At the Oscars in 2019, one production company was at the center of the year’s most talked about films and on the cusp of the industry’s sweeping trends. The man who backed it, however, wasn’t at the ceremony.
That year the films made by Participant Media collected 17 Oscar nominations, for Green Book, which eventually won best picture and went on to gross $321.8 million worldwide; Roma, which broke Netflix into the best picture race for the first time; and Rbg, the documentary about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg that managed to become one of the highest-grossing independent films of 2018.
In an indicator of Participant and its backer, tech billionaire Jeff Skoll’s unique, dual missions, the Oscar gatherings Participant threw that year included a viewing party for the National Domestic Workers Alliance at The Jane Club, a nod to the lead character in Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma, and...
That year the films made by Participant Media collected 17 Oscar nominations, for Green Book, which eventually won best picture and went on to gross $321.8 million worldwide; Roma, which broke Netflix into the best picture race for the first time; and Rbg, the documentary about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg that managed to become one of the highest-grossing independent films of 2018.
In an indicator of Participant and its backer, tech billionaire Jeff Skoll’s unique, dual missions, the Oscar gatherings Participant threw that year included a viewing party for the National Domestic Workers Alliance at The Jane Club, a nod to the lead character in Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma, and...
- 4/19/2024
- by Rebecca Keegan and Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The sudden end of Participant Media came as a shock to many in the entertainment industry, but it hit documentary filmmakers particularly hard, with some concerned that backers for serious-minded, issue-driven projects are becoming ever more scarce.
Since its founding in 2004, the company — which sought to bring stories that could spark change to a wide audience — has been a staunch supporter of documentaries focused on social and justice issues, funded by the largesse of a billionaire, ex-eBay president Jeff Skoll.
None of its other nonfiction titles quite achieved the heights of 2006’s An Inconvenient Truth, released just two years after the company was formed: The Davis Guggenheim-directed film about Al Gore’s climate change slideshow rocketed to become the third-highest-grossing doc ever at the time and focused mainstream attention on climate change, inspiring studies about its impact. “That’s why we exist,” Skoll told The Hollywood Reporter in 2006, as Truth became a sensation.
Since its founding in 2004, the company — which sought to bring stories that could spark change to a wide audience — has been a staunch supporter of documentaries focused on social and justice issues, funded by the largesse of a billionaire, ex-eBay president Jeff Skoll.
None of its other nonfiction titles quite achieved the heights of 2006’s An Inconvenient Truth, released just two years after the company was formed: The Davis Guggenheim-directed film about Al Gore’s climate change slideshow rocketed to become the third-highest-grossing doc ever at the time and focused mainstream attention on climate change, inspiring studies about its impact. “That’s why we exist,” Skoll told The Hollywood Reporter in 2006, as Truth became a sensation.
- 4/19/2024
- by Katie Kilkenny
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In April 2019, the Academy made a major change to the category formerly known as best foreign-language film. The following March, at the 92nd Academy Awards, Parasite made Oscar history when it became the first non-English film to take best picture — and the first movie to win the Oscar for the newly designated category of best international film.
The decision to rename the category was born out of the Academy’s efforts to diversify its membership and embrace the global filmmaking community. “We believe that ‘international feature film’ better represents this category, and promotes a positive and inclusive view of filmmaking, and the art of film as a universal experience,” Larry Karaszewski and Diane Weyermann, then co-chairs of the international film committee (Weyermann died in 2021), said in a statement.
The Academy has embraced more foreign-language films in its competition — since Parasite’s win in 2020, the best picture category has seen international (or largely non-English) nominees Minari,...
The decision to rename the category was born out of the Academy’s efforts to diversify its membership and embrace the global filmmaking community. “We believe that ‘international feature film’ better represents this category, and promotes a positive and inclusive view of filmmaking, and the art of film as a universal experience,” Larry Karaszewski and Diane Weyermann, then co-chairs of the international film committee (Weyermann died in 2021), said in a statement.
The Academy has embraced more foreign-language films in its competition — since Parasite’s win in 2020, the best picture category has seen international (or largely non-English) nominees Minari,...
- 2/21/2024
- by Tyler Coates
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Dogwoof boards international sales.
Magnolia Pictures has picked up US rights to Participant and River Road’s Food, Inc. 2, the follow-up to Robert Kenner’s Oscar-nominated documentary.
Kenner co-directed with Melissa Robledo on the Telluride world premiere in which investigative authors Michael Pollan (The Omnivore’s Dilemma) and Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation) take a fresh look at the nation’s food system.
Magnolia Pictures will release the film in the spring in the US. while Dogwoof has come on board to represent international sales.
While Food, Inc. fuelled a cultural conversation about the multinational corporations that control the food...
Magnolia Pictures has picked up US rights to Participant and River Road’s Food, Inc. 2, the follow-up to Robert Kenner’s Oscar-nominated documentary.
Kenner co-directed with Melissa Robledo on the Telluride world premiere in which investigative authors Michael Pollan (The Omnivore’s Dilemma) and Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation) take a fresh look at the nation’s food system.
Magnolia Pictures will release the film in the spring in the US. while Dogwoof has come on board to represent international sales.
While Food, Inc. fuelled a cultural conversation about the multinational corporations that control the food...
- 11/9/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: After serving as the distributor for Participant and River Road’s Academy Award-nominated 2008 documentary Food, Inc., Magnolia Pictures has taken U.S. rights to the sequel, with Dogwoof coming aboard to rep international sales. An urgent continuation of the original film’s story, the doc is slated to premiere in the spring.
In the sequel, which world premiered at Telluride, directors Robert Kenner and Melissa Robledo reunite with investigative authors Michael Pollan (The Omnivore’s Dilemma) and Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation) to take a fresh look at food in the U.S. The film reveals how corporate consolidation has gone unchecked by our government, leaving us with a highly efficient yet shockingly vulnerable food system dedicated only towards increasing profits. Seeking solutions, it introduces innovative farmers, food producers, workers’ rights activists, and prominent legislators such as U.S. Senators Cory Booker and Jon Tester, who are facing these...
In the sequel, which world premiered at Telluride, directors Robert Kenner and Melissa Robledo reunite with investigative authors Michael Pollan (The Omnivore’s Dilemma) and Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation) to take a fresh look at food in the U.S. The film reveals how corporate consolidation has gone unchecked by our government, leaving us with a highly efficient yet shockingly vulnerable food system dedicated only towards increasing profits. Seeking solutions, it introduces innovative farmers, food producers, workers’ rights activists, and prominent legislators such as U.S. Senators Cory Booker and Jon Tester, who are facing these...
- 11/9/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Seven filmmakers will benefit from one of the most generous grants in the documentary field, as the North Points Institute today announced the recipients of the inaugural Diane Weyermann Fellowships.
The fellowship, named for the late Participant executive and producer who championed the careers of many leading documentary filmmakers and their work, will provide $100,000 and 18 months of mentorship to each of three nonfiction projects and their filmmaking teams.
“The three supported projects were chosen out of 401 submissions from 70 countries, through a 6-month selection process that included the Points North curatorial team and a jury of veteran filmmakers and programmers,” according to a release. “The projects include: The Last Nomads, directed and produced by Biljana Tutorov, co-directed by Petar Glomazić, and co-produced by Quentin Laurent, Rok Bicek and Eva Kuperman. The film is a co-production of Serbia, Montenegro, France, Slovenia, Belgium, and Croatia; The Production of the World, a co-production of Canada and USA,...
The fellowship, named for the late Participant executive and producer who championed the careers of many leading documentary filmmakers and their work, will provide $100,000 and 18 months of mentorship to each of three nonfiction projects and their filmmaking teams.
“The three supported projects were chosen out of 401 submissions from 70 countries, through a 6-month selection process that included the Points North curatorial team and a jury of veteran filmmakers and programmers,” according to a release. “The projects include: The Last Nomads, directed and produced by Biljana Tutorov, co-directed by Petar Glomazić, and co-produced by Quentin Laurent, Rok Bicek and Eva Kuperman. The film is a co-production of Serbia, Montenegro, France, Slovenia, Belgium, and Croatia; The Production of the World, a co-production of Canada and USA,...
- 9/16/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Three documentaries have been selected to to participate in the inaugural Diane Weyermann fellowship program, which will kick off Sept. 15 at Maine’s 19th edition of the Camden Intl. Film Festival.
The projects are: “The Last Nomads,” a co-production of Serbia, Montenegro and France, directed and produced by Biljana Tutorov, co-directed by Petar Glomazić, and co-produced by Quentin Laurent; “The Production of the World,” a co-production of Canada and USA, directed by Brett Story and produced by Jeff Reichert; and “Untitled Project,” a production of India, directed and produced by Shirley Abraham and Amit Madheshiya.
