![Elizabeth Sankey](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMzdhZmYwNDktMjE4Yy00OTI5LWE1YmEtMTZjNDcwMjkzOTNjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjg0MTYyNjU@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,26,500,281_.jpg)
Witches, the sophomore feature from English filmmaker Elizabeth Sankey, poses an interesting hypothesis concerning the link between the English witch trials and maternal mental health. Sankey illustrates this correlation by utilizing filmic portrayals of sorceresses (from Häxan to The Craft) and “psychotic women” (from Rosemary’s Baby to Unsane), their historical accuracy and cultural relevance buttressed by insight from doctors, historians and those who’ve been diagnosed with postpartum mental illnesses. Sankey is perfectly poised to tackle the topic given that she spent several months in a mother and baby psychiatric unit after experiencing severe postpartum anxiety and depression that made her...
- 6/16/2024
- by Steve Delickson
- TVovermind.com
![Griffin](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTA0NjdmN2YtODk0My00NjMyLThjODMtMDRlOTlkYmRhZGI5XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQyMjI0NzY2._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,140_.jpg)
![Griffin](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTA0NjdmN2YtODk0My00NjMyLThjODMtMDRlOTlkYmRhZGI5XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQyMjI0NzY2._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,140_.jpg)
Griffin in Summer won the Founders Award for best U.S. narrative feature as well as two additional awards: special jury mention for new narrative director for Nicholas Colia and best screenplay in a U.S. narrative feature, which also went to Colia.
Meanwhile, Bikechess won Best International Narrative Feature, and Hacking Hate won Best Documentary Feature. Don’t You Let Me Go won the 12th annual Nora Ephron Award, and Come Closer and Witches topped the first Viewpoints Competition.
Additionally, Nnamdi Asomugha‘s The Knife won two awards: best cinematography in a U.S. narrative feature (Alejandro Mejia) and the best new narrative director award for Asomugha.
Some Rain Must Fall also won two awards.
A full list of this year’s winners follows.
More to come.
U.S. Narrative Competition
Founders Award for Best U.S. Narrative Feature: Griffin in Summer, director Nicholas Colia
Best Performance in a U.
Meanwhile, Bikechess won Best International Narrative Feature, and Hacking Hate won Best Documentary Feature. Don’t You Let Me Go won the 12th annual Nora Ephron Award, and Come Closer and Witches topped the first Viewpoints Competition.
Additionally, Nnamdi Asomugha‘s The Knife won two awards: best cinematography in a U.S. narrative feature (Alejandro Mejia) and the best new narrative director award for Asomugha.
Some Rain Must Fall also won two awards.
A full list of this year’s winners follows.
More to come.
U.S. Narrative Competition
Founders Award for Best U.S. Narrative Feature: Griffin in Summer, director Nicholas Colia
Best Performance in a U.
- 6/13/2024
- by Hilary Lewis
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
![Image](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZmUxZTFjYmYtMjcyMC00ZmQ1LTgwZTgtYThkNTFhMDdiMTdjXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,26,500,281_.jpg)
Naomi Ackie, Daniel Mays, Jonathan Pryce, Henry Lloyd-Hughes and David Tennant have joined the cast of Netflix and Amblin Entertainment’s “The Thursday Murder Club,” based on Richard Osman’s novel of the same name.
According to an official logline, the series follows, “a group of friends in a retirement home who gather to solve murders for fun, but find themselves caught in a real case. The four members of the club are played by Helen Mirren (ex-spy Elizabeth), Sir Ben Kingsley (ex-psychiatrist Ibrahim) Pierce Brosnan (former union activist Ron) and Celia Imrie (ex-nurse Joyce).”
Chris Columbus serves as writer, director and producer with Jennifer Todd. Holly Bario, Jeb Brody, Eleanor Columbus and Jo Burn executive produce.
Tribeca Festival 2024 Competition Winners Include ‘Griffin in Summer,’ ‘Bikechess,’ ‘Hacking Hate’
Tribeca Festival has announced the 2024 winners of its competition categories at an awards ceremony at Racket NYC. Top awards went to “Griffin in Summer,...
