Matthew Heineman’s “American Symphony” leads all films with six nominations for the 8th annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards, the Critics Choice Association announced on Monday.
The film, a Netflix doc that follows musician Jon Batiste and his wife, writer Suleika Jaouad, as Batiste prepares a composition for Carnegie Hall and Jaouad battles the return of her cancer, was nominated in the Best Documentary Feature, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Score and Best Music Documentary categories. Mstyslav Chernov’s “20 Days in Mariupol,” D. Smith’s “Kokomo City” and Davis Guggenhein’s “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie” received five nominations each.
Apart from “American Symphony,” “20 Days in Mariupol,” “Kokomo City” and “Still,” films nominated in the Best Documentary Feature category were “Beyond Utopia,” “The Deepest Breath,” “The Eternal Memory,” “Judy Blume Forever,” “The Mission” and “Stamped From the Beginning.”
All of those films received nominations in multiple categories,...
The film, a Netflix doc that follows musician Jon Batiste and his wife, writer Suleika Jaouad, as Batiste prepares a composition for Carnegie Hall and Jaouad battles the return of her cancer, was nominated in the Best Documentary Feature, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Score and Best Music Documentary categories. Mstyslav Chernov’s “20 Days in Mariupol,” D. Smith’s “Kokomo City” and Davis Guggenhein’s “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie” received five nominations each.
Apart from “American Symphony,” “20 Days in Mariupol,” “Kokomo City” and “Still,” films nominated in the Best Documentary Feature category were “Beyond Utopia,” “The Deepest Breath,” “The Eternal Memory,” “Judy Blume Forever,” “The Mission” and “Stamped From the Beginning.”
All of those films received nominations in multiple categories,...
- 10/16/2023
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
The various facets of the art of the heist––from motivation to execution to life on the lam (or in detainment)––make it perennially ripe for high-stakes cinematic treatment. One of the most peculiar such stories of thieving involves Jerry and Rita Alter, retired teachers who were suspected of lifting Willem de Kooning’s “Woman-Ochre” in broad daylight from the University of Arizona in 1985. Some decades later and well after their deaths, the $160 million painting was uncovered at their New Mexico home. Without her subjects to tell their own tale, Allison Otto’s The Thief Collector draws from many sources to weave the web of deceit and globe-trotting adventure. Its twist-a-minute peeling back of the mystery around our subjects’ secretive way of life makes for a mostly riveting inquiry into lies hiding in plain sight, yet the results can feel unwieldy with its overstuffed roster of talking heads and distracting,...
- 5/18/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
"You take it, you make it yours." FilmRise has revealed an official trailer for an indie crime caper titled The Thief Collector, marking the feature directorial of Allison Otto. This premiered at the 2022 SXSW Film Festival last year, and is opening to watch this month on VOD. The docu-drama film follows the true story of one of the most elaborate art heists of the 20th century, the theft of "Woman-Ochre," Willem de Kooning's iconic painting, and the eccentric couple – both schoolteachers – at the center of the heist. It was cut from its frame at the University of Arizona Museum of Art. 32 years later, the painting was found hanging in a New Mexico home. The film stars Glenn Howerton & Sarah Minnich, with Brandon Ruiz & Hailee Cruzen. This "uniquely combines the strong appeal and captivating nature of crime documentaries together with the true story of one of the most audacious art heists in history,...
- 5/4/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
New York-based film and TV studio and streaming network FilmRise has acquired North American distribution rights to true-crime documentary feature film “The Thief Collector.”
Directed by Emmy winner Allison Otto (“The Love Bugs”), the film follows one of the most audacious and puzzling art thefts of a generation. In 1985, Willem de Kooning’s seminal work, “Woman-Ochre,” was sliced from its frame and stolen off the walls of the University of Arizona Museum of Art, disappearing into the desert. Over 30 years later, in a remote town in New Mexico, the $160 million dollar painting was rediscovered in the unlikeliest of places – the home of an eccentric married couple, both schoolteachers, with a keen eye for great works but a very unconventional method of collecting them. The film features Glenn Howerton co-creator, director, writer and star of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.”
“The Thief Collector” had its world premiere at the 2022 SXSW Film...
