Welcome to this week’s review of Nxt, right here on Nerdly. Let’s get straight into it and see what went down in this episode…
Match #1: Nxt Women’s Championship – Roxanne Perez def. Giulia The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Roxanne Perez continues her epic reign as Nxt Women’s Champion as she overcame her greatest test yet in the global sensation Giulia. The Prodigy and The Beautiful Madness locked horns and were every bit each other’s equal, but it was the challenger that began unleashing hellish blows that left the champion looking for an answer that came in the form of a Tope Suicida. Giulia hit a remarkable Double Underhook Suplex and soon hit a signature G-Trigger, but it wasn’t enough to end the match. Perez nailed Pop Rox shortly after out of nowhere, but the challenger wisely rolled out of the ring. A...
Match #1: Nxt Women’s Championship – Roxanne Perez def. Giulia The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Roxanne Perez continues her epic reign as Nxt Women’s Champion as she overcame her greatest test yet in the global sensation Giulia. The Prodigy and The Beautiful Madness locked horns and were every bit each other’s equal, but it was the challenger that began unleashing hellish blows that left the champion looking for an answer that came in the form of a Tope Suicida. Giulia hit a remarkable Double Underhook Suplex and soon hit a signature G-Trigger, but it wasn’t enough to end the match. Perez nailed Pop Rox shortly after out of nowhere, but the challenger wisely rolled out of the ring. A...
- 10/3/2024
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
The last music video, or rather series of music videos, from electronic duo Sad Night Dynamite that we featured on Dn was for their compilation Volume II, a series of bizarre and grain-dense videos that gave the musicians an uncanny visual edge. That look and feel is continued in their latest video Wake Up Pass Out, directed by filmmakers Balázs Simon (who joined us a few years ago with his animated Leifur James music video Wurlitzer) and Cátia Abreu. The concept this time around is centred on a social media-addicted individual who finds himself wandering through a nightclub and encountering a large, grotesque attention-seeking monster, portrayed by Sad Night Dynamite. To learn more about the making of Simon and Abreu’s video, and the creation of their freaky monstrosity, you can read our in-depth conversation with the filmmaking pair below, where they also reveal how their collaboration as a directing...
- 8/21/2024
- by James Maitre
- Directors Notes
The winner of the audience award in the Next section of this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Kneecap tells the story of the eponymous Irish hip-hop group — the only catch? The band members play themselves alongside a supporting cast that includes Michael Fassbender and Simone Kirby. The result is a film that feels incredibly energetic and surprisingly heartfelt, with a powerful message about the importance of preserving cultures and indigenous languages.
We at FandomWire spoke with Kneecap members DJ Próvai (JJ Ó Dochartaigh) and Móglaí Bap (Naoise Ó Cairealláin) about the film, their music, and their message. Like the film and the band’s music, the conversation was equally hilarious and insightful. Check out the interview below:
Liam ÓG Ó Hannaidh as Mo Chara or Liam Óg, JJ Ó Dochartaigh as DJ Próvai or JJ, Naoise Ó CAIREALLÁIN as Móglaí Bap or Naoise in ‘Kneecap’ Image: Helen Sloan. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.
We at FandomWire spoke with Kneecap members DJ Próvai (JJ Ó Dochartaigh) and Móglaí Bap (Naoise Ó Cairealláin) about the film, their music, and their message. Like the film and the band’s music, the conversation was equally hilarious and insightful. Check out the interview below:
Liam ÓG Ó Hannaidh as Mo Chara or Liam Óg, JJ Ó Dochartaigh as DJ Próvai or JJ, Naoise Ó CAIREALLÁIN as Móglaí Bap or Naoise in ‘Kneecap’ Image: Helen Sloan. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.
- 7/30/2024
- by Sean Boelman
- FandomWire
The internet has been set ablaze after the explosive reveal of Call of Duty Black Ops 6 at the 2024 Xbox Showcase. After a cryptic teaser trailer a while back titled Truth Lies, Treyarch pulled the pin on a full-fledged trailer that promises an adrenaline-fueled ride through the tumultuous world of the 1990s.
The trailer shows just a few pivotal moments in history, including the fall of the Soviet Union, and the ousting of Saddam Hussein, which are just glimpses that hint at a campaign steeped in the political turmoil of the said decade.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Trailer is Ripped from a 1990s Newspaper
The trailer that opened the Xbox Summer Showcase revealed that Treyarch is back at the helm of CoDin the latest Black Ops installment. The trailer opens with a glimpse of Mount Rushmore and a blindfold that reads “Truth Lies.” We then hear the infamous speech by...
The trailer shows just a few pivotal moments in history, including the fall of the Soviet Union, and the ousting of Saddam Hussein, which are just glimpses that hint at a campaign steeped in the political turmoil of the said decade.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Trailer is Ripped from a 1990s Newspaper
The trailer that opened the Xbox Summer Showcase revealed that Treyarch is back at the helm of CoDin the latest Black Ops installment. The trailer opens with a glimpse of Mount Rushmore and a blindfold that reads “Truth Lies.” We then hear the infamous speech by...
- 6/9/2024
- by Nikola Pajtic
- FandomWire
Yesterday’s closure of Tango Gameworks by parent company Microsoft was a deep cut for millions in the games industry. Started by legendary game auteur Shinji Mikami, the small Japanese studio gave birth to excellent games like The Evil Within, Ghostwire Tokyo, and most recently, Hi-Fi Rush.
The 2023 rhythmic action-brawler was a complete shadow-drop, yet one of the best games of the year. And why wouldn’t it, with its lively art style and hectic gameplay? However, what elevates the game even further is its curated selection of licensed music, as director John Johanas reveals.
Licensed Music Makes Up A Chunk Of Hi-Fi Rush‘s Identity
John Johanas believes the licensed songs are integral to the Tango masterpiece’s gameplay loop.
Speaking with Touch Arcade, Johanas spoke about how the underlying concept of Hi-Fi Rush revolves around feeling like an interactive music video, and how licensed music was crucial to...
The 2023 rhythmic action-brawler was a complete shadow-drop, yet one of the best games of the year. And why wouldn’t it, with its lively art style and hectic gameplay? However, what elevates the game even further is its curated selection of licensed music, as director John Johanas reveals.
Licensed Music Makes Up A Chunk Of Hi-Fi Rush‘s Identity
John Johanas believes the licensed songs are integral to the Tango masterpiece’s gameplay loop.
Speaking with Touch Arcade, Johanas spoke about how the underlying concept of Hi-Fi Rush revolves around feeling like an interactive music video, and how licensed music was crucial to...
- 5/8/2024
- by Viraaj Bhatnagar
- FandomWire
MGM+ becomes the 23rd Channel to launch on Prime Video in India. A premium streaming service, MGM+ offers an expansive line-up of critically acclaimed series, blockbuster movies, and evergreen classics, available as an add-on subscription, only on Prime Video Channels, for ₹599 per year
With Prime Video Channels, part of Amazon’s video entertainment marketplace, customers get friction-free and convenient access to a wide range of premium content available at a single destination Prime Video, through add-on subscriptions.
Prime Video, India’s most loved entertainment destination, has launched MGM+ on Prime Video Channels. MGM+ offers an extensive and enthralling selection of entertainment including critically acclaimed and popular series, blockbuster movies and timeless classics primarily from the iconic Hollywood studio, MGM. Prime members can purchase an annual add-on subscription to MGM+ at a special price of ₹599 per year.
With an add-on subscription to MGM+ on Prime Video Channels, Prime members can enjoy...
With Prime Video Channels, part of Amazon’s video entertainment marketplace, customers get friction-free and convenient access to a wide range of premium content available at a single destination Prime Video, through add-on subscriptions.
Prime Video, India’s most loved entertainment destination, has launched MGM+ on Prime Video Channels. MGM+ offers an extensive and enthralling selection of entertainment including critically acclaimed and popular series, blockbuster movies and timeless classics primarily from the iconic Hollywood studio, MGM. Prime members can purchase an annual add-on subscription to MGM+ at a special price of ₹599 per year.
With an add-on subscription to MGM+ on Prime Video Channels, Prime members can enjoy...
- 4/30/2024
- by Desk Editorial
- GlamSham
Free Streaming
Freely, the new free streaming service backed by Britain’s public service broadcasters (PSBs) that delivers live TV over broadband, has launched. The initiative is from Everyone TV, the organization which runs free TV in the U.K. and is jointly owned by the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Paramount Global’s Channel 5. Announced last year, the service allows viewers to browse and watch live TV channels together with on-demand content streamed to their smart TV via the internet. Freely will be built-in to the next generation of smart TVs and features a lineup of public service broadcaster content and other free-to-air channels.
Content from Stv and S4C, free-to-air public service broadcasters for Scotland and Wales respectively, is also available on Freely. Hisense, previously announced as the first Freely smart TV partner, brings Freely TVs to market today. TiVo will be offering Freely as part of its TiVo Os platform.
Freely, the new free streaming service backed by Britain’s public service broadcasters (PSBs) that delivers live TV over broadband, has launched. The initiative is from Everyone TV, the organization which runs free TV in the U.K. and is jointly owned by the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Paramount Global’s Channel 5. Announced last year, the service allows viewers to browse and watch live TV channels together with on-demand content streamed to their smart TV via the internet. Freely will be built-in to the next generation of smart TVs and features a lineup of public service broadcaster content and other free-to-air channels.
Content from Stv and S4C, free-to-air public service broadcasters for Scotland and Wales respectively, is also available on Freely. Hisense, previously announced as the first Freely smart TV partner, brings Freely TVs to market today. TiVo will be offering Freely as part of its TiVo Os platform.
- 4/30/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
If there’s one thing you can count on in a Ryuhei Kitamura horror film, it’s the copious amounts of bloodshed and gore. With Kitamura, gore is most definitely an artform. Based on Clive Barker’s 1984 short story of the same name, 2008 film The Midnight Meat Train follows a photographer obsessed with dark subject matter. He gets in over his head when he discovers a serial killer that butchers unsuspecting night commuters in grisly fashion.
