and Latino inmates, and correctional officers from a predominately white company town, where the Attica prison was the primary employer for generations of families.
- 6/8/2020
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
In mid-April, Starbucks faced a publicity nightmare when two black men were arrested in a downtown Philadelphia store after an employee called the police when they declined to leave. The video of their arrest went viral, receiving millions of views on Twitter and leading to a firestorm of criticism and calls for boycotts. Two days later, Starbucks announced it would close its stories nationwide for a day of “racial-bias education.”
A few weeks later, Starbucks contacted filmmaker Stanley Nelson; it wanted to hire him to make a short film. “They came directly to us,” said Nelson, the founder of Firelight Media and the director of several documentaries about the African-American experience, including “Freedom Riders” and “The Black Panthers: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities.”
Nelson, who was referred to the company by NAACP director Sherrilyn Ifill, said he was keen to contribute to the bias training workshops. “I felt...
A few weeks later, Starbucks contacted filmmaker Stanley Nelson; it wanted to hire him to make a short film. “They came directly to us,” said Nelson, the founder of Firelight Media and the director of several documentaries about the African-American experience, including “Freedom Riders” and “The Black Panthers: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities.”
Nelson, who was referred to the company by NAACP director Sherrilyn Ifill, said he was keen to contribute to the bias training workshops. “I felt...
- 5/30/2018
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Who got signed, promoted, hired or fired? The Hollywood Reporter’s Rep Sheet rounds up the week in representation news. To submit announcements for consideration, contact rebecca.sun@thr.com.
Officially a Genius
Documentary filmmaker Stanley Nelson has signed with Wme in all areas. His work, which chronicles African-American history and experience, includes Freedom Riders and The Murder of Emmett Till, both of which won Emmys (the latter also won Sundance's Grand Jury Prize in 2003), The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution and Freedom Summer. His latest documentary feature, Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities,...
Officially a Genius
Documentary filmmaker Stanley Nelson has signed with Wme in all areas. His work, which chronicles African-American history and experience, includes Freedom Riders and The Murder of Emmett Till, both of which won Emmys (the latter also won Sundance's Grand Jury Prize in 2003), The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution and Freedom Summer. His latest documentary feature, Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities,...
- 3/12/2018
- by Rebecca Sun
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Kering has expanded its six year old role in cinema collaboration to supporting the ‘Women at Sundance’ this year which includes The Sundance Fellowship Program which provides year-long support to a diverse group of six selected female filmmakers.
Cecilia Aldarondo, Elyse Steinberg, Rebecca Green, Janicza Bravo, Elizabeth Wood, and Laurens Grant
Although the six women chosen as Sundance Fellows are at various stages in their careers, all are actively attempting to fulfill their potential and create sustainable careers in a highly competitive environment.
Support includes stipends to come to Sundance Film Festival where they begin with their journey working with Sundance staff defining clear and realistic goals for the fellowship year. Each Fellow is paired an industry leader as mentor and a distinguished professional life coach to guide her through her own personal and professional development over the course of the year. Among the many opportunities for networking and learning...
Cecilia Aldarondo, Elyse Steinberg, Rebecca Green, Janicza Bravo, Elizabeth Wood, and Laurens Grant
Although the six women chosen as Sundance Fellows are at various stages in their careers, all are actively attempting to fulfill their potential and create sustainable careers in a highly competitive environment.
Support includes stipends to come to Sundance Film Festival where they begin with their journey working with Sundance staff defining clear and realistic goals for the fellowship year. Each Fellow is paired an industry leader as mentor and a distinguished professional life coach to guide her through her own personal and professional development over the course of the year. Among the many opportunities for networking and learning...
- 1/27/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
MacArthur Fellow Stanley Nelson has devoted his career to documentary explorations of the African American experience. The 65-year-old director/producer has made films on Marcus Garvey, the Freedom Riders and the Black Panthers. His most recent film is Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities, which premiered this week at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. Nelson hired editor Kim Miille to cut the film. Below, Miille shares her thoughts on historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), making archival photos and letters cinematic and her origins as an editor. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the […]...
- 1/24/2017
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
We’ve just been handed this bulletin, ladies and gentlemen: The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences said today that the News and Documentary Emmy Awards will be livestreamed on Twitter and Periscope for the first time. Viewers can watch and interact live via @newsemmys starting at 7:30 Pm Et
The 37th annual trophy show from the Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P Rose Hall in Manhattan will see hardware doled out in 40 categories, with PBS leading all networks with 54 noms and stalwart CBS newsmag 60 Minutes topping the program field with 26.
The 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award being presented to three-time Primetime Emmy-winning documentarian Stanley Nelson. His credits include the docs Freedom Summer, Freedom Riders, Wounded Knee and The Murder of Emmitt Till.
Presenters for tonight’s News & Doc Emmys include Dana Bash, Lester Holt, Bill Moyers, Jane Pauley, George Stephanopoulos, Maria Elena Salinas, Jake Tapper, Elizabeth Vargas and CBS News president David Rhodes.
The 37th annual trophy show from the Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P Rose Hall in Manhattan will see hardware doled out in 40 categories, with PBS leading all networks with 54 noms and stalwart CBS newsmag 60 Minutes topping the program field with 26.
The 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award being presented to three-time Primetime Emmy-winning documentarian Stanley Nelson. His credits include the docs Freedom Summer, Freedom Riders, Wounded Knee and The Murder of Emmitt Till.
Presenters for tonight’s News & Doc Emmys include Dana Bash, Lester Holt, Bill Moyers, Jane Pauley, George Stephanopoulos, Maria Elena Salinas, Jake Tapper, Elizabeth Vargas and CBS News president David Rhodes.
- 9/21/2016
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Casting is complete for the upcoming reading of the new musical A Lasting Impression performing at New York Musical Festival this July. Candy Buckley Cabaret, After the Fall, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Theo Stockman American Psycho, American Idiot, Hair, and Ben Moss Freedom Riders will join the previously announced cast which includes Jennifer Damiano, Ciara Renee, Meghann Fahy, and Krista Pioppi. The reading is directed by Whitney Mosery King Charles III, American Psycho.
- 7/13/2016
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
Casting is complete for the upcoming reading of the new musical A Lasting Impression performing at New York Musical Festival this July. Candy Buckley Cabaret, After the Fall, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Theo Stockman American Psycho, American Idiot, Hair, and Ben Moss Freedom Riders will join the previously announced cast which includes Jennifer Damiano, Ciara Renee, Meghann Fahy, and Krista Pioppi. The reading is directed by Whitney Mosery King Charles III, American Psycho.
- 7/11/2016
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
Ah, summertime in New York. Strolls through Central Park, Yankees games, sweaty subway platforms, and most excitingly... Nymf That's right, the newly renamed New York Musical Festival isat hand and you should be excited. New musicals are being born and workshopped throughout the summer and the future of musical theatre is being forged. This last week at Broadway Sessions, our audience got the chance to be the first folks to hear music from nineof Nymf's most exciting offerings from this years festival. Lisa and Leonardo, Normativity, Camp Rolling Hills, Dust Can't Kill Me, Ludo's Broken Bride, Midnight at the Never Get, Icon, One Child Born and Freedom Riders all offered up musical glimpses into their productions. Get your own sneak peek here and make sure you go to Nymf.org and see as many of these shows as you can this summer After all, what is summer for...
- 7/6/2016
- by BroadwayWorld TV
- BroadwayWorld.com
Retired late-night TV stalwarts David Letterman and Jon Stewart and Emmy-winning documentarian Stanley Nelson (Freedom Riders) will be honored at the 75th annual Peabody Awards, the organization said today. It also revealed the 60 finalists from which the winners will be selected under the awards’ new format. Here are the finalists for the 75th annual Peabody Awards, which will be handed out May 21 in NYC. "Abdi and the Golden Ticket" (This American Life) This American…...
- 4/12/2016
- Deadline TV
Visual consultant Haskell Wexler prior to a screening of “American Graffiti,” presented at Oscars® Outdoors by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Friday, August 2, 2013. credit: Todd Wawrychuk / ©A.M.P.A.S.
Haskell Wexler, one of Hollywood’s most famous and honored cinematographers and one whose innovative approach helped him win Oscars for “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” and the Woody Guthrie biopic “Bound for Glory,” died Sunday. He was 93.
From the AP:
Wexler died peacefully in his sleep, his son, Oscar-nominated sound man Jeff Wexler, told The Associated Press.
A liberal activist, Wexler photographed some of the most socially relevant and influential films of the 1960s and 1970s, including the Jane Fonda-Jon Voight anti-war classic, “Coming Home,” the Sidney Poitier-Rod Steiger racial drama “In the Heat of the Night” and the Oscar-winning adaptation of Ken Kesey’s “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
Haskell Wexler, one of Hollywood’s most famous and honored cinematographers and one whose innovative approach helped him win Oscars for “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” and the Woody Guthrie biopic “Bound for Glory,” died Sunday. He was 93.
From the AP:
Wexler died peacefully in his sleep, his son, Oscar-nominated sound man Jeff Wexler, told The Associated Press.
A liberal activist, Wexler photographed some of the most socially relevant and influential films of the 1960s and 1970s, including the Jane Fonda-Jon Voight anti-war classic, “Coming Home,” the Sidney Poitier-Rod Steiger racial drama “In the Heat of the Night” and the Oscar-winning adaptation of Ken Kesey’s “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
- 12/27/2015
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Yesterday I had the privilege of joining fellow ComicMixers Martha Thomases and Adriane Nash and a standing-room-only crowd at Columbia University to hear Congressman John R. Lewis talk about graphic novels.