Directed by Emmy winner Allison Otto (“The Love Bugs”), the film follows one of the most audacious and puzzling art thefts of a generation. In 1985, Willem de Kooning’s seminal work, “Woman-Ochre,” was sliced from its frame and stolen off the walls of the University of Arizona Museum of Art, disappearing into the desert. Over 30 years later, in a remote town in New Mexico, the $160 million dollar painting was rediscovered in the unlikeliest of places – the home of an eccentric married couple, both schoolteachers, with a keen eye for great works but a very unconventional method of collecting them. The film features Glenn Howerton co-creator, director, writer and star of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.”
“The Thief Collector” had its world premiere at the 2022 SXSW Film...
- 3/22/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
It’s a fully in-person edition for the 2nd Arca International Festival of Films on Arts in Uruguay as it shakes off the pandemic blues that saw some guest cancellations last year.
“Despite the peak Covid situation last January, we had approximately 5,000 attendees,” says fest director Mercedes Sader, who pointed out that the event’s outdoor screenings were ideal for the times.
Running Jan. 2-7 this year, Arca kicked off in 2022 to coincide with the inauguration of the coastal resort town’s first contemporary art museum, the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo Atchugarry (MacA). The 75,000 sq. ft. museum designed by architect Carlos Ott commands vistas of a 99-acre sculpture park and sweeping grounds that include an outdoor amphitheater, a smaller outdoor theatre for video art screenings, forests and a helipad. The museum houses Cine MacA, an indoor theatre with a 100-seat capacity.
“We learned last year how to integrate the outdoor screenings in this spectacular setting,...
“Despite the peak Covid situation last January, we had approximately 5,000 attendees,” says fest director Mercedes Sader, who pointed out that the event’s outdoor screenings were ideal for the times.
Running Jan. 2-7 this year, Arca kicked off in 2022 to coincide with the inauguration of the coastal resort town’s first contemporary art museum, the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo Atchugarry (MacA). The 75,000 sq. ft. museum designed by architect Carlos Ott commands vistas of a 99-acre sculpture park and sweeping grounds that include an outdoor amphitheater, a smaller outdoor theatre for video art screenings, forests and a helipad. The museum houses Cine MacA, an indoor theatre with a 100-seat capacity.
“We learned last year how to integrate the outdoor screenings in this spectacular setting,...
- 1/2/2023
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
UK/Ireland deals have been sealed for ‘The Thief Collector’ and ‘Myanmar Diaries’.
Austrian director Nikolaus Geyrhalter’s award-winning feature documentary Matter Out of Place, about waste disposal, has been acquired by Frenetic for Switzerland, Against Gravity for Poland, Zero Em Comportamento for Portugal, and You Shiu Enterprises for Taiwan from Autlook Film Sales.
Matter Out Of Place won the Green Leopard at Locarno in August and is now screening in the Masters section at this week’s International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA).
Austrian outfit Autlook has also sold theatrical rights to Allison Otto’s The Thief Collector to Signature Entertainment...
Austrian director Nikolaus Geyrhalter’s award-winning feature documentary Matter Out of Place, about waste disposal, has been acquired by Frenetic for Switzerland, Against Gravity for Poland, Zero Em Comportamento for Portugal, and You Shiu Enterprises for Taiwan from Autlook Film Sales.
Matter Out Of Place won the Green Leopard at Locarno in August and is now screening in the Masters section at this week’s International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA).
Austrian outfit Autlook has also sold theatrical rights to Allison Otto’s The Thief Collector to Signature Entertainment...
- 11/14/2022
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
The 14th Annual Santa Fe International Film Festival has announced its juried award winners for the event which has run from Oct. 19-23.
More than 100 filmmakers have traveled to the Land of Enchantment state to show off their cinematic wares.
Says SFiFF Artistic Director Jacques Paisner, “We play strange movies, small movies and foreign films, and the audience is keen on a chance to see something they wouldn’t otherwise experience.”
Courtesy of Santa Fe International Film Festival A scene from Godfrey Reggios Once Within a Time.
Receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award tonight is Qatsi trilogy filmmaker Godfrey Reggio who is here with his new documentary, scored by longtime collaborator Phillip Glass and edited by Jon Kane, Once Within a Time. The pic is billed as a “fantasy of the real with themes of climate change and the perils of technology, and their effects on future generations. It is geared...
More than 100 filmmakers have traveled to the Land of Enchantment state to show off their cinematic wares.
Says SFiFF Artistic Director Jacques Paisner, “We play strange movies, small movies and foreign films, and the audience is keen on a chance to see something they wouldn’t otherwise experience.”
Courtesy of Santa Fe International Film Festival A scene from Godfrey Reggios Once Within a Time.
Receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award tonight is Qatsi trilogy filmmaker Godfrey Reggio who is here with his new documentary, scored by longtime collaborator Phillip Glass and edited by Jon Kane, Once Within a Time. The pic is billed as a “fantasy of the real with themes of climate change and the perils of technology, and their effects on future generations. It is geared...
- 10/22/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
The Santa Fe International Film Festival (SFiFF) has announced its first 15 feature titles. These films are part of the Special Presentation section and will be followed by a full schedule of competition films, short films, panels and events. SFiFF starts October 19 and will run through October 23.
Broker directed by Hirokazu Koreeda
One rainy night, a baby is left at the baby box facility. Sang-hyun and Dong-soo secretly take it home to find suitable parents to adopt him. However, the next day, So-young unexpectedly returns, and calls the police when she discovers her baby is missing. Meanwhile, police detectives have been investigating the case for the past 6 months, waiting for the decisive moment when they can catch the duo in the act.
Holy Spider directed by Ali Abbasi
A journalist descends into the dark underbelly of the Iranian holy city of Mashhad as she investigates the serial killings of sex workers...
Broker directed by Hirokazu Koreeda
One rainy night, a baby is left at the baby box facility. Sang-hyun and Dong-soo secretly take it home to find suitable parents to adopt him. However, the next day, So-young unexpectedly returns, and calls the police when she discovers her baby is missing. Meanwhile, police detectives have been investigating the case for the past 6 months, waiting for the decisive moment when they can catch the duo in the act.
Holy Spider directed by Ali Abbasi
A journalist descends into the dark underbelly of the Iranian holy city of Mashhad as she investigates the serial killings of sex workers...
- 9/18/2022
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
The lineup of films premiering in the narrative, documentary, short film and episodic selections at the 2022 Bentonville Film Festival’s competition program have been released today, the Bentonville Film Foundation announced. The annual festival is set to run in-person from June 22-26 in Bentonville, Ark, with a virtual component having an extended run from June 22 to July 3.
Led by “Thelma and Louise” star and vocal feminist Geena Davis, the festival aims to amplify female, non-binary, LGBTQ, Bipoc and people with disabilities’ voices in entertainment. In collaboration with founding partner, Walmart, and presenting sponsor, Coca-Cola, this year’s programming includes a wide array of storytelling with more than 82 of the competition program from creators who identify as female or gender non-conforming. Additionally, 65 of the creators identify as Bipoc, Asian, or Pacific Islander and 62 identify as LGBTQ. The vast majority of onscreen leads — 90, to be exact — are women or gender non-conforming.
“We...
Led by “Thelma and Louise” star and vocal feminist Geena Davis, the festival aims to amplify female, non-binary, LGBTQ, Bipoc and people with disabilities’ voices in entertainment. In collaboration with founding partner, Walmart, and presenting sponsor, Coca-Cola, this year’s programming includes a wide array of storytelling with more than 82 of the competition program from creators who identify as female or gender non-conforming. Additionally, 65 of the creators identify as Bipoc, Asian, or Pacific Islander and 62 identify as LGBTQ. The vast majority of onscreen leads — 90, to be exact — are women or gender non-conforming.
“We...
- 6/1/2022
- by Carson Burton
- Variety Film + TV
Eva Vitija’s documentary explores the life of crime novelist Patricia Highsmith.
Austrian documentary specialist Autlook has sold Eva Vitija’s Loving Highsmith, about crime novelist Patricia Highsmith, to multiple territories.
Deals confirmed are to FilmIn (Spain), Edge Entertainment, Madman and Iwonder (Italy).
Filmcoopi is handling the Swiss release, Salzgeber will release in Germany and Polyfilm in Austria, North American rights are under negotiation.
The feature documentary tells Highsmith’s life story using material from family, friends and her recently published private diaries. These testimonies paint a picture of a troubled love life and a lifelong search for identity.
As...
Austrian documentary specialist Autlook has sold Eva Vitija’s Loving Highsmith, about crime novelist Patricia Highsmith, to multiple territories.
Deals confirmed are to FilmIn (Spain), Edge Entertainment, Madman and Iwonder (Italy).
Filmcoopi is handling the Swiss release, Salzgeber will release in Germany and Polyfilm in Austria, North American rights are under negotiation.
The feature documentary tells Highsmith’s life story using material from family, friends and her recently published private diaries. These testimonies paint a picture of a troubled love life and a lifelong search for identity.
As...
