Update, July 4: Another victim of Disney’s cost-cutting on the streaming front has emerged: “Crater,” a sci-fi adventure film about a group of children that hijack a rover before a member of the group relocates to a new planet. The film, starring Mckenna Grace and Isaiah Russell-Bailey with a featured role played by Kid Cudi, drew mostly positive reviews around its debut on the streaming service on May 12. Roughly seven weeks later, “Crater” has been pulled from Disney+.
The original report follows.
Disney’s content culling from Disney+ and Hulu is coming as early as next week — with the media company pulling off more than 50 titles, including series “Willow,” “The Mysterious Benedict Society” and “Dollface,” and movies such as “The One and Only Ivan.”
At the same time, CEO Bob Iger told investors last week that the company expects to raise the price on the ad-free Disney+ tier later...
The original report follows.
Disney’s content culling from Disney+ and Hulu is coming as early as next week — with the media company pulling off more than 50 titles, including series “Willow,” “The Mysterious Benedict Society” and “Dollface,” and movies such as “The One and Only Ivan.”
At the same time, CEO Bob Iger told investors last week that the company expects to raise the price on the ad-free Disney+ tier later...
- 5/18/2023
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety Film + TV
His name is Christopher Rainey, but you can call him "Quest" – that's the nickname this North Philly resident is known by. Christine'a Rainey, his wife and a women's shelter employee, is sometimes called "Ma Quest," usually by the folks who drop by her spouse's recording studio for his "Freestyle Friday" open-houses. ("I always feel like someone's mother," she says, with both pride and weariness.) They each have kids from previous marriages – her son William has just become a father and discovered he had a cancerous brain tumor in quick succession – and one child together: P.
- 12/8/2017
- Rollingstone.com
The various year-end lists from different groups might make you think 2017 is over, but look at the calendar and, lo, there’s an entire month left in which films will be released. Arriving in December is our most-anticipated picture of the year, sci-fi tales from both Lucasfilm and Alexander Payne, a movie about making the worst movie, and much more.
Matinees to See: Voyeur (12/1), The New Radical (12/1), The Pirates of Somalia (12/8), The Ballad of Lefty Brown (12/15), and Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool (12/29)
15. Downsizing (Alexander Payne; Dec. 22)
Synopsis: A social satire in which a guy realizes he would have a better life if he were to shrink himself.
Trailer
Why You Should See It: It might be his least-well-received film thus far, but the prospect of Alexander Payne taking on a high-concept sci-fi film is enough to pique interest. Of course, Valerian this is not. Rather, the story finds...
Matinees to See: Voyeur (12/1), The New Radical (12/1), The Pirates of Somalia (12/8), The Ballad of Lefty Brown (12/15), and Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool (12/29)
15. Downsizing (Alexander Payne; Dec. 22)
Synopsis: A social satire in which a guy realizes he would have a better life if he were to shrink himself.
Trailer
Why You Should See It: It might be his least-well-received film thus far, but the prospect of Alexander Payne taking on a high-concept sci-fi film is enough to pique interest. Of course, Valerian this is not. Rather, the story finds...
- 11/30/2017
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The always-idiosyncratic Film Independent Spirit Awards juries are not in the awards-season business. While other entities may take pride in how their selections mirror Oscar nominations down the line, the Spirits have a different agenda. It gives credit where it thinks it’s due, and raises awareness for many low-budget independent titles. If that happens to help your Oscar game, so much the better.
Read More: Save the Dates: Here’s the 2017-2018 Awards Calendar
No need to worry about Spirit top dogs “Call Me By Your Name” (six nods, Sony Pictures Classics), “Get Out” (five nods, Blumhouse/Universal), and “Lady Bird” (four nods, A24) which are well on their way to Oscar recognition and dominated the Indie Spirit field with multiple nominations including the crucial Best Feature.
A24 blazed with an astounding 17 nominations over eight features: “Lady Bird” and “Good Time” took four including Feature, “The Florida Project” and...
Read More: Save the Dates: Here’s the 2017-2018 Awards Calendar
No need to worry about Spirit top dogs “Call Me By Your Name” (six nods, Sony Pictures Classics), “Get Out” (five nods, Blumhouse/Universal), and “Lady Bird” (four nods, A24) which are well on their way to Oscar recognition and dominated the Indie Spirit field with multiple nominations including the crucial Best Feature.
A24 blazed with an astounding 17 nominations over eight features: “Lady Bird” and “Good Time” took four including Feature, “The Florida Project” and...
