2023 has been one of the most professionally exhilarating years of my life but also one of the hardest. I have been affected deeply by losing Tom Butchart suddenly in June, the childhood friend “the keeper of sacred knowledge and provider of affordable dreams” that I made Sound It Out (my 2011 film) about. We also lost my mother-in-law Pat and documentary titan Jess Search. The impact of these deaths have intertwined with hugely positive experiences that I could never have predicted, leaving me a little discombobulated, determined to live with boldness, albeit with a twinge of melancholy.
In February I received the Chicken & Egg Award, which is given to eight established filmmakers from marginalised genders a year. The recipients form a cohort, are given mentorship, and an unrestricted prize. I spent some of my award going out to New Mexico to experiment with the arts lab at the University of New Mexico...
In February I received the Chicken & Egg Award, which is given to eight established filmmakers from marginalised genders a year. The recipients form a cohort, are given mentorship, and an unrestricted prize. I spent some of my award going out to New Mexico to experiment with the arts lab at the University of New Mexico...
- 12/31/2023
- by Jeanie Finlay
- Directors Notes
Exclusive: American Documentary has acquired Elaine McMillion Sheldon’s award-winning documentary King Coal for the upcoming season of Pov, the longest-running nonfiction series on television.
The film set in Central Appalachia premiered at the Sundance Film Festival last January and went on to win prizes at the RiverRun International Film Festival, Woods Hole Film Festival, and Seattle International Film Festival, among other festivals. It is expected to debut in the summer of 2024 on Pov, the public television series whose films have claimed three Oscars, 47 Emmys, 27 Peabody Awards, and more than a dozen duPont-Columbia awards over the span of 36 seasons.
‘King Coal’
“King Coal, through the personal memories of a 4th generation coal miner’s daughter, meditates on the complex history and future of the coal industry, the communities it has shaped, and the myths it has created,” notes a description of the documentary. “Filmed in Central Appalachia, where McMillion Sheldon was raised and lives,...
The film set in Central Appalachia premiered at the Sundance Film Festival last January and went on to win prizes at the RiverRun International Film Festival, Woods Hole Film Festival, and Seattle International Film Festival, among other festivals. It is expected to debut in the summer of 2024 on Pov, the public television series whose films have claimed three Oscars, 47 Emmys, 27 Peabody Awards, and more than a dozen duPont-Columbia awards over the span of 36 seasons.
‘King Coal’
“King Coal, through the personal memories of a 4th generation coal miner’s daughter, meditates on the complex history and future of the coal industry, the communities it has shaped, and the myths it has created,” notes a description of the documentary. “Filmed in Central Appalachia, where McMillion Sheldon was raised and lives,...
- 12/4/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Going deep inside the human body, rethinking a Thelonious Monk interview, solitary island life, capturing one of the finest restaurants in the world, exploring the trans experience, and examining how we listen to movies—just a few of the subjects and stories this year’s documentaries brought us. With 2023 wrapping up, we’ve selected the non-fiction features that left us most impressed. If you’re looking for where to stream them, check out our handy guide here.
32 Sounds (Sam Green)
Filmmaker Sam Green captures something so specific here: he makes audio the star of a motion picture. It’s a lovely inclination and a worthwhile escapade. There are funny moments, clever moments, plenty that are heartfelt. Sound can do so many different things! This is an exceedingly well-produced work, its perfect length and the audible narrative it designs building succinctly to a lovely finale. Toss on those headphones and get...
32 Sounds (Sam Green)
Filmmaker Sam Green captures something so specific here: he makes audio the star of a motion picture. It’s a lovely inclination and a worthwhile escapade. There are funny moments, clever moments, plenty that are heartfelt. Sound can do so many different things! This is an exceedingly well-produced work, its perfect length and the audible narrative it designs building succinctly to a lovely finale. Toss on those headphones and get...
- 12/4/2023
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
In a sense, Central Appalachia is as threatened by climate change as much as any other place on Earth.
Since the 1970s alone, 2 billion tons of coal have been extracted from the region, providing fuel for a highly industrialized nation and jobs for thousands in West Virginia, eastern Kentucky and surrounding areas. But as the single biggest contributor to rising global temperatures, the energy source is being phased out, and with it an entire way of life.
The impact of coal on Central Appalachia – the economy, the people, the culture – is explored in King Coal, directed by Elaine McMillion Sheldon, a native of the region. She appears on the latest edition of Deadline’s Doc Talk podcast to discuss her feature documentary, winner of awards at film festivals across the country. The film is produced by McMillion Sheldon, Peggy Drexler, and Shane Boris and Diane Becker, two of the Oscar-winning producers of Navalny.
Since the 1970s alone, 2 billion tons of coal have been extracted from the region, providing fuel for a highly industrialized nation and jobs for thousands in West Virginia, eastern Kentucky and surrounding areas. But as the single biggest contributor to rising global temperatures, the energy source is being phased out, and with it an entire way of life.
The impact of coal on Central Appalachia – the economy, the people, the culture – is explored in King Coal, directed by Elaine McMillion Sheldon, a native of the region. She appears on the latest edition of Deadline’s Doc Talk podcast to discuss her feature documentary, winner of awards at film festivals across the country. The film is produced by McMillion Sheldon, Peggy Drexler, and Shane Boris and Diane Becker, two of the Oscar-winning producers of Navalny.
- 11/28/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
A scene from King Coal. Credit: Drexler Films, Cottage M & Fishbowl Films. Courtesy of Sliff
King Coal is a hauntingly-beautiful, poetic documentary that immerses us in the stunning wilderness of Appalachia and opens a gateway to into the oft-misunderstood culture of the people who live in and love that natural world, along with their complex love-hate relationship with coal. The award-winning King Coal is one of the free screenings at the St. Louis International Film Festival, and one the year’s best documentary films.
The title King Coal is a bit misleading, as this haunting documentary is really a meditative, exquisitely lyrical cinematic celebration of the uniquely American culture and people of Appalachia. Because they are from Appalachia, director/writer Elaine Million Sheldon and cinematographer Curran Sheldon the husband and wife team behind this film, give us remarkable access into understanding the people and folkways that are among the most deeply rooted in this country,...
King Coal is a hauntingly-beautiful, poetic documentary that immerses us in the stunning wilderness of Appalachia and opens a gateway to into the oft-misunderstood culture of the people who live in and love that natural world, along with their complex love-hate relationship with coal. The award-winning King Coal is one of the free screenings at the St. Louis International Film Festival, and one the year’s best documentary films.
The title King Coal is a bit misleading, as this haunting documentary is really a meditative, exquisitely lyrical cinematic celebration of the uniquely American culture and people of Appalachia. Because they are from Appalachia, director/writer Elaine Million Sheldon and cinematographer Curran Sheldon the husband and wife team behind this film, give us remarkable access into understanding the people and folkways that are among the most deeply rooted in this country,...
- 11/19/2023
- by Cate Marquis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Producer Lisa Saltzman has acquired feature film rights to Mark Bego’s upcoming biography, “Joe Cocker: With a Lot of Help from His Friends,” which chronicles the life and career of the blues-rock star.
