After decades of honoring the best in independent film, the Gotham Awards have formally branched out into television. In recent years the Gothams have included a handful of TV awards alongside their film races, but 2024 marks the first time the Gothams have dedicated an awards show specifically to television. Held on June 4 at 7:00pm Eastern in New York City, the awards celebrated the best new comedies, dramas, limited series and nonfiction programs of the season. So how did the inaugural event go? Who were the big winners? And what were the biggest surprises at these juried awards? The complete list of winners is below, updated throughout the night.
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Breakthrough Comedy Series
“Bodkin”
Jez Scharf, creator; Tonia Davis, Nne Ebong, David Flynn, Paul Lee, Alex Metcalf, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Jez Scharf, executive producers; (Netflix)
X — “Colin from Accounts”
Patrick Brammall,...
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Breakthrough Comedy Series
“Bodkin”
Jez Scharf, creator; Tonia Davis, Nne Ebong, David Flynn, Paul Lee, Alex Metcalf, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Jez Scharf, executive producers; (Netflix)
X — “Colin from Accounts”
Patrick Brammall,...
- 6/4/2024
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Exclusive: ESPN Films has acquired the documentary Motorcycle Mary ahead of its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival on June 7.
The 22-minute film by Haley Watson – her directorial debut – tells the story of Mary McGee, known as Motorcycle Mary, a legend in the world of motorsports who became the first woman to compete in road races and motocross competitions in the U.S. The documentary is executive produced by Formula One great Lewis Hamilton and two-time Oscar winner Ben Proudfoot. Rachel Greenwald produced the film. Watch the trailer below.
Motorcycle Mary will feature “stunning never-before-seen archival footage and photographs from McGee’s life,” according to a release. McGee first hopped aboard a 200 cc Triumph Tiger Cub in the 1950s, later trading that in for a Honda C110. She was off and gunning from there.
“Born...
The 22-minute film by Haley Watson – her directorial debut – tells the story of Mary McGee, known as Motorcycle Mary, a legend in the world of motorsports who became the first woman to compete in road races and motocross competitions in the U.S. The documentary is executive produced by Formula One great Lewis Hamilton and two-time Oscar winner Ben Proudfoot. Rachel Greenwald produced the film. Watch the trailer below.
Motorcycle Mary will feature “stunning never-before-seen archival footage and photographs from McGee’s life,” according to a release. McGee first hopped aboard a 200 cc Triumph Tiger Cub in the 1950s, later trading that in for a Honda C110. She was off and gunning from there.
“Born...
- 5/30/2024
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
The Gotham Film & Media Institute announced today the nominations in seven competitive award categories for its inaugural Gotham TV Awards, recognizing a range of series, including Baby Reindeer, Ripley, The Curse, Shōgun, Bodkin, Mr. & Mrs. Smith and Black Twitter: A People’s History as well as performances from Emma Stone and Nathan Fielder in The Curse, Andrew Scott in Ripley, Kristen Wiig in Palm Royale, Richard Gadd in Baby Reindeer, and Lily Gladstone in Under The Bridge, among others. The awards ceremony is set for June 4 in NYC.
“In a historic moment for The Gotham, we’re thrilled to recognize an extraordinary collection of TV series and the brilliant creators responsible for bringing them to the screen,” said Jeffrey Sharp, The Gotham’s Executive Director.
The longstanding Gotham Awards is focused on film but includes three television categories. From here on, they will migrate to the new event.
“In a historic moment for The Gotham, we’re thrilled to recognize an extraordinary collection of TV series and the brilliant creators responsible for bringing them to the screen,” said Jeffrey Sharp, The Gotham’s Executive Director.
The longstanding Gotham Awards is focused on film but includes three television categories. From here on, they will migrate to the new event.
- 5/14/2024
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
One of America's strangest celebrity sagas came to an abrupt, anticlimactic close when O.J. Simpson died at the age of 76 on April 10, 2024. The Heisman Trophy-winning running back from the University of Southern California became a professional football phenomenon during his 11-season tenure with the Buffalo Bills. He was blindingly handsome and charismatic, as comfortable in front of a camera as he was breaking tackles on the gridiron. Unlike Jim Brown, Simpson chose to keep playing football when he embarked on his acting career; and though Simpson was typically cast in supporting roles, they were often high-profile productions (namely the Best Picture-nominated "The Towering Inferno" and the Emmy-winning miniseries "Roots").
When Simpson retired, he continued to act while staying close to football as an on-field reporter for NBC. You never knew where The Juice was going to turn up, but you were never unhappy to see him. This was especially true...
When Simpson retired, he continued to act while staying close to football as an on-field reporter for NBC. You never knew where The Juice was going to turn up, but you were never unhappy to see him. This was especially true...
- 4/21/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
O.J. Simpson died April 10. But the media age ushered in by his presence, his saga and his white Bronco, remains very much with us.
An all-time great NFL running back-turned-actor, Simpson was a minor celebrity and part of a circle of fame-adjacent Los Angeles hangers-on in the 1990s. The killing of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman, on June 12, 1994, converted Simpson instantly into an object of national obsession; five days later, Simpson failed to turn himself in after the Los Angeles Police Department ordered him to surrender on charges of first-degree murder, and engaged the LAPD in a low-speed car chase.
The details of this have been chewed over, including by the recent double dose of O.J. stories — FX’s series “The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story” and Ezra Edelman’s documentary “O.J.: Made in America,” both released in 2016 — and yet they still boggle the mind.
An all-time great NFL running back-turned-actor, Simpson was a minor celebrity and part of a circle of fame-adjacent Los Angeles hangers-on in the 1990s. The killing of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman, on June 12, 1994, converted Simpson instantly into an object of national obsession; five days later, Simpson failed to turn himself in after the Los Angeles Police Department ordered him to surrender on charges of first-degree murder, and engaged the LAPD in a low-speed car chase.
The details of this have been chewed over, including by the recent double dose of O.J. stories — FX’s series “The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story” and Ezra Edelman’s documentary “O.J.: Made in America,” both released in 2016 — and yet they still boggle the mind.
- 4/11/2024
- by Daniel D'Addario
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Sky has landed UK broadcast rights to music film My Favorite Things: The Rodgers & Hammerstein 80thAnniversary Concert.
The deal was announced today by the film executive producers Sophia Dilley from Concord Originals and Imogen Lloyd Webber from Concord Theatricals. Sky will broadcast the film in the UK on Sky Arts in May.
Directed by BAFTA winner Julia Knowles (The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebration), the film celebrates the historic partnership of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II and features iconic songs from The Sound of Music, South Pacific, Oklahoma! and others.
The film includes a concert captured in London in December 2023 at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane – the same venue that premiered the original West End productions of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!, Carousel, SouthPacific and The King and I.
It was headlined by the likes of recent Rogers & Hammerstein leading lady Joanna Ampil (Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific); Olivier...
The deal was announced today by the film executive producers Sophia Dilley from Concord Originals and Imogen Lloyd Webber from Concord Theatricals. Sky will broadcast the film in the UK on Sky Arts in May.
Directed by BAFTA winner Julia Knowles (The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebration), the film celebrates the historic partnership of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II and features iconic songs from The Sound of Music, South Pacific, Oklahoma! and others.
The film includes a concert captured in London in December 2023 at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane – the same venue that premiered the original West End productions of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!, Carousel, SouthPacific and The King and I.
It was headlined by the likes of recent Rogers & Hammerstein leading lady Joanna Ampil (Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific); Olivier...
- 3/20/2024
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
The 1997 race for the Heisman Trophy will be explored in an installment of the 14th season of ESPN’s “30 for 30” series.
Titled “The Great Heisman Race of 1997,” the ESPN Films docu will debut on Dec. 9 on ESPN immediately following the broadcast of the Heisman Trophy Ceremony, which will air on the network.
