Exclusive: Joel ‘Kachi Benson (Madu) has been tapped to direct the documentary The Harvest, on Nigeria’s infamous Boko Haram Kidnappings of 2014, for Hunting Lane and Impact Partners. A first-look still can be found above.
Following four Nigerian mothers as they fight to educate their children in the wake of tragedy, the film marks the 10th anniversary of terrorist organization Boko Haram’s attack and abduction of 276 young girls from a school in the village of Chibok.
Joel ‘Kachi Benson
Nigerian filmmaker Benson came to helm the film after tackling the aftermath of the attacks with previous work including 2019’s Daughters of Chibok, a VR experience he wrote and produced which won the Lion for Best Immersive Story at the 76th Venice Film Festival.
“I have spent the last five years with the mothers and survivors of the Chibok kidnappings,” the filmmaker told Deadline. “I’ve listened to their stories,...
Following four Nigerian mothers as they fight to educate their children in the wake of tragedy, the film marks the 10th anniversary of terrorist organization Boko Haram’s attack and abduction of 276 young girls from a school in the village of Chibok.
Joel ‘Kachi Benson
Nigerian filmmaker Benson came to helm the film after tackling the aftermath of the attacks with previous work including 2019’s Daughters of Chibok, a VR experience he wrote and produced which won the Lion for Best Immersive Story at the 76th Venice Film Festival.
“I have spent the last five years with the mothers and survivors of the Chibok kidnappings,” the filmmaker told Deadline. “I’ve listened to their stories,...
- 4/15/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Halle Bailey, who played Ariel in The Little Mermaid and Young Nettie in The Color Purple, has joined the cast of the upcoming, as-yet-untitled collaboration between Pharrell Williams and filmmaker Michel Gondry.
The cast currently includes Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Da’Vine Joy Randolph, according to Variety. The musical will take place in Virginia Beach, a setting meant to evoke the Atlantis Apartments, the neighborhood where Williams grew up, in the summer of 1977.
Gondry, who directed Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, will helm the production. The screenwriters are Martin Hynes...
The cast currently includes Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Da’Vine Joy Randolph, according to Variety. The musical will take place in Virginia Beach, a setting meant to evoke the Atlantis Apartments, the neighborhood where Williams grew up, in the summer of 1977.
Gondry, who directed Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, will helm the production. The screenwriters are Martin Hynes...
- 4/4/2024
- by Kory Grow
- Rollingstone.com
Streaming now on Apple TV+, and by the way one of the best services you can rent each month as they have the fantastic Masters Of The Air, For All Mankind, Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters, the Emmy Award-winning comedy “Ted Lasso” and historic Oscar Best Picture winner Coda, is “Steve! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces”
Steve Martin is one of the most beloved and enigmatic figures in entertainment and the doc dives into his extraordinary story from two distinct points of view, with companion documentaries that feature never-before-seen footage and raw insights into Steve’s personal and professional trials and triumphs. “Then” chronicles Steve Martin’s early struggles and meteoric rise to revolutionize standup before walking away at 35. “Now” focuses on the present day, with Steve Martin in the golden years of his career, retracing the transformation that led to happiness in his art and personal life.
Steve! (martin) a...
Steve Martin is one of the most beloved and enigmatic figures in entertainment and the doc dives into his extraordinary story from two distinct points of view, with companion documentaries that feature never-before-seen footage and raw insights into Steve’s personal and professional trials and triumphs. “Then” chronicles Steve Martin’s early struggles and meteoric rise to revolutionize standup before walking away at 35. “Now” focuses on the present day, with Steve Martin in the golden years of his career, retracing the transformation that led to happiness in his art and personal life.
Steve! (martin) a...
- 4/3/2024
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
From “The Jerk” to “Only Murders in the Building” and every stage and screen in between, it’s impossible to contain Steve Martin’s life and career into just one documentary. Apple TV+ will take a look at the five-decade career and seven-decade life of the comedy legend with two wild and crazy docs, tracing the path through all its highs and lows, then and now. Directed by Oscar winner Morgan Neville, “Steve! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces” will premiere on Friday, March 29 on Apple TV+. You can watch Steve! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces with a 7-Day Free Trial of Apple TV+.
How to Watch ‘Steve! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces’ Premiere When: Thursday, March 28, 2024 Where: Apple TV+ Stream: Watch with a 7-Day Free Trial of Apple TV+. 7-Day Free Trial$9.99+ / month apple.com About ‘Steve! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces’ Premiere
Oscar-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville takes an extended...
How to Watch ‘Steve! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces’ Premiere When: Thursday, March 28, 2024 Where: Apple TV+ Stream: Watch with a 7-Day Free Trial of Apple TV+. 7-Day Free Trial$9.99+ / month apple.com About ‘Steve! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces’ Premiere
Oscar-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville takes an extended...
- 3/29/2024
- by Ashley Steves
- The Streamable
The upcoming fourth season of Only Murders in the Building won’t be the only opportunity to see Steve Martin on the small screen this year, as the beloved comic will be the focus of a two-part documentary debuting on Apple TV+ this month.
The streaming service has shared the first trailer for Steve! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces, which examines Martin’s trailblazing rise in the comedy world, his decades as a Hollywood leading man, and his late-career transformation as a bluegrass musician and Only Murders co-star.
“This guy was getting people so happy,...
The streaming service has shared the first trailer for Steve! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces, which examines Martin’s trailblazing rise in the comedy world, his decades as a Hollywood leading man, and his late-career transformation as a bluegrass musician and Only Murders co-star.
“This guy was getting people so happy,...
- 3/6/2024
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Iconic actor and comedian Steve Martin is finally getting his own documentary after spending more than half a century in the spotlight.
The “Bowfinger,” “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” and “Only Murders in the Building” star is the subject of Oscar-winning documentarian Morgan Neville’s latest feature, which charts Martin’s personal life to his rise on “SNL” and later, his writing, directing, and acting career.
Titled “Steve! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces,” the film dives into Martin’s extraordinary story from two distinct points of view, with companion documentaries that feature never-before-seen footage and raw insights into Steve’s personal and professional trials and triumphs. The “Then” portion chronicles Martin’s early struggles and meteoric rise to revolutionize standup before walking away at 35. The “Now” section focuses on the present day, with Martin in the golden years of his career, teasing retirement, retracing the transformation that led to happiness in his art and personal life.
The “Bowfinger,” “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” and “Only Murders in the Building” star is the subject of Oscar-winning documentarian Morgan Neville’s latest feature, which charts Martin’s personal life to his rise on “SNL” and later, his writing, directing, and acting career.
Titled “Steve! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces,” the film dives into Martin’s extraordinary story from two distinct points of view, with companion documentaries that feature never-before-seen footage and raw insights into Steve’s personal and professional trials and triumphs. The “Then” portion chronicles Martin’s early struggles and meteoric rise to revolutionize standup before walking away at 35. The “Now” section focuses on the present day, with Martin in the golden years of his career, teasing retirement, retracing the transformation that led to happiness in his art and personal life.
- 3/6/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
“He’s the most idolized comedian ever,” Jerry Seinfeld says in the new trailer for “Steve!” a new documentary from Academy Award-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville Neville about the beloved American national treasure Steve Martin. “He reinvented stand up,” another off-screen talking head says, and you know you’re in store for a doc that sounds and looks like it’ll be as entertaining as it is ebullient in its praise of the “Only Murders in The Buildings” star.
Continue reading ‘Steve!’ Trailer: Steven Martin ‘A Documentary In 2 Pieces’ Film Arrives March 29 On Apple TV at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Steve!’ Trailer: Steven Martin ‘A Documentary In 2 Pieces’ Film Arrives March 29 On Apple TV at The Playlist.
- 3/6/2024
- by The Playlist
- The Playlist
If its wins at the recent Screen Actors Guild Awards did not send enough of a message that “Oppenheimer” is far and away the frontrunner for Best Picture at the 2024 Oscars, the film’s receiving the Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures at the Producers Guild of America Awards on Sunday, February 25 almost certainly sealed the deal.
