After making their first narrative feature “Nyad,” which debuted last year and earned Oscar nominations for the film’s stars Annette Bening and Jodie Foster, Academy Award winning directors Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi (“Free Solo”) are returning to their documentary roots with “Photographer.”
The six-part National Geographic docuseries features seven photographers — Cristina Mittermeier and Paul Nicklen, Dan Winters, Campbell Addy, Krystle Wright, Muhammed Muheisen, and Anand Varma. Vérité footage of each subject’s current mission is interwoven with interviews and archival footage to demonstrate how each photographer approaches their work, the intention behind that work, their process, and how they each discover, see and experience the world.
To bring each of the National Geographic photographers’ stories to life, showrunners Chin and Vasarhelyi hired six veteran documentary filmmakers: Marshall Curry (“Racing Dreams”), Crystal Kayiza (“Rest Stop”), Sam Pollard (“MLK/FBI”), Kristi Jacobson (“Solitary”) Rita Baghdadi (“Sirens”) and Pagan Harleman...
The six-part National Geographic docuseries features seven photographers — Cristina Mittermeier and Paul Nicklen, Dan Winters, Campbell Addy, Krystle Wright, Muhammed Muheisen, and Anand Varma. Vérité footage of each subject’s current mission is interwoven with interviews and archival footage to demonstrate how each photographer approaches their work, the intention behind that work, their process, and how they each discover, see and experience the world.
To bring each of the National Geographic photographers’ stories to life, showrunners Chin and Vasarhelyi hired six veteran documentary filmmakers: Marshall Curry (“Racing Dreams”), Crystal Kayiza (“Rest Stop”), Sam Pollard (“MLK/FBI”), Kristi Jacobson (“Solitary”) Rita Baghdadi (“Sirens”) and Pagan Harleman...
- 3/18/2024
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Variety is premiering the trailer (below) for feature documentary “Transition,” which follows Australian filmmaker Jordan Bryon, a trans man, as he embeds with a Taliban unit as they retake control of Afghanistan.
The film, directed by Monica Villamizar and Bryon, will be released in the U.S. on March 26 by Gravitas Ventures. The film is available now for pre-order on Apple. AGC International is selling it at the European Film Market this week.
“Transition” is produced by Villamizar and was financed by AGC Unwritten and Our Time Projects. Academy Award-nominated documentary director Matthew Heineman (“Cartel Land”) is executive producing with Stuart Ford, Lourdes Diaz, Joel Zimmer, Bj Levin, Sebastian Hernandez, Juan Manuel Betancourt and Joedan Okun.
The film’s primary subjects are Bryon, Afghan cinematographer Farzad Fetrat (“Teddy”) and Iranian-Canadian photojournalist Kiana Hayeri.
“Transition” had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival to audience and critical acclaim and was...
The film, directed by Monica Villamizar and Bryon, will be released in the U.S. on March 26 by Gravitas Ventures. The film is available now for pre-order on Apple. AGC International is selling it at the European Film Market this week.
“Transition” is produced by Villamizar and was financed by AGC Unwritten and Our Time Projects. Academy Award-nominated documentary director Matthew Heineman (“Cartel Land”) is executive producing with Stuart Ford, Lourdes Diaz, Joel Zimmer, Bj Levin, Sebastian Hernandez, Juan Manuel Betancourt and Joedan Okun.
The film’s primary subjects are Bryon, Afghan cinematographer Farzad Fetrat (“Teddy”) and Iranian-Canadian photojournalist Kiana Hayeri.
“Transition” had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival to audience and critical acclaim and was...
- 2/16/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Michelle Obama is giving a boost to American Symphony, the Oscar-contending documentary about musician Jon Batiste and his wife, musician Suleika Jaouad.
The former first lady introduced the Matthew Heineman film at a special screening Thursday night in New Orleans, a place of special significance for Batiste, who was born in nearby Metairie, Louisiana and raised in Kenner just outside N.O. proper. Michelle and Barack Obama are executive producing the Netflix film through their Higher Ground production company, which has a distribution deal with the streaming platform.
“I’m beyond thrilled to be here in Nawlins with all y’all!” Mrs. Obama began. “There is no better place to lift up this work than in the city where music is at the heart of everything, because music is at the heart of this film.
The former first lady introduced the Matthew Heineman film at a special screening Thursday night in New Orleans, a place of special significance for Batiste, who was born in nearby Metairie, Louisiana and raised in Kenner just outside N.O. proper. Michelle and Barack Obama are executive producing the Netflix film through their Higher Ground production company, which has a distribution deal with the streaming platform.
“I’m beyond thrilled to be here in Nawlins with all y’all!” Mrs. Obama began. “There is no better place to lift up this work than in the city where music is at the heart of everything, because music is at the heart of this film.
- 12/9/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Ross McDonnell, an Irish filmmaker known for his Emmy-winning cinematography on “The Trade,” has died, his family confirmed more than a week after his body was reportedly found on a New York City beach. He was 44.
McDonnell died “unexpectedly” on Nov. 5, according to a notice on Rip.ie. NBC News reported Monday that the “remains appeared to be of filmmaker Ross McDonnell.”
The police received a 911 call on Nov. 17 about a torso with human legs attached found lying in the sand at Queens’ Breezy Point Beach. McDonnell disappeared earlier this month and was last seen on Nov. 4 leaving his apartment in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn on his bicycle — which was later discovered locked at Fort Tilden Beach in Queens on the Rockaway Peninsula next to Breezy Point.
The cause of death will be determined by the New York City medical examiner’s office. NBC’s sources reported that no foul play is suspected,...
McDonnell died “unexpectedly” on Nov. 5, according to a notice on Rip.ie. NBC News reported Monday that the “remains appeared to be of filmmaker Ross McDonnell.”
