Archival producers spend their days immersed in history – cultural, political, or personal, depending on the project. Yet, historically, their specialized work has often been overlooked, even though it’s key to the Ken Burns canon and other great documentaries like Man on Wire, 13th, The Fog of War, Apollo 11, How to Survive a Plague, They Shall Not Grow Old, and so many others.
The recently formed Archival Producers Alliance is helping to address this fundamental lack of understanding of what archival producers do and how they do it. And it’s also alerting the doc community to foundational challenges posed by the rapid emergence of AI.
In the latest episode of Deadline’s Doc Talk podcast, we speak with Debra McClutchy, a member of the APA who earned an Oscar nomination for co-directing the archive-driven short film The Martha Mitchell Effect. She discusses where archival producers find the rarities...
The recently formed Archival Producers Alliance is helping to address this fundamental lack of understanding of what archival producers do and how they do it. And it’s also alerting the doc community to foundational challenges posed by the rapid emergence of AI.
In the latest episode of Deadline’s Doc Talk podcast, we speak with Debra McClutchy, a member of the APA who earned an Oscar nomination for co-directing the archive-driven short film The Martha Mitchell Effect. She discusses where archival producers find the rarities...
- 5/7/2024
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
If its wins at the recent Screen Actors Guild Awards did not send enough of a message that “Oppenheimer” is far and away the frontrunner for Best Picture at the 2024 Oscars, the film’s receiving the Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures at the Producers Guild of America Awards on Sunday, February 25 almost certainly sealed the deal.
In her acceptance speech, “Oppenheimer” executive producer Emma Thomas was quick to to first thank the guild in general for the work that they do, as earlier in the evening, PGA co-presidents Stephanie Allain and Donald De Line announced a historic initiative to fund health insurance for full-time working producers in the guild. After that, however, she was also sure to make note of how writer/director Christopher Nolan (both her husband and business partner) also happens to be “the best producer. He’s absolutely brilliant.”
Nolan himself said that,...
In her acceptance speech, “Oppenheimer” executive producer Emma Thomas was quick to to first thank the guild in general for the work that they do, as earlier in the evening, PGA co-presidents Stephanie Allain and Donald De Line announced a historic initiative to fund health insurance for full-time working producers in the guild. After that, however, she was also sure to make note of how writer/director Christopher Nolan (both her husband and business partner) also happens to be “the best producer. He’s absolutely brilliant.”
Nolan himself said that,...
- 2/26/2024
- by Marcus Jones
- Indiewire
Clockwise from top left: The Equalizer (Sony), Palm Springs (Hulu), Triangle Of Sadness (Neon), Parasite (Neon)Graphic: AVClub
Hulu, like all streaming services, adds and loses titles every month. If you see something that you want to stream, don’t assume that it will still be there two weeks or...
Hulu, like all streaming services, adds and loses titles every month. If you see something that you want to stream, don’t assume that it will still be there two weeks or...
- 2/24/2024
- by The A.V. Club
- avclub.com
New year, new Hulu! As the streamer welcomes in dozens of new and classic titles this January, including its new whodunit series “Death and Other Details,” it will first have to say goodbye to the old.
A few titles have already been removed from the library so far this month, including the hit samurai thriller “13 Assassins,” but over the next few weeks of January, dozens more titles will be leaving the platform, including the beloved baseball coming-of-age comedy “The Sandlot,” several Christmas classics, and the 1996 box office buster “Twister.”
Don’t miss your last chance to watch— fill up your watch list with The Streamable’s top picks (and everything else) for what’s leaving Hulu this month!
30-Day Free Trial $7.99+ / month hulu.com What are the 5 Best Shows and Movies Leaving Hulu in January 2024? “Apollo 11” | Wednesday, Jan. 31
“Dinosaur 13” director Todd Douglas Miller picks another number with “Apollo 11,...
A few titles have already been removed from the library so far this month, including the hit samurai thriller “13 Assassins,” but over the next few weeks of January, dozens more titles will be leaving the platform, including the beloved baseball coming-of-age comedy “The Sandlot,” several Christmas classics, and the 1996 box office buster “Twister.”
Don’t miss your last chance to watch— fill up your watch list with The Streamable’s top picks (and everything else) for what’s leaving Hulu this month!
30-Day Free Trial $7.99+ / month hulu.com What are the 5 Best Shows and Movies Leaving Hulu in January 2024? “Apollo 11” | Wednesday, Jan. 31
“Dinosaur 13” director Todd Douglas Miller picks another number with “Apollo 11,...
- 1/10/2024
- by Ashley Steves
- The Streamable
The Producers Guild of America (PGA) announced the seven titles nominated for its 2024 Documentary Motion Picture award on December 12. Each of the films will advance to the final round of voting for the 35th Annual Producers Guild Awards which will take place on Sunday, February 25.
The films nominated for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Motion Pictures are:
“20 Days in Mariupol”
“American Symphony”
“Beyond Utopia”
“The Disappearance of Shere Hite”
“The Mother of All Lies”
“Smoke Sauna Sisterhood”
“Squaring the Circle (The Story of Hipgnosis)”
Recognition from the PGA is not always a reliable indicator of which direction AMPAS will go in determining the Oscar winner. Though PGA and AMPAS matched on their winners over the last three years with “Navalny,” “Summer of Soul,” and “My Octopus Teacher,” they differed the three years before that when the PGA winners “Apollo 11” (2019), “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” (2018), and “Jane” (2017) weren’t even nominated for the Oscar.
The films nominated for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Motion Pictures are:
“20 Days in Mariupol”
“American Symphony”
“Beyond Utopia”
“The Disappearance of Shere Hite”
“The Mother of All Lies”
“Smoke Sauna Sisterhood”
“Squaring the Circle (The Story of Hipgnosis)”
Recognition from the PGA is not always a reliable indicator of which direction AMPAS will go in determining the Oscar winner. Though PGA and AMPAS matched on their winners over the last three years with “Navalny,” “Summer of Soul,” and “My Octopus Teacher,” they differed the three years before that when the PGA winners “Apollo 11” (2019), “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” (2018), and “Jane” (2017) weren’t even nominated for the Oscar.
- 12/13/2023
- by John Benutty
- Gold Derby
Davis Guggenheim’s “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie,” which chronicled the actor’s life, career and battle with Parkinson’s disease, was named the best nonfiction film of 2023 at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards, which took place on Sunday night in New York City.
The Apple TV+ film won five awards overall, also including best director for Guggenheim, best narration for Fox, best biographical documentary and best editing.
Journalist Mstyslav Chernov Chernov won the award for Best First Documentary for “20 Days in Mariupol.”
Other winners included “Being Mary Tyler Moore” (Best Archival Documentary), “The Deepest Breath” (Best Sports Documentary), “20 Days in Mariupol” (Best Political Documentary), “American Symphony” (Best Music Documentary), “Secrets of the Elephants” (Best Science/Nature Documentary) and “JFK: One Day in America” (Best Historical Documentary).
Jon Batiste won for the music in “American Symphony,” and Tim Cragg won for the cinematography of “The Deepest Breath.
The Apple TV+ film won five awards overall, also including best director for Guggenheim, best narration for Fox, best biographical documentary and best editing.
Journalist Mstyslav Chernov Chernov won the award for Best First Documentary for “20 Days in Mariupol.”
Other winners included “Being Mary Tyler Moore” (Best Archival Documentary), “The Deepest Breath” (Best Sports Documentary), “20 Days in Mariupol” (Best Political Documentary), “American Symphony” (Best Music Documentary), “Secrets of the Elephants” (Best Science/Nature Documentary) and “JFK: One Day in America” (Best Historical Documentary).
Jon Batiste won for the music in “American Symphony,” and Tim Cragg won for the cinematography of “The Deepest Breath.
- 11/13/2023
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
This story is part of The Hollywood Reporter’s 2023 Sustainability Issue (click here to read more).
We’re currently living in a golden age of panic-inducing eco-documentaries gushing facts and statistics at us about how humans are killing the planet. These didactic films are vital for grounding us in the sobering truths of climate change and spurring activism across generations. But it’s easy to feel wrung out from the constant finger-wagging, too. Unquestionably, it’s more challenging for filmmakers to transmit environmentalist messages via tone, mood or imagery alone — but for viewers, the rewards can be spectacular.