- 5/18/2022
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
The film has sold to UK (Curzon) and Australia (Madman Entertainment).
Austrian documentary sales specialist Autlook Filmsales has recorded a string of key deals on Bianca Stigter’s Holocaust documentary Three Minutes - A Lengthening.
The film has sold to UK (Curzon), Australia (Madman Entertainment), Spain and Portugal (FilmIn), Scandinavia and Baltics (NonStop), Poland (Against Gravity), Hong Kong (Pccw) and Former Yugoslavia (Discovery Film).
Neon’s boutique label Super Ltd will distribute to North America later this autumn. Japanese and German buyers are also reportedly circling the film.
From a three-minute home film from 1939, the director recreates the story of...
Austrian documentary sales specialist Autlook Filmsales has recorded a string of key deals on Bianca Stigter’s Holocaust documentary Three Minutes - A Lengthening.
The film has sold to UK (Curzon), Australia (Madman Entertainment), Spain and Portugal (FilmIn), Scandinavia and Baltics (NonStop), Poland (Against Gravity), Hong Kong (Pccw) and Former Yugoslavia (Discovery Film).
Neon’s boutique label Super Ltd will distribute to North America later this autumn. Japanese and German buyers are also reportedly circling the film.
From a three-minute home film from 1939, the director recreates the story of...
- 5/9/2022
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
You could say, going back to Hitchcock or the silent-film era, that the thriller is the quintessential form of cinema. You could also say that the quintessential moment of a thriller is one that makes you go “Oh. My. God.” When that happens (kind of a rare occurrence these days), it’s a privileged and intoxicating feeling, one that lifts you right out of yourself. Recently, though, I’ve been experiencing that sensation in what may sound like a highly unlikely place: documentaries about the art world.
In a way, it’s not really a surprise. Art-world documentaries often tap into the human audacity of forgery and thievery, the suspense of finding and unmasking fakes, not to mention the sheer sticker shock of it all. But I’ve also found that an art-world doc that has the quality of a thriller, like “The Lost Leonardo” or “The Price of Everything,...
In a way, it’s not really a surprise. Art-world documentaries often tap into the human audacity of forgery and thievery, the suspense of finding and unmasking fakes, not to mention the sheer sticker shock of it all. But I’ve also found that an art-world doc that has the quality of a thriller, like “The Lost Leonardo” or “The Price of Everything,...
- 4/3/2022
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Where does a person go when fiction outstrips reality, and the wildest fantasies of even the most bombastic writer can’t hold a candle to what’s found at a dusty estate sale around the corner? Apparently, one dives right back into fiction, or at least the semi-autobiographical kind that a real-life super thief leaves behind as a pseudo confession — that is, if such a thing is to be believed. These are interesting questions, yet director Allison Otto wisely sidesteps any attempt at finding a definitive answer to them in her new doc, “The Thief Collector.” Instead, she focuses on the fascinating-yet-tangled web of deceit, charity, grace, and delicious mystery born out of it.
Continue reading ‘The Thief Collector’ Review: A Delightful Exploration of the Intersection Between Fact and Fiction [SXSW] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘The Thief Collector’ Review: A Delightful Exploration of the Intersection Between Fact and Fiction [SXSW] at The Playlist.
- 3/14/2022
- by Warren Cantrell
- The Playlist
In-person festival to run in Austin, Texas, from March 11-20.
A starry SXSW 2022 film line-up announced on Wednesday (2) includes world premieres of new work from Antonia Campbell-Hughes, Richard Linklater and Nicolas Cage, among many others.
The Austin, Texas, festival ran online editions over the past two years and is planned to take place from March 11-20 as an in-person event against a backdrop of declining Omicron infection levels across the United States.
The roster includes Irish filmmaker and actor Campbell-Hughes’s It Is In Us All (pictured) in Narrative Feature Competition starring Cosmo Jarvis, Claes Bang and Campbell-Hughes about a...
A starry SXSW 2022 film line-up announced on Wednesday (2) includes world premieres of new work from Antonia Campbell-Hughes, Richard Linklater and Nicolas Cage, among many others.
The Austin, Texas, festival ran online editions over the past two years and is planned to take place from March 11-20 as an in-person event against a backdrop of declining Omicron infection levels across the United States.
The roster includes Irish filmmaker and actor Campbell-Hughes’s It Is In Us All (pictured) in Narrative Feature Competition starring Cosmo Jarvis, Claes Bang and Campbell-Hughes about a...
- 2/2/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
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