According to an official logline, the series follows, “a group of friends in a retirement home who gather to solve murders for fun, but find themselves caught in a real case. The four members of the club are played by Helen Mirren (ex-spy Elizabeth), Sir Ben Kingsley (ex-psychiatrist Ibrahim) Pierce Brosnan (former union activist Ron) and Celia Imrie (ex-nurse Joyce).”
Chris Columbus serves as writer, director and producer with Jennifer Todd. Holly Bario, Jeb Brody, Eleanor Columbus and Jo Burn executive produce.
Tribeca Festival 2024 Competition Winners Include ‘Griffin in Summer,’ ‘Bikechess,’ ‘Hacking Hate’
Tribeca Festival has announced the 2024 winners of its competition categories at an awards ceremony at Racket NYC. Top awards went to “Griffin in Summer,...
- 6/13/2024
- by Jazz Tangcay, Jack Dunn, Lexi Carson and Selena Kuznikov
- Variety Film + TV
![Elizabeth Sankey](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMzdhZmYwNDktMjE4Yy00OTI5LWE1YmEtMTZjNDcwMjkzOTNjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjg0MTYyNjU@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,26,500,281_.jpg)
Elizabeth Sankey’s 90-minute documentary Witches delves into the grim realities of postpartum mental illness, offering a raw testament on the subject. Premiering at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival, this film juxtaposes personal anecdotes with historical context to highlight the stigmatized phenomenon many mothers face, yet it also ventures into tenuous territories linking historical witch trials to modern psychological suffering. Insights from Personal Struggles Sankey’s memoiristic approach is stark and poignant. She recounts her bout with suicidality and multiple hospital trips following her son’s birth, bringing a needed authenticity to the topic. Her frankness when discussing her experiences, including a stay...
- 6/13/2024
- by TV Overmind
- TVovermind.com
![Image](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZjU0NTQyYzEtNTVlOC00MWUxLTk0Y2QtNzQwODcyNjNiYmM2XkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UY281_CR86,0,500,281_.jpg)
“Being good or bad isn’t a choice a woman gets to make by herself,” filmmaker Elizabeth Sankey narrates in her spellbinding new documentary, “Witches.” It’s an incisive perspective on an age-old cinematic question that’s never had a good enough answer: “Are you a good witch or a bad witch?” as Glinda once asked. As Sankey might see it, the question itself put Dorothy in danger.
Our ever-shifting sense of women’s autonomy resonates in countless contexts, and that’s worth keeping front of mind throughout this feature-length consideration of postpartum mental health and the historic persecution of women. Weaving personal experience and keen anthropological theory into a lush and haunting tapestry of magical portrayals from pop culture, Sankey achieves an intricate archival exposition backed with tremendous feeling. She uses old film footage, insightful interviews from experts and friends, and select theatrical scenes (all silent) shot specifically for...
Our ever-shifting sense of women’s autonomy resonates in countless contexts, and that’s worth keeping front of mind throughout this feature-length consideration of postpartum mental health and the historic persecution of women. Weaving personal experience and keen anthropological theory into a lush and haunting tapestry of magical portrayals from pop culture, Sankey achieves an intricate archival exposition backed with tremendous feeling. She uses old film footage, insightful interviews from experts and friends, and select theatrical scenes (all silent) shot specifically for...
- 6/12/2024
- by Alison Foreman
- Indiewire
![Image](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNTU4MzRlYzktMWJlNy00MWQ5LWIxYWQtMGYyMTk1YjE3ZmQyXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,140_.jpg)
![Image](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNTU4MzRlYzktMWJlNy00MWQ5LWIxYWQtMGYyMTk1YjE3ZmQyXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,140_.jpg)
As an artwork detailing the testimonies of ordinary women who have faced terrifying post-partum anxiety, depression and psychosis, Elizabeth Sankey’s 90-minute goth-lite documentary Witches succeeds in shedding light on a stigmatized and often silenced phenomenon many new mothers endure. However, the director takes this solid concept and dilutes it with trivial pop feminist pseudo-history, positing a dubious connection between the European and American witch trials of the 16th and 17th centuries and women’s post-birth psychological suffering.
