|
0 members and 32 visitors online
| |
|||||
 July 2, 2008 NEWSWEEK | The End of the Documentary Film Market
"It was only a few years ago that everyone was proclaiming the box-office triumph of nonfiction films," notes Newsweek's David Ansen, in a piece for the magazine's Global Literacy 2008 section. Detailing the downtown in the theatrical peformance of some docs, Ansen adds, "The irony is that we are in the midst of a great era of documentaries—but the audience is a stay-at-home crowd, not the kids who rush out to watch superheroes blow stuff up. Millions watch documentaries on HBO, PBS and the Discovery Channel, and on DVDs.  [permalink] [ filed under Biz, Documentary ]  REVIEW | Gathering Moss: Alex Gibney's "Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson"
[An indieWIRE review from Reverse Shot.] Hunter S. Thompson's prose was nervy and pugnacious, his judgments bullying and hyperbolic, his life as volatile as any in postwar American letters. "Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson" couldn't be any more different in mien and spirit. A couple of passages aside, it is almost perversely straightforward in light of its unstable subject, a chronological march through the heavy '60s, the downer '70s and the post-Reagan blur with a dutiful assemblage of talking heads and archival footage. The historical and cultural insights are all textbook, the music choices "Gump"-esque (if I hear Jefferson Airplane playing over images of Summer of Love San Francisco one more time...). What saves the movie is the man himself. [ read more in Movies ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Reviews ] June 28, 2008 LAFF '08 NOTEBOOK | Top Docs: "Trinidad," "No Name," "Pressure Cooker," "Loot" and "Boogie Man"
Los Angeles Film Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois. [ read more in Movies ] [ 2 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Festival Dispatch, Lead Story, Los Angeles Film Festival ]  LAFF '08 INTERVIEW | "Must Read After My Death" Director Morgan Dews
Los Angeles Film Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Interviews, Los Angeles Film Festival ] June 27, 2008 LAFF '08 INTERVIEW | "Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story" Director Stefan Forbes
Los Angeles Film Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Interviews, Los Angeles Film Festival ]  DISPATCH FROM LOS ANGELES | An Evening With Sheila Nevins
Los Angeles Film Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Festival Dispatches, Lead Story, Los Angeles Film Festival ]  LAFF '08 INTERVIEW | "Thing With No Name" Director Sarah Friedland
Los Angeles Film Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Interviews, Los Angeles Film Festival ] June 26, 2008 LAFF '08 INTERVIEW | "Trinidad" Co-Directors Jay Hodges and PJ Raval
Los Angeles Film Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Interviews, Los Angeles Film Festival ] iW NEWS | First Independent Takes "Beautiful"
First Independent Pictures has announced the acquisition of selected US theatrical rights to Darryl Roberts' "America the Beautiful." The film, which recently completed a run in Chicago, is a documentary that looks at America's unhealthy obsession with physical perfection. "Beautiful" made its debut in 2007 at the AFI Dallas Film Festival before going on the win Best Documentary at the Chicago International Film Festival. The film will open in New York on August 6th and expand throughout the month. [Peter Knegt] [permalink] [ filed under Acquisitions, Documentary ]  LAFF '08 INTERVIEW | "Loot" Director Darius Marder
Los Angeles Film Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Interviews, Los Angeles Film Festival ] June 25, 2008 indieWIRE INTERVIEW | "All In This Tea" Directors Les Blank and Gina Leibrecht
Co-directors Les Blank and Gina Leibrecht have collaborated on the documentary "All In This Tea." The film follows David Lee Hoffman, a man more passionate about tea than any other. Travelling with him to the most remote regions of China, Blank and Leibrecht detail Hoffman's search for the best handmade teas in the world. The film had its world premiere Berlin International Film Festival last year. "Tea" opens on Friday, June 27 at Cinema Village in New York. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Interviews ]  LAFF '08 INTERVIEW | "Largo" Co-Director Andrew van Baal
Los Angeles Film Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Interviews, Los Angeles Film Festival ] June 24, 2008iW NEWS | MSNBC Launches New Film Division with "Dear Zachary"
Cable news network MSNBC has opened a new doc division dubbed MSNBC Films. The initiative will give MSNBC a platform to present and produce films on television, while also "supporting films during their festival run and theatrical release," according to a company statement. Kurt Kuenne's "Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father" will be the first film tied to the new venture. Josh Braun of Submarine Entertainment represents the film and negotiated and structured the partnership with MSNBC. The Slamdance film began as a memorial to Kuenne's life-long friend Dr. Andrew Bagby, but it took on a whole new meaning when it was revealed that Bagby's ex-girlfriend and suspected murderer was pregnant with his child. Kuenne travels to dozens of cities in three countries where he meets with virtually every person who ever touched and was touched by Bagby, while Bagby's parents fight for custody of the baby. "MSNBC Films is another way for NBC News to partner with great independent filmmakers, who bring different takes on the world, commented Michael Rubin, Vice President, Long-form Programming at MSNBC. "We're doing cartwheels over 'Dear Zachary.'" The film will premiere on MSNBC following a theatrical release that is currently in negotiations and expected to be announced in the coming weeks. [Brian Brooks] [permalink] [ filed under Biz, Documentary ]  LAFF '08 INTERVIEW | "Pressure Cooker" Directors Jennifer Grausman and Mark Becker