In her acceptance speech, “Oppenheimer” executive producer Emma Thomas was quick to to first thank the guild in general for the work that they do, as earlier in the evening, PGA co-presidents Stephanie Allain and Donald De Line announced a historic initiative to fund health insurance for full-time working producers in the guild. After that, however, she was also sure to make note of how writer/director Christopher Nolan (both her husband and business partner) also happens to be “the best producer. He’s absolutely brilliant.”
Nolan himself said that,...
In her acceptance speech, “Oppenheimer” executive producer Emma Thomas was quick to to first thank the guild in general for the work that they do, as earlier in the evening, PGA co-presidents Stephanie Allain and Donald De Line announced a historic initiative to fund health insurance for full-time working producers in the guild. After that, however, she was also sure to make note of how writer/director Christopher Nolan (both her husband and business partner) also happens to be “the best producer. He’s absolutely brilliant.”
Nolan himself said that,...
- 2/26/2024
- by Marcus Jones
- Indiewire
Pharrell Williams is turning his life into a Lego movie, courtesy of Oscar-winning director Morgan Neville and Focus Features.
Grammy-winning and Academy Award-nominated multi-hyphenate icon Williams announced the project on Instagram, captioning, “Who would’ve thought that playing with Legos as a kid would evolve into a movie about my life. It’s proof that anyone else can do it too… #PieceByPiece.”
The film will be released October 11 in theaters and is billed as an “unparalleled motion picture experience” that pairs Williams’ vision with Lego.
The official synopsis reads: “Uninterested in making a traditional film about his life, Pharrell set out to tell his story in a way that would set audience’s imaginations free. Developed from his singular vision, ‘Piece by Piece’ defies genres and expectations to transport audiences into a Lego world where anything is possible.”
Williams reached out to director Neville in early 2019 with the unprecedented concept...
Grammy-winning and Academy Award-nominated multi-hyphenate icon Williams announced the project on Instagram, captioning, “Who would’ve thought that playing with Legos as a kid would evolve into a movie about my life. It’s proof that anyone else can do it too… #PieceByPiece.”
The film will be released October 11 in theaters and is billed as an “unparalleled motion picture experience” that pairs Williams’ vision with Lego.
The official synopsis reads: “Uninterested in making a traditional film about his life, Pharrell set out to tell his story in a way that would set audience’s imaginations free. Developed from his singular vision, ‘Piece by Piece’ defies genres and expectations to transport audiences into a Lego world where anything is possible.”
Williams reached out to director Neville in early 2019 with the unprecedented concept...
- 1/26/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Given the current dismal political and cultural climate as well as streaming services’ massive appetite for celebrity driven content, it comes as no surprise that the 40th edition of the Sundance Film Festival is chock full of portrait documentaries. Frida Kahlo, Christopher Reeve, Luther Vandross and Tammy Faye are just a few of the boldface names that are being examined in various docus featured in the Sundance nonfiction lineup.
The festival is no stranger to star-driven docus. In recent years, films about Ruth Bader Ginsburg (“Rbg”), Fred Rogers (“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”), Harvey Weinstein (“Untouchable”), Michael Jackson (“Leaving Neverland”), Kanye West (“jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy”), Bill Cosby (“We Need to Talk About Cosby”) and most recently Judy Blume (“Judy Blume Forever”) and Michael J. Fox (“Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie”) had world premieres in Park City.
But unlike films self-produced by their star subjects, the profile docus selected...
The festival is no stranger to star-driven docus. In recent years, films about Ruth Bader Ginsburg (“Rbg”), Fred Rogers (“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”), Harvey Weinstein (“Untouchable”), Michael Jackson (“Leaving Neverland”), Kanye West (“jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy”), Bill Cosby (“We Need to Talk About Cosby”) and most recently Judy Blume (“Judy Blume Forever”) and Michael J. Fox (“Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie”) had world premieres in Park City.
But unlike films self-produced by their star subjects, the profile docus selected...
- 1/17/2024
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
As we wrap up our year-end coverage, IndieWire looks back at the people, projects, and ideas that defined 2023 — and what’s coming next.
As golden ages go, this one was more of a blip.
Five years ago, the box office celebrated nonfiction films: $22 million for “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?,” $14 million for “Rbg,” $17.5 million for “Free Solo.” Critical favorites and Oscar nominees included films from exciting American first-time directors, including RaMell Ross’s lyrical breakthrough about life in rural Alabama, “Hale County This Morning, This Evening” and Bing Liu’s moving personal exposé of domestic abuse in northern Illinois, “Minding the Gap.”
2023 lacked documentary touchstones. A few faith-based documentaries succeeded by preaching to the choir, but the most successful (non-concert) documentary released in theaters this year was the Yogi Berra baseball portrait “It Ain’t Over”. You also could include Magnolia Pictures’ “Joan Baez: I Am A Noise” or — if you...
As golden ages go, this one was more of a blip.
Five years ago, the box office celebrated nonfiction films: $22 million for “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?,” $14 million for “Rbg,” $17.5 million for “Free Solo.” Critical favorites and Oscar nominees included films from exciting American first-time directors, including RaMell Ross’s lyrical breakthrough about life in rural Alabama, “Hale County This Morning, This Evening” and Bing Liu’s moving personal exposé of domestic abuse in northern Illinois, “Minding the Gap.”
2023 lacked documentary touchstones. A few faith-based documentaries succeeded by preaching to the choir, but the most successful (non-concert) documentary released in theaters this year was the Yogi Berra baseball portrait “It Ain’t Over”. You also could include Magnolia Pictures’ “Joan Baez: I Am A Noise” or — if you...
- 12/19/2023
- by Anthony Kaufman
- Indiewire
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences branches began voting today to determine the shortlists in 10 categories for the upcoming 96th Academy Awards. These categories, along with the number of films to be named, are: documentary feature (15), documentary short subject (15), international feature (15), makeup and hairstyling (10), sound (10), original score (15), original song (15), animated short film (15), live action short film (15), and visual effects (10).
The shortlist voting period runs from Dec. 14-18, with the finalists announced on Dec. 21. Nominations voting will occur from Jan. 11-16, and the official nominees in all categories will be revealed on Jan. 23.
The Academy comprises nearly 10,000 eligible voting members, each belonging to one of 18 branches. Each branch nominates for its respective category. However, four branches (as of now) don’t represent specific awards categories: casting directors, executives, marketing/public relations and the recently created production and technology.
Of note is that each branch member casts a ballot for best picture,...
The shortlist voting period runs from Dec. 14-18, with the finalists announced on Dec. 21. Nominations voting will occur from Jan. 11-16, and the official nominees in all categories will be revealed on Jan. 23.
The Academy comprises nearly 10,000 eligible voting members, each belonging to one of 18 branches. Each branch nominates for its respective category. However, four branches (as of now) don’t represent specific awards categories: casting directors, executives, marketing/public relations and the recently created production and technology.
Of note is that each branch member casts a ballot for best picture,...
- 12/14/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
The Producers Guild of America (PGA) announced the seven titles nominated for its 2024 Documentary Motion Picture award on December 12. Each of the films will advance to the final round of voting for the 35th Annual Producers Guild Awards which will take place on Sunday, February 25.
The films nominated for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Motion Pictures are:
“20 Days in Mariupol”
“American Symphony”
“Beyond Utopia”
“The Disappearance of Shere Hite”
“The Mother of All Lies”
“Smoke Sauna Sisterhood”
“Squaring the Circle (The Story of Hipgnosis)”
Recognition from the PGA is not always a reliable indicator of which direction AMPAS will go in determining the Oscar winner. Though PGA and AMPAS matched on their winners over the last three years with “Navalny,” “Summer of Soul,” and “My Octopus Teacher,” they differed the three years before that when the PGA winners “Apollo 11” (2019), “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” (2018), and “Jane” (2017) weren’t even nominated for the Oscar.
