UFC Strawweight Champion Rose Namajunas’s life story will be the subject of “Thug Rose: Mixed Martial Artist,” a new documentary that will debut at the Austin Film Festival before premiering on Fight Pass, the combat sport’s official streaming service. The film was produced by UFC, which hopes it will be the first of many such projects.
“We want to do as many these as we possibly can,” Crowley Sullivan, vice president and general manager of Fight Pass, told Variety. “Throughout the history of this sport there are all kinds of personalities and accomplishments that we want to highlight. There are so many stories of athletes rising from modest beginnings to become iconic figures that we want to tell.”
That’s certainly the case with Namajunas, the daughter of Lithuanian immigrants, who overcame an abusive childhood and tough economic circumstances, to become one of the fiercest competitors in the...
“We want to do as many these as we possibly can,” Crowley Sullivan, vice president and general manager of Fight Pass, told Variety. “Throughout the history of this sport there are all kinds of personalities and accomplishments that we want to highlight. There are so many stories of athletes rising from modest beginnings to become iconic figures that we want to tell.”
That’s certainly the case with Namajunas, the daughter of Lithuanian immigrants, who overcame an abusive childhood and tough economic circumstances, to become one of the fiercest competitors in the...
- 10/18/2022
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
No longer just a teenage girl with a diary, Bel Powley has moved beyond her breakout role in Marielle Heller’s acclaimed drama and into a new phase of her career. After co-starring in last year’s “White Boy Rick,” she’ll next be seen in “Ashes in the Snow.” Vertical Entertainment has released a trailer for the film, which you should perhaps consider watching below.
Here’s the premise: “In 1941, During World War II, a 16-year-old aspiring artist and her family are deported to Siberia amidst Stalin’s brutal dismantling of the Baltic region. One girl’s passion for art and her never-ending hope will break the silence of history.” Marius A. Markevicius directed the film, an adaptation of Ruta Sepety’s novel “Between Shades of Gray.”
Martin Wallstrom, Lisa Loven Kongsli, Jonah Hauer-King, Peter Franzén, and Sophie Cookson co-star in the film, which had its world premiere at...
Here’s the premise: “In 1941, During World War II, a 16-year-old aspiring artist and her family are deported to Siberia amidst Stalin’s brutal dismantling of the Baltic region. One girl’s passion for art and her never-ending hope will break the silence of history.” Marius A. Markevicius directed the film, an adaptation of Ruta Sepety’s novel “Between Shades of Gray.”
Martin Wallstrom, Lisa Loven Kongsli, Jonah Hauer-King, Peter Franzén, and Sophie Cookson co-star in the film, which had its world premiere at...
- 1/12/2019
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
"We must think beyond the walls of this house... We must resist this occupation." Vertical Ent. has debuted an official Us trailer for an indie survival drama titled Ashes in the Snow, based on the true story of a 16-year-old aspiring artist and her family deported to Siberia during World War II. The film is adapted from the bestselling novel "Between Shades of Gray", written by Ruta Sepetys, and that original title was changed to prevent any confusion with the Fifty Shades of Grey series (of books and movies). Bel Powley stars as Lina, with a full cast including Peter Franzén, Sophie Cookson, James Cosmo, Martin Wallström, Timothy Innes, Jonah Hauer-King, and Sam Hazeldine. This looks like a powerful, inspiring story of opposition but it also looks like pretty much every other WWII story of people being hauled off. Take a look. Here's the official Us trailer (+ poster) for Marius A. Markevicius...
- 12/17/2018
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Andrew Slater’s music documentary Echo in the Canyon has been set as the opening night film of Film Independent’s 2018 La Film Festival, which kicks off Sept. 20 and continues through Sept. 28.
This will mark the world premiere of the documentary which puts the spotlight on iconic music groups The Byrds, The Beach Boys, Buffalo Springfield, and The Mamas & the Papas and how they birthed the beginnings of Laurel Canyon historic music scene. The docu shows how the echo of these artists’ creations reverberated between each other and ultimately across the world with a timelessness that continues today. The film also features appearances by Tom Petty, Brian Wilson, Stephen Stills, David Crosby, Graham Nash, Michelle Phillips, Jackson Browne, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Roger McGuinn, John Sebastian, Lou Adler, Jakob Dylan, Norah Jones, Beck, Regina Spektor, Cat Power, and others. The film will premiere at Ford Theatres on Sept. 20 and be followed by a live performance.
This will mark the world premiere of the documentary which puts the spotlight on iconic music groups The Byrds, The Beach Boys, Buffalo Springfield, and The Mamas & the Papas and how they birthed the beginnings of Laurel Canyon historic music scene. The docu shows how the echo of these artists’ creations reverberated between each other and ultimately across the world with a timelessness that continues today. The film also features appearances by Tom Petty, Brian Wilson, Stephen Stills, David Crosby, Graham Nash, Michelle Phillips, Jackson Browne, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Roger McGuinn, John Sebastian, Lou Adler, Jakob Dylan, Norah Jones, Beck, Regina Spektor, Cat Power, and others. The film will premiere at Ford Theatres on Sept. 20 and be followed by a live performance.
- 8/16/2018
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Screen investigates which films from around the world could launch on the Croisette, including on opening night.
With just over a month to go before the line-up for this year’s Cannes Film Festival is unveiled in Paris, Croisette predictions and wish lists are hitting the web thick and fast.
Screen’s network of correspondents and contributors around the world have been putting out feelers to get a sense of what might or might not make it to the Palais du Cinéma or one of the parallel sections.
Just like the Oscars, this year’s festival is likely to unfold amid a politically-charged atmosphere. Beyond Trump and the rise of populism across the globe, France will be digesting the result of its own presidential election on May 7. Against this background, the festival will be feting its 70th edition.
Below, Screen reveals which titles might - and might not - be in the running for a place at the...
With just over a month to go before the line-up for this year’s Cannes Film Festival is unveiled in Paris, Croisette predictions and wish lists are hitting the web thick and fast.
Screen’s network of correspondents and contributors around the world have been putting out feelers to get a sense of what might or might not make it to the Palais du Cinéma or one of the parallel sections.
Just like the Oscars, this year’s festival is likely to unfold amid a politically-charged atmosphere. Beyond Trump and the rise of populism across the globe, France will be digesting the result of its own presidential election on May 7. Against this background, the festival will be feting its 70th edition.
Below, Screen reveals which titles might - and might not - be in the running for a place at the...
- 3/13/2017
- ScreenDaily
From the Berlin Film Festival comes the news that two young actors who made big splashes a few years back are set to star in new films: Bel Powley (“Diary of a Teenage Girl”) will headline Marius A. Markevicius’ “Ashes in the Snow,” while Ellar Coltrane of “Boyhood” is co-starring alongside John Cusack in Lucky McKee’s thriller “Misfortune.” Avail yourself of a photo from the latter below.
Read More: The 2017 IndieWire Berlinale Bible: Every Review, Interview and News Item Posted During the Festival
Here’s the synopsis for “Ashes in the Snow”: “Based on the internationally best-selling novel ‘Between Shades of Gray’ by Ruta Sepetys, ‘Ashes in the Snow’ introduces us to Lina, a sixteen-year-old budding artist in 1941 Lithuania, who along with her mother and young brother are deported by the Soviets to a Siberian work camp. Faced with years of hard labor in an unforgiving climate, Lina...
Read More: The 2017 IndieWire Berlinale Bible: Every Review, Interview and News Item Posted During the Festival
Here’s the synopsis for “Ashes in the Snow”: “Based on the internationally best-selling novel ‘Between Shades of Gray’ by Ruta Sepetys, ‘Ashes in the Snow’ introduces us to Lina, a sixteen-year-old budding artist in 1941 Lithuania, who along with her mother and young brother are deported by the Soviets to a Siberian work camp. Faced with years of hard labor in an unforgiving climate, Lina...
- 2/12/2017
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
The Stephanie Allain era of Film Independent’s Los Angeles Film Festival is over.
The prolific producer (“Beyond the Lights”) is leaving her role of five years as director of the summer festival to spend more time on her first avocation. She will be replaced by another independent producer, Jennifer Cochis (“Smashed”), who for the past two years worked closely as Creative Director with Allain on all aspects of the festival.
Allain is currently in production on Justin Simien’s Netflix series “Dear White People,” in post-production on Gerard McMurray’s “Burning Sands” and prepping Clark Johnson’s “Juanita,” set to star Alfre Woodard.
Film Independent President Josh Welsh has watched Cochis move up from Senior Programmer to Creative Director, he said in a statement. Working with Allain, she was instrumental in “turning the Festival into a powerful platform for discovering new and diverse talent.”
Promoting Allain’s protege suggests...
The prolific producer (“Beyond the Lights”) is leaving her role of five years as director of the summer festival to spend more time on her first avocation. She will be replaced by another independent producer, Jennifer Cochis (“Smashed”), who for the past two years worked closely as Creative Director with Allain on all aspects of the festival.
Allain is currently in production on Justin Simien’s Netflix series “Dear White People,” in post-production on Gerard McMurray’s “Burning Sands” and prepping Clark Johnson’s “Juanita,” set to star Alfre Woodard.
Film Independent President Josh Welsh has watched Cochis move up from Senior Programmer to Creative Director, he said in a statement. Working with Allain, she was instrumental in “turning the Festival into a powerful platform for discovering new and diverse talent.”
Promoting Allain’s protege suggests...
- 10/14/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The Stephanie Allain era of Film Independent’s Los Angeles Film Festival is over.
The prolific producer (“Beyond the Lights”) is leaving her role of five years as director of the summer festival to spend more time on her first avocation. She will be replaced by another independent producer, Jennifer Cochis (“Smashed”), who for the past two years worked closely as Creative Director with Allain on all aspects of the festival.
Allain is currently in production on Justin Simien’s Netflix series “Dear White People,” in post-production on Gerard McMurray’s “Burning Sands” and prepping Clark Johnson’s “Juanita,” set to star Alfre Woodard.
Film Independent President Josh Welsh has watched Cochis move up from Senior Programmer to Creative Director, he said in a statement. Working with Allain, she was instrumental in “turning the Festival into a powerful platform for discovering new and diverse talent.”
Promoting Allain’s protege suggests...
The prolific producer (“Beyond the Lights”) is leaving her role of five years as director of the summer festival to spend more time on her first avocation. She will be replaced by another independent producer, Jennifer Cochis (“Smashed”), who for the past two years worked closely as Creative Director with Allain on all aspects of the festival.