Los Angeles Film Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Interviews, Los Angeles Film Festival ]  REVIEW | Staged Craft: Peter Askin's "Trumbo"
[An indieWIRE review from Reverse Shot.] "Trumbo" tells the eventful story of the best-known name in the Hollywood Ten, screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, with an unsurprising emphasis on the leftist's misadventures with the House Un-American Activities Committee. Famous and well-paid before HUAC sentenced him and nine other fellow Communist sympathizers and members to jail, Trumbo toiled for years afterward to win back his career, returning to the movies under pseudonyms and "fronts" designed to keep a blacklisted name unconnected to the scripts he was working on ("Roman Holiday" and "The Brave One," for which his front, Robert Rich, won the 1957 Academy Award) and then being the first to break the blacklist by taking unconcealed credit for "Spartacus" and "Exodus." [ read more in Movies ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Lead Story, Reviews ]  LAFF '08 INTERVIEW | "Dirty Hands: The Art & Crimes of David Choe" Director Harry Kim
Los Angeles Film Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Interviews, Los Angeles Film Festival ] June 23, 2008 LAFF '08 INTERVIEW | "Paper or Plastic?" Co-Directors Justine Jacob and Alex D. da Silva
Los Angeles Film Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Interviews, Los Angeles Film Festival ]  DISPATCH FROM MARYLAND | Silverdocs: Telling the Truth
If there's an aesthetic lesson conveyed by the premieres at AFI Silverdocs this year, it's that cinema verite continues to thrive -- and the classical approach to documentary filmmaking hasn't frayed with age. Not that it had been showing signs of a slow demise, but the ongoing talk of meager box office prospects for the form -- coupled with Herzogian declarations of "ecstatic truth" and projects like "Chicago 10" trying to take the practice in new directions -- suggested a demand for evolution that doesn't actually exist. As it turns out, great stories work when they're told well. That shouldn't come as a surprise, but last year's oft-repeated trend piece about lukewarm box office reception for documentary releases suggested a broken system in need of revitalization. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Festival Dispatches, Lead Story ] iW NEWS | "Garden" Leads SILVERDOCS Winners
SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival announced its award winners Sunday, culminating the weeklong Festival activities that included screening 108 films representing 63 countries. Winning filmmakers received over $70,000 in combined cash and in-kind prizes. The Audience Award winners will be announced Monday. SILVERDOCS Sterling Award for a US Feature went to Scott Hamilton Kennedy's "The Garden." The director will receive $10,000 cash and $5,000 in film stock from Kodak. This year's inaugural SILVERDOCS Sterling Award for a World Feature went to Geoffrey Smith's "The English Surgeon," while the award for a Short Film was given to Jan Zabeil's "What Would The Drop Know About That?" The Music Documentary Award went to Sascha Paladino's "Throw Down Your Heart," and the Cinematic Vision Award went to Margaret Brown for "The Order of Myths." "Our greatest goal in joining with AFI to produce SILVERDOCS was to celebrate and honor the creativity of independent filmmakers and the documentary art form," said Carrie Passmore, Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Social Responsibility, in a statement. " With these awards, we are honoring those filmmakers from around the world whose vision and storytelling truly excel." Check out indieWIRE's first dispatch from SILVERDOCS here. A second will be posted this evening. [Peter Knegt] [permalink] [ filed under Documentary, Festivals, Honors ]  Alex Gibney v. ThinkFilm: Claiming Botched "Taxi" Release, Oscar Winning Filmmaker Seeking $1 Million From Distributor
Documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney is seeking more than $1 million in damages from ThinkFilm, distributor of his recent Oscar-winning film, "Taxi to the Dark Side." Late last week X-Ray Productions, producers of Gibney's film, charged that ThinkFilm fradulently hid the fact that it could not properly release the film in theaters, in a complaint filed with the Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA), the organization agreed upon by both sides to arbitrate any dispute. Responding to Gibney's claims and the request for arbitration, ThinkFilm president Mark Urman this weekend defended his company and its work on the film and sharply criticized Gibney. [ read more in Biz ] [ 7 comments ] [ filed under Companies, Documentary, Lead Story ] iW NEWS | Zeitgeist Gets "Stranded"
