David Charles Rodrigues’ documentary, Gay Chorus Deep South, follows the group through a region fully entrenched in Trumpism
The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus has always been profoundly political. Founded in 1978, the 300-strong group, widely regarded as launching the gay choral movement, had its first public performance at city hall after the assassinations of Mayor George Moscone and supervisor Harvey Milk.
The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus has always been profoundly political. Founded in 1978, the 300-strong group, widely regarded as launching the gay choral movement, had its first public performance at city hall after the assassinations of Mayor George Moscone and supervisor Harvey Milk.
- 11/21/2019
- by Peter Lawrence Kane
- The Guardian - Film News
By Glenn Dunks
Have you heard? The Academy has announced the longlist of eligible titles for the 2019 Best Documentary Feature category. All 159 of ‘em; they don’t call it a longlist for nothing. The 15-wide shortlist will be derived from these and from there the five nominees will be chosen by the documentary branch.
As I suspected, Peter Jackson’s They Shall Not Grow Old is not on the list. It is also worth noting – as I have done all year – that Amazing Grace gambled with the odds last year on a qualifying run and sadly didn’t make it. There were only a few films that we have written about in Doc Corner that either did not submit or were not eligible including Vision Portraits, The Raft, Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché and Beyoncé’s Homecoming would be the best of that lot.
All the big...
Have you heard? The Academy has announced the longlist of eligible titles for the 2019 Best Documentary Feature category. All 159 of ‘em; they don’t call it a longlist for nothing. The 15-wide shortlist will be derived from these and from there the five nominees will be chosen by the documentary branch.
As I suspected, Peter Jackson’s They Shall Not Grow Old is not on the list. It is also worth noting – as I have done all year – that Amazing Grace gambled with the odds last year on a qualifying run and sadly didn’t make it. There were only a few films that we have written about in Doc Corner that either did not submit or were not eligible including Vision Portraits, The Raft, Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché and Beyoncé’s Homecoming would be the best of that lot.
All the big...
- 11/13/2019
- by Glenn Dunks
- FilmExperience
A total of 159 documentary features have qualified in the Oscars’ Best Documentary Feature category, the Academy announced on Tuesday.
Last year, 166 documentaries qualified. In 2017, a record 170 made the cut.
All of the films are now available to members of the Documentary Branch to stream on the Academy’s secure members website. The films have been placed there over the last six months, with 23 added to the site in June, 24 in July, 26 in August, 19 in September and 62 in October and only five in November.
Also Read: 'Maiden' Star Tracy Edwards Kept Her Story 'Messy' to Serve the Next Generation of Women Athletes (Video)
Each member is randomly assigned 20% of the films as mandatory viewing but is free to see any additional films beyond those that are assigned. A preliminary round of voting will produce a 15-film shortlist, with a second-round narrowing those 15 to the five nominees.
This year is...
Last year, 166 documentaries qualified. In 2017, a record 170 made the cut.
All of the films are now available to members of the Documentary Branch to stream on the Academy’s secure members website. The films have been placed there over the last six months, with 23 added to the site in June, 24 in July, 26 in August, 19 in September and 62 in October and only five in November.
Also Read: 'Maiden' Star Tracy Edwards Kept Her Story 'Messy' to Serve the Next Generation of Women Athletes (Video)
Each member is randomly assigned 20% of the films as mandatory viewing but is free to see any additional films beyond those that are assigned. A preliminary round of voting will produce a 15-film shortlist, with a second-round narrowing those 15 to the five nominees.
This year is...
- 11/12/2019
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
A documentary about a gay choir singing their way through the American South could be an earnest tearjerker, or fabulously entertaining. Unfortunately, the catchy premise laid out in “Gay Chorus Deep South” never comes to life on the screen. With muted characters and a conventional structure, the movie
With Lgbtq+ rights under attack around the country, and anxieties about reaching across the aisle reigniting in the run up to the 2020 election, the time is ripe for an uplifting tale of ideological chasms bridged by the power of music. The subject matter is political, timely, and carries a message of love and acceptance. It makes perfect sense that powerhouse documentary executive Sheila Nevins chose “Gay Chorus Deep South” as her first project under her new role as head of MTV Documentary Films. Nevins is giving the film an awards push, but it may be too understated to excite voters.
Directed by David Charles Rodrigues,...
