Benny Safdie talks about his split from brother and partner-in-film Josh — and reveals he doesn’t know if and when the Uncut Gems duo will reunite — in a new interview.
Since the release of the Safdies’ Adam Sandler-starring hit in 2019, the brothers have collaborated to produce docuseries like Telemarketers and Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God, but they haven’t returned to film directing. (The bros last co-directed Forget’s “100 Seats” music video back in late 2022.)
Instead, Benny — two years younger than Josh — has focused on his...
Since the release of the Safdies’ Adam Sandler-starring hit in 2019, the brothers have collaborated to produce docuseries like Telemarketers and Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God, but they haven’t returned to film directing. (The bros last co-directed Forget’s “100 Seats” music video back in late 2022.)
Instead, Benny — two years younger than Josh — has focused on his...
- 1/4/2024
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Benny Safdie is late.
Frantic and a bit sweaty, he arrives at Westside Restaurant 40 minutes past our 10 a.m. breakfast, and just five minutes after I email his publicist, “Did Benny forget about the interview?”
Benny forgot about the interview.
Out of breath, he profusely apologizes, offering a Mad Lib of an explanation: “I was spray-painting a Tin Man costume in Central Park.”
Before that, Safdie spends three and a half hours answering my questions, legs cramping in a tight booth, metallic-smudged hands dancing around a heated corn muffin. “This place is awesome,” he says after a stack of plates shatters on the old tiled floor, as servers bark omelet orders across the narrow restaurant.
Safdie, 37, grew up bouncing between his divorced parents in Queens and the Upper West Side, and says he’s been coming to this particular spot since his teenage years, when it used to be open all night.
Frantic and a bit sweaty, he arrives at Westside Restaurant 40 minutes past our 10 a.m. breakfast, and just five minutes after I email his publicist, “Did Benny forget about the interview?”
Benny forgot about the interview.
Out of breath, he profusely apologizes, offering a Mad Lib of an explanation: “I was spray-painting a Tin Man costume in Central Park.”
Before that, Safdie spends three and a half hours answering my questions, legs cramping in a tight booth, metallic-smudged hands dancing around a heated corn muffin. “This place is awesome,” he says after a stack of plates shatters on the old tiled floor, as servers bark omelet orders across the narrow restaurant.
Safdie, 37, grew up bouncing between his divorced parents in Queens and the Upper West Side, and says he’s been coming to this particular spot since his teenage years, when it used to be open all night.
- 1/4/2024
- by Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Range Media Partners has signed Sam Lipman-Stern, the documentary filmmaker, producer and cinematographer behind the revelatory HBO series Telemarketers, which debuted to much acclaim in August. The deal marks the first strategic partnership between Range and Weisman Worldwide Entertainment, which will continue to co-manage the artist.
A buzzy exposé drawing on Lipman-Stern’s professional experience in the telemarketing industry, which places a huge spotlight on its predatory tactics, HBO’s three-part limited docuseries recently won the Critics Choice Documentary Award for Best True Crime Documentary. In addition to creating and co-directing the show, Lipman-Stern exec produced alongside Danny McBride, Josh and Benny Safdie, and more.
On the heels of his success with Telemarketers, and through the collaboration between Weisman Worldwide and Range, Lipman-Stern is already working on several new projects for 2024 including a scripted drama and music-based documentary which will be announced in the coming months.
In a statement on the signing,...
A buzzy exposé drawing on Lipman-Stern’s professional experience in the telemarketing industry, which places a huge spotlight on its predatory tactics, HBO’s three-part limited docuseries recently won the Critics Choice Documentary Award for Best True Crime Documentary. In addition to creating and co-directing the show, Lipman-Stern exec produced alongside Danny McBride, Josh and Benny Safdie, and more.
On the heels of his success with Telemarketers, and through the collaboration between Weisman Worldwide and Range, Lipman-Stern is already working on several new projects for 2024 including a scripted drama and music-based documentary which will be announced in the coming months.
In a statement on the signing,...