The book will be published by Yorkshire Publishing on Nov. 16. It is the first biography written about Cocker since his death in 2014. The British singer’s distinctive, raspy voice made him a chart-topper. His biggest hits include his cover of The Beatles’ “With a Little Help from My Friends” (later heard on the opening credits of “The Wonder Years”) as well as his version of Traffic’s “Feeling’ Alright?” (memorably performed with John Belushi on “Saturday Night Live”). Cocker’s “Up Where We Belong,” a duet with Jennifer Warnes, was featured in “An Officer and a Gentleman.” It later earned him a Grammy Award in 1983 and was his best-selling song. Cocker released a total of 22 studio...
The book will be published by Yorkshire Publishing on Nov. 16. It is the first biography written about Cocker since his death in 2014. The British singer’s distinctive, raspy voice made him a chart-topper. His biggest hits include his cover of The Beatles’ “With a Little Help from My Friends” (later heard on the opening credits of “The Wonder Years”) as well as his version of Traffic’s “Feeling’ Alright?” (memorably performed with John Belushi on “Saturday Night Live”). Cocker’s “Up Where We Belong,” a duet with Jennifer Warnes, was featured in “An Officer and a Gentleman.” It later earned him a Grammy Award in 1983 and was his best-selling song. Cocker released a total of 22 studio...
- 11/9/2023
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Updated with the addition of The Holly and American Symphony to the FallDocs lineup.
The Holly, Julian Rubinstein’s documentary about conflict over a gentrifying neighborhood near Denver, and Matthew Heineman’s film American Symphony, about Grammy-winning musician Jon Batiste, have been added to the IDA’s FallDocs screening series.
American Symphony will hold an in-person screening on Tuesday, Oct. 3 at the Culver Theater in Los Angeles, followed by a live Q&a with Heineman.
The Holly will hold an in-person screening on Tuesday, Nov. 7 at the Culver Theater, followed by a live Q&a with Rubinstein, main participant Terrance Roberts, and Aqeela Sherrills, anti-violence activist and co-founder of Community Based Public Safety Collective.
Earlier: Exclusive: The International Documentary Association announced the lineup for its prestigious FallDocs 2023 program, featuring a slew of Oscar contending nonfiction films as well as more than two dozen films that haven’t yet nailed down distribution.
The Holly, Julian Rubinstein’s documentary about conflict over a gentrifying neighborhood near Denver, and Matthew Heineman’s film American Symphony, about Grammy-winning musician Jon Batiste, have been added to the IDA’s FallDocs screening series.
American Symphony will hold an in-person screening on Tuesday, Oct. 3 at the Culver Theater in Los Angeles, followed by a live Q&a with Heineman.
The Holly will hold an in-person screening on Tuesday, Nov. 7 at the Culver Theater, followed by a live Q&a with Rubinstein, main participant Terrance Roberts, and Aqeela Sherrills, anti-violence activist and co-founder of Community Based Public Safety Collective.
Earlier: Exclusive: The International Documentary Association announced the lineup for its prestigious FallDocs 2023 program, featuring a slew of Oscar contending nonfiction films as well as more than two dozen films that haven’t yet nailed down distribution.
- 8/31/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Filmmaker is happy to share an exclusive clip of Elaine McMillion Sheldon’s documentary King Coal, which opens at Dctv Firehouse Cinema in New York City on August 11 before a limited expansion. The clip details the history of West Virginia’s New River—”the second oldest river in the world”—and the discovery of coal in a tributary nearby. Watch the full clip above. An official synopsis gets into the film’s overall thesis: A lyrical tapestry of a place and people, King Coal meditates on the complex history and future of the coal industry, the communities it has shaped, and the myths it […]
The post Watch an Exclusive Clip of Elaine McMillion Sheldon’s King Coal first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Watch an Exclusive Clip of Elaine McMillion Sheldon’s King Coal first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 8/10/2023
- by Natalia Keogan
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Filmmaker is happy to share an exclusive clip of Elaine McMillion Sheldon’s documentary King Coal, which opens at Dctv Firehouse Cinema in New York City on August 11 before a limited expansion. The clip details the history of West Virginia’s New River—”the second oldest river in the world”—and the discovery of coal in a tributary nearby. Watch the full clip above. An official synopsis gets into the film’s overall thesis: A lyrical tapestry of a place and people, King Coal meditates on the complex history and future of the coal industry, the communities it has shaped, and the myths it […]
The post Watch an Exclusive Clip of Elaine McMillion Sheldon’s King Coal first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Watch an Exclusive Clip of Elaine McMillion Sheldon’s King Coal first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 8/10/2023
- by Natalia Keogan
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Like many Filmmaker readers, I first encountered the work of Elaine McMillion Sheldon a decade ago, when the West Virginia native landed on our annual 25 New Faces of Independent Film list in 2013. She’d just completed Hollow, which began as a documentary about her home state’s struggling McDowell County, and ultimately transformed into a sprawling interactive project; and per Randy Astle’s profile, “a community portrait that includes about three hours of video — including a lot shot by members of the community — audio recordings, text, photographs and user-generated material via Instagram.” Sheldon then popped back onto my radar two […]
The post “I Realized This Was a Film Not Necessarily About Things Seen…But Things Felt”: Elaine McMillion Sheldon on King Coal first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “I Realized This Was a Film Not Necessarily About Things Seen…But Things Felt”: Elaine McMillion Sheldon on King Coal first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 8/9/2023
- by Lauren Wissot
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Like many Filmmaker readers, I first encountered the work of Elaine McMillion Sheldon a decade ago, when the West Virginia native landed on our annual 25 New Faces of Independent Film list in 2013. She’d just completed Hollow, which began as a documentary about her home state’s struggling McDowell County, and ultimately transformed into a sprawling interactive project; and per Randy Astle’s profile, “a community portrait that includes about three hours of video — including a lot shot by members of the community — audio recordings, text, photographs and user-generated material via Instagram.” Sheldon then popped back onto my radar two […]
The post “I Realized This Was a Film Not Necessarily About Things Seen…But Things Felt”: Elaine McMillion Sheldon on King Coal first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “I Realized This Was a Film Not Necessarily About Things Seen…But Things Felt”: Elaine McMillion Sheldon on King Coal first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 8/9/2023
- by Lauren Wissot
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
The rhapsodic film King Coal blurs the lines of documentary and memorializes the coal culture that has shaped Appalachia
The film-maker Elaine McMillion Sheldon grew up roving around West Virginia. Like many children of Appalachia, her world was shaped by coal – her father worked for a mining company, and the family moved to seven coal fields in 12 years for his job. Her brother became a fourth-generation miner. “Everybody in my community worked in the coal mines,” she said. “If you were going to stay there and work, if you weren’t a doctor or a lawyer, that’s what you did.”
It wasn’t until she studied abroad as an undergraduate and asked people what they did for work that she realized the totalizing extent of coal. “Not everywhere has a king,” said Sheldon. “Not everywhere is completely dominated by this industry that controls everything from our rituals to the ways we live our life.
