Hulu has confirmed that several of its original series will be debuting new episodes on the streaming service in August, including more installments in the first season of the critically acclaimed Stephen King thriller “Castle Rock” as well as more of season 2 of the costume drama “Harlots” and season 4 of the comedy “Casual.” And there will also be new to Hulu seasons of some of your favorites from other networks, including season 3 of “Insecure” and season 4 of “Ballers.”
Likewise, there will be plenty of movies making their first Hulu appearances including the Oscar-winning “Leaving Las Vegas” and “Lost in Translation” and the recent nominee “Baby Driver.”
See Netflix schedule: Here’s what is coming and leaving in August
Available August 1
A Conspiracy to Rule: The Illuminati
American Gigolo
American Ninja
American Ninja III: Blood Hunt
Babe
Be Cool
The Beatles: Made on Merseyside
Black Hawk Down
Black Mask
Black Rain...
Likewise, there will be plenty of movies making their first Hulu appearances including the Oscar-winning “Leaving Las Vegas” and “Lost in Translation” and the recent nominee “Baby Driver.”
See Netflix schedule: Here’s what is coming and leaving in August
Available August 1
A Conspiracy to Rule: The Illuminati
American Gigolo
American Ninja
American Ninja III: Blood Hunt
Babe
Be Cool
The Beatles: Made on Merseyside
Black Hawk Down
Black Mask
Black Rain...
- 7/31/2018
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
The end of the summer may be rapidly approaching, but that doesn’t mean the top dogs of video streaming don’t have anything in store to end August with a bang. With John Krasinski making his debut as the titular analyst-turned-spy on Au. 31 in Amazon’s “Jack Ryan” to the return of the money-laundering Byrde family in “Ozark” Season 2 on the same day, fan-favorite dramas will make their debuts and returns. Netflix is also releasing the first season of “Insatiable,” its coming-of-rage story starring Debby Ryan on Aug. 10. Check out what’s in store on Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime next month.
Netflix
Aug. 1
Batman Begins
Chernobyl Diaries
Clerks
Constantine
Dreamcatcher
Edge of Fear
Eraser
Gran Torino
House of Deadly Secrets
Los tiempos de Pablo Escobar: Season 1
Million Dollar Baby
No Reservations
Once in a Lifetime Sessions with Moby
Once in a Lifetime Sessions with Nile Rodgers
Once...
Netflix
Aug. 1
Batman Begins
Chernobyl Diaries
Clerks
Constantine
Dreamcatcher
Edge of Fear
Eraser
Gran Torino
House of Deadly Secrets
Los tiempos de Pablo Escobar: Season 1
Million Dollar Baby
No Reservations
Once in a Lifetime Sessions with Moby
Once in a Lifetime Sessions with Nile Rodgers
Once...
- 7/31/2018
- by Ellis Clopton
- Variety Film + TV
Documentary fans, get ready to queue up Hulu next month with the arrival of two originals on the streamer.
“Minding the Gap” (pictured above) will drop on Aug.17, a documentary that compiles more than 12 years of footage in Rockford, Illinois, filmmaker Bing Liu looks at the correlation between skateboarders’ upbringings and the complex nature of modern masculinity.
“Crime and Punishment” will follow, dropping on Aug. 24. Stephen Maing directed, produced and filmed this documentary that goes behind the scenes of discriminatory policing practices and corruption in the New York Police Department.
Also Read: Anne Rice's 'Vampire Chronicles' TV Series Heads to Hulu
Additionally, Hulu users can enjoy “10 Things I Hate About You” starring Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles on Aug. 1 (at least the ones who have the Showtime add-on), 2004’s “Hidalgo,” 2008’s “The Hurt Locker” and more throughout the month.
See the complete list of what’s coming to and leaving Hulu below.
“Minding the Gap” (pictured above) will drop on Aug.17, a documentary that compiles more than 12 years of footage in Rockford, Illinois, filmmaker Bing Liu looks at the correlation between skateboarders’ upbringings and the complex nature of modern masculinity.
“Crime and Punishment” will follow, dropping on Aug. 24. Stephen Maing directed, produced and filmed this documentary that goes behind the scenes of discriminatory policing practices and corruption in the New York Police Department.
