Nineteen years after he attended the Gotham Awards for the first time, Jeffrey Sharp is overseeing the closely watched kudofest as the Independent Filmmaker Project’s new executive director.
Under former exec director Joana Vicente’s nine-year tenure at Ifp, the Gotham Awards expanded from a small New York-centric dinner that honored the year’s best under-the-radar films to a critical early campaign event for underdog Oscar contenders. During a three-year run from 2014 to 2016, the kudofest honored “Birdman,” “Spotlight” and “Moonlight,” respectively, and each film went on to garner an Oscar for best picture. Vicente, who exited to become co-head of the Toronto Intl. Film Festival, was also in part responsible for adding acting categories to the Gothams in 2013. That helped it draw big names including Julianne Moore (“Still Alice”) and Matthew McConaughey (“Dallas Buyers Club”).
But in 2000, Sharp says, the kudofest was a low-key, quirky event that didn’t draw mainstream media attention.
Under former exec director Joana Vicente’s nine-year tenure at Ifp, the Gotham Awards expanded from a small New York-centric dinner that honored the year’s best under-the-radar films to a critical early campaign event for underdog Oscar contenders. During a three-year run from 2014 to 2016, the kudofest honored “Birdman,” “Spotlight” and “Moonlight,” respectively, and each film went on to garner an Oscar for best picture. Vicente, who exited to become co-head of the Toronto Intl. Film Festival, was also in part responsible for adding acting categories to the Gothams in 2013. That helped it draw big names including Julianne Moore (“Still Alice”) and Matthew McConaughey (“Dallas Buyers Club”).
But in 2000, Sharp says, the kudofest was a low-key, quirky event that didn’t draw mainstream media attention.
- 11/29/2019
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Documentarian Nanfu Wang left China in 2011 to find the freedom that remaining in her home country never could provide. She came to America — specifically New York City — to study filmmaking before ultimately creating the 2017 Oscars-shortlisted Hooligan Sparrow (which depicted some of the oppression and persecution that she sought to escape). In order to tell that film’s subject’s (Ye Haiyan) story, Wang had to go back and live on the run from Chinese police with little in the way of comfort along their journey together. What we didn’t know then, however, is that this wasn’t the first time she existed as a nomad sans resources. Her sophomore documentary I Am Another You fills us in on the month in Florida where she voluntarily went homeless.
The trek south continued an annual vacationing tradition Wang enjoyed throughout her adult life. And after spending so much time in New York,...
The trek south continued an annual vacationing tradition Wang enjoyed throughout her adult life. And after spending so much time in New York,...
- 9/26/2017
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
When Chinese filmmaker Nanfu Wang — best known to most audiences for her shortlisted documentary “Hooligan Sparrow” — arrived in America, she was possessed by some unique notions regarding certain parts of her newly adopted homeland. For Wang, Florida was “an exotic frontier full of theme parks, prehistoric swamp creatures, and sunburned denizens.”
Ever searching and investigative, Wang took those ideas straight to the source, traveling to Florida and exploring. Once there, she discovered an unlikely subject, and an even more unlikely hero.
Read More:20 Female Directors Who Will Rule This Fall Festival Season, Including Agnes Varda, Greta Gerwig, Dee Rees, and More
As Wang recently told IndieWire, “Every year since I was 20, I’ve given myself the same birthday gift — a last-minute trip to a place I’ve never visited before. On my birthday in 2012 — the first year I lived in NYC, I bought a one-way ticket to Florida. Little did I know,...
Ever searching and investigative, Wang took those ideas straight to the source, traveling to Florida and exploring. Once there, she discovered an unlikely subject, and an even more unlikely hero.
Read More:20 Female Directors Who Will Rule This Fall Festival Season, Including Agnes Varda, Greta Gerwig, Dee Rees, and More
As Wang recently told IndieWire, “Every year since I was 20, I’ve given myself the same birthday gift — a last-minute trip to a place I’ve never visited before. On my birthday in 2012 — the first year I lived in NYC, I bought a one-way ticket to Florida. Little did I know,...
- 9/7/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Oscar winner O.J.: Made In America, Ava DuVernay’s criminal justice docu 13th and Alex Gibney’s cyber warfare pic Zero Days are among the 12 winners of Peabody Awards for documentaries. PBS scored four of the 12 spots, with Frontline pieces on Isis and the refugee crisis, Independent Lens: Trapped and Pov: Hooligan Sparrow. Netflix, which has ramped up its documentary slate considerably in the past year, has three titles on the list: Audrie & Daisy, DuVernay’s…...
- 4/18/2017
- Deadline TV
Oscar winner O.J.: Made In America, Ava DuVernay’s criminal justice docu 13th and Alex Gibney’s cyber warfare pic Zero Days are among the 12 winners of Peabody Awards for documentaries. PBS scored four of the 12 spots, with Frontline pieces on Isis and the refugee crisis, Independent Lens: Trapped and Pov: Hooligan Sparrow. Netflix, which has ramped up its documentary slate considerably in the past year, has three titles on the list: Audrie & Daisy, DuVernay’s…...
- 4/18/2017
- Deadline
Keep up with the wild and wooly world of indie film acquisitions with our weekly Rundown of everything that’s been picked up around the globe. Check out last week’s Rundown here.
– Gravitas Ventures has acquired the U.S. theatrical, digital and video rights to “Elián,” the story of Elián González, a five-year-old Cuban boy plucked from the Florida Straits on Thanksgiving Day in 1999, and how the fight over his future sparked a flashpoint for U.S. and Cuban tensions. Directed by Ross McDonnell and Tim Golden, the film is executive produced by Alex Gibney’s Jigsaw Productions.
Read More: Film Acquisition Rundown: Fox Searchlight Picks Up ‘The Spy With No Name,’ FilmRise Buys ‘Marjorie Prime’ and More
“Elián” is slated for a platform theatrical release beginning in New York and Los Angeles on May 19. The film will also be premiering at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival on...
– Gravitas Ventures has acquired the U.S. theatrical, digital and video rights to “Elián,” the story of Elián González, a five-year-old Cuban boy plucked from the Florida Straits on Thanksgiving Day in 1999, and how the fight over his future sparked a flashpoint for U.S. and Cuban tensions. Directed by Ross McDonnell and Tim Golden, the film is executive produced by Alex Gibney’s Jigsaw Productions.
Read More: Film Acquisition Rundown: Fox Searchlight Picks Up ‘The Spy With No Name,’ FilmRise Buys ‘Marjorie Prime’ and More
“Elián” is slated for a platform theatrical release beginning in New York and Los Angeles on May 19. The film will also be premiering at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival on...
- 4/14/2017
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
PBS series Independent Lens takes Us broadcast rights.
FilmRise has added recent SXSW world premiere I Am Another You to its distribution pipeline following a North American deal with Submarine.
Nanfu Wang’s follow-up to Hooligan Sparrow profiles the life and mysterious history of a drifter Wang meets in the Us.
I Am Another You won the SXSW special jury award for excellence in documentary storytelling and the SXSW Luna Chicken & Egg Award, a special prize for the best documentary directed by a woman.
The film will get a theatrical release in late 2017 and air on Independent Lens in early 2018.
It will also be available to stream next year on Amazon Prime Video after FilmRise opted in to Amazon Video Direct’s Film Festival Stars programme to provide a distribution channel for festival selections.
I Am Another You is a Little Horse Crossing the River Production in association with Hard Working Movies. Wang and [link...
FilmRise has added recent SXSW world premiere I Am Another You to its distribution pipeline following a North American deal with Submarine.
Nanfu Wang’s follow-up to Hooligan Sparrow profiles the life and mysterious history of a drifter Wang meets in the Us.
I Am Another You won the SXSW special jury award for excellence in documentary storytelling and the SXSW Luna Chicken & Egg Award, a special prize for the best documentary directed by a woman.
The film will get a theatrical release in late 2017 and air on Independent Lens in early 2018.
It will also be available to stream next year on Amazon Prime Video after FilmRise opted in to Amazon Video Direct’s Film Festival Stars programme to provide a distribution channel for festival selections.
I Am Another You is a Little Horse Crossing the River Production in association with Hard Working Movies. Wang and [link...
- 4/12/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The world of nonfiction filmmaking continues to evolve along with its increasingly affordable, professional, and portable equipment. It’s inspired more directors take on the challenging task of shooting a film by themselves — essentially, operating sound and camera while directing.
“I was still a student at Nyu when I started to shoot ‘Hooligan Sparrow,'” said Nanfu Wang about her Oscar-shortlist documentary about a Chinese activist fighting for women’s rights. “I couldn’t afford hiring anyone; the thought didn’t even occur to me. I checked out some equipment from the school and went back to China by myself.”