The documentaries in this list showcase the grand scale of Earth, but they’re also able to demonstrate the refinement of our microcosmic communities. Some focus on explorers who either conflict or harmonize with their subjects; others are dialogue-free meditations on life itself. We’re witnesses to tragedy and celebration, spirituality and terror.
We’re currently living in a golden age of panic-inducing eco-documentaries gushing facts and statistics at us about how humans are killing the planet. These didactic films are vital for grounding us in the sobering truths of climate change and spurring activism across generations. But it’s easy to feel wrung out from the constant finger-wagging, too. Unquestionably, it’s more challenging for filmmakers to transmit environmentalist messages via tone, mood or imagery alone — but for viewers, the rewards can be spectacular.
The documentaries in this list showcase the grand scale of Earth, but they’re also able to demonstrate the refinement of our microcosmic communities. Some focus on explorers who either conflict or harmonize with their subjects; others are dialogue-free meditations on life itself. We’re witnesses to tragedy and celebration, spirituality and terror.
- 3/22/2023
- by Robyn Bahr
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Neon has acquired the North American rights to Academy Award-nominated and BAFTA-winning director, Raoul Peck’s (I Am Not Your Negro) documentary Orwell, the definitive feature-length documentary on visionary author George Orwell, with the exclusive cooperation of the Orwell Estate.
Producers include Alex Gibney for Jigsaw Productions, Raoul Peck for Velvet Films, and Nick Shumaker for Anonymous Content. Stacey Offman and Richard Perello will executive produce for Jigsaw. Zhang Xin, Joey Marra, and William Horberg will executive produce for Closer Media, alongside Jessica Grimshaw, Dawn Olmstead, and David Levine of Anonymous, and Jeff Skoll and Courtney Sexton of Participant. Johnny Fewings of Universal Pictures Content Group will serve as executive producer on the film, which is currently in production.
“’Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past…,’ wrote Orwell in his novel, 1984. Today, the “newspeak” of authoritarian rule is alive and well and in unexpected places,...
Producers include Alex Gibney for Jigsaw Productions, Raoul Peck for Velvet Films, and Nick Shumaker for Anonymous Content. Stacey Offman and Richard Perello will executive produce for Jigsaw. Zhang Xin, Joey Marra, and William Horberg will executive produce for Closer Media, alongside Jessica Grimshaw, Dawn Olmstead, and David Levine of Anonymous, and Jeff Skoll and Courtney Sexton of Participant. Johnny Fewings of Universal Pictures Content Group will serve as executive producer on the film, which is currently in production.
“’Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past…,’ wrote Orwell in his novel, 1984. Today, the “newspeak” of authoritarian rule is alive and well and in unexpected places,...
- 3/8/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s shaping up to be an exciting, competitive awards season for documentaries. “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” is the odds-on favorite for the Oscar as of this writing, but precursor awards have gone in different directions. Coming up are the February 25 Producers Guild of America Awards, where “All the Beauty” is absent from the nonfiction lineup. So which film will win instead?
It’s a three-way race according to the combined predictions of over 1,000 Gold Derby users. “Fire of Love” has the lead with 5/1 odds and support from 12 out of 18 Expert journalists we’ve surveyed from major media outlets, seven out of 12 Gold Derby Editors, 16 of our Top 24 Users, and 14 of our All-Star Top 24. The film, which explores the lives and deaths of a pair of married volcanologists, recently won the Directors Guild Award, so it’s off to a good start within the industry.
See‘Navalny’ filmmakers...
It’s a three-way race according to the combined predictions of over 1,000 Gold Derby users. “Fire of Love” has the lead with 5/1 odds and support from 12 out of 18 Expert journalists we’ve surveyed from major media outlets, seven out of 12 Gold Derby Editors, 16 of our Top 24 Users, and 14 of our All-Star Top 24. The film, which explores the lives and deaths of a pair of married volcanologists, recently won the Directors Guild Award, so it’s off to a good start within the industry.
See‘Navalny’ filmmakers...
- 2/24/2023
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Among the Oscar nominees for Best Documentary Feature are four films that received acclaim across the major nonfiction precursors this year and a fifth that earned its spot after flying under the radar for much of the season. One of these five films will become the documentary branch’s next Oscar winner when the 95th Academy Awards air on March 12. Let’s take a look the road to the ballot for the five nominees and consider which could end up with the statue.
During the season there are four major groups that signal where the documentary feature race is headed. The International Documentary Association (IDA), Cinema Eye Honors (Ceh), the Doc NYC festival shortlist, and the Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards (Ccda) have the strongest recent history of indicating which films will earn a nomination from the academy’s branch. Their track record at matching the academy’s winner is less of a sure thing.
During the season there are four major groups that signal where the documentary feature race is headed. The International Documentary Association (IDA), Cinema Eye Honors (Ceh), the Doc NYC festival shortlist, and the Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards (Ccda) have the strongest recent history of indicating which films will earn a nomination from the academy’s branch. Their track record at matching the academy’s winner is less of a sure thing.
- 2/10/2023
- by John Benutty
- Gold Derby
Neon, Double Agent and Film4 are partnering to co-finance and exec produce 2073, a new documentary from Academy Award and BAFTA-winning director Asif Kapadia (Amy).
2073 is billed as a genre-bending thriller set in a dystopian future, which will tackle some of the biggest challenges imperiling our future. The project is inspired by Chris Marker’s iconic 1962 featurette La Jetée — about a time traveler who risks his life to change the course of history and save the future of humanity — which previously served as the basis for Terry Gilliam’s sci-fi pic 12 Monkeys, with Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt.
Kapadia and George Chignell are producing. Davis Guggenheim, Nicole Stott and Jonathan Silberberg will exec produce on behalf of Concordia Studio, alongside Riz Ahmed’s Left Handed Films.
Said Kapadia: “I want to make an epic about the state of the world, using elements of science fiction as a lens through which...
2073 is billed as a genre-bending thriller set in a dystopian future, which will tackle some of the biggest challenges imperiling our future. The project is inspired by Chris Marker’s iconic 1962 featurette La Jetée — about a time traveler who risks his life to change the course of history and save the future of humanity — which previously served as the basis for Terry Gilliam’s sci-fi pic 12 Monkeys, with Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt.
Kapadia and George Chignell are producing. Davis Guggenheim, Nicole Stott and Jonathan Silberberg will exec produce on behalf of Concordia Studio, alongside Riz Ahmed’s Left Handed Films.
Said Kapadia: “I want to make an epic about the state of the world, using elements of science fiction as a lens through which...
- 9/12/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: London-based Dogwoof has boarded world sales, excluding North America, on The Last Rider, the latest documentary from MRC Non-Fiction and filmmaker Alex Holmes on the story of cyclist Greg LeMond.
The deal was negotiated between Dogwoof CEO Anna Godas and Amit Dey, MRC’s Executive Vice President of Non-Fiction. This is the second Alex Holmes film Dogwoof has represented, following 2019’s Maiden. The Last Rider will make its World Premiere at Telluride this weekend. Dogwoof will present the film to buyers ahead of TIFF.
The doc follows the story of Greg LeMond, who came back from the brink of death after a hunting accident to win the closest race in the history of the Tour de France beating his rivals Laurent Fignon and Pedro Delgado. LeMond remains the only American to have won the race without performance-enhancing drugs.
The Last Rider is a New Black Films production. Victoria Gregory,...
The deal was negotiated between Dogwoof CEO Anna Godas and Amit Dey, MRC’s Executive Vice President of Non-Fiction. This is the second Alex Holmes film Dogwoof has represented, following 2019’s Maiden. The Last Rider will make its World Premiere at Telluride this weekend. Dogwoof will present the film to buyers ahead of TIFF.
The doc follows the story of Greg LeMond, who came back from the brink of death after a hunting accident to win the closest race in the history of the Tour de France beating his rivals Laurent Fignon and Pedro Delgado. LeMond remains the only American to have won the race without performance-enhancing drugs.
The Last Rider is a New Black Films production. Victoria Gregory,...
- 9/2/2022
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Celestis, Inc., a memorial space flights company, announced Thursday that it will send some of Nichelle Nichols’ ashes to space — a fitting resting place among the stars for the iconic and history-making “Star Trek” actress.
The tribute will involve “launching a symbolic portion of her cremated remains and a DNA sample into deep space” onboard the company’s upcoming historic Enterprise Flight, according to a release.
Nichols, who played Lieutenant Uhura on “Star Trek,” died in July at the age of 89. She was the first Black woman in a leading role in a network television series to portray a character that was not shackled by the stereotypes of Hollywood’s past, breaking barriers for Black women in Hollywood for the years, indeed centuries, to come.