Premiering at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival and set to be distributed by streaming service Mubi, the film is certainly watchable but perhaps only 50 percent compelling.
Sankey argues that post-partum psychotic hallucinations may have led countless women of yore to willingly confess to cavorting with Satan. She showcases little evidence supporting this theory, aside from reading aloud a few sentences from primary sources, and attempts to wrap her suppositions in tritely nebulous metaphors...
Premiering at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival and set to be distributed by streaming service Mubi, the film is certainly watchable but perhaps only 50 percent compelling.
Sankey argues that post-partum psychotic hallucinations may have led countless women of yore to willingly confess to cavorting with Satan. She showcases little evidence supporting this theory, aside from reading aloud a few sentences from primary sources, and attempts to wrap her suppositions in tritely nebulous metaphors...
- 6/11/2024
- by Robyn Bahr
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
![Image](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZTJiYmRiMmItNjY1Zi00YzM1LThjNmQtMTQyOWRmOTk3ZjA3XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTE0MzQwMjgz._V1_QL75_UY281_CR80,0,500,281_.jpg)
Witches, the sophomore feature from English filmmaker Elizabeth Sankey, poses an interesting hypothesis concerning the link between the English witch trials and maternal mental health. Sankey illustrates this correlation by utilizing filmic portrayals of sorceresses (from Häxan to The Craft) and “psychotic women” (from Rosemary’s Baby to Unsane), their historical accuracy and cultural relevance buttressed by insight from doctors, historians and those who’ve been diagnosed with postpartum mental illnesses. Sankey is perfectly poised to tackle the topic given that she spent several months in a mother and baby psychiatric unit after experiencing severe postpartum anxiety and depression that made her […]
The post “I Was Trying to Illustrate What It Was Like to Lose My Mind”: Elizabeth Sankey on Her Tribeca-Premiering Essay Doc Witches first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “I Was Trying to Illustrate What It Was Like to Lose My Mind”: Elizabeth Sankey on Her Tribeca-Premiering Essay Doc Witches first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 6/7/2024
- by Natalia Keogan
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
![Image](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZTJiYmRiMmItNjY1Zi00YzM1LThjNmQtMTQyOWRmOTk3ZjA3XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTE0MzQwMjgz._V1_QL75_UY281_CR80,0,500,281_.jpg)
Witches, the sophomore feature from English filmmaker Elizabeth Sankey, poses an interesting hypothesis concerning the link between the English witch trials and maternal mental health. Sankey illustrates this correlation by utilizing filmic portrayals of sorceresses (from Häxan to The Craft) and “psychotic women” (from Rosemary’s Baby to Unsane), their historical accuracy and cultural relevance buttressed by insight from doctors, historians and those who’ve been diagnosed with postpartum mental illnesses. Sankey is perfectly poised to tackle the topic given that she spent several months in a mother and baby psychiatric unit after experiencing severe postpartum anxiety and depression that made her […]
The post “I Was Trying to Illustrate What It Was Like to Lose My Mind”: Elizabeth Sankey on Her Tribeca-Premiering Essay Doc Witches first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “I Was Trying to Illustrate What It Was Like to Lose My Mind”: Elizabeth Sankey on Her Tribeca-Premiering Essay Doc Witches first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 6/7/2024
- by Natalia Keogan
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
![Image](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNWFmNzY4M2QtMmI0My00NDIyLTg4Y2UtZmNiNGJkNWRiOWJlXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg)
Infatuation turns into a sinister obsession in the upcoming indie drama “Darkest Miriam.”
Based on Martha Baillie’s novel “The Incident Report,” the film follows loner librarian Miriam Gordon, played by “Severance” actress Britt Lower, whose new affair with a taxi driver (Tom Mercier) coincides with her receiving threatening letters from a secret admirer. Could her beau also be her nemesis?
The film, written and directed by Naomi Jaye, is set to have its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival in the Viewpoints Section on Sunday, June 9.
Acclaimed filmmaker Charlie Kaufman serves as an executive producer on the film, seemingly stamping it with his signature existentialism. Kaufman joined after reading author Baillie’s other book “Sister Language.” Canadian poet Eva H.D. approached Kaufman on behalf of the production.