For a new generation of filmmakers, this freedom also shapes the subjects and type of films they make. In the case of “Hooligan Sparrow,” Wang became part of a small group of activists traveling the country while evading Chinese authorities. The film has an intimacy as the viewer, like Wang,...
“I was still a student at Nyu when I started to shoot ‘Hooligan Sparrow,'” said Nanfu Wang about her Oscar-shortlist documentary about a Chinese activist fighting for women’s rights. “I couldn’t afford hiring anyone; the thought didn’t even occur to me. I checked out some equipment from the school and went back to China by myself.”
For a new generation of filmmakers, this freedom also shapes the subjects and type of films they make. In the case of “Hooligan Sparrow,” Wang became part of a small group of activists traveling the country while evading Chinese authorities. The film has an intimacy as the viewer, like Wang,...
- 3/27/2017
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
“Most Beautiful Island”
A short, stressful, and utterly spellbinding debut that transforms the immigrant experience into the stuff of an early Polanski psychodrama, “Most Beautiful Island” was a worthy winner of the SXSW Grand Jury Prize for best narrative feature, and might prove to be a breakthrough moment for a major new talent: Spanish actress Ana Asensio not only wrote, directed, and produced this fraught metropolitan thriller, she also appears in just about every frame.
It would be criminal to reveal too much about what happens to her character, a Manhattan immigrant who’s struggling to make a life for herself in the big city and in for the longest night of her life, but it’s thrilling to watch the anxiety of neo-realism as it slowly bleeds into something that resembles the suspense of the orgy sequence from “Eyes Wide Shut.” Creating a lucid sense of reality only so...
A short, stressful, and utterly spellbinding debut that transforms the immigrant experience into the stuff of an early Polanski psychodrama, “Most Beautiful Island” was a worthy winner of the SXSW Grand Jury Prize for best narrative feature, and might prove to be a breakthrough moment for a major new talent: Spanish actress Ana Asensio not only wrote, directed, and produced this fraught metropolitan thriller, she also appears in just about every frame.
It would be criminal to reveal too much about what happens to her character, a Manhattan immigrant who’s struggling to make a life for herself in the big city and in for the longest night of her life, but it’s thrilling to watch the anxiety of neo-realism as it slowly bleeds into something that resembles the suspense of the orgy sequence from “Eyes Wide Shut.” Creating a lucid sense of reality only so...
- 3/18/2017
- by Chris O'Falt, David Ehrlich, Eric Kohn, Kate Erbland and Steve Greene
- Indiewire
When Chinese filmmaker Nanfu Wang discovers a nomadic 22-year-old American homeless man in the first chapter of her documentary “I Am Another You,” he’s living the dream; the rest of the movie is a gradual wakeup call. With time, Nanfu comes to understand that rejecting society isn’t such a simple proposition. By bringing an outsider perspective to the Western world, Nanfu pulls apart the American dream from the inside out. Shot over the course of several years, the movie blends an intimate perspective with trenchant investigative chops, uncovering a transitory figure whose romantic ideals give way to a harsh reality check.
The documentarian’s feature-length debut “Hooligan Sparrow,” a shortlist for the Oscar in 2016, dealt with institutional dysfunction in her native country. With “I Am Another You,” she takes a more personal approach, exploring the mythology of the American dream as a naive interloper subject to conflicting points of view.
The documentarian’s feature-length debut “Hooligan Sparrow,” a shortlist for the Oscar in 2016, dealt with institutional dysfunction in her native country. With “I Am Another You,” she takes a more personal approach, exploring the mythology of the American dream as a naive interloper subject to conflicting points of view.
- 3/12/2017
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Sometimes freedom’s just another romanticized word for a knot of tough realities — as documentarian Nanfu Wang discovers in her affecting new film. When she was still new to the United States, and before she returned to China to make her debut doc, Hooligan Sparrow, Wang befriended a fellow millennial who was living a nomadic life. For a brief while she joined him on the streets, camera in hand, to record his day-to-day experiences and, more than that, to understand why someone from...
- 3/8/2017
- by Sheri Linden
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Brace yourself. The annual multi-pronged South By Southwest Conferences and Festivals — SXSW, of course — is hitting Austin, Texas later this week for days and days of fresh film offerings (and music and interactive stuff, too, but we can only do so much here). With it comes the promise of a brand new season of festival-going, along with a slew of films to get excited about finally checking out (and, because it’s Austin, lots of tasty barbecue to enjoy).
From SXSW regulars like Bob Byington and Joe Swanberg to rising stars like Nanfu Wang and Laura Terruso to marquee names like Terrence Malick and Edgar Wright — and just about everything in between — this year’s SXSW Film Festival is offering up its most robust slate yet. We’ve picked out a baker’s dozen of worthy new features to add to your SXSW schedule.
Check out 13 new films from this...
From SXSW regulars like Bob Byington and Joe Swanberg to rising stars like Nanfu Wang and Laura Terruso to marquee names like Terrence Malick and Edgar Wright — and just about everything in between — this year’s SXSW Film Festival is offering up its most robust slate yet. We’ve picked out a baker’s dozen of worthy new features to add to your SXSW schedule.
Check out 13 new films from this...
- 3/8/2017
- by Chris O'Falt, David Ehrlich, Eric Kohn, Jude Dry, Kate Erbland and Steve Greene
- Indiewire
Before we get back to the Academy Awards and what exactly happened there, and I promise we will, that big weekend also had a non Oscar ceremony that Moonlight triumphed at. Yes, let us quickly go back and take a glance at the Film Independent Spirit Awards. That was where Moonlight did even better, winning everywhere that it was nominated. That was slightly unexpected, though in light of the Academy Award results, perhaps shouldn’t have been. Regardless, it was a history making weekend and one that independent cinema should have been proud of. As such, the Independent Spirit Awards deserve a tip of the cap too. The Spirit Awards went up and down the line for Barry Jenkins’ film, giving Moonlight a big sweep before it pulled the Oscar upset. You’ll see all of its wins below, as well as a horse of a different color with the Razzie results,...
- 3/6/2017
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
Taking place just a day before the Oscars, the Film Independent Spirit Awards is perhaps a pre-cursor, but more often than not it is simply a more eclectic round-up of the essential features of the past year. 2017 was no different with Barry Jenkins‘ stellar break-out drama Moonlight picking up Best Feature, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Cinematography, and the Robert Altman Award for the ensemble (which meant they weren’t nominated in the other categories).
Also featuring Isabelle Huppert, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster, Molly Shannon, two awards for The Witch, and more, check out the full list of winners below, as well as Nick Kroll and John Mulaney‘s hilarious opening monologue and more highlights from the show.
Best Feature – Moonlight
Best Director – Barry Jenkins, Moonlight
Best Female Lead – Isabelle Huppert, Elle
Best Male Lead – Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea
Best Supporting Female – Molly Shannon, Other People
Best Supporting Male – Ben Foster,...
Also featuring Isabelle Huppert, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster, Molly Shannon, two awards for The Witch, and more, check out the full list of winners below, as well as Nick Kroll and John Mulaney‘s hilarious opening monologue and more highlights from the show.
Best Feature – Moonlight
Best Director – Barry Jenkins, Moonlight
Best Female Lead – Isabelle Huppert, Elle
Best Male Lead – Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea
Best Supporting Female – Molly Shannon, Other People
Best Supporting Male – Ben Foster,...
- 2/26/2017
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The 32nd Independent Spirit Awards took place on Feb. 25 in Los Angeles. Many Oscar contenders — such as “Moonlight” and “Manchester by the Sea” — were nominated alongside smaller titles such as “American Honey” and “Chronic,” making for a truly unpredictable show.
Read More: 2017 Independent Spirit Awards: Who Will Win and Who Should Win — Critics Survey
The full list of nominees is below, with winners in bold.
Best Feature
“Moonlight”
“American Honey”
“Chronic”
“Jackie”
“Manchester by the Sea”
Best Director
Barry Jenkins –”Moonlight”
Andrea Arnold –”American Honey”
Pablo Larraín –”Jackie”
Jeff Nichols –”Loving”
Kelly Reichardt –”Certain Women”
Best Male Lead
Casey Affleck –”Manchester by the Sea” as Lee Chandler
David Harewood –”Free in Deed” as Abe Wilkins
Viggo Mortensen –”Captain Fantastic” as Ben Cash
Jesse Plemons –”Other People” as David Mulcahey
Tim Roth –”Chronic” as David Wilson
Best Female Lead
Isabelle Huppert –”Elle” as Michèle Leblanc
Annette Bening –”20th Century Women” as...