There’s probably not many movies as aptly titled as this one. There’s a lot of human meat, blood, brain matter, and limbs being carved up on the late-night subway train in this horror movie. Bradley Cooper stars as Leon Kaufman, the photographer that stumbles upon and then becomes obsessed with the ruthless serial killer. His concerned girlfriend Maya, a character not in the original story, is played by Leslie Bibb. But the...
There’s probably not many movies as aptly titled as this one. There’s a lot of human meat, blood, brain matter, and limbs being carved up on the late-night subway train in this horror movie. Bradley Cooper stars as Leon Kaufman, the photographer that stumbles upon and then becomes obsessed with the ruthless serial killer. His concerned girlfriend Maya, a character not in the original story, is played by Leslie Bibb. But the...
- 3/7/2024
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
October TV Alert! Dive into our essential Halloween TV Guide for 2023 and catch the most anticipated screenings this spooky season. This guide is your passport to the best horror movie premieres, spooky specials, and halloween horror movie marathons TV and streaming have to offer. We’ve compiled all of the mega-hits from AMC Fearfest, SyFy, Shudder, crowd-favorite Freeform’s 31 Nights of Halloween, and more!
Whether you’re a die-hard horror fan or just in for the October vibes, there’s bound to be something perfect to get you into the Halloween spirit this season. Whether you want to watch all of the Halloween films backward, or stressed-out bakers making giant Halloween disasterpieces while a big clock on the wall yells at them, we’ve got ya covered! And for our global audience, use this timezone converter link to align your screams with the screen’s. Please note: schedules are subject to change.
Whether you’re a die-hard horror fan or just in for the October vibes, there’s bound to be something perfect to get you into the Halloween spirit this season. Whether you want to watch all of the Halloween films backward, or stressed-out bakers making giant Halloween disasterpieces while a big clock on the wall yells at them, we’ve got ya covered! And for our global audience, use this timezone converter link to align your screams with the screen’s. Please note: schedules are subject to change.
- 9/25/2023
- by Kimberley Elizabeth
Five TV production designers will reveal secrets behind their projects when they join Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Experts” Q&a event with 2023 Emmy Awards nominees. They will participate in two video discussions to premiere on Tuesday, August 15, at 4:00 p.m. Pt; 7:00 p.m. Et. We’ll have a one-on-one with our senior editor Daniel Montgomery and a roundtable chat with all of the group together.
RSVP today to our entire ongoing contenders panel series by clicking here to book your free reservation. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.
The Bear (FX)
Synopsis: A young chef from the fine dining world returns to Chicago to run his family’s sandwich shop.
Bio: Sam Lisenco is an Emmy nominee for “The Bear.” Other projects have included “Shades of Blue,” “Eighth Grade,” “Uncut Gems” and “Judas and the Black Messiah.
RSVP today to our entire ongoing contenders panel series by clicking here to book your free reservation. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.
The Bear (FX)
Synopsis: A young chef from the fine dining world returns to Chicago to run his family’s sandwich shop.
Bio: Sam Lisenco is an Emmy nominee for “The Bear.” Other projects have included “Shades of Blue,” “Eighth Grade,” “Uncut Gems” and “Judas and the Black Messiah.
- 8/7/2023
- by Chris Beachum and Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Welcome to this review of Nxt: The Great American Bash PPV, right here on Nerdly. Let’s get straight into it and see what went down in this episode…
Match #1: Nathan Frazer, Dragon Lee, Yulisa Leon and Valentina Feroz def. Meta Four The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Nxt Heritage Cup Champion Nathan Frazer, Dragon Lee, Yulisa Leon and Valentina Feroz took out all of The Meta-Four on the Kickoff Show of Nxt Great American Bash in an incredible Eight-Person Tag Team Match. The dastardly Meta-Four pulled out all the sneaky stops trying to gain an advantage, but the high-flying quarter of Frazer, Lee, Leon and Feroz wasn’t ready to go down quietly, as they answered Meta-Four’s antics with perfect teamwork. With Noam Dar, Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson all neutralized, Oro Mensah was left all alone with Lee, and the electrifying Luchador hit a picture-perfect...
Match #1: Nathan Frazer, Dragon Lee, Yulisa Leon and Valentina Feroz def. Meta Four The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Nxt Heritage Cup Champion Nathan Frazer, Dragon Lee, Yulisa Leon and Valentina Feroz took out all of The Meta-Four on the Kickoff Show of Nxt Great American Bash in an incredible Eight-Person Tag Team Match. The dastardly Meta-Four pulled out all the sneaky stops trying to gain an advantage, but the high-flying quarter of Frazer, Lee, Leon and Feroz wasn’t ready to go down quietly, as they answered Meta-Four’s antics with perfect teamwork. With Noam Dar, Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson all neutralized, Oro Mensah was left all alone with Lee, and the electrifying Luchador hit a picture-perfect...
- 8/1/2023
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Nordic Party makes a welcome return on May 22.
The festivals’ DJ competition at the Nordic Party makes a welcome return tonight in Cannes after a three-year hiatus.
Teams from Berlinale, Cph:Dox, Karlovy vary, Les Arcs & Tribeca (combined), Rotterdam and Sarajevo – plus a team from the Scandinavia House in Cannes – will each get a chance to play a three-song set to impress the crowds on the dancefloor as well as the judges to take the top honour of best DJ team of the night.
The winner gets bragging rights, a novelty Viking hat, and the chance to judge next year’s competition.
The festivals’ DJ competition at the Nordic Party makes a welcome return tonight in Cannes after a three-year hiatus.
Teams from Berlinale, Cph:Dox, Karlovy vary, Les Arcs & Tribeca (combined), Rotterdam and Sarajevo – plus a team from the Scandinavia House in Cannes – will each get a chance to play a three-song set to impress the crowds on the dancefloor as well as the judges to take the top honour of best DJ team of the night.
The winner gets bragging rights, a novelty Viking hat, and the chance to judge next year’s competition.
- 5/22/2023
- by Wendy Mitchell
- ScreenDaily
Welcome to this week’s review of Nxt 2.0, which follows the Worlds Collide PPV, which saw Nxt and Nxt UK merge into one brand through multiple title unifications… Let’s get into the review!
Match #1: Doudrop & Nikki A.S.H. def. Toxic Attraction The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Still furious after Toxic Attraction’s interference at Worlds Collide, Nikki A.S.H. & Doudrop looked to teach Gigi Dolin & Jacy Jayne a lesson about sticking their noses in other people’s business. The Raw Superstars battered Toxic Attraction early on, but the former two-time Nxt Women’s Tag Team Champions turned the tide after Jayne shoved Nikki A.S.H. off the top rope and flattened her with a senton off the apron. The Nxt Universe in attendance spurred on Nikki A.S.H. to tag in Doudrop who fought off both members of Toxic Attraction before stacking...
Match #1: Doudrop & Nikki A.S.H. def. Toxic Attraction The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Still furious after Toxic Attraction’s interference at Worlds Collide, Nikki A.S.H. & Doudrop looked to teach Gigi Dolin & Jacy Jayne a lesson about sticking their noses in other people’s business. The Raw Superstars battered Toxic Attraction early on, but the former two-time Nxt Women’s Tag Team Champions turned the tide after Jayne shoved Nikki A.S.H. off the top rope and flattened her with a senton off the apron. The Nxt Universe in attendance spurred on Nikki A.S.H. to tag in Doudrop who fought off both members of Toxic Attraction before stacking...
- 9/8/2022
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Following Doc10 Film Festival’s opening night screening of “The Janes” on May 19, several original members The Jane Collective — an underground abortion clinic led by women in the pre-Roe v. Wade era — urged audience members to take to the streets and get focused on protecting women’s reproductive rights, now believed to be at risk with a new Supreme Court ruling in the works.
“The fight is not over,” said Marie Leaner, a former Jane. “It’s only just begun.”
“The Janes” is one of 10 docus that will screen during the four-day Chicago-based festival. The Doc10 screening of “The Janes,” which will debut on HBO June 8, drew more than 250 people — the festival’s largest crowd in its seven-year history. Ten former Janes were in attendance alongside the doc’s directors, Tia Lessin and Emma Pildes. The screening occurred just 17 days after a leaked Supreme Court opinion suggesting that Roe v.
“The fight is not over,” said Marie Leaner, a former Jane. “It’s only just begun.”
“The Janes” is one of 10 docus that will screen during the four-day Chicago-based festival. The Doc10 screening of “The Janes,” which will debut on HBO June 8, drew more than 250 people — the festival’s largest crowd in its seven-year history. Ten former Janes were in attendance alongside the doc’s directors, Tia Lessin and Emma Pildes. The screening occurred just 17 days after a leaked Supreme Court opinion suggesting that Roe v.
- 5/20/2022
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Words, words, words cannot convey the meaning and emotional impact of a film and there are only so many words in the English language we can repeat over and over in our vain attempts. Only the movies themselves can convey the emotional impact of meaning in the stories we tell. Descriptions don’t convey it nor do critiques. Programmers introducing films do not, nor do the directors. Halfway through the movies I saw, none succeeded in conveying it either…However, Sundance is dynamically evolving and the success it will achieve in its new incarnation will soon be apparent.Courtesy Sundance.org
Watch the Festival Trailer here. You can also “relive” the festival day by day here.
Halfway through the online viewing of fest films I had chosen to see, I remained unmoved and impatient with words of programmers and filmmakers introducing films which gave me very little satisfaction. Add to it the cumbersome difficult process of screenings and screening times, I was ready to give up.
Beginning with the doc The Princess with all the footage repeating the usual stories we have heard, continuing with doc Fire of Love (picked up by National Geographic for the world for mid seven-figures and to go out theatrically before its debut on Disney’s streaming platform), with fabulous volcanic footage but which did not delve into psychology of the two protagonists themselves or into their relations with each other. However it did win the Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award for U.S. Documentary honoring Erin Casper and Jocelyne Chaput, and its director Sara Dosa.