The doc will focus on the race between Peyton Manning and Charles Woodson. Manning stunned the sports world in 1997 by deciding to return for his senior season at the University of Tennessee and spurning the NFL, making him the Heisman front-runner as he set his sights on an SEC Championship. But while Manning was the preseason favorite, other candidates arrived during the season including Washington State quarterback Ryan Leaf, Marshall University’s wide receiver Randy Moss and Woodson (University of Michigan). The docu, directed by Gentry Kirby, will use archival footage to examine and unpack the race for the hallowed honor.
Titled “The Great Heisman Race of 1997,” the ESPN Films docu will debut on Dec. 9 on ESPN immediately following the broadcast of the Heisman Trophy Ceremony, which will air on the network.
The doc will focus on the race between Peyton Manning and Charles Woodson. Manning stunned the sports world in 1997 by deciding to return for his senior season at the University of Tennessee and spurning the NFL, making him the Heisman front-runner as he set his sights on an SEC Championship. But while Manning was the preseason favorite, other candidates arrived during the season including Washington State quarterback Ryan Leaf, Marshall University’s wide receiver Randy Moss and Woodson (University of Michigan). The docu, directed by Gentry Kirby, will use archival footage to examine and unpack the race for the hallowed honor.
- 11/21/2023
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: HBO and Words + Pictures have launched production on a documentary about Barry Bonds, one of baseball’s greatest players – and one of the most polarizing figures in all professional sport.
The untitled Bonds film is being directed by Keith McQuirter (By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem) and executive produced by Oscar winner Ezra Edelman (O.J.: Made in America) and Connor Schell and Libby Geist, creators of the Emmy-winning series 30 for 30 and EPs of the megahit docuseries The Last Dance.
“The untitled HBO Sports Documentary will tell the story of Barry Bonds, baseball’s single-season and all-time home run king, from his beginnings as the son of All-Star Bobby Bonds, and godson of the iconic Willie Mays, all the way up to his meteoric rise in the 1990s and 2000s,” notes a release about the project. “Using archival footage and original interviews, the film will...
The untitled Bonds film is being directed by Keith McQuirter (By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem) and executive produced by Oscar winner Ezra Edelman (O.J.: Made in America) and Connor Schell and Libby Geist, creators of the Emmy-winning series 30 for 30 and EPs of the megahit docuseries The Last Dance.
“The untitled HBO Sports Documentary will tell the story of Barry Bonds, baseball’s single-season and all-time home run king, from his beginnings as the son of All-Star Bobby Bonds, and godson of the iconic Willie Mays, all the way up to his meteoric rise in the 1990s and 2000s,” notes a release about the project. “Using archival footage and original interviews, the film will...
- 5/31/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Film and documentary production company White Horse Pictures said Tuesday it is moving forward with a strategic reorganization to service growth at the company whose recent titles include Lucy and Desi and the Ron Howard pics The Beatles: Eight Days a Week and Pavarotti.
As part of the changes, Nicholas Ferrall, the company’s current president, takes on the role of chairman and CEO, previously held by founder Nigel Sinclair, overseeing all aspects of the company’s business, growth, and development. Sinclair will transition to become the company’s non-executive chairman, maintaining a role in the business while focusing on content creation.
Jeanne Elfant Festa and Cassidy Hartmann, two partners at the firm, take the role of co presidents, responsible for overseeing all aspects of the company’s creative content, production, and development.
White Horse also has entered into a partnership with longtime collaborator Ben Murphy, of Whiskey Bear, to...
As part of the changes, Nicholas Ferrall, the company’s current president, takes on the role of chairman and CEO, previously held by founder Nigel Sinclair, overseeing all aspects of the company’s business, growth, and development. Sinclair will transition to become the company’s non-executive chairman, maintaining a role in the business while focusing on content creation.
Jeanne Elfant Festa and Cassidy Hartmann, two partners at the firm, take the role of co presidents, responsible for overseeing all aspects of the company’s creative content, production, and development.
White Horse also has entered into a partnership with longtime collaborator Ben Murphy, of Whiskey Bear, to...
- 12/13/2022
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
This year’s Oscar race for documentary feature, as every other year, includes films made by veteran directors. Oscar-win- ner Laura Poitras (“All the Beauty and the Bloodshed”), Primetime Emmy nominee Ryan White (“Good Night Oppy”) and two-time Sundance grand jury prize winner Ondi Timoner (“Last Flight Home”) are among the seasoned helmers vying for a spot on the documentary shortlist, released Dec. 21.
But alongside the vets are a slew of directors who are relatively new to the scene with docs that are garnering praise and plenty of hardware. Those helmers include Sara Dosa (“Fire of Love’’), Edward Buckles Jr. (“Katrina Babies’’) Isabel Castro (“Mija”), Daniel Roher (“Navalny”) and Alex Pritz (“The Territory’’).
It’s never easy being new to the game, but if you’re a documentary filmmaker it can have its advantages, especially come Oscar season. The old guard continuously welcomes newcomers with open arms. Proof is in the past decade of winners,...
But alongside the vets are a slew of directors who are relatively new to the scene with docs that are garnering praise and plenty of hardware. Those helmers include Sara Dosa (“Fire of Love’’), Edward Buckles Jr. (“Katrina Babies’’) Isabel Castro (“Mija”), Daniel Roher (“Navalny”) and Alex Pritz (“The Territory’’).
It’s never easy being new to the game, but if you’re a documentary filmmaker it can have its advantages, especially come Oscar season. The old guard continuously welcomes newcomers with open arms. Proof is in the past decade of winners,...
- 12/10/2022
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
With the recent release of “Clerks III,” Kevin Smith finally saw one of his longest-gestating passion projects come to fruition. But the director still has plenty of other films on his bucket list and he appears to be focused on completing them. He recently expressed hope that he can make sequels to “Mallrats” and “Tusk” in the near future, and it appears that fans might get to see his long-scrapped Prince documentary soon.
In his 2002 special “An Evening with Kevin Smith,” the filmmaker revealed that he had spent a week interviewing the “Purple Rain” singer for a potential documentary. While the planned concert film the two men were working on never materialized, Smith hopes the footage may soon be repurposed.
“Very high,” Smith told The Guardian when asked about the likelihood of his documentary footage seeing the light of day. “The director of ‘Oj: Made in America’ is making a...
In his 2002 special “An Evening with Kevin Smith,” the filmmaker revealed that he had spent a week interviewing the “Purple Rain” singer for a potential documentary. While the planned concert film the two men were working on never materialized, Smith hopes the footage may soon be repurposed.
“Very high,” Smith told The Guardian when asked about the likelihood of his documentary footage seeing the light of day. “The director of ‘Oj: Made in America’ is making a...
- 10/8/2022
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
The longest film to ever be nominated for an Academy Award was Ezra Edelman's 2016 film "O.J.: Made in America." Running a whopping 467 minutes, "O.J." was presented theatrically in two chunks: one was four hours, the other was three and a half hours. More than a detailed account of O.J. Simpson and his infamous 1994 murder trial, "Made in America" sought to unpack the very nature of race and fame in the United States. It ended up winning the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
Yeah, it's long. Indeed, many Oscar nominees -- outside of the Shorts categories -- tend to be all-day suckers. A study...
The post How An Under-Two-Minute Film Ended Up With An Oscar Nomination appeared first on /Film.
Yeah, it's long. Indeed, many Oscar nominees -- outside of the Shorts categories -- tend to be all-day suckers. A study...
The post How An Under-Two-Minute Film Ended Up With An Oscar Nomination appeared first on /Film.
- 8/6/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
At its first ever Television Critics Association press tour presentation, Disney’s Onyx Collective announced three new series orders: true crime docuseries “Ring of Fire: The Life of Annie Mae Aquash” (working title) directed by Yvonne Russo, an untitled project about car culture hosted by Swizz Beatz and “Searching for Soul Food” hosted by chef Alisa Reynolds and executive produced by Melina Matsoukas.