As it prepares to celebrates its 20th anniversary with a retrospective at MoMA this week, Zeitgeist Films has announced a deal for U.S. theatrical and home video rights to Gonzalo Arijon's "Stranded: I've Come From a Plane the Crashed in the Mountains." Uruguayan director Arijon's film is the story the story of the survivors of a plane crash in the South American Andes 35 years ago, profiling the survivors, who subsisted the ten weeks in the freezing weather by consuming the remains of those who died after the plane went down. Winner of the jury prize at last year's International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (where indieWIRE first reported on the film), the doc had its North American premiere at the Sundance Film Festival this year. "This is truly one of the most remarkable stories turned into one of the most haunting films we've ever encountered," Zeitgeist co-president Emily Russo (who negotiated the deal with Emmanuelle Erbsmann at ARTE France) and co-president Nancy Gerstman said today in a statement, "We expect it to have a great theatrical life and beyond, as this films provides a truly an indelible experience." After releasing its recent acquisition, Sundance Documentary Grand Jury Prize winner "Trouble The Water," Zeitgeist will open the movie at New York City's Film Forum on October 22, 2008, followed by a national roll-out. [Eugene Hernandez] [permalink] [ filed under Acquisitions, Documentary ] June 20, 2008LAT | Documentaries lose box office muscle
"Despite critical acclaim, such films as 'Bigger, Faster, Stronger*' and 'Young@Heart' can't draw moviegoers," reports the LA Times, "Critically acclaimed films about provocative subjects struggle to make money all the time, but rarely have so many lauded documentaries consistently failed to connect at the box office. The recent nonfiction returns have been so bleak that several distributors are growing wary about taking on such highbrow works..." [permalink] [ filed under Biz, Documentary ]  DISPATCH FROM MARYLAND | Considering the Confounding State of Nonfiction: Spike Lee and Alex Gibney at Silverdocs
The truth is out there, but only certain people know where to find it. In downtown Silver Spring, Maryland, that's the driving sentiment behind AFI Silverdocs, a healthy alternative to the industry festivities currently unfolding on the other coast at the Los Angeles Film Festival. Now in its fifth year, the calmest of the AFI-branded gatherings hosts a refreshingly specific program of discussions, workshops, and screenings featuring many of the finest recent accomplishments in nonfiction cinema. Where other festivals derive much of their appeal from a sense of discovery, Silverdocs feels more like an annual canonization of the documentary form, highlighting some of the best practitioners of the art while observing the bigger picture presented by the industry around them. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Festival Dispatches, Lead Story ] June 12, 2008HR | HBO's Polanski film causes dispute
"Did judge insist that any court hearing be televised?," wonders Gregg Kilday in a Hollywood Reporter article about Marina Zenovich's new doc, "Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired." [permalink] [ filed under Documentary, Movies ] June 11, 2008 indieWIRE INTERVIEW | "Kicking It" Director Susan Koch
Director Susan Koch's Sundance '08 doc "Kicking It" (co-directed by Jeff Werner) centers on the Homeless World Cup that was established in 2001 with the idea to give homeless people the opportunity to better their lives through sports. In the five years since its creation, 20,000 people have competed on street teams. The film captures the 2006 Homeless World Cup in which 500 players representing 48 countries traveled to Cape Town, South Africa. Seven players are profiled... Liberation Films opens the film in limited release Friday, June 13. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Interviews, Lead Story ] iW NEWS | First Run Takes "Midway"
First Run Features has announced the acquisition of film critic Godfrey Cheshire's "Moving Midway, and will release the film in New York on September 12, 2008, followed by wider openings in the South and around the country in the fall. In the film, Cheshire takes a closer look at his own family, exploring their decision to physically relocate their North Carolina plantation home. In the words of a description, "Through movies and music, Cheshire examines the Southern plantation in American history and culture, and how the racial legacy from the past continues into the present." "We're very pleased to be distributing Godfrey's wonderful debut film," said Marc Mauceri, First Run's Vice President, in a statement. "We've been fans of his criticism for more than a decade, and to see him make the leap from film critic to film maker is very exciting." The film debuted at last year's Full Frame festival and then screened at the 2008 New Director/New Films Festival. [Peter Knegt] [permalink] [ filed under Acquisitions, Documentary ] iW NEWS | Sundance Institute Announces Fellows
The Sundance Institute announced the selection of eight Documentary Film Fellows representing four projects to participate in the Documentary Film Edit and Story Laboratory from June 21-28 in Utah. "Sundance is welcoming a group of non-fiction artists, who we believe will both contribute and learn from the Sundance Institute's values of creative freedom and innovation," said Cara Mertes, Director of the Sundance Documentary Film Program. The Fellows are NC Heikin, Natalia Almada, Daniela Alatorre, Deann Borshay Liem, Vivien Hillgrove, Jennifer Maytorena Taylor and Kenji Yamamoto. [Peter Knegt] [permalink] [ filed under Documentary, Honors ]  REVIEW | Cold Comforts: Werner Herzog's "Encounters at the End of the World"