- 12/6/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
The Gotham Awards traditionally mark the unofficial beginning of Oscar season, giving the best and brightest of the independent film community the chance to descend upon New York City to celebrate the year’s best works. And while the ceremony once again kicks off the awards calendar with its Monday after Thanksgiving slot, new changes to the eligibility rules means that a wider range of films will be allowed to compete this year
In the past, only films that cost $35 million or less were eligible for the awards, which inevitably shut out some of the biggest Oscar contenders in order to highlight smaller films. But that cap was eliminated in 2023, allowing major productions such as “Barbie” and “Ferrari” to get in on the action. A total of 20 films, 11 series, and 30 performances were nominated for this year’s awards.
Keep reading for a complete list of nominees at the 2023 Gotham Awards.
In the past, only films that cost $35 million or less were eligible for the awards, which inevitably shut out some of the biggest Oscar contenders in order to highlight smaller films. But that cap was eliminated in 2023, allowing major productions such as “Barbie” and “Ferrari” to get in on the action. A total of 20 films, 11 series, and 30 performances were nominated for this year’s awards.
Keep reading for a complete list of nominees at the 2023 Gotham Awards.
- 11/28/2023
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
The best in film and television was honored tonight at the 2023 Gotham Awards, which kicked off awards season with a bang!
Some of the biggest stars in the entertainment world were in attendance on Monday night (November 27) at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City.
In the past, the Gothams only celebrated independent films, but they have removed the requirement that all projects are made for under $35 million. Now, some of the contenders this year include big budget movies like Barbie.
The awards show also took away gendered acting categories, opting for an Outstanding Lead Performance category and an Outstanding Supporting Performance category with 10 nominees in each one.
Make sure to see all of the celebs who walked the red carpet!
Head inside to check out the full list of winners…
Keep scrolling to see the full list of winners…
Best Feature
“Passages”
“Past Lives” – Winner
“Reality”
“Showing Up”
“A Thousand and One...
Some of the biggest stars in the entertainment world were in attendance on Monday night (November 27) at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City.
In the past, the Gothams only celebrated independent films, but they have removed the requirement that all projects are made for under $35 million. Now, some of the contenders this year include big budget movies like Barbie.
The awards show also took away gendered acting categories, opting for an Outstanding Lead Performance category and an Outstanding Supporting Performance category with 10 nominees in each one.
Make sure to see all of the celebs who walked the red carpet!
Head inside to check out the full list of winners…
Keep scrolling to see the full list of winners…
Best Feature
“Passages”
“Past Lives” – Winner
“Reality”
“Showing Up”
“A Thousand and One...
- 11/28/2023
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
“Past Lives” was the big winner at the Gotham Awards on Monday evening, taking home the top prize for best feature. “Anatomy of a Fall” won best international feature and best screenplay — both of the categories it was nominated in. Meanwhile, acting honors were won by Charles Melton for his supporting performance in Todd Haynes’ “May December” and Lily Gladstone for her lead performance in “The Unknown Country.”
“Thank you, Gotham, for this award. It’s such an honor. It really means the world to receive it with my debut set in New York City, a city I live in and love deeply,” writer-director Celine Song began, taking the stage to accept the best feature award. Song thanked her producers at A24, along with her cast and crew. She was joined on stage by two of the film’s stars, Greta Lee and John Magaro.
Director Andrew Haigh’s metaphysical...
“Thank you, Gotham, for this award. It’s such an honor. It really means the world to receive it with my debut set in New York City, a city I live in and love deeply,” writer-director Celine Song began, taking the stage to accept the best feature award. Song thanked her producers at A24, along with her cast and crew. She was joined on stage by two of the film’s stars, Greta Lee and John Magaro.
Director Andrew Haigh’s metaphysical...
- 11/28/2023
- by Caroline Brew
- Variety Film + TV
“Past Lives” is the overwhelming favorite to win Best Feature at the 2023 Gotham Awards, which will be presented tonight at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City. That’s according to the predictions of more than 1,000 Gold Derby users who have placed their bets here in our predictions center. Those predictions were combined to generate our official racetrack odds in all 10 competitive categories. Scroll down to see those odds with our projected winners highlighted in gold.