Each doc will receive $100,000 in unrestricted grants plus 18 months of creative support through retreats and mentorship via Ciff’s Points North Institute, the non-fiction creative hub based in Camden, Maine.
The fellowship was established to honor Weyermann, the former chief content officer at Participant and former director of the Sundance Institute’s documentary film program.
The projects are: “The Last Nomads,” a co-production of Serbia, Montenegro and France, directed and produced by Biljana Tutorov, co-directed by Petar Glomazić, and co-produced by Quentin Laurent; “The Production of the World,” a co-production of Canada and USA, directed by Brett Story and produced by Jeff Reichert; and “Untitled Project,” a production of India, directed and produced by Shirley Abraham and Amit Madheshiya.
Each doc will receive $100,000 in unrestricted grants plus 18 months of creative support through retreats and mentorship via Ciff’s Points North Institute, the non-fiction creative hub based in Camden, Maine.
The fellowship was established to honor Weyermann, the former chief content officer at Participant and former director of the Sundance Institute’s documentary film program.
- 9/16/2023
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Is there such thing as a sympathetic cause for treason?
Magnolia Pictures documentary “A Compassionate Spy,” directed by two-time Oscar nominee Steve James, captures the controversial true story of Manhattan Project physicist Ted Hall. Part of the team behind J. Robert Oppenheimer’s atomic bomb, Hall shared nuclear secrets with the Soviet Union. The documentary is told through the perspective of Ted’s wife Joan Hall, who protected his secret across their 50-year marriage.
The official “Compassionate Spy” synopsis reads: Recruited in 1944 as an 18-year-old Harvard undergraduate to help J. Robert Oppenheimer and his team create a bomb, Ted Hall was the youngest physicist on the Manhattan Project, and didn’t share his colleagues’ elation after the successful detonation of the world’s first atomic bomb. Concerned that a U.S. post-war monopoly on such a powerful weapon could lead to nuclear catastrophe, Hall began passing key information about the...
Magnolia Pictures documentary “A Compassionate Spy,” directed by two-time Oscar nominee Steve James, captures the controversial true story of Manhattan Project physicist Ted Hall. Part of the team behind J. Robert Oppenheimer’s atomic bomb, Hall shared nuclear secrets with the Soviet Union. The documentary is told through the perspective of Ted’s wife Joan Hall, who protected his secret across their 50-year marriage.
The official “Compassionate Spy” synopsis reads: Recruited in 1944 as an 18-year-old Harvard undergraduate to help J. Robert Oppenheimer and his team create a bomb, Ted Hall was the youngest physicist on the Manhattan Project, and didn’t share his colleagues’ elation after the successful detonation of the world’s first atomic bomb. Concerned that a U.S. post-war monopoly on such a powerful weapon could lead to nuclear catastrophe, Hall began passing key information about the...
- 6/27/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Documentary specialist Autlook Filmsales closed a raft of sales at a vibrant market during the Copenhagen documentary festival Cph:dox.
“Subject,” directed by Camilla Hall and Jennifer Tiexiera, got picked up by Sweden’s Svt, Denmark’s Dr, Norway’s Nrk, Norway’s Vgtv, The Netherlands’ Vpro, Israel’s Yes Doc, and Madman for Australia and New Zealand. Dogwoof released the film early this month in the U.K.
“Subject” is an examination of the relationship between nonfiction filmmakers and their subjects. It raises important ethical questions during a golden of age for documentaries, when docs are screened by millions of viewers. The film re-visits protagonists of some of the most viewed documentaries of today – “The Staircase,” “The Square,” “Hoop Dreams,” “The Wolfpack” and “Capturing the Friedmans.”
Australia and New Zealand distribution powerhouse Madman Entertainment and Spanish broadcaster Movistar have acquired “The Corridors of Power,” a documentary and upcoming eight-part series.
“Subject,” directed by Camilla Hall and Jennifer Tiexiera, got picked up by Sweden’s Svt, Denmark’s Dr, Norway’s Nrk, Norway’s Vgtv, The Netherlands’ Vpro, Israel’s Yes Doc, and Madman for Australia and New Zealand. Dogwoof released the film early this month in the U.K.
“Subject” is an examination of the relationship between nonfiction filmmakers and their subjects. It raises important ethical questions during a golden of age for documentaries, when docs are screened by millions of viewers. The film re-visits protagonists of some of the most viewed documentaries of today – “The Staircase,” “The Square,” “Hoop Dreams,” “The Wolfpack” and “Capturing the Friedmans.”
Australia and New Zealand distribution powerhouse Madman Entertainment and Spanish broadcaster Movistar have acquired “The Corridors of Power,” a documentary and upcoming eight-part series.
- 3/24/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
The Oscar® nominated HBO Documentary Film All The Beauty And The Bloodshed, from Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Laura Poitras (HBO and Participant’s “Citizenfour”), debuts Sunday, March 19 (9:00-11:00 p.m. Et/Pt) on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max.
From Participant, All The Beauty And The Bloodshed is an epic, emotional, and interconnected story about internationally renowned artist and activist Nan Goldin told through her slideshows, intimate interviews, groundbreaking photography, archival family snapshots and rare footage of her personal fight to hold the Sackler family accountable for the opioid overdose crisis.
The critically acclaimed film premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in the main competition, where it became the second documentary ever to win the Golden Lion for best film. It was the only film to play at Venice, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, and New York Film Festival in 2022. The...
From Participant, All The Beauty And The Bloodshed is an epic, emotional, and interconnected story about internationally renowned artist and activist Nan Goldin told through her slideshows, intimate interviews, groundbreaking photography, archival family snapshots and rare footage of her personal fight to hold the Sackler family accountable for the opioid overdose crisis.
The critically acclaimed film premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in the main competition, where it became the second documentary ever to win the Golden Lion for best film. It was the only film to play at Venice, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, and New York Film Festival in 2022. The...
- 2/27/2023
- by Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid Magazine - Movies
Magnolia Pictures announced on Wednesday that it has acquired the North American distribution rights to Participant’s documentary “A Compassionate Spy” and will release it later this year.
Directed by two-time Oscar nominee Steve James (“Hoop Dreams”), “A Compassionate Spy” tells the story of Ted Hall, who at the age of 18 was the youngest physicist to work on the Manhattan Project with Robert Oppenheimer. Fearful that an American monopoly on something as devastating as a nuclear bomb could lead to catastrophe, Hall shared key secrets on the bomb’s development to Soviet spies, significantly shaping the course of the Cold War in the decades to come.
“A Compassionate Spy” is also a love story, retelling Hall’s lifelong relationship with his wife Joan, with whom he raised a family while under the shadow of FBI surveillance. The documentary tells Hall’s story through Joan’s perspective, as she kept many...
Directed by two-time Oscar nominee Steve James (“Hoop Dreams”), “A Compassionate Spy” tells the story of Ted Hall, who at the age of 18 was the youngest physicist to work on the Manhattan Project with Robert Oppenheimer. Fearful that an American monopoly on something as devastating as a nuclear bomb could lead to catastrophe, Hall shared key secrets on the bomb’s development to Soviet spies, significantly shaping the course of the Cold War in the decades to come.
“A Compassionate Spy” is also a love story, retelling Hall’s lifelong relationship with his wife Joan, with whom he raised a family while under the shadow of FBI surveillance. The documentary tells Hall’s story through Joan’s perspective, as she kept many...
- 2/16/2023
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Acquisition
Magnolia Pictures has acquired North American rights from Participant to “A Compassionate Spy,” the new documentary from Steve James. The film, which world premiered at the Venice Film Festival ahead of its North American launch at Telluride, is a real-life spy story about Manhattan Project physicist Ted Hall, who provided nuclear secrets to the Soviet Union, told through the perspective of his wife Joan, who protected his secret for decades. Magnolia will release the film in theaters later this year.
“A Compassionate Spy” is presented by Participant and is a Mitten Media and Kartemquin Films production produced by Mark Mitten p.g.a., Dave Lindorff, and Steve James. Executive producers are Jeff Skoll, Diane Weyermann, Tim Horsburgh and Gordon Quinn.
The deal was negotiated by Magnolia executive VP Dori Begley and senior VP of acquisitions John Von Thaden; Participant’s Liesl Copland, executive VP content strategy and sales, Adam Macy,...
Magnolia Pictures has acquired North American rights from Participant to “A Compassionate Spy,” the new documentary from Steve James. The film, which world premiered at the Venice Film Festival ahead of its North American launch at Telluride, is a real-life spy story about Manhattan Project physicist Ted Hall, who provided nuclear secrets to the Soviet Union, told through the perspective of his wife Joan, who protected his secret for decades. Magnolia will release the film in theaters later this year.