The police received a 911 call on Nov. 17 about a torso with human legs attached found lying in the sand at Queens’ Breezy Point Beach. McDonnell disappeared earlier this month and was last seen on Nov. 4 leaving his apartment in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn on his bicycle — which was later discovered locked at Fort Tilden Beach in Queens on the Rockaway Peninsula next to Breezy Point.
The cause of death will be determined by the New York City medical examiner’s office. NBC’s sources reported that no foul play is suspected,...
- 11/25/2023
- by Caroline Brew
- Variety Film + TV
After media speculation about a dismembered body found on a beach in Queens on Friday, CNBC and other outlets, citing “police sources,” are saying the remains “may be” those of Emmy-winning Irish filmmaker Ross McDonnell, 44. Police have not yet publicly confirmed or denied those reports.
McDonnell has been missing since November 4, when he went for a bike ride in his Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. His bike was later found locked up at Fort Tilden Beach in Queens. That’s a mile or two away from Breezy Point Beach, where the headless and armless body was found on Friday.
McDonnell’s friends reportedly later found some of his clothes on the beach, and the thought is he might have gone swimming. A police source told the New York Daily News they believe the body was dismembered by the sharp rocks, waves and marine life over the past two weeks before it washed ashore.
McDonnell has been missing since November 4, when he went for a bike ride in his Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. His bike was later found locked up at Fort Tilden Beach in Queens. That’s a mile or two away from Breezy Point Beach, where the headless and armless body was found on Friday.
McDonnell’s friends reportedly later found some of his clothes on the beach, and the thought is he might have gone swimming. A police source told the New York Daily News they believe the body was dismembered by the sharp rocks, waves and marine life over the past two weeks before it washed ashore.
- 11/20/2023
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
If “documentary-style” has become shorthand for a certain kind of blandly flat aesthetic that viewers have learned to code as “reality,” you can’t blame Matthew Heineman.
In only a decade of directing docs, Heineman has set a template for astonishingly well-shot films marked by impeccably intimate access and the sort of eye for compositional detail you’d expect from a feature film with the budget and time for elaborate set-ups and uncannily placed lighting, not a seat-of-your-pants shoot in some of the most precarious situations imaginable. Put more simply, from Cartel Land to City of Ghosts to his TV work on The Trade, Heineman makes films that are both pretty and pretty unnerving.
A more negative interpretation would be that I’m frequently so impressed with the look of Heineman’s films — and his ability to somehow have cameras in places cameras...
If “documentary-style” has become shorthand for a certain kind of blandly flat aesthetic that viewers have learned to code as “reality,” you can’t blame Matthew Heineman.
In only a decade of directing docs, Heineman has set a template for astonishingly well-shot films marked by impeccably intimate access and the sort of eye for compositional detail you’d expect from a feature film with the budget and time for elaborate set-ups and uncannily placed lighting, not a seat-of-your-pants shoot in some of the most precarious situations imaginable. Put more simply, from Cartel Land to City of Ghosts to his TV work on The Trade, Heineman makes films that are both pretty and pretty unnerving.
A more negative interpretation would be that I’m frequently so impressed with the look of Heineman’s films — and his ability to somehow have cameras in places cameras...
- 9/3/2022
- by Daniel Fienberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Consumers are increasingly turning toward connected television streaming platforms, thereby transforming the landscape of TV advertising, and the ways marketers and storytellers reach target audiences.
As part of Variety’s Streaming Room series, presented by software company The Trade Desk, Variety interim editor-in-chief Cynthia Littleton, and deputy awards and features editor Jenelle Riley moderated a conversation on the future of connected TV advertising and storytelling. Featured panelists included Tim Sims, chief revenue officer of The Trade Desk; Krishan Bhatia, executive vice president of business operations and strategy at NBCUniversal’s Advertising Sales; and James Roday Rodriguez and Dulé Hill, executive producers and stars of “Psych 2: Lassie Come Home.”
The event highlighted how programmers are pivoting toward building data partnerships to form better, direct relationships with consumers, who are increasingly turning toward customizable digital services.
“How do we help our clients bring access to every impression on every screen, everywhere in the world?...
As part of Variety’s Streaming Room series, presented by software company The Trade Desk, Variety interim editor-in-chief Cynthia Littleton, and deputy awards and features editor Jenelle Riley moderated a conversation on the future of connected TV advertising and storytelling. Featured panelists included Tim Sims, chief revenue officer of The Trade Desk; Krishan Bhatia, executive vice president of business operations and strategy at NBCUniversal’s Advertising Sales; and James Roday Rodriguez and Dulé Hill, executive producers and stars of “Psych 2: Lassie Come Home.”
The event highlighted how programmers are pivoting toward building data partnerships to form better, direct relationships with consumers, who are increasingly turning toward customizable digital services.
“How do we help our clients bring access to every impression on every screen, everywhere in the world?...
- 9/23/2020
- by Natalie Oganesyan
- Variety Film + TV
The world is about to be immersed in the life of musician J Balvin. Amazon Studios has acquired the worldwide rights to the documentary The Boy From Medellín ahead of its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. Directed by Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning filmmaker Matthew Heineman and backed by Endeavor Content, the docu puts a spotlight on the reggaeton superstar that is one of the most influential Latinx musicians of our time.
The Boy from Medellín gives audiences unprecedented access to J Balvin as he prepares for the biggest concert of his life — a sold-out performance in his hometown of Medellín, Colombia. The docu dives deep into the musician’s life as he takes us behind the scenes to show us a pivotal and emotionally charged moment of his life.
“Representing my country, my city and Latin culture globally is a lifelong pursuit and I’m so proud...