Also Read: Anne Rice's 'Vampire Chronicles' TV Series Heads to Hulu
Additionally, Hulu users can enjoy “10 Things I Hate About You” starring Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles on Aug. 1 (at least the ones who have the Showtime add-on), 2004’s “Hidalgo,” 2008’s “The Hurt Locker” and more throughout the month.
See the complete list of what’s coming to and leaving Hulu below.
- 7/18/2018
- by Ashley Boucher
- The Wrap
The 33rd Independent Spirit Awards took place on Saturday, March 3 in Los Angeles. The full winners list is below.
Best Feature
“Get Out”
Producers: Jason Blum, Edward H. Hamm Jr., Sean McKittrick, Jordan Peele
“Call Me by Your Name”
Producers: Peter Spears, Luca Guadagnino, Emilie Georges, Rodrigo Teixeira, Marco Morabito, James Ivory, Howard Rosenman
“The Florida Project”
Producers: Sean Baker, Chris Bergoch, Kevin Chinoy, Andrew Duncan, Alex Saks, Francesca Silvestri, Shih-Ching Tsou
“Lady Bird”
Producers: Eli Bush, Evelyn O’Neill, Scott Rudin
“The Rider”
Producers: Mollye Asher, Bert Hamelinck, Sacha Ben Harroche, Chloé Zhao
Best Female Lead
Frances McDormand
“Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Salma Hayek
“Beatriz at Dinner”
Margot Robbie
“I, Tonya”
Saoirse Ronan
“Lady Bird”
Shinobu Terajima
“Oh Lucy!”
Regina Williams
“Life and Nothing More”
Best Male Lead
Timothée Chalamet
“Call Me by Your Name”
Harris Dickinson
“Beach Rats”
James Franco
“The Disaster Artist”
Daniel Kaluuya
“Get Out...
Best Feature
“Get Out”
Producers: Jason Blum, Edward H. Hamm Jr., Sean McKittrick, Jordan Peele
“Call Me by Your Name”
Producers: Peter Spears, Luca Guadagnino, Emilie Georges, Rodrigo Teixeira, Marco Morabito, James Ivory, Howard Rosenman
“The Florida Project”
Producers: Sean Baker, Chris Bergoch, Kevin Chinoy, Andrew Duncan, Alex Saks, Francesca Silvestri, Shih-Ching Tsou
“Lady Bird”
Producers: Eli Bush, Evelyn O’Neill, Scott Rudin
“The Rider”
Producers: Mollye Asher, Bert Hamelinck, Sacha Ben Harroche, Chloé Zhao
Best Female Lead
Frances McDormand
“Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Salma Hayek
“Beatriz at Dinner”
Margot Robbie
“I, Tonya”
Saoirse Ronan
“Lady Bird”
Shinobu Terajima
“Oh Lucy!”
Regina Williams
“Life and Nothing More”
Best Male Lead
Timothée Chalamet
“Call Me by Your Name”
Harris Dickinson
“Beach Rats”
James Franco
“The Disaster Artist”
Daniel Kaluuya
“Get Out...
- 3/4/2018
- by William Earl
- Indiewire
So, you think you’ve caught up with all of this years awards nominees? Guess again. The Indie Spirit Awards has plenty of pictures that might not be on your radar, but are among the best that 2017 had to offer. The quieter winter month of February is the perfect time to catch up with some of those gems, and “The Cage Fighter” is a great place to start.
Directed by Jeff Unay, and nominated for the Truer Than Fiction Award, the documentary follows Joe, a forty year-old facing a handful of personal issues and struggles, who finds a place to release his emotions — in the ring.
Continue reading ‘The Cage Fighter’: Moving Clip From Indie Spirit Award Nominated Documentary [Exclusive] at The Playlist.
Directed by Jeff Unay, and nominated for the Truer Than Fiction Award, the documentary follows Joe, a forty year-old facing a handful of personal issues and struggles, who finds a place to release his emotions — in the ring.
Continue reading ‘The Cage Fighter’: Moving Clip From Indie Spirit Award Nominated Documentary [Exclusive] at The Playlist.
- 2/1/2018
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Smt Heads, Sundance Selects’ “The Cage Fighter” makes sure that 2018’s indie season starts with some punch! This gritty documentary takes the audience through the lense and into the life of an aging Mma fighter.