Read More: 2017 Independent Spirit Awards: Who Will Win and Who Should Win — Critics Survey
The full list of nominees is below, with winners in bold.
Best Feature
“Moonlight”
“American Honey”
“Chronic”
“Jackie”
“Manchester by the Sea”
Best Director
Barry Jenkins –”Moonlight”
Andrea Arnold –”American Honey”
Pablo Larraín –”Jackie”
Jeff Nichols –”Loving”
Kelly Reichardt –”Certain Women”
Best Male Lead
Casey Affleck –”Manchester by the Sea” as Lee Chandler
David Harewood –”Free in Deed” as Abe Wilkins
Viggo Mortensen –”Captain Fantastic” as Ben Cash
Jesse Plemons –”Other People” as David Mulcahey
Tim Roth –”Chronic” as David Wilson
Best Female Lead
Isabelle Huppert –”Elle” as Michèle Leblanc
Annette Bening –”20th Century Women” as...
- 2/26/2017
- by William Earl
- Indiewire
A24’s drama – and the distributor itself – enjoyed a huge Saturday afternoon at Film Independent’s 32nd annual Spirit Awards ceremony on the beach in Santa Monica.
Best feature winner Moonlight won six awards and took the plaudits on an afternoon that also sends best director winner Barry Jenkins to Sunday’s Oscars in high spirits and recognised Friday night’s César winner Isabelle Huppert for Elle and Casey Affleck for Manchester By The Sea in the lead acting categories.
Besides best feature and director, Moonlight won screenplay for Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McCraney, cinematography for James Laxton, and editing for Joi McMillon and Nat Sanders.
The film started the ceremony as joint frontrunner with American Honey on six nominations and converted all six, including the previously announced Robert Altman Award. American Honey went away empty-handed.
It was a triumphant afternoon for A24, which made its first financing foray on Moonlight and also distributed Robert Eggers’s first...
Best feature winner Moonlight won six awards and took the plaudits on an afternoon that also sends best director winner Barry Jenkins to Sunday’s Oscars in high spirits and recognised Friday night’s César winner Isabelle Huppert for Elle and Casey Affleck for Manchester By The Sea in the lead acting categories.
Besides best feature and director, Moonlight won screenplay for Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McCraney, cinematography for James Laxton, and editing for Joi McMillon and Nat Sanders.
The film started the ceremony as joint frontrunner with American Honey on six nominations and converted all six, including the previously announced Robert Altman Award. American Honey went away empty-handed.
It was a triumphant afternoon for A24, which made its first financing foray on Moonlight and also distributed Robert Eggers’s first...
- 2/26/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The 32nd annual Independent Spirit Awards, sponsored by Perrier-Jouët, kicked off Saturday at the Santa Monica Pier in California, honoring the best independent films of 2016.
Oscar contenders like Manchester by the Sea and Moonlight are both nominated for awards, alongside smaller films like American Honey and Chronic, making Saturday's awards ceremony truly anyone's game.
Related: Final Oscars Predictions 2017: Here's Who Should Win and Who Will Win the Biggest Awards!
Check back for updates to see who wins big.
Best Feature
American Honey
Chronic
Jackie
Manchester by the Sea
Moonlight
Best Director
Andrea Arnold –American Honey
Barry Jenkins –Moonlight
Pablo Larraín –Jackie
Jeff Nichols –Loving
Kelly Reichardt –Certain Women
Best Male Lead
Casey Affleck –Manchester by the Sea
David Harewood –Free in Deed
Viggo Mortensen –Captain Fantastic
Jesse Plemons –Other People
Tim Roth –Chronic
Best Female Lead
Annette Bening –20th Century Women
Isabelle Huppert –Elle
Sasha Lane –American Honey
Ruth Negga –Loving
Natalie Portman –Jackie
Best Supporting...
Oscar contenders like Manchester by the Sea and Moonlight are both nominated for awards, alongside smaller films like American Honey and Chronic, making Saturday's awards ceremony truly anyone's game.
Related: Final Oscars Predictions 2017: Here's Who Should Win and Who Will Win the Biggest Awards!
Check back for updates to see who wins big.
Best Feature
American Honey
Chronic
Jackie
Manchester by the Sea
Moonlight
Best Director
Andrea Arnold –American Honey
Barry Jenkins –Moonlight
Pablo Larraín –Jackie
Jeff Nichols –Loving
Kelly Reichardt –Certain Women
Best Male Lead
Casey Affleck –Manchester by the Sea
David Harewood –Free in Deed
Viggo Mortensen –Captain Fantastic
Jesse Plemons –Other People
Tim Roth –Chronic
Best Female Lead
Annette Bening –20th Century Women
Isabelle Huppert –Elle
Sasha Lane –American Honey
Ruth Negga –Loving
Natalie Portman –Jackie
Best Supporting...
- 2/25/2017
- Entertainment Tonight
We learned early last month that Nick Kroll and John Mulaney are co-hosting the Independent Spirit Awards, and now IndieWire can exclusively announce the presenters at this Saturday’s ceremony. Nine actors will be lending their talents to the proceedings: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Orlando Bloom, Viggo Mortensen, Kerry Washington, Miles Teller, Samuel L. Jackson, Freida Pinto, Fred Armisen and Amanda Peet.
Read More: Independent Spirit Awards: Nick Kroll and John Mulaney Love Spending Every Waking Hour Together in New Promos
In addition, Gary Clark Jr. is serving as the one-man house band for the ceremony, the Spirit Awards’ 32nd. The awards will be broadcast live on IFC at 5 p.m. Est this Saturday. Full list of nominees below.
Read More: 2017 Independent Spirit Awards: Nick Kroll and John Mulaney to Co-Host Ceremony
Best Feature:
“American Honey”
“Chronic”
“Jackie”
“Manchester by the Sea”
“Moonlight”
Best Director:
Andrea Arnold, “American Honey”
Barry Jenkins, “Moonlight”
Pablo Larraín,...
Read More: Independent Spirit Awards: Nick Kroll and John Mulaney Love Spending Every Waking Hour Together in New Promos
In addition, Gary Clark Jr. is serving as the one-man house band for the ceremony, the Spirit Awards’ 32nd. The awards will be broadcast live on IFC at 5 p.m. Est this Saturday. Full list of nominees below.
Read More: 2017 Independent Spirit Awards: Nick Kroll and John Mulaney to Co-Host Ceremony
Best Feature:
“American Honey”
“Chronic”
“Jackie”
“Manchester by the Sea”
“Moonlight”
Best Director:
Andrea Arnold, “American Honey”
Barry Jenkins, “Moonlight”
Pablo Larraín,...
- 2/23/2017
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Our 22 Favorite Movies Directed by Women in 2016Looking to support great female-directed films? Start here.
Over the years, we’ve heard from our readers that one of the most important things we can do is to help you discover movies that may have slipped by mainstream audiences. And often just as important, our readers ask that we highlight voices that are in the minority in Hollywood. While we’re known for not taking ourselves very seriously, we take this part of our work seriously. Because as many studies have shown, there are some voices that aren’t as well-represented as others. Them’s the facts.
Beyond that, our team has a passion for seeking out and celebrating films directed by women. This is where we often find, as you’re about to see in this list, some of the most unique and interesting stories in the whole of cinema. Another thing we hear often from readers is...
Over the years, we’ve heard from our readers that one of the most important things we can do is to help you discover movies that may have slipped by mainstream audiences. And often just as important, our readers ask that we highlight voices that are in the minority in Hollywood. While we’re known for not taking ourselves very seriously, we take this part of our work seriously. Because as many studies have shown, there are some voices that aren’t as well-represented as others. Them’s the facts.
Beyond that, our team has a passion for seeking out and celebrating films directed by women. This is where we often find, as you’re about to see in this list, some of the most unique and interesting stories in the whole of cinema. Another thing we hear often from readers is...
- 1/18/2017
- by Film School Rejects
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Fresh out of Nyu, filmmaker Nanfu Wang spent the summer of 2013 with maverick Chinese women’s right activist, Ye Haiyan (aka “Hooligan Sparrow”) as she protested and called attention to a child rapist who evaded sexual assault charges by claiming he had hired the young women for sex (in China it is common for rapists to hide behind far weaker prostitution laws).
Wang soon became part of Sparrow’s small group of activists travelling the country, being harassed by authorities and putting their lives put in danger. Wang eventually got out of China with her footage, framing up her riveting documentary, which premiered as “Hooligan Sparrow” at last year’s Sundance Film Festival.
Read More: Pablo Larraín On Catching Ghosts to Make His ‘Neruda’ and ‘Jackie’
Wang, who like Haiyan, grew up in rural China and had to leave school at early age to support her family, told IndieWire’s...