Make no mistake about it: Congressman Lewis is a genuine hero. I realize that’s a word we toss around rather lightly these days, but believe me, he is the real thing. A recipient of the American Medal of Freedom, the highest honor we bestow upon civilians, Congressman Lewis was one of the original leaders of the 1960s civil rights movement. As such, he organized (with others, of course) the Freedom Riders, the civil rights march on Washington, the march from Selma to Montgomery Alabama, and a great many other actions that helped make real the concept of America to all Americans. A student and cohort of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, he has been beaten, fire bombed, left for dead,...
Make no mistake about it: Congressman Lewis is a genuine hero. I realize that’s a word we toss around rather lightly these days, but believe me, he is the real thing. A recipient of the American Medal of Freedom, the highest honor we bestow upon civilians, Congressman Lewis was one of the original leaders of the 1960s civil rights movement. As such, he organized (with others, of course) the Freedom Riders, the civil rights march on Washington, the march from Selma to Montgomery Alabama, and a great many other actions that helped make real the concept of America to all Americans. A student and cohort of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, he has been beaten, fire bombed, left for dead,...
- 12/9/2015
- by Mike Gold
- Comicmix.com
Hamptons Take 2 Documentary Film Festival , (December 3-6, 2015 in Sag Harbor, N.Y.) will honor the MacArthur Genius Award winning Director-Producer-Writer Stanley Nelson with a Career Achievement Award at its Gala on December 5. Previous honorees are Richard Leacock (2011), Susan Lacy (2012), Da Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus (2013), Barbara Kopple (2014)
“ It is a great privilege to present our 2015 Career Achievement Award to Stanley Nelson. His award-winning documentary films on social justice issues were early windows into race relations. His latest film, “The Black Panthers: Vanguard Of The Revolution” continues the provocative dialogue, even more relevant in America today. We honor his commitment to honesty, truth and artistic rigor.” -Jacqui Lofaro, Founder and Executive Director, Hamptons Take 2 Documentary Film Festival
Stanley Nelson is the co-founder and Executive Director of Firelight Films and co-founder of Firelight Media, which provides grants and technical support to emerging documentarians. Firelight is one of nine nonprofit organizations around the world to receive the 2015 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions. The Award, recognizes exceptional nonprofit organizations which have demonstrated creativity and impact, and invests in their long-term sustainability with sizable one-time grants.
With 35 films and multiple industry awards to his credit, Nelson is acknowledged as one of the premier documentary filmmakers working today. He has a clear, vibrant and consistent voice, creating evocative films which document issues of social injustice. His films have earned five Primetime Emmys, two awards from the Sundance Film Festival, and two Peabodys, among other honors. With a dogged insistence on finding new voices and new witnesses, Nelson has illuminated stories that we thought we knew, particularly about the African-American experience. Aside from being a MacArthur “Genius” Fellow, he is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and a recipient of the Neh National Medal in the Humanities presented by President Obama in 2014.
I had an opportunity to speak with Stanley recently concerning the announcement of his Career Achievement Award from the Hamptons Take 2 Documentary Film Festival (HT2FF).
You have won so many prizes, what does it mean to you to receive the Career Achievement Award from the HT2FF?
It is always great to receive accolades; it doesn’t get old. Documentary filmmakers don’t get recognition every day. It’s not like we go to a restaurant and everyone falls all over us. To be recognized because people are seeing and liking my films is great and the award means this is happening.
In addition to receiving the MacArthur Genius Award, your company, Firelight Media, won the 2015 MacArthur Award. How has that helped you?
My personal award sent my three kids to school and sustained me as a filmmaker. The Award to Firelight Media will help sustain the Lab mentoring filmmakers of color making their first and second films. One of the things that is essential to me as a filmmaker is to try to give the viewer a sense of what it has meant to be black in America and consider this within our contemporary context.
Nelson has directed and produced such acclaimed work as “The Murder Of Emmett Till” an eye-opening film which reveals so much beyond what the headlines of the times told us, the public. His other stirring docs include “Freedom Riders” (his personal favorite) and “Jonestown: The Life And Death Of People’s Temple”
In 2014, “Freedom Summer” presented an astounding history of what led up to the Black Power Movement. When it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, the audience was stunned at how he put into context the 1964 voter registration drive in Mississippi, the surprising truth of the Chicago Democratic Convention and the Mississippi delegation and how the turn of events led to the Black Power Movement and to the Voting Rights Act.
The delegation never got the chance to speak from the floor. Many then said, "We can’t keep being the good soldier and following the rules when we can’t do our best." Some moved into action, some dropped out. They thought, "If we just 'show' you the wrongs, the injustice, police with dogs and fire-hoses and show you that we’re non-violent, you can’t help but support us." But the Democratic National Convention failed them, and the young had to do something new.
The last image in “Freedom Summer” you see Stokely Carmichael saying “We want Black Power”. In the opening of your most recent film, “The Black Panthers: Vanguard Of The Revolution” he is also chanting “We want Black Power” which gives a continuity to the two films. Tell me a bit about what prompted you to tell this story?
I felt it was a little known story, that hadn’t been told in its entirety. In particular, I wanted to offer a unique and engaging opportunity to examine a very complex moment in time that challenges the cold, oversimplified narrative of a Panther who is prone to violence and consumed with anger. Thoroughly examining the history of the Black Panther Party allowed me to sift through the fragmented perceptions and find the core driver of the movement: the Black Panther Party emerged out of a love for their people, and a devotion to empowering them. This compelled me to communicate the story fully and accurately. And for the release in August of the film, I attended every opening in 20 cities nationwide, along with former Black Panthers, scholars and photographers.
How did you get started in filmmaking?
I thought I wanted to make fiction features but I stumbled into Bill Greaves and got into documentary filmmaking with him and never looked back.
If someone offered me a million dollars to make a fiction project I think I would. But I know how you have to jump through hoops to make a feature and that pain would be difficult. I don’t have a particular idea or a script and that is hardest part of fiction; how to get a great script, cast, funding. Docs are known at least…
What films inspired you?
“Eyes on the Prize”. It was the first time we saw a series on African Americans. It got so much attention worldwide. It opened eyes to the African American history and it was fascinating to everyone. And it inspired a whole generation of African American filmmakers.
Do you have a sense of Mission in your filmmaking?
This morning I was interviewing an assistant editor and said to him, “We are on a mission here”; getting ahead in a career is ok, but here we are on a mission.”
We have a history we’ve been fortunate to be able to tell. I see my ancestors on my shoulder saying “Don’t screw up”.
We are also on a mission to tell good stories and to entertain people. I hope our films move people to action one way or the other. Many of our films lately are about young people who are making changes.
Did your parents raise you with social awareness or activism?
They were very politically minded and we talked about politics all the time around the dinner table. We were raised to be aware. I remember when I was 15 or 16 when the Panthers started, I would come home and turn on TV and see fire-hoses and dogs attacking people. These images politicized everyone. Just like today with Black Lives Matter and the police killings, everyone has to think about what they’re seeing. In the 60s it was sustained. Viet Nam also politicized everybody. You were either going to go or you had to figure out how not to go. It affected everyone.
What do you make of the police violence against black lives today?
The blatant activities of the police that all people, black and white, are seeing and talking about is bringing awareness to the years and years of injustices. Black Lives Matters is similar to how Black Panthers began. We have to be responsible for our own communities.
Nelson is currently in production on “Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story Of Historically Black Colleges And Universities”, which is the second in a series of three films Nelson will direct as part of a new multi-platform PBS series entitled America Revisited. He is also exec producing “ Free for All: Inside the Public Library”.
For more information or to buy tickets, please go to ht2ff.com...
“ It is a great privilege to present our 2015 Career Achievement Award to Stanley Nelson. His award-winning documentary films on social justice issues were early windows into race relations. His latest film, “The Black Panthers: Vanguard Of The Revolution” continues the provocative dialogue, even more relevant in America today. We honor his commitment to honesty, truth and artistic rigor.” -Jacqui Lofaro, Founder and Executive Director, Hamptons Take 2 Documentary Film Festival
Stanley Nelson is the co-founder and Executive Director of Firelight Films and co-founder of Firelight Media, which provides grants and technical support to emerging documentarians. Firelight is one of nine nonprofit organizations around the world to receive the 2015 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions. The Award, recognizes exceptional nonprofit organizations which have demonstrated creativity and impact, and invests in their long-term sustainability with sizable one-time grants.
With 35 films and multiple industry awards to his credit, Nelson is acknowledged as one of the premier documentary filmmakers working today. He has a clear, vibrant and consistent voice, creating evocative films which document issues of social injustice. His films have earned five Primetime Emmys, two awards from the Sundance Film Festival, and two Peabodys, among other honors. With a dogged insistence on finding new voices and new witnesses, Nelson has illuminated stories that we thought we knew, particularly about the African-American experience. Aside from being a MacArthur “Genius” Fellow, he is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and a recipient of the Neh National Medal in the Humanities presented by President Obama in 2014.
I had an opportunity to speak with Stanley recently concerning the announcement of his Career Achievement Award from the Hamptons Take 2 Documentary Film Festival (HT2FF).
You have won so many prizes, what does it mean to you to receive the Career Achievement Award from the HT2FF?
It is always great to receive accolades; it doesn’t get old. Documentary filmmakers don’t get recognition every day. It’s not like we go to a restaurant and everyone falls all over us. To be recognized because people are seeing and liking my films is great and the award means this is happening.
In addition to receiving the MacArthur Genius Award, your company, Firelight Media, won the 2015 MacArthur Award. How has that helped you?