SEEGotham Awards will present ‘Ferrari’ with Icon and Creator Tribute for Innovation
A romantic drama about childhood friends separated for years, “Past Lives” is the front-runner for Best Feature and Breakthrough Director for its first-time filmmaker Celine Song. Could it achieve a clean sweep by winning its third nomination for lead performer Greta Lee? It’s possible, but she’s in a tight race with front-runner Jeffrey Wright (“American Fiction“) for that award.
Elsewhere,...
SEEGotham Awards will present ‘Ferrari’ with Icon and Creator Tribute for Innovation
A romantic drama about childhood friends separated for years, “Past Lives” is the front-runner for Best Feature and Breakthrough Director for its first-time filmmaker Celine Song. Could it achieve a clean sweep by winning its third nomination for lead performer Greta Lee? It’s possible, but she’s in a tight race with front-runner Jeffrey Wright (“American Fiction“) for that award.
Elsewhere,...
- 11/27/2023
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
It’s a sweep! The Critics Choice Association revealed the winners for its 8th annual documentary awards on Sunday, November 12, 2023, and one film claimed all five of the awards it was nominated for. Though it trailed “American Symphony” in bids going into the night, “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie” prevailed as the night’s biggest winner, taking home prizes in all five of its categories, including Best Documentary. The film’s other wins went to Davis Guggenheim in Best Director, Michael Harte in Best Editing, and in Best Narration and Best Biographical Documentary.
“American Symphony,” the nomination leader with six, took home two prizes: Jon Batiste won Best Score and the film was named Best Music Documentary. The other two-time winners were “20 Days in Mariupol,” Best First Documentary Feature and Best Political Documentary, and “The Deepest Breath,” Best Cinematography and Best Sports Documentary.
If, like us, you’re...
“American Symphony,” the nomination leader with six, took home two prizes: Jon Batiste won Best Score and the film was named Best Music Documentary. The other two-time winners were “20 Days in Mariupol,” Best First Documentary Feature and Best Political Documentary, and “The Deepest Breath,” Best Cinematography and Best Sports Documentary.
If, like us, you’re...
- 11/13/2023
- by John Benutty
- Gold Derby
Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie was the big winner at the Eighth Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards held on November 12, 2023 in New York City. Still took home five awards, including Best Documentary Feature, Best Director (Davis Guggenheim), Best Editing (Michael Harte), Best Narration (Michael J. Fox), and Best Biographical Documentary.
Critics Choice Association members recognized 20 Days in Mariupol, American Symphony, and The Deepest Breath with two awards each. Additional winners included Being Mary Tyler Moore, JFK: One Day in America, Secrets of the Elephants, Lennon: Murder Without a Trial, Telemarketers, The 1619 Project, The Last Repair Shop, and 30 for 30.
“This was another incredible night of celebrating documentaries as we reunited with familiar faces and welcomed so many new filmmakers to the event for the first time. Congratulations to all the winners, honorees, and everyone else who made our eighth show such a hit,” said Christopher Campbell, Cca’s Vice President of Documentaries.
Critics Choice Association members recognized 20 Days in Mariupol, American Symphony, and The Deepest Breath with two awards each. Additional winners included Being Mary Tyler Moore, JFK: One Day in America, Secrets of the Elephants, Lennon: Murder Without a Trial, Telemarketers, The 1619 Project, The Last Repair Shop, and 30 for 30.
“This was another incredible night of celebrating documentaries as we reunited with familiar faces and welcomed so many new filmmakers to the event for the first time. Congratulations to all the winners, honorees, and everyone else who made our eighth show such a hit,” said Christopher Campbell, Cca’s Vice President of Documentaries.
- 11/13/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Davis Guggenheim’s “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie,” which chronicled the actor’s life, career and battle with Parkinson’s disease, was named the best nonfiction film of 2023 at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards, which took place on Sunday night in New York City.
The Apple TV+ film won five awards overall, also including best director for Guggenheim, best narration for Fox, best biographical documentary and best editing.
Journalist Mstyslav Chernov Chernov won the award for Best First Documentary for “20 Days in Mariupol.”
Other winners included “Being Mary Tyler Moore” (Best Archival Documentary), “The Deepest Breath” (Best Sports Documentary), “20 Days in Mariupol” (Best Political Documentary), “American Symphony” (Best Music Documentary), “Secrets of the Elephants” (Best Science/Nature Documentary) and “JFK: One Day in America” (Best Historical Documentary).