The films nominated for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Motion Pictures are:
“20 Days in Mariupol”
“American Symphony”
“Beyond Utopia”
“The Disappearance of Shere Hite”
“The Mother of All Lies”
“Smoke Sauna Sisterhood”
“Squaring the Circle (The Story of Hipgnosis)”
Recognition from the PGA is not always a reliable indicator of which direction AMPAS will go in determining the Oscar winner. Though PGA and AMPAS matched on their winners over the last three years with “Navalny,” “Summer of Soul,” and “My Octopus Teacher,” they differed the three years before that when the PGA winners “Apollo 11” (2019), “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” (2018), and “Jane” (2017) weren’t even nominated for the Oscar.
- 12/13/2023
- by John Benutty
- Gold Derby
“You can observe a lot by watching.”
Although attributed to the late Major League Baseball Hall of Famer/wit/pitchman Lawrence Peter “Yogi” Berra, one could imagine Albert Maysles, Frederick Wiseman or other legends of the observational/vérité strand of documentary positing this as a driving theme of a keynote address. Such is the understated prowess of this often misunderstood cultural icon, whose considerable achievements both on and off the field warrant a worthy documentary profile.
Enter filmmaker Sean Mullin, whose canon has consisted primarily of fiction features. Back in 2018, his producer, Peter Soboloff, was impressed with Rbg, about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, about television icon Fred Rogers, and he suggested that Mullin consider Yogi Berra as a protagonist. Soboloff then introduced Mullin to the Berra family.
Yogi Berra
“I’d done my research by the time I met with them,” says Mullin,...
Although attributed to the late Major League Baseball Hall of Famer/wit/pitchman Lawrence Peter “Yogi” Berra, one could imagine Albert Maysles, Frederick Wiseman or other legends of the observational/vérité strand of documentary positing this as a driving theme of a keynote address. Such is the understated prowess of this often misunderstood cultural icon, whose considerable achievements both on and off the field warrant a worthy documentary profile.
Enter filmmaker Sean Mullin, whose canon has consisted primarily of fiction features. Back in 2018, his producer, Peter Soboloff, was impressed with Rbg, about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, about television icon Fred Rogers, and he suggested that Mullin consider Yogi Berra as a protagonist. Soboloff then introduced Mullin to the Berra family.
Yogi Berra
“I’d done my research by the time I met with them,” says Mullin,...
- 12/12/2023
- by Tom White
- Deadline Film + TV
Welcome to the world of documentaries, where real lives and real stories come to life on the screen. There’s something profoundly moving about witnessing the human experience captured through the lens of a camera – the raw emotions, the untold struggles, and the amazing moments that shape our lives. As a documentary enthusiast who believes in the power of storytelling, I’m excited to share with you a curated list of seven documentaries that offer a deep dive into the complexities of our existence.
Related: 10 Must-Watch Documentaries That Changed Public Perception
These documentaries are more than just films; they’re windows into the lives of individuals who have experienced the spectrum of human emotions and challenges. From the comfort of your couch, you’ll have the privilege of walking in their shoes, experiencing their journeys, and gaining insights that might just change your perspective on the world.
Each documentary on...
Related: 10 Must-Watch Documentaries That Changed Public Perception
These documentaries are more than just films; they’re windows into the lives of individuals who have experienced the spectrum of human emotions and challenges. From the comfort of your couch, you’ll have the privilege of walking in their shoes, experiencing their journeys, and gaining insights that might just change your perspective on the world.
Each documentary on...
- 10/25/2023
- by Pia Vermaak
- buddytv.com
"This is the true story of a family of baseball hustlers." "All that laughter and fun was going to save us." Netflix has unveiled an official trailer for a documentary called The Saint of Second Chances, arriving for streaming in September. An intriguing doc film telling an unexpected story about someone most people probably aren't familiar with. Mike Veeck, the son of legendary Major League Baseball owner Bill Veeck, blows up his father's career and then spends the next few decades learning the value of a second chance. Co-directed by Oscar-winner Morgan Neville and Jeff Malmberg, narrated by Jeff Daniels, and featuring Charlie Day starring as a younger Mike Veeck (in recreation scenes), The Saint of Second Chances is wildly unexpected, full of heart, and keeps you laughing through a comeback story unlike any other. I love a good doc that plays out with so many twists & turns, without knowing anything about it.
- 8/23/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Davis Guggenheim’s “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie” will open the eighth edition of Chicago’s Doc10 documentary film festival on May 4.
About Fox’s life, career and work as a public advocate for Parkinson’s research, “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie” debuted at Sundance in January. Guggenheim, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind “An Inconvenient Truth” will be at Doc10 to participate in a post-screening conversation.
Doc10, a four-day fest running May 4-7, features a selection of 10 of this year’s most acclaimed documentaries and a package of prestigious doc shorts. Dedicated to supporting social-impact documentary films, the fest is hosted by Chicago Media Project, a company that raises funds for and produces docus including “Crip Camp” and “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”
In addition to “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie” Doc10 will screen: Penny Lane’s “Confessions of a Good Samaritan,” Nicole Newnham’s “The Disappearance of the Shere Hite,...
About Fox’s life, career and work as a public advocate for Parkinson’s research, “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie” debuted at Sundance in January. Guggenheim, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind “An Inconvenient Truth” will be at Doc10 to participate in a post-screening conversation.
Doc10, a four-day fest running May 4-7, features a selection of 10 of this year’s most acclaimed documentaries and a package of prestigious doc shorts. Dedicated to supporting social-impact documentary films, the fest is hosted by Chicago Media Project, a company that raises funds for and produces docus including “Crip Camp” and “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”
In addition to “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie” Doc10 will screen: Penny Lane’s “Confessions of a Good Samaritan,” Nicole Newnham’s “The Disappearance of the Shere Hite,...
- 3/27/2023
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
New York-based film and TV studio and streaming network FilmRise has acquired North American distribution rights to true-crime documentary feature film “The Thief Collector.”
Directed by Emmy winner Allison Otto (“The Love Bugs”), the film follows one of the most audacious and puzzling art thefts of a generation. In 1985, Willem de Kooning’s seminal work, “Woman-Ochre,” was sliced from its frame and stolen off the walls of the University of Arizona Museum of Art, disappearing into the desert. Over 30 years later, in a remote town in New Mexico, the $160 million dollar painting was rediscovered in the unlikeliest of places – the home of an eccentric married couple, both schoolteachers, with a keen eye for great works but a very unconventional method of collecting them. The film features Glenn Howerton co-creator, director, writer and star of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.”
“The Thief Collector” had its world premiere at the 2022 SXSW Film...
Directed by Emmy winner Allison Otto (“The Love Bugs”), the film follows one of the most audacious and puzzling art thefts of a generation. In 1985, Willem de Kooning’s seminal work, “Woman-Ochre,” was sliced from its frame and stolen off the walls of the University of Arizona Museum of Art, disappearing into the desert. Over 30 years later, in a remote town in New Mexico, the $160 million dollar painting was rediscovered in the unlikeliest of places – the home of an eccentric married couple, both schoolteachers, with a keen eye for great works but a very unconventional method of collecting them. The film features Glenn Howerton co-creator, director, writer and star of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.”
“The Thief Collector” had its world premiere at the 2022 SXSW Film...
- 3/22/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
It’s shaping up to be an exciting, competitive awards season for documentaries. “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” is the odds-on favorite for the Oscar as of this writing, but precursor awards have gone in different directions. Coming up are the February 25 Producers Guild of America Awards, where “All the Beauty” is absent from the nonfiction lineup. So which film will win instead?