- 11/21/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The always-idiosyncratic Film Independent Spirit Awards juries are not in the awards-season business. While other entities may take pride in how their selections mirror Oscar nominations down the line, the Spirits have a different agenda. It gives credit where it thinks it’s due, and raises awareness for many low-budget independent titles. If that happens to help your Oscar game, so much the better.
Read More: Save the Dates: Here’s the 2017-2018 Awards Calendar
No need to worry about Spirit top dogs “Call Me By Your Name” (six nods, Sony Pictures Classics), “Get Out” (five nods, Blumhouse/Universal), and “Lady Bird” (four nods, A24) which are well on their way to Oscar recognition and dominated the Indie Spirit field with multiple nominations including the crucial Best Feature.
A24 blazed with an astounding 17 nominations over eight features: “Lady Bird” and “Good Time” took four including Feature, “The Florida Project” and...
Read More: Save the Dates: Here’s the 2017-2018 Awards Calendar
No need to worry about Spirit top dogs “Call Me By Your Name” (six nods, Sony Pictures Classics), “Get Out” (five nods, Blumhouse/Universal), and “Lady Bird” (four nods, A24) which are well on their way to Oscar recognition and dominated the Indie Spirit field with multiple nominations including the crucial Best Feature.
A24 blazed with an astounding 17 nominations over eight features: “Lady Bird” and “Good Time” took four including Feature, “The Florida Project” and...
- 11/21/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Call Me by Your Name, Get Out and Lady Bird all had great showings at the 2018 Independent Spirit Award nominations!
The nominees were announced on Tuesday morning, with the Armie Hammer-ledCall Me by Your Name leading the pack with six nominations, followed closely by Jordan Peele's critically acclaimed, genre-bending thriller Get Out with five, and Lady Bird, with four.
All three films are competing for Best Picture, along with The Florida Project and The Rider. The Independent Spirit Awards are sometimes seen as a tea leaf for how the Academy Awards will sway -- the Best Picture winner of this show has gone on to also earn the distinction at the Oscars for five out of the last six years.
Peele earned a nod in the Best Director category, and the film's lead, Daniel Kaluuya is up for Best Male Lead, along with James Franco, who is nominated for The Disaster Artist. In the Best Female...
The nominees were announced on Tuesday morning, with the Armie Hammer-ledCall Me by Your Name leading the pack with six nominations, followed closely by Jordan Peele's critically acclaimed, genre-bending thriller Get Out with five, and Lady Bird, with four.
All three films are competing for Best Picture, along with The Florida Project and The Rider. The Independent Spirit Awards are sometimes seen as a tea leaf for how the Academy Awards will sway -- the Best Picture winner of this show has gone on to also earn the distinction at the Oscars for five out of the last six years.
Peele earned a nod in the Best Director category, and the film's lead, Daniel Kaluuya is up for Best Male Lead, along with James Franco, who is nominated for The Disaster Artist. In the Best Female...
- 11/21/2017
- Entertainment Tonight
The nominations for the 33rd Independent Spirit Awards are in, and “Get Out,” “Call Me by Your Name,” “Lady Bird,” “Good Time,” and more have dominated this year’s slate.
Read More: 2018 Oscar Predictions
Over the last several years, the Indie Spirits have become both a champion of underdog indies (see Molly Shannon winning Best Supporting Female last year for “Other People”) and a key indicator in which films and performances could end up with the Oscar (Casey Affleck and “Moonlight” for Best Picture last year). John Mulaney and Nick Kroll will return to host the 33rd Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday, March 3.
The full nominations list is below.
Best Feature
“Call Me by Your Name”
“The Florida Project”
“Get Out”
“Lady Bird”
“The Rider”
Best Director
Jonas Carpignano, “A Ciambra”
Luca Guadagnino, “Call Me by Your Name”
Jordan Peele, “Get Out”
Sean Baker, “The Florida Project”
Benny and Josh Safdie,...
Read More: 2018 Oscar Predictions
Over the last several years, the Indie Spirits have become both a champion of underdog indies (see Molly Shannon winning Best Supporting Female last year for “Other People”) and a key indicator in which films and performances could end up with the Oscar (Casey Affleck and “Moonlight” for Best Picture last year). John Mulaney and Nick Kroll will return to host the 33rd Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday, March 3.
The full nominations list is below.
Best Feature
“Call Me by Your Name”
“The Florida Project”
“Get Out”
“Lady Bird”
“The Rider”
Best Director
Jonas Carpignano, “A Ciambra”
Luca Guadagnino, “Call Me by Your Name”
Jordan Peele, “Get Out”
Sean Baker, “The Florida Project”
Benny and Josh Safdie,...