Onyx Collective also set an Oct. 22 premiere date for Oprah Winfrey, Tracee Ellis Ross and Michaela Angela Davis’ docuseries “The Hair Tales” and debuted a trailer for Raamla Mohamed’s legal drama “Reasonable Doubt.” Additionally, an extension was announced of Yara Shahidi and her production company 7th Sun’s overall deal with Onyx Collective and ABC Signature.
“Ring of Fire: The Life of Annie Mae Aquash” examines the life and murder of Annie Mae Aquash. A Mi’kmaq woman from Nova Scotia, Canada, Annie Mae was a mother,...
Onyx Collective also set an Oct. 22 premiere date for Oprah Winfrey, Tracee Ellis Ross and Michaela Angela Davis’ docuseries “The Hair Tales” and debuted a trailer for Raamla Mohamed’s legal drama “Reasonable Doubt.” Additionally, an extension was announced of Yara Shahidi and her production company 7th Sun’s overall deal with Onyx Collective and ABC Signature.
“Ring of Fire: The Life of Annie Mae Aquash” examines the life and murder of Annie Mae Aquash. A Mi’kmaq woman from Nova Scotia, Canada, Annie Mae was a mother,...
- 8/4/2022
- by Selome Hailu
- Variety Film + TV
Onyx is doubling down with non-scripted with three new series.
The Disney-owned brand is launching true-crime docuseries Ring of Fire: The Life of Annie Mae Aquash (w/t), The Untitled Swizz Beatz Project and Searching for Soul Food.
It comes after the brand won an Oscar for its Questlove-directed feature documentary Summer of Soul.
The orders were unveiled by Onyx President Tara Duncan at its virtual TCA presentation. All three shows will premiere on Hulu.
Ring of Fire: The Life of Annie Mae Aquash, directed by Yvonne Russo, examines the extraordinary life and unravels the decades-old mystery behind the murder of Annie Mae Aquash.
A Mi’kmaq woman from Nova Scotia, Canada, Annie Mae is a mother, a teacher and a revolutionary who fought for Indigenous rights and whose death went unsolved for almost 30 years, becoming one of Indian Country’s most infamous cases. Set between the sweeping landscape of...
The Disney-owned brand is launching true-crime docuseries Ring of Fire: The Life of Annie Mae Aquash (w/t), The Untitled Swizz Beatz Project and Searching for Soul Food.
It comes after the brand won an Oscar for its Questlove-directed feature documentary Summer of Soul.
The orders were unveiled by Onyx President Tara Duncan at its virtual TCA presentation. All three shows will premiere on Hulu.
Ring of Fire: The Life of Annie Mae Aquash, directed by Yvonne Russo, examines the extraordinary life and unravels the decades-old mystery behind the murder of Annie Mae Aquash.
A Mi’kmaq woman from Nova Scotia, Canada, Annie Mae is a mother, a teacher and a revolutionary who fought for Indigenous rights and whose death went unsolved for almost 30 years, becoming one of Indian Country’s most infamous cases. Set between the sweeping landscape of...
- 8/4/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Yara Shahidi, arguably the face of Freeform, is extending her overall deal with the studio behind Grown-ish and adding Onyx Collective to the pact.
“It is every creative’s dream to be seen and heard and to do so with colleagues who align with your vision and your soul. We are so grateful to have the opportunity to continue to create with our Disney family and be grounded in the work that Onyx Collective is doing to meet the moment,” said Yara Shahidi and her mom/business partner Keri Shahidi.
The duo’s 7th Sun banner will continue to develop and produce scripted and unscripted programming for both studios as part of the exclusive deal that includes working with Freeform and Onyx Collective president Tara Duncan and her various teams.
Shahidi joins the likes of Ryan Coogler, Destin Daniel Cretton, Prentice Penny, Natasha Rothwell...
Yara Shahidi, arguably the face of Freeform, is extending her overall deal with the studio behind Grown-ish and adding Onyx Collective to the pact.
“It is every creative’s dream to be seen and heard and to do so with colleagues who align with your vision and your soul. We are so grateful to have the opportunity to continue to create with our Disney family and be grounded in the work that Onyx Collective is doing to meet the moment,” said Yara Shahidi and her mom/business partner Keri Shahidi.
The duo’s 7th Sun banner will continue to develop and produce scripted and unscripted programming for both studios as part of the exclusive deal that includes working with Freeform and Onyx Collective president Tara Duncan and her various teams.
Shahidi joins the likes of Ryan Coogler, Destin Daniel Cretton, Prentice Penny, Natasha Rothwell...
- 8/4/2022
- by Lesley Goldberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Welcome to My Favorite Scene! In this series, IndieWire speaks to actors behind a few of our favorite television performances about their personal-best onscreen moment and how it came together.
The end stretch of Episode 3 of the second season of “Ted Lasso” — “Do the Right-est Thing” — finds Sam Obisanya (Toheeb Jimoh) in the middle of a decision. He’s already pulled himself out of a giant ad campaign for AFC Richmond team sponsor Dubai Air after a message from his father emphasized the connection between the company and the pollution of the Niger Delta. Before the team’s next match, Sam decides to go one step further and tape over the logo across the center of his kit. It’s a moment that speaks to the season’s attention to things happening away from the pitch, addressing corporate greed, the power to use a platform for social change, and the...
The end stretch of Episode 3 of the second season of “Ted Lasso” — “Do the Right-est Thing” — finds Sam Obisanya (Toheeb Jimoh) in the middle of a decision. He’s already pulled himself out of a giant ad campaign for AFC Richmond team sponsor Dubai Air after a message from his father emphasized the connection between the company and the pollution of the Niger Delta. Before the team’s next match, Sam decides to go one step further and tape over the logo across the center of his kit. It’s a moment that speaks to the season’s attention to things happening away from the pitch, addressing corporate greed, the power to use a platform for social change, and the...
- 8/3/2022
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
HBO Documentary Films is in production on Stax, a multi-part documentary series exploring the Memphis-based record label Stax Records, which featured R&b stars Otis Redding, Booker T. & the M.G.’s, Isaac Hayes, the Staple Singers and Sam & Dave.
The series, which documents the meteoric rise and fall of the label, is directed by “Ailey” filmmaker Jamila Wignot, and executive produced by Ezra Edelman and Caroline Waterlow (“Oj: Made In America”) of Laylow Pictures and Nigel Sinclair and Nicholas Ferrall of White Horse Pictures. It’s presented in association with Concord Originals, Polygram Entertainment and Warner Music Entertainment.
“In both the sound that fueled its rise and the events that triggered its demise, Stax Records manifested the soul of America,“ Edelman said in a statement. “There is no better person to bring this quintessential American story to HBO’s viewers than Jamila Wignot, whose work I’ve long admired.
The series, which documents the meteoric rise and fall of the label, is directed by “Ailey” filmmaker Jamila Wignot, and executive produced by Ezra Edelman and Caroline Waterlow (“Oj: Made In America”) of Laylow Pictures and Nigel Sinclair and Nicholas Ferrall of White Horse Pictures. It’s presented in association with Concord Originals, Polygram Entertainment and Warner Music Entertainment.
“In both the sound that fueled its rise and the events that triggered its demise, Stax Records manifested the soul of America,“ Edelman said in a statement. “There is no better person to bring this quintessential American story to HBO’s viewers than Jamila Wignot, whose work I’ve long admired.
- 5/3/2022
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Stax Records, the label responsible for hits such as Otis Redding’s “(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay” and Sam & Dave’s “Soul Man,” is getting the docuseries treatment.
HBO is behind a new multi-part series telling the story of the fabled Memphis-based label.
Jamila Wignot — who directed Ailey, a portrait of the legendary choreographer Alvin Ailey, and has worked on HBO’s Axios — is directing, with Oj: Made in America helmer Ezra Edelman and producer Caroline Waterlow exec producing. Nigel Sinclair and Nicholas Ferrall of White Horse Pictures, the company behind Martin Scorsese’s doc No Direction Home: Bob Dylan, also are EPs.
The series will explore the rise and fall of the label, which was founded in 1957 by Jim Stewart. Stewart, a country music fan, and his sister Estelle Axton, who mortgaged her house to afford recording equipment, released “Fool in Love” by the Veltones under its original name Satellite Records.