[An indieWIRE review from Reverse Shot.] "Encounters at the End of the World" is the latest missive from world cinema's Marco Polo / Jack London / Great White Image Hunter, Herr Werner Herzog, out for a deserved large-screen airing before entering its inevitable Discovery Channel rotation. The spoils of Herzog's latest expedition are an enjoyably idiosyncratic series of home movies. Lured by ethereal underwater scenes shot beneath Antarctica's ice, and funded by the National Science Foundation, Herzog disembarks to the tamed final frontier, on the trail of Ernest Shackleton, whose expedition haunts the film in gray archival footage, and whose preserved base of operations is visited before film's end. [ read more in Movies ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Lead Story, Reviews ] June 10, 2008 iW PROFILE | "My Winnipeg" Director Guy Maddin
"I was going in the direction that all indie directors go," said filmmaker Guy Maddin, reflecting on his career. "It was fun to do a U-turn and go in the opposite direction. Ironically, if I go to Hollywood, I'd be happier going this way. I'll get there on my own strengths, if I get there at all." Maddin, talking to a moderator Dennis Lim in front of a crowd that gathered at the Apple Store SoHo during the Tribeca Film Festival, is referring to the primitive nature of his recent films, most particularly "My Winnipeg," which is being released by IFC Films at the IFC Center and Lincoln Cinemas in New York this Friday, June 13. [EDITOR'S NOTE: This profile was originally published as part of indieWIRE's coverage of the 7th Tribeca Film Festival.] [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Lead Story, Profiles ] June 6, 2008 Human Rights Fest Sets '08 Slate, Launches Youth Program
Co-presented by Human Rights Watch and the Film Society of Lincoln Center, the 19th annual Human Rights Watch International Film Festival will run from June 13 to 26, featuring 19 feature-length films and 13 shorts from 20 countries, including 31 New York premieres. The festival will open with Peter Raymont's "A Promise to the Dead: The Exile Journey of Ariel Dorfman," with the film's subject and renowned author of "Death and the Maiden" present to introduce the documentary. The two closing night films are "Letter to Anna," which tells the story of the life and tragic death of crusading Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, and "USA vs. Al-Arian," which implicates the U.S. government in a portrait of Palestinian-American activist Dr. Sami Al-Arian. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Festival News, Lead Story, Lineups ] June 5, 2008 REVIEW | Troublemaker: Erik Nelson's "Dreams with Sharp Teeth"
[An indieWIRE review from Reverse Shot.] In a 1978 essay, Harlan Ellison enumerated what he deemed "The 3 Most Important Things in Life": Sex, Violence, and Labor Relations. Such a succinct list doesn't encompass all of the writer's many facets -- Ellison the political activist, Ellison the anti-anti-intellectual, Ellison the (self-described) angry Jew -- but it's a start. At very least, it's an indication to those uninitiated into the man's verbose, ornery omniverse that Ellison is a good deal more than what he is most known to be: a writer of what he calls "imaginative literature" (but what most everyone else knows as "sci-fi"). [ read more in Movies ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Lead Story, Reviews ] June 1, 2008 REVIEW | Everything Is Deracinated: Nina Davenport's "Operation Filmmaker"
[An indieWIRE review from Reverse Shot.] Thanks to a steaming pile of liberal-minded good will, Muthana Mohmed, a 25-year-old aspiring filmmaker was brought from Baghdad to the Czech Republic to intern on the set of an American movie production. Muthana received the invitation after having been spotted in an MTV-produced documentary about youth in Iraq following the U.S. bombings and invasion; the makings for an inspiring true tale of determination, hope, and cross-cultural healing were all in place. Yet as charted in Nina Davenport's provocative, utterly compelling documentary "Operation Filmmaker," Muthana's journey after leaving his homeland for the first time in his life was undone by factors reflective of an unbridgeable cultural divide. [ read more in Movies ] [ 1 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Lead Story, Reviews ] May 29, 2008 6th Silver Docs Fest Offers 108 Films From 63 Countries
The 6th annual SILVERDOCS documentary film festival announced its programming for its June 16-23, 2008 event, which takes place in Silver Spring, MD,. The festival will present 108 films representing 63 countries selected from 1,861 submissions with six world, eight North American, six U.S. and seven East Coast Premieres and two retrospective programs. It will open with the U.S. Premiere of Adrian Wills' "All Together Now" and close with John Walter's "Theater of War." [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Festival News, Lead Story, Lineups ] May 28, 2008 indieWIRE INTERVIEW | "Bigger Stronger Faster*" Director Chris Bell
After making an award winning short film just after graduating from USC's School of Cinematic Arts, Chris Bell makes his feature directorial debut with the documentary "Bigger, Stronger, Faster*." As one might imagine, the characteristics of the steroids subculture are imbedded in a few pieces of the American pie, given the country's cultural emphasis on the size and strength of men. "Stronger," which debuted at Sundance earlier this year, examines this, focusing on Bell's two brothers and how they became involved in that world. The film opens Friday via Magnolia Films in limited release. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Interviews, Lead Story ] May 14, 2008iW NEWS | IFP Selects Doc Lab Projects