Nor did Klondike get into the characters living through the progression of the war between Ukranian separatists and pro-Russian males as the wife of one comes to full term in her pregnancy. However its director Maryna Er Gorbachdid take the prize for Directing Award for World Cinema Drama. And the film seems prescient of escalating war in Ukraine today.
Master by Mariame Diallo, an almost conventional ghost story, felt like it has been rushed through editing to be finished in time for Sundance. Riotsville Usa — well it was experimental, so its fragmentary design can be attributed to that — was good at compiling a detailed overview of the white and black versions of the riots of 1965 (Watts), ’66 Chicago, ’67 Newark and 100 other cities ending in North Florida riots but did not feel cohesively told through the use of the mockup towns built by the US military to combat urban unrest aka terrorism.
Descendant, which descended into multiple endings, ended with what seemed more like a community/ educational documentary than a theatrical feature doc. It was produced by Participant and was picked up by Netflix for the world. It also won the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for its Creative Vision. It shoulda been better.
Lena Dunham’s Sharp Stick, while engaging, seemed more like a trifle indie film than a substantial drama or comedy. And the girlie-girlie nuances of Am I Ok? was standard fare and yet it was picked up for the world for nearly 7 million by HBO Max. Well the girls are very attractive and fun to watch.
Alice starting as a slave drama and morphing into an hommage to Coffy, a 1970s Pam Grier blaxploitation film almost made it but in the end still failed to make a strong emotional impact. It had been prebought before Sundance by Vertical Entertainment and Roadside Attractions for the US. Alice (Keke Palmer), brutally enslaved on a rural Georgia plantation, restlessly yearns for freedom. She flees after a violent clash with her forced lover, plantation owner Paul (Jonny Lee Miller). Running through the woods, she suddenly sees a highway, and cars and soon discovers that the year is actually 1973. Rescued on the roadside by a disillusioned Black activist named Frank (Common), Alice uncovers the lies that have kept her enslaved and the promise of Black liberation as seen through the prism of the 1970s.
‘Alice’ courtesy of Sundance.org
The debut feature of writer-director Krystin Ver Linden, is inspired by true accounts of Black Americans who were kept in peonage for more than 100 years after the end of slavery, one I remember reading about myself. It is an audacious attempt to but ultimately fails to mix historical fact with contemporary fiction.
Nor did Living deliver more than the expected classic period drama. The remake of Kurosawa’s Ikiru played like a British TV period piece. Sony Pictures Classics acquired North America, Latin America, India, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, Germany, South Africa, Southeast Asia, and airlines worldwide for around 5 million.
The emotional impact of these stories was never fully delivered or received. I can guess what the stories were trying to convey but will not put into words what the film should or might have been because, in fact, I could never even begin make a film approaching these noble efforts and words will not substitute for the film or its intended impact. But I was longing for emotional catharsis. In the end, they failed to convey the emotional meaning that the stories held for those telling them to the desired receptive audiences.
What did deliver however, were World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award Winner for its Excellence In Verité Filmmaking Midwives from Myanmar, directed by Snow Hnin Ei Hlaing. A surprising view of a Hindu midwife and her Moslem apprentice revealed so much about the current Royinga crisis as it filtered through their ministrations.
‘A House Made Of Splinters’ by Simon Lereng Wilmont
Along side of it, the Directing Award for World Cinema Documentary went to Simon Lereng Wilmont for A House Made Of Splinters by Simon Lereng Wilmont from Denmark, also a surprisingly positive view of the abandoned children of war in Ukraine, warm and nurturing while still terribly sad for the children. What will become of the children and the House Made of Splinters is cause for great worry.
Lucy and Desi! was a fun doc presenting America’s best loved television couple.
I finally saw one that looked like a real winner. Nanny, about an immigrant single Senegalese mother, played beautifully by Anna Diop and directed (and written) by Sierra Leononian-American Nikyatu Jusu, goes to the African roots of the horror supernatural genre. Its great opening with one sustained note and the black face half encased in shadow, the blue black of black art creates a genre of its own. Why do you suppose “black arts” means bad magic? Black arts are supernatural. Nanny is creepy even as it plays it straight. The honest feel of spontaneity in the straight parts set off the scary parts so you forget about them until they begin again, like recurring dreams or hallucinations. The husband is exceptionally creepy; something is evil in his humanity, and yet, the acting is exceptionally naturalistic. Costumes and design are also exceptional.
‘Nanny’ by Nikyatu Jusu
And when the winners were declared I felt justified in my judgements — Nanny being the Grand Jury Winner. Luckily I got to see the Festival Favorite Award as well as Audience Award winner Navalny and appreciated its directness and the proximity of Navalny himself as if we were right by his side through the insane provocations, threats and incarcerations he and his family must endure at the whim of the dictatorial Putin. Now that he has imprisoned his political opponent, he feels he can act with impunity in pursuing power over Ukraine an imprison that nation’s electorate.
Directing Award for U.S. Documentary went to Reid Davenport, I Didn’t See You There which was engrossing and endearing as it presented the physically challenged director’s direct point of view of his surroundings and his life.
‘I Didn’t See You There’ — Courtesy of Sundance.org
Also very emotionally compelling was The Janes. In light of today’s Supreme Court and states’ rulings on abortion rights, and in view of the past’s social actions which, until women got into the act, was run by men focusing on the Vietnam War and on Civil Rights; women’s rights, women’s liberation and women’s bodies were not considered worthy of any social action. Only when the women rallied to correct the omission did Roe vs. Wade become the law of this land. And the same fight continues to this day. Sundance also had Call Jane, a fiction feature about The Janes and there was much discussion (among women) about which film was the better of the two.
‘The Janes’ Courtesy of Sundance.org
In short, I found the films in this year’s Sundance fell short of what I have come to expect. Compared to those great films in Cannes: Drive My Car, Compartment №6, The Worst Person in the World, Mothering Sunday, A Tale of Love and Desire, Hero, Prayers for the Stolen, Pllayground…both the American and the international fiction features were provincial. But as ever, the documentaries excelled. I am sure more than one will appear as a nominaton for the next Oscar.
Watch the Festival Trailer here. You can also “relive” the festival day by day here.
Halfway through the online viewing of fest films I had chosen to see, I remained unmoved and impatient with words of programmers and filmmakers introducing films which gave me very little satisfaction. Add to it the cumbersome difficult process of screenings and screening times, I was ready to give up.
Beginning with the doc The Princess with all the footage repeating the usual stories we have heard, continuing with doc Fire of Love (picked up by National Geographic for the world for mid seven-figures and to go out theatrically before its debut on Disney’s streaming platform), with fabulous volcanic footage but which did not delve into psychology of the two protagonists themselves or into their relations with each other. However it did win the Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award for U.S. Documentary honoring Erin Casper and Jocelyne Chaput, and its director Sara Dosa.
Nor did Klondike get into the characters living through the progression of the war between Ukranian separatists and pro-Russian males as the wife of one comes to full term in her pregnancy. However its director Maryna Er Gorbachdid take the prize for Directing Award for World Cinema Drama. And the film seems prescient of escalating war in Ukraine today.
Master by Mariame Diallo, an almost conventional ghost story, felt like it has been rushed through editing to be finished in time for Sundance. Riotsville Usa — well it was experimental, so its fragmentary design can be attributed to that — was good at compiling a detailed overview of the white and black versions of the riots of 1965 (Watts), ’66 Chicago, ’67 Newark and 100 other cities ending in North Florida riots but did not feel cohesively told through the use of the mockup towns built by the US military to combat urban unrest aka terrorism.
Descendant, which descended into multiple endings, ended with what seemed more like a community/ educational documentary than a theatrical feature doc. It was produced by Participant and was picked up by Netflix for the world. It also won the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for its Creative Vision. It shoulda been better.
Lena Dunham’s Sharp Stick, while engaging, seemed more like a trifle indie film than a substantial drama or comedy. And the girlie-girlie nuances of Am I Ok? was standard fare and yet it was picked up for the world for nearly 7 million by HBO Max. Well the girls are very attractive and fun to watch.
Alice starting as a slave drama and morphing into an hommage to Coffy, a 1970s Pam Grier blaxploitation film almost made it but in the end still failed to make a strong emotional impact. It had been prebought before Sundance by Vertical Entertainment and Roadside Attractions for the US. Alice (Keke Palmer), brutally enslaved on a rural Georgia plantation, restlessly yearns for freedom. She flees after a violent clash with her forced lover, plantation owner Paul (Jonny Lee Miller). Running through the woods, she suddenly sees a highway, and cars and soon discovers that the year is actually 1973. Rescued on the roadside by a disillusioned Black activist named Frank (Common), Alice uncovers the lies that have kept her enslaved and the promise of Black liberation as seen through the prism of the 1970s.
‘Alice’ courtesy of Sundance.org
The debut feature of writer-director Krystin Ver Linden, is inspired by true accounts of Black Americans who were kept in peonage for more than 100 years after the end of slavery, one I remember reading about myself. It is an audacious attempt to but ultimately fails to mix historical fact with contemporary fiction.
Nor did Living deliver more than the expected classic period drama. The remake of Kurosawa’s Ikiru played like a British TV period piece. Sony Pictures Classics acquired North America, Latin America, India, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, Germany, South Africa, Southeast Asia, and airlines worldwide for around 5 million.
The emotional impact of these stories was never fully delivered or received. I can guess what the stories were trying to convey but will not put into words what the film should or might have been because, in fact, I could never even begin make a film approaching these noble efforts and words will not substitute for the film or its intended impact. But I was longing for emotional catharsis. In the end, they failed to convey the emotional meaning that the stories held for those telling them to the desired receptive audiences.
What did deliver however, were World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award Winner for its Excellence In Verité Filmmaking Midwives from Myanmar, directed by Snow Hnin Ei Hlaing. A surprising view of a Hindu midwife and her Moslem apprentice revealed so much about the current Royinga crisis as it filtered through their ministrations.