HBO is behind a new multi-part series telling the story of the fabled Memphis-based label.
Jamila Wignot — who directed Ailey, a portrait of the legendary choreographer Alvin Ailey, and has worked on HBO’s Axios — is directing, with Oj: Made in America helmer Ezra Edelman and producer Caroline Waterlow exec producing. Nigel Sinclair and Nicholas Ferrall of White Horse Pictures, the company behind Martin Scorsese’s doc No Direction Home: Bob Dylan, also are EPs.
The series will explore the rise and fall of the label, which was founded in 1957 by Jim Stewart. Stewart, a country music fan, and his sister Estelle Axton, who mortgaged her house to afford recording equipment, released “Fool in Love” by the Veltones under its original name Satellite Records.
- 5/3/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson went from spinning records at last year’s Oscar ceremony to winning a statuette of his own tonight, for directing Best Documentary Feature champ Summer of Soul.
The acclaimed DJ, music historian, and founding member of the Roots – The Tonight Show’s house band – accepted the award along with producers Joseph Patel, Robert Fyvolent and David Dinerstein. He began his speech by acknowledging the other nominees for Best Documentary Feature — Ascension, Attica, Flee, and Writing With Fire — then became emotional as he referenced the subject of his film: the long-overlooked Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969, a series of concerts that showcased some of the greatest African American musical talent ever assembled on stage. The concerts were filmed at the time, with the intention of packaging them into a TV special, but back then the white-run television networks gave a collective shrug and passed.
The acclaimed DJ, music historian, and founding member of the Roots – The Tonight Show’s house band – accepted the award along with producers Joseph Patel, Robert Fyvolent and David Dinerstein. He began his speech by acknowledging the other nominees for Best Documentary Feature — Ascension, Attica, Flee, and Writing With Fire — then became emotional as he referenced the subject of his film: the long-overlooked Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969, a series of concerts that showcased some of the greatest African American musical talent ever assembled on stage. The concerts were filmed at the time, with the intention of packaging them into a TV special, but back then the white-run television networks gave a collective shrug and passed.
- 3/28/2022
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
In 2018, comedian and TV host W. Kamau Bell was talking to TV producers about comedy documentaries when the question arose: “Could you do a doc about a comedian who has fallen?” Bell recalled his fascination with Ezra Edelman’s acclaimed O.J.: Made in America, the eight-hour series that examined the football player acquitted of murder through the wider societal lenses of celebrity, race, sports and class. A few months later, Bell was captivated by Surviving R. Kelly, which gave voice to multiple women who have accused the disgraced R&b singer of sexual,...
- 1/28/2022
- by Jason Newman
- Rollingstone.com
In the past decade, the inclusion of streaming services in the documentary market has made it increasingly harder for smaller docus struggling with funding to break into the nonfiction feature Oscar race. But in spite of the deep pockets they are up against, a number of cash-strapped docs inevitably make it onto the shortlist every year. This year was no exception.
Jessica Beshir’s “Faya Dayi”, Camilla Nielsson’s “President” (Greenwich Entertainment) and Sushmit Ghosh and Rintu Thomas’ “Writing with Fire” (Music Box Films) are three films on this year’s feature doc shortlist that are up against competitors with multi-million-dollar campaign budgets being paid by media and tech conglomerates including Apple, Netflix, ViacomCBS, the Walt Disney Co. and WarnerMedia.
As the field narrows and lobbying and marketing takeover, it’s clear that money and brand recognition are key factors in the race for Oscar gold, which makes “Faya Dayi,...
Jessica Beshir’s “Faya Dayi”, Camilla Nielsson’s “President” (Greenwich Entertainment) and Sushmit Ghosh and Rintu Thomas’ “Writing with Fire” (Music Box Films) are three films on this year’s feature doc shortlist that are up against competitors with multi-million-dollar campaign budgets being paid by media and tech conglomerates including Apple, Netflix, ViacomCBS, the Walt Disney Co. and WarnerMedia.
As the field narrows and lobbying and marketing takeover, it’s clear that money and brand recognition are key factors in the race for Oscar gold, which makes “Faya Dayi,...
- 1/20/2022
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
When documentary filmmaker Ezra Edelman, an Oscar winner with “O.J.: Made in America,” sat down at a panel during the Cannes Doc Day last week and started off by saying he was just talking about the rise of fascism in the world and enduring racism in sports, there was a feeling this session would be an especially poignant one.
The event, organized by Cannes Docs – Marché du Film, in association with L’Œil d’or – Documentary Award, the Cnc, UniFrance and Acid, saw Edelman sit down for an hour-long conversation with film producer Joslyn Barnes, an Oscar nominee with “Strong Island” and “Hale County This Morning, This Evening,” in which they delved into issues ranging from social media anxiety to identity and legitimacy as a filmmaker.
Edelman, who is known for his sports-themed documentaries, was in Cannes this year as jury president of the L’Œil d’Or Documentary Awards,...
The event, organized by Cannes Docs – Marché du Film, in association with L’Œil d’or – Documentary Award, the Cnc, UniFrance and Acid, saw Edelman sit down for an hour-long conversation with film producer Joslyn Barnes, an Oscar nominee with “Strong Island” and “Hale County This Morning, This Evening,” in which they delved into issues ranging from social media anxiety to identity and legitimacy as a filmmaker.
Edelman, who is known for his sports-themed documentaries, was in Cannes this year as jury president of the L’Œil d’Or Documentary Awards,...
- 7/19/2021
- by Alexander Durie
- Variety Film + TV
Two days after Italy defeated England on penalties in the Euro 2020 soccer championship final, followed by England fans heaping racist online abuse on Black players from the team, the topic continues to reverberate at the Cannes Film Festival.
Cannes virtually shut down on Sunday evening while the final was on, with even Spike Lee getting in on the action at the Kering Women in Motion dinner. Lee’s compatriot, documentary filmmaker Ezra Edelman, Oscar winner for “O.J.: Made in America,” was also among those following the game.
Edelman, renowned for his sports-themed documentaries, is in Cannes as the documentary award jury president. Some of the people Edelman was with on Sunday almost scoffed at the idea that he wanted to go and watch a soccer game during the festival, the filmmaker said at a panel during the Cannes Doc Day on Tuesday.
“Some people were confused why I cared about...
Cannes virtually shut down on Sunday evening while the final was on, with even Spike Lee getting in on the action at the Kering Women in Motion dinner. Lee’s compatriot, documentary filmmaker Ezra Edelman, Oscar winner for “O.J.: Made in America,” was also among those following the game.
Edelman, renowned for his sports-themed documentaries, is in Cannes as the documentary award jury president. Some of the people Edelman was with on Sunday almost scoffed at the idea that he wanted to go and watch a soccer game during the festival, the filmmaker said at a panel during the Cannes Doc Day on Tuesday.
“Some people were confused why I cared about...
- 7/13/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
As the 2021 Cannes Film Festival arrived at its halfway point, filmmakers and industry insiders were eager to catch up with their colleagues, many of whom they hadn’t seen in over a year. On Sunday, IndieWire joined forces with The Gotham Film and Media Institute and sponsor Fiji Water for a rooftop toast to the American presence at the festival this year. The event took place atop Hotel 3.14, the former location of the Hotel Savoy, which once housed many Cannes attendees when the Palais des Festival was located further down the port.
The outdoor gathering was packed with familiar faces from the indie scene. Filmmakers in attendance included Sean Baker, whose latest feature “Red Rocket” marks his first entry into the festival’s Competition section, after “The Florida Project” premiered at Directors’ Fortnight in 2017. This year, that section is welcoming Saul Williams and Anisia Uzeyman, who attended the party the...
The outdoor gathering was packed with familiar faces from the indie scene. Filmmakers in attendance included Sean Baker, whose latest feature “Red Rocket” marks his first entry into the festival’s Competition section, after “The Florida Project” premiered at Directors’ Fortnight in 2017. This year, that section is welcoming Saul Williams and Anisia Uzeyman, who attended the party the...