Allain is currently in production on Justin Simien’s Netflix series “Dear White People,” in post-production on Gerard McMurray’s “Burning Sands” and prepping Clark Johnson’s “Juanita,” set to star Alfre Woodard.
Film Independent President Josh Welsh has watched Cochis move up from Senior Programmer to Creative Director, he said in a statement. Working with Allain, she was instrumental in “turning the Festival into a powerful platform for discovering new and diverse talent.”
Promoting Allain’s protege suggests...
- 10/14/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Lisa Loven Kongsli (upcoming Wonder Woman, Force Majeure), Sophie Cookson (Kingsman: The Secret Service), and Peter Franzen (History Channel’s ‘Vikings’, The Gunman) have joined 2016 BAFTA Rising Star nominee Bel Powley (upcoming Carrie Pilby, The Diary Of A Teenage Girl), Jonah Hauer-King, and Martin Wallstrom (FX series ‘Mr. Robot’) in Marius Markevicius’ riveting Ashes In The Snow, it was announced by Radiant Films International President and CEO, Mimi Steinbauer.
Rounding out the newly announced cast are Sam Hazeldine (The Huntsman: Winter’S War, Monuments Men), James Cosmo (HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones’, upcoming Ben-hur), Adrian Schiller (The Danish Girl, Suffragette) and Tom Sweet.
Currently in production, Radiant will present the project to international buyers at the upcoming Marche du Film in Cannes.
Ashes In The Snow is the poignant story of a 16-year-old heroine Lina Vilkas (Powley) who is separated from her family amidst Stalin’s reign of terror in the Baltic region during WWII.
Rounding out the newly announced cast are Sam Hazeldine (The Huntsman: Winter’S War, Monuments Men), James Cosmo (HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones’, upcoming Ben-hur), Adrian Schiller (The Danish Girl, Suffragette) and Tom Sweet.
Currently in production, Radiant will present the project to international buyers at the upcoming Marche du Film in Cannes.
Ashes In The Snow is the poignant story of a 16-year-old heroine Lina Vilkas (Powley) who is separated from her family amidst Stalin’s reign of terror in the Baltic region during WWII.
- 5/13/2016
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
As far as first impressions go, Swedish actor Martin Wallstrom (full name: Carl Martin Gunnar Wallström Milkéwitz) was one of the biggest highlights coming out of the inaugural season of Mr. Robot, and considering the sheer quality of USA Network’s acclaimed cyber-thriller, that’s quite the compliment.
It’s a breakout performance that hasn’t gone unnoticed, either, with The Hollywood Reporter today revealing that Wallstrom has landed a key role in Ashes in the Snow. Set to star opposite Bel Powley, the coming-of-age drama is lifted from Ruta Sepetys’ World War II best-seller Between Shades of Grey and will see Wallstrom don the military garb as a Soviet officer. Taunted for his Ukrainian upbringing, Wallstrom’s outcast strikes up an unlikely friendship with 16-year-old Lina Vilkas (Powley) and her ailing mother, lending them a shred of hope in an otherwise bitter and harsh environment.
Adapting Sepetys’ acclaimed novel...
It’s a breakout performance that hasn’t gone unnoticed, either, with The Hollywood Reporter today revealing that Wallstrom has landed a key role in Ashes in the Snow. Set to star opposite Bel Powley, the coming-of-age drama is lifted from Ruta Sepetys’ World War II best-seller Between Shades of Grey and will see Wallstrom don the military garb as a Soviet officer. Taunted for his Ukrainian upbringing, Wallstrom’s outcast strikes up an unlikely friendship with 16-year-old Lina Vilkas (Powley) and her ailing mother, lending them a shred of hope in an otherwise bitter and harsh environment.
Adapting Sepetys’ acclaimed novel...
- 2/3/2016
- by Michael Briers
- We Got This Covered
How To Talk To Girls At Parties
Ruth Wilson, Jessica Plummer, Nicole Kidman, Elle Fanning, Alex Sharp and Matt Lucas have joined the cast of John Cameron Mitchell's "How To Talk To Girls At Parties" at A24. The film is based on a short story by Neil Gaiman while Howard Gertler, Iain Canning and Emile Sherman are producing.
The story follows a shy teenage punk rocker in 1970s suburban London, and his two closest friends. One night they all sneak into a party where they meet a group of intensely attractive, otherworldly girls; at first they think they're from a cult, but eventually come to realize the girls are literally aliens with nefarious plans. [Source: Deadline]
Ashes in the Snow
Jonah Hauer-King and Bel Powley ("Diary Of A Teenage Girl") have come onboard Marius Markevicius' World War II drama "Ashes In The Snow" in the leading roles. Ben York Jones...
Ruth Wilson, Jessica Plummer, Nicole Kidman, Elle Fanning, Alex Sharp and Matt Lucas have joined the cast of John Cameron Mitchell's "How To Talk To Girls At Parties" at A24. The film is based on a short story by Neil Gaiman while Howard Gertler, Iain Canning and Emile Sherman are producing.
The story follows a shy teenage punk rocker in 1970s suburban London, and his two closest friends. One night they all sneak into a party where they meet a group of intensely attractive, otherworldly girls; at first they think they're from a cult, but eventually come to realize the girls are literally aliens with nefarious plans. [Source: Deadline]
Ashes in the Snow
Jonah Hauer-King and Bel Powley ("Diary Of A Teenage Girl") have come onboard Marius Markevicius' World War II drama "Ashes In The Snow" in the leading roles. Ben York Jones...
- 11/4/2015
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Sorrento Productions and Tauras Films have teamed to option Ruta Sepetys’ bestselling novel “Between Shades of Gray,” an individual familiar with the indie project has told TheWrap. The producers plan to change the title of the movie because of Universal Pictures and Focus Features’ adaptation of “Fifty Shades of Grey,” which is due in 2015. Also Read: ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ Poster: ‘Mr. Grey Will See You Now’ Marius Markevicius (basketball documentary “The Other Dream Team”) will direct from an adapted screenplay by Ben York Jones, who co-wrote “Like Crazy” with director Drake Doremus. The scribe has proven adept at illustrating the.
- 2/2/2014
- by Jeff Sneider
- The Wrap
Ruta Sepetys’ New York Times bestselling WWII-era novel Between Shades of Gray has been optioned by Sorrento Productions and Tauras Films. Ben York Jones, who co-wrote 2011 Sundance winner Like Crazy and 2013's Breathe In, has written the film adaptation and The Other Dream Team helmer Marius Markevicius will direct. Markevicius will produce alongside European-based producer Zilvinas Naujokas of Tauras Films. The U.S./European co-production is scheduled to begin filming in 2014 and will be meeting with financiers at the Berlin Film Festival. Published in more than 40 countries and 26 languages, Between Shades of
read more...
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- 1/23/2014
- by Rebecca Ford
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Oh yes it still hurts that Ben Affleck was not given a Best Director Oscar nomination, yet his fantastic film "Argo" continues its ascension to Oscar glory! The film took home the top prize at the Producers Guild of America Awards taking home the Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures.
So guess which film will win the Oscar Best Picture? Yup, it will be "Argo!" Why? Well, Hollywood really loves movies about them and "Argo" is about a movie of a fake movie in order to help free some Americans trapped in Iran during the hostage crisis.
And, the PGA award is a significant Academy Awards precursor. Only seven times in 24 years has the PGA winner failed to win a Best Picture Oscar. So "Argo" has a strong chance.
I'm also happy that "Searching for Sugar Man" won the Documentary category, and not so happy...
So guess which film will win the Oscar Best Picture? Yup, it will be "Argo!" Why? Well, Hollywood really loves movies about them and "Argo" is about a movie of a fake movie in order to help free some Americans trapped in Iran during the hostage crisis.
And, the PGA award is a significant Academy Awards precursor. Only seven times in 24 years has the PGA winner failed to win a Best Picture Oscar. So "Argo" has a strong chance.
I'm also happy that "Searching for Sugar Man" won the Documentary category, and not so happy...
- 1/27/2013
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Tonight the Producers Guild of America (PGA) announced this year’s winning motion picture and television productions at the 24th Annual Producers Guild Awards ceremony held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. In addition to the competitive awards, the PGA recognized several producers with honorary awards including Bob and Harvey Weinstein (Milestone Award), Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner (David O. Selznick Achievement Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures), J.J. Abrams (Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television), Russell Simmons (Visionary Award), and Bully (Stanley Kramer Award). The 2013 Producers Guild Awards were chaired by Michael De Luca. The 2013 Producers Guild nominated films and television programs are listed below in alphabetical order by category, along with producers. The producers’ names for each nominated production are listed in alphabetical order and may not reflect the order of screen credits. The winners are indicated in bold and with an asterisk (*). The theatrical motion picture...
- 1/27/2013
- by vmblog@hollywoodnews.com (Vitale Morum)
- Hollywoodnews.com
Vol. I Issue 6
Send us links to your sizzle reels and film sites.
Note: See Issues 1, 2, 3, and 4 for reviews and clips of the Academy documentary films and short films. Additional reviews of the documentary features follow in this issue.
Best documentary feature
5 Broken Cameras Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi
The Gatekeepers Nominees to be determined *See note below
How to Survive a Plague Nominees to be determined
The Invisible War Nominees to be determined
Searching for Sugar Man Nominees to be determined
Best documentary short subject
Inocente Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine
Kings Point Sari Gilman and Jedd Wider
Mondays at Racine Cynthia Wade and Robin Honan
Open Heart Kief Davidson and Cori Shepherd Stern
Redemption Jon Alpert and Matthew O'Neill
Best animated short film
Adam and Dog Minkyu Lee
Fresh Guacamole Pes
Head over Heels Timothy Reckart and Fodhla Cronin O'Reilly
Maggie Simpson in The Longest Daycare David Silverman
Paperman John Kahrs
Best live action short film
Asad Bryan Buckley and Mino Jarjoura
Buzkashi Boys Sam French and Ariel Nasr
Curfew Shawn Christensen
Death of a Shadow (Dood van een Schaduw) Tom Van Avermaet and Ellen De Waele
Henry Yan England
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song) from a documentary
Before My Time from The documentary feature Chasing Ice Music and Lyric by J. Ralph
Note: *Nominees to be determined* The Documentary Brand gives the nomination to the individual(s) most involved in the key creative aspects of the filmmaking process. A maximum of two persons may be designated as nominees, one of whom must be the credited director who exercised directorial control, and the other of whom must have a producer or director credit. If a producer is named, that individual must have performed a major portion of the producing functions, in accordance with Academy producer criteria. No more than two statuettes will normally be given in the Documentary Feature category. All individuals with a “Producer” or “Produced by” credit on films that reach the semifinal round will automatically be vetted.