It’s a three-way race according to the combined predictions of over 1,000 Gold Derby users. “Fire of Love” has the lead with 5/1 odds and support from 12 out of 18 Expert journalists we’ve surveyed from major media outlets, seven out of 12 Gold Derby Editors, 16 of our Top 24 Users, and 14 of our All-Star Top 24. The film, which explores the lives and deaths of a pair of married volcanologists, recently won the Directors Guild Award, so it’s off to a good start within the industry.
See‘Navalny’ filmmakers...
It’s a three-way race according to the combined predictions of over 1,000 Gold Derby users. “Fire of Love” has the lead with 5/1 odds and support from 12 out of 18 Expert journalists we’ve surveyed from major media outlets, seven out of 12 Gold Derby Editors, 16 of our Top 24 Users, and 14 of our All-Star Top 24. The film, which explores the lives and deaths of a pair of married volcanologists, recently won the Directors Guild Award, so it’s off to a good start within the industry.
See‘Navalny’ filmmakers...
- 2/24/2023
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Among the Oscar nominees for Best Documentary Feature are four films that received acclaim across the major nonfiction precursors this year and a fifth that earned its spot after flying under the radar for much of the season. One of these five films will become the documentary branch’s next Oscar winner when the 95th Academy Awards air on March 12. Let’s take a look the road to the ballot for the five nominees and consider which could end up with the statue.
During the season there are four major groups that signal where the documentary feature race is headed. The International Documentary Association (IDA), Cinema Eye Honors (Ceh), the Doc NYC festival shortlist, and the Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards (Ccda) have the strongest recent history of indicating which films will earn a nomination from the academy’s branch. Their track record at matching the academy’s winner is less of a sure thing.
During the season there are four major groups that signal where the documentary feature race is headed. The International Documentary Association (IDA), Cinema Eye Honors (Ceh), the Doc NYC festival shortlist, and the Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards (Ccda) have the strongest recent history of indicating which films will earn a nomination from the academy’s branch. Their track record at matching the academy’s winner is less of a sure thing.
- 2/10/2023
- by John Benutty
- Gold Derby
Paul McCartney’s life after The Beatles will be chronicled in “Man on the Run”, an upcoming documentary from Oscar-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Neville made the announcement at Universal Music Group’s annual artist showcase, held at Milk Studios in Los Angeles.
The film will focus on McCartney’s personal life and music career after the breakup of The beatles in 1969. Featuring never-before-seen archival material and new interviews, “Man on the Run” begins with McCartney navigating his post-Beatles life alongside beloved wife Linda McCartney, including his solo work and creative output with post-Beatles band Wings.
Read More: Ringo Starr & Paul McCartney Dance Together At Star-Studded Party: ‘What A Time We Had’
THR reports that the film will be “the definitive document of Paul’s emergence from the dissolution of the world’s biggest band and his triumphant creation of a second decade of musical milestones — a brilliant and prolific stretch.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Neville made the announcement at Universal Music Group’s annual artist showcase, held at Milk Studios in Los Angeles.
The film will focus on McCartney’s personal life and music career after the breakup of The beatles in 1969. Featuring never-before-seen archival material and new interviews, “Man on the Run” begins with McCartney navigating his post-Beatles life alongside beloved wife Linda McCartney, including his solo work and creative output with post-Beatles band Wings.
Read More: Ringo Starr & Paul McCartney Dance Together At Star-Studded Party: ‘What A Time We Had’
THR reports that the film will be “the definitive document of Paul’s emergence from the dissolution of the world’s biggest band and his triumphant creation of a second decade of musical milestones — a brilliant and prolific stretch.
- 2/5/2023
- by Brent Furdyk
- ET Canada
Paul McCartney’s post-Beatles music career will be the focus of an upcoming documentary directed by Morgan Neville.
The tentatively titled Man on the Run, “the definitive document of Paul’s emergence from the dissolution of the world’s biggest band and his triumphant creation of a second decade of musical milestones — a brilliant and prolific stretch,” was announced at a pre-Grammy Universal Music Group party Saturday night; Umg’s television arm Polygram Entertainment will also produce the documentary, a teaser for which was shown at the event.
According to the Hollywood Reporter,...
The tentatively titled Man on the Run, “the definitive document of Paul’s emergence from the dissolution of the world’s biggest band and his triumphant creation of a second decade of musical milestones — a brilliant and prolific stretch,” was announced at a pre-Grammy Universal Music Group party Saturday night; Umg’s television arm Polygram Entertainment will also produce the documentary, a teaser for which was shown at the event.
According to the Hollywood Reporter,...
- 2/5/2023
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Showtime is exploring an infamous teenage couple who were convicted of murdering 11 people in the 1950s in the network’s latest docuseries. The 12th Victim is a four-part docuseries following the crimes of Charles Starkweather and Caril Ann Fugate.
Told through a stylistic blend of archival and recreated footage and countless film and television series inspired by the killings, the series reexamines Fugate’s guilty verdict, who was 14 years old at the time of the killings, through a modern lens, questioning the media and judicial system’s treatment of her despite her self-proclaimed innocence.
On Tuesday, Showtime released a trailer for the series and announced it will debut on February 17.
In 1958, a grisly string of murders terrified the Midwest, as 18-year-old Starkweather killed 11 victims in Nebraska and Wyoming with his girlfriend Fugate by his side. Fugate went on to become the youngest female in U.S. history to be tried...
Told through a stylistic blend of archival and recreated footage and countless film and television series inspired by the killings, the series reexamines Fugate’s guilty verdict, who was 14 years old at the time of the killings, through a modern lens, questioning the media and judicial system’s treatment of her despite her self-proclaimed innocence.
On Tuesday, Showtime released a trailer for the series and announced it will debut on February 17.
In 1958, a grisly string of murders terrified the Midwest, as 18-year-old Starkweather killed 11 victims in Nebraska and Wyoming with his girlfriend Fugate by his side. Fugate went on to become the youngest female in U.S. history to be tried...
- 1/24/2023
- by Katie Campione
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Anonymous Content and Impact Partners have teamed to produce a new doc on a China-based “mistress dispeller,” to be directed and produced by award-winning filmmaker Elizabeth Lo (Stray). Plans for a scripted adaptation of the documentary are also in the works.
The as-yet-untitled feature watches as the mistress dispeller is hired by couples in crisis to break up affairs and save their marriages by any means necessary. Shifting perspectives between husband, wife and mistress, the film is billed as a strikingly intimate story of love and betrayal, as well as a potent exploration of how class, capital and culture collide to shape romantic relationships in contemporary China.
The project produced in association with Cmp is being co-financed by Anonymous Content, Impact Partners and Cmp, having been developed in association with The Concordia Fellowship. Dawn Olmstead, Jessica Grimshaw and Nick Shumaker will exec produce on behalf of Anonymous Content, alongside Jenny Raskin,...
The as-yet-untitled feature watches as the mistress dispeller is hired by couples in crisis to break up affairs and save their marriages by any means necessary. Shifting perspectives between husband, wife and mistress, the film is billed as a strikingly intimate story of love and betrayal, as well as a potent exploration of how class, capital and culture collide to shape romantic relationships in contemporary China.
The project produced in association with Cmp is being co-financed by Anonymous Content, Impact Partners and Cmp, having been developed in association with The Concordia Fellowship. Dawn Olmstead, Jessica Grimshaw and Nick Shumaker will exec produce on behalf of Anonymous Content, alongside Jenny Raskin,...
- 9/14/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Just one month after debuting a fan favorite genre hit in the form of Stranger Things season 4, Netflix is once again coming out with the big guns for its list of new releases for June 2022.
The Umbrella Academy season 3 is set to be released June 22 and it will be a busy one for the Hargreeves family of crime fighters. After averting a 1963 nuclear apocalypse in season 2, the gang returns to the present only to find there’s a new team called the Sparrows living in their house. Based on the trailer for season 3, hilarity and many superpowers punches thrown will ensue.