- 7/12/2021
- by IndieWire Staff
- Indiewire
Some of the documentary features vying for 2021 Emmys may seem familiar. That’s because a bunch of them pushed through the ultra-long Oscar season last year, and some landed on the Oscar shortlist of 15, only to be left off the final five nominations. Last year’s revised Emmy rules dictate that no Oscar nominees will be chasing one of two Primetime Emmy Award categories for features, Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special or Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking. That’s why you can count out of the Emmy running the Oscar-winning “My Octopus Teacher” (Netflix) and four nominees “Collective” (Magnolia), “Time” (Amazon), “Crip Camp” (Netflix), and “The Mole Agent” (Gravitas Ventures).
Last year, the Television Academy forged a stronger divide between the Emmy Awards and the Oscars to clear up some of the confusion that has reigned as movies have double-dipped from one to the other. The Academy has done its...
Last year, the Television Academy forged a stronger divide between the Emmy Awards and the Oscars to clear up some of the confusion that has reigned as movies have double-dipped from one to the other. The Academy has done its...
- 6/14/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Some of the documentary features vying for 2021 Emmys may seem familiar. That’s because a bunch of them pushed through the ultra-long Oscar season last year, and some landed on the Oscar shortlist of 15, only to be left off the final five nominations. Last year’s revised Emmy rules dictate that no Oscar nominees will be chasing one of two Primetime Emmy Award categories for features, Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special or Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking. That’s why you can count out of the Emmy running the Oscar-winning “My Octopus Teacher” (Netflix) and four nominees “Collective” (Magnolia), “Time” (Amazon), “Crip Camp” (Netflix), and “The Mole Agent” (Gravitas Ventures).
Last year, the Television Academy forged a stronger divide between the Emmy Awards and the Oscars to clear up some of the confusion that has reigned as movies have double-dipped from one to the other. The Academy has done its...
Last year, the Television Academy forged a stronger divide between the Emmy Awards and the Oscars to clear up some of the confusion that has reigned as movies have double-dipped from one to the other. The Academy has done its...
- 6/14/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
A version of this story first appeared in the Documentaries issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine.
The Oscars competition in the Best Documentary Feature category has more than 200 eligible films this year for this first time ever, due largely to rule changes that made it easier for nonfiction films to qualify in the year of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The rules, which will likely end when theaters reopen, include routes to qualify by being booked at film festivals or by premiering online but paying to be in the online Academy Screening Room for members. They’re resulted in 215 films qualifying by late December, with an additional small group of films expected to be added to the list in early January. The previous record for entries, set in 2017, was 170.
But rule changes have long been standard in the Oscars documentary category, particularly in the last two or three decades. Often, they involve...
The Oscars competition in the Best Documentary Feature category has more than 200 eligible films this year for this first time ever, due largely to rule changes that made it easier for nonfiction films to qualify in the year of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The rules, which will likely end when theaters reopen, include routes to qualify by being booked at film festivals or by premiering online but paying to be in the online Academy Screening Room for members. They’re resulted in 215 films qualifying by late December, with an additional small group of films expected to be added to the list in early January. The previous record for entries, set in 2017, was 170.
But rule changes have long been standard in the Oscars documentary category, particularly in the last two or three decades. Often, they involve...
- 1/4/2021
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
It’s been more than four years since I started regularly attending the Camden International Film Festival in coastal Maine (not far from the greater Portland area where I grew up), but I’ll never forget the first film I saw: Laura Viezzoli’s La natura delle cose. I arrived in Camden a little late on a Friday afternoon, rushed to get my press badge and, a bit frazzled, scurried on into the quaint, majestic Camden Opera House just in time to glimpse La natura’s opening scene. Viezzoli’s warm paean to love and individual spirituality stuck with me long after the festival was over and was selected by that year’s jury to win the festival’s Cinematic Vision Award. I never again heard a peep about it in the greater film world and I don’t remember it playing at all in New York. Viezzoli has yet to make another feature.
- 10/27/2020
- MUBI
A world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, Bao Nguyen’s Bruce Lee documentary Be Water is now arriving on ESPN this weekend. A martial artist, actor, and director, Lee quickly became one of the most iconic figures of the 20th century, breaking barriers for Asian-American representation on film and in popular culture. Films of his include Enter The Dragon, The Game of Death, and The Big Boss–some of which are getting the Criterion treatment this summer.
Lee recently re-entered public conversation with Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time… in Hollywood, in which a fictional version of the figure is seen fighting with Brad Pitt’s tough stuntman Cliff Booth. The scene drew criticism for its depiction of Lee and the racial dynamics between him and Pitt’s character, drawing concern from even Lee’s own daughter Shannon.
Be Water is part of ESPN’s...
Lee recently re-entered public conversation with Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time… in Hollywood, in which a fictional version of the figure is seen fighting with Brad Pitt’s tough stuntman Cliff Booth. The scene drew criticism for its depiction of Lee and the racial dynamics between him and Pitt’s character, drawing concern from even Lee’s own daughter Shannon.
Be Water is part of ESPN’s...
- 6/5/2020
- by Stephen Hladik
- The Film Stage
The Last Dance, one of the most ambitious sports documentaries to come from ESPN since the birth of its 30 for 30 series 11 years ago, is set to air its first two episodes at 9 p.m. Et Sunday, April 19 on the network and its streaming platform.
Over the next five Sundays, the 10-hour miniseries from director Jason Hehir will tell the story of Michael Jordan’s final NBA championship run with the Chicago Bulls during the 1997-98 season. That runtime eclipses even the Worldwide Leader’s lengthy Academy Award-winning marathon doc by more than two hours.
The 30 for 30 franchise and its related endeavors from ESPN Films have produced scores of enthralling feature films, shorts, and podcasts since 2009. For those looking to fill this time without live sports, it’s hard to go wrong by simply picking something at random from the back catalog of sports documentaries available through an ESPN+ subscription.
But...
Over the next five Sundays, the 10-hour miniseries from director Jason Hehir will tell the story of Michael Jordan’s final NBA championship run with the Chicago Bulls during the 1997-98 season. That runtime eclipses even the Worldwide Leader’s lengthy Academy Award-winning marathon doc by more than two hours.
The 30 for 30 franchise and its related endeavors from ESPN Films have produced scores of enthralling feature films, shorts, and podcasts since 2009. For those looking to fill this time without live sports, it’s hard to go wrong by simply picking something at random from the back catalog of sports documentaries available through an ESPN+ subscription.
But...
- 4/17/2020
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
ESPN is confident enough in its new Oj Simpson documentary, “Oj Made in America,” that’s airing it on Saturday night — usually a TV dead zone because so many viewers are away from their screens Saturday nights.
Oh, and lest you be confused, it will premiere on ABC — ESPN’s corporate cousin.
Ezra Edelman’s five-part, seven-hour-and-45 minute documentary will air on the two networks over a week. It will also be available online. And to qualify for Oscar nominations, it recently ran in movie theaters.
Here’s Oj Simpson’s New Mug Shot (Photo)
But you just want to watch it. Here’s how and where to do it. Be warned — you’ll have to switch from ABC to ESPN to catch the second episode, which airs Tuesday.
Here’s the TV schedule:
Saturday, June 11
9/8c on ABC – Part 1 – Premiere
‘Oj: Made in America’ Review: Injustice Everywhere – and Everyone Gets Away With It
Tuesday,...
Oh, and lest you be confused, it will premiere on ABC — ESPN’s corporate cousin.
Ezra Edelman’s five-part, seven-hour-and-45 minute documentary will air on the two networks over a week. It will also be available online. And to qualify for Oscar nominations, it recently ran in movie theaters.
Here’s Oj Simpson’s New Mug Shot (Photo)
But you just want to watch it. Here’s how and where to do it. Be warned — you’ll have to switch from ABC to ESPN to catch the second episode, which airs Tuesday.
