Documentary filmmaking has never been a profession one enters into to get rich — though for a brief period it seemed possible.
Cable expanded documentary’s reach to wider audiences in the 1980’s and 1990’s, and films like “Fahrenheit 9/11,” “March of the Penguins,” and “An Inconvenient Truth” became legitimate box-office breakthroughs, but nonfiction features on the whole remained something of a stepchild within the larger Hollywood ecosystem until 2017, when Netflix acquired Brian Fogel’s “Icarus” for $5 million.
At the time, the deal was one of the biggest ever for a non-fiction film. And it was followed by even bigger deals: In 2019 Netflix shelled out $10 million for Rachel Lears’ “Knock Down the House.” The following year Apple TV+ and A24 partnered to buy Jesse Moss’ “Boys State” for $10 million, and in 2021 Searchlight and Hulu bought Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s “Summer of Soul” for $12 million.
On the surface it seemed like people,...
Cable expanded documentary’s reach to wider audiences in the 1980’s and 1990’s, and films like “Fahrenheit 9/11,” “March of the Penguins,” and “An Inconvenient Truth” became legitimate box-office breakthroughs, but nonfiction features on the whole remained something of a stepchild within the larger Hollywood ecosystem until 2017, when Netflix acquired Brian Fogel’s “Icarus” for $5 million.
At the time, the deal was one of the biggest ever for a non-fiction film. And it was followed by even bigger deals: In 2019 Netflix shelled out $10 million for Rachel Lears’ “Knock Down the House.” The following year Apple TV+ and A24 partnered to buy Jesse Moss’ “Boys State” for $10 million, and in 2021 Searchlight and Hulu bought Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s “Summer of Soul” for $12 million.
On the surface it seemed like people,...
- 4/6/2024
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced shortlists in 10 categories for the 96th Academy Awards. 15 films from each of the categories below were shortlisted. There were no surprises when it came to most of the big film Oscar nominations like ‘Oppenheimer’, ‘Barbie’, ‘Poor Things’ and ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’. India’s Oscar entry ‘2018: Everyone is a Hero’ did not make the cut in a strong International feature film lineup. There were some surprises as well with Chilean film ‘The Settlers’, Argentinian film ‘The Delinquents’ and Turkish film ‘About Dry Grasses’ being snubbed.
Documentary Feature Film
“American Symphony”
“Apolonia, Apolonia”
“Beyond Utopia”
“Bobi Wine: The People’s President”
“Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy”
“The Eternal Memory”
“Four Daughters”
“Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project”
“In the Rearview”
“Stamped from the Beginning”
“Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie”
“A Still Small Voice...
Documentary Feature Film
“American Symphony”
“Apolonia, Apolonia”
“Beyond Utopia”
“Bobi Wine: The People’s President”
“Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy”
“The Eternal Memory”
“Four Daughters”
“Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project”
“In the Rearview”
“Stamped from the Beginning”
“Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie”
“A Still Small Voice...
- 12/21/2023
- by Prem
- Talking Films
The academy released the 2043 Oscars shortlists in 10 categories on Thursday, December 21. The hopefuls in a wide range of races found out if they remain in contention for the 96th annual Academy Awards. Among these are the marquee categories for Best International Feature Film (which was pared down to 10 films from the 88 submitted) and Best Documentary Feature (which went from 167 to 15).
Both music awards – Best Original Song and Best Original Score — were winnowed down to just 15 contenders from 94 and 148 submissions respectively. Likewise for the three awards for shorts: animated (93), documentary (114) and live-action (187). The Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Sound and Best Visual Effects races were culled from dozens of entries to 10 apiece.
Documentary Feature
One hundred and sixty-seven films were eligible for consideration; there are 15 on the shortlist. Members of the Documentary Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees. The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:
“American Symphony”
“Apolonia,...
Both music awards – Best Original Song and Best Original Score — were winnowed down to just 15 contenders from 94 and 148 submissions respectively. Likewise for the three awards for shorts: animated (93), documentary (114) and live-action (187). The Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Sound and Best Visual Effects races were culled from dozens of entries to 10 apiece.
Documentary Feature
One hundred and sixty-seven films were eligible for consideration; there are 15 on the shortlist. Members of the Documentary Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees. The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:
“American Symphony”
“Apolonia,...
- 12/21/2023
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
Just in time for the holiday season, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has gifted a slew of films the honor of being included on the 2024 Oscars shortlists in a range of categories.