Also Read:
Nichelle Nichols, Lt. Uhura on ‘Star Trek,’ Dies at 89
“We are truly honored to add a legendary actress, activist, and educator to the Enterprise Flight manifest,...
The tribute will involve “launching a symbolic portion of her cremated remains and a DNA sample into deep space” onboard the company’s upcoming historic Enterprise Flight, according to a release.
Nichols, who played Lieutenant Uhura on “Star Trek,” died in July at the age of 89. She was the first Black woman in a leading role in a network television series to portray a character that was not shackled by the stereotypes of Hollywood’s past, breaking barriers for Black women in Hollywood for the years, indeed centuries, to come.
Also Read:
Nichelle Nichols, Lt. Uhura on ‘Star Trek,’ Dies at 89
“We are truly honored to add a legendary actress, activist, and educator to the Enterprise Flight manifest,...
- 8/26/2022
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
This review of “Apollo 10 1/2” was first published on March 13, after its screening at SXSW.
Richard Linklater digs into his own salad days for “Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood,” an animated feature that fondly recalls the NASA moment in a way that’s more reminiscent of “Amarcord” or “Crooklyn” than of “First Man.”
As a kid who was born in 1960 and grew up in the suburbs of Houston, like the film’s young hero, Linklater had a front-row seat to the race to the moon. In this delightfully evocative exercise in nostalgia, he captures the way that children will remember historic events in the context of what else was on TV, which siblings got to sit on the couch, and how your favorite song made you feel.
The story here is ostensibly about young Stan (voiced by Milo Coy), a schoolboy recruited by NASA (because of his...
Richard Linklater digs into his own salad days for “Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood,” an animated feature that fondly recalls the NASA moment in a way that’s more reminiscent of “Amarcord” or “Crooklyn” than of “First Man.”
As a kid who was born in 1960 and grew up in the suburbs of Houston, like the film’s young hero, Linklater had a front-row seat to the race to the moon. In this delightfully evocative exercise in nostalgia, he captures the way that children will remember historic events in the context of what else was on TV, which siblings got to sit on the couch, and how your favorite song made you feel.
The story here is ostensibly about young Stan (voiced by Milo Coy), a schoolboy recruited by NASA (because of his...
- 4/1/2022
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
“Summer of Soul” is the first proper music-centered film to land an Oscar nomination in Best Documentary Feature since 2015’s “Amy.” Despite that gap, the Questlove-directed doc will likely win the Oscar, much like “Amy” did. The film has won dozens of awards leading up to the Oscars, including the BAFTA, the Critics Choice Documentary Award and the Independent Spirit Award, making it a clear favorite to win the big prize.
The early-to-mid-2010s was a boon for music documentaries, starting with “Searching for Sugar Man” (2012), about singer-songwriter Sixto Rodriguez. The pattern continued with “20 Feet from Stardom” (2013), about the lives of various backup singers like Darlene Love. “Amy” made it a trend two years later with its chronicle of the strategic rise and fall of British singer Amy Winehouse. That same year, “What Happened, Miss Simone?”, about the life of Nina Simone, was also nominated. “Searching for Sugar Man,...
The early-to-mid-2010s was a boon for music documentaries, starting with “Searching for Sugar Man” (2012), about singer-songwriter Sixto Rodriguez. The pattern continued with “20 Feet from Stardom” (2013), about the lives of various backup singers like Darlene Love. “Amy” made it a trend two years later with its chronicle of the strategic rise and fall of British singer Amy Winehouse. That same year, “What Happened, Miss Simone?”, about the life of Nina Simone, was also nominated. “Searching for Sugar Man,...
- 3/18/2022
- by Kevin Jacobsen
- Gold Derby
CNN, which created the 24-hour news cycle, was also the first to know that it wasn’t enough. Facing increasing competition in real-time news, CNN executives confronted the new reality a decade ago: It needed to evolve or face obsolescence.
It all came down to one question: “What can you give viewers that makes CNN essential?,” Amy Entelis, executive VP for talent and content development at CNN Worldwide, told IndieWire in an interview at SXSW. The answer was more original, exclusive reporting, plus not-news programming from CNN Original Series and CNN Films to offer deeper takes on the people, places, and events that commanded appointment viewing.
Today, CNN faces another pivot. It ranks last place in the cable news ratings, well behind Fox News, but the 40-year-old company is betting that the March 29 launch of CNN+ will reinvigorate the brand. News delivered by boldface talent is of supreme importance; Wolf Blitzer,...
It all came down to one question: “What can you give viewers that makes CNN essential?,” Amy Entelis, executive VP for talent and content development at CNN Worldwide, told IndieWire in an interview at SXSW. The answer was more original, exclusive reporting, plus not-news programming from CNN Original Series and CNN Films to offer deeper takes on the people, places, and events that commanded appointment viewing.
Today, CNN faces another pivot. It ranks last place in the cable news ratings, well behind Fox News, but the 40-year-old company is betting that the March 29 launch of CNN+ will reinvigorate the brand. News delivered by boldface talent is of supreme importance; Wolf Blitzer,...
- 3/15/2022
- by Chris Lindahl
- Indiewire
Oscar and Emmy winner Barry Levinson has been tapped to direct David E. Kelley’s The Missing, Peacock’s eight-episode series based on Israeli crime writer Dror A. Mishani’s international bestselling novel The Missing File. Levinson will direct multiple episodes, including the first, and executive produce the series from Kelley, Keshet Studios and Universal Television
Written by Kelley, who also serves as showrunner and executive producer, The Missing tells the story of Detective Avraham (Jeff Wilbusch), whose belief in mankind is his superpower when it comes to uncovering the truth. Guided by a deep sense of spirituality and religious principles, Avraham is left to question his own humanity when a seemingly routine investigation turns upside down.
Previously announced Juliana Canfield also stars as Janine Harris, a newly minted NYPD detective, along with Karen Robinson as NYPD Captain Helen Davies and Michael Mosley as Detective Earl Malzone.
Executive producing alongside...
Written by Kelley, who also serves as showrunner and executive producer, The Missing tells the story of Detective Avraham (Jeff Wilbusch), whose belief in mankind is his superpower when it comes to uncovering the truth. Guided by a deep sense of spirituality and religious principles, Avraham is left to question his own humanity when a seemingly routine investigation turns upside down.
Previously announced Juliana Canfield also stars as Janine Harris, a newly minted NYPD detective, along with Karen Robinson as NYPD Captain Helen Davies and Michael Mosley as Detective Earl Malzone.
Executive producing alongside...
- 3/1/2022
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Long ago, in a distant and far away America, independent films could make their mark at the megaplex, and some of them could be documentaries. Remember the glory days of “Rgb” (total domestic gross: $14 million), “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” ($22.8 million), “Three Identical Strangers” ($12 million), “They Shall Not Grow Old” ($18 million), and “Apollo 11” ($9 million)?
I’m not saying that Lisa Hurwitz’s “The Automat,” had it been released in those now possibly vanquished days, could have joined the commercial company of those films (though maybe it could have). But when I caught this marvelous documentary at Film Forum in New York, the audience for it was ecstatic. It was not an audience of young people; it was the kind of older folks who, statistically speaking, haven’t been going to the movies. But they turned out for this one, and when I left at the end, a bunch of...
I’m not saying that Lisa Hurwitz’s “The Automat,” had it been released in those now possibly vanquished days, could have joined the commercial company of those films (though maybe it could have). But when I caught this marvelous documentary at Film Forum in New York, the audience for it was ecstatic. It was not an audience of young people; it was the kind of older folks who, statistically speaking, haven’t been going to the movies. But they turned out for this one, and when I left at the end, a bunch of...
- 2/25/2022
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
HBO announced today that Academy Award winner Barry Levinson’s latest film, The Survivor, starring Ben Foster, will premiere on the premium cabler on April 27 at 8 p.m. Et/Pt, in honor of Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day)—subsequently becoming available for streaming on HBO Max.
The HBO Original is based on Alan Haft’s book, Harry Haft: Survivor of Auschwitz, Challenger of Rocky Marciano. It tells the incredible true story of Haft (Foster), who after being sent to Auschwitz, survived not only the unspeakable horrors of the camp, but the gladiatorial boxing spectacle he was forced to perform with his fellow prisoners for the amusement of his captors. Unbeknownst to those who try to destroy him, Haft’s will to survive is driven by his quest to reunite with the woman he loves.