Here’s the TV schedule:
Saturday, June 11
9/8c on ABC – Part 1 – Premiere
‘Oj: Made in America’ Review: Injustice Everywhere – and Everyone Gets Away With It
Tuesday,...
- 3/23/2020
- by Joe Otterson
- The Wrap
In the second installment of ESPN’s excellent “Oj: Made in America,” we see O.J. Simpson sit for a softball interview with ESPN’s Roy Firestone.
It’s 1989 — five years before Simpson will be charged with his wife’s murder. He has pleaded no contest to beating her in the early morning hours of New Year’s Day.
Firestone just can’t believe it. “It got to such a point that you were portrayed in the press for a while there like a wife beater!” he says.
Also Read: 'People v Oj Simpson' Writers Explain 5 Things They Made Up
“Oj: Made in America” feels like ESPN’s way of documenting its past mistakes — and everyone else’s, too. The carnival grotesquerie around the Simpson case has enabled us all to ignore the most horrible truth of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman’s murders: They were achingly preventable.
Fantasy and...
It’s 1989 — five years before Simpson will be charged with his wife’s murder. He has pleaded no contest to beating her in the early morning hours of New Year’s Day.
Firestone just can’t believe it. “It got to such a point that you were portrayed in the press for a while there like a wife beater!” he says.
Also Read: 'People v Oj Simpson' Writers Explain 5 Things They Made Up
“Oj: Made in America” feels like ESPN’s way of documenting its past mistakes — and everyone else’s, too. The carnival grotesquerie around the Simpson case has enabled us all to ignore the most horrible truth of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman’s murders: They were achingly preventable.
Fantasy and...
- 3/23/2020
- by Tim Molloy
- The Wrap
Can/will ESPN explore its option to move up the release date of “The Last Dance,” its upcoming 10-part docuseries about the Chicago Bulls?
As sports media figures out its next move in a world where all sports have been paused by the coronavirus pandemic, one option for ESPN is to hurry its release of the series that explores NBA superstar Michael Jordan’s final season with the Bulls in their 1998 championship-winning season.
“The Last Dance” was originally supposed to begin airing on June 2, just before the NBA Finals were scheduled to start. But after Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz tested positive for Covid-19 this past week (as did Detroit Pistons forward Christian Wood), the NBA announced it would suspend all play for at least the next 30 days in an effort to contain the virus. The rest of the sports world quickly followed suit as the NHL,...
As sports media figures out its next move in a world where all sports have been paused by the coronavirus pandemic, one option for ESPN is to hurry its release of the series that explores NBA superstar Michael Jordan’s final season with the Bulls in their 1998 championship-winning season.
“The Last Dance” was originally supposed to begin airing on June 2, just before the NBA Finals were scheduled to start. But after Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz tested positive for Covid-19 this past week (as did Detroit Pistons forward Christian Wood), the NBA announced it would suspend all play for at least the next 30 days in an effort to contain the virus. The rest of the sports world quickly followed suit as the NHL,...
- 3/15/2020
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
It’s been said time and again that the Academy’s documentary branch is a consistently unpredictable bunch. But are they?
Given their Oscar nomination track record, it certainly doesn’t seem like it. The group has made their likes and dislikes perfectly clear in recent years. They enjoy recognizing international productions as well as newcomers. In the past two decades alone, 12 directors have taken home the Academy Award for their very first documentary theatrical feature. They include Bryan Fogel (“Icarus”), Ezra Edelman (“O.J.: Made in America”), Louie Psihoyos (“The Cove”) and Malik Bendjelloul (“Searching for Sugarman”). Big box office numbers also don’t impress this nonfiction crowd. Examples include snubbing “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” ($22.8 million) “Three Identical Strangers” ($13.4 million) and this year’s “Apollo 11” ($15.3 million). They also aren’t awed by archival footage. (Again: “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” and “Apollo 11”.) And they especially...
Given their Oscar nomination track record, it certainly doesn’t seem like it. The group has made their likes and dislikes perfectly clear in recent years. They enjoy recognizing international productions as well as newcomers. In the past two decades alone, 12 directors have taken home the Academy Award for their very first documentary theatrical feature. They include Bryan Fogel (“Icarus”), Ezra Edelman (“O.J.: Made in America”), Louie Psihoyos (“The Cove”) and Malik Bendjelloul (“Searching for Sugarman”). Big box office numbers also don’t impress this nonfiction crowd. Examples include snubbing “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” ($22.8 million) “Three Identical Strangers” ($13.4 million) and this year’s “Apollo 11” ($15.3 million). They also aren’t awed by archival footage. (Again: “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” and “Apollo 11”.) And they especially...
- 1/31/2020
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Facts are so often stranger than fiction: The truth can be so terrible that we struggle to believe it, or so joyous and full of life that we’re inspired or moved. The past decade has seen a boom in the documentary space as streaming platforms have invested in their production and proliferated their distribution opportunities. So many docs that could have made this list, from those that have inspired public policy changes to others that captured gorgeous slices of life often overlooked, and even a few that pushed the visual boundaries of what’s possible in non-fiction storytelling. Here are just a handful of the best documentaries from the previous decade:
10. “Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry”
Alison Klayman’s documentary may have been many Americans’ introduction to Ai Weiwei, the outspoken artist (whose work has found a devoted following on social media) and controversial voice that the Chinese government has...
10. “Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry”
Alison Klayman’s documentary may have been many Americans’ introduction to Ai Weiwei, the outspoken artist (whose work has found a devoted following on social media) and controversial voice that the Chinese government has...
- 12/16/2019
- by Monica Castillo
- The Wrap
Every year, documentaries that examine crimes are made. Some, such as Ezra Edelman’s “O.J.: Made in America,” Joshua Rofe’s “Lorena” and most recently Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg’s “The Preppy Murder: Death in Central Park,” study a single crime decades after the fact in hopes of establishing a greater clarity and understanding of traumatic events.
But some crimes against humanity deserve immediate dissection and magnification, including mass shootings, sexual abuse and data-mining manipulation. Each is an offense that has directly and indirectly affected millions of Americans in recent years and each is an offense that continues to play out in our society. In these cases, documentarians take on crimes that need immediate absorption and contemplation.
Just four days after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018, Emily Taguchi and Jake Lefferman traveled to Parkland, Fla., on assignment for ABC’s “Nightline.” Initially the duo...
But some crimes against humanity deserve immediate dissection and magnification, including mass shootings, sexual abuse and data-mining manipulation. Each is an offense that has directly and indirectly affected millions of Americans in recent years and each is an offense that continues to play out in our society. In these cases, documentarians take on crimes that need immediate absorption and contemplation.
Just four days after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018, Emily Taguchi and Jake Lefferman traveled to Parkland, Fla., on assignment for ABC’s “Nightline.” Initially the duo...
- 12/7/2019
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Clint Eastwood is back to crash the awards-season party with his next movie, “Richard Jewell,” which has just been stamped with a December 13 release date from Warner Bros. (Deadline has the full scoop.)
“Richard Jewell” will follow a similar pattern to last year’s “The Mule,” also a late-breaking mid-December film from Eastwood and Warner Bros. — and it made bank worldwide, racking up $173 million at the global box office. And like “The Mule,” as well as Eastwood’s other recent films such as the Tom Hanks starrer “Sully,” terrorist-attack drama “The 15:17 to Paris,” and the Best Picture Oscar nominee “American Sniper,” “Richard Jewell” centers on the true story of a good man trying to do good things, who is nonetheless unjustly vilified.
“Richard Jewell” stars Paul Walter Hauser — of “I, Tonya” and “BlacKkKlansman” — as a security guard who heroically rescued thousands of lives from an exploding bomb at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta,...
“Richard Jewell” will follow a similar pattern to last year’s “The Mule,” also a late-breaking mid-December film from Eastwood and Warner Bros. — and it made bank worldwide, racking up $173 million at the global box office. And like “The Mule,” as well as Eastwood’s other recent films such as the Tom Hanks starrer “Sully,” terrorist-attack drama “The 15:17 to Paris,” and the Best Picture Oscar nominee “American Sniper,” “Richard Jewell” centers on the true story of a good man trying to do good things, who is nonetheless unjustly vilified.