Check the Trailer out right here:
The Cage Fighter: Opening in theaters and VOD February 2nd Directed by: Jeff Unay Starring: Joe Carman, Norinda Reed, Clayton Hoy, Callie Carman, Delanee Carman, Kira Carman, Mia Carman, & Vernon Beach When life hits him hard, Joe Carman punches back. Newly 40, Joe juggles long hours working in a boiler room, an ongoing custody battle, his wife’s chronic illness, and the demands of raising four girls. The one place he finds release is in the ring, where he competes in the bruising sport of mixed martial arts. Despite the promise he made to his family to stop fighting, Joe continues to train secretly, determined to prove that he can...
Check the Trailer out right here:
The Cage Fighter: Opening in theaters and VOD February 2nd Directed by: Jeff Unay Starring: Joe Carman, Norinda Reed, Clayton Hoy, Callie Carman, Delanee Carman, Kira Carman, Mia Carman, & Vernon Beach When life hits him hard, Joe Carman punches back. Newly 40, Joe juggles long hours working in a boiler room, an ongoing custody battle, his wife’s chronic illness, and the demands of raising four girls. The one place he finds release is in the ring, where he competes in the bruising sport of mixed martial arts. Despite the promise he made to his family to stop fighting, Joe continues to train secretly, determined to prove that he can...
- 1/19/2018
- by Jason Stewart
- Age of the Nerd
"The only time I feel on top of the world is when I'm fighting." IFC Films has debuted the official trailer for a documentary titled The Cage Fighter, which premiered at the True/False Film Festival last year. This docu-drama from director Jeff Unay plays like a feature film with a narrative following the real-life story of a fighter named Joe Carman. Joe is a blue-collar family man who breaks the promise he made years ago to never fight again. Now forty years old, with a wife and four children who need him, he risks everything – his marriage, his family, his health – to go back into the fighting cage and come to terms with his past. Carman stars, and the film's "cast" (if you can call it that) includes Norinda Reed, Clayton Hoy, Callie Carman, Delanee Carman, Kira Carman, Mia Carman, and Vernon Beach. This is a helluva trailer, damn.
- 1/17/2018
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
“Miracle on 42nd Street” is a documentary detailing the story of the iconic apartment complex in Manhattan that was home to several artists during the late 1970s: The Manhattan Plaza.
The hour-long film will have its world premiere on November 11 during the Doc NYC festival. It is narrated by Oscar-nominated actor and Bronx native Chazz Palminteri, best known for his roles in “Bullets Over Broadway” and “The Usual Suspects.”
Related:doc NYC Announces Its Awards Short List, Including ‘Icarus,’ ‘Jane,’ and ‘Strong Island’
“Miracle on 42nd Street” depicts a time in which New York City was experiencing a profound financial crisis. Originally planned to be a luxurious apartment building, the Manhattan Plaza was repurposed to provide subsidized housing for artists, and thus it became a residential beacon of hope for people working in the performing arts in the late ’70s.
Apart from revitalizing the theater district around Times Square, the Manhattan...
The hour-long film will have its world premiere on November 11 during the Doc NYC festival. It is narrated by Oscar-nominated actor and Bronx native Chazz Palminteri, best known for his roles in “Bullets Over Broadway” and “The Usual Suspects.”
Related:doc NYC Announces Its Awards Short List, Including ‘Icarus,’ ‘Jane,’ and ‘Strong Island’
“Miracle on 42nd Street” depicts a time in which New York City was experiencing a profound financial crisis. Originally planned to be a luxurious apartment building, the Manhattan Plaza was repurposed to provide subsidized housing for artists, and thus it became a residential beacon of hope for people working in the performing arts in the late ’70s.
Apart from revitalizing the theater district around Times Square, the Manhattan...
- 10/18/2017
- by Alberto Achar
- Indiewire
‘No Stone Unturned’ Trailer: Oscar Winner Alex Gibney Seeks the Truth Behind an Unsolved Mass Murder
Known for making explosive investigative documentaries, Oscar winner Alex Gibney attempts to uncover the dark truth behind a 20-year-old pub massacre during a World Cup viewing in Northern Ireland. Though investigators described the crime scene as a ‘forensic goldmine,’ no one was ever arrested for the murders. In “No Stone Unturned,” Gibney continues his legacy of hard-hitting conspiracy documentaries that includes “Going Clear: Scientology & the Prison of Belief,” “Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room,” and his Oscar-winning film, “Taxi to the Dark Side.” The new trailer hints at a massive government cover-up, evidence tampering, and secret political maneuvers.