The official synopsis for “Darkest Miriam” reads: Miriam lives in a fog of grief while working amidst marginalized members of the public...
Based on Martha Baillie’s novel “The Incident Report,” the film follows loner librarian Miriam Gordon, played by “Severance” actress Britt Lower, whose new affair with a taxi driver (Tom Mercier) coincides with her receiving threatening letters from a secret admirer. Could her beau also be her nemesis?
The film, written and directed by Naomi Jaye, is set to have its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival in the Viewpoints Section on Sunday, June 9.
Acclaimed filmmaker Charlie Kaufman serves as an executive producer on the film, seemingly stamping it with his signature existentialism. Kaufman joined after reading author Baillie’s other book “Sister Language.” Canadian poet Eva H.D. approached Kaufman on behalf of the production.
The official synopsis for “Darkest Miriam” reads: Miriam lives in a fog of grief while working amidst marginalized members of the public...
- 6/3/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
![Image](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BOTYyY2IxNjAtNjExMy00MWQ3LWE0NzgtN2Q3YjlkM2Y4ZjVhXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTE0MzQwMjgz._V1_QL75_UY140_CR35,0,140,140_.jpg)
![Image](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BOTYyY2IxNjAtNjExMy00MWQ3LWE0NzgtN2Q3YjlkM2Y4ZjVhXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTE0MzQwMjgz._V1_QL75_UY140_CR35,0,140,140_.jpg)
The UK industry gathered at the Cannes UK pavilion yesterday (May 16) to celebrate the work of the eight projects taking part in this year’s Cannes Great 8 showcase.
Christopher Andrews’ Bring Them Down starring Barry Keoghan and Christopher Abbott, Sean Dunn’s The Fall Of Sir Douglas Weatherford and Marianne Elliott’s The Salt Path were among the eight titles taking part, with filmmakers taking to the stage to discuss their projects.
Scroll down to see the full line-up
The only documentary in this year’s line-up is Witches, from Elizabeth Sankey, in which the filmmaker explores the unexpected connections...
Christopher Andrews’ Bring Them Down starring Barry Keoghan and Christopher Abbott, Sean Dunn’s The Fall Of Sir Douglas Weatherford and Marianne Elliott’s The Salt Path were among the eight titles taking part, with filmmakers taking to the stage to discuss their projects.
Scroll down to see the full line-up
The only documentary in this year’s line-up is Witches, from Elizabeth Sankey, in which the filmmaker explores the unexpected connections...
- 5/17/2024
- ScreenDaily
‘Great 8’ 2024: BFI Sets Line Up Of British Titles From Early Career Directors Set For Cannes Market
![Image](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZDUwYzEzNzEtMDJjZC00ODc3LWFiY2EtZjFlM2Q3ZjFkYTEyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTE0MzQwMjgz._V1_QL75_UY281_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg)
The BFI is once again heading to the Cannes Market with its so-called Great 8 — a selection of projects from first and second-time filmmakers that it will present to international buyers.
Now in its seventh year, the 2024 Great 8 showcase is funded and produced by the BFI and the British Council, with support from the Great Britain & Northern Ireland campaign, BBC Film, and Film4. The list includes Portuguese filmmaker Laura Carreira’s feature On Falling, produced by Jack Thomas-o’Brien for Sixteen Films. The full list of titles are:
Brides – director Nadia Fall, writer Suhayla El-Bushra Bring Them Down – director/writer Christopher Andrews The Fall Of Sir Douglas Weatherford – director/writer Sean Dunn On Falling – director/writer Laura Carreira The Salt Path – director Marianne Elliott, writer Rebecca Lenkiewicz Sunlight – director Nina Conti, writers Shenoah Allen, Nina Conti Surviving Earth – director/writer Thea Gajić Witches – director/writer Elizabeth Sankey
With 2022 and 2023 editions taking place online,...