“Richard Jewell” stars Paul Walter Hauser — of “I, Tonya” and “BlacKkKlansman” — as a security guard who heroically rescued thousands of lives from an exploding bomb at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta,...
- 9/27/2019
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Beyonce (“Homecoming“) and Ava DuVernay (“When They See Us”) made history with their Emmy nominations this year. By earning bids as directors they became the first black women in Primetime Emmy history to receive multiple directing noms in their careers. And if they prevail they would be the first ever to win.
“Homecoming” is Beyonce’s music documentary about the making of her 2018 Coachella concert inspired by historically black colleges and universities. It has six total Emmy nominations, four of which are for Beyonce herself: Best Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) as a producer as well as Best Variety Special Writing, Best Variety Special Directing and Best Music Direction. That brings her to a career total of eight Emmy nominations; one of her previous bids was for Best Variety Special Directing for her “Lemonade” visual album in 2016, but she has yet to win in any category.
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Meanwhile,...
“Homecoming” is Beyonce’s music documentary about the making of her 2018 Coachella concert inspired by historically black colleges and universities. It has six total Emmy nominations, four of which are for Beyonce herself: Best Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) as a producer as well as Best Variety Special Writing, Best Variety Special Directing and Best Music Direction. That brings her to a career total of eight Emmy nominations; one of her previous bids was for Best Variety Special Directing for her “Lemonade” visual album in 2016, but she has yet to win in any category.
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Meanwhile,...
- 8/5/2019
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
“O.J.: Made in America” was an unusual Oscar winner: A nearly eight-hour documentary that became appointment TV on ESPN the summer of 2017 and was seen by well over 60 million people. The Academy has since altered its rules so that a project like “O.J.” could never win again, but the profound mark the epic documentary, recently named one of the best films of the decade by IndieWire, has left on our culture stretches beyond the reactionary awards world.
By taking the well-trodden tabloid story of the white Bronco, murder, and acquittal of the former football star, director Ezra Edelman brought viewers into a complex story of African-Americans and the Lapd. The backdrop and archival b-roll of the Simpson story shifted to the foreground, as Edelman weaved an enthralling and nuanced history lesson that gave us a different lens to understand America’s unhealed racial wounds.
IndieWire recently caught...
By taking the well-trodden tabloid story of the white Bronco, murder, and acquittal of the former football star, director Ezra Edelman brought viewers into a complex story of African-Americans and the Lapd. The backdrop and archival b-roll of the Simpson story shifted to the foreground, as Edelman weaved an enthralling and nuanced history lesson that gave us a different lens to understand America’s unhealed racial wounds.
IndieWire recently caught...
- 7/25/2019
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
Exclusive: John Lesher has hired John-Eric Capps to be Le Grisbi Productions’ new Head of Television, and he has promoted Dylan Weathered to become Head of Motion Picture Production.
Capps was previously executive vice president of development & production for Tony Krantz’s Flame Ventures, where he developed series for a wide variety of networks and streamers like the upcoming Wu Assassins for Netflix. Before Flame, he served as vice president of film & television for Whalerock Industries, developing features and series such as Victoria Woodhull for Amazon and Yasuke for MGM.
Weathered has been working with Le Grisbi since shepherding Hostiles in 2017. He followed with White Boy Rick and most recently The Beach Bum, where he served as an Associate Producer.
Next up for Le Grisbi is the Ana Lily Amirpour-directed Mona Lisa and The Blood Moon. Weathered is producing that film with Lesher, and next year Le Grisbi’s first television series Tokyo Vice,...
Capps was previously executive vice president of development & production for Tony Krantz’s Flame Ventures, where he developed series for a wide variety of networks and streamers like the upcoming Wu Assassins for Netflix. Before Flame, he served as vice president of film & television for Whalerock Industries, developing features and series such as Victoria Woodhull for Amazon and Yasuke for MGM.
Weathered has been working with Le Grisbi since shepherding Hostiles in 2017. He followed with White Boy Rick and most recently The Beach Bum, where he served as an Associate Producer.
Next up for Le Grisbi is the Ana Lily Amirpour-directed Mona Lisa and The Blood Moon. Weathered is producing that film with Lesher, and next year Le Grisbi’s first television series Tokyo Vice,...
- 6/21/2019
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
The true-crime limited series “When They See Us” has received glowing reviews from critics, and because it premiered on May 31 on Netflix, the last day of Emmy eligibility, it has a chance to be honored by the television academy this summer too. But one race might be especially historic. Only five black women have ever been nominated for a Primetime Emmy for directing, but none have won. So if Ava DuVernay prevails this year for Best Movie/Mini Directing, it would be unprecedented.
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The five nominated women were as follows:
Debbie Allen — “The Debbie Allen Special”
Millicent Shelton — “30 Rock”
Dee Rees — “Bessie”
Beyonce — “Lemonade”
Ava DuVernay — “13th”
DuVernay won two Emmys for the criminal justice documentary “13th” — Best Documentary Special and Best Nonfiction Writing — but the directing prize went instead to Ezra Edelman (“O.J.: Made in America...
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The five nominated women were as follows:
Debbie Allen — “The Debbie Allen Special”
Millicent Shelton — “30 Rock”
Dee Rees — “Bessie”
Beyonce — “Lemonade”
Ava DuVernay — “13th”
DuVernay won two Emmys for the criminal justice documentary “13th” — Best Documentary Special and Best Nonfiction Writing — but the directing prize went instead to Ezra Edelman (“O.J.: Made in America...
- 6/5/2019
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Veteran actor Clint Eastwood might direct The Ballad Of Richard Jewell, a look at a security guard whose life gets turned upside down after media reports identified him as a possible suspect in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics bombing. The film is currently set up at Disney/Fox and could reunite Eastwood with Alan Horn, the current Disney Studios chief who worked with the filmmaker when he was in charge of Warner Bros motion picture division.?
Jonah Hill and Leonardo DiCaprio had originally been attached to star, but they will no longer appear in the movie. Their involvement will be limited to producing the film, reports variety.com.
Eastwood's involvement could change. He circled the project several years ago before opting to direct Sully with Tom Hanks. Director Ezra Edelman was last person to consider the project.
DiCaprio's business partners Jennifer Davisson Killoran, and Kevin Misher are also producing. Captain Phillips screenwriter...
Jonah Hill and Leonardo DiCaprio had originally been attached to star, but they will no longer appear in the movie. Their involvement will be limited to producing the film, reports variety.com.
Eastwood's involvement could change. He circled the project several years ago before opting to direct Sully with Tom Hanks. Director Ezra Edelman was last person to consider the project.
DiCaprio's business partners Jennifer Davisson Killoran, and Kevin Misher are also producing. Captain Phillips screenwriter...
- 4/19/2019
- GlamSham
Clint Eastwood may direct “The Ballad of Richard Jewell,” a look at a security guard whose life gets turned upside down after media reports identified him as a possible suspect in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics bombing.
The film is currently set up at Disney/Fox and could reunite Eastwood with Alan Horn, the current Disney Studios chief who worked with the filmmaker when he was in charge of Warner Bros. motion picture division. Jonah Hill and Leonardo DiCaprio had originally been attached to star, but they will no longer appear in the movie. Their involvement will be limited to producing the film.
Eastwood’s involvement could change. He circled the project several years ago before opting to direct “Sully” with Tom Hanks. “O.J.: Made in America” director Ezra Edelman was last person to consider the project.
Eastwood had a box office success with last year’s drug runner drama “The Mule,...
The film is currently set up at Disney/Fox and could reunite Eastwood with Alan Horn, the current Disney Studios chief who worked with the filmmaker when he was in charge of Warner Bros. motion picture division. Jonah Hill and Leonardo DiCaprio had originally been attached to star, but they will no longer appear in the movie. Their involvement will be limited to producing the film.