Levinson previously directed the HBO films Paterno, The Wizard of Lies and You Don’t Know Jack,...
The HBO Original is based on Alan Haft’s book, Harry Haft: Survivor of Auschwitz, Challenger of Rocky Marciano. It tells the incredible true story of Haft (Foster), who after being sent to Auschwitz, survived not only the unspeakable horrors of the camp, but the gladiatorial boxing spectacle he was forced to perform with his fellow prisoners for the amusement of his captors. Unbeknownst to those who try to destroy him, Haft’s will to survive is driven by his quest to reunite with the woman he loves.
Levinson previously directed the HBO films Paterno, The Wizard of Lies and You Don’t Know Jack,...
- 2/15/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
The Producers Guild of America (PGA) has revealed eight 2022 Documentary Motion Picture nominees that will advance to the final round of voting for the 33rd Annual Producers Guild Awards. The nominees for the Documentary category are selected by the Documentary Nomination Jury, made up of at least fifty documentary producers who select between three and eight non-fiction motion-picture nominees. Some 8,000 PGA members will make their picks before the 33rd Annual Producers Guild of America Awards ceremony on Saturday, February 26, 2022.
With the over-crowded documentary awards field, being seen is the first order. Box-office buzz is not a factor in this pandemic year, which gives deep-pocketed distributors like NatGeo an advantage. It has a long list of strong, widely seen contenders that yielded two of the eight PGA nominations: Thai cave thriller “The Rescue” and Covid diary “The First Wave.” HBO also landed two nominees, Nanfu Wang’s portrait of China during Covid,...
With the over-crowded documentary awards field, being seen is the first order. Box-office buzz is not a factor in this pandemic year, which gives deep-pocketed distributors like NatGeo an advantage. It has a long list of strong, widely seen contenders that yielded two of the eight PGA nominations: Thai cave thriller “The Rescue” and Covid diary “The First Wave.” HBO also landed two nominees, Nanfu Wang’s portrait of China during Covid,...
- 12/10/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
The Producers Guild of America (PGA) has revealed eight 2022 Documentary Motion Picture nominees that will advance to the final round of voting for the 33rd Annual Producers Guild Awards. The nominees for the Documentary category are selected by the Documentary Nomination Jury, made up of at least fifty documentary producers who select between three and eight non-fiction motion-picture nominees. Some 8,000 PGA members will make their picks before the 33rd Annual Producers Guild of America Awards ceremony on Saturday, February 26, 2022.
With the over-crowded documentary awards field, being seen is the first order. Box-office buzz is not a factor in this pandemic year, which gives deep-pocketed distributors like NatGeo an advantage. It has a long list of strong, widely seen contenders that yielded two of the eight PGA nominations: Thai cave thriller “The Rescue” and Covid diary “The First Wave.” HBO also landed two nominees, Nanfu Wang’s portrait of China during Covid,...
With the over-crowded documentary awards field, being seen is the first order. Box-office buzz is not a factor in this pandemic year, which gives deep-pocketed distributors like NatGeo an advantage. It has a long list of strong, widely seen contenders that yielded two of the eight PGA nominations: Thai cave thriller “The Rescue” and Covid diary “The First Wave.” HBO also landed two nominees, Nanfu Wang’s portrait of China during Covid,...
- 12/10/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The Gotham Awards will be the first awards body on the independent circuit to choose its winners for the year on Monday.
On the film side, two Netflix features lead the tally, both from debut women filmmakers — Rebecca Hall’s “Passing” and Maggie Gyllenhaal’s “The Lost Daughter.” There isn’t always an obvious blueprint to predicting this group. As we saw with last year’s two tied categories, things could get interesting at Cipriani Wall Street. The Gotham are just the start of a busy week that has a great influence on the Oscar race. After Monday’s first critics and guild screening of Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” and Wednesday’s unveiling of Guillermo del Toro’s “Nightmare Alley,” Thursday brings us the National Board of Review selections before the New York Film Critics Circle weighs in on Friday.
As for the television side, the Gothams will...
On the film side, two Netflix features lead the tally, both from debut women filmmakers — Rebecca Hall’s “Passing” and Maggie Gyllenhaal’s “The Lost Daughter.” There isn’t always an obvious blueprint to predicting this group. As we saw with last year’s two tied categories, things could get interesting at Cipriani Wall Street. The Gotham are just the start of a busy week that has a great influence on the Oscar race. After Monday’s first critics and guild screening of Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” and Wednesday’s unveiling of Guillermo del Toro’s “Nightmare Alley,” Thursday brings us the National Board of Review selections before the New York Film Critics Circle weighs in on Friday.
As for the television side, the Gothams will...
- 11/28/2021
- by Clayton Davis and Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
One of the biggest streaming events of fall 2021 is undoubtedly the new Disney+ docuseries “The Beatles: Get Back,” directed by Peter Jackson. A Fab Four superfan, the “Lord of the Rings” director compiled the three-part series, airing on the streamer November 25, 26, and 27, from 57 hours of never before seen footage shot by the documentarian Michael Lindsay-Hogg during the sessions for their aborted album “Get Back.” Check out the first trailer for the series released by Disney+ below.
Lindsay-Hogg’s footage, severely edited down and focusing mostly on the rooftop concert that the band performed for a private audience in 1969 at their Apple Studios’ London headquarters, did become the 1970 film “Let It Be.” But the footage Jackson is focusing on is the behind the scenes material of John, Paul, George, and Ringo just being themselves and interacting while they’re assembling the album.
Restored in such a pristine way, the footage now...
Lindsay-Hogg’s footage, severely edited down and focusing mostly on the rooftop concert that the band performed for a private audience in 1969 at their Apple Studios’ London headquarters, did become the 1970 film “Let It Be.” But the footage Jackson is focusing on is the behind the scenes material of John, Paul, George, and Ringo just being themselves and interacting while they’re assembling the album.
Restored in such a pristine way, the footage now...
- 10/13/2021
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
Barry Levinson To Direct Apollo 11 Limited Series From Kevin Costner, Stephen Kronish & Mike Medavoy
Exclusive: Barry Levinson is attached to direct a limited TV series that will be exec produced by Kevin Costner, and comes from 24’s Stephen Kronish and Zodiac producer Mike Medavoy.
The Oscar-winning director behind Rain Man, Good Morning, Vietnam and Diner is set to helm One Giant Leap, a series that will tell the story of the moon landing.
The project is being written and showrun by Kronish, who was a producer and writer on 24 between seasons three and seven, and was also an exec producer of The Kennedys minseries.
It will look at one of the most historic events in U.S. history from a slightly different angle, stressing the personality conflicts within the flight team that almost doomed the mission before it left the launch pad – and how a NASA psychiatrist’s predictions of disaster for astronaut Buzz Aldrin were ignored by her superiors. The series will...
The Oscar-winning director behind Rain Man, Good Morning, Vietnam and Diner is set to helm One Giant Leap, a series that will tell the story of the moon landing.
The project is being written and showrun by Kronish, who was a producer and writer on 24 between seasons three and seven, and was also an exec producer of The Kennedys minseries.
It will look at one of the most historic events in U.S. history from a slightly different angle, stressing the personality conflicts within the flight team that almost doomed the mission before it left the launch pad – and how a NASA psychiatrist’s predictions of disaster for astronaut Buzz Aldrin were ignored by her superiors. The series will...
- 9/1/2021
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
How do you score a show that tinkers with time, features a Norse god who is neither hero nor villain, and continually confounds the viewer with new mysteries?
That was the challenge facing English composer Natalie Holt, who with her music for “Loki” becomes only the second woman to compose the dramatic score for a Marvel Cinematic Universe film or TV series.
The music of “Loki” is a bold combination of a traditional orchestra with vintage analog synthesizers, Scandinavian folk instruments and the weird, unsettling electronic sounds of the theremin, once associated with ’50s sci-fi movies.
“He’s a kind of grand, Machiavellian character,” Holt tells Variety from her London studio. “And Tom Hiddleston’s performance has a touch of Shakespeare to it. So I wanted to give him some gravitas and classical weight to his theme, but also have this space-age sound as well.”
Holt had been listening to...
That was the challenge facing English composer Natalie Holt, who with her music for “Loki” becomes only the second woman to compose the dramatic score for a Marvel Cinematic Universe film or TV series.