On Thursday, organizers of IFP's Independent Filmmaker Lab announced the ten documentary projects selected to participate in the event. Created to support independent projects before they submit to film festivals, the program brings first-time feature filmmakers to leading industry mentors through its Documentary Lab in May and its Narrative Lab in June. The selected projects include Cambria Matlow and Morgan Robinson's "Burning in the Sun," Augusta Palmer's "The Hand of Fatima," Geralyn Pezanoski's "Mine: Taken By Katrina," Ngawang Choephel's "Ocean Song and Dance," Troy Word's "The Presence of Joseph Chaikin," Xavier Marrades Orga's "The Stranger's Land," Yolanda Pividal's "Tijuana, Nada Mas," Lorena Manriquez and Miguel Picker's "Ulises' Odyssey," Lee Storey's "Up With People," and Melis Birder's "The Visitors." Following the programs, excerpts from the films screen at IFP's Independent Film Week in New York City in September. [Peter Knegt] [permalink] [ filed under Documentary, Events ] May 2, 2008 indieWIRE INTERVIEW | "Hollywood Chinese" Director Arthur Dong
Documentary director Arthur Dong has been working since the early 1980s, when one of his first shorts, "Sewing Woman," was nominated for an Academy Award. Since then, he has directed a series of docs on political and social issues, including 1994's Peabody Award winning "Coming Out Under Fire" and 1997's Sundance favorite "Licensed To Kill," which took a chilling look at the lives of people convicted of violent hate crimes against gay men (Dong himself was a victim of gay bashing in 1977). His latest work, "Hollywood Chinese," goes in a different but certainly not less imperative direction, examining the placement of Asian-Americans in Hollywood cinema. Premiering at last year's Toronto International Film Festival, the doc shines a light on decades of underwhelming representations. The film opens Friday, May 2 at New York's Quad Cinemas. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Interviews ]  DOC COLUMN | Arts Engine Celebrates 10 Years
Ten years can either be a blip or an eternity depending on your perspective. The year 1997 saw President Bill Clinton inaugurated for his second term, James Cameron's "Titantic" was the top movie and a book about a young wizard named Harry Potter first hit shelves. It was before the Internet stock bust and "information superhighway" was still a promise. The world of documentary in the U.S. was one of foundation funding, public television broadcast and educational distribution with precious few docs breaking into any kind of commercial success. It was in that entrenched world that then-new filmmakers Katy Chevigny and Julia Pimsleur felt like they had little opportunity. [ read more in Biz ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Lead Story, Trends ] April 30, 2008iW NEWS | THINKFilm Makes Theatrical & Home Video Deal for "Roman Polanski" Doc
U.S. theatrical and home video rights to Sundance '08 doc "Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired" have been acquired by THINKFilm from HBO, which acquired the title at the festival in January. "Polanski" will have its international premiere at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival. HBO will air the film on June 9th, and THINK will launch a theatrical roll out beginning July 11 in New York. Directed by Marina Zenovich, the film spotlights the the public scandal and private tragedy that drove the legendary director from the United States more than 30 years ago. "Marina's film is one of the best documentaries I've seen in years," commented Urman in a statement. "It is as compulsively enjoyable as the juiciest tabloid yet it also serves as a stunning indictment of our tabloid-crazed culture. Buoyed by HBO's terrific promotional support, the film should have enormous want-to-see, and exhibitor interest in the film couldn't be higher." The deal, which was jointly announced by THINKFilm president Mark Urman and Sheila Nevins, president, HBO Documentary Films, and is the latest collaboration between the two companies, whose series of partnerships has included recent Oscar-winner, "Taxi to the Dark Side.." Last month, reported on the film's brief Oscar-qualifying run, which indieWIRE. [Brian Brooks] [permalink] [ filed under Acquisitions, Cannes, Documentary ] April 28, 2008iW NEWS | Hot Docs Leaps In Attendance, Awards "Root"
The Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival finished up Sunday, with a record-breaking attendance of 85,000, a 25% increase over last year. The 11 day festival screened 172 films from 36 countries. "The success of this year's Festival is a testament to our audiences," said Executive Director Chris McDonald in a statement. "Their passion for docs and investment in the Festival is inspiring. Filmmakers love screening their work in this city." The festival announced most of its juried awards Friday, but two awards were announced Sunday, including the Hot Docs Audience Award, which was awarded to Lisa Merton and Alan Dater's "Taking Root: The Vision of the Wangari Maathai." Runners-up were Benson Lee's "Planet B-Boy" and Kurt Kuenne's "Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father." The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) Prize for best Canadian documentary was also announced, going to Pierre Mignault and Helene Magny's "Shock Waves." The CIDA Award comes with a $5,000 prize. [Peter Knegt] [permalink] [ filed under Documentary, Festivals, Honors ] April 27, 2008 Nonfiction Campaign: Can Errol Morris's "Standard Operating Procedure" Break the Political Doc Deadlock?