‘A House Made Of Splinters’ by Simon Lereng Wilmont
Along side of it, the Directing Award for World Cinema Documentary went to Simon Lereng Wilmont for A House Made Of Splinters by Simon Lereng Wilmont from Denmark, also a surprisingly positive view of the abandoned children of war in Ukraine, warm and nurturing while still terribly sad for the children. What will become of the children and the House Made of Splinters is cause for great worry.
Lucy and Desi! was a fun doc presenting America’s best loved television couple.
I finally saw one that looked like a real winner. Nanny, about an immigrant single Senegalese mother, played beautifully by Anna Diop and directed (and written) by Sierra Leononian-American Nikyatu Jusu, goes to the African roots of the horror supernatural genre. Its great opening with one sustained note and the black face half encased in shadow, the blue black of black art creates a genre of its own. Why do you suppose “black arts” means bad magic? Black arts are supernatural. Nanny is creepy even as it plays it straight. The honest feel of spontaneity in the straight parts set off the scary parts so you forget about them until they begin again, like recurring dreams or hallucinations. The husband is exceptionally creepy; something is evil in his humanity, and yet, the acting is exceptionally naturalistic. Costumes and design are also exceptional.
‘Nanny’ by Nikyatu Jusu
And when the winners were declared I felt justified in my judgements — Nanny being the Grand Jury Winner. Luckily I got to see the Festival Favorite Award as well as Audience Award winner Navalny and appreciated its directness and the proximity of Navalny himself as if we were right by his side through the insane provocations, threats and incarcerations he and his family must endure at the whim of the dictatorial Putin. Now that he has imprisoned his political opponent, he feels he can act with impunity in pursuing power over Ukraine an imprison that nation’s electorate.
Directing Award for U.S. Documentary went to Reid Davenport, I Didn’t See You There which was engrossing and endearing as it presented the physically challenged director’s direct point of view of his surroundings and his life.
‘I Didn’t See You There’ — Courtesy of Sundance.org
Also very emotionally compelling was The Janes. In light of today’s Supreme Court and states’ rulings on abortion rights, and in view of the past’s social actions which, until women got into the act, was run by men focusing on the Vietnam War and on Civil Rights; women’s rights, women’s liberation and women’s bodies were not considered worthy of any social action. Only when the women rallied to correct the omission did Roe vs. Wade become the law of this land. And the same fight continues to this day. Sundance also had Call Jane, a fiction feature about The Janes and there was much discussion (among women) about which film was the better of the two.
‘The Janes’ Courtesy of Sundance.org
In short, I found the films in this year’s Sundance fell short of what I have come to expect. Compared to those great films in Cannes: Drive My Car, Compartment №6, The Worst Person in the World, Mothering Sunday, A Tale of Love and Desire, Hero, Prayers for the Stolen, Pllayground…both the American and the international fiction features were provincial. But as ever, the documentaries excelled. I am sure more than one will appear as a nominaton for the next Oscar.
- 5/8/2022
- by Sydney
- Sydney's Buzz
‘Choose or Die’ Review: A Video Game Kills Without Rhyme or Reason in This Disposable Netflix Horror
Even the smallest feature-length film is a considerable logistical enterprise, so it’s a bit flummoxing how little thought appears to have been put into “Choose or Die.” While there have been worse-crafted, even more routinely formulaic Netflix horror efforts, this one takes the cake for sheer whateverness of barely-there plot, concept, character detailing and so on. If some movies now seem designed to be consumed on phones, this one demands so little attention, for such scant rewards, you could probably watch it while vacuuming or doing yoga without missing anything important.
Not that first-time feature director Toby Meakins or his cast do slipshod work. But their labors are expended on a “viral” curse premise so indifferently defined and developed, the result recalls the archaic term “quota quickie,” which referred to low-budget 1930s British films made by Parliamentary decree just to keep the industry chugging. “Choose or Die” may substitute supernatural deaths for music-hall songs,...
Not that first-time feature director Toby Meakins or his cast do slipshod work. But their labors are expended on a “viral” curse premise so indifferently defined and developed, the result recalls the archaic term “quota quickie,” which referred to low-budget 1930s British films made by Parliamentary decree just to keep the industry chugging. “Choose or Die” may substitute supernatural deaths for music-hall songs,...
- 4/15/2022
- by Dennis Harvey
- Variety Film + TV
President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s production company Higher Ground has come aboard Sam Esmail’s upcoming film Leave the World Behind for Netflix.
The film starring Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke and Myha’la Herrold adapts Rumaan Alam’s acclaimed third novel about a family vacation on Long Island that is interrupted by two strangers bearing news of a mysterious blackout. As the threat grows more imminent, both families must decide how best to survive the potential crisis, all while grappling with their own place in this collapsing world.
Upon its publication in October 2020, Leave the World Behind was listed as one of Barack Obama’s Summer Favorites, also being named a Read with Jenna Today Show Pick; a finalist for the 2020 National Book Awards; and Best Book of the Year by The Washington Post, NPR, Time, Esquire and Elle, among other outlets. Esmail handled the screenplay adaptation...
The film starring Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke and Myha’la Herrold adapts Rumaan Alam’s acclaimed third novel about a family vacation on Long Island that is interrupted by two strangers bearing news of a mysterious blackout. As the threat grows more imminent, both families must decide how best to survive the potential crisis, all while grappling with their own place in this collapsing world.
Upon its publication in October 2020, Leave the World Behind was listed as one of Barack Obama’s Summer Favorites, also being named a Read with Jenna Today Show Pick; a finalist for the 2020 National Book Awards; and Best Book of the Year by The Washington Post, NPR, Time, Esquire and Elle, among other outlets. Esmail handled the screenplay adaptation...
- 4/14/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
“Excuse me. I have to go. Somewhere there is a crime happening.”
Robocop 4K Ultra HD 2-Disc Limited Edition Collector’s Set will be available April 12th From Arrow Video
RoboCop, from Orion Pictures, marked director Paul Verhoeven’s (Flesh + Blood) Hollywood debut & now the future of law enforcement is back in a definitive 4K Ultra HD presentation packed with hours of brand new bonus features & exclusive collectible packaging.
4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Limited Edition Contents
4K restoration of the film from the original negative by MGM, transferred in 2013 and approved by director Paul VerhoevenNew artwork by Paul ShipperDirector’s Cut and Theatrical Cut of the film on two 4K (2160p) Uhd Blu-ray discs with Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)Original lossless stereo and four-channel mixes plus DTS-hd Ma 5.1 and Dolby Atmos surround sound optionsOptional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearingSix collector’s postcards (Limited Edition exclusive)Double-sided...
Robocop 4K Ultra HD 2-Disc Limited Edition Collector’s Set will be available April 12th From Arrow Video
RoboCop, from Orion Pictures, marked director Paul Verhoeven’s (Flesh + Blood) Hollywood debut & now the future of law enforcement is back in a definitive 4K Ultra HD presentation packed with hours of brand new bonus features & exclusive collectible packaging.
4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Limited Edition Contents
4K restoration of the film from the original negative by MGM, transferred in 2013 and approved by director Paul VerhoevenNew artwork by Paul ShipperDirector’s Cut and Theatrical Cut of the film on two 4K (2160p) Uhd Blu-ray discs with Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)Original lossless stereo and four-channel mixes plus DTS-hd Ma 5.1 and Dolby Atmos surround sound optionsOptional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearingSix collector’s postcards (Limited Edition exclusive)Double-sided...
- 3/30/2022
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
With Sundance going virtual for the second year in a row, audiences could once again explore the lineup from around the world, including accredited critics and journalists. This year, 135 of them participated in IndieWire’s annual Sundance critics survey of the best films at the festival, and the results speak to the range of movies that stood out in this year’s lineup.
While several films from the festival have yet to secure distribution, the ones with the most support in our survey found it over the past two weeks, suggesting that buyers and critics saw eye to eye this year. “Cha Cha Real Smooth,” the sophomore effort from 24-year-old filmmaker Cooper Raiff, dominated the survey in the categories of Best Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. The movie marks Raiff’s second in two years, following his 2020 debut “Shithouse,” which won the Grand Jury Prize at SXSW.
In “Cha Cha Real Smooth,...
While several films from the festival have yet to secure distribution, the ones with the most support in our survey found it over the past two weeks, suggesting that buyers and critics saw eye to eye this year. “Cha Cha Real Smooth,” the sophomore effort from 24-year-old filmmaker Cooper Raiff, dominated the survey in the categories of Best Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. The movie marks Raiff’s second in two years, following his 2020 debut “Shithouse,” which won the Grand Jury Prize at SXSW.
In “Cha Cha Real Smooth,...
- 2/1/2022
- by Eric Kohn and Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
With nearly every feature film at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival reviewed, it’s time to wrap up the first major cinema event of the year. We already got the official jury and audience winners here, and now it’s time to highlight our favorites.
Our Sundance contributors have shared their top picks from the festival, also including a handful of shorts (with a more substantial shorts overview coming soon). Check out everything below and stay tuned to our site, and specifically Twitter, for acquisition and release date news on the below films in the coming months.
Mitchell Beaupre
1. Emily the Criminal (John Patton Ford)
2. After Yang (kogonada)
3. Speak No Evil (Christian Tafdrup)
4. God’s Country (Julian Higgins)
5. A Love Song (Max Walker-Silverman)
6. Resurrection (Andrew Semans)
7. Nanny (Nikyatu Jusu)
8. Happening (Audrey Diwan)
9. Emergency (Carey Williams)
10. Good Luck to You, Leo Grande (Sophie Hyde)
John Fink
1. The Worst Person in the World (Joachim Trier...
Our Sundance contributors have shared their top picks from the festival, also including a handful of shorts (with a more substantial shorts overview coming soon). Check out everything below and stay tuned to our site, and specifically Twitter, for acquisition and release date news on the below films in the coming months.