The film-maker Elaine McMillion Sheldon grew up roving around West Virginia. Like many children of Appalachia, her world was shaped by coal – her father worked for a mining company, and the family moved to seven coal fields in 12 years for his job. Her brother became a fourth-generation miner. “Everybody in my community worked in the coal mines,” she said. “If you were going to stay there and work, if you weren’t a doctor or a lawyer, that’s what you did.”
It wasn’t until she studied abroad as an undergraduate and asked people what they did for work that she realized the totalizing extent of coal. “Not everywhere has a king,” said Sheldon. “Not everywhere is completely dominated by this industry that controls everything from our rituals to the ways we live our life.
- 8/8/2023
- by Adrian Horton
- The Guardian - Film News
While the fall movie lineup continues to shift due to studios adamantly deciding not to fairly pay the writers and actors responsible for them being in business in the first place, not much has changed when it comes to August. Aside from A24 yanking Julio Torres’ Problemista from its August 4 opening, the rest of the calendar has stayed intact and here are the films that should be on your radar.
13. What Comes Around (Amy Redford; Aug. 4)
One of the most divisive films to premiere at TIFF last year was Amy Redford’s What Comes Around (formerly titled Roost). Led by Grace Van Dien, Summer Phoenix, Jesse Garcia, and Kyle Gallner, the thriller tracked a young love affair that becomes a menacing game of cat-and-mouse where nothing is what it seems. Jared Mobarak said in his review, “What Comes Around is a tricky film to talk about without massive spoilers unless,...
13. What Comes Around (Amy Redford; Aug. 4)
One of the most divisive films to premiere at TIFF last year was Amy Redford’s What Comes Around (formerly titled Roost). Led by Grace Van Dien, Summer Phoenix, Jesse Garcia, and Kyle Gallner, the thriller tracked a young love affair that becomes a menacing game of cat-and-mouse where nothing is what it seems. Jared Mobarak said in his review, “What Comes Around is a tricky film to talk about without massive spoilers unless,...
- 8/3/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
"A ghost story... a cinematic archive." An official trailer is out for an acclaimed documentary film from this year's Sundance titled King Coal, made by doc filmmaker Elaine McMillion Sheldon. The film premiered at Sundance earlier in 2023 and stopped by the Cleveland, Sarasota, RiverRun, San Francisco, and DocLands Film Festivals throughout this year so far. The cultural roots of coal continue to permeate the rituals of daily life in Appalachia even as its economic power wanes. This poetic, humble, and entrancing film is the journey of a coal miner's daughter exploring the region's dreams and myths, untangling the pain and beauty, as her community sits on the brink of massive change. Sundance adds: "Sheldon's distinct vision remixes present-day moments of life in a coal-mining town with archival footage and atmospheric invocations of the land to alchemize something new — a rare, nuanced depiction of this community... A reclamation of the...
- 7/26/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Imelda Marcos, the former first lady of the Philippines who became notorious for the way she used her position to fund a lavish lifestyle, will be at the center of a new limited series that is being developed by producer Lisa Saltzman. “Chasing Imelda” is inspired by journalist Katherine Ellison’s biography, “Imelda: Steel Butterfly of the Philippines.” The announcement comes in a moment of, I guess, rediscovery for Imelda. After all, Marcos is the central figure in a new Broadway musical “Here Lies Love” from David Byrne and Fatboy Slim (there’s just something about all those shoes).
Ellison is a journalist, strategist and writer, whose examinations of the corruption of Imelda and her husband Ferdinand Marcos for The San Jose Mercury News won her a Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting in 1986. This limited series reveals the dark side of one of history’s most notorious figures and showcases...
Ellison is a journalist, strategist and writer, whose examinations of the corruption of Imelda and her husband Ferdinand Marcos for The San Jose Mercury News won her a Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting in 1986. This limited series reveals the dark side of one of history’s most notorious figures and showcases...
- 7/26/2023
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
What has coal meant to America? Central Appalachia saw the energy source build communities and jobs, all the while creating destructive consequences. Director Elaine McMillion Sheldon explores the area’s difficulties as well as its connections to coal in “King Coal.” The documentary highlights complex subjects through the lives of two young dancers — their journey intensified by Sheldon’s unflinching attention to detail.
Read More: ‘King Coal’ Review: Elaine McMillion Sheldon’s Documentary Is An Atmospheric, Evocative Elegy For Central Appalachia [Sundance]
The film’s official synopsis:
“A lyrical tapestry of a place and people, “King Coal” meditates on the complex history and future of the coal industry, the communities it has shaped, and the myths it has created.
Continue reading ‘King Coal’ Trailer: Elaine McMillion Sheldon’s Acclaimed Doc About The Coal Industry’s Impact Arrives In August at The Playlist.
Read More: ‘King Coal’ Review: Elaine McMillion Sheldon’s Documentary Is An Atmospheric, Evocative Elegy For Central Appalachia [Sundance]
The film’s official synopsis:
“A lyrical tapestry of a place and people, “King Coal” meditates on the complex history and future of the coal industry, the communities it has shaped, and the myths it has created.
Continue reading ‘King Coal’ Trailer: Elaine McMillion Sheldon’s Acclaimed Doc About The Coal Industry’s Impact Arrives In August at The Playlist.
- 7/24/2023
- by Valerie Thompson
- The Playlist
One of the most impressive films at Sundance Film earlier this year was the latest work from Emmy-winning and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Elaine McMIllion Sheldon. With stunning cinematography, King Coal explores the lives in Central Appalachia and how the effects and bonds instilled by the coal industry. Ahead of a theatrical release beginning on August 11 the first trailer has now arrived.
John Fink said in his review, “A poetic ode to the blue ridges of Central Appalachia, King Coal often evokes an IMAX educational film in its scope, space, and presence. The film explores the complex history of coal as a specter that looms over the region. The precious rock is celebrated throughout, the picture never veering off-course to engage in a discussion of contemporary politics. It’s instead built on West Virginia itself, a land still tied to mythology in some ways. “Who are we, without a king,” Lanie Marsh...
John Fink said in his review, “A poetic ode to the blue ridges of Central Appalachia, King Coal often evokes an IMAX educational film in its scope, space, and presence. The film explores the complex history of coal as a specter that looms over the region. The precious rock is celebrated throughout, the picture never veering off-course to engage in a discussion of contemporary politics. It’s instead built on West Virginia itself, a land still tied to mythology in some ways. “Who are we, without a king,” Lanie Marsh...
