With support from the Nancy P. & Richard K. Robbins Family Foundation and Resonance Philanthropies, DocPitch 2024 has awarded five independent documentary filmmakers cash awards totaling $100,000 to help them complete their feature documentary film projects currently in development or post-production.
“With DocPitch 2024, we’re incredibly honored to again be in the position of supporting independent filmmakers in such a tangible way,” said DocLands Director of Programming Joni Cooper. “Thanks to our generous donors, we’re able to help move these passionate storytellers closer to the goal of seeing their projects reach the finish line — and into the public realm. Each project underscores the importance of DocPitch to bring a wide range of timely and significant topics to the public including the industry professional eye, and in turn enriches essential discussions through the process itself.”
DocPitch Award Recipients and their projects:
The Co-Op: The Kids of Dorie Miller – Audience Award $45,000
Director/Producer Paulina...
“With DocPitch 2024, we’re incredibly honored to again be in the position of supporting independent filmmakers in such a tangible way,” said DocLands Director of Programming Joni Cooper. “Thanks to our generous donors, we’re able to help move these passionate storytellers closer to the goal of seeing their projects reach the finish line — and into the public realm. Each project underscores the importance of DocPitch to bring a wide range of timely and significant topics to the public including the industry professional eye, and in turn enriches essential discussions through the process itself.”
DocPitch Award Recipients and their projects:
The Co-Op: The Kids of Dorie Miller – Audience Award $45,000
Director/Producer Paulina...
- 5/10/2024
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
Selma Blair has issued an apology after being criticized for posting an anti-Islam comment on a video regarding the Israel-Hamas war last week.
The actress wrote in a statement shared on Instagram on Tuesday, “This is a time of great pain and anguish for many around the world, but it is also a time to learn and better understand how words matter. I commented on a post by Abraham Hamra regarding two congress members who are against banning October 7th Hamas terrorists from entering the USA. In my comment, I mistakenly and inadvertently conflated Muslims with Radical Islamists and fundamentalists, a terrible err in my words, and resulted in hurting countless people I never meant to, and I deeply regret this. As soon as my error was brought to my attention, I deleted the comment.
“Hate and misinformation are amplified so easily these days,” Blair continued. “This time by my own hands.
The actress wrote in a statement shared on Instagram on Tuesday, “This is a time of great pain and anguish for many around the world, but it is also a time to learn and better understand how words matter. I commented on a post by Abraham Hamra regarding two congress members who are against banning October 7th Hamas terrorists from entering the USA. In my comment, I mistakenly and inadvertently conflated Muslims with Radical Islamists and fundamentalists, a terrible err in my words, and resulted in hurting countless people I never meant to, and I deeply regret this. As soon as my error was brought to my attention, I deleted the comment.
“Hate and misinformation are amplified so easily these days,” Blair continued. “This time by my own hands.
- 2/14/2024
- by Carly Thomas
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Ella Glendining is both the director and subject of documentary “Is There Anybody Out There?,” a global search for someone with a body that looks like hers.
The film debuted at Sundance this year and went on to achieve global acclaim, winning a slew of awards along the way. Recent accolades include winning the BFI and Chanel Filmmaker Award and being named as one of the U.K. talents in the BAFTA Breakthrough 2023 cohort.
“A big thing for me making a personal film was that I was insecure and worried that people would think that I was just the subject of a documentary, but to be recognized on this level is an incredible confidence boost in terms of me as a filmmaker, because that’s who I am. What I am first and foremost is a filmmaker and a storyteller,” Glendining, who was born with a rare leg disability, told Variety.
The film debuted at Sundance this year and went on to achieve global acclaim, winning a slew of awards along the way. Recent accolades include winning the BFI and Chanel Filmmaker Award and being named as one of the U.K. talents in the BAFTA Breakthrough 2023 cohort.
“A big thing for me making a personal film was that I was insecure and worried that people would think that I was just the subject of a documentary, but to be recognized on this level is an incredible confidence boost in terms of me as a filmmaker, because that’s who I am. What I am first and foremost is a filmmaker and a storyteller,” Glendining, who was born with a rare leg disability, told Variety.
- 12/22/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) in partnership with Netflix, has today unveiled 10 upcoming individuals from the screen industries selected for BAFTA Breakthrough in India. In this historic first, BAFTA simultaneously introduces its UK, USA, and India participants, with 42 talented individuals selected globally.
The ten names for BAFTA Breakthrough India were selected by a distinguished jury of industry experts, including Jury Chair and BAFTA Breakthrough Ambassador Guneet Monga Kapoor, Manvendra Shukul, Monika Shergill, Rajiv Menon (Filmmaker), Naman Ramachandran (Critic & Journalist), Sid Roy Kapur (Founder of Roy Kapur Films & Producer), Shaunak Sen (Filmmaker) and Ratna Pathak Shah.
The list of BAFTA Breakthrough India participants for 2023 is:
Abhay Koranne | Writer – Rocket Boys Abhinav Tyagi | Editor – An Insignificant Man Don Chacko Palathara | Director/Writer – Joyful Mystery Kislay| Writer – Soni Lipika Singh Darai | Director/Writer – Some Stories Around Witches Miriam Chandy Menacherry | Producer – From the Shadows and The Leopard’s Tribe...
The ten names for BAFTA Breakthrough India were selected by a distinguished jury of industry experts, including Jury Chair and BAFTA Breakthrough Ambassador Guneet Monga Kapoor, Manvendra Shukul, Monika Shergill, Rajiv Menon (Filmmaker), Naman Ramachandran (Critic & Journalist), Sid Roy Kapur (Founder of Roy Kapur Films & Producer), Shaunak Sen (Filmmaker) and Ratna Pathak Shah.
The list of BAFTA Breakthrough India participants for 2023 is:
Abhay Koranne | Writer – Rocket Boys Abhinav Tyagi | Editor – An Insignificant Man Don Chacko Palathara | Director/Writer – Joyful Mystery Kislay| Writer – Soni Lipika Singh Darai | Director/Writer – Some Stories Around Witches Miriam Chandy Menacherry | Producer – From the Shadows and The Leopard’s Tribe...
- 11/30/2023
- by Editorial Desk
- GlamSham
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) in partnership with Netflix, has today unveiled 10 upcoming individuals from the screen industries selected for BAFTA Breakthrough in India. In this historic first, BAFTA simultaneously introduces its UK, USA, and India participants, with 42 talented individuals selected globally.
The ten names for BAFTA Breakthrough India were selected by a distinguished jury of industry experts, including Jury Chair and BAFTA Breakthrough Ambassador Guneet Monga Kapoor, Manvendra Shukul, Monika Shergill, Rajiv Menon (Filmmaker), Naman Ramachandran (Critic & Journalist), Sid Roy Kapur (Founder of Roy Kapur Films & Producer), Shaunak Sen (Filmmaker) and Ratna Pathak Shah.
The list of BAFTA Breakthrough India participants for 2023 is:
Abhay Koranne | Writer – Rocket Boys Abhinav Tyagi | Editor – An Insignificant Man Don Chacko Palathara | Director/Writer – Joyful Mystery Kislay| Writer – Soni Lipika Singh Darai | Director/Writer – Some Stories Around Witches Miriam Chandy Menacherry | Producer – From the Shadows and The Leopard’s Tribe...
The ten names for BAFTA Breakthrough India were selected by a distinguished jury of industry experts, including Jury Chair and BAFTA Breakthrough Ambassador Guneet Monga Kapoor, Manvendra Shukul, Monika Shergill, Rajiv Menon (Filmmaker), Naman Ramachandran (Critic & Journalist), Sid Roy Kapur (Founder of Roy Kapur Films & Producer), Shaunak Sen (Filmmaker) and Ratna Pathak Shah.
The list of BAFTA Breakthrough India participants for 2023 is:
Abhay Koranne | Writer – Rocket Boys Abhinav Tyagi | Editor – An Insignificant Man Don Chacko Palathara | Director/Writer – Joyful Mystery Kislay| Writer – Soni Lipika Singh Darai | Director/Writer – Some Stories Around Witches Miriam Chandy Menacherry | Producer – From the Shadows and The Leopard’s Tribe...
- 11/30/2023
- by Editorial Desk
To celebrate its century-long run as one of Hollywood's biggest movie studios, Warner Bros. is releasing 20-minute-long remakes of six of its most classic films. The company, which is now called Warner Bros. Discovery after a merger with Discovery, Inc., plans on developing the short film series through its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion team and stated that the series will reimagine these stories through "representative casting, storytelling, and narrative."