Mitchell Beaupre
1. Emily the Criminal (John Patton Ford)
2. After Yang (kogonada)
3. Speak No Evil (Christian Tafdrup)
4. God’s Country (Julian Higgins)
5. A Love Song (Max Walker-Silverman)
6. Resurrection (Andrew Semans)
7. Nanny (Nikyatu Jusu)
8. Happening (Audrey Diwan)
9. Emergency (Carey Williams)
10. Good Luck to You, Leo Grande (Sophie Hyde)
John Fink
1. The Worst Person in the World (Joachim Trier...
- 2/1/2022
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
This year’s online Sundance saw streamers dominate again, deal-making evolve and virtual event fatigue kick in.
The virtual Sundance Film Festival ran January 20-30, with Nanny, Utama and Navalny among the prize winners. Screen picks out some of the talking points from this year’s event.
Streamers dominated, again
Although more theatrical-skewed deals will likely follow, as with last year’s festival, early deal-making was fuelled by the US streamers. The platforms were able to quickly and aggressively grow inventory at a time when cinema-going remains challenged and the exclusive theatrical window has in two years gone from Xl to S.
The virtual Sundance Film Festival ran January 20-30, with Nanny, Utama and Navalny among the prize winners. Screen picks out some of the talking points from this year’s event.
Streamers dominated, again
Although more theatrical-skewed deals will likely follow, as with last year’s festival, early deal-making was fuelled by the US streamers. The platforms were able to quickly and aggressively grow inventory at a time when cinema-going remains challenged and the exclusive theatrical window has in two years gone from Xl to S.
- 2/1/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Slow start has given way to steady flow of deals.
After a typically slow start over opening weekend Sundance 2022 deal-making gathered momentum throughout the week and Apple stole the headlines for the second year in a row with its $15m worldwide buy on Cooper Raiff’s coming-of-age title Cha Cha Real Smooth.
Searchlight Pictures announced a high-profile pre-buy for Fresh on the eve of the virtual festival and by the close of the first weekend National Geographic Documentary Films had swooped on documentaries Fire Of Love and The Territory.
Sony Pictures Classics acquired multiple territories on Bill Nighy drama Living...
After a typically slow start over opening weekend Sundance 2022 deal-making gathered momentum throughout the week and Apple stole the headlines for the second year in a row with its $15m worldwide buy on Cooper Raiff’s coming-of-age title Cha Cha Real Smooth.
Searchlight Pictures announced a high-profile pre-buy for Fresh on the eve of the virtual festival and by the close of the first weekend National Geographic Documentary Films had swooped on documentaries Fire Of Love and The Territory.
Sony Pictures Classics acquired multiple territories on Bill Nighy drama Living...
- 1/31/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Every January, the Sundance Film Festival launches a slew of documentary Oscar contenders, and 2022 was no different. While there are exceptions, most eventual documentary Oscar nominees launch at Sundance. It’s the festival of choice for non-fiction films to be seen and discovered.
You can see why: Making the Oscar shortlist for 2022 were Sundance 2021 debuts from Nanfu Wang (HBO’s China Covid exposé “In the Same Breath”), Danish filmmaker Jonas Poher Rasmussen (Neon’s animated immigration saga “Flee”), self-taught Jessica Beshir (Janus’ dive into Ethiopia’s khat industry “Faya Dayi”), Camilla Nielsson (Greenwich Entertainment’s Zimbabwe expose “President”); and rookie filmmaker Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson (Searchlight/Hulu’s 1969 concert film “Summer of Soul”).
This year’s new pandemic era Sundance crop is just as impressive.
Documentary award winners get a boost
The jury prizes didn’t go to the buzziest titles: those films nabbed the audience awards. But Sundance award-winners got...
You can see why: Making the Oscar shortlist for 2022 were Sundance 2021 debuts from Nanfu Wang (HBO’s China Covid exposé “In the Same Breath”), Danish filmmaker Jonas Poher Rasmussen (Neon’s animated immigration saga “Flee”), self-taught Jessica Beshir (Janus’ dive into Ethiopia’s khat industry “Faya Dayi”), Camilla Nielsson (Greenwich Entertainment’s Zimbabwe expose “President”); and rookie filmmaker Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson (Searchlight/Hulu’s 1969 concert film “Summer of Soul”).
This year’s new pandemic era Sundance crop is just as impressive.
Documentary award winners get a boost
The jury prizes didn’t go to the buzziest titles: those films nabbed the audience awards. But Sundance award-winners got...
- 1/30/2022
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Every January, the Sundance Film Festival launches a slew of documentary Oscar contenders, and 2022 was no different. While there are exceptions, most eventual documentary Oscar nominees launch at Sundance. It’s the festival of choice for non-fiction films to be seen and discovered.
You can see why: Making the Oscar shortlist for 2022 were Sundance 2021 debuts from Nanfu Wang (HBO’s China Covid exposé “In the Same Breath”), Danish filmmaker Jonas Poher Rasmussen (Neon’s animated immigration saga “Flee”), self-taught Jessica Beshir (Janus’ dive into Ethiopia’s khat industry “Faya Dayi”), Camilla Nielsson (Greenwich Entertainment’s Zimbabwe expose “President”); and rookie filmmaker Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson (Searchlight/Hulu’s 1969 concert film “Summer of Soul”).
This year’s new pandemic era Sundance crop is just as impressive.
Documentary award winners get a boost
The jury prizes didn’t go to the buzziest titles: those films nabbed the audience awards. But Sundance award-winners got...
You can see why: Making the Oscar shortlist for 2022 were Sundance 2021 debuts from Nanfu Wang (HBO’s China Covid exposé “In the Same Breath”), Danish filmmaker Jonas Poher Rasmussen (Neon’s animated immigration saga “Flee”), self-taught Jessica Beshir (Janus’ dive into Ethiopia’s khat industry “Faya Dayi”), Camilla Nielsson (Greenwich Entertainment’s Zimbabwe expose “President”); and rookie filmmaker Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson (Searchlight/Hulu’s 1969 concert film “Summer of Soul”).
This year’s new pandemic era Sundance crop is just as impressive.
Documentary award winners get a boost
The jury prizes didn’t go to the buzziest titles: those films nabbed the audience awards. But Sundance award-winners got...
- 1/30/2022
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Netflix takes Sundance doc ‘Descendant’, Warner Bros/HBO Max, Showtime, Mubi also in action (update)
Festival runs through January 30.
Updated January 29: Netflix has acquired worldwide rights to Participant’s Sundance documentary Descendant on Friday (28), which Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground will present alongside the streamer.
Showtime Documentary Films moved on Ramin Bahrani’s Sundance Premieres entry 2nd Chance and on Saturday Warner Bros and HBO Max took worldwide rights to Dakota Johnson drama Am I Ok? and Mubi picked up Free Choi Soo Lee.
Margaret Brown’s Descendant premiered in U.S. Documentary Competition and follows members of Africatown, a small community in Alabama, as they share their personal stories and community...
Updated January 29: Netflix has acquired worldwide rights to Participant’s Sundance documentary Descendant on Friday (28), which Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground will present alongside the streamer.
Showtime Documentary Films moved on Ramin Bahrani’s Sundance Premieres entry 2nd Chance and on Saturday Warner Bros and HBO Max took worldwide rights to Dakota Johnson drama Am I Ok? and Mubi picked up Free Choi Soo Lee.
Margaret Brown’s Descendant premiered in U.S. Documentary Competition and follows members of Africatown, a small community in Alabama, as they share their personal stories and community...
- 1/29/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Emmett Lewis in Descendant. Margaret Brown: 'They were used to fighting and used to like being ignored and, but still fighting anyway. It's pretty amazing. And so I wanted to amplify that story'
Margaret Brown’s Descendant has just won the US Documentary Special Jury Award for Creative Vision. It considers the history of Africatown community in Mobile, Alabama, which was founded by the descendants of enslaved people who were transported on The Clotilda, the last known slave ship, in 1860. As the community considers the possibility that the wreck of the ship might be found, Brown’s film opens out into a rumination on the importance of history, not as a thing in a museum to be looked at and forgotten, but as a living and breathing thing that is folded into our present.
Brown grew up in Mobile herself and says she wasn’t aware of The Clotilda as a child,...
Margaret Brown’s Descendant has just won the US Documentary Special Jury Award for Creative Vision. It considers the history of Africatown community in Mobile, Alabama, which was founded by the descendants of enslaved people who were transported on The Clotilda, the last known slave ship, in 1860. As the community considers the possibility that the wreck of the ship might be found, Brown’s film opens out into a rumination on the importance of history, not as a thing in a museum to be looked at and forgotten, but as a living and breathing thing that is folded into our present.
Brown grew up in Mobile herself and says she wasn’t aware of The Clotilda as a child,...
- 1/29/2022
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Chicago – The 2022 Sundance Film Festival announced their Grand Jury Prizes on January 28th, and the top films were “Nanny” (U.S. Dramatic), “The Exiles” (U.S. Documentary), “Utama” (World Cinema Dramatic) and “All That Breathes” (World Cinema Documentary).
After nine days, 84 feature films and 59 Short Films, honors were also given for Audience Awards, Festival Favorite Award, Jury Awards for Directing, Screenwriting & Editing and Special Jury Awards.
The list of all award winners are below.
Grand Jury Prize
‘Nanny’
Photo credit: Sundance Film Festival
U.S. Dramatic: “Nanny” directed by Nikyatu Jusu
U.S. Documentary: “The Exiles,” directed by Ben Klein & Violet Columbus
World Cinema Dramatic:: “Utama” (Bolivia/Uraguay/France) directed by Alejandro Loayza Grisi
World Cinema Documentary: “All That Breathes” (India/UK) directed by Shaunak Sen
Audience Awards
Cha Cha Real Smooth
Photo credit: Sundance Film Festival
U.S. Dramatic: “Cha Cha Real Smooth” directed by Cooper Raif
U.S.
After nine days, 84 feature films and 59 Short Films, honors were also given for Audience Awards, Festival Favorite Award, Jury Awards for Directing, Screenwriting & Editing and Special Jury Awards.
The list of all award winners are below.