- 7/24/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The first trailer drops today for 25 New Faces of Film alum Elaine McMillion Sheldon’s King Coal, the filmmaker’s meditative hybrid doc on the impact of the coal industry (and the substance itself) on Central Appalachia. The film premiered at Sundance this year in the Next section and will arrive in select theaters around the country for limited engagements beginning next month. Per an official synopsis: A lyrical tapestry of a place and people, King Coal meditates on the complex history and future of the coal industry, the communities it has shaped, and the myths it has created. Oscar-nominated filmmaker […]
The post Trailer Watch: Elaine McMillion Sheldon’s King Coal first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Trailer Watch: Elaine McMillion Sheldon’s King Coal first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 7/21/2023
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
The first trailer drops today for 25 New Faces of Film alum Elaine McMillion Sheldon’s King Coal, the filmmaker’s meditative hybrid doc on the impact of the coal industry (and the substance itself) on Central Appalachia. The film premiered at Sundance this year in the Next section and will arrive in select theaters around the country for limited engagements beginning next month. Per an official synopsis: A lyrical tapestry of a place and people, King Coal meditates on the complex history and future of the coal industry, the communities it has shaped, and the myths it has created. Oscar-nominated filmmaker […]
The post Trailer Watch: Elaine McMillion Sheldon’s King Coal first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Trailer Watch: Elaine McMillion Sheldon’s King Coal first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 7/21/2023
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
A Great Divide, a anti-Asian racism drama that stars Ken Jeong, Jae Suh Park and Emerson Min, is set to open the competitive program for Geena Davis’ Bentonville Film Festival, running June 13-18.
The feature directorial debut of Emmy-winning commercial and short film director Jean Shim, which also star Miya Cech in a lead role, will get a world premiere during the ninth edition of the Bentonville, Arkansas festival. A Great Divide follows a Korean-American family that leaves the Bay Area for a fresh start in rural Wyoming after experiencing a devastating loss.
Also getting a first look at Bentonville is director R. J. Daniel Hanna’s Hard Miles, which dramatizes the true story of a youth prison social worker who took a cycling team comprising teenage inmates on a transformative 1,000-mile ride. The film, written by Hanna and Christian Sander, stars Matthew Modine, Cynthia Kaye McWilliams, Jahking Guillory, Jackson Kelly,...
The feature directorial debut of Emmy-winning commercial and short film director Jean Shim, which also star Miya Cech in a lead role, will get a world premiere during the ninth edition of the Bentonville, Arkansas festival. A Great Divide follows a Korean-American family that leaves the Bay Area for a fresh start in rural Wyoming after experiencing a devastating loss.
Also getting a first look at Bentonville is director R. J. Daniel Hanna’s Hard Miles, which dramatizes the true story of a youth prison social worker who took a cycling team comprising teenage inmates on a transformative 1,000-mile ride. The film, written by Hanna and Christian Sander, stars Matthew Modine, Cynthia Kaye McWilliams, Jahking Guillory, Jackson Kelly,...
- 5/9/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Elaine McMillion Sheldon, the filmmaker known thus far for her Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning work in the documentary space, is making her first move into narrative as the director of a film on Marry Harris Jones — the hallowed labor figure known to history as Mother Jones.
Jerry Bowles and David O’Malley penned the script for the project, with Lisa Saltzman set to produce.
An Irish-born American working at various points as a dressmaker and schoolteacher, Jones pivoted her focus to union and community organizing and activism after experiencing two major, personal tragedies: the death of her husband and four children from yellow fever in 1867 Memphis, and the destruction of her dress shop in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The impassioned figure would come to be known as “the most dangerous woman in America” while working to secure rights for mine workers and ban child labor.
Sheldon’s film on...
Jerry Bowles and David O’Malley penned the script for the project, with Lisa Saltzman set to produce.
An Irish-born American working at various points as a dressmaker and schoolteacher, Jones pivoted her focus to union and community organizing and activism after experiencing two major, personal tragedies: the death of her husband and four children from yellow fever in 1867 Memphis, and the destruction of her dress shop in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The impassioned figure would come to be known as “the most dangerous woman in America” while working to secure rights for mine workers and ban child labor.
Sheldon’s film on...
- 4/14/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Davis Guggenheim’s “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie” will open the eighth edition of Chicago’s Doc10 documentary film festival on May 4.
About Fox’s life, career and work as a public advocate for Parkinson’s research, “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie” debuted at Sundance in January. Guggenheim, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind “An Inconvenient Truth” will be at Doc10 to participate in a post-screening conversation.
Doc10, a four-day fest running May 4-7, features a selection of 10 of this year’s most acclaimed documentaries and a package of prestigious doc shorts. Dedicated to supporting social-impact documentary films, the fest is hosted by Chicago Media Project, a company that raises funds for and produces docus including “Crip Camp” and “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”
In addition to “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie” Doc10 will screen: Penny Lane’s “Confessions of a Good Samaritan,” Nicole Newnham’s “The Disappearance of the Shere Hite,...
About Fox’s life, career and work as a public advocate for Parkinson’s research, “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie” debuted at Sundance in January. Guggenheim, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind “An Inconvenient Truth” will be at Doc10 to participate in a post-screening conversation.
Doc10, a four-day fest running May 4-7, features a selection of 10 of this year’s most acclaimed documentaries and a package of prestigious doc shorts. Dedicated to supporting social-impact documentary films, the fest is hosted by Chicago Media Project, a company that raises funds for and produces docus including “Crip Camp” and “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”
In addition to “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie” Doc10 will screen: Penny Lane’s “Confessions of a Good Samaritan,” Nicole Newnham’s “The Disappearance of the Shere Hite,...
- 3/27/2023
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
In Sundance Next selection King Coal, Elaine McMillion Sheldon employs a hybrid approach, blending contemporary imagery with archival material and poetic voiceover to explore the impact that coal — the substance and the industry — has had on Central Appalachia. Below, Dp Curren Sheldon discusses his collaboration with Sheldon on the picture. See all responses to our annual Sundance cinematographer interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of your film? What were the factors and attributes that led to your being hired for this job? Sheldon: King Coal’s director, Elaine McMillion Sheldon, and I have collaborated […]
The post “Our Goal Was To Show the Region as We Appalachians See It, As a Place Full of Complexity and Grandeur”: Dp Curren Sheldon on King Coal first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “Our Goal Was To Show the Region as We Appalachians See It, As a Place Full of Complexity and Grandeur”: Dp Curren Sheldon on King Coal first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 2/1/2023
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
In Sundance Next selection King Coal, Elaine McMillion Sheldon employs a hybrid approach, blending contemporary imagery with archival material and poetic voiceover to explore the impact that coal — the substance and the industry — has had on Central Appalachia. Below, Dp Curren Sheldon discusses his collaboration with Sheldon on the picture. See all responses to our annual Sundance cinematographer interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of your film? What were the factors and attributes that led to your being hired for this job? Sheldon: King Coal’s director, Elaine McMillion Sheldon, and I have collaborated […]
The post “Our Goal Was To Show the Region as We Appalachians See It, As a Place Full of Complexity and Grandeur”: Dp Curren Sheldon on King Coal first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “Our Goal Was To Show the Region as We Appalachians See It, As a Place Full of Complexity and Grandeur”: Dp Curren Sheldon on King Coal first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 2/1/2023