The music of “Loki” is a bold combination of a traditional orchestra with vintage analog synthesizers, Scandinavian folk instruments and the weird, unsettling electronic sounds of the theremin, once associated with ’50s sci-fi movies.
“He’s a kind of grand, Machiavellian character,” Holt tells Variety from her London studio. “And Tom Hiddleston’s performance has a touch of Shakespeare to it. So I wanted to give him some gravitas and classical weight to his theme, but also have this space-age sound as well.”
Holt had been listening to...
- 7/1/2021
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
From “The Painter and the Thief” to “Apollo 11” and “Gunda,” Neon is proving to be a rich home to documentary film. The latest entry from the distributor is Jamila Wignot’s “Ailey,” a documentary about multi-hyphenate dancer, choreographer, director, and activist Alvin Ailey, who up until his death in 1989 inspired generations of dancers and founded the towering Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. “Ailey,” which first premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival to rave reviews, releases on July 23 in theaters. Watch the official trailer for the film below.
Here’s the official synopsis, courtesy of Neon: “Many know the name Alvin Ailey, but how many know the man? Ailey’s commitment to searching for truth in movement resulted in pioneering and enduring choreography that centers on African American experiences. Director Jamila Wignot’s resonant biography grants artful access to the elusive visionary who founded one of the world’s most renowned dance companies,...
Here’s the official synopsis, courtesy of Neon: “Many know the name Alvin Ailey, but how many know the man? Ailey’s commitment to searching for truth in movement resulted in pioneering and enduring choreography that centers on African American experiences. Director Jamila Wignot’s resonant biography grants artful access to the elusive visionary who founded one of the world’s most renowned dance companies,...
- 5/27/2021
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Michael Collins, the astronaut who piloted the Apollo 11 spacecraft Columbia as Neil Armstrong and Col. Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon, died of cancer today. He was 90.
His family, which includes daughter Kate Collins, a longtime star of the ABC soap opera All My Children, announced the death on Twitter.
“Please join us in fondly and joyful remembering his sharp wit, his quiet sense of purpose, and his wise perspective gained both from looking back at Earth from the vantatge of space and gazing across calm waters from the deck of his fishing boat,” the family wrote.
NASA Administrator Steve Jurczyk today called Collins “a true pioneer and lifelong advocate for exploration,” noting that as “pilot of the Apollo 11 command module – some called him ‘the loneliest man in history’ – while his colleagues walked on the Moon for the first time, he helped our nation achieve a defining milestone. He also...
His family, which includes daughter Kate Collins, a longtime star of the ABC soap opera All My Children, announced the death on Twitter.
“Please join us in fondly and joyful remembering his sharp wit, his quiet sense of purpose, and his wise perspective gained both from looking back at Earth from the vantatge of space and gazing across calm waters from the deck of his fishing boat,” the family wrote.
NASA Administrator Steve Jurczyk today called Collins “a true pioneer and lifelong advocate for exploration,” noting that as “pilot of the Apollo 11 command module – some called him ‘the loneliest man in history’ – while his colleagues walked on the Moon for the first time, he helped our nation achieve a defining milestone. He also...
- 4/28/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
When “My Octopus Teacher” won the Producers Guild Award for Best Documentary on March 24, I started to wonder if that clears the path to it winning the Oscar. It’s an emotional, heartwarming film about nature, and feel-good movies sometimes have an advantage over investigative docs and grittier subjects.
First, it must be acknowledged that the PGA Award often veers wildly from the Oscars. In fact, the last three PGA winners weren’t even nominated by the motion picture academy: “Jane” (2017), “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” (2018) and “Apollo 11” (2019). But when an Oscar nominee does win PGA, it tends to win the Oscar too, like “Searching for Sugar Man” (2012), “Amy” (2015) and “O.J.: Made in America” (2016) in the last decade. The last time the PGA winner had an Oscar nomination but lost it was Michael Moore‘s “Sicko” (2007), and that was 13 years ago.
SEE4 documentary filmmakers for ‘Crip Camp,’ ‘The Dissident,...
First, it must be acknowledged that the PGA Award often veers wildly from the Oscars. In fact, the last three PGA winners weren’t even nominated by the motion picture academy: “Jane” (2017), “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” (2018) and “Apollo 11” (2019). But when an Oscar nominee does win PGA, it tends to win the Oscar too, like “Searching for Sugar Man” (2012), “Amy” (2015) and “O.J.: Made in America” (2016) in the last decade. The last time the PGA winner had an Oscar nomination but lost it was Michael Moore‘s “Sicko” (2007), and that was 13 years ago.
SEE4 documentary filmmakers for ‘Crip Camp,’ ‘The Dissident,...
- 3/26/2021
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars from Film Awards Editor Clayton Davis. Following Academy Awards history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Oscar predictions are updated regularly with the current year's contenders in all categories. Variety's Awards Circuit Prediction schedule consists of four phases, running all year long: Draft, Pre-Season, Regular Season and Post Season. Eligibility calendar and dates of awards will determine how long each phase lasts and will be displayed next to revision date.
To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Collective
Draft>>>Pre Season>>>Regular Season>>>Post Season
2021 Oscars Predictions:
Best Documentary Feature
Updated: Mar. 4, 2021
Awards Prediction Commentary: The documentary branch has a lot of international voters that have been added over the last few years. Some of the American stories that center around politics and social issues may get passed over...
To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Collective
Draft>>>Pre Season>>>Regular Season>>>Post Season
2021 Oscars Predictions:
Best Documentary Feature
Updated: Mar. 4, 2021
Awards Prediction Commentary: The documentary branch has a lot of international voters that have been added over the last few years. Some of the American stories that center around politics and social issues may get passed over...
- 3/4/2021
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Restorations of ‘The Kid’ and ‘The Great Dictator’ among titles set for theatrical release.
Distributor Piece of Magic has joined forces with Paris-based mk2 to release restorations of Charlie Chaplin classics in theatres around the world.
The partnership will see Piece of Magic release a 4K restoration of Chaplin’s 1921 classic The Kid this autumn, working with their global network of exhibitors in around 50 territories, while collaborating with existing mk2 distribution partners.
These territories include Benelux, Latin America, Australia and New Zealand, China and Hong Kong, Cis territories including Russia, the Czech Republic, Greece, Portugal, UAE and South Africa.
mk...
Distributor Piece of Magic has joined forces with Paris-based mk2 to release restorations of Charlie Chaplin classics in theatres around the world.
The partnership will see Piece of Magic release a 4K restoration of Chaplin’s 1921 classic The Kid this autumn, working with their global network of exhibitors in around 50 territories, while collaborating with existing mk2 distribution partners.
These territories include Benelux, Latin America, Australia and New Zealand, China and Hong Kong, Cis territories including Russia, the Czech Republic, Greece, Portugal, UAE and South Africa.
mk...
- 3/4/2021
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
I first met Tom Quinn, the film distributor Neon’s co-founder, at a party at the Telluride Film Festival in August 2019. With his film talent in attendance, including “Parasite” director Bong Joon Ho and “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” star Adèle Haenel, a 10-minute side conversation with the CEO has remained prevalent in my mind. At the time, I conveyed to him my thoughts that Bong’s film from South Korea had a real chance to win best picture at the Oscars later in the year. I probably wasn’t the first person to make such a declaration, as the film had premiered at Cannes months earlier, and the buzz was palpable, even though it probably wasn’t believed by the masses as of yet. Without skipping a beat, Quinn almost ignored the comment, quickly stating, “That’s great, but do you know what I really want? I want...
- 2/22/2021
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
In any crowded awards field, being seen is the first order of business. Last year, several box office hits led the Producers Guild of America’s nominated documentary features, and moon-landing documentary “Apollo 11” eventually took home the award. The 2020 nominees for Documentary Motion Picture included one Netflix movie, “American Factory,” which did not win the PGA prize, but did take home the Oscar.
Box-office buzz is not a factor in this pandemic year, which gives Netflix an advantage. It has a long list of strong, widely seen contenders that yielded three of the seven PGA nominations: “David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet;” Kirsten Johnson’s imaginative ode to her father, “Dick Johnson Is Dead;” and heart-tugging audience favorite “My Octopus Teacher.”
The nominees for the Documentary category are selected by the Documentary Nomination Jury, made up of at least fifty documentary producers who select between three and seven non-fiction motion-picture nominees.
Box-office buzz is not a factor in this pandemic year, which gives Netflix an advantage. It has a long list of strong, widely seen contenders that yielded three of the seven PGA nominations: “David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet;” Kirsten Johnson’s imaginative ode to her father, “Dick Johnson Is Dead;” and heart-tugging audience favorite “My Octopus Teacher.”