“A Compassionate Spy” is presented by Participant and is a Mitten Media and Kartemquin Films production produced by Mark Mitten p.g.a., Dave Lindorff, and Steve James. Executive producers are Jeff Skoll, Diane Weyermann, Tim Horsburgh and Gordon Quinn.
The deal was negotiated by Magnolia executive VP Dori Begley and senior VP of acquisitions John Von Thaden; Participant’s Liesl Copland, executive VP content strategy and sales, Adam Macy,...
- 2/16/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran and Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Magnolia Pictures has picked up North American rights to A Compassionate Spy, the new documentary from Oscar-nominated director Steve James (Hoop Dreams, Life Itself) from Participant.
The film, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival last year, follows the real-life spy story of Manhattan Project physicist Ted Hall, who infamously provided nuclear secrets to the Soviet Union. The story is told through the perspective of his loving wife Joan, who protected his secret for decades.
Recruited in 1944 as an 18-year-old Harvard undergraduate to help Robert Oppenheimer and his team create a bomb, Hall was the youngest physicist on the Manhattan Project, but didn’t share his colleagues’ excitement after the successful detonation of the world’s first atomic bomb. Concerned that the new weapon would give the U.S. a post-war monopoly on global power and could lead to nuclear catastrophe, Hall began passing key information about the bomb’s construction to the Soviet Union,...
The film, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival last year, follows the real-life spy story of Manhattan Project physicist Ted Hall, who infamously provided nuclear secrets to the Soviet Union. The story is told through the perspective of his loving wife Joan, who protected his secret for decades.
Recruited in 1944 as an 18-year-old Harvard undergraduate to help Robert Oppenheimer and his team create a bomb, Hall was the youngest physicist on the Manhattan Project, but didn’t share his colleagues’ excitement after the successful detonation of the world’s first atomic bomb. Concerned that the new weapon would give the U.S. a post-war monopoly on global power and could lead to nuclear catastrophe, Hall began passing key information about the bomb’s construction to the Soviet Union,...
- 2/16/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Autlook Filmsales handles international sales at EFM on story of nuclear physicist Ted Hall.
Magnolia Pictures has picked up North American rights from Participant to A Compassionate Spy, Steve James’s documentary about the controversial American nuclear physicist Ted Hall who passed secrets to the Soviet Union.
At age 18 Harvard graduate Hall became the youngest recruit to the Manhattan Project in the early 1940s. After the United States detonated its first nuclear bomb he became concerned his country had a potentially catastrophic monopoly on the technology and provided confidential information to the Soviets.
The film is told from the perspective of Joan,...
Magnolia Pictures has picked up North American rights from Participant to A Compassionate Spy, Steve James’s documentary about the controversial American nuclear physicist Ted Hall who passed secrets to the Soviet Union.
At age 18 Harvard graduate Hall became the youngest recruit to the Manhattan Project in the early 1940s. After the United States detonated its first nuclear bomb he became concerned his country had a potentially catastrophic monopoly on the technology and provided confidential information to the Soviets.
The film is told from the perspective of Joan,...
- 2/16/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Jon Shenk and Bonni Cohen are directing.
Participant and Actual Films in association with Chicago Media Project are producing a documentary on the use of experimental psychedelics in the treatment of Ptsd and traumatic brain injuries in Navy Seal veterans.
Jon Shenk and Bonni Cohen are directing the feature, which follows a group of former SEALs battling with trauma, physical pain and suicidal thoughts who undertake a cutting-edge psychedelic treatment.
Jessica Anthony produces and executive producers are Participant’s Jeff Skoll and Diane Weyermann, Actual Films’ Justine Nagan, and Chicago Media Project’s Paula Froehle, Steven Cohen, Shizuka Asakawa and Kent McCleerey.
Participant and Actual Films in association with Chicago Media Project are producing a documentary on the use of experimental psychedelics in the treatment of Ptsd and traumatic brain injuries in Navy Seal veterans.
Jon Shenk and Bonni Cohen are directing the feature, which follows a group of former SEALs battling with trauma, physical pain and suicidal thoughts who undertake a cutting-edge psychedelic treatment.
Jessica Anthony produces and executive producers are Participant’s Jeff Skoll and Diane Weyermann, Actual Films’ Justine Nagan, and Chicago Media Project’s Paula Froehle, Steven Cohen, Shizuka Asakawa and Kent McCleerey.
- 2/1/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
An untitled documentary about the experimental use of psychedelics to treat former Navy SEALs’ traumatic brain injuries and Ptsd is in the works from Participant.
The project, produced by Participant, Actual Films and Chicago Media Project, will depict U.S. special operation veterans as they seek the controversial, transformative treatment.
Following former Navy SEALs who suffer from anxiety, pain and suicidal thoughts, the documentary finds the veterans at their breaking points, which leads them to the cutting edge of alternative treatments. The documentary uses interviews, archival footage, animation and intimate verité to depict the soldiers’ stories, as well as the groundbreaking research on the ancient natural medicines taking place at the Bay Area-based Brain Stimulation Lab.
The documentary features veteran Marcus Capone, who has struggled to acclimate to civilian life. His wife Amber sent him out of the country to receive a lifesaving psychedelic treatment — which includes ibogaine and 5-MeO-dmt...
The project, produced by Participant, Actual Films and Chicago Media Project, will depict U.S. special operation veterans as they seek the controversial, transformative treatment.
Following former Navy SEALs who suffer from anxiety, pain and suicidal thoughts, the documentary finds the veterans at their breaking points, which leads them to the cutting edge of alternative treatments. The documentary uses interviews, archival footage, animation and intimate verité to depict the soldiers’ stories, as well as the groundbreaking research on the ancient natural medicines taking place at the Bay Area-based Brain Stimulation Lab.
The documentary features veteran Marcus Capone, who has struggled to acclimate to civilian life. His wife Amber sent him out of the country to receive a lifesaving psychedelic treatment — which includes ibogaine and 5-MeO-dmt...
- 2/1/2023
- by Julia MacCary
- Variety Film + TV
The use of experimental psychedelic drugs by former Navy SEALs and other U.S. special operation veterans to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (Ptsd) and traumatic brain injuries will get a spotlight in an untitled documentary in the works from Participant, Actual Films and Chicago Media Project.
The film, directed by Jon Shenk and Bonni Cohen, will tackle groundbreaking treatments involving psychedelics amid evidence that the incidence of suicide among former military members who either experienced or witnessed traumatic combat is four times higher than the number of U.S. soldiers killed during active military operations.
The documentary will feature Marcus Capone, a former Navy Seal left with post traumatic symptoms, like depression and rage, after taking part in special operations. He and his wife Amber founded the nonprofit Vets to help U.S. veterans tap psychedelic assisted therapies as a lifeline.
“Over the years, we have been honored to share...
The film, directed by Jon Shenk and Bonni Cohen, will tackle groundbreaking treatments involving psychedelics amid evidence that the incidence of suicide among former military members who either experienced or witnessed traumatic combat is four times higher than the number of U.S. soldiers killed during active military operations.
The documentary will feature Marcus Capone, a former Navy Seal left with post traumatic symptoms, like depression and rage, after taking part in special operations. He and his wife Amber founded the nonprofit Vets to help U.S. veterans tap psychedelic assisted therapies as a lifeline.
“Over the years, we have been honored to share...
- 2/1/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Participant has announced that it is producing Food, Inc. 2 — a sequel to its Academy Award-nominated documentary Food, Inc., to be released later this year.
The original film directed by Robert Kenner offered an unflattering look inside America’s corporate controlled food industry — spotlighting the harm this system has inflicted on animals, as well as its consumers and laborers. Robert Kenner directed from a script written with Elise Pearlstein and Kim Roberts. Kenner also produced alongside Pearlstein, with Bill Pohlad, Robin Schorr, Jeff Skoll and Diane Weyermann serving as exec producers.
Food, Inc. was released by Magnolia Pictures in 2009 after world premiering at the Toronto Film Festival, going on to claim not only an Academy Award nom for Best Documentary, Features, but a Cinema Eye Honors Award, a Gotham Award, a News & Documentary Emmy Award and numerous other accolades, as well.
Specifics as to Food, Inc. 2‘s focus are under wraps,...
The original film directed by Robert Kenner offered an unflattering look inside America’s corporate controlled food industry — spotlighting the harm this system has inflicted on animals, as well as its consumers and laborers. Robert Kenner directed from a script written with Elise Pearlstein and Kim Roberts. Kenner also produced alongside Pearlstein, with Bill Pohlad, Robin Schorr, Jeff Skoll and Diane Weyermann serving as exec producers.