- 11/21/2017
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Quest First Run Features Director: Jonathan Olshefski Cast: Christine’a Rainey, Christopher Rainey, Pj Rainey, William Withers Screened at: Critics’ link, NYC, 11/17/17 Opens: Dec.1 in Philadelphia; Dec. 8 in NY; Dec. 15 in L.A.; then wider. A brief segment of this loving study of an African-American family in North Philadelphia, filmed over a period of […]
The post Quest Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Quest Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 11/21/2017
- by Harvey Karten
- ShockYa
"All we can do is roll with the punches..." First Run Features has unveiled a trailer for a documentary titled Quest, described as a "portrait of an American family" filmed over the course of almost a decade. This "epic in scope" doc follows a couple in North Philadelphia - Christopher "Quest" Rainey, and his wife, Christine'a "Ma Quest" Rainey - as they raise a family in a poverty stricken neighborhood. This premiered at Sundance and has played at tons of festivals all year, picking up numerous awards including Human Rights awards, Jury Prizes, Audience Awards. Not to be confused with the feature film also titled Quest, about the graffiti-loving youngster, this one is a doc and is much different. I've been hearing great things about this and the trailer looks incredible, with footage that will tug at your emotions and definitely make you want to see this. Here's the official...
- 10/30/2017
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
The power of a documentary tracing the fortunes of an African American family over eight years is all in the tender details
A window into the life of an African American family in north Philadelphia, Jonathan Olshefski’s debut feature reminded me of another observational documentary about the black American Dream. I’m surely not the first person to draw a line between Quest and Hoop Dreams, Steve James’s 1994 documentary epic about two aspiring African American basketball players from Chicago, though the scope here is significantly smaller.
While that film spanned five years and clocked in at almost three hours, Quest is compiled from 300 hours of footage, with Olshefski compressing eight years of family life into an hour and 45 minutes. Olshefski is a visual artist as well as a film-maker, and his relationship with the Rainey family began when he was teaching photography to adults in Philadelphia in 2006. A...
A window into the life of an African American family in north Philadelphia, Jonathan Olshefski’s debut feature reminded me of another observational documentary about the black American Dream. I’m surely not the first person to draw a line between Quest and Hoop Dreams, Steve James’s 1994 documentary epic about two aspiring African American basketball players from Chicago, though the scope here is significantly smaller.
While that film spanned five years and clocked in at almost three hours, Quest is compiled from 300 hours of footage, with Olshefski compressing eight years of family life into an hour and 45 minutes. Olshefski is a visual artist as well as a film-maker, and his relationship with the Rainey family began when he was teaching photography to adults in Philadelphia in 2006. A...
- 8/20/2017
- by Simran Hans
- The Guardian - Film News
Jonathan Olshefski’s documentary, shot over the eight years of the Obama presidency, sees the Rainey family rise above poverty, drugs and gun violence
Sadly, the problems affecting the Raineys, the African American family whose north Philadelphia home accommodates this heartening documentary, are all too familiar: poverty, drugs, gun violence. It could have been filmed at any point in the last 40 years, but debut director Jonathan Olshefski follows them over a pointed stretch: the eight years of the Obama presidency.
Little shifts materially for them, but they are beacons of self-reliance and generosity. Christopher runs a home studio offering “Freestyle Fridays” for local rappers, and Christine works at a domestic violence shelter. Their optimism is tested when daughter Pj catches a stray bullet from a shootout and loses an eye. Her and her parents’ inspirational courage glows in the rich palette with which Olshefski captures the neighbourhood, investing it with love not fear.
Sadly, the problems affecting the Raineys, the African American family whose north Philadelphia home accommodates this heartening documentary, are all too familiar: poverty, drugs, gun violence. It could have been filmed at any point in the last 40 years, but debut director Jonathan Olshefski follows them over a pointed stretch: the eight years of the Obama presidency.
Little shifts materially for them, but they are beacons of self-reliance and generosity. Christopher runs a home studio offering “Freestyle Fridays” for local rappers, and Christine works at a domestic violence shelter. Their optimism is tested when daughter Pj catches a stray bullet from a shootout and loses an eye. Her and her parents’ inspirational courage glows in the rich palette with which Olshefski captures the neighbourhood, investing it with love not fear.
- 8/18/2017
- by Phil Hoad
- The Guardian - Film News
Author: Linda Marric
Eight years in the making and chartering the day to day life of a black working class family from North Philadelphia, Quest is the brand new thought-provoking and thoroughly engaging documentary by director Jonathan Olshefski. This intimate account of race and class struggle carries with it an urgent set of sociopolitical ideas which are treated with a huge amount of tenderness, empathy and goodwill towards its subjects, not least from the director himself. Beginning at the dawn of the Obama presidency, the film allows those whose voices are never heard, to finally be part of modern political discourse, even if they claim to have never been interested in politics before.