The nominees for the Documentary category are selected by the Documentary Nomination Jury, made up of at least fifty documentary producers who select between three and seven non-fiction motion-picture nominees.
- 2/2/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
In any crowded awards field, being seen is the first order of business. Last year, several box office hits led the Producers Guild of America’s nominated documentary features, and moon-landing documentary “Apollo 11” eventually took home the award. The 2020 nominees for Documentary Motion Picture included one Netflix movie, “American Factory,” which did not win the PGA prize, but did take home the Oscar.
Box-office buzz is not a factor in this pandemic year, which gives Netflix an advantage. It has a long list of strong, widely seen contenders that yielded three of the seven PGA nominations: “David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet;” Kirsten Johnson’s imaginative ode to her father, “Dick Johnson Is Dead;” and heart-tugging audience favorite “My Octopus Teacher.”
The nominees for the Documentary category are selected by the Documentary Nomination Jury, made up of at least fifty documentary producers who select between three and seven non-fiction motion-picture nominees.
Box-office buzz is not a factor in this pandemic year, which gives Netflix an advantage. It has a long list of strong, widely seen contenders that yielded three of the seven PGA nominations: “David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet;” Kirsten Johnson’s imaginative ode to her father, “Dick Johnson Is Dead;” and heart-tugging audience favorite “My Octopus Teacher.”
The nominees for the Documentary category are selected by the Documentary Nomination Jury, made up of at least fifty documentary producers who select between three and seven non-fiction motion-picture nominees.
- 2/2/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
The PGA is out with its documentary feature nominees for the 2021 Producers Guild Awards. Vying for the hardware are David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet, Dick Johnson Is Dead, My Octopus Teacher, Softie, A Thousand Cuts, Time and The Truffle Hunters.
Winners will be honored during the virtual 32nd annual Producers Guild of America Awards Show on Wednesday, March 24. The individuals up for the award are to be determined, as the guild noted that all seven films are in the process of being vetted for individual producer eligibility.
The Producers Guild Awards honor excellence in motion picture and television productions, as well as the most notable names in the industry shaping the producing profession. Last year, producers Todd Douglas Miller and Thomas Petersen took Outstanding Producer of Documentary Motion Picture for Apollo 11, their compelling look at the first moon landing.
PGA nominees for Sports, Children’s and Short...
Winners will be honored during the virtual 32nd annual Producers Guild of America Awards Show on Wednesday, March 24. The individuals up for the award are to be determined, as the guild noted that all seven films are in the process of being vetted for individual producer eligibility.
The Producers Guild Awards honor excellence in motion picture and television productions, as well as the most notable names in the industry shaping the producing profession. Last year, producers Todd Douglas Miller and Thomas Petersen took Outstanding Producer of Documentary Motion Picture for Apollo 11, their compelling look at the first moon landing.
PGA nominees for Sports, Children’s and Short...
- 2/2/2021
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
The Producers Guild of America announced the 2021 Documentary Motion Picture nominees that will advance to the final round of voting for the 32nd Annual Producers Guild Awards.
Leading the way are “Time” and “The Truffle Hunters.” Last week, Garrett Bradley’s “Time” won the National Board of Review award for best documentary feature. The Producers Guild nomination further solidifies its place as a leader in the documentary feature race. So far, “Time” has also been named best documentary among the New York Film Critics Circle and Los Angeles Film Critics Association.
The films nominated for outstanding producer of documentary motion pictures are listed below in alphabetical order:
“David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet” “Dick Johnson Is Dead” “My Octopus Teacher” “Softie” “A Thousand Cuts” “Time” “The Truffle Hunters”
These films are in the process of being vetted for individual producer eligibility.
Last year, producers Todd Douglas Miller and Thomas...
Leading the way are “Time” and “The Truffle Hunters.” Last week, Garrett Bradley’s “Time” won the National Board of Review award for best documentary feature. The Producers Guild nomination further solidifies its place as a leader in the documentary feature race. So far, “Time” has also been named best documentary among the New York Film Critics Circle and Los Angeles Film Critics Association.
The films nominated for outstanding producer of documentary motion pictures are listed below in alphabetical order:
“David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet” “Dick Johnson Is Dead” “My Octopus Teacher” “Softie” “A Thousand Cuts” “Time” “The Truffle Hunters”
These films are in the process of being vetted for individual producer eligibility.
Last year, producers Todd Douglas Miller and Thomas...
- 2/2/2021
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Dick Johnson Is Dead, My Octopus Teacher, Time, The Truffle Hunters on the list.
The Producers Guild of America (PGA) has announced the list of seven documentary features that advance to the final round of voting for the 32nd Annual Producers Guild Awards.
The films in contention for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Motion Pictures are, in alphabetical order: David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet; Dick Johnson Is Dead; My Octopus Teacher; Softie; A Thousand Cuts; Time; and The Truffle Hunters.
The films are in the process of being vetted for individual producer eligibility. Last year’s winner was Apollo 11.
The Producers Guild of America (PGA) has announced the list of seven documentary features that advance to the final round of voting for the 32nd Annual Producers Guild Awards.
The films in contention for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Motion Pictures are, in alphabetical order: David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet; Dick Johnson Is Dead; My Octopus Teacher; Softie; A Thousand Cuts; Time; and The Truffle Hunters.
The films are in the process of being vetted for individual producer eligibility. Last year’s winner was Apollo 11.
- 2/2/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Charlie Kemball previously worked on titles include ‘Diego Maradona’ and ‘Rocks’.
Documentary distributor Piece of Magic Entertainment has expanded its international operations with the hire of former Altitude executive Charlie Kemball, who will establish a UK presence for the firm.
As head of acquisitions and business development, Kemball will develop opportunities with international partners as part of Piece of Magic’s expansion in worldwide theatrical distribution. Based in London, he reports to CEO Caspar Nadaud.
Kemball joins from Altitude Film Sales, where he had worked since January 2014 as international sales director on titles including Asif Kapadia’s Diego Maradona, Sarah...
Documentary distributor Piece of Magic Entertainment has expanded its international operations with the hire of former Altitude executive Charlie Kemball, who will establish a UK presence for the firm.
As head of acquisitions and business development, Kemball will develop opportunities with international partners as part of Piece of Magic’s expansion in worldwide theatrical distribution. Based in London, he reports to CEO Caspar Nadaud.
Kemball joins from Altitude Film Sales, where he had worked since January 2014 as international sales director on titles including Asif Kapadia’s Diego Maradona, Sarah...
- 1/15/2021
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
European distributor Piece of Magic Entertainment has appointed Charlie Kemball to the new role of Head of Acquisitions & Business Development.
Kemball, who will be based out of London, reporting to CEO Caspar Nadaud, will develop opportunities with international partners as part of the company’s growing distribution footprint, particularly in documentaries.
Before joining Piece of Magic, Kemball was International Sales Director at London based Altitude Film Sales, working on such titles as Asif Kapadia’s Diego Maradona, Sarah Gavron’s Rocks and Kevin Macdonald’s Whitney. Prior to this, he was at Focus Features International. Kemball started his career in advertising working for clients including Sony and is an Inside Pictures alumnus.
Caspar Nadaud said: “Charlie brings his significant expertise and international relationships into the Pom team as we continue to invest in our mission to bring quality content to the big screen, globally. A presence in London as one...
Kemball, who will be based out of London, reporting to CEO Caspar Nadaud, will develop opportunities with international partners as part of the company’s growing distribution footprint, particularly in documentaries.
Before joining Piece of Magic, Kemball was International Sales Director at London based Altitude Film Sales, working on such titles as Asif Kapadia’s Diego Maradona, Sarah Gavron’s Rocks and Kevin Macdonald’s Whitney. Prior to this, he was at Focus Features International. Kemball started his career in advertising working for clients including Sony and is an Inside Pictures alumnus.
Caspar Nadaud said: “Charlie brings his significant expertise and international relationships into the Pom team as we continue to invest in our mission to bring quality content to the big screen, globally. A presence in London as one...
- 1/15/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Neon announced that Apollo 11: Quarantine, the new short film from director/producer Todd Douglas Miller, will be released exclusively in IMAX® beginning January 29th in select locations. Created by the award-winning filmmakers behind the cinematic event Apollo 11, and co-presented by Neon and CNN Films, Apollo 11: Quarantine will feature never-before-seen 70mm footage sourced from the National Archives and NASA.