Food, Inc. was released by Magnolia Pictures in 2009 after world premiering at the Toronto Film Festival, going on to claim not only an Academy Award nom for Best Documentary, Features, but a Cinema Eye Honors Award, a Gotham Award, a News & Documentary Emmy Award and numerous other accolades, as well.
Specifics as to Food, Inc. 2‘s focus are under wraps,...
- 1/18/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Nan Goldin never held back on sharing her life; it’s her artistic signature. The photographer’s 1986 slide show “The Ballad of Sexual Dependency” presaged her rise in the Downtown New York art world by revealing the drugs and sex and abuse in her own life, as well as those of her friends.
“All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” began when Goldin sought a producer for a documentary she was making. A recovering OxyContin addict, Goldin launched advocacy group Prescription Addiction Intervention Now (P.A.I.N.) and wanted to complete a film about its art-museum protests against Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family. With protests at The Met, The Guggenheim, The Louvre, and other art institutions, P.A.I.N. demanded that the museums stop accepting Sackler money and take their names off their walls.
Goldin wanted Poitras to tell the story of P.A.I.N. — but Poitras...
“All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” began when Goldin sought a producer for a documentary she was making. A recovering OxyContin addict, Goldin launched advocacy group Prescription Addiction Intervention Now (P.A.I.N.) and wanted to complete a film about its art-museum protests against Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family. With protests at The Met, The Guggenheim, The Louvre, and other art institutions, P.A.I.N. demanded that the museums stop accepting Sackler money and take their names off their walls.
Goldin wanted Poitras to tell the story of P.A.I.N. — but Poitras...
- 11/22/2022
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Click here to read the full article.
Courtney Sexton has been named executive vp of documentary films at Participant, rejoining the company where she previously spent nearly a decade as an executive.
Sexton rejoins Participant from CNN Films, where she was overseeing a slate that included more than 50 original projects like recent releases Navalny, The Last Movie Stars, and Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down.
Food, Inc. and Page One: Inside The New York Times are among the titles she worked on during her time at Participant.
“Courtney is an exceptionally talented, compassionate executive with a track record of top-quality, purpose-driven content that connects with audiences around the world. We will forever be indebted to Diane for her tremendous films and impact, and Courtney’s return to oversee our documentary team ensures our commitment to continue that work,” said Participant CEO David Linde in a statement.
Sexton added, “I’ve...
Courtney Sexton has been named executive vp of documentary films at Participant, rejoining the company where she previously spent nearly a decade as an executive.
Sexton rejoins Participant from CNN Films, where she was overseeing a slate that included more than 50 original projects like recent releases Navalny, The Last Movie Stars, and Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down.
Food, Inc. and Page One: Inside The New York Times are among the titles she worked on during her time at Participant.
“Courtney is an exceptionally talented, compassionate executive with a track record of top-quality, purpose-driven content that connects with audiences around the world. We will forever be indebted to Diane for her tremendous films and impact, and Courtney’s return to oversee our documentary team ensures our commitment to continue that work,” said Participant CEO David Linde in a statement.
Sexton added, “I’ve...
- 11/17/2022
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Executive most recently served as SVP of CNN Films.
Participant has hired Emmy Award winner and former SVP of CNN Films Courtney Sexton to serve as EVP of documentary film and television, overseeing all the company’s documentary content.
Sexton will rejoin Participant at the start of 2023, having previously spent eight years as a development executive with the company. She will report to CEO David Linde, who made today’s announcement.
She follows Diane Weyermann, who joined Participant shortly after its creation in 2004 and went on played an integral role in developing the documentary division, overseeing such titles as Oscar winners Citizenfour,...
Participant has hired Emmy Award winner and former SVP of CNN Films Courtney Sexton to serve as EVP of documentary film and television, overseeing all the company’s documentary content.
Sexton will rejoin Participant at the start of 2023, having previously spent eight years as a development executive with the company. She will report to CEO David Linde, who made today’s announcement.
She follows Diane Weyermann, who joined Participant shortly after its creation in 2004 and went on played an integral role in developing the documentary division, overseeing such titles as Oscar winners Citizenfour,...
- 11/17/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Executive most recently served as SVP of CNN Films.
Participant has hired Emmy Award winner and former SVP of CNN Films Courtney Sexton to serve as EVP of documentary film and television, overseeing all the company’s documentary content.
Sexton will rejoin Participant at the start of 2023, having previously spent eight years as a development executive with the company. She will report to CEO David Linde, who made today’s announcement.
She follows Diane Weyermann, who joined Participant shortly after its creation in 2004 and went on played an integral role in developing the documentary division, overseeing such titles as Oscar winners Citizenfour,...
Participant has hired Emmy Award winner and former SVP of CNN Films Courtney Sexton to serve as EVP of documentary film and television, overseeing all the company’s documentary content.
Sexton will rejoin Participant at the start of 2023, having previously spent eight years as a development executive with the company. She will report to CEO David Linde, who made today’s announcement.
She follows Diane Weyermann, who joined Participant shortly after its creation in 2004 and went on played an integral role in developing the documentary division, overseeing such titles as Oscar winners Citizenfour,...
- 11/17/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Courtney Sexton, the SVP of CNN Films, is exiting the company after nine years amid word that the news network would scale back its original documentary films and series commissioned from third parties. She will soon rejoin Participant to lead its documentary content.
Sexton will serve as executive vice president of documentary film and television at Participant, overseeing all of its nonfiction storytelling. Before joining CNN, Sexton spent eight years as a development executive at Participant. She’ll return to the company at the start of 2023 and report directly to CEO David Linde.
Last month, new CNN boss Chris Licht announced that, as part of cost-saving measures, long-form documentary films and series coming from external sources would be no more. That includes many acclaimed and award-winning documentaries for which Sexton was directly responsible: including films like “Rbg,” “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain,” “Three Identical Strangers,” and this year’s “Navalny.
Sexton will serve as executive vice president of documentary film and television at Participant, overseeing all of its nonfiction storytelling. Before joining CNN, Sexton spent eight years as a development executive at Participant. She’ll return to the company at the start of 2023 and report directly to CEO David Linde.
Last month, new CNN boss Chris Licht announced that, as part of cost-saving measures, long-form documentary films and series coming from external sources would be no more. That includes many acclaimed and award-winning documentaries for which Sexton was directly responsible: including films like “Rbg,” “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain,” “Three Identical Strangers,” and this year’s “Navalny.
- 11/17/2022
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
Emmy-winning documentary executive Courtney Sexton is returning to the esteemed production company Participant, CEO David Linde announced today. She will oversee all of Participant’s documentary content as Executive Vice President of Documentary Film and Television from the start of 2023, having previously spent eight years as a development executive with the company.
Sexton most recently served as SVP of CNN Films and will now report to Linde. Her oversight of Participant’s documentary department builds upon the legacy achieved by the late Diane Weyermann, who joined the company shortly after its creation in 2004 and turned its doc division into an industry leader, overseeing such titles as Academy Award winners Citizenfour, The Cove, American Factory and An Inconvenient Truth. The latter climate change documentary spurred former Vice President Al Gore to say, “It is not an exaggeration to say she really did change the world.”
“Courtney is an exceptionally talented, compassionate...
Sexton most recently served as SVP of CNN Films and will now report to Linde. Her oversight of Participant’s documentary department builds upon the legacy achieved by the late Diane Weyermann, who joined the company shortly after its creation in 2004 and turned its doc division into an industry leader, overseeing such titles as Academy Award winners Citizenfour, The Cove, American Factory and An Inconvenient Truth. The latter climate change documentary spurred former Vice President Al Gore to say, “It is not an exaggeration to say she really did change the world.”
“Courtney is an exceptionally talented, compassionate...
- 11/17/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
The U.K.’s Altitude Film Sales and Participant Media in the U.S. have announced a slew of fresh sales on Laura Poitras’ doc “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” which won the Golden Lion at this year’s Venice Film Festival.
The high-profile doc about U.S. artist and activist Nan Goldin and her battle to hold the Sackler family accountable for the opioid overdose crisis, which also played in Toronto and New York, has been acquired by Madman for Australia and New Zealand; Cineart for Benelux and Pyramide Films for France.
Further deals were also closed with Klockworx (Japan); Strada (Greece); Sun Distribution Group (Latin America); Leopardes (Portugal); Against Gravity (Poland); McF (Former-Yugoslavia); Nonstop (Scandinavia/Baltics); Challan (South Korea); Hooray Films (Taiwan); Film Europe (Czech/Slovakia); Filmarti (Turkey) and Front Row Entertainment for the Middle East. Previously announced deals include Plaion (formerly Koch Media) for German-speaking Europe,...