Wang soon became part of Sparrow’s small group of activists travelling the country, being harassed by authorities and putting their lives put in danger. Wang eventually got out of China with her footage, framing up her riveting documentary, which premiered as “Hooligan Sparrow” at last year’s Sundance Film Festival.
Read More: Pablo Larraín On Catching Ghosts to Make His ‘Neruda’ and ‘Jackie’
Wang, who like Haiyan, grew up in rural China and had to leave school at early age to support her family, told IndieWire’s...
- 1/13/2017
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
Awards season keeps ticking right along, but tonight’s Cinema Eye Honors promised at least a tiny respite from narrative-based filmmaking, as the New York City-set ceremony is all about honoring the best in the year’s documentary filmmaking.
Big winners included Kirsten Johnson’s “Cameraperson,” which picked up Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking, along with editing and cinematography wins. Right behind it was Ezra Edelman’s “O.J.: Made in America,” which earned Edelman a directing win, along with a production win for Edelman and Caroline Waterlow. Best TV offering went to “Making a Murderer.”
Nominations were lead by Raoul Peck’s “I Am Not Your Negro” and “O.J.: Made in America,” which each pulled in five nominations apiece, though Johnson’s “Cameraperson” and Gianfranco Rosi’s “Fire at Sea” aren’t far behind, with four nominations each. Both Peck and Rosi’s features ultimately walked away without an award.
Big winners included Kirsten Johnson’s “Cameraperson,” which picked up Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking, along with editing and cinematography wins. Right behind it was Ezra Edelman’s “O.J.: Made in America,” which earned Edelman a directing win, along with a production win for Edelman and Caroline Waterlow. Best TV offering went to “Making a Murderer.”
Nominations were lead by Raoul Peck’s “I Am Not Your Negro” and “O.J.: Made in America,” which each pulled in five nominations apiece, though Johnson’s “Cameraperson” and Gianfranco Rosi’s “Fire at Sea” aren’t far behind, with four nominations each. Both Peck and Rosi’s features ultimately walked away without an award.
- 1/12/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
No matter what happens on Oscar nominations Tuesday, there are going to be a number of great docs that are snubbed. It’s that simple. Will “Weiner,” “Tower” and “Fire at Sea” be a few of those films? It looks like it…at the moment. [Dec. 29]
Top Five
“Cameraperson,” Big Mouth Productions
“The Eagle Huntress,” Stacey Reiss Productions, Kissiki Films and 19340 Productions
“I Am Not Your Negro,” Velvet Film
“O.J.: Made in America,” Laylow Films and Espn Films
“13th,” Forward Movement
Almost There
“Command and Control,” American Experience Films/PBS
“Fire at Sea,” Stemal Entertainment
“Gleason,” Dear Rivers Productions, Exhibit A and Img Films
“Hooligan Sparrow,” Little Horse Crossing the River
“The Ivory Game,” Terra Mater Film Studios and Vulcan Productions
“Life, Animated,” Motto Pictures and A&E IndieFilms
“Tower,” Go-Valley
“Weiner,” Edgeline Films
“The Witness,” The Witnesses Film
“Zero Days,” Jigsaw Productions
Gregory Ellwood’s Current Oscar Predictions:
Best Picture...
Top Five
“Cameraperson,” Big Mouth Productions
“The Eagle Huntress,” Stacey Reiss Productions, Kissiki Films and 19340 Productions
“I Am Not Your Negro,” Velvet Film
“O.J.: Made in America,” Laylow Films and Espn Films
“13th,” Forward Movement
Almost There
“Command and Control,” American Experience Films/PBS
“Fire at Sea,” Stemal Entertainment
“Gleason,” Dear Rivers Productions, Exhibit A and Img Films
“Hooligan Sparrow,” Little Horse Crossing the River
“The Ivory Game,” Terra Mater Film Studios and Vulcan Productions
“Life, Animated,” Motto Pictures and A&E IndieFilms
“Tower,” Go-Valley
“Weiner,” Edgeline Films
“The Witness,” The Witnesses Film
“Zero Days,” Jigsaw Productions
Gregory Ellwood’s Current Oscar Predictions:
Best Picture...
- 12/30/2016
- by Gregory Ellwood
- The Playlist
Topics that were popular with Screen readers in 2016 included Blade Runner, Baahubali, our Cannes jury grid and of course, Brexit.Top 10 News
EU referendum result “devastating” for UK film and TVRupert Everett, Colin Firth begin filming Oscar Wilde biopic‘Blade Runner 2049’ will be R-rated, confirms Denis VilleneuveCannes: Sean Penn’s ‘The Last Face’ sets Jury Grid lowTop Korean directors, actors on government blacklistDisney’s ‘Zootopia’ renamed ‘Zootropolis’ for UK‘Banned’ Mohsen Makhmalbaf film to open Venice ClassicsBenedict Cumberbatch boards Buddhism docStar Wars: J.J. Abrams discusses Rey’s parents during Tribeca talkCannes: who’s in the running?Top 10 Reviews
‘Special Correspondents’: Tribeca Review‘Warcraft’: Review‘Hooligan Sparrow’: Sundance Review‘Your Name’: Busan Review‘The Jungle Book’: Review‘Captain America: Civil War’: Review‘Little Men’: Review‘Ghostbusters’: Review‘The Wailing’: Cannes Review‘Train To Busan’: Cannes ReviewTOP 10 Features
‘Baahubali: The Conclusion’, on location reportOlivier Assayas: Kristen Stewart is “the...
EU referendum result “devastating” for UK film and TVRupert Everett, Colin Firth begin filming Oscar Wilde biopic‘Blade Runner 2049’ will be R-rated, confirms Denis VilleneuveCannes: Sean Penn’s ‘The Last Face’ sets Jury Grid lowTop Korean directors, actors on government blacklistDisney’s ‘Zootopia’ renamed ‘Zootropolis’ for UK‘Banned’ Mohsen Makhmalbaf film to open Venice ClassicsBenedict Cumberbatch boards Buddhism docStar Wars: J.J. Abrams discusses Rey’s parents during Tribeca talkCannes: who’s in the running?Top 10 Reviews
‘Special Correspondents’: Tribeca Review‘Warcraft’: Review‘Hooligan Sparrow’: Sundance Review‘Your Name’: Busan Review‘The Jungle Book’: Review‘Captain America: Civil War’: Review‘Little Men’: Review‘Ghostbusters’: Review‘The Wailing’: Cannes Review‘Train To Busan’: Cannes ReviewTOP 10 Features
‘Baahubali: The Conclusion’, on location reportOlivier Assayas: Kristen Stewart is “the...
- 12/25/2016
- ScreenDaily
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit platforms. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.
American Honey (Andrea Arnold)
European directors have often faltered when crossing the Atlantic. Billy Wilder and Wim Wenders found things to say where Paolo Sorrentino could not. American Honey is certainly the former. Based on a 2007 article from the New York Times, it’s a backwater American road movie directed by an Englishwoman, Andrea Arnold, and shot by Irishman Robbie Ryan. We spot a few cowboys and gas stations and even the Grand Canyon,...
American Honey (Andrea Arnold)
European directors have often faltered when crossing the Atlantic. Billy Wilder and Wim Wenders found things to say where Paolo Sorrentino could not. American Honey is certainly the former. Based on a 2007 article from the New York Times, it’s a backwater American road movie directed by an Englishwoman, Andrea Arnold, and shot by Irishman Robbie Ryan. We spot a few cowboys and gas stations and even the Grand Canyon,...
- 12/16/2016
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Friday night’s 32nd annual International Documentary Association Awards at the Paramount Theater in Hollywood became another step in certifying a new American classic in Espn Films’ epic “O.J.: Made in America.”
Ezra Edelman’s nearly eight-hour documentary was named as the Ida’s 2016 Best Feature Award. It’s the latest in a series of accolades for the landmark saga of the life and trial of O.J. Simpson.
On the Best Short side, the top prize went to Netflix’s Syrian first-responders profile “The White Helmets,” from “Virunga” director/producer team Orlando von Einsiedel and Joanna Natasegara.
Ida members voted on these two categories from a list of six nominees each.
In addition to “The White Helmets,” Netflix programming comprised a significant portion of the evening’s winners. “Making a Murderer,” the true-crime investigation of the decade-spanning conviction and imprisonment of Steven Avery, was named Best Limited Series. The Best...
Ezra Edelman’s nearly eight-hour documentary was named as the Ida’s 2016 Best Feature Award. It’s the latest in a series of accolades for the landmark saga of the life and trial of O.J. Simpson.
On the Best Short side, the top prize went to Netflix’s Syrian first-responders profile “The White Helmets,” from “Virunga” director/producer team Orlando von Einsiedel and Joanna Natasegara.