Eastwood’s involvement could change. He circled the project several years ago before opting to direct “Sully” with Tom Hanks. “O.J.: Made in America” director Ezra Edelman was last person to consider the project.
Eastwood had a box office success with last year’s drug runner drama “The Mule,...
- 4/18/2019
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Clint Eastwood is angling to direct The Ballad of Richard Jewell, Fox’s long-gestating take on the security guard who went from hero to suspect at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.
If Eastwood does board the Richard Jewell project, it would mark the first time since he helmed Changeling in 2008 that he has directed for another studio other than Warner Bros., his longtime home base.
Ezra Edelman, who directed the Oscar-winning documentary O.J.: Made in America, was earlier attached to direct Jonah Hill in the role of Jewell. Hill's Wolf of Wall Street cohort Leonardo ...
If Eastwood does board the Richard Jewell project, it would mark the first time since he helmed Changeling in 2008 that he has directed for another studio other than Warner Bros., his longtime home base.
Ezra Edelman, who directed the Oscar-winning documentary O.J.: Made in America, was earlier attached to direct Jonah Hill in the role of Jewell. Hill's Wolf of Wall Street cohort Leonardo ...
- 4/18/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Clint Eastwood is angling to direct The Ballad of Richard Jewell, Fox’s long-gestating take on the security guard who went from hero to suspect at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.
If Eastwood does board the Richard Jewell project, it would mark the first time since he helmed Changeling in 2008 that he has directed for another studio other than Warner Bros., his longtime home base.
Ezra Edelman, who directed the Oscar-winning documentary O.J.: Made in America, was earlier attached to direct Jonah Hill in the role of Jewell. Hill's Wolf of Wall Street cohort Leonardo ...
If Eastwood does board the Richard Jewell project, it would mark the first time since he helmed Changeling in 2008 that he has directed for another studio other than Warner Bros., his longtime home base.
Ezra Edelman, who directed the Oscar-winning documentary O.J.: Made in America, was earlier attached to direct Jonah Hill in the role of Jewell. Hill's Wolf of Wall Street cohort Leonardo ...
- 4/18/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
The Tribeca Film Festival is set to celebrate the 10th anniversary of ESPN's 30 for 30 documentary series with a panel discussion exploring the evolution of sports documentaries and the 30 for 30 brand.
The talk will feature ESPN executive vice president content and 30 for 30 co-creator Connor Schell; Ezra Edelman, who directed O.J.: Made in America to the 2017 Oscar for best documentary; Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney, who directed a number of 30 for 30 docs; and the Emmy-winning director of the Duke lacrosse case doc Fantastic Lies, Marina Zenovich.
ESPN's E:60 correspondent Chris Connelly will moderate the panel,...
The talk will feature ESPN executive vice president content and 30 for 30 co-creator Connor Schell; Ezra Edelman, who directed O.J.: Made in America to the 2017 Oscar for best documentary; Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney, who directed a number of 30 for 30 docs; and the Emmy-winning director of the Duke lacrosse case doc Fantastic Lies, Marina Zenovich.
ESPN's E:60 correspondent Chris Connelly will moderate the panel,...
- 4/15/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
The Tribeca Film Festival is set to celebrate the 10th anniversary of ESPN's 30 for 30 documentary series with a panel discussion exploring the evolution of sports documentaries and the 30 for 30 brand.
The talk will feature ESPN executive vice president content and 30 for 30 co-creator Connor Schell; Ezra Edelman, who directed O.J.: Made in America to the 2017 Oscar for best documentary; Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney, who directed a number of 30 for 30 docs; and the Emmy-winning director of the Duke lacrosse case doc Fantastic Lies, Marina Zenovich.
ESPN's E:60 correspondent Chris Connelly will moderate the panel,...
The talk will feature ESPN executive vice president content and 30 for 30 co-creator Connor Schell; Ezra Edelman, who directed O.J.: Made in America to the 2017 Oscar for best documentary; Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney, who directed a number of 30 for 30 docs; and the Emmy-winning director of the Duke lacrosse case doc Fantastic Lies, Marina Zenovich.
ESPN's E:60 correspondent Chris Connelly will moderate the panel,...
- 4/15/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
As Wyatt Cenac has traveled throughout the country for his HBO program, “Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas,” he has found several things that give him hope for the future of the nation, especially in regards to his overarching topic for this season, education. In our recent webcam interview (watch the video above), he reveals, “In every city that we go to, there are people who are working and are trying to make an educational system that works for all students.” He adds that he’s always been amazed at seeing the way people are doing work in ways he never imagined. It’s even more astonishing to him because we live “in a time when it’s easy to throw one’s hands up in the air and say, ‘Ah! It’s hopeless!'”
SEEThis full trailer for HBO’s ‘Chernobyl’ will be the most terrifying thing you see all...
SEEThis full trailer for HBO’s ‘Chernobyl’ will be the most terrifying thing you see all...
- 4/5/2019
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
HBO has set Friday, April 5, for the Season 2 premiere of Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas, in which the Emmy-winning comic and writer offers his unique perspective on topics from the trivial to the impactful.
The late-night series covers a wide range of social and cultural issues, mixing in-studio commentary, comedic segments and documentary-style field reports.
After focusing on police issues in its freshman run, Problem Areas will focus on education in America this season, investigating teacher pay, student mental health, the school-to-prison pipeline and other pressing topics. Host The Daily Show alum Wyatt Cenac will visit West Virginia, Oregon, California, Minnesota and other parts of the country to learn how communities navigate issues facing public education.
Season 2 also will address other issues, including the unionization of fast-food workers and the potential dangers of facial recognition software, as well as comedic solutions to lighter topics, such as how to get more...
The late-night series covers a wide range of social and cultural issues, mixing in-studio commentary, comedic segments and documentary-style field reports.
After focusing on police issues in its freshman run, Problem Areas will focus on education in America this season, investigating teacher pay, student mental health, the school-to-prison pipeline and other pressing topics. Host The Daily Show alum Wyatt Cenac will visit West Virginia, Oregon, California, Minnesota and other parts of the country to learn how communities navigate issues facing public education.
Season 2 also will address other issues, including the unionization of fast-food workers and the potential dangers of facial recognition software, as well as comedic solutions to lighter topics, such as how to get more...
- 3/7/2019
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
#OscarsSoWhite? Not this year, as a record seven black artists won Oscars on Sunday — topping the previous record of five set two years ago.
Regina King and Mahershala Ali won the two supporting actor categories, for “If Beale Street Could Talk” and “Green Book,” respectively.
And writer-director Spike Lee earned his career-first competitive Oscar for co-writing “BlackKklansman” — his co-writers include another African American winner, Kevin Willmott.
Also Read: Women Have Winningest Night in Oscar History: Record 14 Winners (So Far)
In addition, “Black Panther” costume designer Ruth Carter and production designer Hannah Beachler became the first black winners in their categories — as did Peter Ramsey, one of five winners for “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” as Best Animated Feature.
The previous record for black Oscar winners was set in 2016, when five black artists won: supporting actors Viola Davis for “Fences” and Mahershala Ali for “Moonlight;” documentary feature director-producer Ezra Edelman for “O.
Regina King and Mahershala Ali won the two supporting actor categories, for “If Beale Street Could Talk” and “Green Book,” respectively.
And writer-director Spike Lee earned his career-first competitive Oscar for co-writing “BlackKklansman” — his co-writers include another African American winner, Kevin Willmott.
Also Read: Women Have Winningest Night in Oscar History: Record 14 Winners (So Far)
In addition, “Black Panther” costume designer Ruth Carter and production designer Hannah Beachler became the first black winners in their categories — as did Peter Ramsey, one of five winners for “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” as Best Animated Feature.
The previous record for black Oscar winners was set in 2016, when five black artists won: supporting actors Viola Davis for “Fences” and Mahershala Ali for “Moonlight;” documentary feature director-producer Ezra Edelman for “O.
- 2/25/2019
- by Thom Geier
- The Wrap
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