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
In Sundance Next selection King Coal, Elaine McMillion Sheldon employs a hybrid approach, blending contemporary imagery with archival material and poetic voiceover to explore the impact that coal — the substance and the industry — has had on Central Appalachia. Below, editor Iva Radivojevic, herself a filmmaker, discusses her collaboration with Sheldon on the picture. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the editor of your film? What were the factors and attributes that led to your being hired for this job? Radivojevic: Elaine and I had known each other for about a decade prior to making this […]
The post “We Initially Imagined It as a Rectangle That From the Left Starts Off Dark, Gray and Gloomy”: Editor Iva Radivojevic on King Coal first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “We Initially Imagined It as a Rectangle That From the Left Starts Off Dark, Gray and Gloomy”: Editor Iva Radivojevic on King Coal first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 2/1/2023
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
In Sundance Next selection King Coal, Elaine McMillion Sheldon employs a hybrid approach, blending contemporary imagery with archival material and poetic voiceover to explore the impact that coal — the substance and the industry — has had on Central Appalachia. Below, editor Iva Radivojevic, herself a filmmaker, discusses her collaboration with Sheldon on the picture. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the editor of your film? What were the factors and attributes that led to your being hired for this job? Radivojevic: Elaine and I had known each other for about a decade prior to making this […]
The post “We Initially Imagined It as a Rectangle That From the Left Starts Off Dark, Gray and Gloomy”: Editor Iva Radivojevic on King Coal first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “We Initially Imagined It as a Rectangle That From the Left Starts Off Dark, Gray and Gloomy”: Editor Iva Radivojevic on King Coal first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 2/1/2023
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Every production faces unexpected obstructions that require creative solutions and conceptual rethinking. What was an unforeseen obstacle, crisis, or simply unpredictable event you had to respond to, and how did this event impact or cause you to rethink your film? See all responses to our annual Sundance Question here. King Coal is whole-heartedly a creative response to the very act of filmmaking. We filmed this over three years and we were led from shoot-to-shoot based on reactions and creative impulses of our team and Appalachians we filmed with. Some ideas for shots and scenes came to me as a single image […]
The post “There Were So Many Times That This Film Changed in Form, Tone and Story” | Elaine McMillion Sheldon, King Coal first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “There Were So Many Times That This Film Changed in Form, Tone and Story” | Elaine McMillion Sheldon, King Coal first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 2/1/2023
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Every production faces unexpected obstructions that require creative solutions and conceptual rethinking. What was an unforeseen obstacle, crisis, or simply unpredictable event you had to respond to, and how did this event impact or cause you to rethink your film? See all responses to our annual Sundance Question here. King Coal is whole-heartedly a creative response to the very act of filmmaking. We filmed this over three years and we were led from shoot-to-shoot based on reactions and creative impulses of our team and Appalachians we filmed with. Some ideas for shots and scenes came to me as a single image […]
The post “There Were So Many Times That This Film Changed in Form, Tone and Story” | Elaine McMillion Sheldon, King Coal first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “There Were So Many Times That This Film Changed in Form, Tone and Story” | Elaine McMillion Sheldon, King Coal first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 2/1/2023
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
A poetic ode to the blue ridges of Central Appalachia, King Coal often evokes an IMAX educational film in its scope, space, and presence. The film explores the complex history of coal as a specter that looms over the region. The precious rock is celebrated throughout, the picture never veering off-course to engage in a discussion of contemporary politics. It’s instead built on West Virginia itself, a land still tied to mythology in some ways. “Who are we, without a king,” Lanie Marsh (the young star of the picture) asks.
Written and directed by West Virginia native Elaine McMillion Sheldon (who also narrates)––with additional writing by Shane Boris, Logan Hill, Iva Radivojevic, and Heather Hannah––King Coal is a departure from the filmmaker’s previous vérité documentaries Heroin(e) and Recovery Boys, which explore a darker side of her home state. The opioid crisis is a byproduct of...
Written and directed by West Virginia native Elaine McMillion Sheldon (who also narrates)––with additional writing by Shane Boris, Logan Hill, Iva Radivojevic, and Heather Hannah––King Coal is a departure from the filmmaker’s previous vérité documentaries Heroin(e) and Recovery Boys, which explore a darker side of her home state. The opioid crisis is a byproduct of...
- 1/30/2023
- by John Fink
- The Film Stage
This is “a place of mountains and myths,” we’re told as a montage of Central Appalachian imagery fills the frame. The mists, buffalo, ferns, and flowing waters intercut with the coal-filled mountains and mining towns that grew up around them. Coal is intrinsic to the people of this region. Coal is made from many dead things crushed over a long period of time. This thought underscores the stark contrast between life and death that pulses throughout Elaine McMillion Sheldon’s impassioned documentary “King Coal,” artfully told through atmospheric narration and evocative editing.
Read More: 25 Most Anticipated Films At The Sundance Film Festival
“This is what it’s like to live under King Coal,” she tells us.
Continue reading ‘King Coal’ Review: Elaine McMillion Sheldon’s Documentary Is An Atmospheric, Evocative Elegy For Central Appalachia [Sundance] at The Playlist.
Read More: 25 Most Anticipated Films At The Sundance Film Festival
“This is what it’s like to live under King Coal,” she tells us.
Continue reading ‘King Coal’ Review: Elaine McMillion Sheldon’s Documentary Is An Atmospheric, Evocative Elegy For Central Appalachia [Sundance] at The Playlist.
- 1/25/2023
- by Marya E. Gates
- The Playlist
After parting ways with its parent company First Look Media in December, the non-profit documentary production studio Field of Vision is at Sundance with four docus and actively seeking new donors and supporters.
Founded in 2015 by former Hot Docs programming director Charlotte Cook, “CitizenFour” Oscar winner Laura Poitras and SXSW prize winner A.J. Schnack (“We Always Talk to Strangers”), the company now run by Cook has become a force to be reckoned with in recent years. The filmmaker-driven visual journalism documentary company’s credits include the Oscar-winning film “American Factory” as well Academy Award nominated features including “Ascension,” “Strong Island,” and “Hale County This Morning, This Evening.”
Overall, Field of Vision has supported or produced more than 260 features, shorts, and series mainly via grant money provided by First Look Media, the company run by eBay founder Pierre Olmidyar. Over the last several years, the company has begun commercially investing in docus,...
Founded in 2015 by former Hot Docs programming director Charlotte Cook, “CitizenFour” Oscar winner Laura Poitras and SXSW prize winner A.J. Schnack (“We Always Talk to Strangers”), the company now run by Cook has become a force to be reckoned with in recent years. The filmmaker-driven visual journalism documentary company’s credits include the Oscar-winning film “American Factory” as well Academy Award nominated features including “Ascension,” “Strong Island,” and “Hale County This Morning, This Evening.”
Overall, Field of Vision has supported or produced more than 260 features, shorts, and series mainly via grant money provided by First Look Media, the company run by eBay founder Pierre Olmidyar. Over the last several years, the company has begun commercially investing in docus,...
- 1/25/2023
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Editor’s note: This review was originally published at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Drexler Films releases the film in select theaters on Friday, August 11.
The Appalachian Mountains are beyond ancient. As director Elaine McMillion Sheldon points out in the voiceover narration of her new documentary “King Coal,” the New River is ironically named, given that it’s the second-oldest river in the world. There are rocks in those hills that were formed more than a billion years ago, and the coal nestled inside them is the residue of the Earth slowly digesting plants that lived long before the first Homo sapiens. But the stranglehold that “king coal” — a totemic name that Sheldon gives to coal mining as a business — has had over the region is only a few hundred years old.