“I’ll never forget their words: We will leave no stone unturned,” says one tearful woman, speaking of the investigation. “Those words ring in my ear to this day, because I don’t think they ever left a stone, never mind turned it.” Others interviewed seem just as emotional, angry, and...
“I’ll never forget their words: We will leave no stone unturned,” says one tearful woman, speaking of the investigation. “Those words ring in my ear to this day, because I don’t think they ever left a stone, never mind turned it.” Others interviewed seem just as emotional, angry, and...
- 10/17/2017
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Marshall Curry has been nominated for the Best Documentary Oscar twice, once for “Street Fight” in 2006 and again for “If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front” in 2012, and his work has brought viewers into worlds both uncomfortable and intense. His Tribeca-winning documentary “Point and Shoot,” for instance, followed the first person account of the Libyan revolution against dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
Read More:Why Marshall Curry’s ‘Point and Shoot’ is Due for a Hollywood Remake
The documentarian has again combined the political with the horrific for his new short documentary “A Night at the Garden,” which has officially made its debut on Field of Vision. The seven-minute film pieces together archival footage from 1939 to create a first-hand look at a Nazi rally at New York’s Madison Square Garden which attracted 22,000 Americans. The rally is rarely mentioned in the history books, making Marshall’s account a true dark and chilling revelation.
Read More:Why Marshall Curry’s ‘Point and Shoot’ is Due for a Hollywood Remake
The documentarian has again combined the political with the horrific for his new short documentary “A Night at the Garden,” which has officially made its debut on Field of Vision. The seven-minute film pieces together archival footage from 1939 to create a first-hand look at a Nazi rally at New York’s Madison Square Garden which attracted 22,000 Americans. The rally is rarely mentioned in the history books, making Marshall’s account a true dark and chilling revelation.
- 10/12/2017
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
It’s been a few weeks since “The Cage Fighter” screened at the 13th Camden International Film Festival and four years since I met Joe Carman, the 40-year-old father and fighter who allowed me to share his story with the world. “The Cage Fighter,” which depicts the lives of a middle-aged man and his family, owes much of its existence to the ongoing support of the team at Points North Institute in Camden, Maine.
Two and a half years ago, we workshopped the film through Points North. Later that year, we returned to pitch at the Points North Pitch Forum (which takes place during the festival). Along the way, we met an array of incredible mentors and filmmakers — some of whom actually joined as key collaborators on our project. Bringing the finished film back to Ciff this year was such an important milestone for our film and me as a filmmaker.
Two and a half years ago, we workshopped the film through Points North. Later that year, we returned to pitch at the Points North Pitch Forum (which takes place during the festival). Along the way, we met an array of incredible mentors and filmmakers — some of whom actually joined as key collaborators on our project. Bringing the finished film back to Ciff this year was such an important milestone for our film and me as a filmmaker.
- 10/3/2017
- by Jeff Unay
- Indiewire
For the twenty-first summer in a row, Rooftop Films will be screening some of the best in independent and documentary film in unique outdoor setting all across the New York City. In that time, they have been the first to identify some of the best filmmaking talent in the world, and through their Filmmakers Fund they’ve backed these filmmakers breakout projects.
Past grantees have included Ana Lily Amirpour’s “The Bad Batch,” David Lowery’s “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints,” Benh Zeitlin’s “Glory at Sea,” Lucy Walker’s “The Tsunami” and many more.
Rooftop digs up gems and shorts that haven’t been getting a ton of word of mouth and shares them – along with popular festival titles like “The Big Sick”– with their dedicated and artistically curious audience who have come to trust their curation.
IndieWire recently checked in with Rooftop program director Dan Nuxoll to find out what films and filmmakers we should have on our radar for 2017.
What film has fallen through the festival cracks this year?
Certainly “The Genius and the Opera Singer” hasn’t yet gotten nearly the love it deserves, but I hope that changes soon. It’s a powerful dark comic documentary that certainly goes to some emotionally difficult places, but watching it is an undeniably unique experience. We showed it this past Saturday and the audience reaction was even more positive than I anticipated. The crowd loved it, despite some heavy moments. It’s a very well-crafted and expertly-edited film and it’s much more entertaining than one might expect. It’s Vanessa Stockley’s first film and it’s a revelation.