The Documentary Branch Executive Committee will determine which producers, if any, are eligible to receive an Oscar. In the unlikely event of a dispute, filmmakers may appeal the committee’s decision. In extremely rare circumstances, a third statuette may be awarded.
Production companies or persons with the screen credit of executive producer, co-producer or any credit other than director or producer shall not be eligible as nominees for the motion picture.
DGA Documentary Award Nominations
Kirby Dick The Invisible War
This is Mr. Dick’s first DGA Award nomination.
Malik Bendjelloul Searching For Sugar Man
This is Mr. Bendjelloul’s first DGA Award nomination.
Lauren Greenfield The Queen of Versailles
This is Ms. Greenfield’s first DGA Award nomination.
David France How To Survive A Plague
This is Mr. France’s first DGA Award nomination.
Alison Klayman Ai WeiWei: Never Sorry
This is Ms. Klayman’s first DGA Award nomination.
Two Academy Nominated Documentary Features
& One Academy Short Listed Documentary Reviewed
The Gatekeepers, directed by Dror Moreh
Documentary Feature Nominee
Six former heads of Israel’s domestic secret service agency, the Shin Bet, share their insights and reflect publicly on their actions and decisions in The Gatekeepers, a film by Dror Moreh. These six heads of the Shin Bet stood at the center of Israel's decision-making process in all matters pertaining to security. They worked closely with every Israeli prime minister, and their assessments and insights had—and continue to have—a profound impact on Israeli policy. The Gatekeepers is an exclusive account of their successes and failures.
I find The Gatekeepers remarkable. Not for its craft but for its concept and vision. Imagine
J Edger Hoover talking about his tenure at the FBI, his successes and his failures, his interactions with the Presidents and members of Congress, and his critical self-evaluation of his mission and how his agency’s work affected our nation. Imagine. Dror Moreh accomplished this feat when he convinced these six surviving members of the Shin Bet, to speak on camera.
The film provides a historical perspective of Israel that is both candid and critical of the successive governments in this rare Middle Eastern democracy. The Shin Bet was created in 1949 by David Ben-Gurion’s government to focus on the internal affairs of Israel and evolved into dealing with counterterrorism and intelligence gathering in the West Bank and Gaza.
These intelligence heads, like ours, report to the President/Prime Minister. They are not part of the military complex. It is this context that gives this work its power. We hear the story of Israel’s struggle to protect itself from both its internal and external enemies; the bombers, terrorists, agents and others who worked to destroy this small country. These men are not glamorous or like the fictional heads of the spy agencies we have seen in James Bond and Bourne films. They are bald or balding grandfather-types. Articulate, highly educated, calm and yet we know that they protected Israel from its enemies even if they had them killed.
This is one of the strongest of the nominated docs. It raises significant issues of personal responsibilities. Despite the lack of oversight we don’t feel that this is an organization gone amuck like the Catholic Church not protecting children or the Us Military not protecting its members from sexual harassment. We see these articulate men as guardians and protectors of their nation steadfastly doing their duty within the confines of their moral beliefs. What is scary about The Gatekeepers is that clearly there could have been abuses and wrongs done by the Shin Bet if these six had less character or their mission was redefined by the government without regard to moral or ethical standards. The film on reflection is troubling for regardless of how the spectator might feel about Israel it forces us to look at this conflict through the lenses of these six guardians and we can only wonder what they don’t tell us about what they did in the name of their country.
Credits:
Director: Dror Moreh
Camera: Avner Shahaf
Producers: Dror Moreh, Estelle Fialon, Philippa Kowarsky
Co Producer: Anna Van Der Wee
Sound: Amos Zipori
Sound Design: Aex Claude
Music: Ab Ovo, Jérôme Chassagnard, Régis Baillet
Editor: Oron Adar
Production Companies: Dror Moreh Productions, Les Films du Poisson, Cinephil
In Co-Production with: Mac Guff, Wild Heart Productions, Arte France, Iba, Ndr, Rtbf
With the support of: Cnc, Media, Région Ile-de-France, Procirep, Angoa, The Rabinovich Foundation for the Arts – Cinema Project
Distribution: Sony Classics
Trailer: http://www.sonyclassics.com/thegatekeepers/
The House I Live In, directed by Eugene Jarecki
Short Listed Documentary Feature for Academy Award nomination
The House I Live In looks at how America has waged war on some of its poorest citizens, costing countless lives, destroying families, and inflicting untold damage on future generations of Americans. It posits that over the last forty years, the War on Drugs has accounted for more than 45 million arrests and shows how America became the world’s largest jailer, damaging poor communities at home and abroad. Yet today drugs are cheaper, purer and more available than ever before. It shows that drug abuse is a public health issue. Despite this, it is treated by our society as a criminal matter and a vast machine has been created that feeds on the men and women who are incarcerated. Because of this, the prisoners are not offered help or a cure for their underlying problems, so they return to prison in a never ending cycle.
Eugene Jarecki, whose previous films looked at the military industrial complex (Why We Fight and The Trials of Henry Kissinger), won the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary at Sundance in both 2005 and 2010. The film tackles difficult material. Material that has been in scores of documentaries and television shows over the years. Yet Jarecki, using his personal experience, a wealth of interviews and strong case studies, builds a compelling case for changing the sentencing guidelines for crack (and cocaine) and for dealing with both addiction and the underlying causes of addiction. Jarecki is a skillful filmmaker who has picked a vast and complex subject and has created a work that while rich in content moves along at a good pace although it might have been stronger if it had tried to do less. The film editor Paul Frost and the composer Robert Miller do an excellent job building strong sequences with evocative music. It was nicely shot by Sam Cullman and Derek Hallquist. Richard Abramowitz’s Abramorama handled the distribution and was successful getting the work out which is never easy for such an issue oriented film.
Credits:
Director, Producer, Screenwriter: Eugene Jarecki
Producers: Melinda Shopsin, Sam Cullman, Christopher St. John
Executive Producers: Eugene Jarecki, Nick Fraser, Joslyn Barnes, Danny Glover, Russell Simmons, Roy Ackerman, John Legend, Sally Jo Feifer, Nick Fraser
Camera: Sam Cullman, Derek Hallquist
Sound: Matthew Freed, Art Jaso
Music: Robert Milller
Editor: Paul Frost
Production Companies: Charlotte Street Films, Zdf Enterprises, Independent Television Services, BBC, Aljazeera Documentary Channel, Vpro, Special Broadcasting Service Corporation, Louverture Films, Nhk
Distribution (Us): Abramorama Entertainment, Snag Films
How to Survive a Plague, directed by David France
Documentary Feature Nominee
How to Survive a Plague by writer and filmmaker David France tells the story of how two coalitions came together to lobby for effective treatments and funding for treatments of AIDS in the late 1980s when it was evident that the Us government and its health and other agencies were not being very effective dealing with the AIDS epidemic. The coalitions, Act Up and Tag (Treatment Action Group) helped to make AIDS more treatable. While there is still no cure for AIDS and thousands of people globally still die from the virus, it is now possible to prolong life with treatments that have been developed.
Despite having no scientific training, these self-made activists infiltrated the pharmaceutical industry and helped identify promising new drugs, moving them from experimental trials to patients in record time. With access to never-before-seen archival footage from the 1980s and '90s, filmmaker David France puts the viewer smack in the middle of the controversial actions, the heated meetings, the heartbreaking failures, and the exultant breakthroughs. Faced with their own mortality an improbable group of young men and women, many of them HIV-positive took on Washington and the medical establishment.
While there have been a handful of outstanding films dealing with the AIDS epidemic including Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt, The Broadcast Tapes of Dr. Peter and Silverlake Life, to name a few, How to Survive a Plague picks up on the story begun in the landmark Common Threads and updates the struggle, looking at the quest to find a treatment and possibly a cure for this vicious disease. The film weaves together stories of activism and shows how a small determined group can effect change not just nationally but globally. While the film is not as well made as Common Threads or Dr. Peter, it’s powerful. The archival footage manages to capture some of the key figures of Act Up and Tag showing actions as they take place. Instead of relying on talking heads to tell this amazing story, it is presented with footage shot as the story unfolded. This footage and its solid editing distinguishes this film from so many of the works that have tried to tell this story.
Few documentaries have such powerful antagonists, the government, incompetence, a lack of urgency on the part of the medical community and fear. Throw in homophobia and it is evident that the dramatic actions of these heroes saved hundreds of thousands of possible victims from this mostly sexually spread plague.
My only serious criticism of this documentary is its failure to be clearer that the plague continues, that there is no cure for HIV/AIDS and that the community continues to give a false sense of hope. Currently the Cdc states:
” ..estimates that 1,148,200 persons aged 13 years and older are living with HIV infection, including 207,600 (18.1%) who are unaware of their infection1. Over the past decade, the number of people living with HIV has increased, while the annual number of new HIV infections has remained relatively stable. Still, the pace of new infections continues at far too high a level—particularly among certain groups.
HIV Incidence(new infections): The estimated incidence of HIV has remained stable overall in recent years, at about 50,000 new HIV infections per year.2 Within the overall estimates, however, some groups are affected more than others. Msm (men who have sex with men) continue to bear the greatest burden of HIV infection, and among races/ethnicities, African Americans continue to be disproportionately affected.”
This information could have been contained in the last few minutes of this powerful work, to inspire and warn the audience that testing is critical and that safe sex is still the only way to contain AIDS.
The Filmmaker
David France, Director, Producer
David France is an award-winning journalist and New York Times best-selling author who has been writing about AIDS since 1982 and today is one of the best-known chroniclers of the epidemic. His work has appeared in the New York Times, Newsweek, GQ, and New York magazine, where he is a contributing editor, and has received the National Headliner Award and the GLAAD Media Award, among others. Several films have been inspired by his work, most recently the Emmy-nominated Showtime film Our Fathers, for which he received a WGA nomination. He is at work on a major history of AIDS, due from Alfred A. Knopf in 2013. Based on decades of reporting, How to Survive a Plague is his directorial debut.