Christopher “Quest” Rainey and his Wife Christine’a “Ma Quest” live in one of the poorest neighbourhoods of Philadelphia, but unlike the majority of those around them, the Raineys navigate their hardship and strife with a huge degree of optimism and hope.
Eight years in the making and chartering the day to day life of a black working class family from North Philadelphia, Quest is the brand new thought-provoking and thoroughly engaging documentary by director Jonathan Olshefski. This intimate account of race and class struggle carries with it an urgent set of sociopolitical ideas which are treated with a huge amount of tenderness, empathy and goodwill towards its subjects, not least from the director himself. Beginning at the dawn of the Obama presidency, the film allows those whose voices are never heard, to finally be part of modern political discourse, even if they claim to have never been interested in politics before.
Christopher “Quest” Rainey and his Wife Christine’a “Ma Quest” live in one of the poorest neighbourhoods of Philadelphia, but unlike the majority of those around them, the Raineys navigate their hardship and strife with a huge degree of optimism and hope.
- 8/17/2017
- by Linda Marric
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Rooftop Films has announced its lineup for the 2017 Summer Series. This year’s series will feature more than 45 outdoor screenings in more than 10 venues, including films like Michael Showalter’s Sundance hit “The Big Sick” Ana Lily Amirpour’s “The Bad Batch,” (dates still Tbd).
The series kicks off on Friday, May 19 with “This is What We Mean by Short Films,” a collection of some of the most innovative, new short films of the past year. The screening will take place on the roof of The Old American Can Factory, in Gowanus, Brooklyn. The following night, Saturday, May 20, Rooftop will present a sneak preview screening of Zoe Lister-Jones’ 2017 Sundance entry, “Band Aid,” free and outdoors at House of Vans in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
The entire lineup so far is below. Tickets are already for sale.
Friday, May 19
“This is What We Mean by Short Films”
Saturday, May 20
“Band Aid” (Zoe Lister-Jones)
Saturday,...
The series kicks off on Friday, May 19 with “This is What We Mean by Short Films,” a collection of some of the most innovative, new short films of the past year. The screening will take place on the roof of The Old American Can Factory, in Gowanus, Brooklyn. The following night, Saturday, May 20, Rooftop will present a sneak preview screening of Zoe Lister-Jones’ 2017 Sundance entry, “Band Aid,” free and outdoors at House of Vans in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
The entire lineup so far is below. Tickets are already for sale.
Friday, May 19
“This is What We Mean by Short Films”
Saturday, May 20
“Band Aid” (Zoe Lister-Jones)
Saturday,...
- 5/5/2017
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
Keep up with the always-hopping film festival world with our weekly Film Festival Roundup column. Check out last week’s Roundup right here.
Lineup Announcements
– Cardiff Animation Nights will be returning to run a dedicated animation strand at Cardiff Independent Film Festival (C.I.F.F.) for a second year this May. This year’s animation strand at C.I.F.F. will comprise three programs of animated short films in competition for the Best Animation Award, as well as an Animated Family Shorts program curated by renowned Cardiff-based studio Cloth Cat Animation, networking events, and an Animation Quiz run by the team at Skwigly Animation Magazine.
The competition program features animated short films from across Europe, Asia, North America, South America and Australia, including Mikey Hill’s The Orchestra, Anete Melece’s Analysis Paralysis, Chris Shepherd’s Johnno’s Dead, Ross Hogg’s Life Cycles and Alois Di Leo’s Way of Giants.
Lineup Announcements
– Cardiff Animation Nights will be returning to run a dedicated animation strand at Cardiff Independent Film Festival (C.I.F.F.) for a second year this May. This year’s animation strand at C.I.F.F. will comprise three programs of animated short films in competition for the Best Animation Award, as well as an Animated Family Shorts program curated by renowned Cardiff-based studio Cloth Cat Animation, networking events, and an Animation Quiz run by the team at Skwigly Animation Magazine.
The competition program features animated short films from across Europe, Asia, North America, South America and Australia, including Mikey Hill’s The Orchestra, Anete Melece’s Analysis Paralysis, Chris Shepherd’s Johnno’s Dead, Ross Hogg’s Life Cycles and Alois Di Leo’s Way of Giants.
- 4/13/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
The world of nonfiction filmmaking continues to evolve along with its increasingly affordable, professional, and portable equipment. It’s inspired more directors take on the challenging task of shooting a film by themselves — essentially, operating sound and camera while directing.