The Boy from Medellín gives audiences unprecedented access to J Balvin as he prepares for the biggest concert of his life — a sold-out performance in his hometown of Medellín, Colombia. The docu dives deep into the musician’s life as he takes us behind the scenes to show us a pivotal and emotionally charged moment of his life.
“Representing my country, my city and Latin culture globally is a lifelong pursuit and I’m so proud...
- 8/31/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
ViacomCBS’ Showtime network announced that it will offer a 30-day free trial to new customers effective today. Viewers who sign up before May 3 can access the network’s original series, documentaries, specials and movies online via the Showtime streaming service on Showtime.com or the Showtime app, available on all supported devices. A major draw – subscribers can catch up on Homeland, which will continue to air new episodes of its final season through its series finale on April 26.
Many of the network’s streaming partners and traditional TV providers will also offer a 30-day free Showtime trial. As people hunker down and shelter in place during this coronavirus pandemic with screens and devices, content providers are moving more and more to draw them in.
More from DeadlineViacomCBS' Noggin Launches On Apple TV In U.S. And InternationallyViacomCBS Could See $350M Ad Hit In Q1 On Cancelled Ncaa Basketball As TV...
Many of the network’s streaming partners and traditional TV providers will also offer a 30-day free Showtime trial. As people hunker down and shelter in place during this coronavirus pandemic with screens and devices, content providers are moving more and more to draw them in.
More from DeadlineViacomCBS' Noggin Launches On Apple TV In U.S. And InternationallyViacomCBS Could See $350M Ad Hit In Q1 On Cancelled Ncaa Basketball As TV...
- 3/20/2020
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
The sophomore installment of Showtime’s gripping documentary series “The Trade” begins with a tense border crossing sequence that somewhat resembles a “Breaking Bad” cold opening – sporting a heart-pounding score and high contrast visual panache that immediately puts you on the edge of your seat. One man lifts another on top of his shoulders, over a massive fence drenched in shadows on the U.S./Mexico border.
Continue reading ‘The Trade’ Season 2 Tackles Human Trafficking In A Powerful But Regurgitative Manner [Review] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘The Trade’ Season 2 Tackles Human Trafficking In A Powerful But Regurgitative Manner [Review] at The Playlist.
- 3/9/2020
- by Andrew Bundy
- The Playlist
An early scene in the first season of The Trade, director Matthew Heineman's docuseries about cross-border crime and its consequences, sums up the voyeuristic appeal — and seediness — of its immersive approach. A young addict named Brittany buys heroin over the phone while telling the documentary crew in her motel room mid-tears that it's been a month since she's seen her children. "I need to stop the cycle now," she says, "I don't want my kids looking in a casket." When the drugs arrive, the camera zooms in, capturing her face ...
- 1/29/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
In today’s TV news roundup, HBO released a teaser for “The Undoing” and Showtime dropped a trailer for “The Trade” Season 2.
First Looks
HBO released a teaser for its forthcoming limited series “The Undoing,“ which will premiere in May. The six-part series based on the novel “You Should Have Known” by Jean Hanff Korelitz, stars Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant as a married couple whose lives get upended after a “chain of terrible revelations,” leaving Grace (Kidman) to dismantle one life and create another for herself and her child. The show is executive produced by Susanne Bier (who also directs) and David E. Kelley along with Kidman, Per Saari, Bruna Papandrea, Stephen Garrett and Celia Costas.
Showtime released a trailer for the second season of “The Trade.“ The four-part docuseries follows Central Americans on an odyssey to the United States, while also delving into the shadow industries that prey...
First Looks
HBO released a teaser for its forthcoming limited series “The Undoing,“ which will premiere in May. The six-part series based on the novel “You Should Have Known” by Jean Hanff Korelitz, stars Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant as a married couple whose lives get upended after a “chain of terrible revelations,” leaving Grace (Kidman) to dismantle one life and create another for herself and her child. The show is executive produced by Susanne Bier (who also directs) and David E. Kelley along with Kidman, Per Saari, Bruna Papandrea, Stephen Garrett and Celia Costas.
Showtime released a trailer for the second season of “The Trade.“ The four-part docuseries follows Central Americans on an odyssey to the United States, while also delving into the shadow industries that prey...
- 1/24/2020
- by Klaritza Rico
- Variety Film + TV
Showtime has set its latest documentary slate with projects from the likes of Jesus Camp directors Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing, A Private War director Matthew Heineman, Homeland’s Alex Gansa and Howard Gordon, Generation Wealth director Lauren Greenfield and Dirty War director Rick Rowley.
The 2020 slate was revealed by Gary Levine, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks at the Winter TCA press tour.
Grady and Ewing are making their first foray into episodic television with Love Fraud, which will launch at the Sundance Film Festival, the first time a TV series will run on day one of the festival. The project follows the search for one man, Richard Scott Smith, who over the past 20 years used the internet and his dubious charms to prey upon unsuspecting women in search of love – conning them out of their money and dignity. It will launch on May 8 and is directed and exec produced...
The 2020 slate was revealed by Gary Levine, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks at the Winter TCA press tour.
Grady and Ewing are making their first foray into episodic television with Love Fraud, which will launch at the Sundance Film Festival, the first time a TV series will run on day one of the festival. The project follows the search for one man, Richard Scott Smith, who over the past 20 years used the internet and his dubious charms to prey upon unsuspecting women in search of love – conning them out of their money and dignity. It will launch on May 8 and is directed and exec produced...
- 1/13/2020
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Showtime’s upcoming Documentary Films slate includes “Kingdom of Silence,” “The Kingmaker,” “The Longest War” and “Love Fraud,” “The Trade” the premium cabler announced Monday.