The annual shortlists for International Feature Film, Documentary, Sound, Original Score, Original Song, Makeup and Hairstyling, Visual Effects, Live-Action Short Film, Documentary Short Subject, and Animated Short Film were unveiled December 21, almost one month exactly before the complete Oscar nominations will be announced.
Anticipated inclusions for Oscar frontrunners like “Barbie,” “Poor Things,” and “Maestro” made the cut in a variety of categories. Ukrainian documentary “20 Days in Mariupol” and Tunisian Isis saga “Four Daughters” are both pulling double duty with shortlist inclusions in the International Feature and Documentary Feature categories.
Academy Award nomination voting runs from January 11 – 16, with the official nominations announced on January 23. Final voting will then run from February 22 – 27, with the 96th annual...
The annual shortlists for International Feature Film, Documentary, Sound, Original Score, Original Song, Makeup and Hairstyling, Visual Effects, Live-Action Short Film, Documentary Short Subject, and Animated Short Film were unveiled December 21, almost one month exactly before the complete Oscar nominations will be announced.
Anticipated inclusions for Oscar frontrunners like “Barbie,” “Poor Things,” and “Maestro” made the cut in a variety of categories. Ukrainian documentary “20 Days in Mariupol” and Tunisian Isis saga “Four Daughters” are both pulling double duty with shortlist inclusions in the International Feature and Documentary Feature categories.
Academy Award nomination voting runs from January 11 – 16, with the official nominations announced on January 23. Final voting will then run from February 22 – 27, with the 96th annual...
- 12/21/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the shortlists in 10 categories for the upcoming 96th Oscars ceremony.
Overall, Greta Gerwig’s meta-comedy “Barbie” had the most mentions with five including sound, original song for its three submissions from Billie Eilish (“What I Was Made For?”), Dua Lipa (“Dance the Night”) and Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt (“I’m Just Ken”), and original score, from the latter duo. The big miss for “Barbie” was in makeup and hairstyling, which was the category that yielded the most surprises.
In addition to “Barbie,” “The Color Purple,” and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” all failed to make the shortlist. Instead, the branch selected A24’s eccentric “Beau is Afraid” and Universal Pictures’ horror summer film “The Last Voyage of the Demeter.”
In the music categories are compositions from Daniel Pemberton (“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”), Ludwig Göransson (“Oppenheimer”) and the late...
Overall, Greta Gerwig’s meta-comedy “Barbie” had the most mentions with five including sound, original song for its three submissions from Billie Eilish (“What I Was Made For?”), Dua Lipa (“Dance the Night”) and Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt (“I’m Just Ken”), and original score, from the latter duo. The big miss for “Barbie” was in makeup and hairstyling, which was the category that yielded the most surprises.
In addition to “Barbie,” “The Color Purple,” and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” all failed to make the shortlist. Instead, the branch selected A24’s eccentric “Beau is Afraid” and Universal Pictures’ horror summer film “The Last Voyage of the Demeter.”
In the music categories are compositions from Daniel Pemberton (“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”), Ludwig Göransson (“Oppenheimer”) and the late...
- 12/21/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
The Academy has revealed the list of eligible films for consideration in best animated, documentary and international feature of the year, encompassing a broad range of blockbusters and critically acclaimed titles.
GKids’ “The Boy and the Heron,” Pixar’s “Elemental,” Sony’s “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” and Illumination’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” are among the 33 animated films in the running. This is up from 27 in 2023, when “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” took home the prize.
The eventual five nominees are determined by members of the shorts and animation branch, and any Academy members outside the branch who wish to participate. The number of outside members who opt in is unknown. All films submitted for animated feature also qualify for the Academy Awards in other categories, including best picture.
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Oscars predictions in all categories.
There are 88 films representing their countries for the international feature Oscar,...
GKids’ “The Boy and the Heron,” Pixar’s “Elemental,” Sony’s “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” and Illumination’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” are among the 33 animated films in the running. This is up from 27 in 2023, when “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” took home the prize.
The eventual five nominees are determined by members of the shorts and animation branch, and any Academy members outside the branch who wish to participate. The number of outside members who opt in is unknown. All films submitted for animated feature also qualify for the Academy Awards in other categories, including best picture.
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Oscars predictions in all categories.
There are 88 films representing their countries for the international feature Oscar,...