My personal award sent my three kids to school and sustained me as a filmmaker. The Award to Firelight Media will help sustain the Lab mentoring filmmakers of color making their first and second films. One of the things that is essential to me as a filmmaker is to try to give the viewer a sense of what it has meant to be black in America and consider this within our contemporary context.
Nelson has directed and produced such acclaimed work as “The Murder Of Emmett Till” an eye-opening film which reveals so much beyond what the headlines of the times told us, the public. His other stirring docs include “Freedom Riders” (his personal favorite) and “Jonestown: The Life And Death Of People’s Temple”
In 2014, “Freedom Summer” presented an astounding history of what led up to the Black Power Movement. When it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, the audience was stunned at how he put into context the 1964 voter registration drive in Mississippi, the surprising truth of the Chicago Democratic Convention and the Mississippi delegation and how the turn of events led to the Black Power Movement and to the Voting Rights Act.
The delegation never got the chance to speak from the floor. Many then said, "We can’t keep being the good soldier and following the rules when we can’t do our best." Some moved into action, some dropped out. They thought, "If we just 'show' you the wrongs, the injustice, police with dogs and fire-hoses and show you that we’re non-violent, you can’t help but support us." But the Democratic National Convention failed them, and the young had to do something new.
The last image in “Freedom Summer” you see Stokely Carmichael saying “We want Black Power”. In the opening of your most recent film, “The Black Panthers: Vanguard Of The Revolution” he is also chanting “We want Black Power” which gives a continuity to the two films. Tell me a bit about what prompted you to tell this story?
I felt it was a little known story, that hadn’t been told in its entirety. In particular, I wanted to offer a unique and engaging opportunity to examine a very complex moment in time that challenges the cold, oversimplified narrative of a Panther who is prone to violence and consumed with anger. Thoroughly examining the history of the Black Panther Party allowed me to sift through the fragmented perceptions and find the core driver of the movement: the Black Panther Party emerged out of a love for their people, and a devotion to empowering them. This compelled me to communicate the story fully and accurately. And for the release in August of the film, I attended every opening in 20 cities nationwide, along with former Black Panthers, scholars and photographers.
How did you get started in filmmaking?
I thought I wanted to make fiction features but I stumbled into Bill Greaves and got into documentary filmmaking with him and never looked back.
If someone offered me a million dollars to make a fiction project I think I would. But I know how you have to jump through hoops to make a feature and that pain would be difficult. I don’t have a particular idea or a script and that is hardest part of fiction; how to get a great script, cast, funding. Docs are known at least…
What films inspired you?
“Eyes on the Prize”. It was the first time we saw a series on African Americans. It got so much attention worldwide. It opened eyes to the African American history and it was fascinating to everyone. And it inspired a whole generation of African American filmmakers.
Do you have a sense of Mission in your filmmaking?
This morning I was interviewing an assistant editor and said to him, “We are on a mission here”; getting ahead in a career is ok, but here we are on a mission.”
We have a history we’ve been fortunate to be able to tell. I see my ancestors on my shoulder saying “Don’t screw up”.
We are also on a mission to tell good stories and to entertain people. I hope our films move people to action one way or the other. Many of our films lately are about young people who are making changes.
Did your parents raise you with social awareness or activism?
They were very politically minded and we talked about politics all the time around the dinner table. We were raised to be aware. I remember when I was 15 or 16 when the Panthers started, I would come home and turn on TV and see fire-hoses and dogs attacking people. These images politicized everyone. Just like today with Black Lives Matter and the police killings, everyone has to think about what they’re seeing. In the 60s it was sustained. Viet Nam also politicized everybody. You were either going to go or you had to figure out how not to go. It affected everyone.
What do you make of the police violence against black lives today?
The blatant activities of the police that all people, black and white, are seeing and talking about is bringing awareness to the years and years of injustices. Black Lives Matters is similar to how Black Panthers began. We have to be responsible for our own communities.
Nelson is currently in production on “Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story Of Historically Black Colleges And Universities”, which is the second in a series of three films Nelson will direct as part of a new multi-platform PBS series entitled America Revisited. He is also exec producing “ Free for All: Inside the Public Library”.
For more information or to buy tickets, please go to ht2ff.com...
- 9/21/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Stanley Nelson’s new documentary about the Black Panther Party is admirably sober, but it nevertheless evokes great urgency and passion. Using archival footage and interviews — with historians, with the Panthers themselves, and with the cops who pursued them — it brings to life a still-contentious historical moment and, without too much insistence or obviousness, artfully draws parallels with today. Watching it, we recognize that the things the Panthers fought against remain a part of our society. Whether that’s a testament to the quixotic nature of their project, or just a sign that more work needs to be done, is up to us to decide.Though the period he’s tackling lasts only about a decade — from the group’s formation in 1966 by activists Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton, through to its fragmentation in the mid- to late-70s — Nelson (Freedom Riders, Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple...
- 9/5/2015
- by Bilge Ebiri
- Vulture
Stanley Nelson: Director/Producer/Writer has directed and produced such acclaimed films as “Freedom Summer” which is an astounding history of what led up to the Black Power Movement. It aired in June on PBS’s American Experience to wide acclaim. The audience at Sundance this past January was astounded at how he put into context the 1964 voter registration drive in Mississippi, the surprising truth of the Chicago Democratic Convention and the Mississippi delegation and how the undemocratic turn of events led to the Black Power Movement and to the Voting Rights Act.
“Freedom Riders” tells the story leading up to “Freedom Summer” and to quote Nelson, he thinks this is his best film. As “Freedom Summer” closes with Stokely Carmichael chanting “We Want Black Power!” so “ The Black Panthers: Vanguard Of The Revolution” opens with Stokely still chanting “We Want Black Power” which creates a progressive unity between the two films.
“The Murder Of Emmett Till” was another eye-opening film which revealed so much beyond what the headlines of the times told us, the public.
“The Black Panthers” will be screened for free this weekend August 29 in Ferguson. Its theatrical release is a huge deal. Nelson has made over 35 films and this is the first with theatrical distribution. With sufficient advertising money behind it, this momentous and timely film will released Wednesday September 2 in New York’s Film Forum, September 11 at Magic Johnson’s in Harlem and then in 20 more cities including L.A.’s Landmark Nuart Theater on September 25. Nelson will go to every opening along with former panthers, scholars and photographers.
You can see the schedule and more at www.BlackPanthers.com.
“The Black Panthers” was also Nelson’s eighth film (out of 12 docs he has made) to premiere at Sundance Film Festival. Winter 2016 will see the special presentation on Independent Lens (Public TV).
Nelson says this about the Black Panthers film:
Seven years ago, I set out to tell the story of the rise and fall of the Black Panther Party, a little known history that hadn’t been told in its entirety. In particular, I wanted to offer a unique and engaging opportunity to examine a very complex moment in time that challenges the cold, oversimplified narrative of a Panther who is prone to violence and consumed with anger. Thoroughly examining the history of the Black Panther Party allowed me to sift through the fragmented perceptions and find the core driver of the movement: the Black Panther Party emerged out of a love for their people and a devotion to empowering them. This powerful display of the human spirit, rooted in heart, is what compelled me to communicate this story accurately.
It is essential to me as a filmmaker to try and give the viewer a sense of what it has meant to be black in America and consider this within our contemporary context. The legacy of the Black Panther Party had a lasting impact on the way black people think and see ourselves, and it is important that we look at and understand that. As a great lover of music, I wanted to capture this sentiment in the music we used to give audiences a sense of the time and the undercurrents of change and revolution.
I knew that archival footage would be just as important as interviews when telling this story. The Black Panther history cannot be encapsulated in sound bytes and stills; the movement continues to live and breathe in the hearts and minds of those who endured. I had to dig deeper for footage that captured an authentic portrayal of the Party and which was not distorted by mainstream media. What I found was a treasure of personal records from former members and allies across the globe. These rarely seen images became an important character in the film, telling the story of how the Black Panther Party impacted all communities. There is something incredibly powerful in seeing an array of faces - white, Asian, Latino, black, and native - together at a Black Panther Party rally calling for the reform of corrupt and unjust state institutions.
Nearly half a century later, we find our voices in a renewed chorus for justice and equality. We continue to witness a state apparatus that perpetuates a culture of fear and aggression with frequent and unwarranted displays of racial violence and oppression. As we consider the similarities between the injustices of yesterday and today, it is important to understand that the Panthers were energized largely by young people - 25 and under - who started as a small group of actively engaged individuals that collectively became an international human rights phenomenon. My hope is that the film reveals itself to be more than just thought-provoking observations of our past. The parallels between pivotal moments within the movement and events occurring in our communities today are undeniable. To better understand the Black Panther Party is to be able to better reflect on our own racial climate and collective responsibility to ensure basic rights are fulfilled, not diminished, and that voices of justice and dissent are celebrated, not silenced.
The Nation loved the film; read its review, White Hands and Black Skulls: From the Panthers to ‘Straight Outta Compton’
Read more from Shadow and Act Here and here: Here.
With numerous industry awards to his credit, Nelson is acknowledged as one of the preeminent documentary filmmakers working today. Currently he is in production on “Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story Of Historically Black Colleges And Universities”, which is the second in a series of three films Nelson will direct as part of a new multi-platform PBS series entitled America Revisited.
He is also exec producing “Free for All: Inside the Public Library”...
“Freedom Riders” tells the story leading up to “Freedom Summer” and to quote Nelson, he thinks this is his best film. As “Freedom Summer” closes with Stokely Carmichael chanting “We Want Black Power!” so “ The Black Panthers: Vanguard Of The Revolution” opens with Stokely still chanting “We Want Black Power” which creates a progressive unity between the two films.