“The Kingmaker,” which comes from Lauren Greenfield, explores the disturbing legacy of the Marcos regime in the Philippines, and chronicles Imelda’s present-day push to help her son, Bongbong, win the vice presidency. It had a theatrical run last year, which culminated in a WGA Award for documentary screenplay. It will premiere Feb. 28 at 9 p.m. on Showtime. “The Kingmaker” is produced by Frank Evers and Greenfield of Evergreen Pictures. Julie Parker Benello, Dan Cogan, R.J. Cutler, Geralyn Dreyfous, Bill Haney, Lilly Hartley, Patricia Lambrecht, Nion McEvoy, Patty Quillin, Regina K. Scully and Jamie Wolf also serve as executive producers.
“The Trade” Season 2 is directed by Matthew Heineman and is an Ida winner itself. This season, the four-part series follows some Central Americans on an odyssey to the United States,...
“The Kingmaker,” which comes from Lauren Greenfield, explores the disturbing legacy of the Marcos regime in the Philippines, and chronicles Imelda’s present-day push to help her son, Bongbong, win the vice presidency. It had a theatrical run last year, which culminated in a WGA Award for documentary screenplay. It will premiere Feb. 28 at 9 p.m. on Showtime. “The Kingmaker” is produced by Frank Evers and Greenfield of Evergreen Pictures. Julie Parker Benello, Dan Cogan, R.J. Cutler, Geralyn Dreyfous, Bill Haney, Lilly Hartley, Patricia Lambrecht, Nion McEvoy, Patty Quillin, Regina K. Scully and Jamie Wolf also serve as executive producers.
“The Trade” Season 2 is directed by Matthew Heineman and is an Ida winner itself. This season, the four-part series follows some Central Americans on an odyssey to the United States,...
- 1/13/2020
- by Danielle Turchiano
- Variety Film + TV
The Sundance Institute announced its 2020 lineups for the Indie Episodic, Special Events and Shorts programs Tuesday, featuring a slew of new talent as well as plenty of faces familiar to Park City. This year’s selections include work from Steve James (“City So Real”), Sarah Polley (“Hey Lady!”), and two entries starring Lin-Manuel Miranda.
“Authenticity and independent voices resonate across formats — and that’s evident across the full spectrum of this year’s Indie Episodic and Special Events slates,” Kim Yutani, the director of programming for the festival, said in a statement. “Defined by distinctive voices and enlightening viewpoints, these are riveting projects that find inspiration in the urgent stories and extraordinary individuals of our times.”
James makes his return to Sundance after 2018’s “America to Me,” his 10-part docuseries which was picked up by Starz. This year finds James again focusing on his beloved hometown of Chicago, capturing the...
“Authenticity and independent voices resonate across formats — and that’s evident across the full spectrum of this year’s Indie Episodic and Special Events slates,” Kim Yutani, the director of programming for the festival, said in a statement. “Defined by distinctive voices and enlightening viewpoints, these are riveting projects that find inspiration in the urgent stories and extraordinary individuals of our times.”
James makes his return to Sundance after 2018’s “America to Me,” his 10-part docuseries which was picked up by Starz. This year finds James again focusing on his beloved hometown of Chicago, capturing the...
- 12/10/2019
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Continuing its rapid growth, Ben Silverman and Howard Owens’ Propagate has pacted with Showtime to handle international sales on dozens of the premium network’s documentary films and docuseries. Under the agreement, Propagate will represent all available rights outside North America on select catalog, current and upcoming titles. Propagate has partnered with Scott Kaplan of Domino Content across the slate.
Included in the deal are such titles as Couples Therapy, Murder In The Bayou, The Trade and Enemies: The President, Justice & The FBI, produced by Alex Gibney’s Jigsaw.
Couples Therapy is a look into a usually hidden world as Dr Orna Guralnik guides four couples through the minefield of honest confrontation with each other and themselves. The series was recently renewed for a second season.
Murder In The Bayou hails from Kevorkian director Matthew Galkin and bestselling nonfiction author Ethan Brown. This is Showtime’s first true-crime docuseries...
Included in the deal are such titles as Couples Therapy, Murder In The Bayou, The Trade and Enemies: The President, Justice & The FBI, produced by Alex Gibney’s Jigsaw.
Couples Therapy is a look into a usually hidden world as Dr Orna Guralnik guides four couples through the minefield of honest confrontation with each other and themselves. The series was recently renewed for a second season.
Murder In The Bayou hails from Kevorkian director Matthew Galkin and bestselling nonfiction author Ethan Brown. This is Showtime’s first true-crime docuseries...
- 11/4/2019
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Showtime is bolstering its unscripted slate, acquiring rights to the Emmy-winning newsmagazine Vice, following its cancellation by HBO. The premium cabler has ordered a 13-episode season to premiere in the spring of 2020.
The series, which features a diverse group of award-winning journalists, has been nominated for 12 Primetime Emmy awards across its previous six seasons, with two wins including Outstanding Informational Series or Special. It’s known for its on-the-ground reportage from the front lines of global conflicts and civil uprisings in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and beyond, to critical issues such as Lgbtq rights and the climate crisis, immigration and gun control.
“As so much of television news has moved in a direction of partisan coverage and talking heads, the team behind Vice continues to delve deep into the global issues, conflicts and newsmakers affecting our everyday lives,” said Vinnie Malhotra, Executive Vice President, Nonfiction Programming, Showtime Networks. “They also do...
The series, which features a diverse group of award-winning journalists, has been nominated for 12 Primetime Emmy awards across its previous six seasons, with two wins including Outstanding Informational Series or Special. It’s known for its on-the-ground reportage from the front lines of global conflicts and civil uprisings in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and beyond, to critical issues such as Lgbtq rights and the climate crisis, immigration and gun control.