Election years are typically strong for political documentaries. Capitalizing on citizens' hunger for issues that the mainstream media is either ignoring or mishandling, audiences flock to theaters to get a deeper sense of what's going on in the world. At least that was the thinking in 2004, with the blockbuster sales of "Fahrenheit 9/11" and also given the multi-million-dollar grosses of "The Fog of War," "Control Room," "Super Size Me," and "The Corporation." Even "Going Upriver: The Long War of John Kerry" wasn't swift-boated in theaters, earning more than $614,000. [ read more in Biz ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Lead Story, Trends ] April 22, 2008 DISPATCH FROM TORONTO | Documentary Filmmaking and "The Long Haul"
Termed "the longitudinal documentary" by Hot Docs Director of Programming Sean Farnel, films that follow a character or story over an extended period of time are increasingly problematic these days. Deals with distributors or television networks put pressure on the time a doc has to finish, often limiting the diachronic scope of the project. Three feature films screening at the 2008 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival: Jens Hoffman's "20 Seconds of Joy," Greg Kohs' "Song Sung Blue," and Nik Sheehan's "Flicker," exemplfy this increasingly rare form in documentary filmmaking. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Festival Dispatches, Lead Story ] iW NEWS | CFC and NFB Launch Doc Development Program
The Canadian Film Centre (CFC) and the National Film Board (NFB) have joined forces to create Canada's first program to develop theatrical documentaries. The CFC NFB Feature Documentary Program, announced Tuesday at a Hot Docs event in Toronto, will launch in January 2009 with the goal of developing "successful original feature documentaries for international cinema audiences." The six-month program is designed to help directors develop cinematic documentaries that will combine weeks of residency at the CFC with project-specific mentorship from documentary talents."From 'Manufactured Landscapes' to the most recent critically acclaimed 'Up The Yangtze,' Canadian feature documentaries continue to dazzle audiences worldwide with their cinematic vision and masterful storytelling," said Slawko Klymkiw, CFC Executive Director, in a statement. "s CFC commences our 20th year of leadership in training content creators, we are proud to launch this new program with the NFB." The submission deadline is August 28, 2008. [Peter Knegt] [permalink] [ filed under Biz, Documentary ] indieWIRE INTERVIEW | "Standard Operating Procedure" Director Errol Morris
Boston-based Errol Morris is that rarity among filmmakers: an intense documentarian (he has worked as a private investigator) and a great aestheticist. Harper's called him "the most obsessive and relentless forensic documentary filmmaker of our time." He probes thoroughly, interviewing his exceptionally candid subjects through a device he invented known as the Interrotron, a two-camera set-up allowing the interviewee to see Morris but also inviting the viewer into an eyeline rapport with the witness. "Standard Operating Procedure" is in the tradition of Morris's "The Thin Blue Line" (1988), in which he spoke to many people in pursuit of the truth about a murder case, rather than, say, "The Fog of War" (2003), in which he deconstructed top decisionmaker Robert McNamara's role in the Vietnam War. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Interviews, Lead Story ] April 19, 2008DISPATCH FROM TORONTO | Hometown "Demi-Gods of Metal" Kick Off Toronto's Hot Docs Fest
The 15th edition of the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival started off with a (head) bang in Toronto Thursday night, showcasing the Canadian premiere of Sacha Gervasi's "Anvil! The Story of Anvil." Taking the stage of the historic Winter Garden to introduce the film, Hot Docs' Executive Director Chris McDonald proudly declared the festival "the finest collection of documentaries anywhere." With 174 films from 36 countries screening over 11 days, Hot Docs has grown into the largest documentary festival in North America, blasting out of the shadow of the Toronto International Film Festival to become a major industry event in its own right. The festival now welcomes some 2,000 delegates and 80,000 filmgoers, double the numbers from just three years ago. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Festival Dispatches, Lead Story ] April 16, 2008 indieWIRE INTERVIEW | "Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts" Director Scott Hicks
Director Scott Hicks' documentary "Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts" traces an eventful year in contemporary composer Philip Glass's life as he stages the opera "Waiting for the Barbarians," writes his eighth symphony, scores several films, travels the world and maintains a family with his fourth wife, Holly. Given unprecedented access to Glass' working process, family life, spiritual teachers and long time collaborators, Hicks gives us a unique glimpse behind the curtain into the life of a surprising and complex man. Koch Lorber Films opens the film Friday, April 18 at New York's IFC Center with subsequent release dates to be announced. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Interviews, Lead Story ] April 15, 2008iW NEWS | HBO Doc Films Announces Summer Slate
Beginning June 9, 2008 and running through August 25, 2008, HBO Documentary Films will air a new film every Monday night at 9:00pm (ET/PT). The slate was announced Tuesday, and includes Marina Zenovich's "Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired" on June 9th; Greg Whiteley's "Resolved" on June 16th; Jezza Neumann's "China's Stolen Children" on July 14th; Edet Belzberg's "The Recruiter" on July 28th; Ivan O'Mahoney and Laura Winter's "Baghdad High" on August 4th; Paul Taylor's "We Are Together" on August 11th; and Timothy Greenfield-Sanders' "The Black List, Vol. 1" on August 25th. For full programming, check out HBO's website. [Peter Knegt] [permalink] [ filed under Biz, Documentary ]  DISPATCH FROM TEL AVIV | Doc Aviv's 10th Anniversary Presents a Strong Israeli Scene