- 12/7/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Above: first US teaser poster for Poor Things. Design by Vasilis Marmatakis.I don’t know whether it’s because of the power of Yorgos Lanthimos, or the popularity of Emma Stone, or the sheer genius of designer Vasilis Marmatakis, or a combination of all of them, but three out of the four most liked posters on my Movie Poster of the Day Instagram over the past six months have all been posters for Lanthimos’s latest, Poor Things. The teaser above is now the most liked poster ever on my feed.Breaking up the Poor Things monopoly at number two is Polish designer Maks Bereski’s fan-art design for Ridley Scott’s yet-to-be-released Napoleon, which also went through the roof with over 4,000 likes when I posted it in June in conjunction with my article on Bereski and his favorite movie posters. Instagram likes are a fickle thing but it...
- 10/12/2023
- MUBI
Nancy Buirski, a PGA Award winner who produced the 2016 film Loving that was inspired by her documentary, directed several films including last year’s Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy and founded the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, died August 29. Her company Augusta Films announced the news but did not provide details.
Buirski began her career as photographer and photo editor for The New York Times and in 1998 founded the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, which she would lead for a decade. Her first directing job was on The Loving Story (2011), a documentary about Richard and Mildred Loving, an interracial couple who married in 1958 without knowing their union was illegal in Virginia, where they lived and went on to face an ultimately successful legal journey that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1967 as Loving v Virginia.
The film was shortlisted for...
Buirski began her career as photographer and photo editor for The New York Times and in 1998 founded the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, which she would lead for a decade. Her first directing job was on The Loving Story (2011), a documentary about Richard and Mildred Loving, an interracial couple who married in 1958 without knowing their union was illegal in Virginia, where they lived and went on to face an ultimately successful legal journey that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1967 as Loving v Virginia.
The film was shortlisted for...
- 8/31/2023
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Nancy Buirski, the acclaimed and award winning documentary filmmaker behind “The Loving Story” and the cofounder of the Full Frame festival, died Wednesday, her production company, Augusta Films announced. She was 78.
Buirski’s cause of death was not disclosed; her representatives told TheWrap they did not know her age.
“The field has lost a giant today. Nancy was a completely original thinker and a visionary. With every film she pushed the limits of the art form with her kaleidoscopic, unique approach to storytelling. She was an exceptionally generous supporter of other artists in the field, and will be mourned by so many. We are devastated by this loss,” Buirski’s frequent collaborator, Susan Margolin, said in a statement.
Born in New York, Buirski began her career as a photographer, eventually working as a photo editor for the New York Times, where her work won a Pulitzer Prize in 1994. In 1998 she...
Buirski’s cause of death was not disclosed; her representatives told TheWrap they did not know her age.
“The field has lost a giant today. Nancy was a completely original thinker and a visionary. With every film she pushed the limits of the art form with her kaleidoscopic, unique approach to storytelling. She was an exceptionally generous supporter of other artists in the field, and will be mourned by so many. We are devastated by this loss,” Buirski’s frequent collaborator, Susan Margolin, said in a statement.
Born in New York, Buirski began her career as a photographer, eventually working as a photo editor for the New York Times, where her work won a Pulitzer Prize in 1994. In 1998 she...
- 8/31/2023
- by Ross A. Lincoln
- The Wrap
Nancy Buirski, the award-winning documentary filmmaker known for “The Loving Story” and “Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy,” has died.
Her production company Augusta Films shared the news of her death on Wednesday in a statement, writing, “Nancy’s extensive and rich body of work delved into a wide range of social, cultural and historical issues with keen insight, humanity and above all, artistry.”
Buirski directed 2011’s “The Loving Story,” a documentary about the Supreme Court case of Loving v. Virginia, which led to the landmark civil rights decision that struck down state laws banning interracial marriage. She received a News & Documentary Emmy for outstanding historical programming, long form, as well as a Peabody Award.
In 1998, Buirski founded the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, which spotlights independent documentary filmmakers from around the world. She served as director of the festival until 2008.
Buirski’s most recent documentary,...
Her production company Augusta Films shared the news of her death on Wednesday in a statement, writing, “Nancy’s extensive and rich body of work delved into a wide range of social, cultural and historical issues with keen insight, humanity and above all, artistry.”
Buirski directed 2011’s “The Loving Story,” a documentary about the Supreme Court case of Loving v. Virginia, which led to the landmark civil rights decision that struck down state laws banning interracial marriage. She received a News & Documentary Emmy for outstanding historical programming, long form, as well as a Peabody Award.
In 1998, Buirski founded the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, which spotlights independent documentary filmmakers from around the world. She served as director of the festival until 2008.
Buirski’s most recent documentary,...