“As so much of television news has moved in a direction of partisan coverage and talking heads, the team behind Vice continues to delve deep into the global issues, conflicts and newsmakers affecting our everyday lives,” said Vinnie Malhotra, Executive Vice President, Nonfiction Programming, Showtime Networks. “They also do...
- 9/24/2019
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Oscar- and Emmy-nominated documentarian Morgan Spurlock has agreed to pay more than $1.17 million to Turner Entertainment Networks to settle a lawsuit over a female-focused docuseries he ended up not making. The project was shelved after he posted a confessional essay as the #MeToo movement was gaining strength.
The settlement (read it here) ends Turner’s lawsuit over the planned TNT docuseries Who Rules the World, whose logline says was to be about the most divisive and complicated issues facing women today, from the policing of their bodies and judgments of their family planning choices to the micro-aggressions they face in the media, the workplace and everyday life.
Production on the project was suspended a year ago after its producers severed ties with Spurlock. That move came days after the Super Size Me filmmaker posted a lengthy manifesto in which he admitted to being “part of the problem” as sexual harassment...
The settlement (read it here) ends Turner’s lawsuit over the planned TNT docuseries Who Rules the World, whose logline says was to be about the most divisive and complicated issues facing women today, from the policing of their bodies and judgments of their family planning choices to the micro-aggressions they face in the media, the workplace and everyday life.
Production on the project was suspended a year ago after its producers severed ties with Spurlock. That move came days after the Super Size Me filmmaker posted a lengthy manifesto in which he admitted to being “part of the problem” as sexual harassment...
- 12/15/2018
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Bing Liu’s skateboarding movie “Minding The Gap” has won the International Documentary Association’s award for top feature of 2018.
Floyd Russ’s “Zion” was awarded best short. Netflix’s “Wild Wild Country” won for best limited series and HBO’s “John McCain: For Whom the Bell Tolls” took the ABC News VideoSource Award. PBS’ “Pov” won for best curated series, Showtime’s “The Trade” for best episodic series, Mel Films for best short form series, and Jayisha Patel’s “Circle” for the David L. Wolper Student Documentary Award.
Both Melissa Haizlip’s “Mr. Soul!” and Steve Loveridge’s “Matangi/Maya/M.I.A.” were each awarded best music documentary while “Bisbee ’17” and “Hale County This Morning, This Evening” were each awarded best music score. The New York Times’ “Caliphate” took the inaugural award in the audio documentary category.
Ricki Lake hosted the ceremonies Saturday night for the 34th...
Floyd Russ’s “Zion” was awarded best short. Netflix’s “Wild Wild Country” won for best limited series and HBO’s “John McCain: For Whom the Bell Tolls” took the ABC News VideoSource Award. PBS’ “Pov” won for best curated series, Showtime’s “The Trade” for best episodic series, Mel Films for best short form series, and Jayisha Patel’s “Circle” for the David L. Wolper Student Documentary Award.
Both Melissa Haizlip’s “Mr. Soul!” and Steve Loveridge’s “Matangi/Maya/M.I.A.” were each awarded best music documentary while “Bisbee ’17” and “Hale County This Morning, This Evening” were each awarded best music score. The New York Times’ “Caliphate” took the inaugural award in the audio documentary category.
Ricki Lake hosted the ceremonies Saturday night for the 34th...
- 12/9/2018
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
“Minding the Gap,” Bing Liu’s film about working-class Illinois skateboarders whose raucous lifestyle hides brutal family stories, has been named the best nonfiction film of 2018 at the International Documentary Association’s Ida Documentary Awards, which took place on the Paramount Studios lot on Saturday night.
Liu also received the Emerging Filmmaker Award, and he and Joshua Altman won the award for best editing.
Other craft awards went to “Distant Constellation” cinematographer Shevaun Mizrahi, “The Other Side of Everything” writer Mila Turajlić and, in a tie, “Bisbee ’17” composer Keegan DeWitt and “Hale Country This Morning, This Evening” composers Scott Alario, Forest Kelley and Alex Somers.
Also Read: 'Minding the Gap' Film Review: Powerful Doc Depicts Skateboarders In Transition to Adulthood
The award for the best music documentary also ended in a tie, between Steve Loveridge’s “Matangi/Maya/M.I.A.” and Melissa Haizlip’s “Mr. Soul!”
In its first year,...
Liu also received the Emerging Filmmaker Award, and he and Joshua Altman won the award for best editing.
Other craft awards went to “Distant Constellation” cinematographer Shevaun Mizrahi, “The Other Side of Everything” writer Mila Turajlić and, in a tie, “Bisbee ’17” composer Keegan DeWitt and “Hale Country This Morning, This Evening” composers Scott Alario, Forest Kelley and Alex Somers.
Also Read: 'Minding the Gap' Film Review: Powerful Doc Depicts Skateboarders In Transition to Adulthood
The award for the best music documentary also ended in a tie, between Steve Loveridge’s “Matangi/Maya/M.I.A.” and Melissa Haizlip’s “Mr. Soul!”
In its first year,...
- 12/9/2018
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
The 34th Annual Ida Documentary Awards were handed out Saturday night at the Paramount Theatre in Los Angeles with Bing Liu’s Minding The Gap taking top honors in the Best Feature category.
Hosted by actress and producer Ricki Lake, the ceremony also honored Floyd Russ’s Zion as Best Short as well as Netflix’s Wild Wild Country which won for Best Limited Series.