Grand Jury Prize
‘Nanny’
Photo credit: Sundance Film Festival
U.S. Dramatic: “Nanny” directed by Nikyatu Jusu
U.S. Documentary: “The Exiles,” directed by Ben Klein & Violet Columbus
World Cinema Dramatic:: “Utama” (Bolivia/Uraguay/France) directed by Alejandro Loayza Grisi
World Cinema Documentary: “All That Breathes” (India/UK) directed by Shaunak Sen
Audience Awards
Cha Cha Real Smooth
Photo credit: Sundance Film Festival
U.S. Dramatic: “Cha Cha Real Smooth” directed by Cooper Raif
U.S.
- 1/29/2022
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
“Descendant,” the Participant feature documentary and Sundance Award winner about the legacy of slavery, has been acquired for worldwide rights by Netflix, the company announced on Friday. Higher Ground, President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s production company, will present the film, alongside Netflix.
“I have been humbled and honored to spend four years with the residents of Africatown as they seek justice and reconciliation for what happened in 1860, and what is still happening today,” Brown said in a statement. “I am excited that through Netflix and Higher Ground’s global reach, audiences around the world will learn this powerful history.”
“Descendant” follows members of Africatown, a small community in Alabama, as they share their personal stories and community history as descendants of the Clotilda, the last known slave ship to illegally transport human beings as cargo from Africa to America. The ship’s existence, a centuries-old open secret, is...
“I have been humbled and honored to spend four years with the residents of Africatown as they seek justice and reconciliation for what happened in 1860, and what is still happening today,” Brown said in a statement. “I am excited that through Netflix and Higher Ground’s global reach, audiences around the world will learn this powerful history.”
“Descendant” follows members of Africatown, a small community in Alabama, as they share their personal stories and community history as descendants of the Clotilda, the last known slave ship to illegally transport human beings as cargo from Africa to America. The ship’s existence, a centuries-old open secret, is...
- 1/29/2022
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
Netflix has acquired worldwide rights to the Sundance award-winning documentary “Descendant,” by filmmaker Margaret Brown. Higher Ground, President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s production company, will present the Participant feature alongside Netflix later this year.
The film follows members of Africatown, a small community in Alabama, as they share their personal stories and community history as descendants of the Clotilda, the last known ship carrying enslaved Africans to the United States. The ship arrived in America 40 years after African slave trading became a capital offense. It was promptly burned and its existence denied, but “after a century shrouded in secrecy and speculation, descendants of the Clotilda’s survivors are reclaiming their story” in the film.
“I have been humbled and honored to spend four years with the residents of Africatown as they seek justice and reconciliation for what happened in 1860, and what is still happening today,” Brown said in a statement announcing the acquisition.
The film follows members of Africatown, a small community in Alabama, as they share their personal stories and community history as descendants of the Clotilda, the last known ship carrying enslaved Africans to the United States. The ship arrived in America 40 years after African slave trading became a capital offense. It was promptly burned and its existence denied, but “after a century shrouded in secrecy and speculation, descendants of the Clotilda’s survivors are reclaiming their story” in the film.
“I have been humbled and honored to spend four years with the residents of Africatown as they seek justice and reconciliation for what happened in 1860, and what is still happening today,” Brown said in a statement announcing the acquisition.
- 1/29/2022
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix has taken worldwide rights to Participant’s feature documentary Descendant, which just won the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award: Creative Vision at the Sundance Film Festival.
Higher Ground, President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s production company, will present the film alongside Netflix.
Descendant, from director Margaret Brown, follows members of Africatown, a small community in Alabama, as they share their personal stories and community history as descendants of the Clotilda, the last known slave ship to illegally transport human beings as cargo from Africa to America. The ship’s existence, a centuries-old open secret, is confirmed by a team of marine archeologists. The film explores implications of the Clotilda’s discovery for the descendants, who grapple with their heritage while claiming the power to shape their own destinies.
Producers are Kyle Martin, Essie Chambers and Brown.
EPs are Participant’s Jeff Skoll and Diane Weyermann; Kate Hurwitz...
Higher Ground, President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s production company, will present the film alongside Netflix.
Descendant, from director Margaret Brown, follows members of Africatown, a small community in Alabama, as they share their personal stories and community history as descendants of the Clotilda, the last known slave ship to illegally transport human beings as cargo from Africa to America. The ship’s existence, a centuries-old open secret, is confirmed by a team of marine archeologists. The film explores implications of the Clotilda’s discovery for the descendants, who grapple with their heritage while claiming the power to shape their own destinies.
Producers are Kyle Martin, Essie Chambers and Brown.
EPs are Participant’s Jeff Skoll and Diane Weyermann; Kate Hurwitz...
- 1/29/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Two deals on Friday follow Focus’ worldwide buy on Brian And Charles, IFC/Shudder acquisition of Resurrection.
Netflix has acquired worldwide rights to Participant’s Sundance documentary Descendant which Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground will present alongside the streamer.
Margaret Brown’s film premiered in U.S. Documentary Competition and follows members of Africatown, a small community in Alabama, as they share their personal stories and community history as descendants of the Clotilda, the last known slave ship to illegally transport human beings as cargo from Africa to America.
The ship’s existence, a centuries-old open secret, is...
Netflix has acquired worldwide rights to Participant’s Sundance documentary Descendant which Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground will present alongside the streamer.
Margaret Brown’s film premiered in U.S. Documentary Competition and follows members of Africatown, a small community in Alabama, as they share their personal stories and community history as descendants of the Clotilda, the last known slave ship to illegally transport human beings as cargo from Africa to America.
The ship’s existence, a centuries-old open secret, is...
- 1/29/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Two deals on Friday follow Focus’ worldwide buy on Brian And Charles, IFC/Shudder acquisition of Resurrection.
Netflix has acquired worldwide rights to Participant’s Sundance documentary Descendant which Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground will present alongside the streamer.
Margaret Brown’s film premiered in U.S. Documentary Competition and follows members of Africatown, a small community in Alabama, as they share their personal stories and community history as descendants of the Clotilda, the last known slave ship to illegally transport human beings as cargo from Africa to America.
The ship’s existence, a centuries-old open secret, is...
Netflix has acquired worldwide rights to Participant’s Sundance documentary Descendant which Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground will present alongside the streamer.
Margaret Brown’s film premiered in U.S. Documentary Competition and follows members of Africatown, a small community in Alabama, as they share their personal stories and community history as descendants of the Clotilda, the last known slave ship to illegally transport human beings as cargo from Africa to America.
The ship’s existence, a centuries-old open secret, is...
- 1/29/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
NannyU.S. – DRAMATICGrand Jury PrizeNanny (Nikyatu Jusu)Directing PrizeJamie Dack (Palm Trees and Power Lines)Audience Award Cha Cha Real Smooth (Cooper Raiff)Special Jury Award: Uncompromising Artistic Visionblood (Bradley Rust Gray)Special Jury Award: Ensemble CastJohn Boyega, Michael Kenneth Williams, Nicole Beharie, Connie Britton, Olivia Washington, and Selenis Leyva (892)Waldo Salt Screenwriting AwardKD Dávila (Emergency)Descendant U.S. – DOCUMENTARYGrand Jury Prize The Exiles (Ben Klein, Violet Columbus)Directing Prize Reid Davenport (I Didn’t See You There) Audience Award Navalny (Daniel Roher)Jonathan Oppenheim Editing AwardErin Casper and Jocelyne Chaput (Fire Of Love)Special Jury Award: Creative VisionDescendant (Margaret Brown)Special Jury Award: Impact for ChangeAftershock (Paula Eiselt, Tonya Lewis Lee)Utama World Cinema – DRAMATICGrand Jury Prize Utama (Alejandro Loayza Grisi)Directing Prize Maryna Er Gorbach (Klondike)Audience AwardGirl Picture (Alli Haapasalo)Special Jury Award for ActingTeresa Sánchez (Dos Estaciones)Special Jury Award for Innovative SpiritLeonor Will Never Die (Martika Ramirez Escobar...
- 1/28/2022
- MUBI
The virtual Sundance Film Festival concluded with a virtual awards show — no host this year, just a series of statements and videos parceled out across two hours by Twitter. It was a strangely anti-climactic way of wrapping a low-key festival, while giving winners a chance to prep polite, crew-inclusive acceptance speeches.
Among the audience prizes, U.S. Dramatic winner “Cha Cha Real Smooth” represents the biggest sale of the festival so far, scooped up by Apple for $15 million — 1,000 times the budget of writer-director-star Cooper Raiff’s shoestring-budgeted debut, “Shithouse.”
The Festival Favorite award went to “Navalny.” This prize, selected by audiences from across all sections of the festival, recognizes a late addition to the lineup (“Navalny” was not announced until this past Monday), protected on account of its political sensitivity, as the documentary tracks Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny while he was recovering from an assassination attempt in Berlin. Accepting the honor,...
Among the audience prizes, U.S. Dramatic winner “Cha Cha Real Smooth” represents the biggest sale of the festival so far, scooped up by Apple for $15 million — 1,000 times the budget of writer-director-star Cooper Raiff’s shoestring-budgeted debut, “Shithouse.”
The Festival Favorite award went to “Navalny.” This prize, selected by audiences from across all sections of the festival, recognizes a late addition to the lineup (“Navalny” was not announced until this past Monday), protected on account of its political sensitivity, as the documentary tracks Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny while he was recovering from an assassination attempt in Berlin. Accepting the honor,...