I’m also a big fan of Jeff Unay’s “The Cage Fighter,” which is a beautifully shot and very intimate and personal film that premiered at San Francisco a couple of months ago – it’s a gorgeous doc. Plus Morten Traavik and Ugis Olte’s “Liberation Day” is a boisterous and fascinating film about Laibach, who are a very strange strange but wonderful cult Slovenian band who have a very fascist aesthetic and who somehow convince the North Korean government to allow them to perform there. It’s a very enjoyable provocation.
You were the first one to tip me off to Ana Lily Amirpour and Jonas Carpignano. What up and coming filmmaker should we paying to, but we aren’t?
Dave McCary. His film “Brigsby Bear” premiered at Sundance and got very strong reviews but I don’t think it has yet gotten nearly the attention it deserves. McCary and star Kyle Mooney had a successful sketch comedy group and later joined SNL, so going into the premiere I assumed the film would be funny, but I will admit I didn’t have particularly high expectations otherwise. But I definitely underestimate them–it’s strikingly well executed and the comic and emotional components of the film are expertly balanced.
And beyond that, McCary has a unique touch that you rarely see in comedy films–an ability to dance around the character arcs and emotional trajectory of the characters without ever slipping into maudlin sentimentality and never losing the absurd comic energy. Whenever it seems that the film is about to head someplace conventional, McCary injects a perfectly timed comic turnabout that propels the film forward, but never quite in the direction you expect.
There have been a lot of really good dark indie comedies this year, but “Brigsby” is as funny as any of them while also being full of light and warmth and emotional generosity. It’s a special film and I hope that enough people see it so that it becomes a classic and not just a cult classic.
What’s one film in your lineup that does something new and exciting with the medium?
I was blown away by Amman Abbassi’s “Dayveon.” There have been a lot of independent coming of age films over the years, but few of them manage to balance realism and lyrical artistry quite as wonderfully as this debut feature. Capturing the warmth of an Arkansas summer and the emotional confusion of a thirteen year old struggling after the murder of his older brother, Abbassi establishes himself as a sensitive filmmaker with the ability to evoke a delicate subjective experience.
And on the doc side?
I knew the filmmaker Maple Rasza back in college but hadn’t caught up with him in a while and a few months back a mutual friend tipped me off to his latest project, a really exceptional interactive film he has made with Milton Guillen called “The Maribor Uprising: A Live Participatory Film.” He and Milton shot footage from a series of massive protests in Slovenia following some incidents involving comically flagrant government corruption, and instead of turning it into a traditional documentary they created an interactive project in which Maple leads the audience through the footage. The audience can choose to follow different protestors, decide whether to follow the law or follow the less peaceful demonstrators, and much more. We have long been a champion of live cinema events, like those created by Brent and Sam Green, but this film is an interesting variation on the form. Plus it just happens to be a very timely project. I’m really excited for that show.
Also, Dmitri Kalashnikov’s “The Road Movie” is a very fun comic documentary composed entirely of wild footage captured by hundreds of Russian automobile dash cams. It’s a very weird way to experience the Russian road. I loved every minute of it.
What film introduced you to a world you didn’t know anything about?
We showed Yuri Ancarani’s stunning short film “il Capo” a few years back and ever since I have been excited to see what he would do with a feature film. Sure enough, his new documentary “The Challenge” did not disappoint. He somehow managed to convince secretive Qatari sheikhs to let him film their bizarre and decadent lives as they prepare for the massive falconry competitions they hold deep in the desert. The footage he captured is arresting, hilarious and profound. There is barely a word spoken in the entire film but you will never want to look away. I have never seen anything like it.
You always put shorts front and center at Rooftop and dig into the best international short films. I remember two years ago you talking about how there was an inordinate amount of great shorts coming out of Sweden, what you find this year?
Yeah, a lot of those great Swedish short filmmakers are now doing pretty well. Ruben Ostlund just won Cannes after all, and he was one of the talented Swedes I was talking about back then. And there are some truly wonderful new Swedish shorts this year as well – I am particularly fond of “I Will Always Love You Conny,” by Amanda Kernell. It’s a heartbreaking short.
But my favorite short of the year is a Swedish animation that we gave a grant to called “The Burden” by Niki LIndroth Von Behr. It won Gothenburg, and it’s part of a trend that I have noticed lately of a surge in very, very talented young female animators. Ten years ago an animated shorts program would be packed with films by men, and that is definitely not the case anymore. It’s exciting to see women animators from all over the world coming to the fore. We opened the summer with an animated film by a woman and we will end the summer with one, too, and that isn’t a coincidence.