Other winners for the evening included HBO’s John McCain: For Whom the Bell Tolls for the ABC News VideoSource Award, PBS’ Pov for Best Curated Series, Showtime’s The Trade for Best Episodic Series, Mel Films for Best Short Form Series, and Jayisha Patel’s Circle for the David L. Wolper Student Documentary Award. The New York Times’ Caliphate won the inaugural Best Audio Documentary category.
In addition, the Career Achievement Award was presented to three-time Academy Award winner Julia Reichert and Ida...
Hosted by actress and producer Ricki Lake, the ceremony also honored Floyd Russ’s Zion as Best Short as well as Netflix’s Wild Wild Country which won for Best Limited Series.
Other winners for the evening included HBO’s John McCain: For Whom the Bell Tolls for the ABC News VideoSource Award, PBS’ Pov for Best Curated Series, Showtime’s The Trade for Best Episodic Series, Mel Films for Best Short Form Series, and Jayisha Patel’s Circle for the David L. Wolper Student Documentary Award. The New York Times’ Caliphate won the inaugural Best Audio Documentary category.
In addition, the Career Achievement Award was presented to three-time Academy Award winner Julia Reichert and Ida...
- 12/9/2018
- by Erik Pedersen and Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Rookie filmmaker Bing Liu’s “Minding The Gap” beat out the competition to win top honors at the 34th Annual Ida Documentary Awards at the Paramount Theatre on Saturday night. The portrait of a group of skateboarders took home Best Feature, Emerging Filmmaker and Best Editing. Liu had accepted a Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Filmmaking at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, where the Pov film was acquired by Hulu.
Other winners include Floyd Russ’s “Zion” (Best Short), Netflix’s “Wild Wild Country” (Best Limited Series), HBO’s “John McCain: For Whom the Bell Tolls” (the ABC News VideoSource Award), PBS’ Pov (Best Curated Series), Showtime’s “The Trade” (Best Episodic Series), Mel Films (Best Short Form Series), and Jayisha Patel’s “Circle” (the David L. Wolper Student Documentary Award). Both Melissa Haizlip’s “Mr. Soul!” and Steve Loveridge’s “Matangi / Maya / M.I.A.” won Best Music Documentary,...
Other winners include Floyd Russ’s “Zion” (Best Short), Netflix’s “Wild Wild Country” (Best Limited Series), HBO’s “John McCain: For Whom the Bell Tolls” (the ABC News VideoSource Award), PBS’ Pov (Best Curated Series), Showtime’s “The Trade” (Best Episodic Series), Mel Films (Best Short Form Series), and Jayisha Patel’s “Circle” (the David L. Wolper Student Documentary Award). Both Melissa Haizlip’s “Mr. Soul!” and Steve Loveridge’s “Matangi / Maya / M.I.A.” won Best Music Documentary,...
- 12/9/2018
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Rookie filmmaker Bing Liu’s “Minding The Gap” beat out the competition to win top honors at the 34th Annual Ida Documentary Awards at the Paramount Theatre on Saturday night. The portrait of a group of skateboarders took home Best Feature, Emerging Filmmaker and Best Editing. Liu had accepted a Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Filmmaking at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, where the Pov film was acquired by Hulu.
Other winners include Floyd Russ’s “Zion” (Best Short), Netflix’s “Wild Wild Country” (Best Limited Series), HBO’s “John McCain: For Whom the Bell Tolls” (the ABC News VideoSource Award), PBS’ Pov (Best Curated Series), Showtime’s “The Trade” (Best Episodic Series), Mel Films (Best Short Form Series), and Jayisha Patel’s “Circle” (the David L. Wolper Student Documentary Award). Both Melissa Haizlip’s “Mr. Soul!” and Steve Loveridge’s “Matangi / Maya / M.I.A.” won Best Music Documentary,...
Other winners include Floyd Russ’s “Zion” (Best Short), Netflix’s “Wild Wild Country” (Best Limited Series), HBO’s “John McCain: For Whom the Bell Tolls” (the ABC News VideoSource Award), PBS’ Pov (Best Curated Series), Showtime’s “The Trade” (Best Episodic Series), Mel Films (Best Short Form Series), and Jayisha Patel’s “Circle” (the David L. Wolper Student Documentary Award). Both Melissa Haizlip’s “Mr. Soul!” and Steve Loveridge’s “Matangi / Maya / M.I.A.” won Best Music Documentary,...
- 12/9/2018
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Bing Liu’s “Minding the Gap,” an look at small-town American life through the lens of a group of skateboarder friends, led the 2018 Cinema Eye Honors nominations for nonfiction filmmaking Thursday.
The film, a Hulu original documentary, landed seven bids, for direction, editing, cinematography, original score, debut feature and the audience award, in addition to outstanding achievement in nonfiction feature filmmaking, the organization’s top prize. It was also mentioned in the “Unforgettables” sidebar honoring the subjects of many of this year’s documentaries.
The seven-nomination haul was enough to match Cinema Eye’s record, held by Louie Psihoyos’ “The Cove,” Lixin Fan’s “Last Train Home” and Ari Folman’s “Waltz With Bashir.”
The other nominees for outstanding achievement in nonfiction feature filmmaking were “Bisbee ’17” (five nominations), “Hale County This Morning, This Evening” (five nominations), “Of Fathers and Sons” (three nominations), “Three Identical Strangers” (three nominations) and “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?...
The film, a Hulu original documentary, landed seven bids, for direction, editing, cinematography, original score, debut feature and the audience award, in addition to outstanding achievement in nonfiction feature filmmaking, the organization’s top prize. It was also mentioned in the “Unforgettables” sidebar honoring the subjects of many of this year’s documentaries.
The seven-nomination haul was enough to match Cinema Eye’s record, held by Louie Psihoyos’ “The Cove,” Lixin Fan’s “Last Train Home” and Ari Folman’s “Waltz With Bashir.”