The high-profile doc about U.S. artist and activist Nan Goldin and her battle to hold the Sackler family accountable for the opioid overdose crisis, which also played in Toronto and New York, has been acquired by Madman for Australia and New Zealand; Cineart for Benelux and Pyramide Films for France.
Further deals were also closed with Klockworx (Japan); Strada (Greece); Sun Distribution Group (Latin America); Leopardes (Portugal); Against Gravity (Poland); McF (Former-Yugoslavia); Nonstop (Scandinavia/Baltics); Challan (South Korea); Hooray Films (Taiwan); Film Europe (Czech/Slovakia); Filmarti (Turkey) and Front Row Entertainment for the Middle East. Previously announced deals include Plaion (formerly Koch Media) for German-speaking Europe,...
- 11/10/2022
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Hard hitting social issue documentaries are getting more difficult to make and sell with each passing year. But despite the market’s fondness for true crime and celebrity-driven nonfiction content, the Sundance Institute’s Documentary Film Program (Dfp) isn’t wavering when it comes to its support of docu filmmakers telling stories dealing with social impact topics including human rights, racial justice, gender equity, democracy, LGBTQ rights, environmental sustainability, freedom of expression, and civic empowerment.
This month marks the 20th anniversary of the Dfp, which was established by the late Diane Weyermann in October 2002. In the last two decades the Dfp has supported more than 1,000 projects from all over the world via the fund and/or its Edit, Story, and Producers labs. Docus that have received financial and instructional support from the Dfp include Garrett Bradley’s “Time,” Roger Ross Williams’ “God Loves Uganda,” Kirsten Johnson’s “Cameraperson,” Bing Liu’s “Minding the Gap,...
This month marks the 20th anniversary of the Dfp, which was established by the late Diane Weyermann in October 2002. In the last two decades the Dfp has supported more than 1,000 projects from all over the world via the fund and/or its Edit, Story, and Producers labs. Docus that have received financial and instructional support from the Dfp include Garrett Bradley’s “Time,” Roger Ross Williams’ “God Loves Uganda,” Kirsten Johnson’s “Cameraperson,” Bing Liu’s “Minding the Gap,...
- 10/28/2022
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Greenwich Entertainment has acquired domestic theatrical rights to Participant’s civil rights documentary Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power.
Greenwich plans a December 2 release of the film directed by Sam Pollard and Geeta Gandbhir, which earlier this week earned a Critics Choice Documentary Awards nomination as Best Historical Documentary. As Deadline previously reported, Peacock acquired U.S. streaming rights to the film in June.
Vienna-based Autlook Filmsales will handle international film sales for the title at IDFA (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam) next month and upcoming markets and festivals. Lowndes County premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in June and screened last month at the Camden International Film Festival in Maine.
Lowndes County, Alabama
“The passing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 represented not the culmination of the Civil Rights Movement, but the beginning of a new, crucial chapter,” a description of the film notes. “Nowhere was...
Greenwich plans a December 2 release of the film directed by Sam Pollard and Geeta Gandbhir, which earlier this week earned a Critics Choice Documentary Awards nomination as Best Historical Documentary. As Deadline previously reported, Peacock acquired U.S. streaming rights to the film in June.
Vienna-based Autlook Filmsales will handle international film sales for the title at IDFA (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam) next month and upcoming markets and festivals. Lowndes County premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in June and screened last month at the Camden International Film Festival in Maine.
Lowndes County, Alabama
“The passing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 represented not the culmination of the Civil Rights Movement, but the beginning of a new, crucial chapter,” a description of the film notes. “Nowhere was...
- 10/21/2022
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Netflix has released the powerful first trailer for the Sundance Award-winning documentary “Descendant.”
Directed by Margaret Brown, the documentary focuses on members of Africatown, a small community in Alabama, as they share their personal stories and community history as descendants of the Clotilda, the last known ship illegally carrying enslaved Africans to the United States.
The ship arrived in America 40 years after African slave trading became a capital offense. It was promptly burned and its existence denied, but now, as the documentary’s logline explains, “after a century shrouded in secrecy and speculation, descendants of the Clotilda’s survivors are reclaiming their story.”
“It’s slowly been erased, and as far as I can remember, it’s never been in history books,” one subject says early in the teaser, which chronicles the period after the buried history of the Clotilda had been quite literally unearthed when remains of the ship were discovered.
Directed by Margaret Brown, the documentary focuses on members of Africatown, a small community in Alabama, as they share their personal stories and community history as descendants of the Clotilda, the last known ship illegally carrying enslaved Africans to the United States.
The ship arrived in America 40 years after African slave trading became a capital offense. It was promptly burned and its existence denied, but now, as the documentary’s logline explains, “after a century shrouded in secrecy and speculation, descendants of the Clotilda’s survivors are reclaiming their story.”
“It’s slowly been erased, and as far as I can remember, it’s never been in history books,” one subject says early in the teaser, which chronicles the period after the buried history of the Clotilda had been quite literally unearthed when remains of the ship were discovered.
- 9/29/2022
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
When September rolls around, it means one thing for many of the top filmmakers in the world – time to hit the road. Venice, Telluride and Toronto come in rapid succession, to the point of overlapping. But for documentary filmmakers eager to showcase their work, there’s another important stop to make in September: the Camden International Film Festival in mid-coast Maine.
“We are strategically aligned to be right after Toronto and a week after Telluride, and we’re documentary only,” emphasizes Ben Fowlie, festival founder and executive director of the Points North Institute, which stages Ciff. “In terms of being able to highlight some of the larger [awards] contenders, so to speak, we can do it in a way that puts them on the main stage… This is just the moment for us to recognize the incredible artistry behind the documentary films that we’re going to be talking about at...
“We are strategically aligned to be right after Toronto and a week after Telluride, and we’re documentary only,” emphasizes Ben Fowlie, festival founder and executive director of the Points North Institute, which stages Ciff. “In terms of being able to highlight some of the larger [awards] contenders, so to speak, we can do it in a way that puts them on the main stage… This is just the moment for us to recognize the incredible artistry behind the documentary films that we’re going to be talking about at...
- 9/25/2022
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
More than 50 countries have announced their submissions in the Oscars’ Best International Feature Film category, and so far the race is broad and varied but without the kind of clear favorite that “Parasite,” “Roma” and “Amour” were in past years.
Then again, the Japanese movie “Drive My Car” didn’t appear to be a runaway favorite last year at this point, but it swept the critics’ awards and turned into a prohibitive frontrunner by the time Oscar voters began to cast their ballots. So maybe there is a dominant film in the mix, but we just don’t know it yet.
Still, with key countries like France, Italy, Denmark and Mexico yet to announce their entries the race, the category has a few favorites and a lot of uncertainty as the Oct. 3 deadline for submissions approaches.
Also Read:
India Snubs Hit Musical ‘Rrr,’ Chooses ‘Last Film Show’ for the Oscars...
Then again, the Japanese movie “Drive My Car” didn’t appear to be a runaway favorite last year at this point, but it swept the critics’ awards and turned into a prohibitive frontrunner by the time Oscar voters began to cast their ballots. So maybe there is a dominant film in the mix, but we just don’t know it yet.
Still, with key countries like France, Italy, Denmark and Mexico yet to announce their entries the race, the category has a few favorites and a lot of uncertainty as the Oct. 3 deadline for submissions approaches.
Also Read:
India Snubs Hit Musical ‘Rrr,’ Chooses ‘Last Film Show’ for the Oscars...
- 9/22/2022
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Diane Weyermann’s impact continues to be felt throughout the documentary field, with her presence evident on some of the fall’s most talked about nonfiction films, including Laura Poitras’s All the Beauty and the Bloodshed and Steve James’s A Compassionate Spy.
Today, the Points North Institute honored the legacy of the late chief content officer of Participant by establishing the Diane Weyermann Fellowship, an artists’ program “aimed at supporting global filmmaking teams in production on feature length documentary films that highlight stories of moral and ethical urgency.”
The announcement took place at the Camden International Film Festival in Maine, itself a program of Points North.
“We are incredibly honored and grateful for the opportunity to recognize Diane’s tremendous impact on the world of documentary filmmaking through this new Fellowship,” said Ben Fowlie, Points North Executive and Artistic Director and Founder of Ciff. “Diane has been a...
Today, the Points North Institute honored the legacy of the late chief content officer of Participant by establishing the Diane Weyermann Fellowship, an artists’ program “aimed at supporting global filmmaking teams in production on feature length documentary films that highlight stories of moral and ethical urgency.”
The announcement took place at the Camden International Film Festival in Maine, itself a program of Points North.
“We are incredibly honored and grateful for the opportunity to recognize Diane’s tremendous impact on the world of documentary filmmaking through this new Fellowship,” said Ben Fowlie, Points North Executive and Artistic Director and Founder of Ciff. “Diane has been a...