Rooftop Films Summer Festival runs through August 19th. You can find more information here.
Related stories'Brigsby Bear' Teaser Trailer: Kyle Mooney Introduces You to A Highly Original Summer Indie'The Big Sick,' 'The Bad Batch' and More Announced for Rooftop Films' 2017 Summer Series2017 Cannes Critics' Week Announces Lineup, Including 'Brigsby Bear' and Animation From Iran...
Past grantees have included Ana Lily Amirpour’s “The Bad Batch,” David Lowery’s “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints,” Benh Zeitlin’s “Glory at Sea,” Lucy Walker’s “The Tsunami” and many more.
Rooftop digs up gems and shorts that haven’t been getting a ton of word of mouth and shares them – along with popular festival titles like “The Big Sick”– with their dedicated and artistically curious audience who have come to trust their curation.
IndieWire recently checked in with Rooftop program director Dan Nuxoll to find out what films and filmmakers we should have on our radar for 2017.
What film has fallen through the festival cracks this year?
Certainly “The Genius and the Opera Singer” hasn’t yet gotten nearly the love it deserves, but I hope that changes soon. It’s a powerful dark comic documentary that certainly goes to some emotionally difficult places, but watching it is an undeniably unique experience. We showed it this past Saturday and the audience reaction was even more positive than I anticipated. The crowd loved it, despite some heavy moments. It’s a very well-crafted and expertly-edited film and it’s much more entertaining than one might expect. It’s Vanessa Stockley’s first film and it’s a revelation.
I’m also a big fan of Jeff Unay’s “The Cage Fighter,” which is a beautifully shot and very intimate and personal film that premiered at San Francisco a couple of months ago – it’s a gorgeous doc. Plus Morten Traavik and Ugis Olte’s “Liberation Day” is a boisterous and fascinating film about Laibach, who are a very strange strange but wonderful cult Slovenian band who have a very fascist aesthetic and who somehow convince the North Korean government to allow them to perform there. It’s a very enjoyable provocation.
You were the first one to tip me off to Ana Lily Amirpour and Jonas Carpignano. What up and coming filmmaker should we paying to, but we aren’t?
Dave McCary. His film “Brigsby Bear” premiered at Sundance and got very strong reviews but I don’t think it has yet gotten nearly the attention it deserves. McCary and star Kyle Mooney had a successful sketch comedy group and later joined SNL, so going into the premiere I assumed the film would be funny, but I will admit I didn’t have particularly high expectations otherwise. But I definitely underestimate them–it’s strikingly well executed and the comic and emotional components of the film are expertly balanced.
And beyond that, McCary has a unique touch that you rarely see in comedy films–an ability to dance around the character arcs and emotional trajectory of the characters without ever slipping into maudlin sentimentality and never losing the absurd comic energy. Whenever it seems that the film is about to head someplace conventional, McCary injects a perfectly timed comic turnabout that propels the film forward, but never quite in the direction you expect.
There have been a lot of really good dark indie comedies this year, but “Brigsby” is as funny as any of them while also being full of light and warmth and emotional generosity. It’s a special film and I hope that enough people see it so that it becomes a classic and not just a cult classic.
What’s one film in your lineup that does something new and exciting with the medium?
I was blown away by Amman Abbassi’s “Dayveon.” There have been a lot of independent coming of age films over the years, but few of them manage to balance realism and lyrical artistry quite as wonderfully as this debut feature. Capturing the warmth of an Arkansas summer and the emotional confusion of a thirteen year old struggling after the murder of his older brother, Abbassi establishes himself as a sensitive filmmaker with the ability to evoke a delicate subjective experience.
And on the doc side?
I knew the filmmaker Maple Rasza back in college but hadn’t caught up with him in a while and a few months back a mutual friend tipped me off to his latest project, a really exceptional interactive film he has made with Milton Guillen called “The Maribor Uprising: A Live Participatory Film.” He and Milton shot footage from a series of massive protests in Slovenia following some incidents involving comically flagrant government corruption, and instead of turning it into a traditional documentary they created an interactive project in which Maple leads the audience through the footage. The audience can choose to follow different protestors, decide whether to follow the law or follow the less peaceful demonstrators, and much more. We have long been a champion of live cinema events, like those created by Brent and Sam Green, but this film is an interesting variation on the form. Plus it just happens to be a very timely project. I’m really excited for that show.