With Lgbtq+ rights under attack around the country, and anxieties about reaching across the aisle reigniting in the run up to the 2020 election, the time is ripe for an uplifting tale of ideological chasms bridged by the power of music. The subject matter is political, timely, and carries a message of love and acceptance. It makes perfect sense that powerhouse documentary executive Sheila Nevins chose “Gay Chorus Deep South” as her first project under her new role as head of MTV Documentary Films. Nevins is giving the film an awards push, but it may be too understated to excite voters.
Directed by David Charles Rodrigues,...
- 11/1/2019
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
As titles like Jojo Rabbit, Parasite and Judy continue to slay the specialty box office and gain awards season momentum, more titles are throwing their hats into the ring. This week, the Mihal Brezis & Oded Binnun-directed The Etruscan Smile starring award-winning actor Brian Cox and produced by three-time Oscar winner Arthur Cohn.
Documentary Gay Chorus Deep South will be in limited release so it can qualify for award season contention before its nation wide expansion. In addition, Tom Cronin’s docu The Portal looks to bring a meditative stillness to the world while the indie Inside Game puts a spotlight on the great NBA betting scandal of 2007.
Also opening this weekend in the specialty space is American Dharma, which includes an interview between Errol Morris and divisive figure Stephen K. Bannon. In a conversation that spans over 16 hours, we see a portrait of the former White House Chief Strategist.
Documentary Gay Chorus Deep South will be in limited release so it can qualify for award season contention before its nation wide expansion. In addition, Tom Cronin’s docu The Portal looks to bring a meditative stillness to the world while the indie Inside Game puts a spotlight on the great NBA betting scandal of 2007.
Also opening this weekend in the specialty space is American Dharma, which includes an interview between Errol Morris and divisive figure Stephen K. Bannon. In a conversation that spans over 16 hours, we see a portrait of the former White House Chief Strategist.
- 11/1/2019
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
There is a certain amount of dramatic tension that animates “Gay Chorus Deep South,” a documentary directed by David Charles Rodrigues that follows the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, which is joined by the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, as they travel around Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, and the Carolinas.
As is pointed out in explanatory text at the beginning of the film, several states in the South have bills pending that would allow discrimination of Lgbt people on the grounds of religious beliefs, and so it was felt that a tour with these choirs might do some good to change some hearts.
Tim Seelig is the leader of the Gay Men’s Chorus from San Francisco, and he is the de facto lead of “Gay Chorus Deep South.” He is an older man with a level gaze, and it is only as the film goes on that we learn the story...
As is pointed out in explanatory text at the beginning of the film, several states in the South have bills pending that would allow discrimination of Lgbt people on the grounds of religious beliefs, and so it was felt that a tour with these choirs might do some good to change some hearts.
Tim Seelig is the leader of the Gay Men’s Chorus from San Francisco, and he is the de facto lead of “Gay Chorus Deep South.” He is an older man with a level gaze, and it is only as the film goes on that we learn the story...
- 10/30/2019
- by Dan Callahan
- The Wrap
"Every person that we do meet has an interaction that changes them." MTV has unveiled an official full-length trailer for the uplifting documentary Gay Chorus Deep South, made by filmmaker David Charles Rodrigues. This premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year, and we also featured a teaser trailer when it was known as the first ever "Airbnb Production". Now it seems to have switched to a "Sheila Nevins / MTV Documentary Film", the first ever MTV Doc release. Gay Chorus Deep South is about, as the title says, the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus following them as they embark upon a tour of the American Deep South. Many members will be going back to the communities they once fled, confronting prejudices and pain from their past. This has been winning numerous Audience Awards at multiple festivals throughout the year, including at the Tribeca & Berkshire Film Festivals. This looks like a very inspiring,...
- 10/4/2019
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
They say music is the only international language, and the American South may as well be another country to many gay people. For years Lgbtq people have fled conservative small towns in search of more accepting pastures, a pattern that has only continued during the recent swell of legislation curtailing civil rights brought on in the Trump era. In “Gay Chorus Deep South,” director David Charles Rodrigues follows the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus throughout an emotional tour of the Southern United States. The film is the first Oscar contender for powerhouse producer and former HBO executive Sheila Nevins in her position as head of MTV Documentary Films, and she is coming out strong with “Gay Chorus Deep South.”
This moving exclusive first trailer gives you a good indication as to why.
According to the official synopsis, the film “follows a choir of Lgbtq singers as they tour the American...