“I was still a student at Nyu when I started to shoot ‘Hooligan Sparrow,'” said Nanfu Wang about her Oscar-shortlist documentary about a Chinese activist fighting for women’s rights. “I couldn’t afford hiring anyone; the thought didn’t even occur to me. I checked out some equipment from the school and went back to China by myself.”
For a new generation of filmmakers, this freedom also shapes the subjects and type of films they make. In the case of “Hooligan Sparrow,” Wang became part of a small group of activists traveling the country while evading Chinese authorities. The film has an intimacy as the viewer, like Wang,...
“I was still a student at Nyu when I started to shoot ‘Hooligan Sparrow,'” said Nanfu Wang about her Oscar-shortlist documentary about a Chinese activist fighting for women’s rights. “I couldn’t afford hiring anyone; the thought didn’t even occur to me. I checked out some equipment from the school and went back to China by myself.”
For a new generation of filmmakers, this freedom also shapes the subjects and type of films they make. In the case of “Hooligan Sparrow,” Wang became part of a small group of activists traveling the country while evading Chinese authorities. The film has an intimacy as the viewer, like Wang,...
- 3/27/2017
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
Now in its 46th iteration, Film Society Of Lincoln Center and The Museum Of Modern Art’s annual New Directors/New Films series has routinely introduced the film world to some of the most interesting and singular young voices within cinema. Be it their first lineup in 1972 which included Wim Wenders’ The Goalie’s Anxiety At The Penalty Kick or last year’s selection that included this writer’s favorite film of 2016, Neon Bull, Nd/Nf has become one of the great film series on any year’s calendar.
And 2017 is no different.
Three films lead the way for this year’s slate, all of which are Sundance-approved entries into the greater American Independent Cinema canon. Opening the festival is Geremy Jasper’s Patti Cake$, with Eliza Hittman’s latest Beach Rats and Dustin Guy Defa’s New York-set Person to Person, all of which garnered solid notices out of Park City this January,...
And 2017 is no different.
Three films lead the way for this year’s slate, all of which are Sundance-approved entries into the greater American Independent Cinema canon. Opening the festival is Geremy Jasper’s Patti Cake$, with Eliza Hittman’s latest Beach Rats and Dustin Guy Defa’s New York-set Person to Person, all of which garnered solid notices out of Park City this January,...
- 3/15/2017
- by Joshua Brunsting
- CriterionCast
Dedicated to the discovery of new works by emerging and dynamic filmmaking talent, this year’s New Directors/New Films festival will screen 29 features and nine short films. This year’s lineup boasts nine North American premieres, seven U.S. premieres, and two world premieres, with features and shorts from 32 countries across five continents.
The opening, centerpiece, and closing night selections showcase three exciting new voices in American independent cinema that all recently debuted at Sundance: Geremy Jasper’s “Patti Cake$” is the opening night pick, while Eliza Hittman’s “Beach Rats” is the centerpiece selection and Dustin Guy Defa will close the festival with “Person to Person.”
Read More: 2017 New Directors/New Films Announces Full Lineup, Including ‘Patti Cake$,’ ‘Beach Rats,’ ‘Menashe’ and More
Now in its forty-sixth year, Nd/Nf has played home early films from such heavy hitters as Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Chantal Akerman, Pedro Almodovar,...
The opening, centerpiece, and closing night selections showcase three exciting new voices in American independent cinema that all recently debuted at Sundance: Geremy Jasper’s “Patti Cake$” is the opening night pick, while Eliza Hittman’s “Beach Rats” is the centerpiece selection and Dustin Guy Defa will close the festival with “Person to Person.”
Read More: 2017 New Directors/New Films Announces Full Lineup, Including ‘Patti Cake$,’ ‘Beach Rats,’ ‘Menashe’ and More
Now in its forty-sixth year, Nd/Nf has played home early films from such heavy hitters as Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Chantal Akerman, Pedro Almodovar,...
- 3/14/2017
- by Chris O'Falt, Eric Kohn, Jude Dry and Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
One of the best festivals during the first half of the year is The Museum of Modern Art and the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s New Directors/New Films, which kicks off its 46th year this March, running from the 15th to the 26th. With last year’s line-up including some of the year’s best films, including Cameraperson, The Fits, Kaili Blues, Neon Bull, Weiner, and more, we can expect many more discoveries this year.
Opening with Patti Cake$ and closing with Person to Person, in between will be one of our favorite films from Sundance as the centerpiece, Beach Rats. Also among the line-up is a handful of other festival favorites, including The Dreamed Path, The Giant, Menashe, and Lady Macbeth.