The six films on the slate are the recently remade "A Star is Born," the swashbuckling "The Adventures of Robin Hood," the Western "Calamity Jane," the Abbott and Costello comedy "Jack and the Beanstalk," the much-adapted "The Prince and the Pauper," and the James Dean drama "Rebel Without a Cause." Production is slated to begin this summer, with Ali Afshar ("American Wrestler: The Wizard" and a whole slew of Christmas-related material) serving as consulting producer. "We can't think of a better...
The six films on the slate are the recently remade "A Star is Born," the swashbuckling "The Adventures of Robin Hood," the Western "Calamity Jane," the Abbott and Costello comedy "Jack and the Beanstalk," the much-adapted "The Prince and the Pauper," and the James Dean drama "Rebel Without a Cause." Production is slated to begin this summer, with Ali Afshar ("American Wrestler: The Wizard" and a whole slew of Christmas-related material) serving as consulting producer. "We can't think of a better...
- 4/19/2023
- by Andrew Housman
- Slash Film
As part of its ongoing celebration of the 100th anniversary of Warner Bros. Studios, parent company Warner Bros. Discovery has commissioned short film adaptations of six classic movies from its vault.
These 20-minute shorts, which will be available to stream on Max later this year, will update the films through today’s more diverse and inclusive understanding of the world, with what Wbd’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team calls “representative casting, storytelling and narrative.”
Six filmmakers have already been chosen by a committee that includes Wbd senior vp Dei in North America Karen Horne alongside individuals from Warner Bros. Pictures, Visual Communications, Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival, Urban World, Sundance Indigenous Lab, Outfest and ReelAbilities Film Fest. The filmmakers, who will receive a budget through which they can derive their own compensation, will begin production this summer and be mentored by a group of established producers and directors,...
These 20-minute shorts, which will be available to stream on Max later this year, will update the films through today’s more diverse and inclusive understanding of the world, with what Wbd’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team calls “representative casting, storytelling and narrative.”
Six filmmakers have already been chosen by a committee that includes Wbd senior vp Dei in North America Karen Horne alongside individuals from Warner Bros. Pictures, Visual Communications, Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival, Urban World, Sundance Indigenous Lab, Outfest and ReelAbilities Film Fest. The filmmakers, who will receive a budget through which they can derive their own compensation, will begin production this summer and be mentored by a group of established producers and directors,...
- 4/18/2023
- by Rebecca Sun
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sundance 2023: ‘The Disappearance of Shere Hite’ Directed by Nicole Newnham
U.S. Documentary Competition
The Hite Report, a groundbreaking study of female sexuality, remains one of the bestselling books of all time since its publication in 1976. The Hite Report brought the female orgasm out of unspoken shadows into the light of day by revealing the most private experiences of thousands of anonymous survey respondents. Shere Hite’s findings rocked the American establishment and presaged current conversations about gender and sex.
Drawn from anonymous survey responses, the book challenged restrictive conceptions of sex and opened a dialogue in popular culture around women’s pleasure. Its charismatic author, Shere Hite, a feminist sex researcher and former model, became the public messenger of women’s secret confessions. With each subsequent bestseller, she engaged television titans in unforgettably explicit debates about sexuality while suffering the backlash her controversial findings provoked. But who remembers Shere Hite today? What led to her erasure?
The takeaway of The Hite Report was that female expression of sexuality should not be defined by patriarchal power. This idea deeply offended the male establishment and consequently, the media made as much of their wounded ideas of themselves as of the book itself whose authentic and anonymous findings were treated with intense controversy.
The astonishing beauty of Shere Hite herself lies outside of the cliche perameters of the “scholarly” (i.e., “homely) woman. And so her methodical research was called “unscientific” and was called into question (and answered smartly by her). Her background as a working-class, bisexual, former nude model with photographs appearing in Playboy did not sit well with the offended and offensive men who interviewed her on top TV shows after the book became a runaway success. All of her many identities are displayed in the movie.
Digging into exclusive archives, as well as Hite’s personal journals and the original survey responses, filmmaker Nicole Newnham transports viewers back to the 70s, a time of great societal transformation around sexuality (See Fairyland, about queer life in San Francisco, also playing here in Sundance,for another take on the 70s and Food and Country about the coming of age of California cuisine in the 70s under the guiding hands of Ruth Reichl and Alice Waters of Chez Panisse). Newnham’s revelatory portrait brings us to reconsider a pioneer who broke the ground for our current conversations about gender, sexuality, and autonomy. Her story also is a timely, cautionary tale of what too often happens to women who dare speak out.
Nicole Newnham is an Oscar-nominated, Emmy-winning documentary director and producer and four-time Sundance alum. She co-directed Crip Camp (2020) with Jim LeBrecht. Crip Camp was nominated for an Academy Award and won the Sundance U.S. Documentary Audience Award. Newnham’s other documentary directing credits include the Emmy-nominated films The Revolutionary Optimists, Sentenced Home, and The Rape of Europa.
U.S. Sales and Distribution: Josh Braun, Submarine Entertainment
There is no international sales agent. Maggie Pisacane at WME is the producers rep along with Josh Braun.
Directed and Produced By: Nicole Newnham (Crip Camp)
Produced By: Molly O’Brien, R.J. Cutler, Elise Pearlstein, Kimberley Ferdinando, Trevor Smith
Co-Produced By: Erica Fink, Eleanor West
Executive Produced By: Elizabeth Fischer, Liz Cole, Noah Oppenheim, Andy Berg, Eli Holzman, Aaron Saidman
116 minutes
Film FestivalsWomenDocumentaryGenderSundance...
U.S. Documentary Competition
The Hite Report, a groundbreaking study of female sexuality, remains one of the bestselling books of all time since its publication in 1976. The Hite Report brought the female orgasm out of unspoken shadows into the light of day by revealing the most private experiences of thousands of anonymous survey respondents. Shere Hite’s findings rocked the American establishment and presaged current conversations about gender and sex.
Drawn from anonymous survey responses, the book challenged restrictive conceptions of sex and opened a dialogue in popular culture around women’s pleasure. Its charismatic author, Shere Hite, a feminist sex researcher and former model, became the public messenger of women’s secret confessions. With each subsequent bestseller, she engaged television titans in unforgettably explicit debates about sexuality while suffering the backlash her controversial findings provoked. But who remembers Shere Hite today? What led to her erasure?
The takeaway of The Hite Report was that female expression of sexuality should not be defined by patriarchal power. This idea deeply offended the male establishment and consequently, the media made as much of their wounded ideas of themselves as of the book itself whose authentic and anonymous findings were treated with intense controversy.
The astonishing beauty of Shere Hite herself lies outside of the cliche perameters of the “scholarly” (i.e., “homely) woman. And so her methodical research was called “unscientific” and was called into question (and answered smartly by her). Her background as a working-class, bisexual, former nude model with photographs appearing in Playboy did not sit well with the offended and offensive men who interviewed her on top TV shows after the book became a runaway success. All of her many identities are displayed in the movie.
Digging into exclusive archives, as well as Hite’s personal journals and the original survey responses, filmmaker Nicole Newnham transports viewers back to the 70s, a time of great societal transformation around sexuality (See Fairyland, about queer life in San Francisco, also playing here in Sundance,for another take on the 70s and Food and Country about the coming of age of California cuisine in the 70s under the guiding hands of Ruth Reichl and Alice Waters of Chez Panisse). Newnham’s revelatory portrait brings us to reconsider a pioneer who broke the ground for our current conversations about gender, sexuality, and autonomy. Her story also is a timely, cautionary tale of what too often happens to women who dare speak out.
Nicole Newnham is an Oscar-nominated, Emmy-winning documentary director and producer and four-time Sundance alum. She co-directed Crip Camp (2020) with Jim LeBrecht. Crip Camp was nominated for an Academy Award and won the Sundance U.S. Documentary Audience Award. Newnham’s other documentary directing credits include the Emmy-nominated films The Revolutionary Optimists, Sentenced Home, and The Rape of Europa.
U.S. Sales and Distribution: Josh Braun, Submarine Entertainment
There is no international sales agent. Maggie Pisacane at WME is the producers rep along with Josh Braun.
Directed and Produced By: Nicole Newnham (Crip Camp)
Produced By: Molly O’Brien, R.J. Cutler, Elise Pearlstein, Kimberley Ferdinando, Trevor Smith
Co-Produced By: Erica Fink, Eleanor West
Executive Produced By: Elizabeth Fischer, Liz Cole, Noah Oppenheim, Andy Berg, Eli Holzman, Aaron Saidman
116 minutes
Film FestivalsWomenDocumentaryGenderSundance...
- 2/11/2023
- by Sydney
- Sydney's Buzz
On September 11, 2020 the New York Times published an obituary for Shere Hite, the renowned sex researcher and author, noting that her work “helped awaken women to their sexual power and advance the Second Wave of feminism.”