This moving exclusive first trailer gives you a good indication as to why.
According to the official synopsis, the film “follows a choir of Lgbtq singers as they tour the American...
- 10/3/2019
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
In today’s film news roundup, the documentaries “Gay Chorus Deep South” and “Tread” find homes, Tobin Bell’s latest horror film completes production and Emilio Insolera joins “355.”
Acquisitions
MTV Documentary Films has acquired “Gay Chorus Deep South” for release during the fall for awards season consideration.
Directed by David Charles Rodrigues, the film world premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, where it won the audience award for best documentary feature before going on to win 16 additional awards at festivals. “Gay Chorus Deep South” is the story of 300 singers who traveled from Mississippi to Tennessee through the Carolinas bringing a message of love and acceptance to those fighting intolerance.
MTV Documentary Films plans to qualify the film for awards consideration and screen it at upcoming festivals including Nashville, Woodstock, opening night of Santa Barbara’s Call to Action Festival, opening night of the Boston Globe’s GlobeDocs, Heartland and New Orleans,...
Acquisitions
MTV Documentary Films has acquired “Gay Chorus Deep South” for release during the fall for awards season consideration.
Directed by David Charles Rodrigues, the film world premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, where it won the audience award for best documentary feature before going on to win 16 additional awards at festivals. “Gay Chorus Deep South” is the story of 300 singers who traveled from Mississippi to Tennessee through the Carolinas bringing a message of love and acceptance to those fighting intolerance.
MTV Documentary Films plans to qualify the film for awards consideration and screen it at upcoming festivals including Nashville, Woodstock, opening night of Santa Barbara’s Call to Action Festival, opening night of the Boston Globe’s GlobeDocs, Heartland and New Orleans,...
- 9/16/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
MTV Documentary Films, a division of Viacom’s MTV Studios, today announced its latest acquisition under Sheila Nevins: Gay Chorus Deep South.
Directed by David Charles Rodrigues, the film world premiered at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature before going on to win 16 additional awards at domestic and international festivals. .
Led by conductor Dr. Tim Seelig and joined by The Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, Gay Chorus Deep South is the story of 300 singers who traveled from Mississippi to Tennessee through the Carolinas, bringing a message of love and acceptance to those fighting intolerance.
The ensuing conversations and connections offer a glimpse of a less-polarized America, where the issues that divide us — faith, politics, sexual identity — are set aside by the soaring power of music, humanity and a little drag.
“The Lgbtq bias is fierce in southern states,” said Nevins.
Directed by David Charles Rodrigues, the film world premiered at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature before going on to win 16 additional awards at domestic and international festivals. .
Led by conductor Dr. Tim Seelig and joined by The Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, Gay Chorus Deep South is the story of 300 singers who traveled from Mississippi to Tennessee through the Carolinas, bringing a message of love and acceptance to those fighting intolerance.
The ensuing conversations and connections offer a glimpse of a less-polarized America, where the issues that divide us — faith, politics, sexual identity — are set aside by the soaring power of music, humanity and a little drag.
“The Lgbtq bias is fierce in southern states,” said Nevins.
- 9/16/2019
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Sheila Nevins' MTV Documentary Films has picked up Gay Chorus Deep South, the Tribeca Film Festival award-winning film about a gay choir on a red-state tour by director David Charles Rodrigues.
The feature doc recounts members of The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus touring several Southern states with restrictive anti-gay laws and delivering a message of love and acceptance to those fighting anti-lgbtq bigotry.
Nevins, the former HBO exec who left the premium cable channel in 2018 after a 38-year run and recently launched a documentary unit for MTV Studios, plans a fall release this year for awards-season consideration....
The feature doc recounts members of The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus touring several Southern states with restrictive anti-gay laws and delivering a message of love and acceptance to those fighting anti-lgbtq bigotry.
Nevins, the former HBO exec who left the premium cable channel in 2018 after a 38-year run and recently launched a documentary unit for MTV Studios, plans a fall release this year for awards-season consideration....
- 9/16/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Sheila Nevins' MTV Documentary Films has picked up Gay Chorus Deep South, the Tribeca Film Festival award-winning film about a gay choir on a red-state tour by director David Charles Rodrigues.
The feature doc recounts members of The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus touring several Southern states with restrictive anti-gay laws and delivering a message of love and acceptance to those fighting anti-lgbtq bigotry.
