Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx has joined Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) and Exact Sciences for a new public service announcement (PSA), which raises awareness about colorectal cancer screenings, early detection and prevention, and focuses on reaching underrepresented communities.
Jamie Foxx, Stand Up To Cancer
The campaign launched today to coincide with Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and is in both English and Spanish. The PSA will be placed across print, broadcast, radio, digital and out-of-home outlets.
“Cancer affects everyone. I’ve lost good friends – young friends – to this deadly disease,” said Foxx. “We need to make sure that we are taking care of our bodies, paying attention to certain things, that you didn’t necessarily think about when you were younger. Medical issues come up and you may not know what’s at your disposal, so that is why I am proud to shine a light on the importance...
Jamie Foxx, Stand Up To Cancer
The campaign launched today to coincide with Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and is in both English and Spanish. The PSA will be placed across print, broadcast, radio, digital and out-of-home outlets.
“Cancer affects everyone. I’ve lost good friends – young friends – to this deadly disease,” said Foxx. “We need to make sure that we are taking care of our bodies, paying attention to certain things, that you didn’t necessarily think about when you were younger. Medical issues come up and you may not know what’s at your disposal, so that is why I am proud to shine a light on the importance...
- 3/22/2021
- Look to the Stars
"There's inherent cruelty in that system." IFC Films has released the official trailer for indie documentary Eating Animals, the latest by doc filmmaker Christopher Dillon Quinn. This film is actually an adaptation of the very popular book also titled Eating Animals, by Jonathan Safran Foer. It's an examination of our dietary choices and the food we put in our bodies. Don't be alarmed - it's not all about giving up meat and only eating plants. I saw this doc at Idfa in Amsterdam last year, and it's dang good, much better than you're probably expecting. It presents a very honest and objective look at the debate over eating meat, but also discusses how we can sustainably raise animals and not use factories. There are talks with farmers and scientists, and it features narration by Natalie Portman. Worth a watch. Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Christopher Dillon Quinn's doc Eating Animals,...
- 5/2/2018
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Natalie Portman wants audiences to consider a simple question: Where do our eggs, dairy, and meat come from?
In the new trailer for Eating Animals, a documentary Portman produced, director Christopher Dillon Quinn (2006's God Grew Tired of Us) cobbles together interviews with local farmers about the rise of the factory industry and its impact on animals. The only solution, the film argues, is to return to a more localized agricultural food system.
"There's no way you can love an animal that has been genetically engineered to die in six weeks," one interviewee says.
The documentary takes its title from a...
In the new trailer for Eating Animals, a documentary Portman produced, director Christopher Dillon Quinn (2006's God Grew Tired of Us) cobbles together interviews with local farmers about the rise of the factory industry and its impact on animals. The only solution, the film argues, is to return to a more localized agricultural food system.
"There's no way you can love an animal that has been genetically engineered to die in six weeks," one interviewee says.
The documentary takes its title from a...
- 5/2/2018
- by Michael Waters
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It’s been a long decade plus wait since Christopher Dillon Quinn‘s Sundance Grand Jury Prize/Audience Award winning God Grew Tired of Us (2006) disarmed auds, and with the 45th future Us president unable to root climate change with overwhelming consensus scientific claims, Jonathan Safran Foer’s 2009 memoir to film treatment couldn’t come at a more critical time.
Continue reading...
Continue reading...
- 11/24/2016
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
The Screenwriters Colony and the Nantucket Film Festival (Nff) have joined forces to launch the Screenwriters Colony: Episodic Comedy. Running June 10-23, 2016, four emerging comedy writers will win an all expense paid trip to Nantucket. The program will provide them with mentorship from prominent industry members, as well as time in a writers' room where they can develop their skills and delve into their pilots. Eric Gilliland will serve as Creative Advisor for the two week program this June. A Peabody and Golden Globe-winning writer-producer, Gilliland's filmography includes "Roseanne," "The Wonder Years," "Who's The Boss?" and "That 70's Show." He produced the documentary "God Grew Tired of Us: The Story of The Lost Boys of Sudan," which won both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival. "We are currently enjoying an amazing golden age of television, and innovative episodic comedy writing is...
- 12/11/2015
- by Jeremy Berkowitz
- Indiewire
Fictionalizing a true-life story has many pitfalls, but The Good Lie dodges most of them as it creates a genuinely moving drama, unapologetically wearing its heart on its sleeve. If you want a “pure” version of this material, check out Lost Boys of Sudan (2003) or God Grew Tired of Us (2006). But since most moviegoers don’t seek out documentaries, this studio production, with Reese Witherspoon in a key role, will bring the heart-rending story of the Sudanese immigrants to a much wider audience. It’s difficult to imagine all that the “lost boys” have endured, fleeing from brutal violence in their war-ravaged villages, losing their parents and closest family members, walking...
[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]...
[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]...
- 10/3/2014
- by Leonard Maltin
- Leonard Maltin's Movie Crazy
In 2011, Canadian writer/director Philippe Falardeau earned acclaim and an Oscar nomination for "Monsieur Lazhar," a low-key but powerful tale that joined an examination of how children cope with death, with the story of an Algerian immigrant making a life for himself in Quebec. The buzz around the film and filmmaker finds Falardeau now revisiting those themes on a broader, big-budget canvas with "The Good Lie." However, though this film is "inspired" by true events, it lacks the nuance or subtlety of his breakthrough picture. Indeed, "The Good Lie" is so manufactured around a particular dramatic blueprint that any sense of spontaneity, surprise and engagement are sucked right out of the picture. Earnest to a fault, "The Good Lie" spends the first thirty minutes working earnestly as a cinematic Teaching Moment, should you not have seen the 2006 Sundance Film Festival award-winning documentary "God Grew Tired of Us: The...
- 10/2/2014
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
In 2011, Canadian writer/director Philippe Falardeau earned acclaim and an Oscar nomination for "Monsieur Lazhar," a low key but powerful tale that joined an examination of how children cope with death with the story of an Algerian immigrant making a life for himself in Quebec. The buzz around the film and filmmaker finds Falardeau now revisiting those themes on a broader, big budget canvas with "The Good Lie." However, though this film is "inspired" by true events, it lacks the nuance or subtlety of his breakthrough picture. Indeed, "The Good Lie" is so manufactured around a particular dramatic blueprint that any sense of spontaneity, surprise and engagement are sucked right out of the picture. Earnest to a fault, "The Good Lie" spends the first thirty minutes working earnestly as a cinematic Teaching Moment, should you not have seen the 2006 Sundance Film Festival award winning documentary "God Grew Tired of Us: The.
- 9/8/2014
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Exclusive: Heretic Films announced today it will present Eating Animals, the documentary based on Jonathan Safran Foer‘s bestselling book that Natalie Portman is producing for her Handsome Charlie Films alongside Foer and director Christopher Dillon Quinn (God Grew Tired Of Us). Film examines our dietary choices and the food we put in our bodies, including the factory farms and fisheries that grub comes from. Heretic’s Burton Ritchie will exec produce and Ben Galecki will serve as associate producer. Biz Stone and Evan Williams are also executive producers on the film. “With what we eat and where it comes from a […]...
- 8/8/2014
- Deadline
Eating Animals
Director: Christopher Dillon Quinn
Producers: Natalie Portman, Christopher Dillon Quinn and Jonathan Safran Foer
U.S. Distributor: Rights Available
He landed on the docu-scene with 2006′s Sundance Grand Jury Prize/Audience Award winning God Grew Tired of Us and if Christopher Dillon Quinn adds more “bite” to the book to docu film adaptation of Jonathan Safran Foer’s Eating Animals, then we’ll have a stronger discourse/kitchen table conversation about the wrongs of the farming industry and the rights of anti-Super Size Me plant-based diet. Sir Paul McCarthy is among the talking heads found in the docu.