- 9/16/2022
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
On Friday, during the 18th edition of the Camden Intl. Film Festival, organizers unveiled a Diane Weyermann Fellowship at Points North Institute.
Weyermann, the former chief content officer at Participant and former director of the Sundance Institute’s documentary film program, died last October of cancer. She was 66. In addition to an apartment in New York City, Weyermann owned a home in coastal Maine.
Ciff, run by Points North and concluding Sept. 18, is presenting several films Weyermann recently executive produced, including Laura Poitras’ Golden Lion-winning “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” Margaret Brown’s Sundance-winning “Descendant,” Steve James’ “My Compassionate Spy,” which recently premiered at Venice and TIFF, and Geeta Gandbhir and Sam Pollard’s “Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power.”
“It’s so meaningful to be in Camden screening the film we made with Diane,” Brown told Variety during a special reception held in Camden in honor of the new fellowship.
Weyermann, the former chief content officer at Participant and former director of the Sundance Institute’s documentary film program, died last October of cancer. She was 66. In addition to an apartment in New York City, Weyermann owned a home in coastal Maine.
Ciff, run by Points North and concluding Sept. 18, is presenting several films Weyermann recently executive produced, including Laura Poitras’ Golden Lion-winning “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” Margaret Brown’s Sundance-winning “Descendant,” Steve James’ “My Compassionate Spy,” which recently premiered at Venice and TIFF, and Geeta Gandbhir and Sam Pollard’s “Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power.”
“It’s so meaningful to be in Camden screening the film we made with Diane,” Brown told Variety during a special reception held in Camden in honor of the new fellowship.
- 9/16/2022
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Producers of this Monday’s Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony have some difficult decisions to make about who to honor during the emotional In Memoriam segment. John Legend will perform “Pieces,” a new song he has written for the tribute. Kenan Thompson will host the 2022 Emmys for NBC at 8 p.m. Et; 5 p.m. Pt.
Our list below includes almost 100 people who made a strong contribution to television and have died since mid-September of 2021 following the previous Emmys ceremony. Only about 40-45 of these people will probably be in the video segment. Certain to be featured will be TV Academy Hall of Fame members actress Betty White and director Jay Sandrich.Other prominent names almost certainly chosen are: Mary Alice (acting winner), Louie Anderson (acting winner), James Caan (acting nominee), Anne Heche (acting winner), Howard Hesseman (acting nominee), William Hurt (acting nominee), Gregory Itzin (acting nominee), Ray Liotta (acting winner), Burt Metcalfe...
Our list below includes almost 100 people who made a strong contribution to television and have died since mid-September of 2021 following the previous Emmys ceremony. Only about 40-45 of these people will probably be in the video segment. Certain to be featured will be TV Academy Hall of Fame members actress Betty White and director Jay Sandrich.Other prominent names almost certainly chosen are: Mary Alice (acting winner), Louie Anderson (acting winner), James Caan (acting nominee), Anne Heche (acting winner), Howard Hesseman (acting nominee), William Hurt (acting nominee), Gregory Itzin (acting nominee), Ray Liotta (acting winner), Burt Metcalfe...
- 9/12/2022
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
HBO Documentary Films has acquired U.S. television and streaming rights to Oscar winner Laura Poitras’s film All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, fresh from its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival and sneak preview at Telluride.
The film about artist Nan Goldin and her crusade against OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma and its owners is an official selection of the Toronto International Film Festival, with a debut screening set for Friday. From TIFF, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed will head to the New York Film Festival, where it has been chosen as the centerpiece selection (Goldin is designing the festival’s 60th anniversary poster). The Participant production has instantly leapt into the Oscar conversation, a spotlight familiar to Poitras after her 2015 Academy Award run with Citizenfour, her film on Nsa contractor-turned whistleblower Edward Snowden.
TIFF chief documentary programmer Thom Powers calls Poitras’s latest a “richly-layered film...
The film about artist Nan Goldin and her crusade against OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma and its owners is an official selection of the Toronto International Film Festival, with a debut screening set for Friday. From TIFF, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed will head to the New York Film Festival, where it has been chosen as the centerpiece selection (Goldin is designing the festival’s 60th anniversary poster). The Participant production has instantly leapt into the Oscar conversation, a spotlight familiar to Poitras after her 2015 Academy Award run with Citizenfour, her film on Nsa contractor-turned whistleblower Edward Snowden.
TIFF chief documentary programmer Thom Powers calls Poitras’s latest a “richly-layered film...
- 9/8/2022
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Laura Poitras’ “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” has been acquired for U.S. television and streaming by HBO Documentary Films, where it will debut on both HBO and HBO Max.
Neon snapped up theatrical rights on Aug. 18 prior to the documentary’s world premiere at Venice Film Festival.
From producer Participant and “Citizenfour” director Poitras, “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” chronicles the career of photographer Nan Goldin, as well as her struggles with opioid addiction and ensuing fight to hold the Sackler family accountable for the opioid epidemic. Goldin narrates the documentary, which also covers her childhood and activist beginnings with the AIDS crisis in 1980s New York.
HBO is also the home of Poitras’ Oscar-winning Edward Snowden doc “Citizenfour.”
Also Read:
Laura Poitras’ Opioid Crisis Doc ‘All the Beauty and the Bloodshed’ Acquired by Neon
“Nan’s art has inspired so many artists’ and filmmakers’ work, including mine,...
Neon snapped up theatrical rights on Aug. 18 prior to the documentary’s world premiere at Venice Film Festival.
From producer Participant and “Citizenfour” director Poitras, “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” chronicles the career of photographer Nan Goldin, as well as her struggles with opioid addiction and ensuing fight to hold the Sackler family accountable for the opioid epidemic. Goldin narrates the documentary, which also covers her childhood and activist beginnings with the AIDS crisis in 1980s New York.
HBO is also the home of Poitras’ Oscar-winning Edward Snowden doc “Citizenfour.”
Also Read:
Laura Poitras’ Opioid Crisis Doc ‘All the Beauty and the Bloodshed’ Acquired by Neon
“Nan’s art has inspired so many artists’ and filmmakers’ work, including mine,...
- 9/8/2022
- by Harper Lambert
- The Wrap
The Paris Theater and the New York Film Critics Circle have unveiled a new bi-monthly screening series to be held at the iconic Paris Theater in Manhattan. Select films will be chosen and presented by NYFCC members, followed by discussions after the screenings. The Paris Theater, one of the oldest arthouse cinemas in the United States, was preserved by Netflix in 2019; the 571-seat theater is the last single-screen theater in New York.
“I’m thrilled about this partnership,” Jordan Hoffman, current chair of the NYFCC, said in an official statement. “Coming to the Paris Theater, the last single-screen cinema in Manhattan, is always a thrill. Its location at the southeast corner of Central Park adjacent to the Plaza Hotel already feels like something out of a movie. I’m excited to see which titles members of the Circle pick, and eager to engage in post-screening conversation. I hope New Yorkers,...
“I’m thrilled about this partnership,” Jordan Hoffman, current chair of the NYFCC, said in an official statement. “Coming to the Paris Theater, the last single-screen cinema in Manhattan, is always a thrill. Its location at the southeast corner of Central Park adjacent to the Plaza Hotel already feels like something out of a movie. I’m excited to see which titles members of the Circle pick, and eager to engage in post-screening conversation. I hope New Yorkers,...
- 9/1/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Utopia has acquired Participant’s feature documentary “Unseen Skies,” which the U.S. distributor will release on Sept. 13.
Directed by award-winning filmmaker Yaara Bou Melhem, “Unseen Skies” explores the evolution of state and corporate surveillance. The film follows American artist and geographer Trevor Paglen as he launches an artwork called “Orbital Reflector” into space, visible with the naked eye from Earth, to highlight the global impact of technology in the modern world.
Having achieved international notoriety for his conceptual art, which fuses photography and large-scale multidisciplinary events, Paglen’s work reveals the largely unseen power structures of technology and surveillance that shape, impact and increasingly define the framework of our lives.
A MacArthur Genius award winner and author, Paglen is known for his photography documenting the black ops sites of government surveillance and data collection, as well as installations such as Sight Machine, in which the musical group Kronos Quartet...
Directed by award-winning filmmaker Yaara Bou Melhem, “Unseen Skies” explores the evolution of state and corporate surveillance. The film follows American artist and geographer Trevor Paglen as he launches an artwork called “Orbital Reflector” into space, visible with the naked eye from Earth, to highlight the global impact of technology in the modern world.