One of the readers of that obituary was filmmaker Nicole Newnham, and it became the spark that set her on a journey to document a woman who sold almost 50 million books worldwide but who faced such a backlash over her research that it drove her into exile. The result of that cinematic quest is the film The Disappearance of Shere Hite, which just premiered in U.S. Documentary Competition at the Sundance Film Festival.
Director Nicole Newnham and editor Eileen Meyer attend the premiere of ‘The Disappearance of Shere Hite’ at Sundance on January 20, 2023 in Park City, Utah.
For Newnham, the Oscar-nominated director of Crip Camp (co-directed with Jim LeBrecht), the new film amounted to a rediscovery of Hite.
One of the readers of that obituary was filmmaker Nicole Newnham, and it became the spark that set her on a journey to document a woman who sold almost 50 million books worldwide but who faced such a backlash over her research that it drove her into exile. The result of that cinematic quest is the film The Disappearance of Shere Hite, which just premiered in U.S. Documentary Competition at the Sundance Film Festival.
Director Nicole Newnham and editor Eileen Meyer attend the premiere of ‘The Disappearance of Shere Hite’ at Sundance on January 20, 2023 in Park City, Utah.
For Newnham, the Oscar-nominated director of Crip Camp (co-directed with Jim LeBrecht), the new film amounted to a rediscovery of Hite.
- 1/27/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Jurors for Sundance’s U.S. Dramatic Competition walked out of the premiere of “Magazine Dreams” on Friday night over an incident in which the festival failed to provide adequate captioning for deaf and hearing impaired audience members — including juror Marlee Matlin.
Members of the dramatic jury — consisting of Jeremy O. Harris, Eliza Hittman and Matlin — decided to collectively walk out of the film as it began after a caption device provided to Matlin didn’t work. While the device was repaired hours later, it underscored a larger issue that has played out behind the scenes regarding the festival’s ability to make movies accessible to all viewers. The festival said the jurors intend to screen the film as a group before Sundance ends.
According to multiple sources, the jury has repeatedly expressed concerns to both Sundance and filmmakers that movies playing at this year’s festival should come with open captions.
Members of the dramatic jury — consisting of Jeremy O. Harris, Eliza Hittman and Matlin — decided to collectively walk out of the film as it began after a caption device provided to Matlin didn’t work. While the device was repaired hours later, it underscored a larger issue that has played out behind the scenes regarding the festival’s ability to make movies accessible to all viewers. The festival said the jurors intend to screen the film as a group before Sundance ends.
According to multiple sources, the jury has repeatedly expressed concerns to both Sundance and filmmakers that movies playing at this year’s festival should come with open captions.
- 1/21/2023
- by Tatiana Siegel, Matt Donnelly and Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Writer and social scientist Shere Hite’s books on sex were publishing phenomena in the 1970s and 80s. Like Alex Comfort’s bestselling erotic “cookbook” The Joy of Sex, her monographs seemed ubiquitous in those days, especially in master bedrooms where readers could use them as informative, topical works of popular social science which just happened to double as erotic bedside reading. The books on male and female sexuality tessellate together thousands of micro stories, observations and admissions written by the many respondents who filled out her questionnaires anonymously. That meant that in those pages, readers found reassurance that there were others who felt and experienced sex in the same way that they did, and that being “different” was quite normal. Arguably nobody did more than Hite, for example, to dismantle the myth, promulgated by Sigmund Freud among others, that “clitoral orgasms” were somehow inferior to “vaginal” ones. Clitorises around...
- 1/21/2023
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The biopic documentary is well-worn territory at this point, it’s the meat and potatoes and bread and butter of non-fiction filmmaking. This year’s Sundance Film Festival will see premieres of films on Little Richard, Indigo Girls, Judy Blume, Brooke Shields, and Michael J. Fox. While the best such projects reveal something deeper about a beloved public figure, rarely do they uncover a previously unknown or long-since forgotten cultural phenomenon. to her rightful place in feminist history. That she ever disappeared in the first place is the sad shock at its poignant core.
Directed by Nicole Newnham, who co-directed the Oscar-nominated 2020 film “Crip Camp” with James Lebrecht, “The Disappearance of Shere Hite” thrums with the pulse of a story that was waiting to be told. Well aware that most viewers will be unfamiliar with her subject, Newnham doles out the ample material at a dizzying clip, hooking the viewer...
Directed by Nicole Newnham, who co-directed the Oscar-nominated 2020 film “Crip Camp” with James Lebrecht, “The Disappearance of Shere Hite” thrums with the pulse of a story that was waiting to be told. Well aware that most viewers will be unfamiliar with her subject, Newnham doles out the ample material at a dizzying clip, hooking the viewer...
- 1/20/2023
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
When it comes to accessibility for the disabled IDFA, by its own admission, is falling short.
During a panel discussion running as part of IDFA’s Industry program on Monday, the festival’s senior editor Julia Yudelman explained that the festival had an accessibility audit done in 2019. That led to a list of recommendations on how to make IDFA and its market organizations more accessible. The fest also worked with a consultant who helped formulate a five-year plan to make the festival more inclusive both physically and virtually. But despite the efforts, Yudelman said, “We are still really behind at IDFA when it comes to accessibility.”
Industry markets like IDFA are a prime meeting ground for filmmakers when it comes to networking, knowledge-sharing and building a community. But accessibility issues faced by disabled attendees, not only at IDFA but at film festivals around the world, make it difficult, sometimes impossible,...
During a panel discussion running as part of IDFA’s Industry program on Monday, the festival’s senior editor Julia Yudelman explained that the festival had an accessibility audit done in 2019. That led to a list of recommendations on how to make IDFA and its market organizations more accessible. The fest also worked with a consultant who helped formulate a five-year plan to make the festival more inclusive both physically and virtually. But despite the efforts, Yudelman said, “We are still really behind at IDFA when it comes to accessibility.”
Industry markets like IDFA are a prime meeting ground for filmmakers when it comes to networking, knowledge-sharing and building a community. But accessibility issues faced by disabled attendees, not only at IDFA but at film festivals around the world, make it difficult, sometimes impossible,...
- 11/16/2022
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
A bill to extend California’s film and TV tax incentive program through 2030 has been placed on hold, as lawmakers continue to work on elements of the bill, including a new diversity mandate.
The state’s 330 million tax credit for Hollywood is currently set to expire in 2025. Sen. Anthony Portantino has worked on a bill, Sb 485, that would add another five years to the program.
Last week, a new provision was added requiring that productions that receive a tax credit adopt hiring goals that are “broadly reflective” of the state’s demographics. Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo, D-Los Angeles, led the effort to include that provision, which also adds an extra 4 subsidy for projects that meet their diversity targets.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced his support for the tax credit extension earlier this month, and the bill was expected to be approved by the Legislature before the end of the session on Aug.
The state’s 330 million tax credit for Hollywood is currently set to expire in 2025. Sen. Anthony Portantino has worked on a bill, Sb 485, that would add another five years to the program.
Last week, a new provision was added requiring that productions that receive a tax credit adopt hiring goals that are “broadly reflective” of the state’s demographics. Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo, D-Los Angeles, led the effort to include that provision, which also adds an extra 4 subsidy for projects that meet their diversity targets.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced his support for the tax credit extension earlier this month, and the bill was expected to be approved by the Legislature before the end of the session on Aug.
- 8/25/2022
- by Gene Maddaus
- Variety Film + TV
A long-awaited Accessibility Scorecard for film events will be released on Friday, providing a tool that could enable filmmakers and other industry professionals to make festivals more accessible.
In order to draw visibility to the inaccessibility of festivals and entertainment industry events, Fwd-Doc has partnered with Film Event Accessibility Working Group (Feaw), led by Cassidy Dimon, to begin the collective reporting of data related to accessibility successes and failures. Variety first reported on the initiative following the Cannes Film Festival in May.
Dimon, who developed the Scorecard questionnaire, explains that “the burden of explaining inaccessibility” is currently placed on the filmmaker or attendee.
“The objective of the Scorecard is to make it as easy as possible for people to provide concise feedback without requiring them to invest even more of their time and labor on improving a festival or event,” she said.
Eryn Brown, agent and co-founder of Hollywood campaign group 1IN4 Coalition,...
In order to draw visibility to the inaccessibility of festivals and entertainment industry events, Fwd-Doc has partnered with Film Event Accessibility Working Group (Feaw), led by Cassidy Dimon, to begin the collective reporting of data related to accessibility successes and failures. Variety first reported on the initiative following the Cannes Film Festival in May.
Dimon, who developed the Scorecard questionnaire, explains that “the burden of explaining inaccessibility” is currently placed on the filmmaker or attendee.