- 1/28/2022
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
The IndieWire Sundance 2022 Bible: Every Review, Interview, and News Item Posted During the Festival
Film and Television Reviews
‘Emily the Criminal’ Review: Aubrey Plaza Is Riveting in a Pitch-Black Heist Thriller
‘Am I Ok?’ Review: Dakota Johnson Charms Her Way Through a New Kind of Sex Comedy
‘Jihad Rehab’ Review: A Provocative Look Inside the Spa-Like Saudi Facility that Tries to Re-Educate Terrorists
‘Navalny’ Review: CNN’s Thriller-Like Doc Goes Inside Putin’s Failed Attempt to Assassinate His Rival
Sundance Indie Episodic Program Looks to the Past to Escape a Grim Present
‘Blood’ Review: ‘Wetlands’ Star Carla Juri Grieves Through a Meandering Soul Search in Japan
‘Dos Estaciones’ Review: The Owner of a Tequila Factory Struggles to Stay Afloat in Sobering Docudrama
‘My Old School’ Review: A One-of-a-Kind Alan Cumming Performance Undone by Shrug-Worthy Hoax
‘Happening’ Review: Captivating Venice Winner Takes a Clear-Eyed View of Abortion
‘Palm Trees and Power Lines’ Review: Breakout Lily McInerny Boosts Painfully Honest Coming-of-Age Tale
‘The American Dream and...
‘Emily the Criminal’ Review: Aubrey Plaza Is Riveting in a Pitch-Black Heist Thriller
‘Am I Ok?’ Review: Dakota Johnson Charms Her Way Through a New Kind of Sex Comedy
‘Jihad Rehab’ Review: A Provocative Look Inside the Spa-Like Saudi Facility that Tries to Re-Educate Terrorists
‘Navalny’ Review: CNN’s Thriller-Like Doc Goes Inside Putin’s Failed Attempt to Assassinate His Rival
Sundance Indie Episodic Program Looks to the Past to Escape a Grim Present
‘Blood’ Review: ‘Wetlands’ Star Carla Juri Grieves Through a Meandering Soul Search in Japan
‘Dos Estaciones’ Review: The Owner of a Tequila Factory Struggles to Stay Afloat in Sobering Docudrama
‘My Old School’ Review: A One-of-a-Kind Alan Cumming Performance Undone by Shrug-Worthy Hoax
‘Happening’ Review: Captivating Venice Winner Takes a Clear-Eyed View of Abortion
‘Palm Trees and Power Lines’ Review: Breakout Lily McInerny Boosts Painfully Honest Coming-of-Age Tale
‘The American Dream and...
- 1/28/2022
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Early in Margaret Brown’s exquisite new documentary “Descendant,” Africatown, Al resident Joycelyn Davis calls out the possible narrative pitfalls of chronicling the recovery of the Clotilda, the last known slave ship to arrive in the United States in 1860 — 50 years after the international slave trade was abolished. Just after a town hall in which marine archeologist Dr. James Delgado and his team introduce efforts aimed at recovering the long-lost ship, Davis remarks, “I don’t want the momentum of the story to be focused on the ship” before pausing to consider the influx of attention, money, and, ultimately, confrontations that could come with the Clotilda’s discovery.
Continue reading ‘Descendant’ Review: Stunning Documentary Presents a Layered History of the Clotilda Slave Ship and Africatown [Sundance] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Descendant’ Review: Stunning Documentary Presents a Layered History of the Clotilda Slave Ship and Africatown [Sundance] at The Playlist.
- 1/22/2022
- by Christian Gallichio
- The Playlist
Over half a century after international slave trade was abolished in the United States, Timothy Meaher made a bet that he could transport a ship of captives from Africa to the Alabama coast. As owner of the ship The Clotilda, following the 1860 voyage which brought 110 people from West Africa to Mobile, Meaher covered up his crimes (which could have brought him to death) by burning and sinking the vessel. More than 150 years later, Mobile’s Africatown community––made up of direct descendants whose ancestors were ripped away from their lives of freedom––are searching for truth and closure as the remnants of the slave ship remained a buried mystery. As captured in Margaret Brown’s intimate, powerful documentary Descendant, the quest for answers and the story of how this overlooked community has been marginalized throughout history has ripples far beyond a sunken ship.
First meeting some of the Africatown community...
First meeting some of the Africatown community...
- 1/22/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Waxwork Records and WaterTower Music are proud to present Malignant Original Motion Picture Score by Joseph Bishara. Malignant is the latest creation from Conjuring universe architect James Wan. The film marks director Wan’s return to his roots with this original horror thriller. In the film, Madison is paralyzed by shocking visions of grisly murders, and her torment worsens as she discovers that these waking dreams are in fact terrifying realities.
Joseph Bishara is an American composer, music producer, and actor best known for his work scoring films such as Insidious, The Conjuring, Annabelle, and The Prodigy. He is known for his avant-garde style and unique approach to instrumentation and composition that suits horror films particularly well. Bishara disregards horror film score conventions by employing gut-wrenching string dissonance, haunting electronics, and sudden crescendos. Bishara’s Malignant score offers his distinctive style of disquieting strings, pulsing electronics, droning synths, and haunting sound design.
Joseph Bishara is an American composer, music producer, and actor best known for his work scoring films such as Insidious, The Conjuring, Annabelle, and The Prodigy. He is known for his avant-garde style and unique approach to instrumentation and composition that suits horror films particularly well. Bishara disregards horror film score conventions by employing gut-wrenching string dissonance, haunting electronics, and sudden crescendos. Bishara’s Malignant score offers his distinctive style of disquieting strings, pulsing electronics, droning synths, and haunting sound design.
- 9/13/2021
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Paramount+ said Monday that it will significantly expand its content offering to more than 2,500 titles by the end of summer, starting with the exclusive premiere of the sci-fi action film Infinite, which will make its debut June 10. It stars Mark Wahlberg and Chiwetel Ejiofor and is directed by Antoine Fuqua.
On August 20, the service will premiere the kid-friendly Paw Patrol: The Movie the same day it hits theaters — a first for the streaming service. Paramount+ will also become the streaming home for A Quiet Place Part II following its theatrical release.
The 2,500-title expansion starts with the introduction of more than 1,000 premium movies this week. For a partial list of those, see below.
The new summer slate and all of the Paramount+ content portfolio are now available to U.S. subscribers at a new low-cost tier of $4.99 and month. The Essential Plan, an all-new ad-supported tier, combines marquee sports, including...
On August 20, the service will premiere the kid-friendly Paw Patrol: The Movie the same day it hits theaters — a first for the streaming service. Paramount+ will also become the streaming home for A Quiet Place Part II following its theatrical release.
The 2,500-title expansion starts with the introduction of more than 1,000 premium movies this week. For a partial list of those, see below.
The new summer slate and all of the Paramount+ content portfolio are now available to U.S. subscribers at a new low-cost tier of $4.99 and month. The Essential Plan, an all-new ad-supported tier, combines marquee sports, including...
- 6/7/2021
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
Paramount Plus is busting out the popcorn: The ViacomCBS streamer is stuffing more than 1,000 movie titles into the service this week as it fights for ground in the streaming wars.
The new batch of flicks includes “Infinite,” Paramount’s sci-fi thriller starring Mark Wahlberg and Chiwetel Ejiofor and directed by Antoine Fuqua, which will exclusively debut on Paramount Plus this Thursday, June 10, alongside another 1,000-plus movies. All told, the company said, Paramount Plus will be stocked with more than 2,500 movie titles by the end of summer 2021.
On Aug. 20, Paramount Plus will add animated kids’ flick “Paw Patrol: The Movie,” the same day it hits theaters. The subscription service also will become the streaming home for “A Quiet Place Part II” following its theatrical release.
The move to boost the film lineup comes as ViacomCBS bows its new, less-expensive $4.99/month plan for Paramount Plus with ads, available starting Monday. Unlike the...
The new batch of flicks includes “Infinite,” Paramount’s sci-fi thriller starring Mark Wahlberg and Chiwetel Ejiofor and directed by Antoine Fuqua, which will exclusively debut on Paramount Plus this Thursday, June 10, alongside another 1,000-plus movies. All told, the company said, Paramount Plus will be stocked with more than 2,500 movie titles by the end of summer 2021.
On Aug. 20, Paramount Plus will add animated kids’ flick “Paw Patrol: The Movie,” the same day it hits theaters. The subscription service also will become the streaming home for “A Quiet Place Part II” following its theatrical release.
The move to boost the film lineup comes as ViacomCBS bows its new, less-expensive $4.99/month plan for Paramount Plus with ads, available starting Monday. Unlike the...
- 6/7/2021
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety Film + TV
Ty Dolla $ign, Jack Harlow, and 24kGoldn have teamed up for a new song, “I Won,” the first official single from the upcoming soundtrack for the next Fast and Furious movie, F9.
The song is anchored by big bass and drum hits, topped by a light synth riff that gives the song a sly edge. The verses from Harlow and 24kGoldn are, fittingly, all about big boasts and fast cars, while Ty Dolla $ign caps things off with a triumphant hook, “Medals round my neck because I won, I won...
The song is anchored by big bass and drum hits, topped by a light synth riff that gives the song a sly edge. The verses from Harlow and 24kGoldn are, fittingly, all about big boasts and fast cars, while Ty Dolla $ign caps things off with a triumphant hook, “Medals round my neck because I won, I won...
- 6/4/2021
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Keith Urban’s latest album, 2020’s The Speed of Now Part 1, opens with a true banger. “Out the Cage,” written by Urban with Sam Sumser, Sean Small, and Breland, is a fast-paced dance number that evokes the best of Nineties electronica. It also excels because of its guest stars: Breland and Nile Rodgers. Both of those artists cameo in the track’s music video, released on Wednesday.
“I always loved ‘Firestarter’ by the Prodigy, that kind of Nineties English beat that Fatboy Slim used a lot. There’s something in...
“I always loved ‘Firestarter’ by the Prodigy, that kind of Nineties English beat that Fatboy Slim used a lot. There’s something in...
- 4/21/2021
- by Joseph Hudak
- Rollingstone.com
British dance music pioneers The Prodigy are getting the documentary treatment.
Pulse Films — the studio behind Gangs of London, Riz Ahmed’s recent film Mogul Mowgli and Spike Jonze’s Beastie Boys Story — is producing the project, which will mark the first feature-length music documentary about the band.
Directed by multi-Grammy nominated Paul Dugdale and written alongside Sam Bridger, the feature — provisionally entitled The Prodigy and being produced by founding members Liam Howlett and Maxim — will tell what the filmmakers are describing as “the raw, uncompromising and emotional story of a gang of young outlaws from Essex who came together ...