Jon Batiste won for the music in “American Symphony,” and Tim Cragg won for the cinematography of “The Deepest Breath.
The Apple TV+ film won five awards overall, also including best director for Guggenheim, best narration for Fox, best biographical documentary and best editing.
Journalist Mstyslav Chernov Chernov won the award for Best First Documentary for “20 Days in Mariupol.”
Other winners included “Being Mary Tyler Moore” (Best Archival Documentary), “The Deepest Breath” (Best Sports Documentary), “20 Days in Mariupol” (Best Political Documentary), “American Symphony” (Best Music Documentary), “Secrets of the Elephants” (Best Science/Nature Documentary) and “JFK: One Day in America” (Best Historical Documentary).
Jon Batiste won for the music in “American Symphony,” and Tim Cragg won for the cinematography of “The Deepest Breath.
- 11/13/2023
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Patrick J. Pespas has been found over three weeks after the unlikely star of HBO’s recent hit docuseries Telemarketers had gone missing.
Adam Bhala Lough, the series’ co-director, announced the good news Thursday night, writing, “Patrick J. Pespas has been found and returned safely to his wife Sue. Thank you to everyone who has shared messages of support, donated and prayed for Pat’s safe return. One day I hope to tell the whole story but for now Pat asks that everyone respects his and Sue’s privacy.”
Patrick J.
Adam Bhala Lough, the series’ co-director, announced the good news Thursday night, writing, “Patrick J. Pespas has been found and returned safely to his wife Sue. Thank you to everyone who has shared messages of support, donated and prayed for Pat’s safe return. One day I hope to tell the whole story but for now Pat asks that everyone respects his and Sue’s privacy.”
Patrick J.
- 10/27/2023
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Ryan Gosling as Ken in ‘Barbie’ (Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures)
Barbie‘s Ryan Gosling picked up an acting nomination, but the film’s star, Margot Robbie, did not make the cut for the 33rd Annual Gotham Awards. Gotham Film & Media Institute’s Gotham Awards nominees include 20 feature films, 11 series, and 30 actors (in gender-neutral categories).
“We are proud to announce this year’s Gotham Award nominees and look forward to celebrating these amazing storytellers in a few weeks. The Gotham Awards in many ways reflects the industry and community we serve. Seen by this year’s nominees, storytelling knows no boundaries as our industry continues to find new audiences across the globe,” said Jeffrey Sharp, award-winning film producer and the Executive Director of The Gotham.
Winners will be announced on Monday, November 27, 2023.
2023 Gotham Award Nominees
Best Feature
Passages
Past Lives
Reality
Showing Up
A Thousand and One
Best International...
Barbie‘s Ryan Gosling picked up an acting nomination, but the film’s star, Margot Robbie, did not make the cut for the 33rd Annual Gotham Awards. Gotham Film & Media Institute’s Gotham Awards nominees include 20 feature films, 11 series, and 30 actors (in gender-neutral categories).
“We are proud to announce this year’s Gotham Award nominees and look forward to celebrating these amazing storytellers in a few weeks. The Gotham Awards in many ways reflects the industry and community we serve. Seen by this year’s nominees, storytelling knows no boundaries as our industry continues to find new audiences across the globe,” said Jeffrey Sharp, award-winning film producer and the Executive Director of The Gotham.
Winners will be announced on Monday, November 27, 2023.
2023 Gotham Award Nominees
Best Feature
Passages
Past Lives
Reality
Showing Up
A Thousand and One
Best International...
- 10/24/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
New details are emerging about the disappearance of Telemarketers star Patrick J. Pespas, who went missing Friday in Easton, Pa.
Telemarketers co-creator Adam Bhala Lough shared an update Tuesday on X (formerly known as Twitter), telling his followers, “We’re growing increasingly concerned about his well-being. Pat left without his essential medications — both his methadone and his bipolar meds. Without them, he may be experiencing withdrawal symptoms. Moreover, he departed without his phone, leaving him without a way to reach out to us or anyone he knows. If anyone sees Pat or has information on his whereabouts, we kindly request you get in touch immediately.