Sheldon has made a career of documenting life in her native West Virginia, most notably in the Netflix documentary...
The Appalachian Mountains are beyond ancient. As director Elaine McMillion Sheldon points out in the voiceover narration of her new documentary “King Coal,” the New River is ironically named, given that it’s the second-oldest river in the world. There are rocks in those hills that were formed more than a billion years ago, and the coal nestled inside them is the residue of the Earth slowly digesting plants that lived long before the first Homo sapiens. But the stranglehold that “king coal” — a totemic name that Sheldon gives to coal mining as a business — has had over the region is only a few hundred years old.
Sheldon has made a career of documenting life in her native West Virginia, most notably in the Netflix documentary...
- 1/23/2023
- by Katie Rife
- Indiewire
Last month, a letter from Field of Vision’s co-founder and executive director Charlotte Cook announced that the non-profit organization would be splitting from its parent company First Look Media and become an independent studio. Formed in 2015, Field of Vision has been behind documentaries like Hale County This Morning, This Evening, American Factory and Riotsville, USA among others. They’ve also had their hand in producing several films made by 25 New Faces of Film alums, with Alison O’Daniel’s The Tuba Thieves and Elaine McMillion Sheldon’s King Coal premiering at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. As part of the split, First Look […]
The post Field of Vision’s Charlotte Cook on Criteria for New Partners, Preventing Staff Burnout and Their 2023 Sundance Slate first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Field of Vision’s Charlotte Cook on Criteria for New Partners, Preventing Staff Burnout and Their 2023 Sundance Slate first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 1/21/2023
- by Natalia Keogan
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Last month, a letter from Field of Vision’s co-founder and executive director Charlotte Cook announced that the non-profit organization would be splitting from its parent company First Look Media and become an independent studio. Formed in 2015, Field of Vision has been behind documentaries like Hale County This Morning, This Evening, American Factory and Riotsville, USA among others. They’ve also had their hand in producing several films made by 25 New Faces of Film alums, with Alison O’Daniel’s The Tuba Thieves and Elaine McMillion Sheldon’s King Coal premiering at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. As part of the split, First Look […]
The post Field of Vision’s Charlotte Cook on Criteria for New Partners, Preventing Staff Burnout and Their 2023 Sundance Slate first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Field of Vision’s Charlotte Cook on Criteria for New Partners, Preventing Staff Burnout and Their 2023 Sundance Slate first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 1/21/2023
- by Natalia Keogan
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Several award-winning filmmakers to pitch latest projects at industry platform, which has added three new cash prizes.
Swiss documentary festival Visions de Réel has revealed the industry projects that will be pitched and presented at its 2021 edition, including new features from UK director Mark Cousins and Oscar-nominated US filmmaker Elaine McMillion Sheldon.
In total, 29 projects will participate across the VdR-Pitching, VdR-Work in Progress and VdR-Rough Cut Lab. Industry activity will take place from April 14-22 both online and physically in Nyon, subject to pandemic restrictions.
Full list of projects below
The work in progress strand will include the latest...
Swiss documentary festival Visions de Réel has revealed the industry projects that will be pitched and presented at its 2021 edition, including new features from UK director Mark Cousins and Oscar-nominated US filmmaker Elaine McMillion Sheldon.
In total, 29 projects will participate across the VdR-Pitching, VdR-Work in Progress and VdR-Rough Cut Lab. Industry activity will take place from April 14-22 both online and physically in Nyon, subject to pandemic restrictions.
Full list of projects below
The work in progress strand will include the latest...
- 3/19/2021
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Last year, John Prine released The Tree of Forgiveness, his first original album in 13 years. It’s standout track, “Summer’s End,” a heartbreaking plea to a loved one to come home, made the album a clear choice for Rolling Stone‘s 50 Best Albums of 2018. The video, released this fall, went even deeper by depicting a heart-wrenching story of a family wrecked by the country’s opioid crisis, which Prine noted at the time “is tearing American families apart.”
In a newly released video about the making of the music video,...
In a newly released video about the making of the music video,...
- 1/8/2019
- by Patrick Doyle
- Rollingstone.com
At the 2018 Oscars, Frances McDormand, who won her second Best Actress Academy Award for “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” asked all the female nominees to stand. Ten women will always be nominated by the academy: five for Best Actress and another five for Best Supporting Actress. Besides these other nine women, how many others were on their feet in the Dolby Theater?
Of the 20 non-gender specific categories, women were contenders in 17 of them; they were shut out of Original Score (5 men), Sound Editing (9 men) and Visual Effects (20 men). As you can see below, 47 women other than actresses were nominated at the 90th Academy Awards. Of these, only four won Oscars. By comparison, 151 men other than actors were nominated and 32 took home Oscars.
Only one category — Costume Design — had more women contending then men but the winner was a man: Mark Bridges (“Phantom Thread”), who also picked up the jet ski for the shortest acceptance speech.
Of the 20 non-gender specific categories, women were contenders in 17 of them; they were shut out of Original Score (5 men), Sound Editing (9 men) and Visual Effects (20 men). As you can see below, 47 women other than actresses were nominated at the 90th Academy Awards. Of these, only four won Oscars. By comparison, 151 men other than actors were nominated and 32 took home Oscars.
Only one category — Costume Design — had more women contending then men but the winner was a man: Mark Bridges (“Phantom Thread”), who also picked up the jet ski for the shortest acceptance speech.
- 1/1/2019
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
Country music videos in 2018 were a mix of the poignant and the empowering, as some clips movingly told end-of-life tales and others glamorously celebrated independence. Others still lampooned the very art of making videos. Here’s the 10 must-watch clips of the year.
John Prine, “Summer’s End”
A woman loses her life to opioids, leaving behind a young daughter and an elderly father. The aftermath is shown in a series of quick vignettes: an emotional breakdown at school; a trip to a fruit orchard; a family visitation at the gravesite.
John Prine, “Summer’s End”
A woman loses her life to opioids, leaving behind a young daughter and an elderly father. The aftermath is shown in a series of quick vignettes: an emotional breakdown at school; a trip to a fruit orchard; a family visitation at the gravesite.
- 12/21/2018
- by Robert Crawford
- Rollingstone.com
John Prine’s new video for “Summer’s End” packs an emotional wallop, carefully and beautifully rendering a story about a family grappling with loss.
“Summer’s end’s around the bend, just flying,” sings Prine in the opening line, summoning that bittersweet feeling of change in the song from his 2018 album The Tree of Forgiveness. Prine appears strumming his guitar in several scenes, but the narrative in the clip, directed by Kerrin Sheldon and Elaine McMillion Sheldon, centers on an older man and his young granddaughter, both trying to...
“Summer’s end’s around the bend, just flying,” sings Prine in the opening line, summoning that bittersweet feeling of change in the song from his 2018 album The Tree of Forgiveness. Prine appears strumming his guitar in several scenes, but the narrative in the clip, directed by Kerrin Sheldon and Elaine McMillion Sheldon, centers on an older man and his young granddaughter, both trying to...