Credits
Director: David France
Writers: David France, Todd Woody Richman, Tyler H. Walk
Producers: David France, Howard Gertler
Executive Producers: Dan Cogan, Joy A. Tomchin
Co-Producer: Todd Woody Richman
Camera: Derek Wieshahn
Sound: Stuart Deutsch, Topher Reifeiss
Original Music: Stuart Bogie
Editor: Todd Woody Richman, Tyler H. Walk
Production Companies: Public Square Films, Ninety Thousand Words
Distribution (Us): Sundance Selects
Short Notes and Update:
The International Documentary Association in Los Angeles presents Doc U: The Doc Reporter
Navigating the Intersection of Documentary and Journalism
Moderated by: Karin Skellwagen (The Brooks Institute)
With Panelists:
Sarah Burns (The Central Park Five)
Michael Donaldson (Partner, Donaldson & Callif)
David France (How To Survive A Plague)
For information: http://doc-u-jan-2013-la.eventbrite.com/
Sundance Announces 2013 International Documentary Competition:
Fallen City/ China (Director: Qi Zhao) — Fallen City spans four years to reveal how three families who survived the 2008 Sichuan earthquake to embark on a journey searching for hope, purpose, identity, and to rebuild their lives in a new China torn between tradition and modernity. North American Premiere
Fire in the Blood/ India (Director: Dylan Mohan Gray) — In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Western governments and pharmaceutical companies blocked low-cost antiretroviral drugs from reaching AIDS-stricken Africa, causing 10 million or more unnecessary deaths. An improbable group of people decided to fight back. North American Premiere
Google and the World Brain/ Spain, United Kingdom (Director: Ben Lewis) — In the most ambitious Internet project ever conceived, Google is working to scan every book in the world. Google says it is building a library for mankind. But some are trying to stop it, claiming that Google may have other intentions. World Premiere
The Machine Which Makes Everything Disappear/ Georgia, Germany (Director: Tinatin Gurchiani) — A film director casting a 15-23-year-old protagonist visits villages and cities to meet people who answer her call. She follows those who prove to be interesting enough through various dramatic and funny situations. North American Premiere
The Moo Man/ United Kingdom (Directors: Andy Heathcote, Heike Bachelier) — A year in the life of heroic farmer Steve, scene stealing Ida (queen of the herd), and a supporting cast of 55 cows. When Ida falls ill, Steve’s optimism is challenged and their whole way of life is at stake. World Premiere
Pussy Riot – A Punk Prayer/ Russian Federation, United Kingdom (Directors: Mike Lerner, Maxim Pozdorovkin) — Three young women face seven years in a Russian prison for a satirical performance in a Moscow cathedral. But who is really on trial: the three young artists or the society they live in? World Premiere
A River Changes Course/ Cambodia, U.S.A. (Director: Kalyanee Mam) — Three young Cambodians struggle to overcome the crushing effects of deforestation, overfishing, and overwhelming debt in this devastatingly beautiful story of a country reeling from the tragedies of war and rushing to keep pace with a rapidly expanding world. World Premiere
Salma/ United Kingdom, India (Director: Kim Longinotto) — When Salma, a young girl in South India, reached puberty, her parents locked her away. Millions of girls all over the world share the same fate. Twenty-five years later, Salma has fought her way back to the outside world. World Premiere
The Square (Al Midan)/ Egypt, U.S.A. (Director: Jehane Noujaim) — What does it mean to risk your life for your ideals? How far will five revolutionaries go in defending their beliefs in the fight for their nation? World Premiere
The Stuart Hall Project/ United Kingdom (Director: John Akomfrah) — Antinuclear campaigner, New Left activist and founding father of Cultural Studies, this documentary interweaves 70 years of Stuart Hall’s film, radio and television appearances, and material from his private archive to document a memorable life and construct a portrait of Britain’s foremost radical intellectual. World Premiere
The Summit/ Ireland, United Kingdom (Director: Nick Ryan) — Twenty-four climbers converged at the last stop before summiting the most dangerous mountain on Earth. Forty-eight hours later, 11 had been killed or simply vanished. Had one, Ger McDonnell, stuck to the climbers' code, he might still be alive. International Premiere
Who is Dayani Cristal?/ United Kingdom (Director: Marc Silver) — An anonymous body in the Arizona desert sparks the beginning of a real-life human drama. The search for its identity leads us across a continent to seek out the people left behind and the meaning of a mysterious tattoo. World Premiere. Day One Film
Producer’s Guild Announces Nominations for the Award for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures and Non-Fiction Television:
A People Uncounted(Urbinder Films)
Producers: Marc Swenker, Aaron Yeger
The Gatekeepers(Sony Pictures Classics)
Producers: Estelle Fialon, Philippa Kowarsky, Dror Moreh
The Island President(Samuel Goldwyn Films)
Producers: Richard Berge, Bonni Cohen
The Other Dream Team(The Film Arcade)
Producers: Marius Markevicius, Jon Weinbach
Searching For Sugar Man(Sony Pictures Classics)
Producers: Malik Bendjelloul, Simon Chinn
Nominations for the Award for Outstanding Producer of
Non-Fiction Television:
American Masters(PBS)
Producers: Prudence Glass, Susan Lacy, Julie Sacks
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations(Travel Channel)
Producers: Anthony Bourdain, Christopher Collins, Lydia Tenaglia, Sandy Zweig
Deadliest Catch(Discovery Channel)
Producers: Thom Beers, Jeff Conroy, Sean Dash, John Gray, Sheila McCormack, Bill Pruitt, Decker Watson
Inside the Actors Studio(Bravo)
Producers: James Lipton, Shawn Tesser, Jeff Wurtz
Shark Tank(ABC)
Producers: Rhett Bachner, Becky Blitz, Mark Burnett, Bill Gaudsmith, Yun Lingner, Brien Meagher, Clay Newbill, Jim Roush, Laura Skowlund, Paul Sutera, Patrick Wood
BAFTA Short and Documentary Feature Nominations (British Academy of Film and Television Arts, London)
Documentary Feature
The ImposterBart Layton, Dimitri Doganis
Marley Kevin Macdonald, Steve Bing, Charles Steel
McCullin David Morris, Jacqui Morris
Searching for Sugar Man Malik Bendjelloul, Simon Chinn
West of Memphis Amy Berg
Short Animation
Here to Fall Kris Kelly, Evelyn McGrath
I’m Fine Thanks Eamonn O'Neill
The Making of Longbird Will Anderson, Ainslie Henderson
Short Film
The Curse Fyzal Boulifa, Gavin Humphries
Good Night Muriel d'Ansembourg, Eva Sigurdardottir
Swimmer Lynne Ramsay, Peter Carlton, Diarmid Scrimshaw
Tumult Johnny Barrington, Rhianna Andrews
The Voorman Problem Mark Gill, Baldwin Li
The Broadcast Film Critics Association (Bfca)
Documentary Feature Nominations
Bully
The Imposter
Queen of Versailles
Searching for Sugar Man (Winner)
The Central Park Five
West of Memphis
________________________________________________________________________
Credits: Editing by Jessica Just for SydneysBuzz
________________________________________________________________________
Block Doc Workshops in Los Angeles February 2013 Ida Doc U
The International Documentary Association will be hosting Documentary Funding and Documentary Tune-Up Workshops with Block on February 9/10. http://www.documentary.org/news/february-documentary-producing-workshops-mitchell-block
Mitchell Block specializes in conceiving, producing, marketing & distributing independent features & consulting. He is an expert in placing both completed works into distribution & working with producers to make projects fundable. He conducts regular workshops in film producing in Los Angeles and most recently in Maine, Russia and in Myanmar (Burma).
Poster Girl, produced by Block was nominated for a Documentary Academy Award and selected by the Ida as the Best Doc Short 2011. It was also nominated for two Emmy Awards and aired on HBO. He is an executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning PBS series Carrier, a 10-hour series that he conceived & co-created. Block is a graduate of Tisch School and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business. He is a member of Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the Television Academy, a founding member of BAFTA-la and has been teaching at USC School of Cinematic Arts since 1979. Currently Block teaches a required class in the USC Peter Stark Producing Program.
______________________________________________________________________
©2013Mwb All Rights Reserved All Rights Reserved. All information and designs on the Sites are copyrighted material owned by Block. Reproduction, dissemination, or transmission of any part of the material here without the express written consent of the owner is strictly prohibited.All other product names and marks on Block Direct, whether trademarks, service marks, or other type, and whether registered or unregistered, is the property of Block.
Send us links to your sizzle reels and film sites.
Note: See Issues 1, 2, 3, and 4 for reviews and clips of the Academy documentary films and short films. Additional reviews of the documentary features follow in this issue.
Best documentary feature
5 Broken Cameras Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi
The Gatekeepers Nominees to be determined *See note below
How to Survive a Plague Nominees to be determined
The Invisible War Nominees to be determined
Searching for Sugar Man Nominees to be determined
Best documentary short subject
Inocente Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine
Kings Point Sari Gilman and Jedd Wider
Mondays at Racine Cynthia Wade and Robin Honan
Open Heart Kief Davidson and Cori Shepherd Stern
Redemption Jon Alpert and Matthew O'Neill
Best animated short film
Adam and Dog Minkyu Lee
Fresh Guacamole Pes
Head over Heels Timothy Reckart and Fodhla Cronin O'Reilly
Maggie Simpson in The Longest Daycare David Silverman
Paperman John Kahrs
Best live action short film
Asad Bryan Buckley and Mino Jarjoura
Buzkashi Boys Sam French and Ariel Nasr
Curfew Shawn Christensen
Death of a Shadow (Dood van een Schaduw) Tom Van Avermaet and Ellen De Waele
Henry Yan England
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song) from a documentary
Before My Time from The documentary feature Chasing Ice Music and Lyric by J. Ralph
Note: *Nominees to be determined* The Documentary Brand gives the nomination to the individual(s) most involved in the key creative aspects of the filmmaking process. A maximum of two persons may be designated as nominees, one of whom must be the credited director who exercised directorial control, and the other of whom must have a producer or director credit. If a producer is named, that individual must have performed a major portion of the producing functions, in accordance with Academy producer criteria. No more than two statuettes will normally be given in the Documentary Feature category. All individuals with a “Producer” or “Produced by” credit on films that reach the semifinal round will automatically be vetted.