Telemarketers co-creator Adam Bhala Lough shared an update Tuesday on X (formerly known as Twitter), telling his followers, “We’re growing increasingly concerned about his well-being. Pat left without his essential medications — both his methadone and his bipolar meds. Without them, he may be experiencing withdrawal symptoms. Moreover, he departed without his phone, leaving him without a way to reach out to us or anyone he knows. If anyone sees Pat or has information on his whereabouts, we kindly request you get in touch immediately.
- 10/3/2023
- by Michael Ausiello
- TVLine.com
“Telemarketers” docuseries subject Patrick J. Pespas has been reported missing, according to limited series helmer Adam Bhala Lough. Lough, who co-directed the recent HBO docuseries with Sam Lipman-Stern, took to X (previously known as Twitter) over the weekend to share, “Pat is missing, and [his wife] Sue, his family and friends are very worried about him. Please put out the word that Pat is missing and help us find him.”
“Telemarketers” centers on a New Jersey-based call center that previously employed Lipman-Stern, Lough’s cousin. Pespas was featured in the docuseries as a salesperson who worked for Civic Development Group. Lough and Lipman-Stern began investigating the workplace after its employer, CDG, allegedly stole donations people made for different organizations through the telemarketing scheme; the docuseries takes place over the course 20 years. The Safdie brothers and Danny McBride produced the HBO three-part docuseries.
Pespas went missing from his home in Easton, Pennsylvania on...
“Telemarketers” centers on a New Jersey-based call center that previously employed Lipman-Stern, Lough’s cousin. Pespas was featured in the docuseries as a salesperson who worked for Civic Development Group. Lough and Lipman-Stern began investigating the workplace after its employer, CDG, allegedly stole donations people made for different organizations through the telemarketing scheme; the docuseries takes place over the course 20 years. The Safdie brothers and Danny McBride produced the HBO three-part docuseries.
Pespas went missing from his home in Easton, Pennsylvania on...
- 10/2/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Patrick J. Pespas, the gregarious, affable center of HBO’s surprise hit docuseries Telemarketers, has gone missing, as friends and family put out urgent calls on social media for assistance.
Adam Bhala Lough, the series’ co-director, announced Pespas’ disappearance over the weekend, writing Friday night, “Pat is missing, and [Pespas’ wife] Sue, his family and friends are very worried about him. Please put out the word that Pat is missing and help us find him. He was last seen in the Easton, Pa area. Thank you.”
Bhala Lough confirmed Sunday night that...
Adam Bhala Lough, the series’ co-director, announced Pespas’ disappearance over the weekend, writing Friday night, “Pat is missing, and [Pespas’ wife] Sue, his family and friends are very worried about him. Please put out the word that Pat is missing and help us find him. He was last seen in the Easton, Pa area. Thank you.”
Bhala Lough confirmed Sunday night that...
- 10/2/2023
- by Jason Newman
- Rollingstone.com
Patrick J. Pespas, one of the subjects of the recent HBO documentary series “Telemarketers,” has gone missing. That’s according to the directors of “Telemarketers.”
In a post on X, director Adam Bhala Lough wrote, “Pat is missing, and Sue, his family and friends are very worried about him.”
Sue is Pespas’ wife.
“Please put out the word that Pat is missing and help us find him,” Lough wrote. “He was last seen in the Easton, Pa area. Thank you.”
He was last seen Friday night at 8 p.m., according to the post. Lough notes that Pespas left in his white Ford Mustang and was most likely somewhere in New Jersey.
This is Pat’s white ford mustang – he left in this car. He is most likely somewhere in New Jersey. Please look out for this car. pic.twitter.com/ulPaDaCdvu
— Bhala (@AdamBhalaLough) October 1, 2023
Pespas proved to be a dynamic...
In a post on X, director Adam Bhala Lough wrote, “Pat is missing, and Sue, his family and friends are very worried about him.”
Sue is Pespas’ wife.
“Please put out the word that Pat is missing and help us find him,” Lough wrote. “He was last seen in the Easton, Pa area. Thank you.”
He was last seen Friday night at 8 p.m., according to the post. Lough notes that Pespas left in his white Ford Mustang and was most likely somewhere in New Jersey.