“The Murder Of Emmett Till” was another eye-opening film which revealed so much beyond what the headlines of the times told us, the public.
“The Black Panthers” will be screened for free this weekend August 29 in Ferguson. Its theatrical release is a huge deal. Nelson has made over 35 films and this is the first with theatrical distribution. With sufficient advertising money behind it, this momentous and timely film will released Wednesday September 2 in New York’s Film Forum, September 11 at Magic Johnson’s in Harlem and then in 20 more cities including L.A.’s Landmark Nuart Theater on September 25. Nelson will go to every opening along with former panthers, scholars and photographers.
You can see the schedule and more at www.BlackPanthers.com.
“The Black Panthers” was also Nelson’s eighth film (out of 12 docs he has made) to premiere at Sundance Film Festival. Winter 2016 will see the special presentation on Independent Lens (Public TV).
Nelson says this about the Black Panthers film:
Seven years ago, I set out to tell the story of the rise and fall of the Black Panther Party, a little known history that hadn’t been told in its entirety. In particular, I wanted to offer a unique and engaging opportunity to examine a very complex moment in time that challenges the cold, oversimplified narrative of a Panther who is prone to violence and consumed with anger. Thoroughly examining the history of the Black Panther Party allowed me to sift through the fragmented perceptions and find the core driver of the movement: the Black Panther Party emerged out of a love for their people and a devotion to empowering them. This powerful display of the human spirit, rooted in heart, is what compelled me to communicate this story accurately.
It is essential to me as a filmmaker to try and give the viewer a sense of what it has meant to be black in America and consider this within our contemporary context. The legacy of the Black Panther Party had a lasting impact on the way black people think and see ourselves, and it is important that we look at and understand that. As a great lover of music, I wanted to capture this sentiment in the music we used to give audiences a sense of the time and the undercurrents of change and revolution.
I knew that archival footage would be just as important as interviews when telling this story. The Black Panther history cannot be encapsulated in sound bytes and stills; the movement continues to live and breathe in the hearts and minds of those who endured. I had to dig deeper for footage that captured an authentic portrayal of the Party and which was not distorted by mainstream media. What I found was a treasure of personal records from former members and allies across the globe. These rarely seen images became an important character in the film, telling the story of how the Black Panther Party impacted all communities. There is something incredibly powerful in seeing an array of faces - white, Asian, Latino, black, and native - together at a Black Panther Party rally calling for the reform of corrupt and unjust state institutions.
Nearly half a century later, we find our voices in a renewed chorus for justice and equality. We continue to witness a state apparatus that perpetuates a culture of fear and aggression with frequent and unwarranted displays of racial violence and oppression. As we consider the similarities between the injustices of yesterday and today, it is important to understand that the Panthers were energized largely by young people - 25 and under - who started as a small group of actively engaged individuals that collectively became an international human rights phenomenon. My hope is that the film reveals itself to be more than just thought-provoking observations of our past. The parallels between pivotal moments within the movement and events occurring in our communities today are undeniable. To better understand the Black Panther Party is to be able to better reflect on our own racial climate and collective responsibility to ensure basic rights are fulfilled, not diminished, and that voices of justice and dissent are celebrated, not silenced.
The Nation loved the film; read its review, White Hands and Black Skulls: From the Panthers to ‘Straight Outta Compton’
Read more from Shadow and Act Here and here: Here.
With numerous industry awards to his credit, Nelson is acknowledged as one of the preeminent documentary filmmakers working today. Currently he is in production on “Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story Of Historically Black Colleges And Universities”, which is the second in a series of three films Nelson will direct as part of a new multi-platform PBS series entitled America Revisited.
He is also exec producing “Free for All: Inside the Public Library”...
- 8/28/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
North Carolina's RiverRun Film Festival has made headlines in the past few years for being one of the USA's great regional fests. Today they announced their lineup for the 2015 fest which runs April 16-26. The fest opens with Quentin Dupieux's latest Reality (pictured) and closes with David Gordon Green's Manglehorn. RiverRun will also again present honorary awards to accomplished talents, this year focusing on the work of exceptional documentarians. Stanley Nelson (Freedom Summer, Freedom Riders) will receive RiverRun's 2015 Master of Cinema Award, and Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (Detropia, Jesus Camp) will receive the Festival's Emerging Master Award. Here is the full lineup: Narrative Competition: The 2015 Narrative Competition is incredibly diverse, including films from around the world that range from international comedies...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 3/17/2015
- Screen Anarchy
Touch and Anzac Girls have won key prizes at the 2014 Australian Cinematographers Society awards for South Australia and Western Australia.
Aaron Gully took the best cinema feature award for Touch, a mystery starring Leeanna Walsman, Matt Day and newcomer Onor Nottle, produced by Triptych Pictures. Julie Byrne and directed by Christopher Houghton.
The best telefeature, series, TV drama or comedy trophy went to Geoffrey Hall Acs for episode four of Screentime.s Anzac Girls. Hall also collected the Milton Ingerson award for best entry overall.
Jim Frater Acs took the dual prize for best dramatised documentary for The War That Changed Us episode 1 and for Desert War- Alamein, both produced by Electric Pictures. Andrew Ogilvie. Here is the full list of winners: Student Cinematography Gold: Jordan Agutter ~ The Crane Wife ~ Sa Silver: Caroline Fisher ~ Source to Sea ~ Sa Bronze: Molly O.Connor ~ Damsels ~ Sa Experimental & Specialised Gold: Malcolm Ludgate...
Aaron Gully took the best cinema feature award for Touch, a mystery starring Leeanna Walsman, Matt Day and newcomer Onor Nottle, produced by Triptych Pictures. Julie Byrne and directed by Christopher Houghton.
The best telefeature, series, TV drama or comedy trophy went to Geoffrey Hall Acs for episode four of Screentime.s Anzac Girls. Hall also collected the Milton Ingerson award for best entry overall.
Jim Frater Acs took the dual prize for best dramatised documentary for The War That Changed Us episode 1 and for Desert War- Alamein, both produced by Electric Pictures. Andrew Ogilvie. Here is the full list of winners: Student Cinematography Gold: Jordan Agutter ~ The Crane Wife ~ Sa Silver: Caroline Fisher ~ Source to Sea ~ Sa Bronze: Molly O.Connor ~ Damsels ~ Sa Experimental & Specialised Gold: Malcolm Ludgate...
- 11/4/2014
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
Above is a first-look photo at Common and Tessa Thompson in Ava DuVernay's "Selma" - a film that's already generating Oscar buzz ahead of its December premiere. Rapper/actor Common plays James Bevel, the civil rights activist who helped set up 1963's "Children's Crusade" in Birmingham, Alabama, which was a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement. Thompson is Diane Nash, a founding member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (Sncc) in April 1960, who also played a key role in bringing King to Montgomery, Al, in support of the Freedom Riders. She was sentenced to two years in prison for teaching nonviolent tactics...
- 10/24/2014
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Our next conversation in the ongoing Frame By Frame series is with acclaimed filmmaker Laurens Grant, whose decades-long career includes directing the 2012 Emmy-winning documentary on Olympic gold medalist Jesse Owens, and producing the Emmy and Peabody award-winning "Freedom Riders" in 2010. Here, Laurens discusses how she found her way into making documentary films, her cinematic influences, and the impact of her work. On her beginnings in documentary: I never planned on being a documentary filmmaker. I received a bachelor's degree in journalism and my lifelong dream was to be a foreign correspondent. I wanted to be the next Langston ...
- 8/8/2014
- by Jai Tiggett
- ShadowAndAct
The 50th Anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act is this July 2nd, two days before Independence Day commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence of the United States of America from the Kingdom of Great Britain (now officially known as the United Kingdom).
As an independent nation we went our own way even when The Slavery Abolition Act throughout the British Colonies was passed in 1833. Cynically one might say their act was motivated less by altruism than by what had become political and economic realities. However, the abolitionists on both sides of the sea saw it the same way that those of us with eyes are seeing the issues of economic inequality today. It is immoral and unjust that one human should own another, whether in slavery, in economic servitude or in sexual servitude.
However, fifty years ago, such unequal and inhuman treatment of fellow human beings was still being justified and upheld by a powerful elite, and it took almost super-human fortitude for those opposed to persevere to break the stranglehold of that group. As a young girl, a “Freedom Rider” came and spoke to my class at Temple Isaiah Religious School in West L.A. and I was inspired to do all I could for the ongoing fight for civil rights, which of course changed the world for everyone – from it came “women’s lib” and Glbt’s fight for equality (Stonewall was 40 years ago June 29). And yet, the economically poor African American and Latino populations are still objects of discrimination today. The repeal of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 in the South freeing nine states, mostly in the South, to change their election laws without advance federal approval is seeing discrimination at the polls reasserting itself.
This January when I saw “Freedom Summer” directed by Stanley Nelson in Sundance, I felt inspired once again to do something!
But, all I can do is write and so I take pen to hand and invite others to be aware and to act wherever they are.
At the 2nd Louisiana International Film Festival this spring, “Freedom Summer” won the Best Documentary Award and it will open in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act.
The Louisiana Ff parenthetically has two cineastes, well-known to all of us film folks, as Artistic Directors: Jeff “The Dude” Dowd and Dan Ireland.