Ida members voted on these two categories from a list of six nominees each.
In addition to “The White Helmets,” Netflix programming comprised a significant portion of the evening’s winners. “Making a Murderer,” the true-crime investigation of the decade-spanning conviction and imprisonment of Steven Avery, was named Best Limited Series. The Best...
- 12/10/2016
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
(Courtesy: Christopher Polk/Getty Images)
By: Carson Blackwelder
Managing Editor
We are finally on our way to finding out which film will be nominated and ultimately win the best documentary feature category at the Oscars taking place in 2017. While the Academy has announced their shortlist of 15 documentaries from which they’ll narrow down to the five nominees, the question still remains: can history perhaps tell us who will reign victorious?
This year’s shortlist is made up of the following films: Cameraperson; Command and Control; The Eagle Huntress; Fire at Sea; Gleason; Hooligan Sparrow; I Am Not Your Negro; The Ivory Game; Life, Animated; O.J.: Made in America; 13th; Tower; Weiner; The Witness; and Zero Days. Can the distributors — anywhere from theatrical to TV — of these films provide hints as to how the Oscars race will end up this year? Let’s take a look throughout the post-2000 history of the category and see.
By: Carson Blackwelder
Managing Editor
We are finally on our way to finding out which film will be nominated and ultimately win the best documentary feature category at the Oscars taking place in 2017. While the Academy has announced their shortlist of 15 documentaries from which they’ll narrow down to the five nominees, the question still remains: can history perhaps tell us who will reign victorious?
This year’s shortlist is made up of the following films: Cameraperson; Command and Control; The Eagle Huntress; Fire at Sea; Gleason; Hooligan Sparrow; I Am Not Your Negro; The Ivory Game; Life, Animated; O.J.: Made in America; 13th; Tower; Weiner; The Witness; and Zero Days. Can the distributors — anywhere from theatrical to TV — of these films provide hints as to how the Oscars race will end up this year? Let’s take a look throughout the post-2000 history of the category and see.
- 12/7/2016
- by Carson Blackwelder
- Scott Feinberg
The Ivory Game directors Kief Davidson and Richard Ladkani Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Kirsten Johnson's Cameraperson; Robert Kenner's Command And Control; Otto Bell's The Eagle Huntress; Gianfranco Rosi's Fire At Sea (Fuocoammare); Clay Tweel's Gleason; Nanfu Wang's Hooligan Sparrow; Raoul Peck's I Am Not Your Negro; Kief Davidson and Richard Ladkani's The Ivory Game; Roger Ross Williams's Life, Animated; Ezra Edelman's O.J.: Made In America; Ava DuVernay's 13th; Keith Maitland's Tower; Elyse Steinberg and Josh Kriegman's Weiner; James D Solomon's The Witness and Alex Gibney's Zero Days are a step closer to garnering a Best Documentary Oscar nomination.
Directors Raoul Peck, I Am Not Your Negro and Ezra Edelman, O.J.: Made in America Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Documentary Branch determined the shortlist in a preliminary round of voting on the 145 submitted titles.
Kirsten Johnson's Cameraperson; Robert Kenner's Command And Control; Otto Bell's The Eagle Huntress; Gianfranco Rosi's Fire At Sea (Fuocoammare); Clay Tweel's Gleason; Nanfu Wang's Hooligan Sparrow; Raoul Peck's I Am Not Your Negro; Kief Davidson and Richard Ladkani's The Ivory Game; Roger Ross Williams's Life, Animated; Ezra Edelman's O.J.: Made In America; Ava DuVernay's 13th; Keith Maitland's Tower; Elyse Steinberg and Josh Kriegman's Weiner; James D Solomon's The Witness and Alex Gibney's Zero Days are a step closer to garnering a Best Documentary Oscar nomination.
Directors Raoul Peck, I Am Not Your Negro and Ezra Edelman, O.J.: Made in America Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Documentary Branch determined the shortlist in a preliminary round of voting on the 145 submitted titles.
- 12/7/2016
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Oscar has winnowed down that massive Best Documentary Semi-Finals list to a more manageable fifteen. We've reviewed just over two thirds of them. Nine are currently available to stream online (handy links provided) and four are in select theaters. The finalists for the five nominations are...
Cameraperson (In Theaters / on Criterion Collection Blu-Ray February 2017) Command and Control (coming to PBS in January) The Eagle Huntress (In Theaters) Fire at Sea (In Theaters) Gleason (available to rent on Amazon) Hooligan Sparrow (streaming on Netflix) I Am Not Your Negro (In Theaters Feb 2017) The Ivory Game (streaming on Netflix) Life, Animated (available to rent on iTunes) O.J.: Made in America (series available to purchase on iTunes) 13th (streaming on Netflix) Tower (In Theaters) Weiner (available to buy on iTunes) The Witness (streaming on Netflix) Zero Days (available to buy on iTunes)
What's missing? Well, what isn't. There are always scads of depressing omissions.
Cameraperson (In Theaters / on Criterion Collection Blu-Ray February 2017) Command and Control (coming to PBS in January) The Eagle Huntress (In Theaters) Fire at Sea (In Theaters) Gleason (available to rent on Amazon) Hooligan Sparrow (streaming on Netflix) I Am Not Your Negro (In Theaters Feb 2017) The Ivory Game (streaming on Netflix) Life, Animated (available to rent on iTunes) O.J.: Made in America (series available to purchase on iTunes) 13th (streaming on Netflix) Tower (In Theaters) Weiner (available to buy on iTunes) The Witness (streaming on Netflix) Zero Days (available to buy on iTunes)
What's missing? Well, what isn't. There are always scads of depressing omissions.
- 12/6/2016
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
The Academy documentary branch’s shortlist of 15 represents a diverse range of films from all over the world, representing strong political views as well as high artistry. However, this year also stands as the first HBO shutout in recent memory — perhaps because they didn’t campaign assertively.
Rivals PBS landed five, Independent Lens and Showtime three, Netflix two, and American Experience Films, Pov, A&E, Amazon Studios, and Espn each have one. Theatrical distributors Kino Lorber and Magnolia had two, with Sundance Selects, Sony Pictures Classics, Open Road, Janus Films, Film Rise, The Film Collaborative and The Orchard one.
But which will make the final five? Those screeners will eventually be sent to the entire Academy — who have more mainstream taste than this group of professional documentarians. For now, this more demanding group will winnow down the list.
Films on similar topics could knock each other out. For example, voters...
Rivals PBS landed five, Independent Lens and Showtime three, Netflix two, and American Experience Films, Pov, A&E, Amazon Studios, and Espn each have one. Theatrical distributors Kino Lorber and Magnolia had two, with Sundance Selects, Sony Pictures Classics, Open Road, Janus Films, Film Rise, The Film Collaborative and The Orchard one.
But which will make the final five? Those screeners will eventually be sent to the entire Academy — who have more mainstream taste than this group of professional documentarians. For now, this more demanding group will winnow down the list.
Films on similar topics could knock each other out. For example, voters...
- 12/6/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The Academy documentary branch’s shortlist of 15 represents a diverse range of films from all over the world, representing strong political views as well as high artistry. However, this year also stands as the first HBO shutout in recent memory — perhaps because they didn’t campaign assertively.
Rivals PBS landed five, Independent Lens and Showtime three, Netflix two, and American Experience Films, Pov, A&E, Amazon Studios, and Espn each have one. Theatrical distributors Kino Lorber and Magnolia had two, with Sundance Selects, Sony Pictures Classics, Open Road, Janus Films, Film Rise, The Film Collaborative and The Orchard one.
PBS films — 3 are Independent Lens (Tower, I Am Not Your Negro and The Witness), one is Pov (Cameraperson) and one is American Experience (Command And Control.)
best,
Mary Lugo
But which will make the final five? Those screeners will eventually be sent to the entire Academy — who have more mainstream taste...
Rivals PBS landed five, Independent Lens and Showtime three, Netflix two, and American Experience Films, Pov, A&E, Amazon Studios, and Espn each have one. Theatrical distributors Kino Lorber and Magnolia had two, with Sundance Selects, Sony Pictures Classics, Open Road, Janus Films, Film Rise, The Film Collaborative and The Orchard one.
PBS films — 3 are Independent Lens (Tower, I Am Not Your Negro and The Witness), one is Pov (Cameraperson) and one is American Experience (Command And Control.)
best,
Mary Lugo
But which will make the final five? Those screeners will eventually be sent to the entire Academy — who have more mainstream taste...
- 12/6/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences on Tuesday announced its shortlist of 15 documentary features.