Nevins, the former HBO exec who left the premium cable channel in 2018 after a 38-year run and recently launched a documentary unit for MTV Studios, plans a fall release this year for awards-season consideration....
The feature doc recounts members of The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus touring several Southern states with restrictive anti-gay laws and delivering a message of love and acceptance to those fighting anti-lgbtq bigotry.
Nevins, the former HBO exec who left the premium cable channel in 2018 after a 38-year run and recently launched a documentary unit for MTV Studios, plans a fall release this year for awards-season consideration....
- 9/16/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Company picks up Tribeca audience award winner.
Sheila Nevins has made her latest acquisition since joining MTV Documentary Films and will line up an awards-qualifying release this autumn for Gay Chorus Deep South.
David Charles Rodrigues directed the Tribeca Film Festival premiere and winner of the audience award for best documentary before playing at festivals around the world. It will open Santa Barbara’s Call To Action Festival, and The Boston Globe’s GlobeDocs, Heartland, and New Orleans. among others.
Gay Chorus Deep South recounts the story of a walk by 300 singers from San Francsico Gay Men’s Chorus led...
Sheila Nevins has made her latest acquisition since joining MTV Documentary Films and will line up an awards-qualifying release this autumn for Gay Chorus Deep South.
David Charles Rodrigues directed the Tribeca Film Festival premiere and winner of the audience award for best documentary before playing at festivals around the world. It will open Santa Barbara’s Call To Action Festival, and The Boston Globe’s GlobeDocs, Heartland, and New Orleans. among others.
Gay Chorus Deep South recounts the story of a walk by 300 singers from San Francsico Gay Men’s Chorus led...
- 9/16/2019
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
by Nathaniel R
Nathaniel and two fellow jurors (though we weren't in the same jury) at Agliff
Hello "y'all" (when in Texas...) writing to you from blistering hot Austin where the 32nd annual aGLIFF festival is nearing its wrap. The festival, which runs from Thursday to Sunday each year in late August is actually the oldest film festival in Texas. Yes, even older than SXSW though not as famous.
The festiviites began Thursday night with a packed house at the Alamo Drafthouse for a performance by the Austin Gay Men's Chorus followed by the opening night film, Gay Chorus Deep South (2019). It's a very moving documentary about a the iconic San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus and an all volunteer charity tour they made of the Deep South after T****'s election. The tour was an attempt to bridge divides between red and blue, and combat rising anti-lgbt sentiment within the...
Nathaniel and two fellow jurors (though we weren't in the same jury) at Agliff
Hello "y'all" (when in Texas...) writing to you from blistering hot Austin where the 32nd annual aGLIFF festival is nearing its wrap. The festival, which runs from Thursday to Sunday each year in late August is actually the oldest film festival in Texas. Yes, even older than SXSW though not as famous.
The festiviites began Thursday night with a packed house at the Alamo Drafthouse for a performance by the Austin Gay Men's Chorus followed by the opening night film, Gay Chorus Deep South (2019). It's a very moving documentary about a the iconic San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus and an all volunteer charity tour they made of the Deep South after T****'s election. The tour was an attempt to bridge divides between red and blue, and combat rising anti-lgbt sentiment within the...
- 8/25/2019
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
"We have to learn to dance with the storm." Yeah, you read that right. This doc film is the first ever "Airbnb Production". There is a teaser trailer available for the documentary Gay Chorus Deep South, made by filmmaker David Charles Rodrigues. It just premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival last month, and should be released later this year. Vanity Fair spoke with Airbnb's "head of creative" James Goode and he explained their involvement: "As a community, Airbnb is rooted in the power of people to people connections to drive belonging and this film tells that story." Gay Chorus Deep South is about, as the title says, the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus following them as they embark upon a tour of the American Deep South. Many members will be going back to the communities they once fled, confronting prejudices and pain from their past. As expected, this looks triumphantly moving and inspiring,...
- 5/11/2019
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Never underestimate the power of music to bring people together, even when the parties in question are deeply conservative Southern Christians and the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus. In response to a rise in fresh anti-lgbt bigotry, the out-and-proud California choir planned a series of concerts across five of the states with the harshest laws against homosexuals. Neither the tour nor the AirBnB-backed, “love thy neighbor”-themed “Gay Chorus Deep South” doc that follows them can fully reverse the discrimination and divisiveness being stirred up in politics today, but both are powerful tools in bridging the prejudice gap.