Now in its seventh year, the 2024 Great 8 showcase is funded and produced by the BFI and the British Council, with support from the Great Britain & Northern Ireland campaign, BBC Film, and Film4. The list includes Portuguese filmmaker Laura Carreira’s feature On Falling, produced by Jack Thomas-o’Brien for Sixteen Films. The full list of titles are:
Brides – director Nadia Fall, writer Suhayla El-Bushra Bring Them Down – director/writer Christopher Andrews The Fall Of Sir Douglas Weatherford – director/writer Sean Dunn On Falling – director/writer Laura Carreira The Salt Path – director Marianne Elliott, writer Rebecca Lenkiewicz Sunlight – director Nina Conti, writers Shenoah Allen, Nina Conti Surviving Earth – director/writer Thea Gajić Witches – director/writer Elizabeth Sankey
With 2022 and 2023 editions taking place online,...
- 5/2/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
![Image](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNjMwYmJhY2QtY2FiOC00OWRjLWFhNTYtZGIzMTY3NWE0Mzg3XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTE0MzQwMjgz._V1_QL75_UY140_CR35,0,140,140_.jpg)
![Image](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNjMwYmJhY2QtY2FiOC00OWRjLWFhNTYtZGIzMTY3NWE0Mzg3XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTE0MzQwMjgz._V1_QL75_UY140_CR35,0,140,140_.jpg)
Christopher Andrews’ Bring Them Down starring Barry Keoghan and Christopher Abbott, Sean Dunn’s The Fall Of Sir Douglas Weatherford and Marianne Elliott’s The Salt Path, featuring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs, are among the eight films taking part in the Great 8 showcase, which presents new UK feature films from first-and second-time UK filmmakers to international distributors and festival programmers.
Now in its seventh year, the 2024 Great 8 showcase is funded and produced by the BFI and the British Council, with support from the Great Britain & Northern Ireland campaign, BBC Film and Film4.
In preparation for Cannes, unseen footage from...
Now in its seventh year, the 2024 Great 8 showcase is funded and produced by the BFI and the British Council, with support from the Great Britain & Northern Ireland campaign, BBC Film and Film4.
In preparation for Cannes, unseen footage from...
- 5/2/2024
- ScreenDaily
![Image](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNTQ3ZDI0NTYtYWM4Yi00YjQ1LTk5MDQtNmJlOGYyYTg4ZTQ1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTE0MzQwMjgz._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,140_.jpg)
![Image](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNTQ3ZDI0NTYtYWM4Yi00YjQ1LTk5MDQtNmJlOGYyYTg4ZTQ1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTE0MzQwMjgz._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,140_.jpg)
Art house streamer Mubi has picked up worldwide rights for Witches, the new documentary feature from British director Elizabeth Sankey (Romantic Comedy) and will roll out the movie globally following its world premiere in the Viewpoints section of the Tribeca Festival in June.
Inspired by Sankey’s own struggles with mental health, the film draws connections between postpartum depression and the history and cinematic representation of witches in Western society.
“I started making Witches soon after being released from the psychiatric ward [for postpartum illness] as a way of trying to process what had happened to me,” said Sankey. “I researched the history of women in medicine and found they were once the main healers in their communities, but that ended with the 16th century witch trials. I also read about the women of this period who “confessed” to being witches without torture. Their symptoms were the same as mine — depression, suicidal ideation,...
Inspired by Sankey’s own struggles with mental health, the film draws connections between postpartum depression and the history and cinematic representation of witches in Western society.
“I started making Witches soon after being released from the psychiatric ward [for postpartum illness] as a way of trying to process what had happened to me,” said Sankey. “I researched the history of women in medicine and found they were once the main healers in their communities, but that ended with the 16th century witch trials. I also read about the women of this period who “confessed” to being witches without torture. Their symptoms were the same as mine — depression, suicidal ideation,...