Gist: Based on the New York Times best-selling book by Jonathan Safran Foer, this will explore the realities of contemporary animal agriculture alongside the complexities of food ethics and is an examination of our dietary choices and the food we put in our bodies.
Release Date: At this point,...
Director: Christopher Dillon Quinn
Producers: Natalie Portman, Christopher Dillon Quinn and Jonathan Safran Foer
U.S. Distributor: Rights Available
He landed on the docu-scene with 2006′s Sundance Grand Jury Prize/Audience Award winning God Grew Tired of Us and if Christopher Dillon Quinn adds more “bite” to the book to docu film adaptation of Jonathan Safran Foer’s Eating Animals, then we’ll have a stronger discourse/kitchen table conversation about the wrongs of the farming industry and the rights of anti-Super Size Me plant-based diet. Sir Paul McCarthy is among the talking heads found in the docu.
Gist: Based on the New York Times best-selling book by Jonathan Safran Foer, this will explore the realities of contemporary animal agriculture alongside the complexities of food ethics and is an examination of our dietary choices and the food we put in our bodies.
Release Date: At this point,...
- 2/4/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
This week, the Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner "Fruitvale Station" will open in theaters, but 23 past Sundance Grand Jury Prize winners are currently available to stream for free or with a subscription to one of the more popular streaming sites. Read More: Here's 10 Of Our Favorite Sundance Jury Prize Winners, In Honor Of 'Fruitvale Station' Take a trip through Sundance history with these sometimes beloved, sometimes forgotten Sundance winners from yesteryear. U.S. Grand Jury Prize Dramatic Free "The Trouble with Dick" (1987) on Vimeo "What Happened Was" (1994) on Hulu "Welcome to the Dollhouse" (1996) on CrackleSUBSCRIPTION "You Can Count on Me" (2000) on Amazon Prime "Primer" (2004) on Netflix "Forty Shades of Blue" (2005) on Redbox Instant "Padre Nuestro" (2007) on Netflix "Like Crazy" (2011) on Netflix U.S. Grand Jury Prize Documentary Free "American Dream" (1991) on Hulu "American Movie" (1999) on Crackle "God Grew Tired of Us" (2006) on Hulu "We Live in...
- 7/11/2013
- by Bryce J. Renninger
- Indiewire
Vol. I Issue 5
Join us twice weekly. Send us links to your sizzle reels and film sites.
Two Short Listed Documentary Features
Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, directed by Alison Klayman
Ai Weiwei is China's most famous international artist, and its most outspoken domestic critic. Against a backdrop of strict censorship and an unresponsive legal system, Ai expresses himself and organizes people through art and social media. In response, Chinese authorities have shut down his blog, beat him up, bulldozed his newly built studio, and held him in secret detention.
Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry is the inside story of a dissident for the digital age who inspires global audiences and whose actions blur the boundaries of art and politics. First-time director Alison Klayman gained unprecedented access to Ai while working as a journalist in China. Her detailed portrait of Weiwei’s life and work allows us to follow Weiwei’s journey and his transformation of his life and works are perceived. Few artists have been able to use their public stature to help cause political change. Clearly this is the story of a giant killer. Regrettably the story continues and China continues to repress its people.
What’s special about Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry is that the filmmaker was able to follow Ai Weiwei over several years. We are able to see a Chinese dissident whose home is watched by 1984-like cameras hung from telephone and power poles. We can only assume his home is bugged, his cell phone is bugged and all of his computers are bugged. The power of this work is seeing an artist functioning in this environment. Shocking. His spirit is best shown in his defiant art, his raised middle finger in the foreground of many still images of iconic monuments to the Chinese peoples’ struggles. He dares to challenge America’s biggest trading partner, debt holder and, by the end of the film, he is shown silenced, unable to comment because he was released from detention. The irony of this powerful work is that we and the world are shown to be complicit.
While the film lacks the slickness of many of the Academy’s short listed docs, its power flows from the subject. Clearly an artist whose work reflects his life experiences and struggle is a difficult subject. Weiwei constantly tweaks the authorities who clearly fear its citizens being free to express themselves and their feelings about their government globally. Yet the world is silent about this repressive government that spies on, beats up and terrorizes its citizens. This is another film that should be nominated. Its construction, score, shooting suggests that Ms. Klayman can, with some more experience, become an extraordinary filmmaker.
The Filmmakers
Alison Klayman, Director, Producer, Cinematographer
Ai Weiwei: Never Sorryis Alison Klayman's debut feature documentary, which she directed, produced, filmed and co-edited. She is a 2011 Sundance Documentary Fellow and one of Filmmaker Magazine's "25 New Faces of Independent Film". She has been a guest on The Colbert Report, as well as CNN and NPR. Klayman lived in China from 2006 to 2010, working as a freelance journalist. She speaks Mandarin and Hebrew, and graduated from Brown University in 2006.
Adam Schlesinger, Producer
Adam Schlesinger is an award-winning independent film producer based in New York. He produced the Sundance Film Festival selections: Smash His Camera, which won for Best Director; Page One- Inside the New York Times; and God Grew Tired of Us, winner of the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award.
Credits:
Director/Producer/Writer/Camera: Alison Klayman
Producer: Adam Schlesinger
Contributing Producer: Colin
Executive Producers: Andrew Cohen, Julie Goldman, Karl
Music: Ilan Isakov
Editor: Jen Fineran
Production Companies: Expressions United Media, Muse Film and Television, Never Sorry
Distribution: Sundance Selects, Artificial Eye
Bully, directed by Lee Hirsch A Case Study: How to be Short Listed and Gross $3Million
Bully, directed by Lee Hirsch
A Case Study: How to be Short Listed and Gross $3Million
Bully is a character-driven documentary that looks at how bullying has touched five children and their families. The five stories each represent a different facet of bullying. Filmed over the course of the 2009/2010 school year, Bully opens a window onto the lives of bullied kids, revealing a problem that transcends geographic, racial, ethnic and economic borders. It documents the responses of teachers and administrators to aggressive behaviors that defy “kids will be kids” clichés, and it captures a growing movement among parents and youths to change how bullying is handled in schools, in communities and in society as a whole.
Bully is a case study of how The Weinstein Company can take what would be a traditional non-theatrical documentary feature and turn it into both a cause and a theatrical event and, because of the rule changes at the Academy, have it come to be short listed for an Oscar.
Bully is an excellent film, it is well made, directed, edited and scored. Its characters and stories are well done. It’s just not in the same league as many of the documentary films short listed for this year’s Academy Award nomination.
When the film was released with an “R” rating, appropriate and consistent with the MPAA guidelines because of language and violence, the Weinsteins used the R rating to create a controversy which enabled the film to become a box office success and was the basis of a brilliant Academy campaign for a documentary nomination. This is one of the best examples (since Michael Moore and Roger and Menot being nominated for an Oscar) of creating a box-office success with a documentary. (Roger and Mewas distributed by Warners.) As of December 30, 2012 Bully had grossed over $3.5 million. (Box Office Mojo)
The MPAA gives an automatic “R” rating to films that use the “F” word. It has done this since its inception. This makes sense. The “F” word is inappropriate for children. But wait, Bullyis for middle and high school students! These schools can’t (or should not) show “R” rated films.