Read: New Louisiana Film Festival to Launch With Dan Ireland & Jeff "The Dude" Dowd as Artistic Directors
Jeff could be subject of a book, but for now, suffice it to say Jeff Dowd ("Zebrahead") is famously the inspiration for the Dude in the Coen Bros.' "The Big Lebowski,"
Dan Ireland on the other hand, is the subject of this blog because he has done something beyond just showing a great film. Dan, a man of action, also co-founded the Seattle Film Festival with Darryl MacDonald who is Director of the Palm Springs Int’l Film Festival. The Seattle Film Festival just had its own anniversary of 40 years and it featured a retrospective of some of Dan’s 22 films which he has exec produced, produced or directed.
And now, he has produced a new film, a short film called “Hate From A Distance” which will be the center piece of a special event this Wednesday, July 2nd, on the 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act at The Museum of Tolerance in Beverly Hills
The film is an adaptation of a short story inspired by Civil Rights in America, set in Savannah, Georgia in 1963, told through the innocent eyes of an eleven-year old boy who is witness to the bitterness and hatred his father has for an African American dairy farmer living on the other side of a fence, separating physically and racially the very state of America during a most disgraceful and turbulent period in history.
The film was made and dedicated to the memory of and the 50th anniversary of The Civil Rights Act and as a voice that though we live by the Act, there is so much more that needs to be done to establish unity and equal rights in this country and the world.
Seen through the innocent eyes of eleven-year-old Danny Baker, racial tensions run rampant and deep in 1963 rural Georgia. Danny’s father Ned and neighbor Clyde Fellow, once childhood friends, are now divided over a land dispute in an era of inequality. Ned’s escalating anger, fueled by his own distorted righteousness, ultimately destroys his family and tears the community apart.
“ Hate from a Distance” reflects the injustices of a painful chapter of American history while honoring and 50th anniversary (July 2, 1964) of the Civil Rights Act abolishing segregation.
The film had its world premiere Saturday June 7th in a retrospective of Dan's history with “The Whole Wide World”, at Seattle Int’l Film Festival.
It will show again this Wednesday at The Museum of Tolerance in Beverly Hills. The 19 minute screening will be followed by an introduction of the cast and a brief panel discussion and audience Q&A with Dr. Robert and Helen Singleton, Freedom Riders, activists and educators, Dr. Max Felker-Kantor, USC graduate with PhD in History (emphasis on race, civil rights and social movements) and moderated by journalist-author-activist David Ehrenstein. David is an American critic who focuses primarily on Lgbtq issues in cinema. Ehrenstein was born in New York City. His father was a secular Jew with Polish ancestors, and his mother was of African-American and Irish descent.[1] His mother raised him in her religion, Roman Catholicism. Among those invited are educators, students, members of organizations such as Aclu , NAACP , U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, journalists and activists.
Writer/Producer Dennis Yares's grandparents left Poland prior to the German occupation and most remaining relatives perished under Nazi regime. He was born in Israel and moved to N.Y. as a young boy. He made his professional reputation as an art gallerist, in addition, he also wrote the screen adaptation of E.L. Doctorow's classic short story, “Jolene”, which was directed by Dan Ireland.
He wrote a short story as one of his collection of 52 stories and when he realized it was the 50th anniversary this year. He and Dan as the director, stepped up and co-produced the film in the spring - in three weeks.
It features a score by composer Harry Gregson-Williams and Tom Howe, who will also attend the screening.
The short will also qualify for Academy Award consideration after having a short commercial run.
As an independent nation we went our own way even when The Slavery Abolition Act throughout the British Colonies was passed in 1833. Cynically one might say their act was motivated less by altruism than by what had become political and economic realities. However, the abolitionists on both sides of the sea saw it the same way that those of us with eyes are seeing the issues of economic inequality today. It is immoral and unjust that one human should own another, whether in slavery, in economic servitude or in sexual servitude.
However, fifty years ago, such unequal and inhuman treatment of fellow human beings was still being justified and upheld by a powerful elite, and it took almost super-human fortitude for those opposed to persevere to break the stranglehold of that group. As a young girl, a “Freedom Rider” came and spoke to my class at Temple Isaiah Religious School in West L.A. and I was inspired to do all I could for the ongoing fight for civil rights, which of course changed the world for everyone – from it came “women’s lib” and Glbt’s fight for equality (Stonewall was 40 years ago June 29). And yet, the economically poor African American and Latino populations are still objects of discrimination today. The repeal of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 in the South freeing nine states, mostly in the South, to change their election laws without advance federal approval is seeing discrimination at the polls reasserting itself.
This January when I saw “Freedom Summer” directed by Stanley Nelson in Sundance, I felt inspired once again to do something!
But, all I can do is write and so I take pen to hand and invite others to be aware and to act wherever they are.
At the 2nd Louisiana International Film Festival this spring, “Freedom Summer” won the Best Documentary Award and it will open in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act.
The Louisiana Ff parenthetically has two cineastes, well-known to all of us film folks, as Artistic Directors: Jeff “The Dude” Dowd and Dan Ireland.
Read: New Louisiana Film Festival to Launch With Dan Ireland & Jeff "The Dude" Dowd as Artistic Directors
Jeff could be subject of a book, but for now, suffice it to say Jeff Dowd ("Zebrahead") is famously the inspiration for the Dude in the Coen Bros.' "The Big Lebowski,"
Dan Ireland on the other hand, is the subject of this blog because he has done something beyond just showing a great film. Dan, a man of action, also co-founded the Seattle Film Festival with Darryl MacDonald who is Director of the Palm Springs Int’l Film Festival. The Seattle Film Festival just had its own anniversary of 40 years and it featured a retrospective of some of Dan’s 22 films which he has exec produced, produced or directed.
And now, he has produced a new film, a short film called “Hate From A Distance” which will be the center piece of a special event this Wednesday, July 2nd, on the 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act at The Museum of Tolerance in Beverly Hills
The film is an adaptation of a short story inspired by Civil Rights in America, set in Savannah, Georgia in 1963, told through the innocent eyes of an eleven-year old boy who is witness to the bitterness and hatred his father has for an African American dairy farmer living on the other side of a fence, separating physically and racially the very state of America during a most disgraceful and turbulent period in history.
The film was made and dedicated to the memory of and the 50th anniversary of The Civil Rights Act and as a voice that though we live by the Act, there is so much more that needs to be done to establish unity and equal rights in this country and the world.
Seen through the innocent eyes of eleven-year-old Danny Baker, racial tensions run rampant and deep in 1963 rural Georgia. Danny’s father Ned and neighbor Clyde Fellow, once childhood friends, are now divided over a land dispute in an era of inequality. Ned’s escalating anger, fueled by his own distorted righteousness, ultimately destroys his family and tears the community apart.
“ Hate from a Distance” reflects the injustices of a painful chapter of American history while honoring and 50th anniversary (July 2, 1964) of the Civil Rights Act abolishing segregation.
The film had its world premiere Saturday June 7th in a retrospective of Dan's history with “The Whole Wide World”, at Seattle Int’l Film Festival.
It will show again this Wednesday at The Museum of Tolerance in Beverly Hills. The 19 minute screening will be followed by an introduction of the cast and a brief panel discussion and audience Q&A with Dr. Robert and Helen Singleton, Freedom Riders, activists and educators, Dr. Max Felker-Kantor, USC graduate with PhD in History (emphasis on race, civil rights and social movements) and moderated by journalist-author-activist David Ehrenstein. David is an American critic who focuses primarily on Lgbtq issues in cinema. Ehrenstein was born in New York City. His father was a secular Jew with Polish ancestors, and his mother was of African-American and Irish descent.[1] His mother raised him in her religion, Roman Catholicism. Among those invited are educators, students, members of organizations such as Aclu , NAACP , U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, journalists and activists.
Writer/Producer Dennis Yares's grandparents left Poland prior to the German occupation and most remaining relatives perished under Nazi regime. He was born in Israel and moved to N.Y. as a young boy. He made his professional reputation as an art gallerist, in addition, he also wrote the screen adaptation of E.L. Doctorow's classic short story, “Jolene”, which was directed by Dan Ireland.
He wrote a short story as one of his collection of 52 stories and when he realized it was the 50th anniversary this year. He and Dan as the director, stepped up and co-produced the film in the spring - in three weeks.
It features a score by composer Harry Gregson-Williams and Tom Howe, who will also attend the screening.
The short will also qualify for Academy Award consideration after having a short commercial run.
- 7/1/2014
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Filmmaker Stanley Nelson is, without question, one of the most important documentary filmmakers working today. His many films, such as "Freedom Riders," "A Place of our Own," and "Marcus Garvey: Look for Me in the Whirlwind" have explored various aspects of black life, politics and culture, and how they still resonate today with us. And now the Award winning, MacArthur Fellowship filmmaker continues, as he did with "Freedom Riders," exploring and telling the story of the Civil Rights Movement, with "Freedom Summer," which chronicles the summer of 1964 in Mississippi, when over 700 student volunteers from around the country...
- 6/25/2014
- by Sergio
- ShadowAndAct
Filmmaker Stanley Nelson is, without question, one of the most important documentary filmmakers working today. His many films, such as "Freedom Riders," "A Place of our Own," and "Marcus Garvey: Look for Me in the Whirlwind" have explored various aspects of black life, politics and culture, and how they still resonate today with us.And now the Award winning, MacArthur Fellowship filmmaker continues, as he did with "Freedom Riders," exploring and telling the story of the Civil Rights Movement, with "Freedom Summer," which chronicles the summer of 1964 in Mississippi, when over 700 student volunteers from around the country joined organizers and local African Americans in a...