“Authenticity is an elusive thing these days, and without it we risk ruin. This is particularly true in cinema,” says Rajendra Roy, the Celeste Bartos Chief...
Opening with Patti Cake$ and closing with Person to Person, in between will be one of our favorite films from Sundance as the centerpiece, Beach Rats. Also among the line-up is a handful of other festival favorites, including The Dreamed Path, The Giant, Menashe, and Lady Macbeth.
“Authenticity is an elusive thing these days, and without it we risk ruin. This is particularly true in cinema,” says Rajendra Roy, the Celeste Bartos Chief...
- 2/15/2017
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The Museum of Modern Art and the Film Society of Lincoln Center has today announces their complete lineup for the 46th annual New Directors/New Films (Nd/Nf), running March 15 – 26. Dedicated to the discovery of new works by emerging and dynamic filmmaking talent, this year’s festival will screen 29 features and nine short films. This year’s lineup boasts nine North American premieres, seven U.S. premieres, and two world premieres, with features and shorts from 32 countries across five continents.
The opening, centerpiece, and closing night selections showcase three exciting new voices in American independent cinema that all recently debuted at Sundance: Geremy Jasper’s “Patti Cake$” is the opening night pick, while Eliza Hittman’s “Beach Rats” is the centerpiece selection and Dustin Guy Defa will close the festival with “Person to Person.” Other standouts include “Menashe,” “My Happy Family,” “Quest” and “The Wound.”
Read More: The Sundance Rebel:...
The opening, centerpiece, and closing night selections showcase three exciting new voices in American independent cinema that all recently debuted at Sundance: Geremy Jasper’s “Patti Cake$” is the opening night pick, while Eliza Hittman’s “Beach Rats” is the centerpiece selection and Dustin Guy Defa will close the festival with “Person to Person.” Other standouts include “Menashe,” “My Happy Family,” “Quest” and “The Wound.”
Read More: The Sundance Rebel:...
- 2/15/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
This year’s Sundance Film Festival was expected to hit some topical notes and in that regard, the documentary competition did not disappoint. This year’s section dealt with some of the most contentious international issues of our times.”City of Ghosts,” Matthew Heineman’s powerful followup to the Oscar-nominated “Cartel Land,” deals with the courageous investigative journalists of Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently, who have risked their lives to smuggle out footage of the war crimes being committed on Syrians by Isis. Jeff Orlowski’s “Chasing Coral” exposed the impact of climate change on coral reefs, while “Icarus” tackled Russia’s doping scandal.
“Quest,” the understated vérité effort from Jonathan Olshefski, was especially relevant. The film follows an African American family in Philadelphia over the course of a decade. Starting with the election of Barack Obama in 2008, “Quest” climaxes with the arrival of Donald Trump. As the family watches Trump on television,...
“Quest,” the understated vérité effort from Jonathan Olshefski, was especially relevant. The film follows an African American family in Philadelphia over the course of a decade. Starting with the election of Barack Obama in 2008, “Quest” climaxes with the arrival of Donald Trump. As the family watches Trump on television,...
- 1/29/2017
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Relationships between documentary filmmakers and their subjects must balance access and editorial control, which leaves them walking a line between establishing trust and respecting boundaries. It’s a tricky business.
IndieWire recently asked nonfiction filmmakers behind this year’s Sundance documentary features about the understandings they established with their subjects before they started shooting, and if they considered their stars to be collaborators.
Read More: Fox Searchlight Buys Documentary ‘Step’ For More Than $4 Million — Sundance 2017
Amanda Lipitz “Step” The process started with discussing the idea with the families, especially the mothers of the young women on the step team. We set up a meeting after school one day and all the parents/guardians were invited to attend. I explained my vision of the story, with the emphasis on wanting to tell a positive story about Baltimore, these young women, and what they were trying to accomplish. I absolutely consider them collaborators.
IndieWire recently asked nonfiction filmmakers behind this year’s Sundance documentary features about the understandings they established with their subjects before they started shooting, and if they considered their stars to be collaborators.
Read More: Fox Searchlight Buys Documentary ‘Step’ For More Than $4 Million — Sundance 2017
Amanda Lipitz “Step” The process started with discussing the idea with the families, especially the mothers of the young women on the step team. We set up a meeting after school one day and all the parents/guardians were invited to attend. I explained my vision of the story, with the emphasis on wanting to tell a positive story about Baltimore, these young women, and what they were trying to accomplish. I absolutely consider them collaborators.