The documentary branch determined the shortlist from a pool of 145 submissions and will select the five nominees to be announced on January 24.
The 15 films are listed below in alphabetical order are:
Cameraperson
Command and Control
The Eagle Huntress
Fire At Sea (pictured)
Gleason
Hooligan Sparrow
I Am Not Your Negro
The Ivory Game
Life, Animated
O.J.: Made In America
13th
Tower
Weiner
The Witness
Zero Days.
The 89th Oscars will be held on February 26, in Hollywood.
The documentary branch determined the shortlist from a pool of 145 submissions and will select the five nominees to be announced on January 24.
The 15 films are listed below in alphabetical order are:
Cameraperson
Command and Control
The Eagle Huntress
Fire At Sea (pictured)
Gleason
Hooligan Sparrow
I Am Not Your Negro
The Ivory Game
Life, Animated
O.J.: Made In America
13th
Tower
Weiner
The Witness
Zero Days.
The 89th Oscars will be held on February 26, in Hollywood.
- 12/6/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences on Tuesday announced its shortlist of 15 documentary features.
The documentary branch determined the shortlist from a pool of 145 submissions and will select the five nominees to be announced on January 24.
The 15 films are listed below in alphabetical order are:
Cameraperson
Command and Control
The Eagle Huntress
Fire At Sea (pictured)
Gleason
Hooligan Sparrow
I Am Not Your Negro
The Ivory Game
Life, Animated
O.J.: Made In America
13th
Tower
Weiner
The Witness
Zero Days.
The 89th Oscars will be held on February 26, in Hollywood.
The documentary branch determined the shortlist from a pool of 145 submissions and will select the five nominees to be announced on January 24.
The 15 films are listed below in alphabetical order are:
Cameraperson
Command and Control
The Eagle Huntress
Fire At Sea (pictured)
Gleason
Hooligan Sparrow
I Am Not Your Negro
The Ivory Game
Life, Animated
O.J.: Made In America
13th
Tower
Weiner
The Witness
Zero Days.
The 89th Oscars will be held on February 26, in Hollywood.
- 12/6/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
In a year in which the quantity and quality of film documentaries has been better than ever, it's gratifying to report that the documentary branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has included almost all of the cream of the crop on its shortlist of 15 from which it now will begin selecting five nominees: Cameraperson; Command and Control; The Eagle Huntress; Fire at Sea; Gleason; Hooligan Sparrow; I Am Not Your Negro; The Ivory Game; Life, Animated; O.J.: Made in America; 13th; Tower; Weiner; The Witness; and Zero Days.
Of the 15 titles...
Of the 15 titles...
- 12/6/2016
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science has announced the 15 films that comprise this year’s Best Documentary shortlist, with “O.J.: Made in America,” “13th” and “I Am Not Your Negro” among the unsurprising inclusions. Notably absent, meanwhile, are the likes of “Amanda Knox” and “Jim: The James Foley Story.” A total of 145 features were submitted this year, and the five nominees will be announced on the morning of January 24. Full list below:
Read More: Oscars 2017 Documentary Shortlist Predictions: Anne Thompson Weighs In With Top Picks
“13th”
“Cameraperson”
“Command and Control”
“The Eagle Huntress”
“Fire at Sea”
“Gleason”
“Hooligan Sparrow”
“I Am Not Your Negro”
Read More: Oscars Documentary Race Heats up With 145 Features in Contention
“The Ivory Game”
“Life, Animated”
“O.J.: Made in America”
“Tower”
“Weiner”
“The Witness”
“Zero Days”
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Read More: Oscars 2017 Documentary Shortlist Predictions: Anne Thompson Weighs In With Top Picks
“13th”
“Cameraperson”
“Command and Control”
“The Eagle Huntress”
“Fire at Sea”
“Gleason”
“Hooligan Sparrow”
“I Am Not Your Negro”
Read More: Oscars Documentary Race Heats up With 145 Features in Contention
“The Ivory Game”
“Life, Animated”
“O.J.: Made in America”
“Tower”
“Weiner”
“The Witness”
“Zero Days”
Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
- 12/6/2016
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Jenny Slate and Edgar Ramírez announced the 2017 Independent Spirit Award nominations live from the W Hollywood this morning, with “American Honey,” “Jackie,” “Manchester by the Sea” and “Moonlight” all doing especially well for themselves — each film was nominated for Best Feature, Director and several other awards. The ceremony itself will air on IFC on February 25. Here’s the full list of nominees:
Read More: Here’s How the Independent Spirit Awards Will Impact the Oscar Race: Analysis
Best Feature:
“American Honey”
“Chronic”
“Jackie”
“Manchester by the Sea”
“Moonlight”
Best Director:
Andrea Arnold, “American Honey”
Barry Jenkins, “Moonlight”
Pablo Larraín, “Jackie”
Jeff Nichols, “Loving”
Kelly Reichardt, “Certain Women”
Best First Feature:
“The Childhood of a Leader”
“The Fits”
“Other People”
“Swiss Army Man”
“The Witch”
Best Female Lead:
Annette Bening, “20th Century Women”
Isabelle Huppert, “Elle”
Sasha Lane, “American Honey”
Ruth Negga, “Loving”
Natalie Portman, “Jackie”
Best Male Lead:
Casey Affleck,...
Read More: Here’s How the Independent Spirit Awards Will Impact the Oscar Race: Analysis
Best Feature:
“American Honey”
“Chronic”
“Jackie”
“Manchester by the Sea”
“Moonlight”
Best Director:
Andrea Arnold, “American Honey”
Barry Jenkins, “Moonlight”
Pablo Larraín, “Jackie”
Jeff Nichols, “Loving”
Kelly Reichardt, “Certain Women”
Best First Feature:
“The Childhood of a Leader”
“The Fits”
“Other People”
“Swiss Army Man”
“The Witch”
Best Female Lead:
Annette Bening, “20th Century Women”
Isabelle Huppert, “Elle”
Sasha Lane, “American Honey”
Ruth Negga, “Loving”
Natalie Portman, “Jackie”
Best Male Lead:
Casey Affleck,...
- 11/22/2016
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Other winners include Sand Storm, American Honey, Old Stone, Hooligan Sparrow.
The jury of the 27th Stockholm International Film Festival has given the top award, the Bronze Horse, to Bulgarian director Ralitza Petrova for Godless.
The film previously won the Golden Leopard in Locarno as well as the New Talent Grant Pix in Copenhagen last week. It tells the story of a young physiotherapist struggling to survive in an economically depressed mountain town in post-Communist Bulgaria, who forms an unlikely bond with one of her elderly patients.
The jury — comprised of producer Annika Rogell, directors Roland Vranik, Wayne Roberts and Frida Kempff, and actress Julia Ragnarsson – said the film was “an astonishing masterpiece. This is filmmaking of the highest order and marks the arrival of a new great within cinema. A film that will forever live in the hearts and minds of viewers. It is a true work of art and, simply put, is...
The jury of the 27th Stockholm International Film Festival has given the top award, the Bronze Horse, to Bulgarian director Ralitza Petrova for Godless.
The film previously won the Golden Leopard in Locarno as well as the New Talent Grant Pix in Copenhagen last week. It tells the story of a young physiotherapist struggling to survive in an economically depressed mountain town in post-Communist Bulgaria, who forms an unlikely bond with one of her elderly patients.
The jury — comprised of producer Annika Rogell, directors Roland Vranik, Wayne Roberts and Frida Kempff, and actress Julia Ragnarsson – said the film was “an astonishing masterpiece. This is filmmaking of the highest order and marks the arrival of a new great within cinema. A film that will forever live in the hearts and minds of viewers. It is a true work of art and, simply put, is...
- 11/20/2016
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
The nominees for the 10th annual Cinema Eye Honors have been announced, with “I Am Not Your Negro” and “Oj: Made in America” both receiving five each. They’re followed in short order by “Cameraperson” and “Fire at Sea,” which along with “Weiner” are all in contention for the top prize. A total of 37 features and five shorts will be in contention at the upcoming ceremony, which “Hoop Dreams” director Steve James will host from the Museum of the Moving Image on January 11. Here’s the full list of nominees:
Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking
“Cameraperson” (Kirsten Johnson)
“Fire at Sea” (Gianfranco Rosi)
“I Am Not Your Negro” (Raoul Peck)
“Oj: Made in America” (Ezra Edelman)
“Weiner” (Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg)
Outstanding Achievement in Direction
Kirsten Johnson, “Cameraperson”
Gianfranco Rosi, “Fire at Sea”
Raoul Peck, “I Am Not Your Negro”
Robert Greene, “Kate Plays Christine”
Ezra Edelman, “Oj:...
Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking
“Cameraperson” (Kirsten Johnson)
“Fire at Sea” (Gianfranco Rosi)
“I Am Not Your Negro” (Raoul Peck)
“Oj: Made in America” (Ezra Edelman)
“Weiner” (Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg)
Outstanding Achievement in Direction
Kirsten Johnson, “Cameraperson”
Gianfranco Rosi, “Fire at Sea”
Raoul Peck, “I Am Not Your Negro”
Robert Greene, “Kate Plays Christine”
Ezra Edelman, “Oj:...
- 11/2/2016
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Late last week, another long list appeared out of thin air to clue us in to what AMPAS might be up to this year. Here, it was the near record 145 contenders up for nominations in Best Documentary Feature. Below you’ll see all of the 145, but I also want to just point out that the ultimate five nominees could literally be any one of them. Sure, there are some smarter bets, which I’ll address momentarily, but the way the Academy works, it may just come down to which winds wind up getting seen. Oscar will have their say soon, but until then, it’s a guessing game. Still, that’s kind of what I do for a living. As such, let the guessing on my part continue! It can sometimes be hard to figure out which hopefuls turn out to be the frontrunners, but there’s definitely some higher end titles.
- 10/31/2016
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
Glenn here. Despite writing about (at least) one documentary a week since March, it feels like we've barely made a dint in covering the mammoth list of 145 titles that will be competing for the five coveted nominations in Best Documentary Feature category at the upcoming Oscars. Collectively, The Film Experience has reviewed 30 of the list, and we hope to cover a bunch more as we get closer to nominations.
There are a lot of noteworthy titles on this list so even making it to the 15-strong shortlist will be tough. And it's worth remembering that big titles are left off and smaller little-known titles get elevated every year. I have never heard of quite a few of these - and many others only have/had qualifying runs with releases planned for 2017 so it's impossible to really gauge some of them. What big titles will be left off? Will the recent scandals help or hinder Weiner,...
There are a lot of noteworthy titles on this list so even making it to the 15-strong shortlist will be tough. And it's worth remembering that big titles are left off and smaller little-known titles get elevated every year. I have never heard of quite a few of these - and many others only have/had qualifying runs with releases planned for 2017 so it's impossible to really gauge some of them. What big titles will be left off? Will the recent scandals help or hinder Weiner,...
- 10/30/2016
- by Glenn Dunks
- FilmExperience
A total of 145 feature documentaries were submitted to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for consideration for the 89th Academy Awards.
Out of those films the members of the Academy’s documentary branch will select a shortlist of 15 features that will be announced in December, and the five nominations will be announced on January 24.
Read More: Documentary, Now: Three Rock Stars Who Run the Fast-Changing Non-Fiction World
Among the titles included in the list are Ava DuVernay’s “13th,” the Sundance Documentary Grand Jury Prize winner “Weiner” by Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg, Raoul Peck’s Toronto Film Festival Audience Award winner “I Am Not Your Negro,” the visually stunning “Voyage of Time: The Imax Experience” by Terrence Malik and Otto Bell’s “The Eagle Huntress.”
Read More: Oscars 2017: 10 Documentary Shorts Vie for Nominations
This year Asif Kapadia and James Gay-Rees’ film “Amy” about British singer Amy Winehouse...
Out of those films the members of the Academy’s documentary branch will select a shortlist of 15 features that will be announced in December, and the five nominations will be announced on January 24.
Read More: Documentary, Now: Three Rock Stars Who Run the Fast-Changing Non-Fiction World
Among the titles included in the list are Ava DuVernay’s “13th,” the Sundance Documentary Grand Jury Prize winner “Weiner” by Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg, Raoul Peck’s Toronto Film Festival Audience Award winner “I Am Not Your Negro,” the visually stunning “Voyage of Time: The Imax Experience” by Terrence Malik and Otto Bell’s “The Eagle Huntress.”
Read More: Oscars 2017: 10 Documentary Shorts Vie for Nominations
This year Asif Kapadia and James Gay-Rees’ film “Amy” about British singer Amy Winehouse...
- 10/29/2016
- by Liz Calvario
- Indiewire
Cinema Eye, the organization that recognizes outstanding craft and artistry in nonfiction filmmaking, has announced their annual list of The Unforgettables, designed to highlight “this year’s most notable and significant nonfiction film subjects.” This is Cinema Eye’s tenth anniversary year, and the fourth straight year that they have unveiled their list of Unforgettables, which IndieWire is very happy to exclusively reveal below.
The Unforgettables list aims to celebrate the year’s most exciting collaborations between filmmakers and their subjects, and it’s hard to imagine a list more representative of that ideal than this one. Standouts include director Kirsten Johnson of “Cameraperson,” actress Kate Sheil of “Kate Plays Christine,” subject Sharon Jones of “Miss Sharon Jones!” and both Huma Abedin and Anthony Weiner from the revealing feature “Weiner.” And that’s just the start of a list that’s wonderfully representative of some of this year’s most indelible doc subjects.
The Unforgettables list aims to celebrate the year’s most exciting collaborations between filmmakers and their subjects, and it’s hard to imagine a list more representative of that ideal than this one. Standouts include director Kirsten Johnson of “Cameraperson,” actress Kate Sheil of “Kate Plays Christine,” subject Sharon Jones of “Miss Sharon Jones!” and both Huma Abedin and Anthony Weiner from the revealing feature “Weiner.” And that’s just the start of a list that’s wonderfully representative of some of this year’s most indelible doc subjects.
- 10/19/2016
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
The 27th edition of the Stockholm International Film Festival (Nov 9 - 20) will present 200 films from 70 countries.
The Stockholm International Film Festival will kick-off with Ken Loach’s Palme d’Or winner I, Daniel Blake, followed by a mid-festival ‘middle film’ screening in the shape of Nate Parker’s Birth of A Nation, and will close with Kenneth Lonergan’s Manchester By The Sea.
Directors attending the festival include Francis Ford Coppola (who will receive the lifetime achievement award, present a public talk, and screen Apocalypse Now), Ken Loach, Francois Ozon (who receives the festival’s Visionary Award), Ira Sachs, Alice Lowe, Mark Cousins, Anne Fontaine, Gabe Klinger, and many more.
The festival’s main competition line-up is:
A Decent Woman by Lukas Valenta Rinner (Arg, S Kor, Aus)A Taste Of Ink by Morgan Simon (Fr)Albüm by Mehmet Can Mertoğlu (Tur, Fr, Rom)Are We Not Cats by Xander Robin (Us)Birth Of A Nation by [link...
The Stockholm International Film Festival will kick-off with Ken Loach’s Palme d’Or winner I, Daniel Blake, followed by a mid-festival ‘middle film’ screening in the shape of Nate Parker’s Birth of A Nation, and will close with Kenneth Lonergan’s Manchester By The Sea.
Directors attending the festival include Francis Ford Coppola (who will receive the lifetime achievement award, present a public talk, and screen Apocalypse Now), Ken Loach, Francois Ozon (who receives the festival’s Visionary Award), Ira Sachs, Alice Lowe, Mark Cousins, Anne Fontaine, Gabe Klinger, and many more.
The festival’s main competition line-up is:
A Decent Woman by Lukas Valenta Rinner (Arg, S Kor, Aus)A Taste Of Ink by Morgan Simon (Fr)Albüm by Mehmet Can Mertoğlu (Tur, Fr, Rom)Are We Not Cats by Xander Robin (Us)Birth Of A Nation by [link...
- 10/18/2016
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
Hooligan Sparrow, a chilling documentary about child rape in China and the government’s efforts to silence protesters, airs on PBS as part of their Pov series. The hard-hitting film by debut filmmaker Nanfu Wang follows the story of human rights activist Ye Haiyan as she attempts to raise awareness of a harrowing incident in 2013 where six girls aged 11 to 14 were sexually assaulted by their school principal and an education official. Ye Haiyan, aka Hooligan Sparrow, made headlines when she took part in a protest following the incident reading: “Hey principal, get a room with me. Leave the...read more...
- 10/17/2016
- by Julian Cheatle
- Monsters and Critics
Los Angeles, CA (October 10, 2016) . The Broadcast Film Critics Association (Bfca) and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association (Btja) have announced the nominees for the inaugural Critics. Choice Documentary Awards. The winners will be presented their awards at a gala event on Thursday, November 3, 2016 at Bric, in Brooklyn, New York.
.It is an amazing time for documentaries, with the ever-increasing number of platforms enabling producers to reach enthusiastic and growing audiences for non-fiction storytelling,. said Bfca and Btja President Joey Berlin.