The Documentary Branch Executive Committee will determine which producers, if any, are eligible to receive an Oscar. In the unlikely event of a dispute, filmmakers may appeal the committee’s decision. In extremely rare circumstances, a third statuette may be awarded.
Production companies or persons with the screen credit of executive producer, co-producer or any credit other than director or producer shall not be eligible as nominees for the motion picture.
DGA Documentary Award Nominations
Kirby Dick The Invisible War
This is Mr. Dick’s first DGA Award nomination.
Malik Bendjelloul Searching For Sugar Man
This is Mr. Bendjelloul’s first DGA Award nomination.
Lauren Greenfield The Queen of Versailles
This is Ms. Greenfield’s first DGA Award nomination.
David France How To Survive A Plague
This is Mr. France’s first DGA Award nomination.
Alison Klayman Ai WeiWei: Never Sorry
This is Ms. Klayman’s first DGA Award nomination.
Two Academy Nominated Documentary Features
& One Academy Short Listed Documentary Reviewed
The Gatekeepers, directed by Dror Moreh
Documentary Feature Nominee
Six former heads of Israel’s domestic secret service agency, the Shin Bet, share their insights and reflect publicly on their actions and decisions in The Gatekeepers, a film by Dror Moreh. These six heads of the Shin Bet stood at the center of Israel's decision-making process in all matters pertaining to security. They worked closely with every Israeli prime minister, and their assessments and insights had—and continue to have—a profound impact on Israeli policy. The Gatekeepers is an exclusive account of their successes and failures.
I find The Gatekeepers remarkable. Not for its craft but for its concept and vision. Imagine
J Edger Hoover talking about his tenure at the FBI, his successes and his failures, his interactions with the Presidents and members of Congress, and his critical self-evaluation of his mission and how his agency’s work affected our nation. Imagine. Dror Moreh accomplished this feat when he convinced these six surviving members of the Shin Bet, to speak on camera.
The film provides a historical perspective of Israel that is both candid and critical of the successive governments in this rare Middle Eastern democracy. The Shin Bet was created in 1949 by David Ben-Gurion’s government to focus on the internal affairs of Israel and evolved into dealing with counterterrorism and intelligence gathering in the West Bank and Gaza.
These intelligence heads, like ours, report to the President/Prime Minister. They are not part of the military complex. It is this context that gives this work its power. We hear the story of Israel’s struggle to protect itself from both its internal and external enemies; the bombers, terrorists, agents and others who worked to destroy this small country. These men are not glamorous or like the fictional heads of the spy agencies we have seen in James Bond and Bourne films. They are bald or balding grandfather-types. Articulate, highly educated, calm and yet we know that they protected Israel from its enemies even if they had them killed.
This is one of the strongest of the nominated docs. It raises significant issues of personal responsibilities. Despite the lack of oversight we don’t feel that this is an organization gone amuck like the Catholic Church not protecting children or the Us Military not protecting its members from sexual harassment. We see these articulate men as guardians and protectors of their nation steadfastly doing their duty within the confines of their moral beliefs. What is scary about The Gatekeepers is that clearly there could have been abuses and wrongs done by the Shin Bet if these six had less character or their mission was redefined by the government without regard to moral or ethical standards. The film on reflection is troubling for regardless of how the spectator might feel about Israel it forces us to look at this conflict through the lenses of these six guardians and we can only wonder what they don’t tell us about what they did in the name of their country.
Credits:
Director: Dror Moreh
Camera: Avner Shahaf
Producers: Dror Moreh, Estelle Fialon, Philippa Kowarsky
Co Producer: Anna Van Der Wee
Sound: Amos Zipori
Sound Design: Aex Claude
Music: Ab Ovo, Jérôme Chassagnard, Régis Baillet
Editor: Oron Adar
Production Companies: Dror Moreh Productions, Les Films du Poisson, Cinephil
In Co-Production with: Mac Guff, Wild Heart Productions, Arte France, Iba, Ndr, Rtbf
With the support of: Cnc, Media, Région Ile-de-France, Procirep, Angoa, The Rabinovich Foundation for the Arts – Cinema Project
Distribution: Sony Classics
Trailer: http://www.sonyclassics.com/thegatekeepers/
The House I Live In, directed by Eugene Jarecki
Short Listed Documentary Feature for Academy Award nomination
The House I Live In looks at how America has waged war on some of its poorest citizens, costing countless lives, destroying families, and inflicting untold damage on future generations of Americans. It posits that over the last forty years, the War on Drugs has accounted for more than 45 million arrests and shows how America became the world’s largest jailer, damaging poor communities at home and abroad. Yet today drugs are cheaper, purer and more available than ever before. It shows that drug abuse is a public health issue. Despite this, it is treated by our society as a criminal matter and a vast machine has been created that feeds on the men and women who are incarcerated. Because of this, the prisoners are not offered help or a cure for their underlying problems, so they return to prison in a never ending cycle.
Eugene Jarecki, whose previous films looked at the military industrial complex (Why We Fight and The Trials of Henry Kissinger), won the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary at Sundance in both 2005 and 2010. The film tackles difficult material. Material that has been in scores of documentaries and television shows over the years. Yet Jarecki, using his personal experience, a wealth of interviews and strong case studies, builds a compelling case for changing the sentencing guidelines for crack (and cocaine) and for dealing with both addiction and the underlying causes of addiction. Jarecki is a skillful filmmaker who has picked a vast and complex subject and has created a work that while rich in content moves along at a good pace although it might have been stronger if it had tried to do less. The film editor Paul Frost and the composer Robert Miller do an excellent job building strong sequences with evocative music. It was nicely shot by Sam Cullman and Derek Hallquist. Richard Abramowitz’s Abramorama handled the distribution and was successful getting the work out which is never easy for such an issue oriented film.
Credits:
Director, Producer, Screenwriter: Eugene Jarecki
Producers: Melinda Shopsin, Sam Cullman, Christopher St. John
Executive Producers: Eugene Jarecki, Nick Fraser, Joslyn Barnes, Danny Glover, Russell Simmons, Roy Ackerman, John Legend, Sally Jo Feifer, Nick Fraser
Camera: Sam Cullman, Derek Hallquist
Sound: Matthew Freed, Art Jaso
Music: Robert Milller
Editor: Paul Frost
Production Companies: Charlotte Street Films, Zdf Enterprises, Independent Television Services, BBC, Aljazeera Documentary Channel, Vpro, Special Broadcasting Service Corporation, Louverture Films, Nhk
Distribution (Us): Abramorama Entertainment, Snag Films
How to Survive a Plague, directed by David France
Documentary Feature Nominee
How to Survive a Plague by writer and filmmaker David France tells the story of how two coalitions came together to lobby for effective treatments and funding for treatments of AIDS in the late 1980s when it was evident that the Us government and its health and other agencies were not being very effective dealing with the AIDS epidemic. The coalitions, Act Up and Tag (Treatment Action Group) helped to make AIDS more treatable. While there is still no cure for AIDS and thousands of people globally still die from the virus, it is now possible to prolong life with treatments that have been developed.
Despite having no scientific training, these self-made activists infiltrated the pharmaceutical industry and helped identify promising new drugs, moving them from experimental trials to patients in record time. With access to never-before-seen archival footage from the 1980s and '90s, filmmaker David France puts the viewer smack in the middle of the controversial actions, the heated meetings, the heartbreaking failures, and the exultant breakthroughs. Faced with their own mortality an improbable group of young men and women, many of them HIV-positive took on Washington and the medical establishment.
While there have been a handful of outstanding films dealing with the AIDS epidemic including Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt, The Broadcast Tapes of Dr. Peter and Silverlake Life, to name a few, How to Survive a Plague picks up on the story begun in the landmark Common Threads and updates the struggle, looking at the quest to find a treatment and possibly a cure for this vicious disease. The film weaves together stories of activism and shows how a small determined group can effect change not just nationally but globally. While the film is not as well made as Common Threads or Dr. Peter, it’s powerful. The archival footage manages to capture some of the key figures of Act Up and Tag showing actions as they take place. Instead of relying on talking heads to tell this amazing story, it is presented with footage shot as the story unfolded. This footage and its solid editing distinguishes this film from so many of the works that have tried to tell this story.
Few documentaries have such powerful antagonists, the government, incompetence, a lack of urgency on the part of the medical community and fear. Throw in homophobia and it is evident that the dramatic actions of these heroes saved hundreds of thousands of possible victims from this mostly sexually spread plague.
My only serious criticism of this documentary is its failure to be clearer that the plague continues, that there is no cure for HIV/AIDS and that the community continues to give a false sense of hope. Currently the Cdc states:
” ..estimates that 1,148,200 persons aged 13 years and older are living with HIV infection, including 207,600 (18.1%) who are unaware of their infection1. Over the past decade, the number of people living with HIV has increased, while the annual number of new HIV infections has remained relatively stable. Still, the pace of new infections continues at far too high a level—particularly among certain groups.
HIV Incidence(new infections): The estimated incidence of HIV has remained stable overall in recent years, at about 50,000 new HIV infections per year.2 Within the overall estimates, however, some groups are affected more than others. Msm (men who have sex with men) continue to bear the greatest burden of HIV infection, and among races/ethnicities, African Americans continue to be disproportionately affected.”
This information could have been contained in the last few minutes of this powerful work, to inspire and warn the audience that testing is critical and that safe sex is still the only way to contain AIDS.
The Filmmaker
David France, Director, Producer
David France is an award-winning journalist and New York Times best-selling author who has been writing about AIDS since 1982 and today is one of the best-known chroniclers of the epidemic. His work has appeared in the New York Times, Newsweek, GQ, and New York magazine, where he is a contributing editor, and has received the National Headliner Award and the GLAAD Media Award, among others. Several films have been inspired by his work, most recently the Emmy-nominated Showtime film Our Fathers, for which he received a WGA nomination. He is at work on a major history of AIDS, due from Alfred A. Knopf in 2013. Based on decades of reporting, How to Survive a Plague is his directorial debut.