- 4/17/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
![Image](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNGQ1MmI3MDEtZTEyZS00Y2I5LTg0ZWItZWJkMTJjZGQ2NmMxXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTE0MzQwMjgz._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,1,500,281_.jpg)
Elizabeth Sankey's Romantic Comedy (2019) is showing on Mubi in the United Kingdom.If I find myself home alone on a Saturday night, I bake a frozen pizza and lie in bed eating two or three cheesy, cardboardy slices accompanied by swigs off a nine dollar bottle wine. I open up Amazon and type with a single greasy finger, trying to find something new, perusing the “movies based on your viewing” section, all the while knowing I’ll settle on the comfort of the familiar. Bridget Jones Diary. Sabrina from the ‘90s. You’ve Got Mail. Rom-coms all. Not even the good ones. For me and nearly every woman I know, romantic comedies are tools, adult comfort objects that soothe. We talk about them like junk food—empty artistic calories that are no good for us. And we are happy to tell you everything you already know that is wrong...
- 6/1/2020
- MUBI
![Image](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNGE1ZDFhZGUtYTM5Ni00MTJiLThjNTMtNzUzMzQ3YWQ2YzhiXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTE0MzQwMjgz._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,14,500,281_.jpg)
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSAbove: Lynn Shelton by Fred HayesFilmmaker Lynn Shelton, best known as a pioneer of the mumblecore movement and as a gifted director of television (including the series Glow and Little Fires Everywhere), has died at the age of 54.Luca Guadagnino is set to direct a reboot of Scarface, with a shooting script written by Ethan and Joel Coen that places the story in Los Angeles. Recommended VIEWINGThe official U.S. trailer for Abel Ferrara's Tommaso, which will be arriving to virtual cinemas starting June 5. The film follows Willem Dafoe as an American artist in Rome. Read our interview with Ferrara regarding the film as "personal cinema" here.Netflix has released a trailer for Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods, the story of four African-American Vietnam war veterans who return to Vietnam in search of...
- 5/20/2020
- MUBI
![Image](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMWEwNjcyZDAtYWYyYS00ZWUzLWEyZTUtMTEyZTZkYzExN2QwXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTE0MzQwMjgz._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg)
Elizabeth Sankey's Romantic Comedy (2019) is exclusively showing May 7 - June 6, 2020 on Mubi in the United Kingdom.After spending two years watching romantic comedies, editing and cataloging their tropes—meet-cutes, big white weddings, declarations of love (rain optional)—and turning those into my essay film, I thought I’d spent more than enough time thinking about the genre. But then lockdown happened. What always appealed to me about romantic comedies is that they’re as completely obsessed with human interactions and love as I am. For me, the idea that two people can meet and feel a connection—any sort of attraction—and be taken on a journey together is the most thrilling and exciting experience a human being can have. We are rational, logical creatures but we allow ourselves to step into this shared madness with a stranger. Sometimes the insanity is only short—a few minutes, a night...
- 5/19/2020
- MUBI
![Elizabeth Sankey](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMzdhZmYwNDktMjE4Yy00OTI5LWE1YmEtMTZjNDcwMjkzOTNjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjg0MTYyNjU@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,26,500,281_.jpg)
Elizabeth Sankey’s fine documentary on the genre, premiering on Mubi, could be the perfect spark for your own romantic comedy love-in
Romantic comedies are a perennially undervalued genre: even very fine ones are often described as “guilty pleasures”. That’s always a nonsense term, given that no pleasure is without value or grace – least of all these days. Under lockdown, don’t you find yourself more inclined towards romantic comedies both great and mediocre, to sink yourself in the familiar warmth of stories driven by love and tenderness, where everything tends to turn out fine?
Mubi has thus chosen an opportune moment to premiere Romantic Comedy, a spry, affectionate documentary by musician turned film-maker Elizabeth Sankey that gives this maligned genre its due. A short, accessible film essay that did the festival rounds last year, it cuts to the heart of why romcoms have to work harder to be...
Romantic comedies are a perennially undervalued genre: even very fine ones are often described as “guilty pleasures”. That’s always a nonsense term, given that no pleasure is without value or grace – least of all these days. Under lockdown, don’t you find yourself more inclined towards romantic comedies both great and mediocre, to sink yourself in the familiar warmth of stories driven by love and tenderness, where everything tends to turn out fine?
Mubi has thus chosen an opportune moment to premiere Romantic Comedy, a spry, affectionate documentary by musician turned film-maker Elizabeth Sankey that gives this maligned genre its due. A short, accessible film essay that did the festival rounds last year, it cuts to the heart of why romcoms have to work harder to be...