The appearance of Shimon Peres on stage for the opening night of Doc Aviv's 10th anniversary was an early indicator that the Israeli documentary scene deserves attention. The 84-year-old former Prime Minister, who now serves in the more ceremonial role of President, addressed the packed house at Tel Aviv's Performing Arts Center. Often such an occasion is susceptible to formulaic remarks. Think of the political welcome letters that preface most festival catalogues. But Peres surprised this jaded festival goer with his eloquent perspective on the role of documentary film. Speaking in Hebrew (translated on headsets for international guests), he observed that memory has a tendency to focus on the best of times, whereas the documentary camera can keep a more accurate record of the things we might prefer to forget. He wryly noted that Israel supplies so much drama that it's an ideal home for documentary makers. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Festival Dispatches, Lead Story ] April 11, 2008 indieWIRE INTERVIEW | "Body of War" Co-Director Ellen Spiro
Director Ellen Spiro, whose slew of documentaries have played in film festivals and won awards across the world, most recently teamed up with ex-talk show host Phil Donahue for "Body of War." "War" chronicles the story of Tomas Young, a young U.S. soldier who returns from Iraq paralyzed from a bullet in his spine. After premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival last September, the film won the National Board of Review's best documentary award and the audience award at the Hamptons International Film Festival, and begins a limited release in New York this weekend. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Interviews, Lead Story ] April 8, 2008  Errol and Barker
At MoMA on Monday night for the premiere of his new film "Standard Operating Procedure," filmmaker Errol Morris poses alongside Sony Pictures Classics co-president Michael Barker. A few days ago, on his New York Times blog, Morris offered a lengthy look at the use of re-enactments in his own work, noting, "My re-enactments focus our attention on some specific detail or object that helps us look beyond the surface of images to something hidden, something deeper -- something that better captures what really happened...Some re-enactments serve the truth, others subvert it." indieWIRE will soon host Errol Morris for three conversations about his work at Apple Stores in Santa Monica (April 11), New York City (April 23) and San Francisco (April 30). [ read more in iPOP ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, NYC Parties & Events 2008 ] April 7, 2008 DISPATCH FROM NORTH CAROLINA | Full Frame Forges Ahead Without Its Charismatic Founder at the Helm
When the 11th edition of the Full Frame Film Festival unspooled in Durham, North Carolina last Thursday, many were watching to see if the festival would be fundamentally changed by the departure of founder and artistic director Nancy Buirski, long the festival's heart and soul. Buirski, who stayed on as advisor and sidebar curator after a leadership swtich, was still a looming and smiling presence in Durham this year, but the venerable nonfiction film event that she began carried on without her leadership, much the same as it had in previous years. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Lead Story, Wrap Ups ] NYT | A Comprehensive PBS Documentary on the Iraq War Becomes a Big Hit Online
The New York Times reports "more than 1.5 million views of all or part of" the recent Frontline documentary, "Bush's War, streamed for free in 26 parts on the PBS website. [permalink] [ filed under Documentary, New Media & Technology ] April 6, 2008iW NEWS | "Trouble the Water" and "Man on Wire" Win Big at Full Frame Doc Fest
At the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival this weekend, Tia Lessin and Carl Deal's "Trouble the Water" won the Anne Dellinger Grand Jury Award, the top prize at the annual Durham, N.C. event, with a special jury prize going to James Marsh's "Man on Wire," which also won the event's audience award. "Trouble the Water" also won the Kathleen Bryan Edwards Award for Human Rights and shared the Full Frame/Working Films Award with Weijun Chen's "Please Vote for Me." Jeremiah Zagar's "In a Dream" won the Charles E. Guggenheim Emerging Artist Award, Steve James and Peter Gilbert's "At the Death House Door" won the Full Frame Inspiration Award and Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath's "The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)" won the Full Frame Spectrum Award. Other winners included Meg McLagan and Daria Sommers' "Lioness" (Center for Documentary Studies Filmmaker Award), Iris Olsson's "Summerchild" (Full Frame President’s Award), Lisa Merton and Alan Dater's "Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai" (Full Frame Women In Leadership Award), and Eva Weber's "City of Cranes" (Full Frame Jury Award for Best Short. [Eugene Hernandez] [permalink] [ filed under Documentary, Festivals ]  REVIEW | Old Joy: Stephen Walker's "Young @ Heart"
[An indieWIRE review from Reverse Shot.] Can rock music and colostomy bags mix? (Insert your own hilarious "Shine a Light" joke here.) The subject of Stephen Walker's new documentary is Farmingham, Massachusetts' "Young @ Heart" chorus, a 24-member group with several international tours under its belt. The singers' median age, we're informed, is 80. [ read more in Movies ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Lead Story, Reviews ] March 31, 2008iW NEWS | Red Envelope's Che Doc at Fortissimo