.This is clearly demonstrated in the depth and quality of our inaugural nominees. We have a wealth of brilliant creators who are bringing to light some of the most entertaining and illuminating stories being told today. Indeed, documentary filmmaking is modern investigative journalism. We look forward to celebrating all these fine and important achievements at the first Critics. Choice Documentary Awards gala on November 3rd..
13th, 30 For 30: O.J.: Made in America...
.It is an amazing time for documentaries, with the ever-increasing number of platforms enabling producers to reach enthusiastic and growing audiences for non-fiction storytelling,. said Bfca and Btja President Joey Berlin.
.This is clearly demonstrated in the depth and quality of our inaugural nominees. We have a wealth of brilliant creators who are bringing to light some of the most entertaining and illuminating stories being told today. Indeed, documentary filmmaking is modern investigative journalism. We look forward to celebrating all these fine and important achievements at the first Critics. Choice Documentary Awards gala on November 3rd..
13th, 30 For 30: O.J.: Made in America...
- 10/11/2016
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
The Broadcast Film Critics Association (Bfca) and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association (Btja) have announced the nominees for their inaugural Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards, taking place next month at a first-time gala event in Brooklyn, New York. Ava DuVernay’s “13th,” Ezra Edelman’s “O.J.: Made in America” and Clay Tweel’s “Gleason” lead the pack of nominees, with five nominations each. Other nominees include Kirsten Johnson’s “Cameraperson,” the gob-smacking “Weiner” and recent Netflix features “Amanda Knox” and “Audrie & Daisy.”
“It is an amazing time for documentaries, with the ever-increasing number of platforms enabling producers to reach enthusiastic and growing audiences for non-fiction storytelling,” said Bfca and Btja President Joey Berlin. “This is clearly demonstrated in the depth and quality of our inaugural nominees. We have a wealth of brilliant creators who are bringing to light some of the most entertaining and illuminating stories being told today. Indeed, documentary filmmaking is modern investigative journalism.
“It is an amazing time for documentaries, with the ever-increasing number of platforms enabling producers to reach enthusiastic and growing audiences for non-fiction storytelling,” said Bfca and Btja President Joey Berlin. “This is clearly demonstrated in the depth and quality of our inaugural nominees. We have a wealth of brilliant creators who are bringing to light some of the most entertaining and illuminating stories being told today. Indeed, documentary filmmaking is modern investigative journalism.
- 10/10/2016
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Top brass at the International Documentary Association (Ida) have announced the honourees at its upcoming 32nd Annual Documentary Awards.
Lyn and Norman Lear will receive the Amicus Award, while Stanley Nelson will receive the Career Achievement Award, and Ally Derks the Pioneer Award. Hooligan Sparrow director Nanfu Wang (pictured) will receive the Emerging Documentary Filmmaker award.
The Ida will also hand out awards in several categories including best feature documentary, best short documentary, David L. Wolper Student Documentary Award, and best limited series.
“Our honourees this year include veteran and emerging filmmakers, illustrating how vital the documentary field is,” said executive director Simon Kilmurry.
“Stanley Nelson’s body of work is unsurpassed and Nanfu Wang is a bold and brave emerging talent. Ally Derks had the vision to found the International Documentary Festival of Amsterdam, one of the oldest and certainly the largest documentary festival in the world, long before documentaries became cool. And Norman...
Lyn and Norman Lear will receive the Amicus Award, while Stanley Nelson will receive the Career Achievement Award, and Ally Derks the Pioneer Award. Hooligan Sparrow director Nanfu Wang (pictured) will receive the Emerging Documentary Filmmaker award.
The Ida will also hand out awards in several categories including best feature documentary, best short documentary, David L. Wolper Student Documentary Award, and best limited series.
“Our honourees this year include veteran and emerging filmmakers, illustrating how vital the documentary field is,” said executive director Simon Kilmurry.
“Stanley Nelson’s body of work is unsurpassed and Nanfu Wang is a bold and brave emerging talent. Ally Derks had the vision to found the International Documentary Festival of Amsterdam, one of the oldest and certainly the largest documentary festival in the world, long before documentaries became cool. And Norman...
- 10/6/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
This will be my second time participating in Ifp Film Week. Last year, I attended with my first film, Hooligan Sparrow, which was in post-production and later premiered at Sundance in January. Before Ifp Film Week Last year, I knew nothing about the film industry (and I’m still learning now). Many of the people and companies I met with were unfamiliar to me. Immediately after receiving my meeting schedule, I spent half a day researching who was who, what they did, and what films they worked on. Most of this information was available through simple Google searches. I wrote down […]...
- 9/18/2016
- by Nanfu Wang
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
It seems reasonable to expect that a movie called “The Great Wall,” billed as the biggest production in China’s filmmaking history, would feature Chinese actors. Instead, when Universal and Legendary released the trailer for Zhang Yimou’s film, the first face viewers saw was that of the decidedly white Matt Damon, fighting monsters atop the Middle Kingdom’s most famous monument.
In America, it was a call to arms in the battle against whitewashing, that curious tendency to insert Caucasian faces where history tells us there were none. “We have to stop perpetuating the racist myth that only a white man can save the world,” wrote comedian and “Fresh Off the Boat” star Constance Wu in a lengthy, impassioned statement posted to Twitter. “Our heroes don’t look like Matt Damon.”
China had another take. There, the prevailing sentiment over the trespass on their national identity might best be described as a Whatevs.
In America, it was a call to arms in the battle against whitewashing, that curious tendency to insert Caucasian faces where history tells us there were none. “We have to stop perpetuating the racist myth that only a white man can save the world,” wrote comedian and “Fresh Off the Boat” star Constance Wu in a lengthy, impassioned statement posted to Twitter. “Our heroes don’t look like Matt Damon.”
China had another take. There, the prevailing sentiment over the trespass on their national identity might best be described as a Whatevs.
- 8/30/2016
- by Aaron Fox-Lerner
- Indiewire
Consider this: China is why “Warcraft” will have a sequel. Meanwhile, Steven Spielberg’s last three films didn’t even see a Chinese release.
This isn’t box-office trivia. China could soon be Hollywood’s biggest market, and understanding what works there will become central to production strategies. The biggest bucks will go to what’s closest to one size fits all. Movies that appeal primarily to domestic audiences will have lower budgets.
To get a sense of what that might mean, here are the top 20 Us releases in China this year. They’re ranked by their Chinese box-office gross, followed by numbers that compare their placement to the films’ domestic and total international rankings.
Read More: ‘Warcraft’ Is the Most Successful Video-Game Adaptation of All Time — But It’s Still Losing Money
Top 20 2016 Us Releases in China
(Based on films released in the Us this year; the #s after...
This isn’t box-office trivia. China could soon be Hollywood’s biggest market, and understanding what works there will become central to production strategies. The biggest bucks will go to what’s closest to one size fits all. Movies that appeal primarily to domestic audiences will have lower budgets.
To get a sense of what that might mean, here are the top 20 Us releases in China this year. They’re ranked by their Chinese box-office gross, followed by numbers that compare their placement to the films’ domestic and total international rankings.
Read More: ‘Warcraft’ Is the Most Successful Video-Game Adaptation of All Time — But It’s Still Losing Money
Top 20 2016 Us Releases in China
(Based on films released in the Us this year; the #s after...
- 8/25/2016
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
Keep up with the always-hopping film festival world with our weekly Film Festival Roundup column. Check out last week’s Roundup right here.
– Exclusive: The 24th Annual Hamptons International Film Festival has unveiled its exclusive poster from artist John Alexander. Alexander is a local Hamptons resident and the official 2016 Hiff poster will be based off of his “Ship of Fools” work.
This year’s festival will run from October 6-10. Film titles will be announced at a later date. You can find out more about the festival at its official website. Check out the official poster below.
– USA-based Stage 32, the world’s largest online platform connecting and educating film, TV and theater professionals, will be presenting its short film program at the 2016 Hollyshorts Film Festival in Los Angeles, CA on Friday, August 19 at the Harmony Gold Theater in Hollywood. The winning filmmakers were chosen by executives from The Weinstein Company,...
– Exclusive: The 24th Annual Hamptons International Film Festival has unveiled its exclusive poster from artist John Alexander. Alexander is a local Hamptons resident and the official 2016 Hiff poster will be based off of his “Ship of Fools” work.
This year’s festival will run from October 6-10. Film titles will be announced at a later date. You can find out more about the festival at its official website. Check out the official poster below.
– USA-based Stage 32, the world’s largest online platform connecting and educating film, TV and theater professionals, will be presenting its short film program at the 2016 Hollyshorts Film Festival in Los Angeles, CA on Friday, August 19 at the Harmony Gold Theater in Hollywood. The winning filmmakers were chosen by executives from The Weinstein Company,...
- 8/11/2016
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
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