“The objective of the Scorecard is to make it as easy as possible for people to provide concise feedback without requiring them to invest even more of their time and labor on improving a festival or event,” she said.
Eryn Brown, agent and co-founder of Hollywood campaign group 1IN4 Coalition,...
- 7/22/2022
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
IndieWire won two major prizes on Saturday night when the Los Angeles Press Club revealed the winners of the 2022 Southern California Journalism Awards. IndieWire’s entire staff was honored as the Best Website, Traditional News Organization, with judges noting that the site is “full of analysis of entertainment issues, not to mention the depth of most of the pieces that immediately pop up on the site. Quite compelling and thought-provoking.”
IndieWire’s Deputy TV Editor and TV Critic Ben Travers also won an award for Entertainment Commentary for his piece TV’s IP Problem: How Reboots, Spinoffs, and Blockbuster Franchises Could Shape the Future. Travers’ win was accompanied by a judge’s comment that noted “the writer brilliantly argues that the repetitive nature of the blockbuster mentality is at the expense of originality we all will have to pay for.”
In his essay, Travers argues that “today, TV does it all,...
IndieWire’s Deputy TV Editor and TV Critic Ben Travers also won an award for Entertainment Commentary for his piece TV’s IP Problem: How Reboots, Spinoffs, and Blockbuster Franchises Could Shape the Future. Travers’ win was accompanied by a judge’s comment that noted “the writer brilliantly argues that the repetitive nature of the blockbuster mentality is at the expense of originality we all will have to pay for.”
In his essay, Travers argues that “today, TV does it all,...
- 6/26/2022
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
The annual Southern California Journalism Awards released their nominations today, and IndieWire was nominated for five awards honoring the site’s film and TV criticism, commentary, and overall news content.
The awards seek to “support, promote, and defend quality journalism in Southern California” and are presented by the Los Angeles Press Club each year. The tradition has continued for 59 years, and while the media landscape has changed significantly during that time, the organization “continues to call attention to LA’s fine journalists while promoting excellence in new and emerging media.”
IndieWire’s staff was honored with a nomination in the Website, Traditional News Organization category, with four writers were nominated for individual accolades.
IndieWire’s Chief Film Critic David Ehrlich was nominated for Best Criticism of Film, an award that encompasses all of his film reviews from 2021. Associate Editor Jude Dry also scored a nomination for Best Personality Profile, Film...
The awards seek to “support, promote, and defend quality journalism in Southern California” and are presented by the Los Angeles Press Club each year. The tradition has continued for 59 years, and while the media landscape has changed significantly during that time, the organization “continues to call attention to LA’s fine journalists while promoting excellence in new and emerging media.”
IndieWire’s staff was honored with a nomination in the Website, Traditional News Organization category, with four writers were nominated for individual accolades.
IndieWire’s Chief Film Critic David Ehrlich was nominated for Best Criticism of Film, an award that encompasses all of his film reviews from 2021. Associate Editor Jude Dry also scored a nomination for Best Personality Profile, Film...
- 5/23/2022
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
Winners of the 93rd Academy Awards were unveiled April 25, a day that included another notable announcement: The creation of 1in4, an advocacy group to help disabled workers starting out in entertainment. The coalition was formed when 10 vets began exchanging tales of navigating the industry.
“We are the only organization in Hollywood made up of working disabled professionals, helping the next group of disabled filmmakers to come up the ranks,” Kaitlyn Yang, one of the founders, tells Variety.
In just six months, they have succeeded in getting entry-level jobs such as production assistants for disabled people who wanted to get their foot in the door, but didn’t know how. The group is working to place people in jobs behind the camera and in the offices of execs and decision-makers.
“We’ve also been building a database of disabled talent in every category — writing, producing, directing, costumes, composers, VFX, everything,” Yang adds.
“We are the only organization in Hollywood made up of working disabled professionals, helping the next group of disabled filmmakers to come up the ranks,” Kaitlyn Yang, one of the founders, tells Variety.
In just six months, they have succeeded in getting entry-level jobs such as production assistants for disabled people who wanted to get their foot in the door, but didn’t know how. The group is working to place people in jobs behind the camera and in the offices of execs and decision-makers.
“We’ve also been building a database of disabled talent in every category — writing, producing, directing, costumes, composers, VFX, everything,” Yang adds.
- 11/10/2021
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
Disability rights advocate James LeBrecht is “furious” with CBS after it seems the network didn’t fulfill its promise to install a fully accessible, visible ramp on the Emmys stage.
“They lied to me,” LeBrecht told Variety Sunday while watching the awards show. “I got my hopes up.”
Ahead of the Emmys, LeBrecht, who co-directed the Oscar-nominated “Crip Camp,” and the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund filed a complaint of Ada violations, after being informed that the stage, built inside a tent on the L.A. Live Event Deck in downtown Los Angeles, was inaccessible from a front approach.
But on Friday, LeBrecht told Variety that he received a letter from CBS informing him that their concerns were being addressed. “CBS Entertainment has informed my lawyers Dredf and Michelle Uzeta that anyone sitting in the audience will have unimpeded access to an Ada-compliant ramp to the stage, and that the...
“They lied to me,” LeBrecht told Variety Sunday while watching the awards show. “I got my hopes up.”
Ahead of the Emmys, LeBrecht, who co-directed the Oscar-nominated “Crip Camp,” and the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund filed a complaint of Ada violations, after being informed that the stage, built inside a tent on the L.A. Live Event Deck in downtown Los Angeles, was inaccessible from a front approach.
But on Friday, LeBrecht told Variety that he received a letter from CBS informing him that their concerns were being addressed. “CBS Entertainment has informed my lawyers Dredf and Michelle Uzeta that anyone sitting in the audience will have unimpeded access to an Ada-compliant ramp to the stage, and that the...
- 9/20/2021
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
There’s been a process of catching up when it comes to the industry and those with disabilities. Despite one-in-four people having a disability in the United States, disability representation in Hollywood remains abysmal and it’s often reflected in the complete dearth of disabled narratives, actors, and creators making the rounds at awards shows. Just 48 hours ago, the Television Academy and CBS announced that this year’s Emmys would be the most inclusive ever, with a ramp making access to the stage open to all comers.
But you might not have seen it during Sunday’s ceremony. The only discernible access point for anyone with a wheelchair or a mobility impairment was a wide swath of flat ground on the left side of everyone’s television that was flush with the floor. All presenters and winners climbed a series of stairs, either to access the main, pyramid-esque stage or another separate stage.
But you might not have seen it during Sunday’s ceremony. The only discernible access point for anyone with a wheelchair or a mobility impairment was a wide swath of flat ground on the left side of everyone’s television that was flush with the floor. All presenters and winners climbed a series of stairs, either to access the main, pyramid-esque stage or another separate stage.
- 9/20/2021
- by Kristen Lopez
- Indiewire
It’s been a year, and many of us retreated to the world of television. In a way, television helped us identify with people in a year where we couldn’t be connected, and that led to a lot of fantastically diverse work. But you don’t see that reflected in this year’s Emmy winners. Nature is healing and #EmmysSoWhite is back with a vengeance.
Much like last year and the year prior, Black nominees were represented in several categories and there were a few, specifically Best Actor in a Limited Series or Anthology, where Black and Latino nominees outnumbered white actors. The hope was high, especially since last year saw Zendaya, Regina King, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Uzo Aduba win in major categories. Even three out of the five Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series nominees were Black this year. Josh O’Connor, extremely acclaimed of course (like...
Much like last year and the year prior, Black nominees were represented in several categories and there were a few, specifically Best Actor in a Limited Series or Anthology, where Black and Latino nominees outnumbered white actors. The hope was high, especially since last year saw Zendaya, Regina King, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Uzo Aduba win in major categories. Even three out of the five Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series nominees were Black this year. Josh O’Connor, extremely acclaimed of course (like...
- 9/20/2021
- by Kristen Lopez
- Indiewire
When the select in-person attendees get settled in their seats for the 2021 Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday night, they’ll see the stage feature a new addition: a ramp.
The accessible, front-facing design was overseen by CBS Entertainment and the Primetime Emmys’ producers and follows an Ada complaint filed on Sept. 7 by Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (Dredf) and lawyer Michelle Uzeta on behalf of James LeBrecht, who co-directed and co-produced the Oscar-nominated documentary Crip Camp alongside Nicole Newnham.
LeBrecht was notified that a ramp had been built as of Thursday evening, and according to the director, CBS confirmed ...
The accessible, front-facing design was overseen by CBS Entertainment and the Primetime Emmys’ producers and follows an Ada complaint filed on Sept. 7 by Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (Dredf) and lawyer Michelle Uzeta on behalf of James LeBrecht, who co-directed and co-produced the Oscar-nominated documentary Crip Camp alongside Nicole Newnham.