Also, Dmitri Kalashnikov’s “The Road Movie” is a very fun comic documentary composed entirely of wild footage captured by hundreds of Russian automobile dash cams. It’s a very weird way to experience the Russian road. I loved every minute of it.
What film introduced you to a world you didn’t know anything about?
We showed Yuri Ancarani’s stunning short film “il Capo” a few years back and ever since I have been excited to see what he would do with a feature film. Sure enough, his new documentary “The Challenge” did not disappoint. He somehow managed to convince secretive Qatari sheikhs to let him film their bizarre and decadent lives as they prepare for the massive falconry competitions they hold deep in the desert. The footage he captured is arresting, hilarious and profound. There is barely a word spoken in the entire film but you will never want to look away. I have never seen anything like it.
You always put shorts front and center at Rooftop and dig into the best international short films. I remember two years ago you talking about how there was an inordinate amount of great shorts coming out of Sweden, what you find this year?
Yeah, a lot of those great Swedish short filmmakers are now doing pretty well. Ruben Ostlund just won Cannes after all, and he was one of the talented Swedes I was talking about back then. And there are some truly wonderful new Swedish shorts this year as well – I am particularly fond of “I Will Always Love You Conny,” by Amanda Kernell. It’s a heartbreaking short.
But my favorite short of the year is a Swedish animation that we gave a grant to called “The Burden” by Niki LIndroth Von Behr. It won Gothenburg, and it’s part of a trend that I have noticed lately of a surge in very, very talented young female animators. Ten years ago an animated shorts program would be packed with films by men, and that is definitely not the case anymore. It’s exciting to see women animators from all over the world coming to the fore. We opened the summer with an animated film by a woman and we will end the summer with one, too, and that isn’t a coincidence.
Rooftop Films Summer Festival runs through August 19th. You can find more information here.
Related stories'Brigsby Bear' Teaser Trailer: Kyle Mooney Introduces You to A Highly Original Summer Indie'The Big Sick,' 'The Bad Batch' and More Announced for Rooftop Films' 2017 Summer Series2017 Cannes Critics' Week Announces Lineup, Including 'Brigsby Bear' and Animation From Iran...
- 6/23/2017
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
Exclusive: The Points North Institute is now accepting applications for the North Star Scholarship, a new program the lauded institute has developed in partnership with Kickstarter. The new scholarships — three in total — each provide travel support for mediamakers of color to attend the documentary-focused 2017 Camden International Film Festival (Ciff) and Points North Forum, which will be held September 14 – 17 in the small towns of Camden, Rockport and Rockland, Maine.
The program is open to early-career documentary filmmakers and other media artists of color, between the ages of 21 and 29, who have not yet completed their first feature-length film or major project. Participants who are selected for the scholarships will receive airfare, accommodations, and an All Access pass to Ciff. Opportunities to participate in structured one-on-one meetings with industry decision-makers and advisors will also be made available to each North Star Scholarship recipient.
Read More: Camden International Film Festival Announces Program for the...
The program is open to early-career documentary filmmakers and other media artists of color, between the ages of 21 and 29, who have not yet completed their first feature-length film or major project. Participants who are selected for the scholarships will receive airfare, accommodations, and an All Access pass to Ciff. Opportunities to participate in structured one-on-one meetings with industry decision-makers and advisors will also be made available to each North Star Scholarship recipient.
Read More: Camden International Film Festival Announces Program for the...
- 6/14/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Keep up with the wild and wooly world of indie film acquisitions with our weekly Rundown of everything that’s been picked up around the globe. Check out last week’s Rundown here.
– The Orchard has acquired the North American rights to Jordan Ross’s directorial debut “Thumper,” starring “Orange is the New Black’s” Pablo Schreiber. The gritty crime thriller debuted at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival and was written and directed by Ross. The movie also stars Eliza Taylor, Lena Headey, Ben Feldman, Grant Harvey and Daniel Webber. Set in a town of low-income and fractured families, “Thumper” is centered around a group of teens that are lured into working for a dangerous drug dealer. A new girl arrives into town hiding a dangerous secret that will impact everybody and change their lives forever.
Read More: Film Acquisition Rundown: Mubi Buys Philippe Garrel’s ‘Lover for a Day,’ FilmRise...