The MPAA rating system has never been particularly clear to Americans. Developed by the Motion Picture Association to prevent local and/or regional ratings it has always been “advisory”; however, some media outlets will not accept advertising or promote films with some of the harder ratings. The Weinsteins knew that this film would get an “R” rating because of the “F” word. No surprise. Yet how could this “important” film for school children to see be blocked from its audience?
“Bully's R ratingsparks a nationwide protest. ...stars, theater owners, and Members of Congress have joined forces to protest the film's R rating as a result of the film having six swear words.” This is in the industry press. (Deadline)
The Weinsteins, of course with great fanfare, appealed the rating decision which got the film more press. They decided to release the film in just two markets to qualify for the documentary Academy award, without a rating, but continue the press-push to have the rating changed.
On April 5, The Weinstein Company announced that their doc, Bully, was to receive a PG-13 from the MPAA, with some minor cuts. After removing three uses of the F-word it was re-released in the new PG-13 version on April 13 and shortly after the run was expanded to 55 theatrical markets.
Deadline reported, “The big victory, even though they had to remove three F-words, was that they could keep the controversial school bus bullying scene unedited and uncut, which (the director) Hirsch continuously refused to edit, "since it is too important to the truth and integrity behind the film." Hirsch states: "I feel completely vindicated with this resolution. While I retain my belief that PG-13 has always been the appropriate rating for this film, as reinforced by Canada's rating of a PG, we have today scored a victory from the MPAA. The support and guidance we have received throughout this process has been incredible."
Let’s note that the MPAA is an industry trade association. The Weinsteins are members. It’s not exactly a group that battles. The ratings are advisory only.
The Weinstein press release continued the illusion, This decision by the MPAA is a huge victory for the parents, educators, lawmakers, and most importantly, children, everywhere who have been fighting for months for the appropriate PG-13 rating without cutting some of the most sensitive moments. Three uses of the 'F word' were removed from other scenes, which ultimately persuaded the MPAA to lower the rating. Hirsch made the documentary with the intent to give an uncensored, real-life portrayal of what 13 million children suffer through every year. The new rating, which came about with the great support from MPAA Chairman Chris Dodd, grants the schools, organizations and cities all around the country who are lined up and ready to screen Bully, including the National Education Association and the Cincinnati School District, the opportunity to share this educational tool with their children.”
It needs to be pointed out that this controversy was a set up. When The Weinstein Company released Bully "unrated" in theaters in New York and Los Angeles it barely earned $150,000. The film might be seen by a few hundred thousand people in theaters which is a theatrical success but not the millions of kids the filmmakers are on record to reach. (A $3.5 mil gross suggests at a $6 admission fee perhaps a half-million tickets were sold.) Millions of people don’t usually go to theaters to see docs. So a $3.5 mil theatrical gross makes this film a major theatrical success. It puts this film in the top 50 or so theatrical documentaries of all time.
But all along, the Weinsteins knew that the film can easily be provided in DVD and in video-on-demand to schools, teachers, students and families in an “Educational” version without the R rated language being included. The use of an educational version would totally serve the school market. This version could be provided for “free” or even for a modest fee if the Weinsteins were really interested in this aspect of marketing the film. The Bullybook is available now for sale and soon the Blu Ray and DVD. Seeing the film in a classroom and then talking about it is what educators do with films. There are over 100,000 school, church and other groups (like Girls Scouts) that can show this film to groups of kids.
Note: Full disclosure, I started a Move-on Campaign and petitioned the Weinsteins to offer
Bully for a Buck! after I saw the film. More than 480 people have signed the petition to date. No match for the hundreds of thousands who signed the rating controversy petition but I did not do any publicity. As a parent of two teens, I felt this was a far more logical thing to do to get the film out to children without the strong language. This petition continues on Change.org.
Bully Short Listed for an Academy Award
With the rule change at the Academy this year, the documentary branch is working as a committee of the whole to do both the short listing and the nomination. The committee members were sent 125 documentary features, mostly arriving at the tail end of the deadline, to review. The committee was made up of both documentary branch members and Academy members who have been nominated or won documentary Oscars. Obviously, few members saw all 125 documentaries. The short list of 15 films was made from tallying the results of each member’s list of their 15 top docs. I think the publicity for Bully insured it would make this list.
The Weinsteins also had it screened at the Academy as part of the Academy members screening program, one of the handful of documentaries that were screened as part of the weekend program. This also will likely help the film get on members’ radar. Smart. Last year, The Weinsteins’ film The Undefeatedwon the Documentary Oscar. They do a great job getting their films out.
Credits:
Directed by: Lee Hirsch
Produced by: Lee Hirsch, Cynthia Lowen
Written by: Lee Hirsch, Cynthia Lowen
Executive Producer: Cindy Waitt
Cinematography: Lee Hirsch
Edited by: Lindsay Utz, Jenny Golden
Original Score by: Ion Furjanic, Justin Rice/Christian Rudder
Consulting Editors: Enat Sidi, Cynthia Lowen
Music Supervisor: Brooke Wentz
Running Time: 94 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some language
Short Notes and Update:
WGA Announces Nominees for Documentary Screenplay Award
The WGA announced six nominees for its documentary screenplay award: War, Mea Culpa and Sugar Man also are on the Academy shortlist of feature docs hoping to score an Oscar nomination.
Winners will be honored by the Writers Guild of America, West (Wgaw) and the Writers Guild of America, East (Wgae) at the 2013 Writers Guild Awards on Feb. 17 during simultaneous ceremonies in Los Angeles and New York.
Documentary Screenplay
The Central Park Five, written by Sarah Burns and David McMahon and Ken Burns; Sundance Selects
The Invisible War, written by Kirby Dick; Cinedigm Entertainment Group
Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God, written by Alex Gibney; HBO Documentary Films
Searching for Sugar Man, written by Malik Bendejelloul; Sony Pictures Classics
We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists, written by Brian Knappenberger; Cinetic Media
West of Memphis, written by Amy Berg & Billy McMillin; Sony Pictures Classics
Sundance Announces 2013 Documentary Competition:
U.S. Documentary Competition
The world premieres of 16 American documentary films.
99% - The Occupy Wall Street Collaborative Film/ U.S.A. (Directors: Audrey Ewell, Aaron Aites, Lucian Read, Nina Krstic) The Occupy movement erupted in September 2011, propelling economic inequality into the spotlight. In an unprecedented collaboration, filmmakers across America tell its story, digging into big picture issues as organizers, analysts, participants and critics reveal how it happened and why.
After Tiller/ U.S.A. (Directors: Martha Shane, Lana Wilson) — Since the assassination of Dr. George Tiller in 2009, only four doctors in the country provide late-term abortions. With unprecedented access, After Tiller goes inside the lives of these physicians working at the center of the storm.
American Promise/ U.S.A. (Directors: Joe Brewster, Michèle Stephenson) — This intimate documentary follows the 12-year journey of two African-American families pursuing the promise of opportunity through the education of their sons.
Blackfish/ U.S.A. (Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite) — Notorious killer whale Tilikum is responsible for the deaths of three individuals, including a top killer whale trainer. Blackfish shows the sometimes devastating consequences of keeping such intelligent and sentient creatures in captivity.
Blood Brother/ U.S.A. (Director: Steve Hoover) — Rocky went to India as a disillusioned tourist. When he met a group of children with HIV, he decided to stay. He never could have imagined the obstacles he would face, or the love he would find.
Citizen Koch / U.S.A. (Directors: Carl Deal, Tia Lessin) — Wisconsin – birthplace of the Republican Party, government unions, “cheeseheads” and Paul Ryan – becomes a test market in the campaign to buy Democracy, and ground zero in the battle for the future of the Gop.