Read more TV The Umbrella Academy Officially Introduces The Sparrow Academy By Alec Bojalad TV The Umbrella Academy Season 3: What To Expect By Michael Ahr
Other Netflix TV original series of note this month include the vampire love story First Kill (June 10) the Melissa McCarthy comedy God’s Favorite Idiot...
The Umbrella Academy season 3 is set to be released June 22 and it will be a busy one for the Hargreeves family of crime fighters. After averting a 1963 nuclear apocalypse in season 2, the gang returns to the present only to find there’s a new team called the Sparrows living in their house. Based on the trailer for season 3, hilarity and many superpowers punches thrown will ensue.
Read more TV The Umbrella Academy Officially Introduces The Sparrow Academy By Alec Bojalad TV The Umbrella Academy Season 3: What To Expect By Michael Ahr
Other Netflix TV original series of note this month include the vampire love story First Kill (June 10) the Melissa McCarthy comedy God’s Favorite Idiot...
- 6/1/2022
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Mister Rogers' legacy is one of kindness and warmth, no matter who he was addressing -- which was often the young viewers of his long-running television program on PBS. To him, everyone is worth getting to know and listen to, which provides the basis for his show's opening song, "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" Speaking with a gentle, patient tenor, host, ordained minister, and all-around beloved human being Fred Rogers would spend each episode of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" fulfilling the simplest, and grandest, of missions: being a friend. He would teach cognitive skills to children through puppetry, poetry, and songs like "What Do You...
The post How Mister Rogers Helped Launch the Career of a Horror Legend appeared first on /Film.
The post How Mister Rogers Helped Launch the Career of a Horror Legend appeared first on /Film.
- 4/28/2022
- by Anya Stanley
- Slash Film
Morgan Neville’s company Tremolo Productions is officially in production of an untitled Andy Kaufman documentary alongside Josh and Benny Safdie’s Elara Pictures. The Emmy-nominated Alex Braverman will direct the feature-length film.
“No matter how many times I watch Andy Kaufman’s work, I feel like I’m seeing a magic trick for the very first time,” Braverman said. “I’m excited for our project to honor that. This is the film I’ve wanted to make my entire life.”
The Safdie brothers will executive produce the project alongside Rick Rubin and Braverman’s father Chuck Braverman, who produced Kaufman’s 1980 special “Andy Kaufman Plays Carnegie Hall.” Wavelength founder and CEO Jennifer Westphal also will executive produce.
Wavelength and Tremolo had previously worked together on the 2018 Mr. Roger’s documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” directed by Neville. This documentary also marks the second time Neville and Rubin have worked together on a project,...
“No matter how many times I watch Andy Kaufman’s work, I feel like I’m seeing a magic trick for the very first time,” Braverman said. “I’m excited for our project to honor that. This is the film I’ve wanted to make my entire life.”
The Safdie brothers will executive produce the project alongside Rick Rubin and Braverman’s father Chuck Braverman, who produced Kaufman’s 1980 special “Andy Kaufman Plays Carnegie Hall.” Wavelength founder and CEO Jennifer Westphal also will executive produce.
Wavelength and Tremolo had previously worked together on the 2018 Mr. Roger’s documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” directed by Neville. This documentary also marks the second time Neville and Rubin have worked together on a project,...
- 4/13/2022
- by Wilson Chapman and Carson Burton
- Variety Film + TV
From their HGTV parody show “The Curse” to a possible reunion with “Uncut Gems” star Adam Sandler, Josh and Benny Safdie are keeping busy. Next up, the filmmaking brothers are executive-producing a still-untitled Andy Kaufman documentary, now officially underway at Tremolo Productions. That’s the documentary outfit run by Academy Award-winning director Morgan Neville (“Twenty Feet from Stardom”). The documentary will also be executive-produced by famed record producer and former Columbia Records co-founder and filmmaker Rick Rubin, which means this project has some serious wattage behind it.
The documentary will be directed by Alex Braverman, Emmy-nominated director on “Gaycation” as well as the series “Waffles + Mochi,” and he worked as a producer at Vice.
Why anyone hasn’t made an Andy Kaufman documentary yet is anyone’s guess, though the comedian was explored in the 1999 Milos Forman film “Man on the Moon” starring Jim Carrey, whose experience playing the...
The documentary will be directed by Alex Braverman, Emmy-nominated director on “Gaycation” as well as the series “Waffles + Mochi,” and he worked as a producer at Vice.
Why anyone hasn’t made an Andy Kaufman documentary yet is anyone’s guess, though the comedian was explored in the 1999 Milos Forman film “Man on the Moon” starring Jim Carrey, whose experience playing the...
- 4/13/2022
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
A documentary about the acclaimed and mysterious cult comedian Andy Kaufman is in the works from producers Morgan Neville and Josh and Benny Safdie.
The untitled feature film about Kaufman is being directed by Alex Braverman and is in production from Neville’s Tremolo Productions and the Safdie’s Elara Pictures. Neville is producing, while the Safdies will executive produce, as will famed record producer and filmmaker Rick Rubin. Braverman’s father Chuck Braverman, who previously produced Kaufman’s 1980 special “Andy Kaufman Plays Carnegie Hall,” is also execeutive producing, as is Wavelength founder and CEO Jenifer Westphal.
Kaufman, who died in 1984 after a battle with cancer, has maintained a remarkable mystique since his untimely death for his peculiar performance art and unmatched dedication to his comedy, even though he fully believed that he was not a comedian and never told a joke but was more accurately an entertainer. He became...
The untitled feature film about Kaufman is being directed by Alex Braverman and is in production from Neville’s Tremolo Productions and the Safdie’s Elara Pictures. Neville is producing, while the Safdies will executive produce, as will famed record producer and filmmaker Rick Rubin. Braverman’s father Chuck Braverman, who previously produced Kaufman’s 1980 special “Andy Kaufman Plays Carnegie Hall,” is also execeutive producing, as is Wavelength founder and CEO Jenifer Westphal.
Kaufman, who died in 1984 after a battle with cancer, has maintained a remarkable mystique since his untimely death for his peculiar performance art and unmatched dedication to his comedy, even though he fully believed that he was not a comedian and never told a joke but was more accurately an entertainer. He became...
- 4/13/2022
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
If you’re trying to figure out what to watch on HBO Max, you may want to prioritize a number of films that are due to leave the streaming service in April.
Set to depart HBO Max at the end of this month are such noteworthy films as the Oscar-winning “Promising Young Woman,” the Tom Hanks Western “News of the World,” the Kurt Russell 1996 thriller “Executive Decision,” and the extended version of Bruce Willis’ final “Die Hard” film “A Good Day to Die Hard.”
Also leaving HBO Max this month is “The Fast and the Furious” and the franchise’s first sequel “2 Fast 2 Furious.”
Check out the full list of what’s leaving HBO Max in April below.
April 3:
Life’s Too Short, 2012 (HBO)
April 30:
2 Fast 2 Furious, 2003 (HBO)
A Good Day to Die Hard, 2013 (HBO) (Extended Version)
Aftermath, 2017 (HBO)
Anna to the Infinite Power, 1982 (HBO)
Bloodsport,...
Set to depart HBO Max at the end of this month are such noteworthy films as the Oscar-winning “Promising Young Woman,” the Tom Hanks Western “News of the World,” the Kurt Russell 1996 thriller “Executive Decision,” and the extended version of Bruce Willis’ final “Die Hard” film “A Good Day to Die Hard.”
Also leaving HBO Max this month is “The Fast and the Furious” and the franchise’s first sequel “2 Fast 2 Furious.”
Check out the full list of what’s leaving HBO Max in April below.
April 3:
Life’s Too Short, 2012 (HBO)
April 30:
2 Fast 2 Furious, 2003 (HBO)
A Good Day to Die Hard, 2013 (HBO) (Extended Version)
Aftermath, 2017 (HBO)
Anna to the Infinite Power, 1982 (HBO)
Bloodsport,...