- 5/9/2020
- by Guy Lodge
- The Guardian - Film News
![Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal in When Harry Met Sally... (1989)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjE0ODEwNjM2NF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMjU2Mzg3NA@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,1,140,207_.jpg)
![Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal in When Harry Met Sally... (1989)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjE0ODEwNjM2NF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMjU2Mzg3NA@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,1,140,207_.jpg)
Elizabeth Sankey’s engaging documentary reclaims the genre from snooty cinephiles – and proudly pronounces When Harry Met Sally a masterpiece
With affection and brio, Elizabeth Sankey reclaims the genre of romantic comedy in this watchable documentary; that is, she reclaims it from the gendered snobbery of white, male, middle-aged reviewers who fall over themselves to praise horror movies or thrillers or superhero films but turn their noses up at romcom.
Now, I’m putting my hands up here, although I still can’t handle Nancy Meyers’ The Holiday (2006), and I still worry that romcom tends to be all rom and no com, a conservative genre that often dislikes the subversion of comedy. I absolutely agreed with Sankey’s masterpiece rating for When Harry Met Sally … (1989) – what person of taste and judgment wouldn’t? – and I enjoyed her praise for While You Were Sleeping (1995), which she discreetly juxtaposes with the comparably...
With affection and brio, Elizabeth Sankey reclaims the genre of romantic comedy in this watchable documentary; that is, she reclaims it from the gendered snobbery of white, male, middle-aged reviewers who fall over themselves to praise horror movies or thrillers or superhero films but turn their noses up at romcom.
Now, I’m putting my hands up here, although I still can’t handle Nancy Meyers’ The Holiday (2006), and I still worry that romcom tends to be all rom and no com, a conservative genre that often dislikes the subversion of comedy. I absolutely agreed with Sankey’s masterpiece rating for When Harry Met Sally … (1989) – what person of taste and judgment wouldn’t? – and I enjoyed her praise for While You Were Sleeping (1995), which she discreetly juxtaposes with the comparably...
- 5/7/2020
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
![Elizabeth Sankey](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMzdhZmYwNDktMjE4Yy00OTI5LWE1YmEtMTZjNDcwMjkzOTNjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjg0MTYyNjU@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,26,500,281_.jpg)
"So why do I find myself still watching these films over and over and over again?" 1091 Media has released an official trailer for a doc about cinema titled Romantic Comedy, an exploration and evaluation of the romantic comedy genre. This premiered at numerous prestigious documentary festivals last year and debuts on VOD in a few weeks. Romantic Comedy goes "beneath the surface of our favorite films, seeking to better understand the way we view love, relationships, and romance. Romantic comedies are hugely successful and deeply loved by many but often have avoided critical analysis. Helped by a diverse chorus of writers, actors, and filmmakers, and with original songs by her band Summer Camp, director Elizabeth Sankey embarks on a journey of investigation and self-discovery." Who doesn't love romcoms?! Right! Described in reviews as "entertaining and insightful", this seems like a fun film about film and why we all love these stories so much.
- 3/5/2020
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
![Edward Rowe in Bait (2019)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMmIzNWJiYjEtNWQwYi00ZDNlLWE4ZjEtMTZmZWYyODNiZTRhXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTE0MzQ5NQ@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,207_.jpg)
![Edward Rowe in Bait (2019)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMmIzNWJiYjEtNWQwYi00ZDNlLWE4ZjEtMTZmZWYyODNiZTRhXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTE0MzQ5NQ@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,207_.jpg)
‘Bait’, ‘A Bump Along The Way’ among 16 titles selected.
Mark Jenkin’s breakout hit Bait and Shelly Love’s pregnancy drama A Bump Along The Way are among the 16 titles longlisted for the Raindance Discovery award at this year’s British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs).
The 16 films will be whittled down to five nominated titles by Bifa voters and announced next week (Oct 30) alongside the other Bifa nominations.
Other longlisted films include Good Posture, the directorial debut of actor Dolly Wells starring Grace Van Patten and Emily Mortimer; Pink Wall, the first feature film from Weekend and Downton Abbey actor Tom Cullen; and Mari,...