Credits
Director: David France
Writers: David France, Todd Woody Richman, Tyler H. Walk
Producers: David France, Howard Gertler
Executive Producers: Dan Cogan, Joy A. Tomchin
Co-Producer: Todd Woody Richman
Camera: Derek Wieshahn
Sound: Stuart Deutsch, Topher Reifeiss
Original Music: Stuart Bogie
Editor: Todd Woody Richman, Tyler H. Walk
Production Companies: Public Square Films, Ninety Thousand Words
Distribution (Us): Sundance Selects
Short Notes and Update:
The International Documentary Association in Los Angeles presents Doc U: The Doc Reporter
Navigating the Intersection of Documentary and Journalism
Moderated by: Karin Skellwagen (The Brooks Institute)
With Panelists:
Sarah Burns (The Central Park Five)
Michael Donaldson (Partner, Donaldson & Callif)
David France (How To Survive A Plague)
For information: http://doc-u-jan-2013-la.eventbrite.com/
Sundance Announces 2013 International Documentary Competition:
Fallen City/ China (Director: Qi Zhao) — Fallen City spans four years to reveal how three families who survived the 2008 Sichuan earthquake to embark on a journey searching for hope, purpose, identity, and to rebuild their lives in a new China torn between tradition and modernity. North American Premiere
Fire in the Blood/ India (Director: Dylan Mohan Gray) — In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Western governments and pharmaceutical companies blocked low-cost antiretroviral drugs from reaching AIDS-stricken Africa, causing 10 million or more unnecessary deaths. An improbable group of people decided to fight back. North American Premiere
Google and the World Brain/ Spain, United Kingdom (Director: Ben Lewis) — In the most ambitious Internet project ever conceived, Google is working to scan every book in the world. Google says it is building a library for mankind. But some are trying to stop it, claiming that Google may have other intentions. World Premiere
The Machine Which Makes Everything Disappear/ Georgia, Germany (Director: Tinatin Gurchiani) — A film director casting a 15-23-year-old protagonist visits villages and cities to meet people who answer her call. She follows those who prove to be interesting enough through various dramatic and funny situations. North American Premiere
The Moo Man/ United Kingdom (Directors: Andy Heathcote, Heike Bachelier) — A year in the life of heroic farmer Steve, scene stealing Ida (queen of the herd), and a supporting cast of 55 cows. When Ida falls ill, Steve’s optimism is challenged and their whole way of life is at stake. World Premiere
Pussy Riot – A Punk Prayer/ Russian Federation, United Kingdom (Directors: Mike Lerner, Maxim Pozdorovkin) — Three young women face seven years in a Russian prison for a satirical performance in a Moscow cathedral. But who is really on trial: the three young artists or the society they live in? World Premiere
A River Changes Course/ Cambodia, U.S.A. (Director: Kalyanee Mam) — Three young Cambodians struggle to overcome the crushing effects of deforestation, overfishing, and overwhelming debt in this devastatingly beautiful story of a country reeling from the tragedies of war and rushing to keep pace with a rapidly expanding world. World Premiere
Salma/ United Kingdom, India (Director: Kim Longinotto) — When Salma, a young girl in South India, reached puberty, her parents locked her away. Millions of girls all over the world share the same fate. Twenty-five years later, Salma has fought her way back to the outside world. World Premiere
The Square (Al Midan)/ Egypt, U.S.A. (Director: Jehane Noujaim) — What does it mean to risk your life for your ideals? How far will five revolutionaries go in defending their beliefs in the fight for their nation? World Premiere
The Stuart Hall Project/ United Kingdom (Director: John Akomfrah) — Antinuclear campaigner, New Left activist and founding father of Cultural Studies, this documentary interweaves 70 years of Stuart Hall’s film, radio and television appearances, and material from his private archive to document a memorable life and construct a portrait of Britain’s foremost radical intellectual. World Premiere
The Summit/ Ireland, United Kingdom (Director: Nick Ryan) — Twenty-four climbers converged at the last stop before summiting the most dangerous mountain on Earth. Forty-eight hours later, 11 had been killed or simply vanished. Had one, Ger McDonnell, stuck to the climbers' code, he might still be alive. International Premiere
Who is Dayani Cristal?/ United Kingdom (Director: Marc Silver) — An anonymous body in the Arizona desert sparks the beginning of a real-life human drama. The search for its identity leads us across a continent to seek out the people left behind and the meaning of a mysterious tattoo. World Premiere. Day One Film
Producer’s Guild Announces Nominations for the Award for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures and Non-Fiction Television:
A People Uncounted(Urbinder Films)
Producers: Marc Swenker, Aaron Yeger
The Gatekeepers(Sony Pictures Classics)
Producers: Estelle Fialon, Philippa Kowarsky, Dror Moreh
The Island President(Samuel Goldwyn Films)
Producers: Richard Berge, Bonni Cohen
The Other Dream Team(The Film Arcade)
Producers: Marius Markevicius, Jon Weinbach
Searching For Sugar Man(Sony Pictures Classics)
Producers: Malik Bendjelloul, Simon Chinn
Nominations for the Award for Outstanding Producer of
Non-Fiction Television:
American Masters(PBS)
Producers: Prudence Glass, Susan Lacy, Julie Sacks
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations(Travel Channel)
Producers: Anthony Bourdain, Christopher Collins, Lydia Tenaglia, Sandy Zweig
Deadliest Catch(Discovery Channel)
Producers: Thom Beers, Jeff Conroy, Sean Dash, John Gray, Sheila McCormack, Bill Pruitt, Decker Watson
Inside the Actors Studio(Bravo)
Producers: James Lipton, Shawn Tesser, Jeff Wurtz
Shark Tank(ABC)
Producers: Rhett Bachner, Becky Blitz, Mark Burnett, Bill Gaudsmith, Yun Lingner, Brien Meagher, Clay Newbill, Jim Roush, Laura Skowlund, Paul Sutera, Patrick Wood
BAFTA Short and Documentary Feature Nominations (British Academy of Film and Television Arts, London)
Documentary Feature
The ImposterBart Layton, Dimitri Doganis
Marley Kevin Macdonald, Steve Bing, Charles Steel
McCullin David Morris, Jacqui Morris
Searching for Sugar Man Malik Bendjelloul, Simon Chinn
West of Memphis Amy Berg
Short Animation
Here to Fall Kris Kelly, Evelyn McGrath
I’m Fine Thanks Eamonn O'Neill
The Making of Longbird Will Anderson, Ainslie Henderson
Short Film
The Curse Fyzal Boulifa, Gavin Humphries
Good Night Muriel d'Ansembourg, Eva Sigurdardottir
Swimmer Lynne Ramsay, Peter Carlton, Diarmid Scrimshaw
Tumult Johnny Barrington, Rhianna Andrews
The Voorman Problem Mark Gill, Baldwin Li
The Broadcast Film Critics Association (Bfca)
Documentary Feature Nominations
Bully
The Imposter
Queen of Versailles
Searching for Sugar Man (Winner)
The Central Park Five
West of Memphis
________________________________________________________________________
Credits: Editing by Jessica Just for SydneysBuzz
________________________________________________________________________
Block Doc Workshops in Los Angeles February 2013 Ida Doc U
The International Documentary Association will be hosting Documentary Funding and Documentary Tune-Up Workshops with Block on February 9/10. http://www.documentary.org/news/february-documentary-producing-workshops-mitchell-block
Mitchell Block specializes in conceiving, producing, marketing & distributing independent features & consulting. He is an expert in placing both completed works into distribution & working with producers to make projects fundable. He conducts regular workshops in film producing in Los Angeles and most recently in Maine, Russia and in Myanmar (Burma).
Poster Girl, produced by Block was nominated for a Documentary Academy Award and selected by the Ida as the Best Doc Short 2011. It was also nominated for two Emmy Awards and aired on HBO. He is an executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning PBS series Carrier, a 10-hour series that he conceived & co-created. Block is a graduate of Tisch School and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business. He is a member of Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the Television Academy, a founding member of BAFTA-la and has been teaching at USC School of Cinematic Arts since 1979. Currently Block teaches a required class in the USC Peter Stark Producing Program.
______________________________________________________________________
©2013Mwb All Rights Reserved All Rights Reserved. All information and designs on the Sites are copyrighted material owned by Block. Reproduction, dissemination, or transmission of any part of the material here without the express written consent of the owner is strictly prohibited.All other product names and marks on Block Direct, whether trademarks, service marks, or other type, and whether registered or unregistered, is the property of Block.
- 1/17/2013
- by Mitchell Block
- Sydney's Buzz
Earlier this week The Producers Guild of America (PGA) announced the nominations for their annual awards for theatrical motion picture, animated motion picture and long-form television nominations for the 2013 Producers Guild Awards.
This was an incredible year for films, and most of the movies nominated here deserve to be. Out of all the films listed here, I'd like to see Zero Dark Thirty or Silver Linings Playbook take the top prize for motion picture, Paranorman for animated film, Game of Thrones for TV drama, and Curb Your Enthusiasm for TV Comedy. In case you missed them, here they are! Look them over and let us know what films you'd like to see win!
Ten nominations in the theatrical motion picture category include:
Argo (Warner Bros.)
Beasts of the Southern Wild (Fox Searchlight)
Django Unchained (The Weinstein Company)
Life of Pi (20th Century Fox)
Lincoln (DreamWorks)
Les Misérables (Universal)
Moonrise Kingdom...
This was an incredible year for films, and most of the movies nominated here deserve to be. Out of all the films listed here, I'd like to see Zero Dark Thirty or Silver Linings Playbook take the top prize for motion picture, Paranorman for animated film, Game of Thrones for TV drama, and Curb Your Enthusiasm for TV Comedy. In case you missed them, here they are! Look them over and let us know what films you'd like to see win!
Ten nominations in the theatrical motion picture category include:
Argo (Warner Bros.)
Beasts of the Southern Wild (Fox Searchlight)
Django Unchained (The Weinstein Company)
Life of Pi (20th Century Fox)
Lincoln (DreamWorks)
Les Misérables (Universal)
Moonrise Kingdom...
- 1/5/2013
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
The Producers Guild of America has revealed the 10 films Wednesday nominated for the Darryl F. Zanuck producer of the year award for theatrical motion pictures.
From A to Z – literally, from Argo to Zero Dark Thirty, the nominees include the year final contenders Lincoln, Life of Pi, Les Miserables and Django Unchained as well as the producers of Beasts of the Southern Wild, Moonrise Kingdom, Silver Linings Playbook and Skyfall, the 23rd and most successful James Bond movie.
Skyfall is also the first James Bond movie that has earned a nomination.
In the animated film producer’s category are the producers of Brave, Frankenweenie, ParaNorman, Rise of the Guardians and Wreck-It-Ralph.