- 4/1/2022
- by Adam Chitwood
- The Wrap
“Summer of Soul” is the first proper music-centered film to land an Oscar nomination in Best Documentary Feature since 2015’s “Amy.” Despite that gap, the Questlove-directed doc will likely win the Oscar, much like “Amy” did. The film has won dozens of awards leading up to the Oscars, including the BAFTA, the Critics Choice Documentary Award and the Independent Spirit Award, making it a clear favorite to win the big prize.
The early-to-mid-2010s was a boon for music documentaries, starting with “Searching for Sugar Man” (2012), about singer-songwriter Sixto Rodriguez. The pattern continued with “20 Feet from Stardom” (2013), about the lives of various backup singers like Darlene Love. “Amy” made it a trend two years later with its chronicle of the strategic rise and fall of British singer Amy Winehouse. That same year, “What Happened, Miss Simone?”, about the life of Nina Simone, was also nominated. “Searching for Sugar Man,...
The early-to-mid-2010s was a boon for music documentaries, starting with “Searching for Sugar Man” (2012), about singer-songwriter Sixto Rodriguez. The pattern continued with “20 Feet from Stardom” (2013), about the lives of various backup singers like Darlene Love. “Amy” made it a trend two years later with its chronicle of the strategic rise and fall of British singer Amy Winehouse. That same year, “What Happened, Miss Simone?”, about the life of Nina Simone, was also nominated. “Searching for Sugar Man,...
- 3/18/2022
- by Kevin Jacobsen
- Gold Derby
Wavelength, the production company behind such films as Won’t You Be My Neighbor? and Farewell Amor, has revealed the 2022 recipients of its Wave Grant. Ana Verde, Hannah Patterson, Amy Omar, Andrea Riba & Sofia Riba, and Justine Chen each will receive $5,000 to create their first short film alongside production mentorship from Wavelength’s executive team.
The Wave Grant, which stands for “Women at the Very Edge,” aims to help a first-time female or non-binary filmmaker of color with the production of their first short documentary or narrative film (under 30 minutes). In addition to the $5,000 grant, Wavelength will provide mentorship in the producing, development and post-production of the filmmaker’s story as well as fundraising and distribution strategy.
Read the bio for the third annual Wave grantees below.
“We are honored to expand our Wave Grant to include five recipients this year,” said Jenifer Westphal, founder, CEO and executive producer at Wavelength.
The Wave Grant, which stands for “Women at the Very Edge,” aims to help a first-time female or non-binary filmmaker of color with the production of their first short documentary or narrative film (under 30 minutes). In addition to the $5,000 grant, Wavelength will provide mentorship in the producing, development and post-production of the filmmaker’s story as well as fundraising and distribution strategy.
Read the bio for the third annual Wave grantees below.
“We are honored to expand our Wave Grant to include five recipients this year,” said Jenifer Westphal, founder, CEO and executive producer at Wavelength.
- 3/17/2022
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Long ago, in a distant and far away America, independent films could make their mark at the megaplex, and some of them could be documentaries. Remember the glory days of “Rgb” (total domestic gross: $14 million), “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” ($22.8 million), “Three Identical Strangers” ($12 million), “They Shall Not Grow Old” ($18 million), and “Apollo 11” ($9 million)?
I’m not saying that Lisa Hurwitz’s “The Automat,” had it been released in those now possibly vanquished days, could have joined the commercial company of those films (though maybe it could have). But when I caught this marvelous documentary at Film Forum in New York, the audience for it was ecstatic. It was not an audience of young people; it was the kind of older folks who, statistically speaking, haven’t been going to the movies. But they turned out for this one, and when I left at the end, a bunch of...
I’m not saying that Lisa Hurwitz’s “The Automat,” had it been released in those now possibly vanquished days, could have joined the commercial company of those films (though maybe it could have). But when I caught this marvelous documentary at Film Forum in New York, the audience for it was ecstatic. It was not an audience of young people; it was the kind of older folks who, statistically speaking, haven’t been going to the movies. But they turned out for this one, and when I left at the end, a bunch of...
- 2/25/2022
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
The Producers Guild of America (PGA) has revealed eight 2022 Documentary Motion Picture nominees that will advance to the final round of voting for the 33rd Annual Producers Guild Awards. The nominees for the Documentary category are selected by the Documentary Nomination Jury, made up of at least fifty documentary producers who select between three and eight non-fiction motion-picture nominees. Some 8,000 PGA members will make their picks before the 33rd Annual Producers Guild of America Awards ceremony on Saturday, February 26, 2022.
With the over-crowded documentary awards field, being seen is the first order. Box-office buzz is not a factor in this pandemic year, which gives deep-pocketed distributors like NatGeo an advantage. It has a long list of strong, widely seen contenders that yielded two of the eight PGA nominations: Thai cave thriller “The Rescue” and Covid diary “The First Wave.” HBO also landed two nominees, Nanfu Wang’s portrait of China during Covid,...
With the over-crowded documentary awards field, being seen is the first order. Box-office buzz is not a factor in this pandemic year, which gives deep-pocketed distributors like NatGeo an advantage. It has a long list of strong, widely seen contenders that yielded two of the eight PGA nominations: Thai cave thriller “The Rescue” and Covid diary “The First Wave.” HBO also landed two nominees, Nanfu Wang’s portrait of China during Covid,...
- 12/10/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
The Producers Guild of America (PGA) has revealed eight 2022 Documentary Motion Picture nominees that will advance to the final round of voting for the 33rd Annual Producers Guild Awards. The nominees for the Documentary category are selected by the Documentary Nomination Jury, made up of at least fifty documentary producers who select between three and eight non-fiction motion-picture nominees. Some 8,000 PGA members will make their picks before the 33rd Annual Producers Guild of America Awards ceremony on Saturday, February 26, 2022.
With the over-crowded documentary awards field, being seen is the first order. Box-office buzz is not a factor in this pandemic year, which gives deep-pocketed distributors like NatGeo an advantage. It has a long list of strong, widely seen contenders that yielded two of the eight PGA nominations: Thai cave thriller “The Rescue” and Covid diary “The First Wave.” HBO also landed two nominees, Nanfu Wang’s portrait of China during Covid,...
With the over-crowded documentary awards field, being seen is the first order. Box-office buzz is not a factor in this pandemic year, which gives deep-pocketed distributors like NatGeo an advantage. It has a long list of strong, widely seen contenders that yielded two of the eight PGA nominations: Thai cave thriller “The Rescue” and Covid diary “The First Wave.” HBO also landed two nominees, Nanfu Wang’s portrait of China during Covid,...
- 12/10/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The Gotham Awards will be the first awards body on the independent circuit to choose its winners for the year on Monday.
On the film side, two Netflix features lead the tally, both from debut women filmmakers — Rebecca Hall’s “Passing” and Maggie Gyllenhaal’s “The Lost Daughter.” There isn’t always an obvious blueprint to predicting this group. As we saw with last year’s two tied categories, things could get interesting at Cipriani Wall Street. The Gotham are just the start of a busy week that has a great influence on the Oscar race. After Monday’s first critics and guild screening of Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” and Wednesday’s unveiling of Guillermo del Toro’s “Nightmare Alley,” Thursday brings us the National Board of Review selections before the New York Film Critics Circle weighs in on Friday.
As for the television side, the Gothams will...
On the film side, two Netflix features lead the tally, both from debut women filmmakers — Rebecca Hall’s “Passing” and Maggie Gyllenhaal’s “The Lost Daughter.” There isn’t always an obvious blueprint to predicting this group. As we saw with last year’s two tied categories, things could get interesting at Cipriani Wall Street. The Gotham are just the start of a busy week that has a great influence on the Oscar race. After Monday’s first critics and guild screening of Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” and Wednesday’s unveiling of Guillermo del Toro’s “Nightmare Alley,” Thursday brings us the National Board of Review selections before the New York Film Critics Circle weighs in on Friday.
As for the television side, the Gothams will...