- 6/20/2014
- by Sergio
- ShadowAndAct
The Sundance Institute today revealed the eight documentary projects chosen to participate in their 2014 Documentary Edit and Story Labs. 20 Fellows have been selected in total to take part. Editors serving as Creative Advisors for the sessions include Joelle Alexis ("The Green Prince"), Lewis Erskine ("Freedom Riders"), Mary Lampson ("Harlan County USA"), Jonathan Oppenheim ("The Oath"), Kate Amend ("The Case Against 8"), Joe Bini ("We Need to Talk About Kevin"), Pedro Kos ("The Square"). Directors serving as Creative Advisors are Ra'anan Alexandrowicz ("The Law In These Parts"), Jon Else ("Sing Faster!") and Jesse Moss ("The Overnighters"). Tabitha Jackson, Director of the Documentary Film Program, said in a statement, "This year's Fellows reflect a range of artistry, perspective and experience that is part of a vibrant contemporary dialogue about nonfiction storytelling. It is our hope that this rigorous lab environment strengthens each project and...
- 6/19/2014
- by Nigel M Smith
- Indiewire
Not all docu films that make the cut into the Sundance Institute’s Documentary Edit and Story Labs are fortunate enough to then land a coveted spot at the festival (recent examples include Roger Ross Williams’ God Loves Uganda and Tracy Draz Tragos and Andrew Droz Palermo’s Rich Hill) but some fresh air and supportive pounding from the Institute’s Advisors surely contributes to the realization of passion projects that are buckets filled in blood, sweat and tears. Among the press release mentions below, we’ll surely be discussing them in Park City setting in a January to too far off from now. Here are the selection of 20 Fellows representing eight documentary film projects to participate in the 2014 Documentary Edit and Story Labs, June 20-28 and July 4-12 at Sundance Resort in Sundance, Utah.
Artists and projects selected for the June 20-28 Documentary Edit and Story Lab:
A Flickering...
Artists and projects selected for the June 20-28 Documentary Edit and Story Lab:
A Flickering...
- 6/19/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Acclaimed documentary filmmaker Stanley Nelson (Freedom Riders, The Murder of Emmitt Till, Jonestown: The Life and Death of People’s Temple, A Place of Our Own and many other films) has returned again to the Civil Rights struggle of the 1960’s with his latest film Freedom Summer. The film chronicles the events during the violent and bloody summer of 1964 in Mississippi known as the Freedom Summer, when hundreds of student volunteers in league with local and national activists and organizers worked to push for voting rights, to bring down the racist segregationists policies and foundations of white supremacy in the nation’s most segregated state. Working together, they ...
- 5/20/2014
- by Sergio
- ShadowAndAct
We’re breaking form this week and going alphabetical instead of preference order because of the Incredible diversity of product available for you to rent, buy, or stream over the next ten days. How does someone really compare “Sunrise” to “You’re Next”? Why bother?
If you need to know, “Closed Circuit” and “Runner Runner” aren’t really worth your time and “A.C.O.D.” and “Riddick” are flawed but everything else in here comes with varying degrees of recommendation, particularly the quiet beauty of “Sunrise” and the incredible charm of “Enough Said”. We’re also loading you up since we’ll be off next week seeing flicks in Park City at the Sundance Film Festival. There’s plenty in here to tide you over. Pick your favorites.
20 Feet From Stardom
Photo credit: The Weinstein Company
“20 Feet From Stardom”
One of the most crowd-pleasing documentaries in years is likely to find an...
If you need to know, “Closed Circuit” and “Runner Runner” aren’t really worth your time and “A.C.O.D.” and “Riddick” are flawed but everything else in here comes with varying degrees of recommendation, particularly the quiet beauty of “Sunrise” and the incredible charm of “Enough Said”. We’re also loading you up since we’ll be off next week seeing flicks in Park City at the Sundance Film Festival. There’s plenty in here to tide you over. Pick your favorites.
20 Feet From Stardom
Photo credit: The Weinstein Company
“20 Feet From Stardom”
One of the most crowd-pleasing documentaries in years is likely to find an...
- 1/14/2014
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Title: Lee Daniels’ The Butler Director: Lee Daniels Starring: Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, John Cusack, Jane Fonda, Cuba Gooding, Jr. Terrence Howard, Lenny Kravitz, James Marsden, David Oyelowo, Alan Rickman, Liev Schreiber, Robin Williams and Danny Strong. The American historical fiction drama film, directed by Lee Daniels, inspired by the real-life of Eugene Allen will be released for home entertainment on January 14th, 2014. Anchor Bay Entertainment and The Weinstein Company proudly present the ‘The Butler’, grossing over $115 million in box office, on Blu-Ray Combo Pack with Digital HD Ultraviolet, On-Demand and Pay-Per-View. The DVD Special features include: An American Story, The Original Freedom Riders, “You And I Ain’t [ Read More ]
The post Lee Daniels’ The Butler Home Entertainment Release appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Lee Daniels’ The Butler Home Entertainment Release appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 12/21/2013
- by Chiara Spagnoli Gabardi
- ShockYa
Digital Release Date: Dec. 31, 2013, Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: Jan. 14, 2014
Price: DVD $29.98, Blu-ray $34.99, Blu-ray Combo $39.99
Studio: The Weinstein Company/Anchor Bay
Acclaimed drama movie Lee Daniels’ The Butler scored a whopping $116 million at the box office, a huge number for a so-called quiet film.
Inspired by a true story, the movie follows Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker, Platoon), who rises up from being a slave boy to a career as a butler serving seven Presidents in the White House. Over the years, he witnesses some of the most tumultuous and defining moments for race relations in the U.S. in the 20th century.
The all-star cast also includes Oprah Winfrey (The Color Purple) as Cecil’s wife, plus John Cusack (The Raven), Jane Fonda (All Together), Cuba Gooding Jr. (Machete Kills), Terrence Howard (Prisoners), Lenny Kravitz (The Hunger Games), James Marsden (Robot & Frank), Alan Rickman (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part...
Price: DVD $29.98, Blu-ray $34.99, Blu-ray Combo $39.99
Studio: The Weinstein Company/Anchor Bay
Acclaimed drama movie Lee Daniels’ The Butler scored a whopping $116 million at the box office, a huge number for a so-called quiet film.
Inspired by a true story, the movie follows Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker, Platoon), who rises up from being a slave boy to a career as a butler serving seven Presidents in the White House. Over the years, he witnesses some of the most tumultuous and defining moments for race relations in the U.S. in the 20th century.
The all-star cast also includes Oprah Winfrey (The Color Purple) as Cecil’s wife, plus John Cusack (The Raven), Jane Fonda (All Together), Cuba Gooding Jr. (Machete Kills), Terrence Howard (Prisoners), Lenny Kravitz (The Hunger Games), James Marsden (Robot & Frank), Alan Rickman (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part...
- 12/6/2013
- by Sam
- Disc Dish
The Oscar-winning star of Lee Daniels' new White House drama and Fruitvale Station used to be harassed by police when he was a teenager in Compton, La, but now he feels far more optimistic
Forest Whitaker is having himself a British moment, flashing back more than 30 years to his first visit to London. "The first time I ever went out of the country it was to London. I was with the choir from my college and we were touring around all these different churches. I loved it so much I tried to find a way to stay there. I tried to get a job but I had no work permit. I tried anything I could to stay. My feeling then was, this is where I was meant to be. I felt … freedom. I've been back many, many times since, made a lot of friends – and I've played a few Brits,...
Forest Whitaker is having himself a British moment, flashing back more than 30 years to his first visit to London. "The first time I ever went out of the country it was to London. I was with the choir from my college and we were touring around all these different churches. I loved it so much I tried to find a way to stay there. I tried to get a job but I had no work permit. I tried anything I could to stay. My feeling then was, this is where I was meant to be. I felt … freedom. I've been back many, many times since, made a lot of friends – and I've played a few Brits,...
- 11/18/2013
- by John Patterson
- The Guardian - Film News
"Lee Daniels' The Butler" is expected to compete with the horror film "You're Next" and the young adult adaption "Mortal Instruments: City of Bones" for the top spot at the box office this weekend, just one week after surprising Hollywood with a strong debut frame. For screenwriter Danny Strong, the continued success of the film proves that movies like "The Butler" are capable of making money in an industry dominated by franchises and sequels.
"When a movie like this does well, it's just great for the business. Then, more movies like this will get made," Strong told HuffPost Entertainment in a recent interview. "Partly how this movie got made was because 'The Help' was so successful. Had 'The Help' not been so successful, who knows if we would have gotten made. Now, we've gotten made and we're successful; '42' was successful financially. Hopefully this will start opening the door...
"When a movie like this does well, it's just great for the business. Then, more movies like this will get made," Strong told HuffPost Entertainment in a recent interview. "Partly how this movie got made was because 'The Help' was so successful. Had 'The Help' not been so successful, who knows if we would have gotten made. Now, we've gotten made and we're successful; '42' was successful financially. Hopefully this will start opening the door...
- 8/23/2013
- by Christopher Rosen
- Huffington Post
This weekend, as you search for a movie to watch, you can either head to a theater and see Lee Daniels' The Butler, or stay home and pick one of approximately 14 billion options available on streaming over a variety of services, be it Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, On Demand, or other sites. Every weekend, Vulture tries to make life easier by narrowing it down to a handful of heartily recommended options. This week we explore more of the Civil Rights movement on screen, from an iconic film to a thorough documentary investigation to a sprawling tele-movie from the seventies.Freedom RidersThe Butler's most striking recreation, the molotov cocktail-attack of an activist bus by an enraged white mob, was always meant to be photographed, in hopes of rattling the bones of every person in America. The “Freedom Riders” were peaceful protestors who bused down from Washington D.C. into the Jim...