Cutie and the Boxer/ U.S.A. (Director: Zachary Heinzerling) — This candid New York love story explores the chaotic 40-year marriage of famed boxing painter Ushio Shinohara and his wife, Noriko. Anxious to shed her role of assistant to her overbearing husband, Noriko seeks an identity of her own.
Dirty Wars/ U.S.A. (Director: Richard Rowley) — Investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill chases down the truth behind America’s covert wars.
Gideon's Army/ U.S.A. (Director: Dawn Porter) — Gideon’s Army follows three young, committed Public Defenders who are dedicated to working for the people society would rather forget. Long hours, low pay and staggering caseloads are so common that even the most committed often give up.
God Loves Uganda/ U.S.A. (Director: Roger Ross Williams) — A powerful exploration of the evangelical campaign to infuse African culture with values imported from America’s Christian Right. The film follows American and Ugandan religious leaders fighting “sexual immorality” and missionaries trying to convince Ugandans to follow biblical law.
Inequality for All/ U.S.A. (Director: Jacob Kornbluth) — In this timely and entertaining documentary, noted economic-policy expert Robert Reich distills the topic of widening income inequality, and addresses the question of what effects this increasing gap has on our economy and our democracy.
Life According to Sam/ U.S.A. (Directors: Sean Fine, Andrea Nix Fine) — Dr. Leslie Gordon and Dr. Scott Berns fight to save their only son from a rare and fatal aging disease for which there is no cure. Their work may one day unlock the key to aging in all of us.
Manhunt / U.S.A., United Kingdom (Director: Greg Barker) — This espionage tale goes inside the CIA’s long conflict against Al Qaeda, as revealed by the remarkable women and men whose secret war against Osama bin Laden started nearly a decade before most of us even knew his name.
Narco Cultura/ U.S.A. (Director: Shaul Schwarz) — An examination of Mexican drug cartels’ influence in pop culture on both sides of the border as experienced by an La narcocorrido singer dreaming of stardom and a Juarez crime scene investigator on the front line of Mexico’s Drug War.
Twenty Feet From Stardom/ U.S.A. (Director: Morgan Neville) — Backup singers live in a world that lies just beyond the spotlight. Their voices bring harmony to the biggest bands in popular music, but we've had no idea who these singers are or what lives they lead – until now. Day One Film
Valentine Road/ U.S.A. (Director: Marta Cunningham) — In 2008, eighth-grader Brandon McInerney shot classmate Larry King at point blank range. Unraveling this tragedy from point of impact, the film reveals the heartbreaking circumstances that led to the shocking crime as well as its startling aftermath.
________________________________________________________________________
Credits: Editing by Jessica Just for SydneysBuzz
________________________________________________________________________
Block Doc Workshops in Los Angeles February 2013
The International Documentary Association will be hosting Documentary Funding and Documentary Tune-Up Workshops with Block on February 9/10. http://www.eventbrite.com/org/169037034
Mitchell Block specializes in conceiving, producing, marketing & distributing independent features & consulting. He is an expert in placing both completed works into distribution & working with producers to make projects fundable. He conducts regular workshops in film producing in Los Angeles and most recently in Maine, Russia and in Myanmar (Burma).
Poster Girl, produced by Block was nominated for a Documentary Academy Award and selected by the Ida as the Best Doc Short 2011. It was also nominated for two Emmy Awards and aired on HBO. He is an executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning PBS series Carrier, a 10-hour series that he conceived & co-created. Block is a graduate of Tisch School and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business. He is a member of Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the Television Academy, a founding member of BAFTA-la and has been teaching at USC School of Cinematic Arts since 1979. Currently Block teaches a required class in the USC Peter Stark Producing Program. ______________________________________________________________________
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Join us twice weekly. Send us links to your sizzle reels and film sites.
Two Short Listed Documentary Features
Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, directed by Alison Klayman
Ai Weiwei is China's most famous international artist, and its most outspoken domestic critic. Against a backdrop of strict censorship and an unresponsive legal system, Ai expresses himself and organizes people through art and social media. In response, Chinese authorities have shut down his blog, beat him up, bulldozed his newly built studio, and held him in secret detention.
Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry is the inside story of a dissident for the digital age who inspires global audiences and whose actions blur the boundaries of art and politics. First-time director Alison Klayman gained unprecedented access to Ai while working as a journalist in China. Her detailed portrait of Weiwei’s life and work allows us to follow Weiwei’s journey and his transformation of his life and works are perceived. Few artists have been able to use their public stature to help cause political change. Clearly this is the story of a giant killer. Regrettably the story continues and China continues to repress its people.
What’s special about Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry is that the filmmaker was able to follow Ai Weiwei over several years. We are able to see a Chinese dissident whose home is watched by 1984-like cameras hung from telephone and power poles. We can only assume his home is bugged, his cell phone is bugged and all of his computers are bugged. The power of this work is seeing an artist functioning in this environment. Shocking. His spirit is best shown in his defiant art, his raised middle finger in the foreground of many still images of iconic monuments to the Chinese peoples’ struggles. He dares to challenge America’s biggest trading partner, debt holder and, by the end of the film, he is shown silenced, unable to comment because he was released from detention. The irony of this powerful work is that we and the world are shown to be complicit.
While the film lacks the slickness of many of the Academy’s short listed docs, its power flows from the subject. Clearly an artist whose work reflects his life experiences and struggle is a difficult subject. Weiwei constantly tweaks the authorities who clearly fear its citizens being free to express themselves and their feelings about their government globally. Yet the world is silent about this repressive government that spies on, beats up and terrorizes its citizens. This is another film that should be nominated. Its construction, score, shooting suggests that Ms. Klayman can, with some more experience, become an extraordinary filmmaker.
The Filmmakers
Alison Klayman, Director, Producer, Cinematographer
Ai Weiwei: Never Sorryis Alison Klayman's debut feature documentary, which she directed, produced, filmed and co-edited. She is a 2011 Sundance Documentary Fellow and one of Filmmaker Magazine's "25 New Faces of Independent Film". She has been a guest on The Colbert Report, as well as CNN and NPR. Klayman lived in China from 2006 to 2010, working as a freelance journalist. She speaks Mandarin and Hebrew, and graduated from Brown University in 2006.
Adam Schlesinger, Producer
Adam Schlesinger is an award-winning independent film producer based in New York. He produced the Sundance Film Festival selections: Smash His Camera, which won for Best Director; Page One- Inside the New York Times; and God Grew Tired of Us, winner of the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award.
Credits:
Director/Producer/Writer/Camera: Alison Klayman
Producer: Adam Schlesinger
Contributing Producer: Colin
Executive Producers: Andrew Cohen, Julie Goldman, Karl
Music: Ilan Isakov
Editor: Jen Fineran
Production Companies: Expressions United Media, Muse Film and Television, Never Sorry
Distribution: Sundance Selects, Artificial Eye
Bully, directed by Lee Hirsch A Case Study: How to be Short Listed and Gross $3Million
Bully, directed by Lee Hirsch
A Case Study: How to be Short Listed and Gross $3Million
Bully is a character-driven documentary that looks at how bullying has touched five children and their families. The five stories each represent a different facet of bullying. Filmed over the course of the 2009/2010 school year, Bully opens a window onto the lives of bullied kids, revealing a problem that transcends geographic, racial, ethnic and economic borders. It documents the responses of teachers and administrators to aggressive behaviors that defy “kids will be kids” clichés, and it captures a growing movement among parents and youths to change how bullying is handled in schools, in communities and in society as a whole.
Bully is a case study of how The Weinstein Company can take what would be a traditional non-theatrical documentary feature and turn it into both a cause and a theatrical event and, because of the rule changes at the Academy, have it come to be short listed for an Oscar.