- 9/28/2018
- by Jon Freeman
- Rollingstone.com
When it comes to social-issue documentaries, Netflix has the market cornered. In recent years, the streaming platform’s original documentaries and docuseries have tackled everything under the sun, from business and politics to drug abuse and public-health crises.
For Netflix’s newest installment, “Recovery Boys,” Academy Award–nominated director Elaine McMillion Sheldon (“Heroin(e)”) delivers a revealing look at the opioid epidemic through the lens of four young men struggling to move on after years of addiction. Available to stream now on Netflix, the film tracks the men, newly sober, as they undergo a traumatic recovery process at a farming-based rehabilitation center and the distressing years that follow.
Today, with all eyes on the opioid crisis, Sheldon’s documentary provides something rare and valuable: an intimate study of progress and pain that serves to humanize rather than alienate. Here are five more Netflix documentaries that take a deep dive into contemporary social issues,...
For Netflix’s newest installment, “Recovery Boys,” Academy Award–nominated director Elaine McMillion Sheldon (“Heroin(e)”) delivers a revealing look at the opioid epidemic through the lens of four young men struggling to move on after years of addiction. Available to stream now on Netflix, the film tracks the men, newly sober, as they undergo a traumatic recovery process at a farming-based rehabilitation center and the distressing years that follow.
Today, with all eyes on the opioid crisis, Sheldon’s documentary provides something rare and valuable: an intimate study of progress and pain that serves to humanize rather than alienate. Here are five more Netflix documentaries that take a deep dive into contemporary social issues,...
- 7/6/2018
- by Indiewire Staff
- Indiewire
Washington — Renee Fleming, currently starring in the Broadway revival of “Carousel,” will perform one of the classics from the show, “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” during PBS’s “A Capitol Fourth” on Wednesday night.
In the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical, Fleming plays Nettie Fowler, and sings the song to comfort and console her cousin Julie, whose husband has just taken his own life.
But over the years, the song has become an American standard, often sung at major national events. “The words are about resiliency and hope,” Fleming tells Variety’s PopPolitics on SiriusXM, in a special Independence Day show.
Fleming also sang “You’ll Never Walk Alone” in 2002 at the event marking the first anniversary of 9/11 and later in 2009 at an inaugural concert for Barack Obama.
At the Capitol Fourth concert, she will be paying tribute to men and women in uniform.
The concert, hosted by John Stamos, also will feature the Beach Boys,...
In the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical, Fleming plays Nettie Fowler, and sings the song to comfort and console her cousin Julie, whose husband has just taken his own life.
But over the years, the song has become an American standard, often sung at major national events. “The words are about resiliency and hope,” Fleming tells Variety’s PopPolitics on SiriusXM, in a special Independence Day show.
Fleming also sang “You’ll Never Walk Alone” in 2002 at the event marking the first anniversary of 9/11 and later in 2009 at an inaugural concert for Barack Obama.
At the Capitol Fourth concert, she will be paying tribute to men and women in uniform.
The concert, hosted by John Stamos, also will feature the Beach Boys,...
- 7/2/2018
- by Ted Johnson
- Variety Film + TV
"One week clean! Then a whole lifetime..." Netflix has released an official trailer for a documentary titled Recovery Boys, the latest from filmmaker Elaine McMillion Sheldon. This just premiered at the Hot Docs festival last month, and will be available on Netflix at the end of this month. "In the heart of America's opioid epidemic, four men attempt to reinvent their lives and reenter society sober after years of drug abuse." The doc film is an "intimate look at the strength, brotherhood, and courage that it takes to overcome addiction and lays bare the internal conflict of recovery and the external hurdles of an unforgiving society." The opioid epidemic is a hot topic in American society right now, and these real stories are important because they actually provide a bit of hope and optimism in a world that doesn't seem to have much of that recently. This looks like it's worth watching.
- 6/11/2018
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Ten women will always be nominated for Oscars: five for Best Actress and another five for Best Supporting Actress. At the 2018 Oscars, Frances McDormand, who won her second Best Actress Academy Award for “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” asked all the female nominees to stand. As you can see from the video above, she asked rival acting nominee Meryl Streep (“The Post”) to lead the way and this 21-time Oscar nominee obliged. Besides the other eight actresses nominated, how many other women were on their feet in the Dolby theater?
Of the 20 non-gender specific categories, women were contenders in 17 of them; they were shut out of Original Score (5 men), Sound Editing (9 men) and Visual Effects (20 men). As you can see below, 47 women other than actresses were nominated at the 90th Academy Awards. Of these, only four won Oscars. By comparison, 151 men other than actors were nominated and 32 took home Oscars.
Of the 20 non-gender specific categories, women were contenders in 17 of them; they were shut out of Original Score (5 men), Sound Editing (9 men) and Visual Effects (20 men). As you can see below, 47 women other than actresses were nominated at the 90th Academy Awards. Of these, only four won Oscars. By comparison, 151 men other than actors were nominated and 32 took home Oscars.
- 3/5/2018
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
The 2018 Academy Awards took place on March 4 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The 90th annual ceremony was hosted by Jimmy Kimmel. The full list of winners is below.
Supporting Actor:
Sam Rockwell, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Willem Dafoe, “The Florida Project”
Woody Harrelson, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Richard Jenkins, “The Shape of Water”
Christopher Plummer, “All the Money in the World”
Makeup and Hair:
“Darkest Hour,” Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Malinowski, Lucy Sibbick
“Victoria and Abdul,” Daniel Phillips and Lou Sheppard
“Wonder,” Arjen Tuiten
Costume Design:
“Phantom Thread,” Mark Bridges
“Beauty and the Beast,” Jacqueline Durran
“Darkest Hour,” Jacqueline Durran
“The Shape of Water,” Luis Sequeira
“Victoria and Abdul,” Consolata Boyle
Best Documentary Feature:
“Icarus,” Bryan Fogel, Dan Cogan
“Abacus: Small Enough to Jail,” Steve James, Mark Mitten, Julie Goldman
“Faces Places,” Jr, Agnès Varda, Rosalie Varda
“Last Men in Aleppo,” Feras Fayyad, Kareem Abeed, Soren Steen Jepersen
“Strong Island,...
Supporting Actor:
Sam Rockwell, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Willem Dafoe, “The Florida Project”
Woody Harrelson, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Richard Jenkins, “The Shape of Water”
Christopher Plummer, “All the Money in the World”
Makeup and Hair:
“Darkest Hour,” Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Malinowski, Lucy Sibbick
“Victoria and Abdul,” Daniel Phillips and Lou Sheppard
“Wonder,” Arjen Tuiten
Costume Design:
“Phantom Thread,” Mark Bridges
“Beauty and the Beast,” Jacqueline Durran
“Darkest Hour,” Jacqueline Durran
“The Shape of Water,” Luis Sequeira
“Victoria and Abdul,” Consolata Boyle
Best Documentary Feature:
“Icarus,” Bryan Fogel, Dan Cogan
“Abacus: Small Enough to Jail,” Steve James, Mark Mitten, Julie Goldman
“Faces Places,” Jr, Agnès Varda, Rosalie Varda
“Last Men in Aleppo,” Feras Fayyad, Kareem Abeed, Soren Steen Jepersen
“Strong Island,...