- 8/17/2013
- by Matt Patches
- Vulture
With the current social climate and concern over racism, it seems an appropriate time for a film about the civil rights movement in America to remind everyone how much has -- and perhaps hasn't -- changed in the last 50 years. In Lee Daniels' The Butler, we witness significant events and the politics that both impeded and fueled efforts by African-Americans and their supporters to effect change.
The Butler was inspired by a true story and tells the story of African-American Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker), who serves as a butler in the White House for multiple presidents throughout several decades, including the civil rights movement.
Born in Macon, Georgia in the 1920s, as a young boy Cecil Gaines works in the cotton field with his mother and dad until brutal overseer Thomas Westfall (Alex Pettyfer) swiftly and violently tears Cecil's family apart. Cecil is taken into the "big house" by the...
The Butler was inspired by a true story and tells the story of African-American Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker), who serves as a butler in the White House for multiple presidents throughout several decades, including the civil rights movement.
Born in Macon, Georgia in the 1920s, as a young boy Cecil Gaines works in the cotton field with his mother and dad until brutal overseer Thomas Westfall (Alex Pettyfer) swiftly and violently tears Cecil's family apart. Cecil is taken into the "big house" by the...
- 8/16/2013
- by Debbie Cerda
- Slackerwood
Chicago – In one of the more intriguing ways to frame the 1960s civil rights movement, “Lee Daniels’ The Butler” places the context of that African American struggle through the filter of family dynamics, focusing on the father as a butler in the White House, through six presidents.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
The great actor Forest Whitaker plays that butler, from his roots on southern cotton fields to the election of Barack Obama. Based on a real White House butler, the story of the family is a fiction written by Danny Strong. It boasts an all-star cast, with Robin Williams, James Marsden, John Cusack and Alan Rickman all portraying presidents, among others. The civil rights movement is active through the butler’s son, and all the main events come alive on screen including lunch counter sit-ins, Freedom Riders that get out the vote and the later, more radical Panther Party. The conflict between father and son,...
Rating: 4.0/5.0
The great actor Forest Whitaker plays that butler, from his roots on southern cotton fields to the election of Barack Obama. Based on a real White House butler, the story of the family is a fiction written by Danny Strong. It boasts an all-star cast, with Robin Williams, James Marsden, John Cusack and Alan Rickman all portraying presidents, among others. The civil rights movement is active through the butler’s son, and all the main events come alive on screen including lunch counter sit-ins, Freedom Riders that get out the vote and the later, more radical Panther Party. The conflict between father and son,...
- 8/16/2013
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
It’s amazing how many key moments in American history the white-gloved hands of Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker) touches throughout Lee Daniels’ soapy, sappy, social message drama The Butler. Granted, Gaines is in a unique place as an African American member of the White House service staff across seven administrations from 1957 to 1986. There’s Cecil consoling a bloodstained Jackie Kennedy (Minka Kelly) soon after her husband’s assassination. He connects to the violence experienced by the Freedom Riders trying to fight racial discrimination in the Deep South and the assassination of Martin Luther King (Nelsan Ellis) through the activist work of his oldest son Louis (David Oyelowo). The hard-working butler also feels the horrors of the Vietnam War via his youngest son Charlie (Elijah Kelley).
- 8/16/2013
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Usually once or twice during the big Summer movie season, the Hollywood studios release a film that’s a bit more serious than the action, science fiction, fantasy comedy blockbusters that normally populate the multiplex during those balmy months. Bypassing the Oscar-bait year-end log jam this time is Lee Daniels’ The Butler. Like the recent independent feature Fruitvale Station, it concerns a hot-button topic from recent headlines: race relations. While Station told the story of a fairly recent true-life incident, the new film spans several decades with special emphasis on the tumultuous 1960′s much like the Summer drama of 2011 The Help (which later did take home some Oscar gold). So, are movie audiences ready to take a break from the car chases and explosions, and embark on a trip through some dark moments of America’s recent history? And will Academy voters remember this drama when they begin filling out...
- 8/15/2013
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Before posting my final review of Lee Daniels' The Butler I searched and searched and searched for information to find out just how much was true and how much was fictionalized for the sake of the film. I came away with the understanding the largest fictionalization was the invention of a second child, Louis, played by David Oyelowo. This, on top of the fact the name of the actual butler at the center of the story, Eugene Allen, had been changed to Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker). Turns out that was just the tip of the iceberg. Louis is a major character in the film and some could easily argue the actual lead as he becomes one of the Freedom Riders, joins the Black Panther party and even spends some time with Martin Luther King, Jr. It's through Louis that screenwriter Danny Strong gives the outside world a face for the audience to connect with.
- 8/15/2013
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Chicago – Director Lee Daniels is on a mission of education. With now two generations removed from the height of the 1960s civil rights movement, Daniels hopes to revive and highlight that history in “Lee Daniels’ The Butler” – the sensitive and emotional story of one family’s journey through the winds of change.
The story behind the unusual title designation – the addition of Lee Daniels’ name – was necessary because of another film entitled “The Butler” from 1916. Daniels’ version encompasses 80 years in America through a crucial time for African Americans, as it follows the path of a butler – portrayed by Forest Whitaker – as he makes it to the highest level of his profession, a job at the White House. As Whitaker’s character serves presidents from Eisenhower to Reagan, his is a father to a son who is right in the middle of the 1960s Freedom Riders, lunch counter sit-ins and the Panther Party.
The story behind the unusual title designation – the addition of Lee Daniels’ name – was necessary because of another film entitled “The Butler” from 1916. Daniels’ version encompasses 80 years in America through a crucial time for African Americans, as it follows the path of a butler – portrayed by Forest Whitaker – as he makes it to the highest level of his profession, a job at the White House. As Whitaker’s character serves presidents from Eisenhower to Reagan, his is a father to a son who is right in the middle of the 1960s Freedom Riders, lunch counter sit-ins and the Panther Party.
- 8/15/2013
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Washington (Rns) Eugene Allen served eight presidents as a White House butler, and his legendary career is the inspiration for “Lee Daniels’ The Butler,” a film starring Oprah Winfrey, Jane Fonda and a host of A-list Hollywood talent.
But members of The Greater First Baptist Church knew the man who died in 2010 by other titles: usher, trustee, and a humble man of quiet faith.
“The attributes that made him a great butler made him a great usher,” said Denise Johnson, an usher at the predominantly black D.C. church where Allen was a member for six decades.
Those qualities were both external — black suits and white gloves — and internal — a dignified, soft-spoken manner.
On a recent Sunday, parishioners recalled Allen as a peacemaker, someone who never raised his voice.
His devotion to service extended far beyond the public and private rooms of the White House to the doorways and kitchen of his church.
But members of The Greater First Baptist Church knew the man who died in 2010 by other titles: usher, trustee, and a humble man of quiet faith.
“The attributes that made him a great butler made him a great usher,” said Denise Johnson, an usher at the predominantly black D.C. church where Allen was a member for six decades.
Those qualities were both external — black suits and white gloves — and internal — a dignified, soft-spoken manner.
On a recent Sunday, parishioners recalled Allen as a peacemaker, someone who never raised his voice.
His devotion to service extended far beyond the public and private rooms of the White House to the doorways and kitchen of his church.
- 8/15/2013
- by Religion News Service
- Huffington Post
In theaters this Friday, Lee Daniels' The Butler covers a whole lot of history, from the plight of poor black sharecroppers working on plantations in the Deep South in the 1930s to the Civil Rights movement to the election of Barack Obama. But somehow, in the course of a 15 minute interview with the film's star, Forest Whitaker, we managed to cover even more history than that. Whitaker plays Cecil Gaines, the character at the center of The Butler, based on a real man who worked in the White House for every President between Dwight D. Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan. Cecil is a father and husband who's happy to have a good job and unwilling to rock the boat politically, but his son (played by David Oyelowo) is the opposite, joining the Freedom Riders as a college student and eventually the Black Panthers. Telling the parallel story of Cecil and his...
- 8/14/2013
- cinemablend.com
Imagine your time on Earth began as a black man, young enough to see your father shot in the head in a cotton field with no repercussions for the shooter and you ultimately lived long enough to see Barack Obama elected as the first black President of the United States. Those two events alone would be enough to shock you to your core when placed side-by-side, but now imagine not only living through those two experiences, but also the events that transpired over the 82 years in-between and viewing them from a vantage point unlike any other. Lee Daniels' The Butler sets before it a daunting task of first introducing us to Cecil Gaines at the tender age of eight (Michael Rainey Jr.) as he watches his father fall with a bullet wound to the head before introducing us to the 34 years he would ultimately serve eight presidents as a White House butler.
- 8/14/2013
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
One butler serving in the White House for over three decades sounds like a story made just for the movies. Surprisingly enough it really happened, and thanks to director Lee Daniels and writer Danny Strong (Emmy winner for "Game Change"), the story of Eugene Allen is now getting told on the big screen.
Inspired by Wil Haygood's Washington Post article, "Lee Daniels' The Butler" (remember that never-ending name change mess?) stars Forest Whitaker as Cecil Gaines, who is based on Allen. From 1952 to 1986 Gaines serves seven presidents -- but the film excludes Ford and Carter who seemingly weren't interesting enough -- while struggling to balance work with family at the height of the Civil Rights Movement.
With one of the biggest casts of the year -- from Robin Williams to Mariah Carey -- "The Butler" is already exploding with Oscar buzz. But does the historical drama hold up to the hype?...