Neon and CNN Films will be forging a full Academy campaign on behalf of the film for this year’s, 93rd Academy Awards®.
Summer 1969. The astronauts of Apollo 11 successfully land and walk on the moon. As the world celebrated their historic achievement, the crew’s mission would not be complete until returning safely to earth and undergoing a three-week medical quarantine. This lesser known story, of personal sacrifice and stoic resolve, offers a poignant reminder of our capacity for grace and resilience at this moment of national peril.
Director/Producer Todd Douglas Miller remarked,...
Neon and CNN Films will be forging a full Academy campaign on behalf of the film for this year’s, 93rd Academy Awards®.
Summer 1969. The astronauts of Apollo 11 successfully land and walk on the moon. As the world celebrated their historic achievement, the crew’s mission would not be complete until returning safely to earth and undergoing a three-week medical quarantine. This lesser known story, of personal sacrifice and stoic resolve, offers a poignant reminder of our capacity for grace and resilience at this moment of national peril.
Director/Producer Todd Douglas Miller remarked,...
- 1/14/2021
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Neon, which distributed 2019’s Todd Douglas Miller-directed Emmy- and Peabody-winning documentary Apollo 11, said Thursday it will release Miller’s new short film Apollo 11: Quarantine in Imax theaters beginning January 29. The distributor said it will mount an Oscar campaign for the short, which will be co-presented by Neon and CNN Films and runs just more than 23 minutes.
Apollo 11: Quarantine will feature never-before-seen 70mm footage sourced from the National Archives and NASA that centers on the three-week medical quarantine the astronauts had to undergo after returning from the moon in the summer of 1969 — a fitting topic these days with the coronavirus pandemic and quarantines being the norm.
Check out the trailer below.
“I am honored to be working again with so many talented filmmakers and the innovative teams at Neon, CNN Films and Imax,” Miller said. “And very excited for audiences to experience a little-known part of history...
Apollo 11: Quarantine will feature never-before-seen 70mm footage sourced from the National Archives and NASA that centers on the three-week medical quarantine the astronauts had to undergo after returning from the moon in the summer of 1969 — a fitting topic these days with the coronavirus pandemic and quarantines being the norm.
Check out the trailer below.
“I am honored to be working again with so many talented filmmakers and the innovative teams at Neon, CNN Films and Imax,” Miller said. “And very excited for audiences to experience a little-known part of history...
- 1/14/2021
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
In today’s Global Bulletin, Italy’s Oscar contender “Notturno” named European Movie of the Year; U.K. extends furlough scheme; “Zappa” doc gets European distribution; BBC Studios and Bilibili team for culture series “Ancients”; Paul Moore to take over as chair of U.K.’s Creative Diversity Network; Fremantle takes format rights to “The Great Giveback”; and “RuPaul’s Drag Race U.K.” adds celebrity judges.
Italian director Gianfranco Rosi’s high-profile doc “Notturno,” (pictured) which is Italy’s candidate for the international Oscar, has been named European Movie of The Year by the 25th edition of Capri, Hollywood Film Festival.
Capri, Hollywood is dedicated to launching Oscar hopefuls and establishing a bridgehead between Hollywood and Italy’s film and showbiz communities. The event is being held online this year, rather than on the island of Capri, off the coast of Naples. It will run on Italian platform MyMovies from Dec.
Italian director Gianfranco Rosi’s high-profile doc “Notturno,” (pictured) which is Italy’s candidate for the international Oscar, has been named European Movie of The Year by the 25th edition of Capri, Hollywood Film Festival.
Capri, Hollywood is dedicated to launching Oscar hopefuls and establishing a bridgehead between Hollywood and Italy’s film and showbiz communities. The event is being held online this year, rather than on the island of Capri, off the coast of Naples. It will run on Italian platform MyMovies from Dec.
- 12/17/2020
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
“Dick Johnson is Dead” won both Best Documentary Feature and Best Director (Kirsten Johnson) at the fifth annual Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards. This Netflix film came into the competition with four bids; it lost the cinematography race to another Netflix title, “My Octopus Teacher,” and thee narration award to “David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet.” “The Way I See It” won for score while “Totally Under Control” took editing. See the full list of Ccda winners announced on November 16 below.
The six genre prizes were awarded as follows: “MLK/FBI” (Best Archival Documentary); “John Lewis: Good Trouble” (Best Historical/Biographical Documentary); both “Beastie Boys Story” and “The Go-Go’s” (Best Music Documentary); “Boys State” (Best Political Documentary”); “My Octopus Teacher” (Best Science/Nature Documentary); and both “Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes” and “Athlete A” (Best Sports Documentary).
The Shoes in the Bed title “Mr. Soul!” won one of its...
The six genre prizes were awarded as follows: “MLK/FBI” (Best Archival Documentary); “John Lewis: Good Trouble” (Best Historical/Biographical Documentary); both “Beastie Boys Story” and “The Go-Go’s” (Best Music Documentary); “Boys State” (Best Political Documentary”); “My Octopus Teacher” (Best Science/Nature Documentary); and both “Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes” and “Athlete A” (Best Sports Documentary).
The Shoes in the Bed title “Mr. Soul!” won one of its...
- 11/16/2020
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
Kirsten Johnson’s playful “Dick Johnson Is Dead” has been named the best nonfiction film of 2020 at the fifth annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards, which were announced on Monday morning.
Johnson also won the Best Director award for her Netflix film, in which she deals with the impending death of her father by staging his death in a variety of ways.
Melissa Haizlip won the Best First Documentary Feature award for “Mr. Soul!,” while other awards went to “My Octopus Teacher” for cinematography, “Totally Under Control” for editing, “The Way I See It” for music and “David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet” for narration.
“MLK/FBI” was named Best Archival Documentary, “John Lewis: Good Trouble” Best Historical/Biographical Documentary, “Boys State” Best Political Documentary” and “My Octopus Teacher” Best Science/Nature Documentary.
There were two ties: “Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes” and “Athlete A” tied in the Best Sports Documentary category,...
Johnson also won the Best Director award for her Netflix film, in which she deals with the impending death of her father by staging his death in a variety of ways.
Melissa Haizlip won the Best First Documentary Feature award for “Mr. Soul!,” while other awards went to “My Octopus Teacher” for cinematography, “Totally Under Control” for editing, “The Way I See It” for music and “David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet” for narration.
“MLK/FBI” was named Best Archival Documentary, “John Lewis: Good Trouble” Best Historical/Biographical Documentary, “Boys State” Best Political Documentary” and “My Octopus Teacher” Best Science/Nature Documentary.
There were two ties: “Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes” and “Athlete A” tied in the Best Sports Documentary category,...
- 11/16/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Later than usual, the eleven-year-old Doc NYC, America’s largest documentary festival, has finally revealed its influential 15-film Short List. The festival will open in a new online format with a main lineup of 119 features and 100 short films (November 11-19) available to viewers across the US.
Historically, most of the Doc NYC short list titles overlap with the Academy’s official 15-film Oscar Short List. For the last nine years, Doc NYC has screened the documentary that went on to win the Academy Award, including “American Factory,” “Free Solo,” “Icarus,” “O.J.: Made in America,” “Amy,” “Citizenfour,” “20 Feet From Stardom,” “Searching for Sugar Man,” and “Undefeated.” The festival has screened 24 of the last 25 Oscar-nominated documentary features. In 2019, Doc NYC screened 13 of 15 titles that were named to the subsequent Academy Award Documentary Shortlist.
Thom Powers, Doc NYC’s artistic director as well as documentary programmer for TIFF, oversees curation of the...
Historically, most of the Doc NYC short list titles overlap with the Academy’s official 15-film Oscar Short List. For the last nine years, Doc NYC has screened the documentary that went on to win the Academy Award, including “American Factory,” “Free Solo,” “Icarus,” “O.J.: Made in America,” “Amy,” “Citizenfour,” “20 Feet From Stardom,” “Searching for Sugar Man,” and “Undefeated.” The festival has screened 24 of the last 25 Oscar-nominated documentary features. In 2019, Doc NYC screened 13 of 15 titles that were named to the subsequent Academy Award Documentary Shortlist.
Thom Powers, Doc NYC’s artistic director as well as documentary programmer for TIFF, oversees curation of the...