- 8/31/2023
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety Film + TV
The new documentary feature "Desperate Souls, Dark City And The Legend Of Midnight Cowboy", directed by Nancy Buirski , "...is not a documentary about the making of 'Midnight Cowboy'. It is about the deeply gifted and flawed people behind a dark and difficult masterpiece...", releasing June 23, 2023 in theaters:
".... a half century after its release, 'Midnight Cowboy' remains one of the most original and groundbreaking movies of the modern era.
"With performances from Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman as two loners who join forces out of desperation, blacklist survivor Waldo Salt's screenplay and John Schlesinger's direction...
"...the 1969 film became the only X- rated film to ever win the 'Academy Award' for 'Best Picture'.
"Its vivid and compassionate depiction of a more realistic, unsanitized New York City and its inhabitants...
"...paved the way for a generation’s worth of gritty movies with complex characters and adult themes.
".... a half century after its release, 'Midnight Cowboy' remains one of the most original and groundbreaking movies of the modern era.
"With performances from Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman as two loners who join forces out of desperation, blacklist survivor Waldo Salt's screenplay and John Schlesinger's direction...
"...the 1969 film became the only X- rated film to ever win the 'Academy Award' for 'Best Picture'.
"Its vivid and compassionate depiction of a more realistic, unsanitized New York City and its inhabitants...
"...paved the way for a generation’s worth of gritty movies with complex characters and adult themes.
- 5/31/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Exclusive: Kino Lorber and Zeitgeist Films have picked up North American rights to Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy — a new documentary on the making of the iconic John Schlesinger film, from acclaimed documentarian Nancy Buirski (The Loving Story).
Related Story 1091 Pictures Acquires Domestic Distribution Rights To Romantic Drama ‘Under My Skin’ Related Story Locarno Film Festival War Drama 'Tommy Guns' Gets North American Deal Related Story Ralph Fiennes' 'Four Quartets' Gets North American Distribution Deal Ahead Of Stateside Bow At Santa Barbara
Zeitgeist will open the film in North American theaters beginning at New York’s Film Forum in late June and take it nationwide from there, with a digital, educational and home video release on all major platforms via Kino Lorber to follow.
Inspired by Glen Frankel’s 2021 book Shooting Midnight Cowboy: Art, Sex, Loneliness, Liberation and the Making of a Dark Classic, Desperate...
Related Story 1091 Pictures Acquires Domestic Distribution Rights To Romantic Drama ‘Under My Skin’ Related Story Locarno Film Festival War Drama 'Tommy Guns' Gets North American Deal Related Story Ralph Fiennes' 'Four Quartets' Gets North American Distribution Deal Ahead Of Stateside Bow At Santa Barbara
Zeitgeist will open the film in North American theaters beginning at New York’s Film Forum in late June and take it nationwide from there, with a digital, educational and home video release on all major platforms via Kino Lorber to follow.
Inspired by Glen Frankel’s 2021 book Shooting Midnight Cowboy: Art, Sex, Loneliness, Liberation and the Making of a Dark Classic, Desperate...
- 3/22/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
The families of historical figures including Mahatma Gandhi, Eleanor Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Martin Luther King Jr. are taking part in a new docuseries from “Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy” outfit Cineflix Productions.
Titled “The Descendants,” the new series has exclusive access to the families of Gandhi, Roosevelt, Churchill and King, who will share private collections of archival materials and intimate, untold stories.
The four-part premium documentary anthology will explore what it’s like “to honor and uphold” the legacies of global icons through the perspectives of their direct descendants.
Executive producers include J.C. Mills for Cineflix Productions as well as Valerie LoCascio and Anne Kenny. Gandhi also will serve as an executive producer.
Each episode will be guided by a relative of the featured icon:
• Gandhi: Great-granddaughter Amrita Gandhi, author and TV host, will introduce viewers to Gandhi’s family members, including grandsons Gopalkrishna...
Titled “The Descendants,” the new series has exclusive access to the families of Gandhi, Roosevelt, Churchill and King, who will share private collections of archival materials and intimate, untold stories.
The four-part premium documentary anthology will explore what it’s like “to honor and uphold” the legacies of global icons through the perspectives of their direct descendants.
Executive producers include J.C. Mills for Cineflix Productions as well as Valerie LoCascio and Anne Kenny. Gandhi also will serve as an executive producer.
Each episode will be guided by a relative of the featured icon:
• Gandhi: Great-granddaughter Amrita Gandhi, author and TV host, will introduce viewers to Gandhi’s family members, including grandsons Gopalkrishna...
- 12/6/2022
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.