Inspired by Wil Haygood's Washington Post article, "Lee Daniels' The Butler" (remember that never-ending name change mess?) stars Forest Whitaker as Cecil Gaines, who is based on Allen. From 1952 to 1986 Gaines serves seven presidents -- but the film excludes Ford and Carter who seemingly weren't interesting enough -- while struggling to balance work with family at the height of the Civil Rights Movement.
With one of the biggest casts of the year -- from Robin Williams to Mariah Carey -- "The Butler" is already exploding with Oscar buzz. But does the historical drama hold up to the hype?...
- 8/14/2013
- by Erin Whitney
- Moviefone
Chicago – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film with our unique social giveaway technology, we have 40 pairs of advance-screening movie passes up for grabs to the highly anticipated “Lee Daniels’ The Butler” starring Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey!
“Lee Daniels’ The Butler,” which is rated “PG-13” and opens on Aug. 16, 2013, also stars John Cusack, Jane Fonda, Cuba Gooding Jr., Terrence Howard, Lenny Kravitz, Mariah Carey, James Marsden, David Oyelowo, Vanessa Redgrave, Alan Rickman, Liev Schreiber, Robin Williams and Alex Pettyfer from director Lee Daniels and writer Danny Strong based on the article by Wil Haygood.
To win your free “The Butler” passes courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just get interactive with our unique Hookup technology below. That’s it! This screening is on Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2013 at 7 p.m. in downtown Chicago. The more social actions you complete, the more points you score and the higher yours odds of winning! Completing these...
“Lee Daniels’ The Butler,” which is rated “PG-13” and opens on Aug. 16, 2013, also stars John Cusack, Jane Fonda, Cuba Gooding Jr., Terrence Howard, Lenny Kravitz, Mariah Carey, James Marsden, David Oyelowo, Vanessa Redgrave, Alan Rickman, Liev Schreiber, Robin Williams and Alex Pettyfer from director Lee Daniels and writer Danny Strong based on the article by Wil Haygood.
To win your free “The Butler” passes courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just get interactive with our unique Hookup technology below. That’s it! This screening is on Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2013 at 7 p.m. in downtown Chicago. The more social actions you complete, the more points you score and the higher yours odds of winning! Completing these...
- 8/12/2013
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Once More With Feeling: Daniels’ Latest an Elegant, Necessary Recuperation
Previously berated by Armond White as helming the most racist film since The Birth of a Nation with his breakout 2009 hit, Precious, Lee Daniels’ shows his softer side with The Butler, a dizzying tunnel through several of America’s most tumultuous periods as seen through the eyes of a black butler working in the White House. White’s denouncement of Daniels is, in itself, indicative of the divisiveness inspired by unseemly or unwholesome portrayals of black characters in film, especially coming from a filmmaker like Daniels who has been operating outside of the cloying weight of a niche market. If the applause and accolades bestowed upon Precious were the result of (sub)conscious white guilt, the same guilt-ridden parties weren’t feeling quite as gracious for Daniels unfairly dismissed follow-up, 2012’s The Paperboy, a pulpy period piece that has brilliant...
Previously berated by Armond White as helming the most racist film since The Birth of a Nation with his breakout 2009 hit, Precious, Lee Daniels’ shows his softer side with The Butler, a dizzying tunnel through several of America’s most tumultuous periods as seen through the eyes of a black butler working in the White House. White’s denouncement of Daniels is, in itself, indicative of the divisiveness inspired by unseemly or unwholesome portrayals of black characters in film, especially coming from a filmmaker like Daniels who has been operating outside of the cloying weight of a niche market. If the applause and accolades bestowed upon Precious were the result of (sub)conscious white guilt, the same guilt-ridden parties weren’t feeling quite as gracious for Daniels unfairly dismissed follow-up, 2012’s The Paperboy, a pulpy period piece that has brilliant...
- 8/10/2013
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Lee Daniels, Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey are the main faces out in front of "Lee Daniels' The Butler," but neither the filmmaker nor his high-profile stars have been with the project as long as Danny Strong. An Emmy winner for the HBO movie "Game Change," Strong was hired to write "The Butler" in 2009, a year before Daniels even signed on as director.
Strong -- whom television fans might also know from his onscreen work on "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" and "Mad Men" -- based "The Butler" on the life of Eugene Allen, a White House service worker who worked through eight administrations, from Harry Truman to Ronald Reagan. (Allen's story was the source of an acclaimed Washington Post article in 2008.) For the film, Allen became Cecil Gaines (Whitaker), a White House butler who encounters history both at work and at home: Gaines' son (David Oyelowo) becomes a vocal member...
Strong -- whom television fans might also know from his onscreen work on "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" and "Mad Men" -- based "The Butler" on the life of Eugene Allen, a White House service worker who worked through eight administrations, from Harry Truman to Ronald Reagan. (Allen's story was the source of an acclaimed Washington Post article in 2008.) For the film, Allen became Cecil Gaines (Whitaker), a White House butler who encounters history both at work and at home: Gaines' son (David Oyelowo) becomes a vocal member...
- 8/9/2013
- by Christopher Rosen
- Huffington Post
All-star parade of presidents helps blunt any dramatic edge in Lee Daniels film starring Forest Whitaker as the protagonist
More historical pageant than drama, Lee Daniels' The Butler takes the Forrest Gump approach to another corner of American history, filtering the dramatic civil rights movement of the 1960s through the life of an ordinary butler who served seven different presidents from Dwight D Eisenhower to Ronald Reagan. Based very loosely on a real man, The Butler sets its mild-mannered protagonist Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker) in sharp contrast to his son Louis (David Oyelowo), a Freedom Rider and eventually Black Panther who conveniently finds himself at the centre of a series of civil rights landmark moments.
There are fascinating wrinkles to be found in that relationship, and director Daniels does stumble upon a few. But for the most part his usual heavy hand draws only the thickest lines between two generations of African-Americans,...
More historical pageant than drama, Lee Daniels' The Butler takes the Forrest Gump approach to another corner of American history, filtering the dramatic civil rights movement of the 1960s through the life of an ordinary butler who served seven different presidents from Dwight D Eisenhower to Ronald Reagan. Based very loosely on a real man, The Butler sets its mild-mannered protagonist Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker) in sharp contrast to his son Louis (David Oyelowo), a Freedom Rider and eventually Black Panther who conveniently finds himself at the centre of a series of civil rights landmark moments.
There are fascinating wrinkles to be found in that relationship, and director Daniels does stumble upon a few. But for the most part his usual heavy hand draws only the thickest lines between two generations of African-Americans,...
- 8/9/2013
- by Katey Rich
- The Guardian - Film News
Lee Daniels’ The Butler is set against the tumultuous political backdrop of 20th century America. Academy Award® nominated director Lee Daniels’ (Precious) epic drama tells the story of fictional White House butler Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker), who serves during seven presidential administrations between 1957 and 1986. The film is inspired by Wil Haygood’s 2008 Washington Post article “A Butler Well Served by This Election” which chronicled the real life of former White House butler Eugene Allen. The film begins in 1926 and follows a young Cecil as he escapes the tyranny of the fiercely segregated South in search of a better life.
Along his arduous journey to manhood Cecil learns invaluable skills that ultimately lead to an opportunity of a lifetime: a job as a butler at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. There, Cecil becomes a firsthand witness to history and the inner workings of the Oval Office as the civil rights movement unfolds. At home,...
Along his arduous journey to manhood Cecil learns invaluable skills that ultimately lead to an opportunity of a lifetime: a job as a butler at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. There, Cecil becomes a firsthand witness to history and the inner workings of the Oval Office as the civil rights movement unfolds. At home,...
- 8/8/2013
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The summer movie season generally isn't a place known for edifying dramas covering a wide sweep of American history, but The Weinstein Company believes it's the perfect time to release "Lee Daniels' The Butler." Based on a true story of a White House servant who served through eight presidencies, the picture is bringing with it star power and thus far, some positive advance buzz too. But up against sequels and blockbusters, a little extra effort will need to be made to get audiences out and buying tickets, so five new clips have landed to give folks a preview. In these scenes, we see just how far-reaching the film will be in covering the social changes in the country, ranging from the Freedom Riders of the early '60s to the Black Power activism in the latter part of the decade, and so much more. The performers, particularly Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey,...
- 8/5/2013
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Photo: Anne Marie Fox © 2013 The Weinstein Company. All Rights Reserved.
Simon & Schuster Audio, in association with The Weinstein Company, has announced the August 2013 publication of The Butler: A Witness to History. This audiobook companion to the major motion picture is read by the stars who play the family at the center of the film: the title character, his wife, and his son– Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey and David Oyelowo.
Commented director Lee Daniels: “The story The Butler tells is one not only of epic historical significance, but a universal one about the importance of family. To have it come to life on screen and with this audiobook, through the tremendous talents of Forest, Oprah, and David, is a dream come true.”
Academy Award-winner Forest Whitaker narrates the story of Eugene Allen, a butler who served no less than seven presidents, from Harry Truman to Ronald Reagan. Allen was...
Simon & Schuster Audio, in association with The Weinstein Company, has announced the August 2013 publication of The Butler: A Witness to History. This audiobook companion to the major motion picture is read by the stars who play the family at the center of the film: the title character, his wife, and his son– Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey and David Oyelowo.
Commented director Lee Daniels: “The story The Butler tells is one not only of epic historical significance, but a universal one about the importance of family. To have it come to life on screen and with this audiobook, through the tremendous talents of Forest, Oprah, and David, is a dream come true.”
Academy Award-winner Forest Whitaker narrates the story of Eugene Allen, a butler who served no less than seven presidents, from Harry Truman to Ronald Reagan. Allen was...
- 7/27/2013
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
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