- 11/9/2020
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Later than usual, the eleven-year-old Doc NYC, America’s largest documentary festival, has finally revealed its influential 15-film Short List. The festival will open in a new online format with a main lineup of 119 features and 100 short films (November 11-19) available to viewers across the US.
Historically, most of the Doc NYC short list titles overlap with the Academy’s official 15-film Oscar Short List. For the last nine years, Doc NYC has screened the documentary that went on to win the Academy Award, including “American Factory,” “Free Solo,” “Icarus,” “O.J.: Made in America,” “Amy,” “Citizenfour,” “20 Feet From Stardom,” “Searching for Sugar Man,” and “Undefeated.” The festival has screened 24 of the last 25 Oscar-nominated documentary features. In 2019, Doc NYC screened 13 of 15 titles that were named to the subsequent Academy Award Documentary Shortlist.
Thom Powers, Doc NYC’s artistic director as well as documentary programmer for TIFF, oversees curation of the...
Historically, most of the Doc NYC short list titles overlap with the Academy’s official 15-film Oscar Short List. For the last nine years, Doc NYC has screened the documentary that went on to win the Academy Award, including “American Factory,” “Free Solo,” “Icarus,” “O.J.: Made in America,” “Amy,” “Citizenfour,” “20 Feet From Stardom,” “Searching for Sugar Man,” and “Undefeated.” The festival has screened 24 of the last 25 Oscar-nominated documentary features. In 2019, Doc NYC screened 13 of 15 titles that were named to the subsequent Academy Award Documentary Shortlist.
Thom Powers, Doc NYC’s artistic director as well as documentary programmer for TIFF, oversees curation of the...
- 11/9/2020
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Three films lead the fifth annual Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards with five nominations apiece. “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution” and “Gunda,” both nabbed nominations for Best Documentary Feature and Best Director as well as three others apiece while “Mr. Soul!” was nominated for Best Documentary Feature and Best First Documentary Feature as well as three more.
Netflix led the way of all distributors with an impressive 31 nominations. In addition to “Crip Camp,” the studio also earned Best Documentary Feature bids forr “Athlete A,” “Dick Johnson Is Dead,” “My Octopus Teacher,” “A Secret Love,” and “The Social Dilemma.” Rounding out the top category nominees are “Belushi” and “The Go-Gos” from Showtime, “Feels Good Man” from Wavelength and PBS Independent, “The Fight” from Magnolia, “The Painter and the Thief” from Neon, and “Time” from Amazon. “Gunda” is Neon’s second nominee and “Mr. Soul!” comes to us from Shoes in the Bed.
Netflix led the way of all distributors with an impressive 31 nominations. In addition to “Crip Camp,” the studio also earned Best Documentary Feature bids forr “Athlete A,” “Dick Johnson Is Dead,” “My Octopus Teacher,” “A Secret Love,” and “The Social Dilemma.” Rounding out the top category nominees are “Belushi” and “The Go-Gos” from Showtime, “Feels Good Man” from Wavelength and PBS Independent, “The Fight” from Magnolia, “The Painter and the Thief” from Neon, and “Time” from Amazon. “Gunda” is Neon’s second nominee and “Mr. Soul!” comes to us from Shoes in the Bed.
- 10/26/2020
- by John Benutty
- Gold Derby
In a year packed with superb documentaries, the Critics Choice Association Documentary Awards nominations, which honor the best non-fiction achievements of 2020, will help other awards groups to winnow down the list of must-sees. “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution” (Netflix), “Gunda” (Neon), and “Mr. Soul!” lead this year’s nominations with five each. Netflix leads the field with 31 nominations, followed by Neon with 14 and Magnolia Pictures with nine.
“The Documentary Branch faced its greatest task yet considering the quantity and quality of nonfiction cinema released this year,” said Christopher Campbell, President of the Critics Choice Association Documentary Branch, in an official statement. “Ultimately, these nominees represent the best of the best of a remarkably fruitful moment for documentary filmmaking.”
Winners will be announced on November 16, 2020.
The Sundance debut “Crip Camp” is nominated for Best Documentary Feature, and also earned nods for James Lebrecht and Nicole Newnham for Best Director, along with Best Editing,...
“The Documentary Branch faced its greatest task yet considering the quantity and quality of nonfiction cinema released this year,” said Christopher Campbell, President of the Critics Choice Association Documentary Branch, in an official statement. “Ultimately, these nominees represent the best of the best of a remarkably fruitful moment for documentary filmmaking.”
Winners will be announced on November 16, 2020.
The Sundance debut “Crip Camp” is nominated for Best Documentary Feature, and also earned nods for James Lebrecht and Nicole Newnham for Best Director, along with Best Editing,...
- 10/26/2020
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
In a year packed with superb documentaries, the Critics Choice Association Documentary Awards nominations, which honor the best non-fiction achievements of 2020, will help other awards groups to winnow down the list of must-sees. “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution” (Netflix), “Gunda” (Neon), and “Mr. Soul!” lead this year’s nominations with five each. Netflix leads the field with 31 nominations, followed by Neon with 14 and Magnolia Pictures with nine.
“The Documentary Branch faced its greatest task yet considering the quantity and quality of nonfiction cinema released this year,” said Christopher Campbell, President of the Critics Choice Association Documentary Branch, in an official statement. “Ultimately, these nominees represent the best of the best of a remarkably fruitful moment for documentary filmmaking.”
Winners will be announced on November 16, 2020.
The Sundance debut “Crip Camp” is nominated for Best Documentary Feature, and also earned nods for James Lebrecht and Nicole Newnham for Best Director, along with Best Editing,...
“The Documentary Branch faced its greatest task yet considering the quantity and quality of nonfiction cinema released this year,” said Christopher Campbell, President of the Critics Choice Association Documentary Branch, in an official statement. “Ultimately, these nominees represent the best of the best of a remarkably fruitful moment for documentary filmmaking.”
Winners will be announced on November 16, 2020.
The Sundance debut “Crip Camp” is nominated for Best Documentary Feature, and also earned nods for James Lebrecht and Nicole Newnham for Best Director, along with Best Editing,...
- 10/26/2020
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
The SpringHill Company and CNN Films will produce “Dreamland: The Rise and Fall of Black Wall Street,” a documentary examining the violent events of late May and June 1921 in Tulsa, Okla., that led to a slaughter of hundreds of the city’s African American residents. The massacre took place in a prosperous community of Tulsa bankers, lawyers, and business owners, many of whom were the descendants of slaves.
CNN Films previously backed hit movies like “Rbg,” a look at the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg; “Three Identical Strangers,” the story of triplets who were separated at birth; and “Apollo 11,” a documentary about the team of astronauts who first walked on the moon. SpringHill is the entertainment media business founded by basketball great LeBron James and his longtime business partner Maverick Carter. In September, the company entered into a first-look deal with Universal Pictures.
“Dreamland: The Rise and...
CNN Films previously backed hit movies like “Rbg,” a look at the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg; “Three Identical Strangers,” the story of triplets who were separated at birth; and “Apollo 11,” a documentary about the team of astronauts who first walked on the moon. SpringHill is the entertainment media business founded by basketball great LeBron James and his longtime business partner Maverick Carter. In September, the company entered into a first-look deal with Universal Pictures.
“Dreamland: The Rise and...
- 10/26/2020
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Every awards group right now is hoping the coronavirus pandemic will be cleared a bit by the time Oscar season takes place, but a lot is still unknown. Like, will they be able to put on traditional ceremonies with or without taking some safety protocols into account? What we do know for sure is that one very important precursor to the Oscars, the PGA Awards, will now be going virtual.
On September 30, 2020, the Producers Guild of America announced that their 32nd annual awards ceremony will be held online. Not only that, but they’ve also released key dates for this season (see below). The Producers Guild Awards will take place on Wednesday, March 24, 2021. Additional details about the virtual awards show will be announced at a later date. Last year’s PGA Awards winners were “1917,” “Toy Story 4” and “Apollo 11.”
See When will the Emmy contenders be back with new seasons?...
On September 30, 2020, the Producers Guild of America announced that their 32nd annual awards ceremony will be held online. Not only that, but they’ve also released key dates for this season (see below). The Producers Guild Awards will take place on Wednesday, March 24, 2021. Additional details about the virtual awards show will be announced at a later date. Last year’s PGA Awards winners were “1917,” “Toy Story 4” and “Apollo 11.”
See When will the Emmy contenders be back with new seasons?...
- 10/1/2020
- by Jeffrey Kare
- Gold Derby
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