- 11/28/2021
- by Clayton Davis and Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Wavelength, the Emmy-winning film studio behind titles including Won’t You Be My Neighbor? and Farewell Amor, has signed an exclusive agreement with ICM Partners for global representation.
ICM will now represent all of the projects owned by Wavelength across the mediums of scripted and non-scripted television, documentary TV, motion pictures and digital programming. It will also act as a sales agent for the company’s motion picture projects, advising on their creation, development, financing and production, as well as other means of exploiting them, while assisting in bringing together negotiations and additional key elements.
“Wavelength has always been dedicated to honest storytelling and driving innovation,” said the studio’s President and Executive Producer, Joe Plummer. “Partnering with a renowned global agency like ICM will open new doors for us and take our projects to the next level. We couldn’t have chosen a better agency to represent our studio.
ICM will now represent all of the projects owned by Wavelength across the mediums of scripted and non-scripted television, documentary TV, motion pictures and digital programming. It will also act as a sales agent for the company’s motion picture projects, advising on their creation, development, financing and production, as well as other means of exploiting them, while assisting in bringing together negotiations and additional key elements.
“Wavelength has always been dedicated to honest storytelling and driving innovation,” said the studio’s President and Executive Producer, Joe Plummer. “Partnering with a renowned global agency like ICM will open new doors for us and take our projects to the next level. We couldn’t have chosen a better agency to represent our studio.
- 11/9/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Greenwich Entertainment has picked up North American rights on Let Me Be Me, Dan Crane and Katie Taber’s documentary that will have its world premiere at Doc NYC this year.
The film is the latest from producer Jenifer Westphal’s Wavelength (Won’t You Be My Neighbor?).
When the Westphal family learned that their six-year-old Kyle was on the Autism spectrum, they feared they might never develop a real connection to their child. Withdrawn and constantly wrapping himself in fabric and blankets, Kyle was retreating from the world around him. Determined to find a way to connect, his parents embarked on an intense and radical journey which involved compassionately joining Kyle in his unique behaviors. Twenty years later, the entire family looks back at Kyle’s journey.
“It was incredible to have so much footage of young Kyle, and to be able to track his development from an isolated boy,...
The film is the latest from producer Jenifer Westphal’s Wavelength (Won’t You Be My Neighbor?).
When the Westphal family learned that their six-year-old Kyle was on the Autism spectrum, they feared they might never develop a real connection to their child. Withdrawn and constantly wrapping himself in fabric and blankets, Kyle was retreating from the world around him. Determined to find a way to connect, his parents embarked on an intense and radical journey which involved compassionately joining Kyle in his unique behaviors. Twenty years later, the entire family looks back at Kyle’s journey.
“It was incredible to have so much footage of young Kyle, and to be able to track his development from an isolated boy,...
- 10/25/2021
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
The indie box office took another step towards rebuilding as Focus Features/CNN Films’ “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain” set a new post-pandemic high with $1.9 million grossed this weekend from 925 locations, topping the previous record of $1.88 million set by the Benedict Cumberbatch spy film “The Courier.”
That gives the documentary a per theater average of $2,050 and also sets an opening weekend record for director Morgan Neville, who has previously released critically acclaimed documentaries like “20 Feet From Stardom” and “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” “Roadrunner” was similarly praised by critics, earning a 95% Rotten Tomatoes score.
But it’s not too much of a surprise that this is a new record for Neville, because “Roadrunner” is being released in a market that is far different than the one his past work entered. With the pandemic sending many indie films to day-and-date releases and older audiences that support such titles still...
That gives the documentary a per theater average of $2,050 and also sets an opening weekend record for director Morgan Neville, who has previously released critically acclaimed documentaries like “20 Feet From Stardom” and “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” “Roadrunner” was similarly praised by critics, earning a 95% Rotten Tomatoes score.
But it’s not too much of a surprise that this is a new record for Neville, because “Roadrunner” is being released in a market that is far different than the one his past work entered. With the pandemic sending many indie films to day-and-date releases and older audiences that support such titles still...
- 7/18/2021
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
I first learned that “Roadrunner,” Morgan Neville’s documentary about the life and death of Anthony Bourdain, contains three sentences spoken by Bourdain that he never actually spoke out loud in the same way that you learn about a lot of things these days: by seeing an eruption of outrage about it on Twitter. The eruption immediately sent me to the New Yorker article in which Neville, the award-winning director of “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” and “20 Feet From Stardom,” first explained how he used AI technology to feed 10 hours of Bourdain voice recordings into a computer, which then simulated Bourdain’s reading of those sentences — every one of which he had, in fact, written.
The words weren’t faked; the sound of him speaking them was. This was characterized, on social media, as an ethical lapse, and my first reaction is to say that I don’t necessarily disagree.
The words weren’t faked; the sound of him speaking them was. This was characterized, on social media, as an ethical lapse, and my first reaction is to say that I don’t necessarily disagree.
- 7/18/2021
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Updated with more details: Normally on the opening day of a Morgan Neville film, the talk would be about box office potential—after all, his 2018 Mr. Rogers documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor? earned an astounding $23 million.
But as Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain hits theaters today, focus has shifted to controversy over the Oscar-winning director’s use of AI in the film to simulate Bourdain “voicing” several lines that the late chef, author and TV host wrote but did not record. The issue has triggered a debate inside and outside the doc community, with some accusing Neville of committing an unacknowledged “deep fake.”
“This sucks!” Washington Post reporter Dave Weigel exclaimed on Twitter. Critic Sean Burns tweeted, “I feel like this tells you all you need to know about the ethics of the people behind this project.”
The AI ethical debate might never have happened were it not for the sharp eyes,...
But as Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain hits theaters today, focus has shifted to controversy over the Oscar-winning director’s use of AI in the film to simulate Bourdain “voicing” several lines that the late chef, author and TV host wrote but did not record. The issue has triggered a debate inside and outside the doc community, with some accusing Neville of committing an unacknowledged “deep fake.”
“This sucks!” Washington Post reporter Dave Weigel exclaimed on Twitter. Critic Sean Burns tweeted, “I feel like this tells you all you need to know about the ethics of the people behind this project.”
The AI ethical debate might never have happened were it not for the sharp eyes,...
- 7/16/2021
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Anthony Bourdain’s widow Ottavia Bourdain denied she authorized the use of AI technology in the documentary Roadrunner to replicate the late chef’s voice.
In a statement to Variety following the controversy regarding the voiceover, director Morgan Neville said: “There were a few sentences that Tony wrote that he never spoke aloud. With the blessing of his estate and literary agent we used AI technology. It was a modern storytelling technique that I used in a few places where I thought it was important to make Tony’s words come alive.
In a statement to Variety following the controversy regarding the voiceover, director Morgan Neville said: “There were a few sentences that Tony wrote that he never spoke aloud. With the blessing of his estate and literary agent we used AI technology. It was a modern storytelling technique that I used in a few places where I thought it was important to make Tony’s words come alive.
- 7/16/2021
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
The world has gotten smaller as the internet age has given people greater access to each other than ever before. As various food cultures started to get more exposure within the United States, one of the country’s best cultural ambassadors was the late Anthony Bourdain. Bourdain’s punk-rock/no-nonsense take on the travel show led him to become one of the most recognizable and authentic people on American television. His self-deprecating humor and willingness to do almost anything to embed himself into the cultures he was exploring always made for compelling television, including stumbling upon dangerous situations on more than one occasion.
Read More: ‘Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain’ Excels With A Zest For Living, But Struggles With The Darkness [Tribeca Review]
A new documentary “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain” by Oscar-winning director Morgan Neville (“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
Continue reading ‘Roadrunner’ Director Morgan Neville Admits To Resurrecting...
Read More: ‘Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain’ Excels With A Zest For Living, But Struggles With The Darkness [Tribeca Review]
A new documentary “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain” by Oscar-winning director Morgan Neville (“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
Continue reading ‘Roadrunner’ Director Morgan Neville Admits To Resurrecting...