The other nominees for outstanding achievement in nonfiction feature filmmaking were “Bisbee ’17” (five nominations), “Hale County This Morning, This Evening” (five nominations), “Of Fathers and Sons” (three nominations), “Three Identical Strangers” (three nominations) and “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?...
- 11/8/2018
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Variety Film + TV
War is War is War: Heineman Tackles the Controversial Marie Colvin in Narrative Debut
Oscar nominated documentarian Matthew Heineman (2015’s Cartel Land), follows up recent noted projects City of Ghosts (2017) and the 2018 mini-series “The Trade” with one of the first significant cinematic portrayals of American journalist and war reporter Marie Colvin, who famously worked for Britain’s The Sunday Times from 1985 to her death in Syria in 2012. Based on the Vanity Fair article about her by Marie Brenner, A Private War attempts to lionize Colvin’s drastic war correspondences from 2001 to her untimely death, mostly by showcasing how her personal demons often influenced and motivated her passion for such a dangerous occupation.…...
Oscar nominated documentarian Matthew Heineman (2015’s Cartel Land), follows up recent noted projects City of Ghosts (2017) and the 2018 mini-series “The Trade” with one of the first significant cinematic portrayals of American journalist and war reporter Marie Colvin, who famously worked for Britain’s The Sunday Times from 1985 to her death in Syria in 2012. Based on the Vanity Fair article about her by Marie Brenner, A Private War attempts to lionize Colvin’s drastic war correspondences from 2001 to her untimely death, mostly by showcasing how her personal demons often influenced and motivated her passion for such a dangerous occupation.…...
- 11/2/2018
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
In 2003, Steve James’ first docuseries debuted on PBS. “The New Americans” was a seven-hour “verité style” film following a diverse group of immigrants and refugees who left their homes to move to America. The expansive, six-and-a-half-year project covered the subjects in their native countries as well as in the states, and all 411 minutes aired over three nights as one big event.
“It didn’t play theatrically because it was seven hours long,” James said. “It played at Idfa, SXSW, and one other film festival, and then it was on public television, and then it was gone.”
As James distinctly remembers, this was a time before streaming and DVRs, before Netflix and HBO sparked national news with buzzy docuseries, and before an era of peak TV led to massive libraries of endlessly accessible content.
“I remember thinking, ‘Jeez. All that work, it’s on television, and then it’s done,'” James said.
“It didn’t play theatrically because it was seven hours long,” James said. “It played at Idfa, SXSW, and one other film festival, and then it was on public television, and then it was gone.”
As James distinctly remembers, this was a time before streaming and DVRs, before Netflix and HBO sparked national news with buzzy docuseries, and before an era of peak TV led to massive libraries of endlessly accessible content.
“I remember thinking, ‘Jeez. All that work, it’s on television, and then it’s done,'” James said.
- 10/28/2018
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
“Free Solo,” “Quincy,” “Minding the Gap,” “Rbg,” “Three identical Strangers” and “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” are among the films nominated for the Audience Choice Prize at the 2018 Cinema Eye Honors, an awards show devoted to all facts of nonfiction filmmaking.
“Bathtubs Over Broadway,” “Matangi/Maya/M.I.A.,” “On Her Shoulders” and “Shirkers” were also nominated in the Audience Choice category, which can be voted on by members of the public at the Cinema Eye website.
The bulk of the Cinema Eye Honors nominees will be announced on Thursday, Nov. 8, and the winners will be announced on Thursday, Jan. 10 at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York City.
Also Read: 'Free Solo,' 'Minding the Gap,' 'Won't You Be My Neighbor?' Land Ida Documentary Nominations
In the Broadcast Film category, the nominees were four docs from HBO – “Baltimore Rising,” “Believer,” “The Final Year” and...
“Bathtubs Over Broadway,” “Matangi/Maya/M.I.A.,” “On Her Shoulders” and “Shirkers” were also nominated in the Audience Choice category, which can be voted on by members of the public at the Cinema Eye website.
The bulk of the Cinema Eye Honors nominees will be announced on Thursday, Nov. 8, and the winners will be announced on Thursday, Jan. 10 at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York City.
Also Read: 'Free Solo,' 'Minding the Gap,' 'Won't You Be My Neighbor?' Land Ida Documentary Nominations
In the Broadcast Film category, the nominees were four docs from HBO – “Baltimore Rising,” “Believer,” “The Final Year” and...
- 10/25/2018
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
At their inaugural Fall Lunch in held in Los Angeles on Thursday, Cinema Eye Honors unveiled their first round of awards, including their annual list of significant nonfiction film subjects and a list of the year’s ten top Nonfiction Short Films. They also released nominees in four categories: Broadcast Film; a new award for Broadcast Series; the Heterodox Award, which recognizes fiction films that blur the line between fiction and documentary; and the annual Audience Choice Prize, voted on by documentary lovers around the world.
Netflix, Focus Features, and Hulu hosted the event at Casita Hollywood with many of the year’s top filmmakers on hand, including Kirby Dick, Morgan Neville, Matt Tyrnauer, Jimmy Chin, Rj Cutler, Lauren Greenfield, Alan Hicks, Laura Nix, and Brett Morgen. The full list of nonfiction film and craft nominees, including the five nominees for Outstanding Nonfiction Short Film, will be revealed on Thursday,...
Netflix, Focus Features, and Hulu hosted the event at Casita Hollywood with many of the year’s top filmmakers on hand, including Kirby Dick, Morgan Neville, Matt Tyrnauer, Jimmy Chin, Rj Cutler, Lauren Greenfield, Alan Hicks, Laura Nix, and Brett Morgen. The full list of nonfiction film and craft nominees, including the five nominees for Outstanding Nonfiction Short Film, will be revealed on Thursday,...