- 1/28/2017
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
Jonathan Olshefski spent a decade filming the Rainey family. He’d visit the family’s home often without a camera, simply to spend time with Quest, his wife and their children. As he notes in his interview with Filmmaker, this longterm commitment allowed him to “fade into the background and record natural scenes where the camera was not intrusive.” His documentary feature debut, Quest offers an intimate, vérité-like portrait of a black family in Philadelphia. Below, Olshefski speaks about the genesis of the project, his documentary influences and serving as his own Dp. Quest made its world premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. Filmmaker: How and why did you […]...
- 1/26/2017
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
IndieWire reached out to the filmmakers behind the feature-length narrative and documentary films premiering this week to find out what cameras they used and why they chose them. Here are their responses.
Read More: The 2017 IndieWire Sundance Bible – Every Review, Interview and News Item Posted During the Festival
Dramatic Competition & Next
Cory Finley, “Thoroughbred”
Arri Alexa Mini. Panavision G-Series lenses.
The Dp, Lyle Vincent, was very particular about getting a hold of both. They gave us flexibility in shooting and helped create the very precise, high-contrast, and slightly dreamy look we were going for.
Gillian Robespierre, “Landline”
Arri Alexa with some vintage lenses
“Landline” takes place in 1990’s Manhattan. My Dp Chris Teague and I talked a lot about what shooting a period movie from a recent period would look and feel like. Unfortunately, we were not able to shoot on film, and added a texture of LiveGrain during color...
Read More: The 2017 IndieWire Sundance Bible – Every Review, Interview and News Item Posted During the Festival
Dramatic Competition & Next
Cory Finley, “Thoroughbred”
Arri Alexa Mini. Panavision G-Series lenses.
The Dp, Lyle Vincent, was very particular about getting a hold of both. They gave us flexibility in shooting and helped create the very precise, high-contrast, and slightly dreamy look we were going for.
Gillian Robespierre, “Landline”
Arri Alexa with some vintage lenses
“Landline” takes place in 1990’s Manhattan. My Dp Chris Teague and I talked a lot about what shooting a period movie from a recent period would look and feel like. Unfortunately, we were not able to shoot on film, and added a texture of LiveGrain during color...
- 1/25/2017
- by Annakeara Stinson and Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
“Quest,” the debut documentary feature debut from director Jonathan Olshefski, is an intimate portrait of an African-American family living in North Philadelphia. The director filmed the Rainey family for nearly eight years, capturing their struggles big and small, in a neighborhood riddled with the same issues of inequality and neglect that plagues so much of America’s urban landscape.
Read More: The 2017 IndieWire Sundance Bible: Every Review, Interview and News Item Posted During the Festival
What’s interesting is Olshefski didn’t set out to make a film; he wasn’t even a filmmaker. He was a photographer drawn to shooting Christopher “Quest” Rainey’s small recording studio and his collective of local hip-hop artists. IndieWire recently asked to the director to tell us about how his relationship with the Rainey family and the project has evolved since he started taking photos of them more than 10 years ago.
In 2006,I...
Read More: The 2017 IndieWire Sundance Bible: Every Review, Interview and News Item Posted During the Festival
What’s interesting is Olshefski didn’t set out to make a film; he wasn’t even a filmmaker. He was a photographer drawn to shooting Christopher “Quest” Rainey’s small recording studio and his collective of local hip-hop artists. IndieWire recently asked to the director to tell us about how his relationship with the Rainey family and the project has evolved since he started taking photos of them more than 10 years ago.
In 2006,I...
- 1/23/2017
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
“You don’t know how we live,” mutters Christine’a Rainey (aka “Ma Quest”). She’s talking at the television, where a then-campaigning Donald Trump is blustering out his “What do you have to lose?” speech. Certainly no one is more deserving of her ire, but there are many people in this country, including those who consider themselves sympathetic to the working poor, who also have no idea how the Rainey family lives.
Enter “Quest,” a sweeping and intimate documentary about the struggles of an average American family. Not that the Raineys are average, but with 14.5 percent of Americans living below the poverty line, they represent a large swath of this country that goes largely unseen. For his debut feature, Jonathan Olshefski spent nine years befriending and filming the Raineys, taking his time to produce a meditative portrait of what everyday life is like for so many people.
Read More: ‘Whose Streets?...
Enter “Quest,” a sweeping and intimate documentary about the struggles of an average American family. Not that the Raineys are average, but with 14.5 percent of Americans living below the poverty line, they represent a large swath of this country that goes largely unseen. For his debut feature, Jonathan Olshefski spent nine years befriending and filming the Raineys, taking his time to produce a meditative portrait of what everyday life is like for so many people.