Having achieved international notoriety for his conceptual art, which fuses photography and large-scale multidisciplinary events, Paglen’s work reveals the largely unseen power structures of technology and surveillance that shape, impact and increasingly define the framework of our lives.
A MacArthur Genius award winner and author, Paglen is known for his photography documenting the black ops sites of government surveillance and data collection, as well as installations such as Sight Machine, in which the musical group Kronos Quartet...
- 8/30/2022
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Director Steve James chronicles a former Manhattan Project physicist.
Austria-based sales agent Autlook Filmsales has boarded international sales on Steve James’ documentary A Compassionate Spy, which is set to premiere out of competition at the Venice Film Festival this week.
The film traces the life of a former Manhattan Project physicist who passed on secrets to the Soviet Union and lived the rest of his life under FBI surveillance and suspicion.
US outfit Participant financed the film and is jointly handling global and North American sales for the film with Cinetic.
It marks the latest from US documentary-maker James, who...
Austria-based sales agent Autlook Filmsales has boarded international sales on Steve James’ documentary A Compassionate Spy, which is set to premiere out of competition at the Venice Film Festival this week.
The film traces the life of a former Manhattan Project physicist who passed on secrets to the Soviet Union and lived the rest of his life under FBI surveillance and suspicion.
US outfit Participant financed the film and is jointly handling global and North American sales for the film with Cinetic.
It marks the latest from US documentary-maker James, who...
- 8/30/2022
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
The 18th edition of the Camden Intl. Film Festival, kicking off Sept. 15, will feature a handful of award-contending documentaries fresh off showings at Telluride and the Toronto film festivals. The Maine-based festival will unfold in a hybrid format, with both in-person events over a three-day period concluding Sept. 18, and online screenings available from Sept. 15 to Sept. 25 to audiences across North America.
This year’s Ciff highlights include the U.S. premiere of Tamana Ayazi and Marcel Mettelsiefen’s Netflix release “In Her Hands,” which follows one of Afghanistan’s first female mayors during the months leading up to the Taliban takeover the country in 2021; Chris Smith’s “Sr.,” centered on the life and career of Robert Downey Sr. and his relationship to his son, Robert Downey Jr.; and Steve James’ “A Compassionate Spy,” about Manhattan Project physicist, Soviet spy and University of Chicago alum Theodore Hall. Each of the three...
This year’s Ciff highlights include the U.S. premiere of Tamana Ayazi and Marcel Mettelsiefen’s Netflix release “In Her Hands,” which follows one of Afghanistan’s first female mayors during the months leading up to the Taliban takeover the country in 2021; Chris Smith’s “Sr.,” centered on the life and career of Robert Downey Sr. and his relationship to his son, Robert Downey Jr.; and Steve James’ “A Compassionate Spy,” about Manhattan Project physicist, Soviet spy and University of Chicago alum Theodore Hall. Each of the three...
- 8/22/2022
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Altitude has boarded international sales and UK and Irish distribution on Oscar-winning documentarian Laura Poitras’s Nan Goldin bio-pic All The Beauty And The Bloodshed, ahead of its world premiere at Venice and North American debut at Toronto.
The Participant-backed production is billed as “an epic, emotional” story about the renowned artist and activist Nan Goldin, told through her slideshows, intimate interviews and photography.
It features rare footage of her fight to hold the Sackler family accountable for the overdose crisis brought on by painkillers developed by their Purdue Pharma company and also delves into a more personal side of her life, through the photography of her friends and peers featured in exhibitions such as ‘The Ballad of Sexual Dependency’ and Nea-censored AIDS exhibition ‘Witnesses: Against Our Vanishing’.
News of the Altitude acquisitions follows hot on the heels of Neon’s announcement that it had acquired North American rights.
The Participant-backed production is billed as “an epic, emotional” story about the renowned artist and activist Nan Goldin, told through her slideshows, intimate interviews and photography.
It features rare footage of her fight to hold the Sackler family accountable for the overdose crisis brought on by painkillers developed by their Purdue Pharma company and also delves into a more personal side of her life, through the photography of her friends and peers featured in exhibitions such as ‘The Ballad of Sexual Dependency’ and Nea-censored AIDS exhibition ‘Witnesses: Against Our Vanishing’.
News of the Altitude acquisitions follows hot on the heels of Neon’s announcement that it had acquired North American rights.
- 8/22/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Altitude is handling international sales and U.K. and Irish distribution for Laura Poitras’ documentary about artist and activist Nan Goldin, “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed.”
The film is scheduled to make its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, where it will compete for the Golden Lion, an opportunity rarely accorded to non-fiction titles. It has also landed prominent spots at the Toronto Film Festival and the New York Film Festival, where it will get the centerpiece slot.
Altitude Film Sales will present the film to international buyers at Venice and Toronto, while Altitude Film Distribution will reveal a U.K. and Irish release date imminently.
Neon has acquired North American rights and will release it theaters there this fall, to be followed by ancillary and digital release.
The keenly anticipated documentary tells the story of Goldin told through her slideshows, intimate interviews, photography and rare footage of...
The film is scheduled to make its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, where it will compete for the Golden Lion, an opportunity rarely accorded to non-fiction titles. It has also landed prominent spots at the Toronto Film Festival and the New York Film Festival, where it will get the centerpiece slot.
Altitude Film Sales will present the film to international buyers at Venice and Toronto, while Altitude Film Distribution will reveal a U.K. and Irish release date imminently.
Neon has acquired North American rights and will release it theaters there this fall, to be followed by ancillary and digital release.
The keenly anticipated documentary tells the story of Goldin told through her slideshows, intimate interviews, photography and rare footage of...
- 8/22/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Neon has landed North American distribution rights to the latest by powerhouse documentarian Laura Poitras.
The company will release All the Beauty and the Bloodshed in theaters in North America this fall, with an ancillary and digital release after. All the Beauty and the Bloodshed centers on photographer and activist Nan Goldin, whose work has shed light on the HIV/AIDS epidemic and recently challenged the Sackler family, who founded and owned the Oxycontin manufacturer Purdue Pharma. Poitras’ film contains “rare footage” of Goldin’s activism against the Sackler family, as well as footage from Goldin’s slideshows and photography and interviews, Neon announced Thursday.
The company did not specify a theatrical release date, but said it would overlap with the Moderna Museet’s retrospective of Goldin’s work, “This Will Not End Well,” which opens Oct. 29 at the Stockholm museum.
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,...
Neon has landed North American distribution rights to the latest by powerhouse documentarian Laura Poitras.
The company will release All the Beauty and the Bloodshed in theaters in North America this fall, with an ancillary and digital release after. All the Beauty and the Bloodshed centers on photographer and activist Nan Goldin, whose work has shed light on the HIV/AIDS epidemic and recently challenged the Sackler family, who founded and owned the Oxycontin manufacturer Purdue Pharma. Poitras’ film contains “rare footage” of Goldin’s activism against the Sackler family, as well as footage from Goldin’s slideshows and photography and interviews, Neon announced Thursday.
The company did not specify a theatrical release date, but said it would overlap with the Moderna Museet’s retrospective of Goldin’s work, “This Will Not End Well,” which opens Oct. 29 at the Stockholm museum.
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,...
- 8/18/2022
- by Katie Kilkenny
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Participant film will also play TIFF, NYFF.
Neon has acquired North American rights to Laura Poitras’s documentary All The Beauty And The Bloodshed ahead of its Venice world premiere.
The company will distribute the Participant film theatrically in North America in autumn followed by ancillary and digital release. The transaction marks the latest acquisition of a Poitras film by Neon founder Tom Quinn after Citizenfour and The Year Of The Everlasting Storm, on which Poitras was one of the directors.
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed follows photographer and activist Nan Goldin as she fights to hold the Sackler...
Neon has acquired North American rights to Laura Poitras’s documentary All The Beauty And The Bloodshed ahead of its Venice world premiere.
The company will distribute the Participant film theatrically in North America in autumn followed by ancillary and digital release. The transaction marks the latest acquisition of a Poitras film by Neon founder Tom Quinn after Citizenfour and The Year Of The Everlasting Storm, on which Poitras was one of the directors.
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed follows photographer and activist Nan Goldin as she fights to hold the Sackler...
- 8/18/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Neon has acquired rights to the Participant Laura Poitras docu All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, which will hit theaters this fall followed by an ancillary and digital release.
The pic, which is receiving its world premiere at Venice, is the Centerpiece selection at the 60th New York Film Festival and also is playing TIFF, reps Neon’s third collaboration with Oscar-winning Poitras. Neon founder/CEO Tom Quinn released Poitras’ Academy Award-winning Citizenfour, which also was produced by Participant.