The Producers Guild Awards will be handed out at a ceremony in Los Angeles on January 26th and will be a closely watched indicator of Oscar sentiment. Eight of the movies are also in the running for best picture...
From A to Z – literally, from Argo to Zero Dark Thirty, the nominees include the year final contenders Lincoln, Life of Pi, Les Miserables and Django Unchained as well as the producers of Beasts of the Southern Wild, Moonrise Kingdom, Silver Linings Playbook and Skyfall, the 23rd and most successful James Bond movie.
Skyfall is also the first James Bond movie that has earned a nomination.
In the animated film producer’s category are the producers of Brave, Frankenweenie, ParaNorman, Rise of the Guardians and Wreck-It-Ralph.
The Producers Guild Awards will be handed out at a ceremony in Los Angeles on January 26th and will be a closely watched indicator of Oscar sentiment. Eight of the movies are also in the running for best picture...
- 1/3/2013
- by Nick Martin
- Filmofilia
Daniel Craig's third outing as James Bond nominated for prize traditionally regarded as Academy Awards signpost
The latest James Bond film, Skyfall, could be making a late run for recognition at this year's Oscars after being named among the top 10 films of 2012 by the Producers Guild of America (PGA).
The guild also named awards season frontrunners Argo, Les Miserables, Lincoln and Silver Linings Playbook in its list of nominees for the Darryl F Zanuck award for outstanding producer of theatrical motion pictures.
Most of the other contenders have also been feted by various critics' groups in the runup to the Academy Awards at the Dolby theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on 24 February. Quentin Tarantino's blood-spattered spaghetti western homage, Django Unchained, is starting to look a good bet for Oscar nominations after picking up another nod in the wake of its five Golden Globe nominations last month.
Ang Lee's...
The latest James Bond film, Skyfall, could be making a late run for recognition at this year's Oscars after being named among the top 10 films of 2012 by the Producers Guild of America (PGA).
The guild also named awards season frontrunners Argo, Les Miserables, Lincoln and Silver Linings Playbook in its list of nominees for the Darryl F Zanuck award for outstanding producer of theatrical motion pictures.
Most of the other contenders have also been feted by various critics' groups in the runup to the Academy Awards at the Dolby theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on 24 February. Quentin Tarantino's blood-spattered spaghetti western homage, Django Unchained, is starting to look a good bet for Oscar nominations after picking up another nod in the wake of its five Golden Globe nominations last month.
Ang Lee's...
- 1/3/2013
- by Ben Child
- The Guardian - Film News
The Producers Guild of America (PGA) has announced the nominees in both motion picture and television for the 24th Annual Producers Guild Awards. "Skyfall" made the cut as one of the nominees of the Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures.
Winners will be announced on January 26th at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
Here's the complete list of nominees (including television); for winners/nominees of other award-giving bodies, click here:
Theatrical Motion Picture Nominees
The Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures
.Argo. (Warner Bros.)
Producers: Ben Affleck, George Clooney, Grant Heslov
.Beasts of the Southern Wild. (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Producers: Michael Gottwald, Dan Janvey, Josh Penn
.Django Unchained. (The Weinstein Company)
Producers: Reginald Hudlin, Pilar Savone, Stacey Sher
.Les Misérables. (Universal Pictures)
Producers: Tim Bevan & Eric Fellner, Debra Hayward, Cameron Mackintosh
.Life of Pi. (Fox 2000 Pictures)
Producers: Ang Lee, Gil Netter,...
Winners will be announced on January 26th at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
Here's the complete list of nominees (including television); for winners/nominees of other award-giving bodies, click here:
Theatrical Motion Picture Nominees
The Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures
.Argo. (Warner Bros.)
Producers: Ben Affleck, George Clooney, Grant Heslov
.Beasts of the Southern Wild. (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Producers: Michael Gottwald, Dan Janvey, Josh Penn
.Django Unchained. (The Weinstein Company)
Producers: Reginald Hudlin, Pilar Savone, Stacey Sher
.Les Misérables. (Universal Pictures)
Producers: Tim Bevan & Eric Fellner, Debra Hayward, Cameron Mackintosh
.Life of Pi. (Fox 2000 Pictures)
Producers: Ang Lee, Gil Netter,...
- 1/2/2013
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
No Dark Knight Rises, Batman fans.
The Producers Guild of America (PGA) announced today the motion picture and long-form television nominations for the 24th Annual Producers Guild Awards. The categories include: The Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures; The Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures; and The David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television. The documentary film category and other television category nominations were already announced by the Guild in November 2012.
All 2013 Producers Guild Award winners will be announced on January 26th at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. This year, the Producers Guild will also present special honors to Bob and Harvey Weinstein (Milestone Award), Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner (David O. Selznick Achievement Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures), J.J. Abrams (Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television), Russell Simmons (Visionary Award) and Bully (Stanley Kramer Award).
The 2013 Producers Guild Awards Chair is Michael De Luca.
The Producers Guild of America (PGA) announced today the motion picture and long-form television nominations for the 24th Annual Producers Guild Awards. The categories include: The Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures; The Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures; and The David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television. The documentary film category and other television category nominations were already announced by the Guild in November 2012.
All 2013 Producers Guild Award winners will be announced on January 26th at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. This year, the Producers Guild will also present special honors to Bob and Harvey Weinstein (Milestone Award), Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner (David O. Selznick Achievement Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures), J.J. Abrams (Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television), Russell Simmons (Visionary Award) and Bully (Stanley Kramer Award).
The 2013 Producers Guild Awards Chair is Michael De Luca.
- 1/2/2013
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The Producers Guild of America has announced its nominations for best productions of the year, in what is often looked to as an indicator for how the Academy Awards may go.
The guild selected 10 films — most of them common guesses for the group that could make up the Oscar list of the best films of 2012: Argo, Lincoln, Les Misérables, among others.
The one surprise: Skyfall. No 007 film has ever cracked the Best Picture list, but if this nomination is any indication, that could change when the Oscar nods are revealed Jan. 10.
Check out the full list …
The Darryl F. Zanuck...
The guild selected 10 films — most of them common guesses for the group that could make up the Oscar list of the best films of 2012: Argo, Lincoln, Les Misérables, among others.
The one surprise: Skyfall. No 007 film has ever cracked the Best Picture list, but if this nomination is any indication, that could change when the Oscar nods are revealed Jan. 10.
Check out the full list …
The Darryl F. Zanuck...
- 1/2/2013
- by Anthony Breznican
- EW - Inside Movies
The Producers Guild of America has nominated five documentary motion pictures. The documentary field is large and competitive this year, so any spotlight will help Oscar voters make tough choices. Never have so many worthy docs been produced and released into the indie marketplace. The Academy doc branch has already submitted their Oscar short list of 15 which should be announced shortly. The International Documentary Association awards will be announced on December 7 (stay tuned for our report). This week's Oscar Talk podcast delves into the doc race. The PGA nominees are: "A People Uncounted" (Director Aaron Yeger; Producers Yeger, Tom Rasky, Marc Swenker, Stephen Chandler Whitehead), "The Gatekeepers" (Dror Moreh; Moreh, Estelle Fialon, Philippa Kowarsky), "The Island President" (Jon Shenk; Richard Berge, Bonni Cohen), "The Other Dream Team" (Marius Markevicius; Markevicius, Jon Weinbach) and "Searching for Sugar Man"...
- 11/30/2012
- by Anne Thompson and Sophia Savage
- Thompson on Hollywood
The Producers Guild of America has nominated five films, ranging from Aaron Yeger's A People Uncounted to Malik Bendjelloul's Searching for Sugar Man, for its Documentary Motion Picture Award. The nominees also include Dror Moreh's The Gatekeepers, Jon Shenk's The Island President and Marius A. Markevicius' The Other Dream Team. The nominees tackle a range of social issues and feature a number of striking personalities. A People Uncounted looks at the history of the Roma people of Central and Eastern Europe, also known as gypsies, who faced annihilation under the Nazis, while The Other Dream Team, which is being distributed by
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- 11/30/2012
- by Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Could there be a new trend in the field of feature-length documentaries? After last year’s Oscar winner Undefeated and the surprise box office success of this year’s Searching For Sugarman, are we seeing a spate of “feel-good” doc? They’ve had an unfair rep as dour and somber for quite some time now. Many film goers avoid them completely, feeling that they’re the movie equivalent of a dull lecture or homework (“shudder”)! But The Other Dream Team is a truly uplifting movie. And to quote one of the film’s subjects, “What a long, strange, trip it’s been”.
This is primarily the story of the 1992 Lithuanian basketball team whose tale really begins in 1940. That’s when the Ussr, in order to battle the Axis menace, took over the country of Lithuania. During those many dark days of occupation Lithuanians sought relief by indulging in their favorite national sport of basketball.
This is primarily the story of the 1992 Lithuanian basketball team whose tale really begins in 1940. That’s when the Ussr, in order to battle the Axis menace, took over the country of Lithuania. During those many dark days of occupation Lithuanians sought relief by indulging in their favorite national sport of basketball.
- 10/19/2012
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The Other Dream Team focuses on the role basketball has played in the Lithuanian community by helping them through bleak economic and social times, focusing specifically on the members of the first ever Olympic Lithuanian basketball team in 1992 after the collapse of communism. Marius Markevicius’s documentary begins in 1988 when the Ussr were led to a gold medal over America in the Seoul Olympics thanks to the four Lithuanian men who had been recruited for the team. At those ’88 Olympics, Valdemaras Chomicius, Arvydas Sabonis, Sarunas Marciullonis and Rimas Kurtinaitis were not only given a taste of what it...
- 10/1/2012
- Pastemagazine.com
With only one specialty debut reporting estimates this weekend (basketball doc "The Other Dream Team," which did quite well), the weekend's big stories belonged to the holdovers. Summit successfully expanded last weekend's big debut "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" to over 100 screens, while The Weinstein Company saw its Paul Thomas Anderson offering "The Master" start to slow after a big expansion last weekend. Full rundown below. The Debuts: "The Other Dream Team" (The Film Arcade) Marius A. Markevicius's doc "The Other Dream Team" follows the story of the 1992 Lithuanian basketball team, who became symbols of Lithuania's independence movement, and - with help from the Grateful Dead - triumphed at the Barcelona Olympics. On 2 screens, the film did quite well, taking in $22,714 for a healthy $11,357 per-theater-average. The sole debut to report estimates, it had the third highest average of any...