Read More: ‘Whose Streets?...
- 1/23/2017
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
With its opening weekend running concurrently against the presidential inauguration, expectations are high for the 2017 Sundance Film Festival to resonate with the immediate political and social reality of the United States. The nature of digital workflows means that a documentary that began shooting over eight years ago can hit the Utah fest and still depict the experience of an election day two months prior. The film in question — Jonathan Olshefski’s “Quest” — is nothing if not timely, and the resulting symmetry to the narrative (which commences with President Obama’s campaign in 2008) is deeply satisfying.
Continue reading Jonathan Olshefski’s ‘Quest’ Is A Deeply Satisfying & Timely Documentary Portrait [Sundance Review] at The Playlist.
Continue reading Jonathan Olshefski’s ‘Quest’ Is A Deeply Satisfying & Timely Documentary Portrait [Sundance Review] at The Playlist.
- 1/22/2017
- by Bradley Warren
- The Playlist
The journey to Sundance is an all-consuming endeavor and most filmmakers don’t lift their heads until they land in Park City with their Dcp in hand.
For some filmmakers, this year was different. The election of Donald Trump, which snapped so many into a new reality they hadn’t imagined, came just two weeks before most Sundance directors received their golden ticket to the festival. So we asked this year’s directors: Did the election change how you thought about your film, and your career as a filmmaker?
Read More: The 2017 IndieWire Sundance Bible – Every Review, Interview and News Item Posted During the Festival
John Trengove, “The Wound:” The Us election was a big reason why we chose to premiere in Sundance. With race and Lgbt rights being such heated issues in the Us, we thought it would be meaningful to bring a queer film from South Africa, together...
For some filmmakers, this year was different. The election of Donald Trump, which snapped so many into a new reality they hadn’t imagined, came just two weeks before most Sundance directors received their golden ticket to the festival. So we asked this year’s directors: Did the election change how you thought about your film, and your career as a filmmaker?
Read More: The 2017 IndieWire Sundance Bible – Every Review, Interview and News Item Posted During the Festival
John Trengove, “The Wound:” The Us election was a big reason why we chose to premiere in Sundance. With race and Lgbt rights being such heated issues in the Us, we thought it would be meaningful to bring a queer film from South Africa, together...
- 1/20/2017
- by Annakeara Stinson and Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
Film historian B. Ruby Rich credits the 1992 Sundance Film Festival as the cradle of New Queer Cinema, and a quick survey of this year’s festival lineup confirms that Lgbt films stand an excellent chance of attracting audiences. Lesbian filmmaker Dee Rees’ “Mudbound” is one of the most talked about films of the year, trans director Yance Ford’s deeply personal “Strong Island” has been years in the making, and we may have the British “Brokeback Mountain” (but better) with Francis Lee’s “God’s Own Country.”
Perusing the slate of queer films, filmmakers, and performers at Sundance this year, 2017 is set to be the best year queer cinema has seen in a long time. Here’s 10 reasons why:
Read More: 10 Surprises and Hidden Gems from the 2017 Sundance Lineup
Dee Rees is About to Become the Most Successful Black Lesbian Director in Hollywood
Queer audiences have known Dee Rees since...
Perusing the slate of queer films, filmmakers, and performers at Sundance this year, 2017 is set to be the best year queer cinema has seen in a long time. Here’s 10 reasons why:
Read More: 10 Surprises and Hidden Gems from the 2017 Sundance Lineup
Dee Rees is About to Become the Most Successful Black Lesbian Director in Hollywood
Queer audiences have known Dee Rees since...
- 1/18/2017
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Communities evolve, and so do the families within them as they navigate triumphs, setbacks, hardships, and the courage of facing the next day. It’s a simple notion, but one that’s explored with great care in the documentary “Quest” which will make its World Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. And today we have an exclusive clip from the movie that welcomes you to its North Philadelphia setting.
The directorial debut of Jonathan Olshefski follows independent hip hop producer Christopher “Quest” Rainey, and his family, over the course of several years, painting the portrait of a family managing to make ends meet and stick together as the world changes around them.
Continue reading Sundance Exclusive: Clip From Documentary ‘Quest’ Welcomes You To North Philadelphia at The Playlist.
The directorial debut of Jonathan Olshefski follows independent hip hop producer Christopher “Quest” Rainey, and his family, over the course of several years, painting the portrait of a family managing to make ends meet and stick together as the world changes around them.
Continue reading Sundance Exclusive: Clip From Documentary ‘Quest’ Welcomes You To North Philadelphia at The Playlist.
- 1/18/2017
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
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