LeBrecht was notified that a ramp had been built as of Thursday evening, and according to the director, CBS confirmed ...
- 9/18/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
When the select in-person attendees get settled in their seats for the 2021 Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday night, they’ll see the stage feature a new addition: a ramp.
The accessible, front-facing design was overseen by CBS Entertainment and the Primetime Emmys’ producers, following an Ada complaint filed on Sept. 7 by Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (Dredf)[/link] and lawyer Michelle Uzeta[/link] on behalf of James LeBrecht, who co-directed and co-produced the Oscar-nominated documentary Crip Camp alongside Nicole Newnham.
LeBrecht was notified that a ramp had been built as of Thursday evening, and according to the director, CBS confirmed to ...
The accessible, front-facing design was overseen by CBS Entertainment and the Primetime Emmys’ producers, following an Ada complaint filed on Sept. 7 by Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (Dredf)[/link] and lawyer Michelle Uzeta[/link] on behalf of James LeBrecht, who co-directed and co-produced the Oscar-nominated documentary Crip Camp alongside Nicole Newnham.
LeBrecht was notified that a ramp had been built as of Thursday evening, and according to the director, CBS confirmed to ...
- 9/18/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Following concerns raised by the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund, along with “Crip Camp” co-director James LeBrecht, the Emmys stage is believed to have added a fully accessible ramp compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act.
That’s according to LeBrecht, who tells Variety that he has been assured by CBS — which is airing the Emmy Awards this Sunday — that the telecast’s production team have addressed any accessibility issues.
“CBS Entertainment has informed my lawyers Dredf and Michelle Uzeta that anyone sitting in the audience will have unimpeded access to an Ada-compliant ramp to the stage, and that the ramp has been constructed as a fully-integrated, visible portion of the stage,” LeBrecht said in a statement. “I look forward to watching an accessible awards show that includes people with disabilities.”
The Dredf and LeBrecht had previously filed a complaint of Ada violations, after being informed that the Emmy stage,...
That’s according to LeBrecht, who tells Variety that he has been assured by CBS — which is airing the Emmy Awards this Sunday — that the telecast’s production team have addressed any accessibility issues.
“CBS Entertainment has informed my lawyers Dredf and Michelle Uzeta that anyone sitting in the audience will have unimpeded access to an Ada-compliant ramp to the stage, and that the ramp has been constructed as a fully-integrated, visible portion of the stage,” LeBrecht said in a statement. “I look forward to watching an accessible awards show that includes people with disabilities.”
The Dredf and LeBrecht had previously filed a complaint of Ada violations, after being informed that the Emmy stage,...
- 9/17/2021
- by Michael Schneider and Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
HBO’s “I May Destroy You” and Netflix’s “Crip Camp” are among the next batch of this year’s Peabody Award winners, which continue to be announced throughout the week. Variety also has a first look at actor Selma Blair presenting the honor to “Crip Camp”; scroll down to watch.
Peabody is slowly announcing all 30 of its winners throughout the week; on Wednesday, the org announced seven more recipients.
From Nicole Newnham and James LeBrecht, “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution” centers on a group of summer campers who first met in upstate New York in the early 1970s and eventually become key players and activists in the Disability Rights Movement.
“There is an unapologetic spirit in the title of this documentary that immediately grabs you and tells you everything you need to know about this inspiring history of the disability rights movement,” Blair said. “‘Crip Camp’ is both a...
Peabody is slowly announcing all 30 of its winners throughout the week; on Wednesday, the org announced seven more recipients.
From Nicole Newnham and James LeBrecht, “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution” centers on a group of summer campers who first met in upstate New York in the early 1970s and eventually become key players and activists in the Disability Rights Movement.
“There is an unapologetic spirit in the title of this documentary that immediately grabs you and tells you everything you need to know about this inspiring history of the disability rights movement,” Blair said. “‘Crip Camp’ is both a...
- 6/23/2021
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
During a pre-recorded Atx panel airing Saturday, Ramy actor Steve Way slammed the Motion Picture Academy for its failure to provide all necessary accommodations for the disabled, prior to this year’s Academy Awards, where a wheelchair ramp was introduced for the first time.
“At this year’s Oscars, we got a ramp, we got an Asl interpreter—for one segment—and everyone’s like, ‘Oh my god, this is great,’” Way said. “It’s progress, yes. But you’re also admitting that for the past 31 years, the [Academy] has been violating federal law by not having a ramp and interpreters.”
A ramp was introduced at the 93rd Oscars as a means of access to the stage for James LeBrecht, the co-director of Crip Camp, who uses a wheelchair. Unfortunately, as actor Ryan J. Haddad (The Politician) noted during the panel, the ramp may have only been added, given LeBrecht’s own assertiveness.
“At this year’s Oscars, we got a ramp, we got an Asl interpreter—for one segment—and everyone’s like, ‘Oh my god, this is great,’” Way said. “It’s progress, yes. But you’re also admitting that for the past 31 years, the [Academy] has been violating federal law by not having a ramp and interpreters.”
A ramp was introduced at the 93rd Oscars as a means of access to the stage for James LeBrecht, the co-director of Crip Camp, who uses a wheelchair. Unfortunately, as actor Ryan J. Haddad (The Politician) noted during the panel, the ramp may have only been added, given LeBrecht’s own assertiveness.
- 6/13/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Judy Heumann’s disability rights work has spanned decades and helped to pave the way for the landmark Americans With Disabilities Act. But for some Netflix subscribers, their first introduction to the activist was as a 20-something camp counselor in the 1970s leading a discussion on an evening’s dinner options of veal or lasagna. In James LeBrecht and Nicole Newnham’s Crip Camp, Heumann is seen as one of the counselors at Camp Jened, a New York summer camp for teens with disabilities. Her tenure at Jened preceded her founding Disabled in Action and serving as special adviser on international ...
- 4/13/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Judy Heumann’s disability rights work has spanned decades and helped to pave the way for the landmark Americans With Disabilities Act. But for some Netflix subscribers, their first introduction to the activist was as a 20-something camp counselor in the 1970s leading a discussion on an evening’s dinner options of veal or lasagna. In James LeBrecht and Nicole Newnham’s Crip Camp, Heumann is seen as one of the counselors at Camp Jened, a New York summer camp for teens with disabilities. Her tenure at Jened preceded her founding Disabled in Action and serving as special adviser on international ...
- 4/13/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Crip Camp” directors Nicole Newnham and James Lebrecht came very close to reenacting scenes from Camp Jened when Lebrecht remembered that a hippie group had visited and filmed the camp during a crabs outbreak that had happened while he was a camper there. After searching for months, “Jim remembered it was called the People’s something. Finally, I found a little ad in the back of an old videographer’s magazine from the 70s that said ‘Crabs outbreak at Camp Jenned for the Handicapped by the People’s Video Theater,'” Newnham tells Gold Derby at our Meet the Experts: Documentary panel (watch above). “They had six hours of footage that they hadn’t seen since they shot it . Jim and I combined that footage with scraps of archival footage from the disability rights movement.”
“Crip Camp,” which is nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the Oscars, explores how a...
“Crip Camp,” which is nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the Oscars, explores how a...
- 4/5/2021
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Industry event unveils five-day programme set to tackle global questions posed by the pandemic.
Copenhagen’s Cph:Dox has unveiled the programme for its annual industry conference, which includes a session with veteran US producer Ted Hope and keynote speech by Taiwan’s celebrated digital minister Audrey Tang.
Cph:Conference will take place entirely online this year, due to the ongoing pandemic, and will take place from April 26-30 under the banner Reset! – reflecting its ambition to rethink approaches to film, media and the arts. Each day of the event will focus on an umbrella theme: democracy, economy, power, climate and culture.
Copenhagen’s Cph:Dox has unveiled the programme for its annual industry conference, which includes a session with veteran US producer Ted Hope and keynote speech by Taiwan’s celebrated digital minister Audrey Tang.
Cph:Conference will take place entirely online this year, due to the ongoing pandemic, and will take place from April 26-30 under the banner Reset! – reflecting its ambition to rethink approaches to film, media and the arts. Each day of the event will focus on an umbrella theme: democracy, economy, power, climate and culture.
- 3/22/2021
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
One secret to success in the documentary Oscar race is getting into the competitive Sundance lineup. While notable recent examples of fall openers winning Oscars include “Citizenfour” and “Free Solo,” most nominees still get a boost at Sundance and became must-sees for the burgeoning list of documentary branch voters.