Bully is an excellent film, it is well made, directed, edited and scored. Its characters and stories are well done. It’s just not in the same league as many of the documentary films short listed for this year’s Academy Award nomination.
When the film was released with an “R” rating, appropriate and consistent with the MPAA guidelines because of language and violence, the Weinsteins used the R rating to create a controversy which enabled the film to become a box office success and was the basis of a brilliant Academy campaign for a documentary nomination. This is one of the best examples (since Michael Moore and Roger and Menot being nominated for an Oscar) of creating a box-office success with a documentary. (Roger and Mewas distributed by Warners.) As of December 30, 2012 Bully had grossed over $3.5 million. (Box Office Mojo)
The MPAA gives an automatic “R” rating to films that use the “F” word. It has done this since its inception. This makes sense. The “F” word is inappropriate for children. But wait, Bullyis for middle and high school students! These schools can’t (or should not) show “R” rated films.
The MPAA rating system has never been particularly clear to Americans. Developed by the Motion Picture Association to prevent local and/or regional ratings it has always been “advisory”; however, some media outlets will not accept advertising or promote films with some of the harder ratings. The Weinsteins knew that this film would get an “R” rating because of the “F” word. No surprise. Yet how could this “important” film for school children to see be blocked from its audience?
“Bully's R ratingsparks a nationwide protest. ...stars, theater owners, and Members of Congress have joined forces to protest the film's R rating as a result of the film having six swear words.” This is in the industry press. (Deadline)
The Weinsteins, of course with great fanfare, appealed the rating decision which got the film more press. They decided to release the film in just two markets to qualify for the documentary Academy award, without a rating, but continue the press-push to have the rating changed.
On April 5, The Weinstein Company announced that their doc, Bully, was to receive a PG-13 from the MPAA, with some minor cuts. After removing three uses of the F-word it was re-released in the new PG-13 version on April 13 and shortly after the run was expanded to 55 theatrical markets.
Deadline reported, “The big victory, even though they had to remove three F-words, was that they could keep the controversial school bus bullying scene unedited and uncut, which (the director) Hirsch continuously refused to edit, "since it is too important to the truth and integrity behind the film." Hirsch states: "I feel completely vindicated with this resolution. While I retain my belief that PG-13 has always been the appropriate rating for this film, as reinforced by Canada's rating of a PG, we have today scored a victory from the MPAA. The support and guidance we have received throughout this process has been incredible."
Let’s note that the MPAA is an industry trade association. The Weinsteins are members. It’s not exactly a group that battles. The ratings are advisory only.
The Weinstein press release continued the illusion, This decision by the MPAA is a huge victory for the parents, educators, lawmakers, and most importantly, children, everywhere who have been fighting for months for the appropriate PG-13 rating without cutting some of the most sensitive moments. Three uses of the 'F word' were removed from other scenes, which ultimately persuaded the MPAA to lower the rating. Hirsch made the documentary with the intent to give an uncensored, real-life portrayal of what 13 million children suffer through every year. The new rating, which came about with the great support from MPAA Chairman Chris Dodd, grants the schools, organizations and cities all around the country who are lined up and ready to screen Bully, including the National Education Association and the Cincinnati School District, the opportunity to share this educational tool with their children.”
It needs to be pointed out that this controversy was a set up. When The Weinstein Company released Bully "unrated" in theaters in New York and Los Angeles it barely earned $150,000. The film might be seen by a few hundred thousand people in theaters which is a theatrical success but not the millions of kids the filmmakers are on record to reach. (A $3.5 mil gross suggests at a $6 admission fee perhaps a half-million tickets were sold.) Millions of people don’t usually go to theaters to see docs. So a $3.5 mil theatrical gross makes this film a major theatrical success. It puts this film in the top 50 or so theatrical documentaries of all time.
But all along, the Weinsteins knew that the film can easily be provided in DVD and in video-on-demand to schools, teachers, students and families in an “Educational” version without the R rated language being included. The use of an educational version would totally serve the school market. This version could be provided for “free” or even for a modest fee if the Weinsteins were really interested in this aspect of marketing the film. The Bullybook is available now for sale and soon the Blu Ray and DVD. Seeing the film in a classroom and then talking about it is what educators do with films. There are over 100,000 school, church and other groups (like Girls Scouts) that can show this film to groups of kids.
Note: Full disclosure, I started a Move-on Campaign and petitioned the Weinsteins to offer
Bully for a Buck! after I saw the film. More than 480 people have signed the petition to date. No match for the hundreds of thousands who signed the rating controversy petition but I did not do any publicity. As a parent of two teens, I felt this was a far more logical thing to do to get the film out to children without the strong language. This petition continues on Change.org.
Bully Short Listed for an Academy Award
With the rule change at the Academy this year, the documentary branch is working as a committee of the whole to do both the short listing and the nomination. The committee members were sent 125 documentary features, mostly arriving at the tail end of the deadline, to review. The committee was made up of both documentary branch members and Academy members who have been nominated or won documentary Oscars. Obviously, few members saw all 125 documentaries. The short list of 15 films was made from tallying the results of each member’s list of their 15 top docs. I think the publicity for Bully insured it would make this list.
The Weinsteins also had it screened at the Academy as part of the Academy members screening program, one of the handful of documentaries that were screened as part of the weekend program. This also will likely help the film get on members’ radar. Smart. Last year, The Weinsteins’ film The Undefeatedwon the Documentary Oscar. They do a great job getting their films out.
Credits:
Directed by: Lee Hirsch
Produced by: Lee Hirsch, Cynthia Lowen
Written by: Lee Hirsch, Cynthia Lowen
Executive Producer: Cindy Waitt
Cinematography: Lee Hirsch
Edited by: Lindsay Utz, Jenny Golden
Original Score by: Ion Furjanic, Justin Rice/Christian Rudder
Consulting Editors: Enat Sidi, Cynthia Lowen
Music Supervisor: Brooke Wentz
Running Time: 94 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some language
Short Notes and Update:
WGA Announces Nominees for Documentary Screenplay Award
The WGA announced six nominees for its documentary screenplay award: War, Mea Culpa and Sugar Man also are on the Academy shortlist of feature docs hoping to score an Oscar nomination.
Winners will be honored by the Writers Guild of America, West (Wgaw) and the Writers Guild of America, East (Wgae) at the 2013 Writers Guild Awards on Feb. 17 during simultaneous ceremonies in Los Angeles and New York.
Documentary Screenplay
The Central Park Five, written by Sarah Burns and David McMahon and Ken Burns; Sundance Selects
The Invisible War, written by Kirby Dick; Cinedigm Entertainment Group
Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God, written by Alex Gibney; HBO Documentary Films
Searching for Sugar Man, written by Malik Bendejelloul; Sony Pictures Classics
We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists, written by Brian Knappenberger; Cinetic Media
West of Memphis, written by Amy Berg & Billy McMillin; Sony Pictures Classics
Sundance Announces 2013 Documentary Competition:
U.S. Documentary Competition
The world premieres of 16 American documentary films.
99% - The Occupy Wall Street Collaborative Film/ U.S.A. (Directors: Audrey Ewell, Aaron Aites, Lucian Read, Nina Krstic) The Occupy movement erupted in September 2011, propelling economic inequality into the spotlight. In an unprecedented collaboration, filmmakers across America tell its story, digging into big picture issues as organizers, analysts, participants and critics reveal how it happened and why.
After Tiller/ U.S.A. (Directors: Martha Shane, Lana Wilson) — Since the assassination of Dr. George Tiller in 2009, only four doctors in the country provide late-term abortions. With unprecedented access, After Tiller goes inside the lives of these physicians working at the center of the storm.