- 9/30/2012
- by Peter Knegt
- Indiewire
Marius Markevicius could say that the story of The Other Dream Team is in his blood. Born in Los Angeles but from a Lithuanian background, Markevicius was immersed in Lithuanian culture growing up, even spending weekends at Lithuanian Saturday school. Sundance Review: The Other Dream Team Also a huge basketball fan, Markevicius grew up admiring both American and Lithuanian athletes. He can still remember when he was 12 years old and the Soviet Union beat the U.S. basketball team at the 1988 Olympic Games. Looking at a photo in the newspaper the next day, Markevicius saw a photo of
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- 9/28/2012
- by Rebecca Ford
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
With NHL players and NFL referees currently locked out, for people who aren't sports fans to begin with, it's hard to sympathize with players making hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars, in billion dollar industries. For the most part, in our day-to-day lives, sports doesn't mingle with politics or history, except every four years when nations come together to compete on the global stage. And while the Olympics do indeed anchor the key moments of Marius A. Markevicius' winning documentary "The Other Dream Team," the film wisely constructs a decades-spanning and wholly riveting narrative that chronicles how one basketball team became the hope of an entire country. Before one can begin to talk about just what basketball means to the people of Lithuania, you have to understand their history, which is essentially one of endurance and pain. Occupied by the Soviet Union during WWII right through to the...
- 9/27/2012
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Check out the latest trailer for Marius Markevicius The Other Dream Team documentary with names like Sarunas Marciulionis, Arvydas Sabonis, David Remnick, Jim Lampley, Bill Walton and Mickey Hart in the mix. The Film Arcade sends this one to theaters on September 28th, under the direction of Marius Markevicius, who also produced alongside Jon Weinbach. After leading the Ussr to a gold medal (and victory over the U.S.A.) at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Sarunas Marciulionis and Arvydas Sabonis were poster boys for their oppressor’s sports machine. Four year later, after the fall of the Soviet Union, they emerged as symbols of democracy, helping their country break free from the shackles of Communism, and willing newly independent Lithuania to the medal stand at the Barcelona Olympics.
- 8/20/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Check out the latest trailer for Marius Markevicius The Other Dream Team documentary with names like Sarunas Marciulionis, Arvydas Sabonis, David Remnick, Jim Lampley, Bill Walton and Mickey Hart in the mix. The Film Arcade sends this one to theaters on September 28th, under the direction of Marius Markevicius, who also produced alongside Jon Weinbach. After leading the Ussr to a gold medal (and victory over the U.S.A.) at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Sarunas Marciulionis and Arvydas Sabonis were poster boys for their oppressor’s sports machine. Four year later, after the fall of the Soviet Union, they emerged as symbols of democracy, helping their country break free from the shackles of Communism, and willing newly independent Lithuania to the medal stand at the Barcelona Olympics.
- 8/20/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
HollywoodNews.com: The 38th Seattle International Film Festival, the largest and most highly-attended event of its kind in the United States concluded today with the announcement of the Siff 2012 Competition Awards and Golden Space Needle Audience Awards. The 25-day Festival, which began May 17, featured over 460 films from more than 70 countries, including 65 feature premieres (24 World, 25 North American, 16 U.S.) and over 700 screenings. Additionally, Siff brought in more than 300 directors, actors and industry professionals.
“A festival’s success is dependent on two basic principles: providing a platform for filmmakers to be celebrated and connecting them to audience members that would not otherwise be aware of their remarkable stories,” said Siff Artistic Director Carl Spence. “This year a record number of filmmakers participated in person and online with virtual Q&A’s successfully expanding the conversation around the best in cinema with passionate audiences, illuminating guests and distinguished industry in attendance.”
Siff Managing Director Deborah Person said,...
“A festival’s success is dependent on two basic principles: providing a platform for filmmakers to be celebrated and connecting them to audience members that would not otherwise be aware of their remarkable stories,” said Siff Artistic Director Carl Spence. “This year a record number of filmmakers participated in person and online with virtual Q&A’s successfully expanding the conversation around the best in cinema with passionate audiences, illuminating guests and distinguished industry in attendance.”
Siff Managing Director Deborah Person said,...
- 6/10/2012
- by Josh Abraham
- Hollywoodnews.com
I can't remember a time I went to the Seattle International Film Festival (Siff) press launch and looked over the list of films and saw so many I was interested in seeing. The claim to fame for over the years is to call it the largest and most-highly attended festival in the United States. This is a fact I've often taken issue with as I don't equate quantity with quality. Granted, there has been a large number of quality features to play the fest over the years, including Golden Space Needle (Best Film) winners such as Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985), My Life as a Dog (1987), Trainspotting (1996), Run Lola Run (1999), Whale Rider (2003) and even recent Best Director winner, Michel Hazanavicius's Oss 117: Nest of Spies in 2006. That said, looking over this year's crop of films I see a lot of films I will be doing my absolute best to see.
- 4/27/2012
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
The last time a basketball documentary lit up the Sundance Film Festival, it was the immaculate Hoop Dreams in 1994. But last week in Utah, there was another hardwood doc eliciting cheers and tears at the annual showcase for independent cinema. The Other Dream Team is the story of the 1992 Olympic basketball team from Lithuania, a tiny Baltic country that only re-established its independence from the crumbling Soviet Union two years prior. The Barcelona Summer Games are remembered for the invincible American roster of NBA stars that won gold, led by Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird. But it was the third-place Lithuanians,...
- 2/3/2012
- by Jeff Labrecque
- EW - Inside Movies
Still from The Other Dream Team
I cannot recommend The Other Dream Team highly enough. It is one of the more multi-faceted documentaries I’ve seen in recent memory, weaving together the formation of the 1992 Lithuanian Olympic basketball team, the personal histories of its players, and the sport’s legacy as the country fought for its independence from Russia. The Grateful Dead factor into the events, making the story even more unique; giving it Hoop Dreams appeal is the presence of Jonas Valanciunas, Lithuania native and recent first round NBA draft pick.
The work is also reminiscent of “30 for 30″, and director Marius Markevicius has a couple vets from that Espn series on his crew. As of this writing, it’s been reported that six studios are chasing distribution rights, while others are — wait for it — vying for the option...
I cannot recommend The Other Dream Team highly enough. It is one of the more multi-faceted documentaries I’ve seen in recent memory, weaving together the formation of the 1992 Lithuanian Olympic basketball team, the personal histories of its players, and the sport’s legacy as the country fought for its independence from Russia. The Grateful Dead factor into the events, making the story even more unique; giving it Hoop Dreams appeal is the presence of Jonas Valanciunas, Lithuania native and recent first round NBA draft pick.
The work is also reminiscent of “30 for 30″, and director Marius Markevicius has a couple vets from that Espn series on his crew. As of this writing, it’s been reported that six studios are chasing distribution rights, while others are — wait for it — vying for the option...
- 1/28/2012
- by arno
- IMDb Blog - All the Latest
When Americans hear "the Dream Team," sports fans conjure images of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, David Robinson, and more as the team went undefeated in the 1992 Olympics and won the gold medal. But for Lithuania, the country who won the bronze medal that year, basketball wasn't just a game - the court was a political battlefield on which their country gained independence from the Soviet Union.
The Other Dream Team gives an expansive look at the political landscape of Lithuania during the late 1980s and early 1990s, providing a perspective that most Americans (myself included) have never bothered to examine. In 1988, the Ussr Olympic team defeated the United States in competition, but four out of the five starting players on that squad were Lithuanian. Occupied by the Ussr at the time, Lithuania wasn't recognized as a soverign nation, so Russia pulled from the nearly 200 million residents of the...
- 1/28/2012
- by benp
- GeekTyrant
Though only filmmakers contending for prizes remain in Park City for the final day of the Sundance Film Festival, the deal making continues. Magnolia has acquired Nobody Walks, the Russo-Young-directed drama about a young female artist who stays with a family in Silver Lake. Her presence makes the husband and wife question their own fears and desires. It’s a mid six figure deal with backend and Submarine is brokering it. At the same time, The Weinstein Company is close to getting on the board with an acquisition, making a VOD-centric deal for the Stephen Frears-directed Lay the Favorite. That film will get in the $2 million range (last year it would have sold for much more), and it will be a strong VOD release with a cast of Bruce Willis, Rebecca Hall and Catherine Zeta-Jones. That makes two films coming out of the festival and headed toward VOD with big stars.
- 1/28/2012
- by MIKE FLEMING
- Deadline
The Other Dream Team, a sports/politics documentary about the Lithuanian basketball team that competed at the 1992 Summer Olympic Games, is selling to Film Arcade and Lionsgate. The deal for North American rights is not yet finalized but is expected to be in the mid-six figures range. The film will receive a theatrical release. A source said that several international companies are still pursuing Dream Team, which is expected to hit U.S. theaters before the Summer Olympic Games begin July 27 in London. Photos: The Scene at Sundance Film Festival 2012 Dream Team, directed by Marius Markevicius,
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- 1/23/2012
- by Daniel Miller, Matthew Belloni
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Marius Markevicius' U.S. competition documentary The Other Dream Team will have its world premiere Saturday, Jan. 21, at the Temple Theatre. The film follows the 1992 Lithuanian Olympic basketball team's dream for glory at the Games and fledgling independence from Russia. THR here hosts an exclusive clip from the film, which Markevicius wrote and produced with Jon Weinbach. Wme Global's Graham Taylor is repping sales rights at the festival.
- 1/20/2012
- by Jay A. Fernandez
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
"Like Crazy" co-producer Marius Markevicius is back this year with his directorial debut "The Other Dream Team," a documentary about Lithuania, his family’s homeland, and basketball, one of his life’s passions. What's it about? The story of the 1992 Lithuanian basketball team and their journey from behind the Iron Curtain to triumph at the Barcelona Summer Olympics. Director Marius Markevicius says: "Led by the trail-blazing skills of Sarunas Marciulionis and Arvydas Sabonis, the 1992 Lithuanian Olympic basketball team helped their country break free from the shackles of Communism. The film documents the players’ personal stories living in the Soviet Union, their struggles under Communist rule, their unique partnership with the Grateful Dead leading up to the Barcelona Olympics, and ultimately their triumph as a newly-free nation. The film follows a special group of athletes who journeyed from behind the Iron Curtain to...
- 1/16/2012
- Indiewire
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