– The Orchard has acquired the North American rights to Jordan Ross’s directorial debut “Thumper,” starring “Orange is the New Black’s” Pablo Schreiber. The gritty crime thriller debuted at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival and was written and directed by Ross. The movie also stars Eliza Taylor, Lena Headey, Ben Feldman, Grant Harvey and Daniel Webber. Set in a town of low-income and fractured families, “Thumper” is centered around a group of teens that are lured into working for a dangerous drug dealer. A new girl arrives into town hiding a dangerous secret that will impact everybody and change their lives forever.
Read More: Film Acquisition Rundown: Mubi Buys Philippe Garrel’s ‘Lover for a Day,’ FilmRise...
- 6/9/2017
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
Documentary gets Us deal ahead of international premiere at Doc/Fest.
Sundance Selects has taken Us rights to Jeff Unay’s documentary and directorial feature debut The Cage Fighter.
The film had its world premiere at the San Francisco International Film Festival and is set to have its international premiere at the UK’s Sheffield Doc/Fest on June 10.
James Orara produced and Andrea Meditch executive produced the film, which follows a plumber who becomes a cage fighter to escape the stresses of his everyday life.
“I am very excited that we are partnering with Sundance Selects to bring The Cage Fighter to the public,” commented Jeff Unay, director. “Their prestigious label/brand of films coupled together with their penchant to distribute their films to the widest possible audience is extremely promising and very important to our film. We are proud to be part of the Sundance Selects family.”
The deal for the film was negotiated by [link...
Sundance Selects has taken Us rights to Jeff Unay’s documentary and directorial feature debut The Cage Fighter.
The film had its world premiere at the San Francisco International Film Festival and is set to have its international premiere at the UK’s Sheffield Doc/Fest on June 10.
James Orara produced and Andrea Meditch executive produced the film, which follows a plumber who becomes a cage fighter to escape the stresses of his everyday life.
“I am very excited that we are partnering with Sundance Selects to bring The Cage Fighter to the public,” commented Jeff Unay, director. “Their prestigious label/brand of films coupled together with their penchant to distribute their films to the widest possible audience is extremely promising and very important to our film. We are proud to be part of the Sundance Selects family.”
The deal for the film was negotiated by [link...
- 6/8/2017
- by tom.grater@screendaily.com (Tom Grater)
- ScreenDaily
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
Joe Carman has a face made for the movies, but it’s not a pretty one. With an unkempt beard and tired eyes, he looks like he’s trapped in the headlights of a world that won’t cut him a break. The 40-year-old Seattle figure at the center of “The Cage Fighter” is a broken man defeated by every aspect of his life. Still, he does what he can to bury his troubles with macho swagger whenever he steps into the ring, engaging in the competitive mixed martial arts fighting that his family has urged him to quit. Carman’s persistence is at once inspiring and tragic, a bloodied metaphor for battling forward against impossible odds.
The feature-length debut of director Jeff Unay, “The Cage Fighter” hails from a tradition of intimate cinema verité that encompasses so many details from the lives of its subject that it may as well be a scripted drama.
The feature-length debut of director Jeff Unay, “The Cage Fighter” hails from a tradition of intimate cinema verité that encompasses so many details from the lives of its subject that it may as well be a scripted drama.
- 4/9/2017
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
In 2002, director Thomas Riedelsheimer premiered his documentary “River and Tides – Andy Goldsworthy Working With Time” at the San Francisco International Film Festival. At the time, its future was uncertain: Unlike Sundance, San Francisco wasn’t an active marketplace for movies in search of U.S. distribution. Nevertheless, the movie won a top prize at the festival and began its theatrical life at the Roxie that year before gradually finding an audience nationwide. When it opened in Chicago in early 2003, Roger Ebert gave it four stars, noting its Bay Area origin story and a history of “finding its audience not so much through word of mouth as through hand on elbow, as friends steered friends into the theater.”
Now, Riedelsheimer is returning to San Francisco with a sequel to “Rivers and Tides” called “Leaning Into the Wind,” which updates viewers on the progress of British artist Goldsworthy, and the movie has...
Now, Riedelsheimer is returning to San Francisco with a sequel to “Rivers and Tides” called “Leaning Into the Wind,” which updates viewers on the progress of British artist Goldsworthy, and the movie has...
- 3/30/2017
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
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