Mark Jenkin’s breakout hit Bait and Shelly Love’s pregnancy drama A Bump Along The Way are among the 16 titles longlisted for the Raindance Discovery award at this year’s British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs).
The 16 films will be whittled down to five nominated titles by Bifa voters and announced next week (Oct 30) alongside the other Bifa nominations.
Other longlisted films include Good Posture, the directorial debut of actor Dolly Wells starring Grace Van Patten and Emily Mortimer; Pink Wall, the first feature film from Weekend and Downton Abbey actor Tom Cullen; and Mari,...
- 10/22/2019
- by 1101321¦Ben Dalton¦26¦
- ScreenDaily
Yellow Affair also closed deals on Mika Kaurismaki’s Master Cheng for Switzerland, Israel , and Hungary.
The Yellow Affair has struck a North American deal with 1091 Media for Elizabeth Sankey’s essay film Romantic Comedy.
Yellow Affair also closed deals on Mika Kaurismaki’s Master Cheng for Switzerland (Frenetic Films), Israel (New Cinema), and Hungary (Circo). A Japanese deal is in negotiations now.
Kaurismaki produces for his own Marianna Films. The co-production companies are Huang Yaqui’s QianJi Culture Co. Ltd (China) and Iain Brown’s By Media (China/UK).
Kaurismaki directs from a screenplay by Hannu Oravisto. The...
The Yellow Affair has struck a North American deal with 1091 Media for Elizabeth Sankey’s essay film Romantic Comedy.
Yellow Affair also closed deals on Mika Kaurismaki’s Master Cheng for Switzerland (Frenetic Films), Israel (New Cinema), and Hungary (Circo). A Japanese deal is in negotiations now.
Kaurismaki produces for his own Marianna Films. The co-production companies are Huang Yaqui’s QianJi Culture Co. Ltd (China) and Iain Brown’s By Media (China/UK).
Kaurismaki directs from a screenplay by Hannu Oravisto. The...
- 5/21/2019
- by Wendy Mitchell
- ScreenDaily
Getting a feature film into SXSW is a big accomplishment for an independent filmmaker. It’s an important building block toward a full-time career in the industry, but for many it is not an achievement that can, in and of itself, pay the bills. IndieWire asked 30 directors premiering scripted narrative features in one of four SXSW 2019 categories how, when they are not making independent films, do they make a living? Here’s what they had to say.
Sandy K Boone (“J.R. ‘Bob’ Dobbs and The Church of the SubGenius”): I am a licensed realtor and have sold luxury real estate for over 30 years for my day-to-day living.
Travis Stevens (“Girl on the Third Floor”): Since 2010 I’ve been fortunate enough to pay my rent by producing independent films.
Emily Ting (“Go Back to China”): I’ve been working as the Creative Director for my family’s...
Sandy K Boone (“J.R. ‘Bob’ Dobbs and The Church of the SubGenius”): I am a licensed realtor and have sold luxury real estate for over 30 years for my day-to-day living.
Travis Stevens (“Girl on the Third Floor”): Since 2010 I’ve been fortunate enough to pay my rent by producing independent films.
Emily Ting (“Go Back to China”): I’ve been working as the Creative Director for my family’s...
- 3/9/2019
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
"I've missed you so much... It's a great pleasure to see you and your young man." Watch this new dramatic short film I Do Not Sleep, made by talented writer Sophie Monks Kaufman, who writes for Little White Lies. This is Sophie's first short film, which she wrote and directed, and it took 10 months to complete - even though it only runs 10 minutes. The short is about a grieving young woman who finds that the spirit of a lost loved one is still shaping her relationships. The cast includes Richard Kiess as Max, Elizabeth Sankey as Clarisse, with Linda Large. I love all the shots of the trees in this, and how spiritual the film is. Enjoy it. Embedded from Vimeo. Official synopsis: "An awkward social encounter is elevated by supernatural bonds when Clarisse introduces her boyfriend, Max, to a family member who lives in the forest." I Do Not...
- 6/18/2018
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
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