- 7/16/2021
- by Christopher Marc
- The Playlist
Although the fate of its subject is communicated early on, by said subject himself in his typical no-nonsense, matter-of-fact voice-over style, Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain, still proves to be a fascinating and captivating portrait of the adored celebrity chef and author that also explores, in some detail, the question as to exactly why his life ended when, on June 8, 2018, Bourdain hung himself in his hotel room.
An intimate chronicle of Bourdain’s life from obscure, anonymous chef to world-famous author, the film is told from Bourdain’s own perspective using footage (both previously seen and unseen) from his various projects. Morgan Neville’s film is an uncompromising look at a true cultural icon and the tremendous impact he had on the world, and the toll that that inevitably had on him.
Throughout the film, director Neville seems genuinely enthralled by his subject, and it is rather easy to...
An intimate chronicle of Bourdain’s life from obscure, anonymous chef to world-famous author, the film is told from Bourdain’s own perspective using footage (both previously seen and unseen) from his various projects. Morgan Neville’s film is an uncompromising look at a true cultural icon and the tremendous impact he had on the world, and the toll that that inevitably had on him.
Throughout the film, director Neville seems genuinely enthralled by his subject, and it is rather easy to...
- 7/16/2021
- by Mike Tyrkus
- CinemaNerdz
It took 25 years, but Space Jam is finally getting a sequel, while Escape Room gets a less long awaited sequel after just 2.5 years. Space Jam: A New Legacy is the week’s biggest new release, and the NBA/Looney Tunes mashup is another of Warner’s HBO Max simul-releases. Continuing with the summer’s streak of horror films is the theatrical exclusive Escape Room: Tournament of Champions from Sony. Both films are about extraordinary competitions, but they will have a hard time competing with Black Widow, which enters its second weekend.
Directed by Malcolm D. Lee, Space Jam: A New Legacy once again puts the biggest star in the NBA on the court with the cast of the Looney Tunes as they face off against supercharged animated baddies that have taken on the powers of other NBA players. Last time around Michael Jordan headlined, and in the sequel we have...
Directed by Malcolm D. Lee, Space Jam: A New Legacy once again puts the biggest star in the NBA on the court with the cast of the Looney Tunes as they face off against supercharged animated baddies that have taken on the powers of other NBA players. Last time around Michael Jordan headlined, and in the sequel we have...
- 7/15/2021
- by Sam Mendelsohn <mail@boxofficemojo.com>
- Box Office Mojo
Anthony Bourdain never wanted people making a fuss about his death. “What actually happens to my physical remains is of zero interest to me,” he once said. “I don’t want a party.”
That blunt comment appears at the start of Roadrunner, a new documentary that memorializes the chef-turned-author-turned-travel-host’s vivid life and painful end in the summer of 2018, at the age of 61. (It opens in theaters on July 16th.) Since then, many have struggled to come to terms with his passing, and the movie is awash in their shock,...
That blunt comment appears at the start of Roadrunner, a new documentary that memorializes the chef-turned-author-turned-travel-host’s vivid life and painful end in the summer of 2018, at the age of 61. (It opens in theaters on July 16th.) Since then, many have struggled to come to terms with his passing, and the movie is awash in their shock,...
- 7/14/2021
- by Tim Grierson
- Rollingstone.com
By the time Anthony Bourdain committed suicide in 2018, he had lived many lives. The “Parts Unknown” host became an unwitting celebrity chef with the 2000 publication of “Kitchen Confidential,” his behind-the-scenes exposé from his days in the high-end restaurant business. His bold truth-telling and acerbic tone easily translated to TV success, which Bourdain carried across three programs as he increased in ambition. At the height of his fame, Bourdain had his own genre of storytelling, using food and travel as a platform for studying people and places around the world.
The success came at great personal cost. In “Roadrunner,” documentarian Morgan Neville explores the hardships of Bourdain’s globe-trotting lifestyle, from the way it impacted his family life to the combustible relationship he developed with his many peers. Combining ample behind-the-scenes footage from the shows with over a dozen talking heads, “Roadrunner” provides an enthralling deep-dive on the evolution of Bourdain...
The success came at great personal cost. In “Roadrunner,” documentarian Morgan Neville explores the hardships of Bourdain’s globe-trotting lifestyle, from the way it impacted his family life to the combustible relationship he developed with his many peers. Combining ample behind-the-scenes footage from the shows with over a dozen talking heads, “Roadrunner” provides an enthralling deep-dive on the evolution of Bourdain...
- 7/7/2021
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Wavelength has a simple mantra — “tell great fucking stories” — but its intentions go much deeper than that. Founded in 2015 by Jenifer Westphal, the scrappy six-year-old company has been making waves with its mostly women executives developing a diverse slate of films that combine social relevance with compelling characters, while prioritizing first-time women directors and filmmakers of color.
At a time when Hollywood continues to struggle to find diverse talent behind the camera, companies like Wavelength provide essential case studies for how to lean into inclusivity from the earliest stages of the development process. Since its founding in 2015, Wavelength has produced over 30 feature films, curating a roster of award-winning, buzz-worthy titles including Sundance fare like Ekwa Msangi’s “Farewell Amor,” Jordana Spiro’s “Night Comes On,” and Tayarisha Poe’s “Selah and the Spades,” as well as high profile documentaries including Morgan Neville’s “Won’t You Be My Neighbor,” which...
At a time when Hollywood continues to struggle to find diverse talent behind the camera, companies like Wavelength provide essential case studies for how to lean into inclusivity from the earliest stages of the development process. Since its founding in 2015, Wavelength has produced over 30 feature films, curating a roster of award-winning, buzz-worthy titles including Sundance fare like Ekwa Msangi’s “Farewell Amor,” Jordana Spiro’s “Night Comes On,” and Tayarisha Poe’s “Selah and the Spades,” as well as high profile documentaries including Morgan Neville’s “Won’t You Be My Neighbor,” which...
- 6/24/2021
- by Tambay Obenson
- Indiewire
Why did he do it? That’s the question that anyone who’s ever been touched by the hungry, life-force spirit of Anthony Bourdain will have at the top of his or her head going into “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain.” Directed by the award-winning Morgan Neville, the documentary, which premiered tonight at the Tribeca Festival, is an intimate and fascinating portrait of the beloved celebrity chef and television globe-trotter. It is also, inevitably, a spiritual investigation into why his life ended. On June 8, 2018, Bourdain hung himself in his hotel room. Three years later, it’s still shocking to think that his name could be included in the same sentence with the word “suicide.”
We all know that suicide, too often, is a cruel mystery, that it has a way of mocking our need for “why.” (Bourdain was a brilliant writer who left no note.) We also know that...
We all know that suicide, too often, is a cruel mystery, that it has a way of mocking our need for “why.” (Bourdain was a brilliant writer who left no note.) We also know that...
- 6/12/2021
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
From the early days of his breakthrough exposé “Kitchen Confidential” through the TV adventures of “No Reservations” that ended with his suicide, Anthony Bourdain lived hard and fast to explore the world without an iota of bullshit. On camera, his punk rock attitude complemented his baritone declarations at every turn, and fueled globe-trotting journeys that wrestled unfamiliar cultures into intimate experiences. His abrupt suicide in 2018, in the midst of filming a new episode in northeastern France, had a terrible kind of logic to it because Bourdain’s uncompromising spirit meant that he would always have the last word.
All of which creates intimidating expectations for “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain,” documentarian Morgan Neville’s enthralling deep-dive into the mystique of a man so keen on exploring and explaining the world around him that he barely had time to explore himself. With its dense assemblage of archival materials and candid talking heads,...
All of which creates intimidating expectations for “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain,” documentarian Morgan Neville’s enthralling deep-dive into the mystique of a man so keen on exploring and explaining the world around him that he barely had time to explore himself. With its dense assemblage of archival materials and candid talking heads,...
- 6/12/2021
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
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