American Promise/ U.S.A. (Directors: Joe Brewster, Michèle Stephenson) — This intimate documentary follows the 12-year journey of two African-American families pursuing the promise of opportunity through the education of their sons.
Blackfish/ U.S.A. (Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite) — Notorious killer whale Tilikum is responsible for the deaths of three individuals, including a top killer whale trainer. Blackfish shows the sometimes devastating consequences of keeping such intelligent and sentient creatures in captivity.
Blood Brother/ U.S.A. (Director: Steve Hoover) — Rocky went to India as a disillusioned tourist. When he met a group of children with HIV, he decided to stay. He never could have imagined the obstacles he would face, or the love he would find.
Citizen Koch / U.S.A. (Directors: Carl Deal, Tia Lessin) — Wisconsin – birthplace of the Republican Party, government unions, “cheeseheads” and Paul Ryan – becomes a test market in the campaign to buy Democracy, and ground zero in the battle for the future of the Gop.
Cutie and the Boxer/ U.S.A. (Director: Zachary Heinzerling) — This candid New York love story explores the chaotic 40-year marriage of famed boxing painter Ushio Shinohara and his wife, Noriko. Anxious to shed her role of assistant to her overbearing husband, Noriko seeks an identity of her own.
Dirty Wars/ U.S.A. (Director: Richard Rowley) — Investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill chases down the truth behind America’s covert wars.
Gideon's Army/ U.S.A. (Director: Dawn Porter) — Gideon’s Army follows three young, committed Public Defenders who are dedicated to working for the people society would rather forget. Long hours, low pay and staggering caseloads are so common that even the most committed often give up.
God Loves Uganda/ U.S.A. (Director: Roger Ross Williams) — A powerful exploration of the evangelical campaign to infuse African culture with values imported from America’s Christian Right. The film follows American and Ugandan religious leaders fighting “sexual immorality” and missionaries trying to convince Ugandans to follow biblical law.
Inequality for All/ U.S.A. (Director: Jacob Kornbluth) — In this timely and entertaining documentary, noted economic-policy expert Robert Reich distills the topic of widening income inequality, and addresses the question of what effects this increasing gap has on our economy and our democracy.
Life According to Sam/ U.S.A. (Directors: Sean Fine, Andrea Nix Fine) — Dr. Leslie Gordon and Dr. Scott Berns fight to save their only son from a rare and fatal aging disease for which there is no cure. Their work may one day unlock the key to aging in all of us.
Manhunt / U.S.A., United Kingdom (Director: Greg Barker) — This espionage tale goes inside the CIA’s long conflict against Al Qaeda, as revealed by the remarkable women and men whose secret war against Osama bin Laden started nearly a decade before most of us even knew his name.
Narco Cultura/ U.S.A. (Director: Shaul Schwarz) — An examination of Mexican drug cartels’ influence in pop culture on both sides of the border as experienced by an La narcocorrido singer dreaming of stardom and a Juarez crime scene investigator on the front line of Mexico’s Drug War.
Twenty Feet From Stardom/ U.S.A. (Director: Morgan Neville) — Backup singers live in a world that lies just beyond the spotlight. Their voices bring harmony to the biggest bands in popular music, but we've had no idea who these singers are or what lives they lead – until now. Day One Film
Valentine Road/ U.S.A. (Director: Marta Cunningham) — In 2008, eighth-grader Brandon McInerney shot classmate Larry King at point blank range. Unraveling this tragedy from point of impact, the film reveals the heartbreaking circumstances that led to the shocking crime as well as its startling aftermath.
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Credits: Editing by Jessica Just for SydneysBuzz
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Block Doc Workshops in Los Angeles February 2013
The International Documentary Association will be hosting Documentary Funding and Documentary Tune-Up Workshops with Block on February 9/10. http://www.eventbrite.com/org/169037034
Mitchell Block specializes in conceiving, producing, marketing & distributing independent features & consulting. He is an expert in placing both completed works into distribution & working with producers to make projects fundable. He conducts regular workshops in film producing in Los Angeles and most recently in Maine, Russia and in Myanmar (Burma).
Poster Girl, produced by Block was nominated for a Documentary Academy Award and selected by the Ida as the Best Doc Short 2011. It was also nominated for two Emmy Awards and aired on HBO. He is an executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning PBS series Carrier, a 10-hour series that he conceived & co-created. Block is a graduate of Tisch School and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business. He is a member of Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the Television Academy, a founding member of BAFTA-la and has been teaching at USC School of Cinematic Arts since 1979. Currently Block teaches a required class in the USC Peter Stark Producing Program. ______________________________________________________________________
©2013Mwb All Rights Reserved All Rights Reserved. All information and designs on the Sites are copyrighted material owned by Block. Reproduction, dissemination, or transmission of any part of the material here without the express written consent of the owner is strictly prohibited.All other product names and marks on Block Direct, whether trademarks, service marks, or other type, and whether registered or unregistered, is the property of Block.
- 1/8/2013
- by Mitchell Block
- Sydney's Buzz
Eugene Jarecki is a smart cookie; at his first meeting with Brad Pitt and Plan B Entertainment he recognized a fellow traveler. This wasn't like his other studio meetings. "He's a ridiculously bright and thoughtful guy,"Jarecki says. "He chooses projects carefully, he talks about rich content: 'is there meaning, is there a transcendent reason to do a movie here?'" So Jarecki was encouraged to bring up some of his best ideas--including a doc on the war on drugs that, years later, became "The House I Live In." Pitt was behind it all the way, and Jarecki kept him informed as the years went by. Pitt finally saw the film, which won the Grand Jury doc prize at Sundance, a few months ago in London. And now he's doing a rare thing for him--he did it only once before, he says, on the 2006 Lost Boys of Sudan doc "God Grew Tired of Us...
- 10/14/2012
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The spotty economy may have claimed a new victim: the people that brought us the Morgan Freeman-narrated adventures of a bunch of plucky penguins back in 2005. The Wrap reports that National Geographic Films, which distributed the Academy Award-winning March of the Penguins, will be shutting down. The rumor originates from "two individuals with knowledge of the studio." The studio has released multiple documentaries since 2005 -- including God Grew Tired of Us, Arctic Tale, and The Way Back -- but none of them have rivaled the success of the acclaimed March of the Penguins. That film brought in a worldwide gross of $106 million. Compare that to last year's The Way Back, with a worldwide gross of $5.58 million. Despite having several films in release this year, the studio has brought in a mere $1.7 million in revenue. According to The Wrap's story, National Geographic Films President Daniel Battsek is currently negotiating to leave,...
- 12/22/2011
- cinemablend.com
Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner web series wasn’t meant to be. A lack of funding stalled the production indefinitely. But opportunity is often born out of failure, and when it was apparent his replicant redux wasn’t going to see the light of a dystopian Los Angeles day, Scott took his newfound interest and knowhow in the internet as an entertainment medium, called up Academy Award-winning director Kevin Macdonald, tapped some 80,000 YouTubers and made his next major motion picture. Life in a Day is a crowdsourced, collaborative film made possible by YouTube’s massive global usership. On July 24, 2010, Scott, Macdonald, and YouTube asked participants from all around the world to capture their own lives on camera and submit the footage to the Life in a Day YouTube channel. Scott’s production company, Scott Free also distributed a few hundred cameras to non-profits and NGOs in 20 different countries “on the...
- 1/25/2011
- by Joshua Cohen
- Tubefilter.com
Sudanese rapper Emmanuel Jal gathered children and famous friends for video to raise awareness of genocide.