Emerging strong from Sundance 2020 was Nicole Newnham and James Lebrecht’s audience award winner “Crip Camp: “A Disability Revolution,” produced by the Obamas for Netflix), which won the top IDA Award; one from Magnolia, Alexander Nanau’s health system expose “Collective” (which also marks Romania’s first Oscar nominee); as well as Amazon’s “Time,” from rookie Garrett Bradley (the first Black woman to win the Sundance Directing prize), who also won the IDA directing award.
Documentary branch voters culled a record 238 films that were eligible for Oscar consideration, breaking the prior record of 170 in 2017, down to the shortlist of fifteen.
Emerging strong from Sundance 2020 was Nicole Newnham and James Lebrecht’s audience award winner “Crip Camp: “A Disability Revolution,” produced by the Obamas for Netflix), which won the top IDA Award; one from Magnolia, Alexander Nanau’s health system expose “Collective” (which also marks Romania’s first Oscar nominee); as well as Amazon’s “Time,” from rookie Garrett Bradley (the first Black woman to win the Sundance Directing prize), who also won the IDA directing award.
Documentary branch voters culled a record 238 films that were eligible for Oscar consideration, breaking the prior record of 170 in 2017, down to the shortlist of fifteen.
- 3/18/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
One secret to success in the documentary Oscar race is getting into the competitive Sundance lineup. While notable recent examples of fall openers winning Oscars include “Citizenfour” and “Free Solo,” most nominees still get a boost at Sundance and became must-sees for the burgeoning list of documentary branch voters.
Emerging strong from Sundance 2020 was Nicole Newnham and James Lebrecht’s audience award winner “Crip Camp: “A Disability Revolution,” produced by the Obamas for Netflix), which won the top IDA Award; one from Magnolia, Alexander Nanau’s health system expose “Collective” (which also marks Romania’s first Oscar nominee); as well as Amazon’s “Time,” from rookie Garrett Bradley (the first Black woman to win the Sundance Directing prize), who also won the IDA directing award.
Documentary branch voters culled a record 238 films that were eligible for Oscar consideration, breaking the prior record of 170 in 2017, down to the shortlist of fifteen.
Emerging strong from Sundance 2020 was Nicole Newnham and James Lebrecht’s audience award winner “Crip Camp: “A Disability Revolution,” produced by the Obamas for Netflix), which won the top IDA Award; one from Magnolia, Alexander Nanau’s health system expose “Collective” (which also marks Romania’s first Oscar nominee); as well as Amazon’s “Time,” from rookie Garrett Bradley (the first Black woman to win the Sundance Directing prize), who also won the IDA directing award.
Documentary branch voters culled a record 238 films that were eligible for Oscar consideration, breaking the prior record of 170 in 2017, down to the shortlist of fifteen.
- 3/18/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
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
The Motion Picture Sound Editors are out with nominations for the 68th annual Golden Reel Awards, which recognize sound artists in 22 categories spanning film, TV, toons, computer entertainment and student productions.
Eight films will vie in the marquee Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Feature Underscore category: The Invisible Man, The Midnight Sky, News of the World, Sound of Metal, Tenet, The Trial of the Chicago 7 and Wonder Woman 1984.
Winners will be announced during an international virtual trophy ceremony on Friday, April 16.
The Golden Reels also will honor Mad Max franchise director George Miller with the 2021 Mpse Filmmaker Award.
“We’re very excited about this year’s Mpse Golden Reel Awards,” Mpse president Mark Lanza said. “It will feature a dynamic, virtual format that will be great fun and allow people from around the world to participate. We will have presenters from every part of the globe along with many other surprises.
Eight films will vie in the marquee Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Feature Underscore category: The Invisible Man, The Midnight Sky, News of the World, Sound of Metal, Tenet, The Trial of the Chicago 7 and Wonder Woman 1984.
Winners will be announced during an international virtual trophy ceremony on Friday, April 16.
The Golden Reels also will honor Mad Max franchise director George Miller with the 2021 Mpse Filmmaker Award.
“We’re very excited about this year’s Mpse Golden Reel Awards,” Mpse president Mark Lanza said. “It will feature a dynamic, virtual format that will be great fun and allow people from around the world to participate. We will have presenters from every part of the globe along with many other surprises.
- 3/1/2021
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Darius Marder’s innovative “Sound of Metal” and Paul Greengrass’ “News of the World” western each grabbed three sound editing nominations at the 68th annual Mpse Golden Reel Awards (which will be held virtually on April 16). “Sound of Metal,” the frontrunner, captures Riz Ahmed’s heavy-metal drummer slowly losing his hearing, while “News of the World” creates the shootouts, sandstorms, and rainstorms that assault Tom Hanks on his journey in post-Civil War Texas. The Academy has consolidated sound editing and mixing onto a single category for the first time this season.
Several features scored two nominations: “Tenet,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” and “Greyhound.” Also making the cut were “Mank,” “The Midnight Sky,” “The Invisible Woman,” “Nomadland,””Wonder Woman 1984,” “Emperor,” and “Cherry.”
Feature musical nominees included “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” The Prom,” “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of the Fire Saga,” “The High Note,...
Several features scored two nominations: “Tenet,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” and “Greyhound.” Also making the cut were “Mank,” “The Midnight Sky,” “The Invisible Woman,” “Nomadland,””Wonder Woman 1984,” “Emperor,” and “Cherry.”
Feature musical nominees included “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” The Prom,” “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of the Fire Saga,” “The High Note,...
- 3/1/2021
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
The Motion Picture Sound Editors (Mpse) have announced the nominations for the 68th Annual Mpse Golden Reel Awards.
“Sound of Metal,” “News of the World” and “Wonder Woman 1984” are among the nominees. “Sound of Metal,” a frontrunner in the Oscar race for best sound, leads the way with three nominations for outstanding achievement in sound editing including feature effects/foley, feature dialogue/Adr and feature underscore.
Elsewhere, Netflix’s “Better Call Saul” landed three nominations, and freshman shows “The Queen’s Gambit” and “Ted Lasso” also scored nominations.
“We’re very excited about this year’s Mpse Golden Reel Awards. It will feature a dynamic, virtual format that will be great fun and allow people from around the world to participate,” said Mpse president Mark Lanza. “We will have presenters from every part of the globe along with many other surprises. Most importantly, this will be an opportunity to celebrate...
“Sound of Metal,” “News of the World” and “Wonder Woman 1984” are among the nominees. “Sound of Metal,” a frontrunner in the Oscar race for best sound, leads the way with three nominations for outstanding achievement in sound editing including feature effects/foley, feature dialogue/Adr and feature underscore.
Elsewhere, Netflix’s “Better Call Saul” landed three nominations, and freshman shows “The Queen’s Gambit” and “Ted Lasso” also scored nominations.
“We’re very excited about this year’s Mpse Golden Reel Awards. It will feature a dynamic, virtual format that will be great fun and allow people from around the world to participate,” said Mpse president Mark Lanza. “We will have presenters from every part of the globe along with many other surprises. Most importantly, this will be an opportunity to celebrate...
- 3/1/2021
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Predicting the winner of the Best Documentary Feature Oscar will become a lot easier in the new year when the academy announces the 15 films that have made the shortlist. Those semi-finalists are culled from the 150 plus titles that qualify every year for consideration. (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2021 Oscars predictions for Best Documentary Feature.)
To winnow these down to a manageable number, the academy adds newly eligible documentary feature to a virtual screening room available to all 500 plus members of the documentary branch. While all members are encouraged to watch as many of these as they can, one-fifth of the voters are assigned each title. In the new year, each branch member will submit a preferential ballot listing their top 15 choices.
All of these ballots will be collated to determine the 15 semi-finalists. Branch members will then be encouraged to watch those films on this list that they haven’t...
To winnow these down to a manageable number, the academy adds newly eligible documentary feature to a virtual screening room available to all 500 plus members of the documentary branch. While all members are encouraged to watch as many of these as they can, one-fifth of the voters are assigned each title. In the new year, each branch member will submit a preferential ballot listing their top 15 choices.
All of these ballots will be collated to determine the 15 semi-finalists. Branch members will then be encouraged to watch those films on this list that they haven’t...
- 2/10/2021
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
The largest field of documentaries in Oscar history has been narrowed down to 15 semifinalists, with almost all of the films that were expected to advance to the shortlist doing so.
Kirsten Johnson’s “Dick Johnson Is Dead,” Garrett Bradley’s “Time,” Alexander Nanau’s “Collective,” Viktor Kosakovskiy’s “Gunda,” James Lebrecht and Nicole Newnham’s “Crip Camp” and David France’s “Welcome to Chechnya,” which led all of the year’s nonfiction films in previous nominations and wins, were among the films that advanced from the record field of 238 qualifying docs. That number shattered the previous record of 170 eligible documentaries, which was set in 2017.