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed follows internationally renowned artist and activist Nan Goldin, told through her slideshows, intimate interviews, groundbreaking photography and rare footage of her fight to hold the Sackler family accountable for the opioid crisis. The film interweaves Goldin’s past and present, the deeply personal and urgently political, from Pain.’s actions at renowned art institutions to Goldin’s photography of her friends and peers through her...
The pic, which is receiving its world premiere at Venice, is the Centerpiece selection at the 60th New York Film Festival and also is playing TIFF, reps Neon’s third collaboration with Oscar-winning Poitras. Neon founder/CEO Tom Quinn released Poitras’ Academy Award-winning Citizenfour, which also was produced by Participant.
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed follows internationally renowned artist and activist Nan Goldin, told through her slideshows, intimate interviews, groundbreaking photography and rare footage of her fight to hold the Sackler family accountable for the opioid crisis. The film interweaves Goldin’s past and present, the deeply personal and urgently political, from Pain.’s actions at renowned art institutions to Goldin’s photography of her friends and peers through her...
- 8/18/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
“All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” Laura Poitras’s new documentary about artist and activist Nan Goldin, has sold to Neon.
The indie studio acquired the film before it was scheduled to make its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. It has also landed prominent spots at the Toronto Film Festival and the New York Film Festival, where it will get the centerpiece slot. That kind of endorsement for a film which had yet to land a distribution deal is a sign of both Poitras’s prominence in the documentary community, as well as the movie’s awards potential.
Neon said it will release “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” in North American theaters this fall, to be followed by ancillary and digital release. It marks Neon’s third collaboration with Poitras and her fourth with the company’s founder and CEO Tom Quinn. It was Quinn who previously released her Academy Award-winner,...
The indie studio acquired the film before it was scheduled to make its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. It has also landed prominent spots at the Toronto Film Festival and the New York Film Festival, where it will get the centerpiece slot. That kind of endorsement for a film which had yet to land a distribution deal is a sign of both Poitras’s prominence in the documentary community, as well as the movie’s awards potential.
Neon said it will release “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” in North American theaters this fall, to be followed by ancillary and digital release. It marks Neon’s third collaboration with Poitras and her fourth with the company’s founder and CEO Tom Quinn. It was Quinn who previously released her Academy Award-winner,...
- 8/18/2022
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Neon announced on Thursday that it has acquired the rights to the Laura Poitras documentary “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” which will premiere at the Venice Film Festival next month.
The Participant-produced documentary follows artist and activist Nan Goldin told through the slideshows, intimate interviews, photography and rare footage of her fight to hold Purdue Pharma’s Sackler family accountable for the opioid overdose crisis. It will premiere in competition for the Golden Lion at Venice as a rare nonfiction contender and also screen at the Toronto International Film Festival and as the Centerpiece presentation at the New York Film Festival.
“Nan’s art and vision has inspired my work for years, and has influenced generations of filmmakers,” Poitras said. “When we began working together, it was essential to us that the film see a theatrical release. There are no better partners than Neon and Participant and I am...
The Participant-produced documentary follows artist and activist Nan Goldin told through the slideshows, intimate interviews, photography and rare footage of her fight to hold Purdue Pharma’s Sackler family accountable for the opioid overdose crisis. It will premiere in competition for the Golden Lion at Venice as a rare nonfiction contender and also screen at the Toronto International Film Festival and as the Centerpiece presentation at the New York Film Festival.
“Nan’s art and vision has inspired my work for years, and has influenced generations of filmmakers,” Poitras said. “When we began working together, it was essential to us that the film see a theatrical release. There are no better partners than Neon and Participant and I am...
- 8/18/2022
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Following news that the award-winning documentary “Descendant” will screen as an official selection at the 60th New York Film Festival, Variety can exclusively announce that the film will launch Oct. 21 on Netflix and in select theaters.
Directed by Margaret Brown, the documentary follows members of Africatown, a small community in Alabama, as they share their personal stories and community history as descendants of the Clotilda, the last known ship illegally carrying enslaved Africans to the United States. The ship arrived in America 40 years after African slave trading became a capital offense. It was promptly burned and its existence denied, but now, as the documentary’s logline explains, “after a century shrouded in secrecy and speculation, descendants of the Clotilda’s survivors are reclaiming their story.”
The documentary made its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January, where it won the U.S. special jury award for creative vision.
Directed by Margaret Brown, the documentary follows members of Africatown, a small community in Alabama, as they share their personal stories and community history as descendants of the Clotilda, the last known ship illegally carrying enslaved Africans to the United States. The ship arrived in America 40 years after African slave trading became a capital offense. It was promptly burned and its existence denied, but now, as the documentary’s logline explains, “after a century shrouded in secrecy and speculation, descendants of the Clotilda’s survivors are reclaiming their story.”
The documentary made its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January, where it won the U.S. special jury award for creative vision.
- 8/9/2022
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
The 2022 Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival (Mvaaff) kicked off Friday with great pomp and circumstance — and a few bars of “Hail to the Chief” — as Barack and Michelle Obama made a special appearance for the opening night screening of Netflix documentary “Descendant.”
When Netflix acquired worldwide rights to the Sundance award-winning documentary in January, the Obamas’ production company Higher Ground signed on to present the feature alongside the streamer and Participant. The documentary, which earned the U.S. special jury award for creative vision at Sundance, is set to launch on the streamer later this year.
Directed by Margaret Brown, the documentary follows members of Africatown, a small community in Alabama, as they share their personal stories and community history as descendants of the Clotilda, the last known ship carrying enslaved Africans to the United States. The ship arrived in America 40 years after African slave trading became a capital offense.
When Netflix acquired worldwide rights to the Sundance award-winning documentary in January, the Obamas’ production company Higher Ground signed on to present the feature alongside the streamer and Participant. The documentary, which earned the U.S. special jury award for creative vision at Sundance, is set to launch on the streamer later this year.
Directed by Margaret Brown, the documentary follows members of Africatown, a small community in Alabama, as they share their personal stories and community history as descendants of the Clotilda, the last known ship carrying enslaved Africans to the United States. The ship arrived in America 40 years after African slave trading became a capital offense.
- 8/6/2022
- by Angelique Jackson and Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Peacock has acquired the civil rights documentary Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power ahead of its world premiere next week at the Tribeca Festival. A streaming release date will be announced soon for the pic, which is presented by Participant, a Multitude Films production, in association with The Atlantic and will bow on the streamer as a Peacock Original.
Told through first-person testimony and archival footage, the film chronicles a group of courageous, young Black activists who put their lives on the line not just to secure the right to vote, but for Black Power in Lowndes County, Al. It was inspired by Vann R. Newkirk II’s research and writing, as published in The Atlantic. He also served as consulting producer on the film, which premieres Tuesday in Tribeca’s Spotlight Documentary section.
“What stood out to us about the history of Lowndes County’s role...
Told through first-person testimony and archival footage, the film chronicles a group of courageous, young Black activists who put their lives on the line not just to secure the right to vote, but for Black Power in Lowndes County, Al. It was inspired by Vann R. Newkirk II’s research and writing, as published in The Atlantic. He also served as consulting producer on the film, which premieres Tuesday in Tribeca’s Spotlight Documentary section.
“What stood out to us about the history of Lowndes County’s role...
- 6/10/2022
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
“How could you place a human over God?”
Such is the reasoning for enduring the generational abuse at the hands of self-professed prophet Warren Jeffs, who led a secretive polygamous sect of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Flds). Netflix’s true crime docuseries “Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey,” streaming June 8, analyzes the radical arm of the Mormon Church of the Latter-Day Saints, with Jeff at the helm of an abusive polygamist child-marrying branch.
Jeff accumulated 78 wives — 24 of which were underage girls — over the course of his religious dictatorship. “Keep Sweet” interviews survivors and former wives of Jeff, including one woman who wed him at age 14.
“Young girls were like a commodity owned by the church,” a commentator says in the trailer.
Another adds, “The more the wives, the more children you have, the higher in heaven you will be.”
In 2008, federal law enforcement raided Jeff’s...
Such is the reasoning for enduring the generational abuse at the hands of self-professed prophet Warren Jeffs, who led a secretive polygamous sect of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Flds). Netflix’s true crime docuseries “Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey,” streaming June 8, analyzes the radical arm of the Mormon Church of the Latter-Day Saints, with Jeff at the helm of an abusive polygamist child-marrying branch.
Jeff accumulated 78 wives — 24 of which were underage girls — over the course of his religious dictatorship. “Keep Sweet” interviews survivors and former wives of Jeff, including one woman who wed him at age 14.
“Young girls were like a commodity owned by the church,” a commentator says in the trailer.
Another adds, “The more the wives, the more children you have, the higher in heaven you will be.”
In 2008, federal law enforcement raided Jeff’s...
- 5/26/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.