By Gil Kaufman
Alicia Keys in the video preview for "We Want Peace"
Photo: Gatwitch Ltd
George Clooney has been using his celebrity to bring attention to the ongoing genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan for years. Along with his dad, newsman Nick Clooney, he filmed the 2008 TV special "A Journey to Darfur" and now Clooney has teamed with an international coalition of stars to star in a music video for the "We Want Peace" global initiative.
The effort, led by Sudanese hip-hop artist, activist and former child soldier Emmanuel Jal, benefits the Global Initiative for Sudan and also features cameos from Alicia Keys, Peter Gabriel, billionaire philanthropist Richard Branson, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former U.N. Secretary General and Nobel laureate Kofi Annan.
"The issue has been there for a while,...
By Gil Kaufman
Alicia Keys in the video preview for "We Want Peace"
Photo: Gatwitch Ltd
George Clooney has been using his celebrity to bring attention to the ongoing genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan for years. Along with his dad, newsman Nick Clooney, he filmed the 2008 TV special "A Journey to Darfur" and now Clooney has teamed with an international coalition of stars to star in a music video for the "We Want Peace" global initiative.
The effort, led by Sudanese hip-hop artist, activist and former child soldier Emmanuel Jal, benefits the Global Initiative for Sudan and also features cameos from Alicia Keys, Peter Gabriel, billionaire philanthropist Richard Branson, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former U.N. Secretary General and Nobel laureate Kofi Annan.
"The issue has been there for a while,...
- 12/13/2010
- MTV Music News
Better known for playing charming romantic leads, Dermot Mulroney has recently turned his attention to a darker, deeper role. In the thought-provoking "Inhale," he portrays a man facing a moral dilemma that will mean life or death for his critically ill child. It is, pardon the pun, breathtakingly poignant work in a film that at first appears to be a thriller.Mulroney began his film career with "Sunset" in 1988 and also starred that year in "Young Guns." Years later, with "My Best Friend's Wedding," as the eponymous friend, he began to be known to the general public. Soon notable roles followed—in "Lovely and Amazing," "About Schmidt," and "Zodiac," and on "Friends" as Gavin, Rachel's replacement at work. Mulroney served as associate producer on the documentary "God Grew Tired of Us," and he is making his directorial debut with this year's "Love, Wedding, Marriage." With "Inhale," he is taking on...
- 10/26/2010
- backstage.com
After wrapping principal photography on his directorial debut, the romantic comedy "Love Wedding Marriage," Dermot Mulroney is slide-tackling his next helming project, a biopic on Liberian soccer star-turned-politician George Weah.
Mulroney, along with producing partners Tharita Cutulle and Rainier Negri, has secured life rights to Weah, the international soccer star who became a humanitarian and politician in his native country, eventually running for president.
The producers spent the better part of a year courting Weah, whose full name is George Tawlon Manneh Oppong Ousman Weah, to hand over life rights. Mulroney already has an interest in African affairs -- he was a producer on "God Grew Tired of Us," a 2006 documentary on the Sudanese Lost Boys -- and is an avid soccer fan, and Weah's history grabbed him.
"It's real doozy story," Mulroney said. "It's got politics, war, love and soccer. We very patiently walked a fine line with him,...
Mulroney, along with producing partners Tharita Cutulle and Rainier Negri, has secured life rights to Weah, the international soccer star who became a humanitarian and politician in his native country, eventually running for president.
The producers spent the better part of a year courting Weah, whose full name is George Tawlon Manneh Oppong Ousman Weah, to hand over life rights. Mulroney already has an interest in African affairs -- he was a producer on "God Grew Tired of Us," a 2006 documentary on the Sudanese Lost Boys -- and is an avid soccer fan, and Weah's history grabbed him.
"It's real doozy story," Mulroney said. "It's got politics, war, love and soccer. We very patiently walked a fine line with him,...
- 6/24/2010
- by By Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It's no secret that Film Junk has a few documentary fans on staff and every year we try and highlight some of the stand out non-fiction films. Although The Cove and Anvil! The Story of Anvil made some appearances on our year end lists -- along with a few others on our end of decade list -- we didn't really get a chance to write up any doc specific lists, so I figured I'd share some of the love The Documentary Blog has been spreading over the past week. Below you'll find my top 10 docs of 2009 followed by my top 50 documentaries of the decade. Also, I put together a collection of some acclaimed non-fiction filmmakers (including Joe Berlinger, Sarah Price and Jeff Feuerzeig among others) who have shared their picks for best of the decade as well! You can check that list out here [1]. Until then, have a look below...
- 1/5/2010
- by Jay C.
- FilmJunk
No one online knows the world of documentary films as well as the aptly named "The Documentary Blog". It was only appropriate then that Tdb should assemble a list of what they consider to be the best documentary films over the last decade.
Instead of a measly top 10... they give us a top 50.
50. Rize (Lachapelle, 2005) — Trailer
49. The Smashing Machine (Hyams, 2002) — Trailer
48. Lost in La Mancha (Fulton & Pepe, 2002) — Trailer
47. Dig! (Timoner, 2004) — Trailer
46. Protagonist (Yu, 2007) — Trailer
45. Ring of Fire: The Emile Griffith Story (Berger & Klores, 2005) — Trailer
44. Bowling for Columbine (Moore, 2002)
43. Rank (Hyams, 2006) — Trailer
42. Our Daily Bread (Geyrhalter, 2005) — Trailer
41. Helvetica (Hustwit, 2007) — Trailer
40. New World Order (Meyer & Neel, 2009) — Trailer
39. Best Worst Movie (Stephenson, 2009) — Trailer
38. The Cove (Psihoyos, 2009) — Trailer
37. Kurt Cobain: About a Son (Schnack, 2006) — Trailer
36. Tyson (Toback, 2008) — Trailer
35. Anvil! The Story of Anvil (Gervasi, 2008) — Trailer
34. When the Levee’s Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts (Lee, 2006)
33. Bus 174 (Padilha & Lacerda, 2002)
32. God Grew Tired of Us (Quinn & Walker,...
Instead of a measly top 10... they give us a top 50.
50. Rize (Lachapelle, 2005) — Trailer
49. The Smashing Machine (Hyams, 2002) — Trailer
48. Lost in La Mancha (Fulton & Pepe, 2002) — Trailer
47. Dig! (Timoner, 2004) — Trailer
46. Protagonist (Yu, 2007) — Trailer
45. Ring of Fire: The Emile Griffith Story (Berger & Klores, 2005) — Trailer
44. Bowling for Columbine (Moore, 2002)
43. Rank (Hyams, 2006) — Trailer
42. Our Daily Bread (Geyrhalter, 2005) — Trailer
41. Helvetica (Hustwit, 2007) — Trailer
40. New World Order (Meyer & Neel, 2009) — Trailer
39. Best Worst Movie (Stephenson, 2009) — Trailer
38. The Cove (Psihoyos, 2009) — Trailer
37. Kurt Cobain: About a Son (Schnack, 2006) — Trailer
36. Tyson (Toback, 2008) — Trailer
35. Anvil! The Story of Anvil (Gervasi, 2008) — Trailer
34. When the Levee’s Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts (Lee, 2006)
33. Bus 174 (Padilha & Lacerda, 2002)
32. God Grew Tired of Us (Quinn & Walker,...
- 1/5/2010
- by John Campea
- AMC - Script to Screen
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have donated $100,000 to help build the first modern medical facility in Duk County, Sudan. The Duk Lost Boys Clinic will be run by Sudanese philanthropist John Dau, who is featured in the documentary God Grew Tired Of Us, which Pitt produced. The Hollywood couple agreed to help Dau fund the clinic after hearing of his plans for the project at the Hollywood premiere of his film in January, according to People magazine. The clinic will open later this spring and serve more than 150,000 people. It is located in the village Dau fled from as a boy during Sudan's civil war in the late 1980s. In a statement, Dau says, "Words cannot express my gratitude and the gratitude of the people of Duk County. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt demonstrate the American spirit of generosity." Jolie, a goodwill ambassador for the United Nation's refugee agency, recently travelled to Chad, where she met with refugees from Sudan's war-torn Darfur region.