This is Pat’s white ford mustang – he left in this car. He is most likely somewhere in New Jersey. Please look out for this car. pic.twitter.com/ulPaDaCdvu
— Bhala (@AdamBhalaLough) October 1, 2023
Pespas proved to be a dynamic...
- 10/1/2023
- by Mike Roe
- The Wrap
Max, formerly known as HBO Max, has rolled out its first Top 10 lists in an effort to increase engagement with its best films and series.
Atop the inaugural podium for series are “Hard Knocks” (NFL training camp with the New York Jets), “And Just Like That…,” and “Winning Time,” a series about the Los Angeles Lakers of the ’80s.
Leading movies are DC disappointment “The Flash,” Bishop Sycamore high-school football documentary “Bs High,” and 2015 Will Ferrell/Kevin Hart prison comedy “Get Hard.”
It measures only those series that released a new episode on the platform within the last six weeks period and movies that debuted within the last eight weeks. Those are the windows when hits usually happen; you’ll see movies a heck of a lot older then “Get Hard” on Max’s top 10. Linear tune-in via HBO or the Discovery cable channels does not count toward Max’s Top 10.
However,...
Atop the inaugural podium for series are “Hard Knocks” (NFL training camp with the New York Jets), “And Just Like That…,” and “Winning Time,” a series about the Los Angeles Lakers of the ’80s.
Leading movies are DC disappointment “The Flash,” Bishop Sycamore high-school football documentary “Bs High,” and 2015 Will Ferrell/Kevin Hart prison comedy “Get Hard.”
It measures only those series that released a new episode on the platform within the last six weeks period and movies that debuted within the last eight weeks. Those are the windows when hits usually happen; you’ll see movies a heck of a lot older then “Get Hard” on Max’s top 10. Linear tune-in via HBO or the Discovery cable channels does not count toward Max’s Top 10.
However,...
- 9/1/2023
- by Tony Maglio
- Indiewire
Telemarketers is a three-part documentary series directed by Adam Bhala Lough and one of the telemarketing company employees, Sam Lipman-Stern. This miniseries documented Sam and his buddy Patrick’s decade-long investigation into a fundraising scam in the United States. Sam started recording videos when he worked at Civic Development Group (CDG), a fundraising company that was later found to be involved in fraudulent activities. After CDG was shut down due to its scams, Sam and his friend Patrick Pespas teamed up to dig into CDG’s connections with charities. They aimed to expose how these groups were illegally taking money from people in the name of charity, but none of the funds were being used for actual charitable purposes.
What Happened To CDG?
In the first episode of Telemarketers, we meet Sam Lipman-Stern, a 14-year-old high school dropout who joined CDG in the early 2000s. CDG provided a haven for...
What Happened To CDG?
In the first episode of Telemarketers, we meet Sam Lipman-Stern, a 14-year-old high school dropout who joined CDG in the early 2000s. CDG provided a haven for...
- 8/30/2023
- by Poulami Nanda
- Film Fugitives
If there's a golden rule in telemarketing, it's that it never hurts to ask — or, as a manager tells top salesman Pat Pespas, "Just keep pushing." That mantra was burned into the brains of the callers at Civic Development Group, the company at the center of HBO's Telemarketers. Reminders about sticking to the script littered the office, as did signs detailing the appropriate rebuttals to concerns from people on the other end of the line. "Your house just burned down, John? Is it completely totaled?" asks one caller in early-aughts footage filmed by fellow employee Sam Lipman-Stern, who co-directed the docuseries with Adam Bhala Lough. "Now John, I don't want to burn you, but we do have a bronze [donation package] at $20, or a booster at $15."...
- 8/28/2023
- by Claire Spellberg Lustig
- Primetimer
Insurance executives. Wall Street bros. Whoever makes the Subway bread smell like that.
It’s hard to imagine professions more widely hated than telemarketers — the people, and more recently robots, who call you up at all hours of the day, asking for money. But what if I were to tell you that telemarketers aren’t the problem? Like any service industry job, the customer-facing employees are rarely the ones deserving our ire. It’s the executives who set their quotas, write their scripts, and pay for the call lists with your phone number — they’re the ones who should catch an earful of vitriol every time they interrupt family dinner. But what if it wasn’t just these uncaring, overpaid executives who were to blame? What if it’s also the so-called charities themselves?