Fortissomo Films has announced a deal for all rights outside of North America for Trisha Ziff and Luis Lopez's "Chevolution," which will debut at the Tribeca Film Festival. The new documentary was financed by Netflix's Red Envelope Entertainment and in the words of an announcement, was described as examining, "how the famous photo of revolutionary Ernest "Che" Guevara, captured in an instant by renowned photographer Alberto Korda, became an iconic image known throughout the world, revered by revolutionaries for 50 years, and plastered on everything from bikinis to beer bottles." Subjects included in the film include Gael Garcia Bernal, Antonio Banderas, Tom Morello, Gerry Adams. The film will also screen in the Marche du Film, alongside the upcoming Festival de Cannes. [Eugene Hernandez] [permalink] [ filed under Acquisitions, Documentary ] March 30, 2008 Pondering Polanski in New Doc (Not Coming to a Theater Near You)
Reportedly set for an HBO cable TV premiere in June, Marina Zenovich's "Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired" quietly opened in two movie theaters over the weekend. To qualify for Oscar consideration -- as originally reported by Defamer.com -- the documentary is currently on screen for afternoon showings at theaters in Pasadena, CA and in Manhattan's Washington Heights neighborhood. indieWIRE first covered the film shortly after its Sundance Film Festival debut. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Profiles ] March 27, 2008iW NEWS | Arts Alliance Gets "Chops"
Arts Alliance America has announced a deal for North American rights to Bruce Broder's "Chops," a documentary about high school jazz students vying in a national competition. The company is planning a theatrical release followed by a DVD debut later this year. "'Chops' fits into that category of film that gets me excited," said Arts Alliance America president Joe Amodei, "When you can release product that entertains and inspires at the same time, then we have reached our goal. This film achieves both in a very big way." Submarine's Josh Braun and CAA brokered the deal with Arts Alliance America. [Eugene Hernandez] [permalink] [ filed under Acquisitions, Documentary ] March 26, 2008 DOC COLUMN | Music Documentaries Take Center Stage
When the movie started to roll, the image was only a quarter the size of the screen. I'm wondering if I'm in the right place -- the IMAX Theater at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin -- just as black and white images of Martin Scorsese begin to flash across the screen. He directed the movie I'm about to watch so I'm convinced I'm in the right spot, but won't it cover whole screen? Why show it at IMAX? I'm not sure of the exact moment, but suddenly the movie is filling the screen and like a roller coaster ride, we are at the top just waiting for the big drop that is The Rolling Stones as they take the stage of the Beacon Theater in New York City for a legendary performance. [ read more in Movies ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Lead Story, Monthly Doc Column ] March 24, 2008iW NEWS | "Haditha," "Heaven," "Encounters," "Full Battle," "Berlin" On Film Forum Spring/Summer Slate
New York's Film Forum, a key launching pad for the limited release theatrical runs of independent films and documentaries, has announced its slate of premieres for Spring and Summer 2007. Nick Broomfield's "Battle For Haditha" will open at the theater on May 7th, while Fatih Akin's "The Edge of Heaven" (from Strand Releasing) will debut on May 21st. Set for June are Erik Nelson's "Dreams With Sharp Teeth" (June 4th), Werner Herzog's "Encounters at the End of the World" (June 11th) from ThinkFilm, and Marion Cajori and Amei Wallach's "Louise Bourgeois" (June 25th), while set for July are Tony Gerber & Jesse Moss's "Full Battle Rattle" (July 9th), Julian Schnabel's "Lou Reed's Berlin" from The Weinstein Company (July 18th) and TWC's "Boy A" by John Crowley (July 23rd). Rounding out the Summer roster are Steven Sebring's "Patti Smith: Dream of Life" (August 6th) from Palm Pictures, and Maria Anna Tappeiner's "Richard Serra: Thinking On Your Feet" (August 20th). [Eugene Hernandez] [permalink] [ filed under Biz, Documentary ] March 20, 2008VAR | Cutler Eyeing Comic Doc
Accomplished doc-maker RJ Cutler and TV producer Sarah Timberman are pursuing a new doc based on Richard Zoglin's "Comedy at the Edge: How Stand-Up in the 1970s Changed America," a new book they've optioned (according to Variety). [permalink] [ filed under Documentary, Movies ] March 19, 2008 indieWIRE INTERVIEW | "Planet B-Boy" Director Benson Lee
Director Benson Lee's doc "Planet B-Boy" is set in the international world of B-boying, the urban dance known as "breakdancing." With backdrops in Osaka, Japan, Paris, France, Seoul, Korea and Las Vegas, NV, the film follows the stories of dancers who stlarger society and even their own families. An American dancer in Vegas looks for his big break; a Korean son seeks his father's approval; a twelve-year-old boy in France confronts his family's racism and all the b-boys' lives collide in Germany where their skills are put to the ultimate test: the "Battle of the Year" finals, with crews from 18 nations vying for the title of World Champion. Lee directed "Miss Monday," which won the emerging filmmaker award at the St. Louis International Film Festival as well as an special mention for acting at the Sundance Film Festival. Elephant Eye opens the film at the Landmark Sunshine in New York and the Nuart in L.A. Friday, March 21 followed by other cities. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Interviews ] iW NEWS | Yauch's Oscilloscope Sets "Gunnin'" For June
Adam Yauch's new Oscilloscope Pictures has set the release date for its first film, Yauch's "Gunnin' For That #1 Spot." The doc, set to debut next month at the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival, is the story of eight high school basketball players vying for fame at a Harlem invitational. The film will debut in the Top 10 markets and have a national roll-out through July. [Eugene Hernandez] [permalink] [ filed under Documentary, Movies ] March 18, 2008< |