Other films that made the shortlist included “All In: The Fight for Democracy,” “Boys State,” “MLK/FBI,” “My Octopus Teacher,” “The Painter and the Thief,” “76 Days” and “The Truffle Hunters.” Two documentaries that were also entered in the Oscars’ international race, Chile’s “The Mole Agent” and Italy’s “Notturno,...
Kirsten Johnson’s “Dick Johnson Is Dead,” Garrett Bradley’s “Time,” Alexander Nanau’s “Collective,” Viktor Kosakovskiy’s “Gunda,” James Lebrecht and Nicole Newnham’s “Crip Camp” and David France’s “Welcome to Chechnya,” which led all of the year’s nonfiction films in previous nominations and wins, were among the films that advanced from the record field of 238 qualifying docs. That number shattered the previous record of 170 eligible documentaries, which was set in 2017.
Other films that made the shortlist included “All In: The Fight for Democracy,” “Boys State,” “MLK/FBI,” “My Octopus Teacher,” “The Painter and the Thief,” “76 Days” and “The Truffle Hunters.” Two documentaries that were also entered in the Oscars’ international race, Chile’s “The Mole Agent” and Italy’s “Notturno,...
- 2/9/2021
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the shortlists for nine categories for the upcoming Oscars. The categories and number of films include documentary feature (15), documentary short subject (10), international feature (15), makeup and hairstyling (10), original score (15), original song (15), animated short film (10), live action short film (10) and visual effects (10).
The shortlist voting concluded on Feb. 5, and the remaining will move on to the official phase one voting, which will take place on March 5-9. The Oscar nominations will be announced on March 15, with the show scheduled to take place on April 25.
The full lists are below with snubs and surprises:
Documentary Feature
Fifteen films will advance in the documentary feature category out of 238 films eligible films. Members of the documentary branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees.
“76 Days” (MTV Documentary Films) – directed by Weixi Chen, Hao Wu, Anonymous “All In: The Fight for Democracy” (Amazon Studios) – directed by Lisa Cortes,...
The shortlist voting concluded on Feb. 5, and the remaining will move on to the official phase one voting, which will take place on March 5-9. The Oscar nominations will be announced on March 15, with the show scheduled to take place on April 25.
The full lists are below with snubs and surprises:
Documentary Feature
Fifteen films will advance in the documentary feature category out of 238 films eligible films. Members of the documentary branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees.
“76 Days” (MTV Documentary Films) – directed by Weixi Chen, Hao Wu, Anonymous “All In: The Fight for Democracy” (Amazon Studios) – directed by Lisa Cortes,...
- 2/9/2021
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
On February 9, the documentary branch of the academy will announce the 15 films that made the shortlist for their Best Documentary Feature award. This is the branch’s first step in narrowing down the 238 documentary features that qualified for Oscar consideration before the final five nominees are unveiled along with all the other Academy Award categories on March 15.
In order to determine the 15-title short list, members of the academy’s documentary branch have been working their way through eligible films via a virtual screening room. While the more than 500 members of the branch are encouraged to watch as many titles as possible, one fifth of them are assigned to each title. By now they’ve all compiled and submitted a preferential ballot of their top 15 choices.
Once these ballots are collated to determine the 15 and the short list has been announced, branch members will then be encouraged to watch the...
In order to determine the 15-title short list, members of the academy’s documentary branch have been working their way through eligible films via a virtual screening room. While the more than 500 members of the branch are encouraged to watch as many titles as possible, one fifth of them are assigned to each title. By now they’ve all compiled and submitted a preferential ballot of their top 15 choices.
Once these ballots are collated to determine the 15 and the short list has been announced, branch members will then be encouraged to watch the...
- 2/4/2021
- by John Benutty
- Gold Derby
The real-life stories explored by Nicole Newnham and James Lebrecht (“Crip Camp”), Bryan Fogel (“The Dissident”), Hao Wu (“76 Days”) and David France (“Welcome to Chechnya”) are immensely powerful and are sure to be remembered for a long time to come. It’s probable that these docs could serve as a springboard for some of their viewers to pursue a career in documentary filmmaking. Thinking about that possibility does beg the question, what documentaries inspired these filmmakers to take that chance in the first place? We asked the directors from Netflix, Briarcliff, MTV and HBO that and more during our recent “Meet the Experts” panel, which you can watch right now. Click on each person’s name above to be taken to their individual interview.
For Newnham, it was the Oscar-winning doc, “The Times of Harvey Milk”, that forever changed her. Not only did it change the way that she...
For Newnham, it was the Oscar-winning doc, “The Times of Harvey Milk”, that forever changed her. Not only did it change the way that she...
- 1/28/2021
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Five top film documentary directors will reveal details behind their projects when they join Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Experts” Q&a event with key 2021 guild and Oscar contenders this month. Each person will participate in two video discussions to be published on Tuesday, January 26, at 5:00 p.m. Pt; 8:00 p.m. Et. We’ll have a one-on-one with our contributing editor Charles Bright and a group chat with Charles and all of the group together.
RSVP today to this specific event by clicking here to book your reservation. Or click here to RSVP for our entire ongoing panel series. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.
This “Meet the Experts” panel welcomes the following 2021 guild and Oscar contenders:
“Crip Camp” (Netflix): Nicole Newnham, James Lebrecht
Newnham was a News Emmy nominee for “Collisions,” “The Revolutionary Optimists,” “The Rape of Europa” and “Sentenced Home.
RSVP today to this specific event by clicking here to book your reservation. Or click here to RSVP for our entire ongoing panel series. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.
This “Meet the Experts” panel welcomes the following 2021 guild and Oscar contenders:
“Crip Camp” (Netflix): Nicole Newnham, James Lebrecht
Newnham was a News Emmy nominee for “Collisions,” “The Revolutionary Optimists,” “The Rape of Europa” and “Sentenced Home.
- 1/19/2021
- by Chris Beachum and Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Crip Camp, directed by Nicole Newnham and Jim LeBrecht, nabbed the best feature trophy at the International Documentary Association’s 2021 awards, which took place Saturday night via an online ceremony amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Netflix’s Sundance-opening documentary, from Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground production company, about Camp Jened and the birth of the disability-rights movement also received the ABC News VideoSource Award. Elsewhere, Garrett Bradley picked up best director honors for Time, another Sundance title that chronicles a Louisiana woman’s tireless 20-year effort to secure her husband’s release from prison and landed at Amazon Studios.
Other high-profile projects ...
Netflix’s Sundance-opening documentary, from Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground production company, about Camp Jened and the birth of the disability-rights movement also received the ABC News VideoSource Award. Elsewhere, Garrett Bradley picked up best director honors for Time, another Sundance title that chronicles a Louisiana woman’s tireless 20-year effort to secure her husband’s release from prison and landed at Amazon Studios.
Other high-profile projects ...
- 1/16/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Whatever the future holds both for theatrical distribution and for at-home streaming, 2020 will no doubt mark the pivot point in which the destinies of both would forever change. But where and how one sees films will inevitably be less important than the films themselves, and even in this year of turmoil, there was always something to recommend, wherever it was available to be seen.
Notable Runners-Up: “The 40-Year-Old Version,” “Ammonite,” “Another Round,” “And Then We Danced,” “The August Virgin,” “Birds of Prey,” “Da 5 Bloods,” “Emma.,” “The Half of It,” “Happiest Season,” “House of Hummingbird,” “I’m No Longer Here,” “I’m Thinking of Ending Things,” “The Invisible Man,” “Kajillionaire,” “Let Them All Talk,” “Lingua Franca,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “Madre,” “Miss Juneteenth,” “The Nest,” “Nomadland,” “One Night in Miami,” “The Photograph,” “The Secret Garden,” “She Dies Tomorrow,” “A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon,” “Shirley,” “Sorry We Missed You,” “Tigertail,” “The Truth,...
Notable Runners-Up: “The 40-Year-Old Version,” “Ammonite,” “Another Round,” “And Then We Danced,” “The August Virgin,” “Birds of Prey,” “Da 5 Bloods,” “Emma.,” “The Half of It,” “Happiest Season,” “House of Hummingbird,” “I’m No Longer Here,” “I’m Thinking of Ending Things,” “The Invisible Man,” “Kajillionaire,” “Let Them All Talk,” “Lingua Franca,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “Madre,” “Miss Juneteenth,” “The Nest,” “Nomadland,” “One Night in Miami,” “The Photograph,” “The Secret Garden,” “She Dies Tomorrow,” “A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon,” “Shirley,” “Sorry We Missed You,” “Tigertail,” “The Truth,...