- 10/25/2018
- by Anne Thompson and Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Cinema Eye Honors revealed the first awards announcements for the organization’s 12th annual awards on Thursday.
Audience choice nominees include recent documentary awards-circuit players such as “Free Solo,” “Minding the Gap,” “Quincy,” “Rbg,” and “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”
The group also unveiled its list of “The Unforgettables,” honoring notable and significant nonfiction film subjects, such as rock climber Alex Honnold (“Free Solo”), recording artist M.I.A. (“Matangi/Maya/M.I.A.”), Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (“Rbg”), and television legend Fred Rogers (“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”).
Joining the broadcast film category is a new field this year, broadcast series, which features contenders such as Netflix’s “Evil Genius” and “Wild Wild Country,” and Showtime’s “The Fourth Estate.”
In the Heterodox category, recognizing fiction films that actively blur the line between fiction and documentary, The Orchard and MoviePass’ “American Animals,” Magnolia’s “Skate Kitchen,” and...
Audience choice nominees include recent documentary awards-circuit players such as “Free Solo,” “Minding the Gap,” “Quincy,” “Rbg,” and “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”
The group also unveiled its list of “The Unforgettables,” honoring notable and significant nonfiction film subjects, such as rock climber Alex Honnold (“Free Solo”), recording artist M.I.A. (“Matangi/Maya/M.I.A.”), Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (“Rbg”), and television legend Fred Rogers (“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”).
Joining the broadcast film category is a new field this year, broadcast series, which features contenders such as Netflix’s “Evil Genius” and “Wild Wild Country,” and Showtime’s “The Fourth Estate.”
In the Heterodox category, recognizing fiction films that actively blur the line between fiction and documentary, The Orchard and MoviePass’ “American Animals,” Magnolia’s “Skate Kitchen,” and...
- 10/25/2018
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Variety Film + TV
Statistics give some idea of the immense scale of the nation’s opioid crisis: in 2016 more than 42,000 people died from opioid overdoses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of the year before the Cdc estimated over 2.5 million people in the U.S. were abusing prescription opioids and heroin.
But the numbers only tell part of the story. To sense the full dimensions of the epidemic—from suppliers in Mexico to users here and members of law enforcement trying to interrupt the deadly commerce—requires a perspective from the trenches. That’s exactly where director Matthew Heineman goes in his visceral Showtime documentary series The Trade, tracking the movements of poppy growers south of the border, to addicts scoring in Atlanta and detectives making busts in central Ohio.
“For me, to put a human face to the epidemic was my goal from the very beginning,” Heineman tells Deadline.
But the numbers only tell part of the story. To sense the full dimensions of the epidemic—from suppliers in Mexico to users here and members of law enforcement trying to interrupt the deadly commerce—requires a perspective from the trenches. That’s exactly where director Matthew Heineman goes in his visceral Showtime documentary series The Trade, tracking the movements of poppy growers south of the border, to addicts scoring in Atlanta and detectives making busts in central Ohio.
“For me, to put a human face to the epidemic was my goal from the very beginning,” Heineman tells Deadline.
- 6/8/2018
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Showtime’s expansive 2018 Emmy Fyc mailer will soon be arriving on the doorsteps of the TV academy membership. While the premium network previously shipped three series-specific mailers back in April for drama series “The Chi,” comedy series “Smilf” and limited series “Twin Peaks,” they’ve now sent out a fourth mailer featuring all of their eligible Emmy submissions. See photos above and below.
See Emmys 2018 exclusive: Showtime categories for ‘Patrick Melrose,’ ‘Smilf,’ ‘Twin Peaks’ and more
Included is recent Emmy winner “Shameless,” two-time champ for Best Comedy Stunts and four-time nominee for William H. Macy as Best Comedy Actor. Former Best Drama Series winner “Homeland” (2012) is also back in action after concluding its seventh season last month. Look for Emmy favorite Claire Danes and repeat nominee Mandy Patinkin to be major players again in the acting categories, along with Lesli Linka Glatter for directing the drama series.
More shows to...
See Emmys 2018 exclusive: Showtime categories for ‘Patrick Melrose,’ ‘Smilf,’ ‘Twin Peaks’ and more
Included is recent Emmy winner “Shameless,” two-time champ for Best Comedy Stunts and four-time nominee for William H. Macy as Best Comedy Actor. Former Best Drama Series winner “Homeland” (2012) is also back in action after concluding its seventh season last month. Look for Emmy favorite Claire Danes and repeat nominee Mandy Patinkin to be major players again in the acting categories, along with Lesli Linka Glatter for directing the drama series.
More shows to...
- 5/17/2018
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
Kim Kardashian is looking to unleash some pint-sized pranksters.
The reality star is executive-producing You Kiddin’ Me, a 10-episode prank series for Facebook Watch that is inspired by her own family’s antics and which will show children in charge of celebrities.
“I know from firsthand experience that children are wise beyond their years and can come up with the craziest things, so imagine how funny it will be to see them make all the decisions,” Kardashian said in a statement cited by THR.com.
Ready for more of today’s newsy nuggets? Well…
* Fixer Upper‘s Chip and Joanna Gaines...
The reality star is executive-producing You Kiddin’ Me, a 10-episode prank series for Facebook Watch that is inspired by her own family’s antics and which will show children in charge of celebrities.
“I know from firsthand experience that children are wise beyond their years and can come up with the craziest things, so imagine how funny it will be to see them make all the decisions,” Kardashian said in a statement cited by THR.com.
Ready for more of today’s newsy nuggets? Well…
* Fixer Upper‘s Chip and Joanna Gaines...
- 3/2/2018
- TVLine.com
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