- 3/23/2007
- WENN
James Longley's Iraq in Fragments was named the best feature-length
documentary of the year at the International Documentary Assn.'s
Distinguished Documentary Achievement Awards on Friday night.
Iraq, which is also on the short-list of documentary Oscar documentary contenders, looks at the impact that the war in Iraq has had on the Iraqi people.
The other nominated features were Can Mr. Smith Get to Washington Anymore?, Deliver Us from Evil, Showbusiness: A Season to Remember and Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars.
Marcelo Bukin's Angel's Fire (Fuego de Angel) was named best
short documentary at the IDA's gala, at the DGA Theatre in West Hollywood.
Davis Guggenheim's An Inconvenient Truth was honored with the Pare Lorentz Award, recognizing a documentary filmmaker who represents both an activist spirit and a lyrical vision.
Andrew Berends received the Courage Under Fire Award for The Blood of My Brother.
Scholar and critic Dr. Patricia Aufderheide was honored with the IDA
Preservation & Scholarship Award. The Jacqueline Donnet Emerging Documentary Filmmaker Award went to Christopher Quinn for God Grew Tired of Us, while Carrie Lozano claimed the David L. Wolper Student Documentary Achievement Award for Reporter Zero.
PBS' American Experience series captured the IDA Award for a
Continuing Series, while the prize for Limited Series went to Off to War,
which aired on the Discovery Times Channel.
documentary of the year at the International Documentary Assn.'s
Distinguished Documentary Achievement Awards on Friday night.
Iraq, which is also on the short-list of documentary Oscar documentary contenders, looks at the impact that the war in Iraq has had on the Iraqi people.
The other nominated features were Can Mr. Smith Get to Washington Anymore?, Deliver Us from Evil, Showbusiness: A Season to Remember and Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars.
Marcelo Bukin's Angel's Fire (Fuego de Angel) was named best
short documentary at the IDA's gala, at the DGA Theatre in West Hollywood.
Davis Guggenheim's An Inconvenient Truth was honored with the Pare Lorentz Award, recognizing a documentary filmmaker who represents both an activist spirit and a lyrical vision.
Andrew Berends received the Courage Under Fire Award for The Blood of My Brother.
Scholar and critic Dr. Patricia Aufderheide was honored with the IDA
Preservation & Scholarship Award. The Jacqueline Donnet Emerging Documentary Filmmaker Award went to Christopher Quinn for God Grew Tired of Us, while Carrie Lozano claimed the David L. Wolper Student Documentary Achievement Award for Reporter Zero.
PBS' American Experience series captured the IDA Award for a
Continuing Series, while the prize for Limited Series went to Off to War,
which aired on the Discovery Times Channel.
- 12/9/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
National Geographic Films has taken a partnership stake in Christopher Quinn's God Grew Tired of Us, which won this year's Sundance Film Festival grand jury prize and Audience Award for documentary feature. Unlike last year's Sundance docu smash March of the Penguins, which National Geographic Films presented with domestic distributor Warner Independent Pictures, NGF plans to be more involved in bringing "God" to international viewers. "We wanted to partner on this excellent film worldwide because we are able to offer both financial and all of the support of National Geographic at large to help audiences around the world to see it," NGF president Adam Leipzig said. Newmarket Films will release the film in North America early in first-quarter 2007. "(Newmarket's) Chris Ball is passionate about the movie, which means a lot to us," Leipzig said.
National Geographic Films has taken a partnership stake in Christopher Quinn's God Grew Tired of Us, which won this year's Sundance Film Festival grand jury prize and Audience Award for documentary feature. Unlike last year's Sundance docu smash March of the Penguins, which National Geographic Films presented with domestic distributor Warner Independent Pictures, NGF plans to be more involved in bringing "God" to international viewers. "We wanted to partner on this excellent film worldwide because we are able to offer both financial and all of the support of National Geographic at large to help audiences around the world to see it," NGF president Adam Leipzig said. Newmarket Films will release the film in North America early in first-quarter 2007. "(Newmarket's) Chris Ball is passionate about the movie, which means a lot to us," Leipzig said.
- Last Call I caught more than 30 films, but I've managed to miss most of this year's winners. At least I'll have films to look forward to seeing later this year. Here's the remaining batch of reviews followd by the complete list of this year's winners. Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland’s Quinceañera Read review here. Dito Montiel’s A Guide to Recognizing your Saints Read review here. Neil Marshall’s The Descent Read review here. The Grand Jury Prize: Documentary was given to God Grew Tired Of Us, directed by Christopher Quinn. In the late 1980’s, 27,000 Sudanese lost boys marched barefoot over thousands of miles of barren desert, seeking safe haven from the brutal civil war in their homeland. The film chronicles the experiences of three of these boys who seek refuge in the U.S. as they work to adjust to a strange new world. The
- 1/29/2006
- IONCINEMA.com
PARK CITY -- Sundance Film Festival jurors and audience members were of the same minds when it came time to select the festival's top awards. Wash Westmoreland and Richard Glatzer's coming-of-age drama Quinceanera was honored with both the Dramatic Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award. And in the documentary category, Christopher Quinn's Sudanese refugee saga God Grew Tired of Us also nabbed both the Documentary Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award. "It's never happened before," festival director Geoffrey Gilmore observed of the two sets of dual awards, which were announced Saturday night at the fest's awards ceremonies. "It's happend in one category, but never in both. Certainly, it says something about the nature of the films. Films with popular votes tend to work on an emotional level. Films that are given awards by juries tend to work on a critical and aesthetic level. The fact that it's both is to the films' credit." The hard-hitting autobiographical drama A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints came out on top in two important categories, with Dito Montiel garnering a Dramatic Directing Award for his first feature. The film also landed a Special Jury Prize for Best Ensemble Performance, with Robert Downey, Jr., Shia La Boeuf, Rosario Dawson, Chazz Palminteri, Dianne Wiest and Channing Tatum in the leading roles.
- 1/29/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
PARK CITY -- Sundance Film Festival jurors and audience members were of the same minds when it came time to select the festival's top awards. Wash Westmoreland and Richard Glatzer's coming-of-age drama Quinceanera was honored with both the Dramatic Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award. And in the documentary category, Christopher Quinn's Sudanese refugee saga God Grew Tired of Us also nabbed both the Documentary Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award. "It's never happened before," festival director Geoffrey Gilmore observed of the two sets of dual awards, which were announced Saturday night at the fest's awards ceremonies. "It's happend in one category, but never in both. Certainly, it says something about the nature of the films. Films with popular votes tend to work on an emotional level. Films that are given awards by juries tend to work on a critical and aesthetic level. The fact that it's both is to the films' credit." The hard-hitting autobiographical drama A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints came out on top in two important categories, with Dito Montiel garnering a Dramatic Directing Award for his first feature. The film also landed a Special Jury Prize for Best Ensemble Performance, with Robert Downey, Jr., Shia La Boeuf, Rosario Dawson, Chazz Palminteri, Dianne Wiest and Channing Tatum in the leading roles.
- 1/29/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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