- 12/28/2020
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
Given all the hardships of the year just past, it’s certainly understandable that some viewers eschewed some of 2020’s tougher non-fiction storytelling in favor of escapism. But even with — and sometimes because of — everything else going on, the last 12 months delivered some extraordinary documentaries, and whether or not they were directly about aspects of the pandemic, they all had a lot to say about the current state of the world.
10. “Push”: As the recent furor over water being traded as a commodity reminds us, it’s never a good idea to let Wall Street collide with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Director Fredrik Gertten takes viewers through a global crisis, in which poor people are kicked out of neighborhoods so that luxury high-rise apartments can be constructed but never occupied, purely for investment purposes. Thankfully, we also get to meet the people fighting to end this practice.
9. “American...
10. “Push”: As the recent furor over water being traded as a commodity reminds us, it’s never a good idea to let Wall Street collide with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Director Fredrik Gertten takes viewers through a global crisis, in which poor people are kicked out of neighborhoods so that luxury high-rise apartments can be constructed but never occupied, purely for investment purposes. Thankfully, we also get to meet the people fighting to end this practice.
9. “American...
- 12/22/2020
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
Whether he was breaking into an emotional rendition of “Amazing Grace” or bending over to let a five-year-old touch his hair, there’s no doubt that Barack Obama was the coolest president we’ll ever have. And while we know he has excellent taste in partners, every year Obama likes to remind us that his taste in film and TV is also impeccable. The former president has had much more time on his hands since leaving The White House, and he’s taken it upon himself to flex his cinephile leanings. This year he expanded his annual top ten list to include film and television, even including a diplomatically worded explanation about the changing nature of the industry.
“Like everyone else, we were stuck inside a lot this year, and with streaming further blurring the lines between theatrical movies and television features, I’ve expanded the list to include visual...
“Like everyone else, we were stuck inside a lot this year, and with streaming further blurring the lines between theatrical movies and television features, I’ve expanded the list to include visual...
- 12/18/2020
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Documentary and docuseries creators have found themselves amidst a rapidly expanding market for their work.
During the FYC Fest documentary roundtable, Variety‘s Matt Donnelley discussed the state of documentary filmmaking with panelists including “Time” director Garrett Bradley, “Boys State” director Amanda McBaine, “Rebuilding Paradise” director Ron Howard, “The Dissident” director Bryan Fogle, “Welcome to Chechnya” director David France and “Crip Camp” director Nicole Newnham.
“So much of filmmaking, regardless of the genre, is about us understanding ourselves as human beings and as a culture,” Bradley said. “Filmmaking and the camera is an investigation of what happens when that occurs. And so it feels like a natural inclination that documentary filmmaking is doing the same thing, but in a more direct way.”
This storytelling aspect of documentary filmmaking, much like in any other medium, allows viewers to invest in the information being relayed to them. And though many successful documentaries...
During the FYC Fest documentary roundtable, Variety‘s Matt Donnelley discussed the state of documentary filmmaking with panelists including “Time” director Garrett Bradley, “Boys State” director Amanda McBaine, “Rebuilding Paradise” director Ron Howard, “The Dissident” director Bryan Fogle, “Welcome to Chechnya” director David France and “Crip Camp” director Nicole Newnham.
“So much of filmmaking, regardless of the genre, is about us understanding ourselves as human beings and as a culture,” Bradley said. “Filmmaking and the camera is an investigation of what happens when that occurs. And so it feels like a natural inclination that documentary filmmaking is doing the same thing, but in a more direct way.”
This storytelling aspect of documentary filmmaking, much like in any other medium, allows viewers to invest in the information being relayed to them. And though many successful documentaries...
- 12/17/2020
- by Eli Countryman
- Variety Film + TV
The influential Cinema Eye Honors nominations, voted on by documentary filmmakers, help to narrow the wide field for documentary awards contenders. Amazon Studios release “Time,” Garrett Bradley’s poetic black-and-white portrait of one family’s struggle through years of incarceration, leads the field with six nominations, including Outstanding Feature, Direction, Editing, Score and Debut.
Garnering four nominations: Alexander Nanau’s Romanian health system exposé “Collective” (Magnolia), Victor Kossakovsky’s story of a mother pig, “Gunda” (Neon), and David France’s “Welcome to Chechnya” (HBO) with four.
With three nominations each: Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss’ “Boys State” (Apple), Kirsten Johnson’s “Dick Johnson is Dead” (Netflix), Liz Garbus’ series “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark” (HBO), Gianfranco Rosi’s Italian Oscar submission “Notturno” (Super Ltd), and Michael Dweck & Gregory Kershaw’s “The Truffle Hunters” (Sony Pictures Classics).
Per usual, prolific Netflix leads all distributors/broadcasters with thirteen nominations, while HBO Documentary Films grabbed ten,...
Garnering four nominations: Alexander Nanau’s Romanian health system exposé “Collective” (Magnolia), Victor Kossakovsky’s story of a mother pig, “Gunda” (Neon), and David France’s “Welcome to Chechnya” (HBO) with four.
With three nominations each: Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss’ “Boys State” (Apple), Kirsten Johnson’s “Dick Johnson is Dead” (Netflix), Liz Garbus’ series “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark” (HBO), Gianfranco Rosi’s Italian Oscar submission “Notturno” (Super Ltd), and Michael Dweck & Gregory Kershaw’s “The Truffle Hunters” (Sony Pictures Classics).
Per usual, prolific Netflix leads all distributors/broadcasters with thirteen nominations, while HBO Documentary Films grabbed ten,...
- 12/10/2020
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The influential Cinema Eye Honors nominations, voted on by documentary filmmakers, help to narrow the wide field for documentary awards contenders. Amazon Studios release “Time,” Garrett Bradley’s poetic black-and-white portrait of one family’s struggle through years of incarceration, leads the field with six nominations, including Outstanding Feature, Direction, Editing, Score and Debut.
Garnering four nominations: Alexander Nanau’s Romanian health system exposé “Collective” (Magnolia), Victor Kossakovsky’s story of a mother pig, “Gunda” (Neon), and David France’s “Welcome to Chechnya” (HBO) with four.
With three nominations each: Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss’ “Boys State” (Apple), Kirsten Johnson’s “Dick Johnson is Dead” (Netflix), Liz Garbus’ series “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark” (HBO), Gianfranco Rosi’s Italian Oscar submission “Notturno” (Super Ltd), and Michael Dweck & Gregory Kershaw’s “The Truffle Hunters” (Sony Pictures Classics).
Per usual, prolific Netflix leads all distributors/broadcasters with thirteen nominations, while HBO Documentary Films grabbed ten,...
Garnering four nominations: Alexander Nanau’s Romanian health system exposé “Collective” (Magnolia), Victor Kossakovsky’s story of a mother pig, “Gunda” (Neon), and David France’s “Welcome to Chechnya” (HBO) with four.
With three nominations each: Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss’ “Boys State” (Apple), Kirsten Johnson’s “Dick Johnson is Dead” (Netflix), Liz Garbus’ series “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark” (HBO), Gianfranco Rosi’s Italian Oscar submission “Notturno” (Super Ltd), and Michael Dweck & Gregory Kershaw’s “The Truffle Hunters” (Sony Pictures Classics).
Per usual, prolific Netflix leads all distributors/broadcasters with thirteen nominations, while HBO Documentary Films grabbed ten,...
- 12/10/2020
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Last week, the Media Access Awards, in partnership with nonprofit disability services provider Easterseals, celebrated the honorees of the 2020 Media Access Awards. This year’s event paid tribute, virtually, to those individuals, series, and films that have redefined on-screen representation for the disability community, while advancing the portrayal and employment of people with disabilities in Hollywood.
To view the show in its entirety and learn more about the showcase, visit:
MediaAccessAwards2020.com.
Advocate, producer, model and actor Nyle Dimarco served as the evening’s host and welcomed viewers to a night filled with memorable moments, touching tributes, and awe-inspiring performances. The night’s honorees were selected by the diversity committees of their professional guilds with awards from the Casting Society of America (Csa), Producers Guild of America (PGA), Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA), and Writers Guild of America (WGA). This year’s honorees were:
SAG-AFTRA Harold Russell Award: Lauren Ridloff
Presented...
To view the show in its entirety and learn more about the showcase, visit:
MediaAccessAwards2020.com.
Advocate, producer, model and actor Nyle Dimarco served as the evening’s host and welcomed viewers to a night filled with memorable moments, touching tributes, and awe-inspiring performances. The night’s honorees were selected by the diversity committees of their professional guilds with awards from the Casting Society of America (Csa), Producers Guild of America (PGA), Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA), and Writers Guild of America (WGA). This year’s honorees were:
SAG-AFTRA Harold Russell Award: Lauren Ridloff
Presented...
- 11/27/2020
- Look to the Stars
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