- 3/5/2018
- by William Earl
- Indiewire
MaryAnn’s quick take… My pick: “Heaven Is a Traffic Jam on the 405,” a marvelous portrait of artist Mindy Alper, one that challenges us all to know ourselves as well as she seems to, even when it’s incredibly painful. I’m “biast” (pro): nothing
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
Remarkable women who are enduring, pushing for change, and finding themselves are at the heart of the majority of these short documentaries. This is one of the few Oscars categories in which women make good showings behind the camera, too, and that’s true this year as well, with three of the five nominated films the work of female directors.
The deliciously titled “Heaven Is a Traffic Jam on the 405” [IMDb|official site], from filmmaker Frank Stiefel, is, I suspect, about to win the Oscar for its marvelously moving portrait of Los Angeles artist Mindy Alper.
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
Remarkable women who are enduring, pushing for change, and finding themselves are at the heart of the majority of these short documentaries. This is one of the few Oscars categories in which women make good showings behind the camera, too, and that’s true this year as well, with three of the five nominated films the work of female directors.
The deliciously titled “Heaven Is a Traffic Jam on the 405” [IMDb|official site], from filmmaker Frank Stiefel, is, I suspect, about to win the Oscar for its marvelously moving portrait of Los Angeles artist Mindy Alper.
- 3/5/2018
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
With the opioid crisis engulfing the country to the point where it’s been declared a national health emergency, “Heroin(e)” examines one town in West Virginia and three women who are doing their part to guide their communities through this tragedy. The film (currently viewable on Netflix) is one of the five nominees at the Oscars for the Best Documentary Short and marks the first bids for Elaine McMillion Sheldon and Kerrin Sheldon.
The town of Huntington, West Virginia is the second largest city in the state. Right on the border with Ohio and very near Kentucky, the city has just under 50,000 residents, over 350,000 in the surrounding metro area and houses Marshall University. It’s also been on the brutal end of the nation’s opioid crisis with a death-rate that is ten times the national average and been dubbed the “overdose capital of America.” The first of our...
The town of Huntington, West Virginia is the second largest city in the state. Right on the border with Ohio and very near Kentucky, the city has just under 50,000 residents, over 350,000 in the surrounding metro area and houses Marshall University. It’s also been on the brutal end of the nation’s opioid crisis with a death-rate that is ten times the national average and been dubbed the “overdose capital of America.” The first of our...
- 2/28/2018
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Elaine McMillion Sheldon, director of Netflix’s Oscar-nominated Best Documentary Short Subject, “Heroin(e),” knows her topic too well. While she is a ninth-generation West Virginian who went to graduate school on the East Coast and interned at The Washington Post, many of her peers weren’t so lucky. Two years ago, she and her producing partner husband, Kerrin Sheldon, moved back to their native state to document the opioid crisis. “I personally have had a lot of friends and classmates from middle school and high school become addicted or are currently in rehab, or in longterm recovery,” McMillion Sheldon said in a recent phone interview. “It’s a story that was haunting us both.”
Huntington, West Virginia (population: 48,000) experienced 10 times the national overdose rate in 2015. “Heroin(e)” protagonist Jan Rader — the state’s first female fire chief — fields calls for up to 26 opioid overdoses per day. She explains in...
Huntington, West Virginia (population: 48,000) experienced 10 times the national overdose rate in 2015. “Heroin(e)” protagonist Jan Rader — the state’s first female fire chief — fields calls for up to 26 opioid overdoses per day. She explains in...
- 2/27/2018
- by Jenna Marotta
- Indiewire
It’s a close race between “Edith+Eddie” and “Heroin(e),” but the former is slightly more moving and that may be enough. [Posted Feb. 19]
1. “Edith+Eddie,” Laura Checkoway, Thomas Lee Wright
2. “Heroin(e),” Elaine McMillion Sheldon, Kerrin Sheldon
3. “Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405,” Frank Stiefel
4. “Knife Skills,” Thomas Lennon
5. “Traffic Stop,” Kate Davis, David Heilbroner
Current predictions:
Best Picture
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Director
Original Screenplay
Adapted Screenplay
Editing
Cinematography
Production Design
Original Score
Best Song
Costumes
Sound Mixing
Sound Editing
Documentary
Foreign Language Film
Animated Feature Film
Makeup and Hairstyling
Visual Effects
Documentary Short
Live Action Short
Animated Short...
1. “Edith+Eddie,” Laura Checkoway, Thomas Lee Wright
2. “Heroin(e),” Elaine McMillion Sheldon, Kerrin Sheldon
3. “Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405,” Frank Stiefel
4. “Knife Skills,” Thomas Lennon
5. “Traffic Stop,” Kate Davis, David Heilbroner
Current predictions:
Best Picture
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Director
Original Screenplay
Adapted Screenplay
Editing
Cinematography
Production Design
Original Score
Best Song
Costumes
Sound Mixing
Sound Editing
Documentary
Foreign Language Film
Animated Feature Film
Makeup and Hairstyling
Visual Effects
Documentary Short
Live Action Short
Animated Short...
- 2/20/2018
- by Gregory Ellwood
- The Playlist
For director Elaine McMillion Sheldon, the documentary “Heroin(e)” was personal. Her Oscar-nominated short follows three women in Huntington, West Virginia, trying to help victims of the opioid epidemic. A resident of the state, which leads the nation in drug overdose deaths, Sheldon wanted to make the film because the crisis has “impacted a lot of people I know in a very personal way.” But rather than paint a bleak portrait, Sheldon hoped to shine a light on “the people on the ground actually working towards change every day.” Watch our exclusive video interview with Sheldon above.
See 2018 Oscar nominations: Full list of Academy Awards nominees in all 24 categories
When Sheldon and her husband, producer and cinematographer Kerrin James Sheldon, first set out to make the film they weren’t quite sure what it would be about. “It was more research around trying to find stories,” she explains. Through their travels they found Jan Rader,...
See 2018 Oscar nominations: Full list of Academy Awards nominees in all 24 categories
When Sheldon and her husband, producer and cinematographer Kerrin James Sheldon, first set out to make the film they weren’t quite sure what it would be about. “It was more research around trying to find stories,” she explains. Through their travels they found Jan Rader,...
- 2/15/2018
- by Zach Laws
- Gold Derby
If Program B is an impersonal title for this showcase of Oscar-nominated documentary short films, call it instead The Problem Solvers: Two American filmmakers look at subjects causing most observers to despair and find, in a very localized way, heroes to celebrate. Both very fine movies from established journalists, they're each likely to draw a healthy chunk of the Academy's votes.
The more unlikely of the pair is Elaine McMillion Sheldon's Heroin(e), which could easily (if glibly) be described as "the feel-good opioid crisis movie." Traveling to Huntington, West Virginia, which it refers to as "the overdose capital" of America...
The more unlikely of the pair is Elaine McMillion Sheldon's Heroin(e), which could easily (if glibly) be described as "the feel-good opioid crisis movie." Traveling to Huntington, West Virginia, which it refers to as "the overdose capital" of America...
- 2/9/2018
- by John DeFore
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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