“Telemarketers,” a three-part HBO documentary series produced by Danny McBride along with Benny and Josh Safdie,...
It’s hard to imagine professions more widely hated than telemarketers — the people, and more recently robots, who call you up at all hours of the day, asking for money. But what if I were to tell you that telemarketers aren’t the problem? Like any service industry job, the customer-facing employees are rarely the ones deserving our ire. It’s the executives who set their quotas, write their scripts, and pay for the call lists with your phone number — they’re the ones who should catch an earful of vitriol every time they interrupt family dinner. But what if it wasn’t just these uncaring, overpaid executives who were to blame? What if it’s also the so-called charities themselves?
“Telemarketers,” a three-part HBO documentary series produced by Danny McBride along with Benny and Josh Safdie,...
- 8/13/2023
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
Sam Lipman-Stern was 14, he’d just dropped out of ninth grade, and he needed a job stat. There wasn’t a host of options for an underage kid in New Jersey in terms of gainful employment, and his main interests at the time — skating, graffiti, filming his friends on his camcorder — weren’t necessarily gateways to a paying gig. But his parents told him that if he left high school, he would need to work, full stop. And then Sam heard about the Civic Development Group.
The telemarketing firm, commonly referred to as CDG,...
The telemarketing firm, commonly referred to as CDG,...
- 8/13/2023
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
A new docuseries from HBO and Max goes on a deep dive through a 20-year experience shared by two co-workers who become best friends. They both got wrapped up in a charity scheme based in a New Jersey call center. “Telemarketers” gives viewers an up-close look at the shady scam and exposes the truth behind the business pedaling for donations. The shocking story unfolds throughout three episodes. The first episode debuts on Max on Sunday, August 13 at 10 p.m. You can watch with a 7-Day Free Trial of Max.
How to Watch ‘Telemarketers’ Series Premiere When: Sunday, August 13, 2023 at 10:00 Pm Edt Where: Max Stream: Watch with a 7-Day Free Trial of Max. 7-Day Free Trial$9.99+ / month Max via amazon.com
Get 20% Off Your Next Year of Max When Pre-Paid Annually
About ‘Telemarketers’ Series Premiere
The new docuseries, “Telemarketers” tells the dark, true story of two call center employees, Sam Lipman-Stern and Pat Pespas,...
How to Watch ‘Telemarketers’ Series Premiere When: Sunday, August 13, 2023 at 10:00 Pm Edt Where: Max Stream: Watch with a 7-Day Free Trial of Max. 7-Day Free Trial$9.99+ / month Max via amazon.com
Get 20% Off Your Next Year of Max When Pre-Paid Annually
About ‘Telemarketers’ Series Premiere
The new docuseries, “Telemarketers” tells the dark, true story of two call center employees, Sam Lipman-Stern and Pat Pespas,...
- 8/13/2023
- by Aubrey Chorpenning
- The Streamable
Two decades ago, Civic Development Group put a lot of people to work who couldn’t find it anywhere else. The telemarketing company employed high school dropouts, convicted felons, and drug addicts, many of whom felt as though they’d found their calling at a company that incentivized them to unwittingly participate in a high-stakes grift.
As they juggled calls on behalf of policemen unions and other charitable organizations, inadvertently duping gullible targets into opening their wallets, they had no idea how little money actually went to the organizations themselves. In truth, CDG was making a killing, keeping 90 percent of all donations — while its staffers treated the office as a hedonistic playground.
The footage of those antics provides the backbone for the first episode of “Telemarketers,” directors Adam Bhala Lough and Sam Lipman-Stern’s gritty and often darkly funny look at the CDG’s scam and the wider conspiracy of...
As they juggled calls on behalf of policemen unions and other charitable organizations, inadvertently duping gullible targets into opening their wallets, they had no idea how little money actually went to the organizations themselves. In truth, CDG was making a killing, keeping 90 percent of all donations — while its staffers treated the office as a hedonistic playground.