Pulse Films — the studio behind Gangs of London, Riz Ahmed’s recent film Mogul Mowgli and Spike Jonze’s Beastie Boys Story — is producing the project, which will mark the first feature-length music documentary about the band.
Directed by multi-Grammy nominated Paul Dugdale and written alongside Sam Bridger, the feature — provisionally entitled The Prodigy and being produced by founding members Liam Howlett and Maxim — will tell what the filmmakers are describing as “the raw, uncompromising and emotional story of a gang of young outlaws from Essex who came together ...
- 2/10/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
British dance music pioneers The Prodigy are getting the documentary treatment.
Pulse Films — the studio behind Gangs of London, Riz Ahmed’s recent film Mogul Mowgli and Spike Jonze’s Beastie Boys Story — is producing the project, which will mark the first feature-length music documentary about the band.
Directed by multi-Grammy nominated Paul Dugdale and written alongside Sam Bridger, the feature — provisionally entitled The Prodigy and being produced by founding members Liam Howlett and Maxim — will tell what the filmmakers are describing as “the raw, uncompromising and emotional story of a gang of young outlaws from Essex who came together ...
Pulse Films — the studio behind Gangs of London, Riz Ahmed’s recent film Mogul Mowgli and Spike Jonze’s Beastie Boys Story — is producing the project, which will mark the first feature-length music documentary about the band.
Directed by multi-Grammy nominated Paul Dugdale and written alongside Sam Bridger, the feature — provisionally entitled The Prodigy and being produced by founding members Liam Howlett and Maxim — will tell what the filmmakers are describing as “the raw, uncompromising and emotional story of a gang of young outlaws from Essex who came together ...
- 2/10/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
BollywoodThe film also stars Aparshakti Khurana and Khushali Kumar. Digital NativeDigital NativeThere were reports of Madhavan and Khushali Kumar starring in a Hindi film called Dahi Chinni, but this project was put on the back burner for various reasons. Now, reports have emerged that the two will be starring in a fresh project that is yet to be titled. Also, the same cast that was signed up for Dahi Chinni has been retained for this project. To be directed by Kookie Gulati, the film will have Aparshakti Khurana and Darshan Kumaar in pivotal roles. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Aparshakti Khurana (@aparshakti_khurana) Madhavan was last seen in the Hindi movie Zero, in which he made a cameo appearance. The film, released in 2018, was directed by Aanand L Rai and starred Shah Rukh Khan, with Anushka Sharma and Katrina Kaif playing the female leads. Zero was...
- 1/21/2021
- by Jahnavi
- The News Minute
CBS has put in development dramas Activation, from Katrina O’Gilvie (Swagger); and Tempest, from Jeff Buhler (Pet Sematary). Both projects stem from CBS Studios, Rideback and Thinking Hat’s Rideback/Thinking Hat Campfire writers room program, designed to attract experienced feature film writers and other creative voices to broadcast TV development for the first time. The writers are paired with experienced TV creators/showrunners based at CBS Studios. O’Gilvie worked with Rina Mimoun (Under the Bridge) on Activation and Buhler paired with Anna Fricke (Walker) on The Tempest.
Written by O’Gilvie, Activation revolves around a group of highly trained disaster relief experts comprising a wide array of specialties and skillsets risk their lives as the first boots on the ground, navigating all manner of emergency situations.
O’Gilvie executive produces with Mimoun, along with Thinking Hat’s Craig Turk and Rideback’s Dan Lin and Lindsey Liberatore.
Written by Buhler,...
Written by O’Gilvie, Activation revolves around a group of highly trained disaster relief experts comprising a wide array of specialties and skillsets risk their lives as the first boots on the ground, navigating all manner of emergency situations.
O’Gilvie executive produces with Mimoun, along with Thinking Hat’s Craig Turk and Rideback’s Dan Lin and Lindsey Liberatore.
Written by Buhler,...
- 10/30/2020
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
CBS Television Studios, Rideback and Thinking Hat are reteaming on a second year of the Rideback/Thinking Hat Campfire writers room, which in its inaugural year developed and sold two projects to CBS. The program, designed to attract experienced feature film writers and other creative voices to broadcast TV development for the first time, has set Jeff Buhler (Pet Sematary), Gbenga Akinnagbe (The Wire) and writer Katrina O’Gilvie (Swagger) for this year’s roster.
The trio work with showrunner/executive producers Anna Fricke (Walker), Rina Mimoun (Under the Bridge) and Corinne Brinkerhoff (American Gothic), who all have overall deals at CBS TV Studios. They will provide support from development through series.
The program, run by Thinking Hat founder and writer-producer Craig Turk, sold two projects to CBS Television Network in its first year in 2019-2020: Drift from Chris Salmanpour and The Eshmun Protocol from Jason Keller.
The trio work with showrunner/executive producers Anna Fricke (Walker), Rina Mimoun (Under the Bridge) and Corinne Brinkerhoff (American Gothic), who all have overall deals at CBS TV Studios. They will provide support from development through series.
The program, run by Thinking Hat founder and writer-producer Craig Turk, sold two projects to CBS Television Network in its first year in 2019-2020: Drift from Chris Salmanpour and The Eshmun Protocol from Jason Keller.
- 8/27/2020
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
CBS Television Studios and production companies Rideback and Thinking Hat are again partnering on the Rideback/Thinking Hat Campfire writer’s room.
Three new creators have been selected for the second year of the room. They are writer Jeff Buhler, multi-hyphenate Gbenga Akinnagbe, and writer Katrina O’Gilvie. Working alongside them will be three experienced showrunner/executive producers: Anna Fricke, Rina Mimoun, and Corinne Brinkerhoff. Fricke, Mimoun and Brinkerhoff are under overall deals at the Studio.
“Our vision for Campfire is to support exciting creative voices using the power of collaboration, in particular by introducing the writers room dynamic from day one,” said Rideback CEO Dan Lin. “We’re excited to have Jeff, Gbenga and Katrina as our creators this year and support their remarkable new ideas.”
The program is designed to attract experienced feature film writers and other creative voices to broadcast television development for the first time. In its inaugural 2019-2020 year,...
Three new creators have been selected for the second year of the room. They are writer Jeff Buhler, multi-hyphenate Gbenga Akinnagbe, and writer Katrina O’Gilvie. Working alongside them will be three experienced showrunner/executive producers: Anna Fricke, Rina Mimoun, and Corinne Brinkerhoff. Fricke, Mimoun and Brinkerhoff are under overall deals at the Studio.
“Our vision for Campfire is to support exciting creative voices using the power of collaboration, in particular by introducing the writers room dynamic from day one,” said Rideback CEO Dan Lin. “We’re excited to have Jeff, Gbenga and Katrina as our creators this year and support their remarkable new ideas.”
The program is designed to attract experienced feature film writers and other creative voices to broadcast television development for the first time. In its inaugural 2019-2020 year,...
- 8/27/2020
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
We're back with another installment of Horror Highlights! Today, we have a look at the Von Bach comic book series, release details and the trailer for Evil Takes Root, news of the In Another Room podcast, and photos from Come True:
Classic Monsters Live in Hammer Comics' Von Bach: "Horror Fans Find “Von Bach” Frighteningly Funny. Parody of Classic Monster Movies Has Laughs, Drama and a Few Genuine Scares.
Horror nerds all know that Bela Lugosi Jr. successfully sued Universal Pictures for the right to control his famous father’s image. Now imagine that Dracula himself counter-sued both of them! That was the inspiration writer Owen Hammer had for Von Bach — the story of an undead monster who sues a major Hollywood studio for making a horror movie about him.
In “Von Bach” chapter 1, the unnatural works of a mad scientist Von Bach are compared to Hollywood movies.
Von Bach...
Classic Monsters Live in Hammer Comics' Von Bach: "Horror Fans Find “Von Bach” Frighteningly Funny. Parody of Classic Monster Movies Has Laughs, Drama and a Few Genuine Scares.
Horror nerds all know that Bela Lugosi Jr. successfully sued Universal Pictures for the right to control his famous father’s image. Now imagine that Dracula himself counter-sued both of them! That was the inspiration writer Owen Hammer had for Von Bach — the story of an undead monster who sues a major Hollywood studio for making a horror movie about him.
In “Von Bach” chapter 1, the unnatural works of a mad scientist Von Bach are compared to Hollywood movies.
Von Bach...
- 8/5/2020
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
AMC’s upcoming animated drama “Pantheon” is filling out its main cast.
Paul Dano, Taylor Schilling, Aaron Eckhart and Rosemarie Dewitt have all been cast in the series, Variety has confirmed. It was picked up for two seasons back in March.
The one-hour show is based on a series of short stories by Ken Liu about Uploaded Intelligence, or human consciousness uploaded to the cloud. The first season will consist of eight episodes and focus on Maddie, a bullied teen who receives mysterious help from someone online. The stranger is soon revealed to be her recently deceased father, David, whose consciousness has been uploaded to the cloud following an experimental destructive brain scan.
Dano earned an Emmy nomination last year for his starring role in the limited series “Escape at Dannemora.” He is known for roles in films like “There Will Be Blood,” “Little Miss Sunshine,” and the upcoming film “The Batman.
Paul Dano, Taylor Schilling, Aaron Eckhart and Rosemarie Dewitt have all been cast in the series, Variety has confirmed. It was picked up for two seasons back in March.
The one-hour show is based on a series of short stories by Ken Liu about Uploaded Intelligence, or human consciousness uploaded to the cloud. The first season will consist of eight episodes and focus on Maddie, a bullied teen who receives mysterious help from someone online. The stranger is soon revealed to be her recently deceased father, David, whose consciousness has been uploaded to the cloud following an experimental destructive brain scan.
Dano earned an Emmy nomination last year for his starring role in the limited series “Escape at Dannemora.” He is known for roles in films like “There Will Be Blood,” “Little Miss Sunshine,” and the upcoming film “The Batman.
- 7/23/2020
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.