The footage of those antics provides the backbone for the first episode of “Telemarketers,” directors Adam Bhala Lough and Sam Lipman-Stern’s gritty and often darkly funny look at the CDG’s scam and the wider conspiracy of...
- 8/12/2023
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Adam Bhala Lough and Sam Lipman-Stern’s new three-part HBO documentary Telemarketers occupies a space on the nonfiction continuum somewhere between the angry, journalistic interrogation of early Michael Moore and the more laid-back, observational curiosity of the Nathan Fielder/John Wilson school.
It’s a slightly precarious position. As a muckraking crusade, Telemarketers conveys and synthesizes less revelatory information than your typical Last Week Tonight With John Oliver main story — which is to say that anything you learn from the documentary you probably could have learned five years ago if you’d just wanted to know. As more personal storytelling, the series sometimes lacks introspection and sufficient autobiographical candor.
In the uneasy blending, though, Telemarketers finds something that’s frequently funny, unexpectedly poignant and occasionally rather special. It isn’t going to topple an industry, but its story of two unlikely friends who, after doing the wrong thing for a long time,...
It’s a slightly precarious position. As a muckraking crusade, Telemarketers conveys and synthesizes less revelatory information than your typical Last Week Tonight With John Oliver main story — which is to say that anything you learn from the documentary you probably could have learned five years ago if you’d just wanted to know. As more personal storytelling, the series sometimes lacks introspection and sufficient autobiographical candor.
In the uneasy blending, though, Telemarketers finds something that’s frequently funny, unexpectedly poignant and occasionally rather special. It isn’t going to topple an industry, but its story of two unlikely friends who, after doing the wrong thing for a long time,...
- 8/11/2023
- by Daniel Fienberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Telemarketers” may be summer TV’s oddest thrill ride. Co-director Sam Lipman-Stern begins the three-part docuseries, which launches August 13 on HBO, in retrospect. He’s looking back at the footage he shot of his time working for telemarketing firm CDG (short for Civic Development Group) two decades ago. Then a teenager, Lipman-Stern recorded everything: The aggressive sell he and his colleagues made over the phone to solicit donations for what the callers claimed were police charitable unions, as well as the freewheeling culture that permeated throughout the office. Closer to the present day, he and co-director Adam Bhala Lough reconnect with Lipman-Stern’s former colleague Pat Pespas to delve into how the system has morphed since they first worked together, and how they might be able to use what they’ve learned from their years of calling strangers to take it down.
Backed by high-profile executive producers including Benny and Josh Safdie and Danny McBride,...
Backed by high-profile executive producers including Benny and Josh Safdie and Danny McBride,...
- 8/11/2023
- by Daniel D'Addario
- Variety Film + TV
Welcome to the 226th episode of TV’s Top 5, The Hollywood Reporter’s TV podcast.
Every week, hosts Lesley Goldberg (West Coast TV editor) and Daniel Fienberg (chief TV critic) break down the latest TV news with context from the business and critical sides, welcome showrunners, executives and other guests, and provide a critical guide of what to watch (or skip, as the case may be).
This week, we’re joined by Chris Keyser, the co-chair of the Writers Guild of America’s negotiating committee, to discuss the 100-day marker of the strike and what comes next. Plus Dan and I discuss the Emmys’ move to January and the odd situation of TV’s awards season as well as a busy week for Disney.
Here’s how the episode plays out:
1. Mailbag
As the strikes continue to impact dealmaking, we’re answering listener questions each week. This segment explores why...
Every week, hosts Lesley Goldberg (West Coast TV editor) and Daniel Fienberg (chief TV critic) break down the latest TV news with context from the business and critical sides, welcome showrunners, executives and other guests, and provide a critical guide of what to watch (or skip, as the case may be).
This week, we’re joined by Chris Keyser, the co-chair of the Writers Guild of America’s negotiating committee, to discuss the 100-day marker of the strike and what comes next. Plus Dan and I discuss the Emmys’ move to January and the odd situation of TV’s awards season as well as a busy week for Disney.
Here’s how the episode plays out:
1. Mailbag
As the strikes continue to impact dealmaking, we’re answering listener questions each week. This segment explores why...
- 8/11/2023
- by Lesley Goldberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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