Rather than simply preaching to you-know-whom, director David Charles Rodrigues — an equal-rights advocate who draws from his own “other” status as a (straight-identifying) Brazilian-American — succeeds in humanizing the individuals on both sides. If anything, the big surprise of the film is how its progressive-minded main characters, the 300 or so San Francisco...
Rather than simply preaching to you-know-whom, director David Charles Rodrigues — an equal-rights advocate who draws from his own “other” status as a (straight-identifying) Brazilian-American — succeeds in humanizing the individuals on both sides. If anything, the big surprise of the film is how its progressive-minded main characters, the 300 or so San Francisco...
- 5/5/2019
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
The 18th annual Tribeca Film Festival announced this year’s Audience Award winners today, with Plus One and Gay Chorus Deep South picking up the coveted prizes.
Plus One received the Narrative Audience Award and Gay Chorus Deep South won the Documentary Audience Award. The winner of each gets a cash prize of $10,000.
The runners-up were See You Yesterday, directed by Stefon Bristol, for the Narrative Audience Award and Watson, directed by Lesley Chilcott, for the Documentary Audience Award.
The festival kicked off on April 24, with audience members rating the films they viewed with one to five stars. Films screened in the U.S. Narrative Competition, International Narrative Competition, Documentary Competition, Viewpoints, Narrative Spotlight, Narrative Documentary, Movies Plus, Midnight, This Used to Be New York, and Tribeca Critics’ Week sections were eligible.
Below are details on the two winning films.
Gay Chorus Deep South, directed by David Charles Rodrigues, written by David Charles Rodrigues,...
Plus One received the Narrative Audience Award and Gay Chorus Deep South won the Documentary Audience Award. The winner of each gets a cash prize of $10,000.
The runners-up were See You Yesterday, directed by Stefon Bristol, for the Narrative Audience Award and Watson, directed by Lesley Chilcott, for the Documentary Audience Award.
The festival kicked off on April 24, with audience members rating the films they viewed with one to five stars. Films screened in the U.S. Narrative Competition, International Narrative Competition, Documentary Competition, Viewpoints, Narrative Spotlight, Narrative Documentary, Movies Plus, Midnight, This Used to Be New York, and Tribeca Critics’ Week sections were eligible.
Below are details on the two winning films.
Gay Chorus Deep South, directed by David Charles Rodrigues, written by David Charles Rodrigues,...
- 5/5/2019
- by Anita Bennett
- Deadline Film + TV
Jeff Chan and Andrew Rhymer’s rom-com “Plus One” won the Audience Award for a narrative feature at the Tribeca Film Festival, the festival announced on Saturday. The film stars Maya Erskine and Jack Quaid as longtime singletons who agree to be each other’s plus one at every wedding they attend one summer.
In addition, David Charles Rodrigues’ “Gay Chorus Deep South” won the Documentary Audience Award. The winner of each received a cash prize of $10,000.
The runners-up were...
In addition, David Charles Rodrigues’ “Gay Chorus Deep South” won the Documentary Audience Award. The winner of each received a cash prize of $10,000.
The runners-up were...
- 5/4/2019
- by Thom Geier
- The Wrap
“Plus One” and “Gay Chorus Deep South” have won the audience awards at the 18th annual Tribeca Film Festival with each receiving a $10,000 cash prize.
“Plus One” won the audience award for best narrative feature. It’s directed, written and produced by Jeff Chan and Andrew Rhymer. Other producers are Jeremy Reitz, Debbie Liebling, Ross Putman, and Greg Beauchamp.
Maya Erskine and Jack Quaid star as longtime single friends agreeing to be each other’s plus one at every wedding they’re invited to during a summer. Ed Begley Jr., Rosalind Chao, Beck Bennett, and Finn Wittrock also star.
“Gay Chorus Deep South,” directed by David Charles Rodrigues, was given the Documentary Audience Award. The film was produced by Bud Johnston and Jesse Moss and follows the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus embarking on an unprecedented bus tour through the Deep South, celebrating music, challenging intolerance, and confronting their own dark coming out stories.
“Plus One” won the audience award for best narrative feature. It’s directed, written and produced by Jeff Chan and Andrew Rhymer. Other producers are Jeremy Reitz, Debbie Liebling, Ross Putman, and Greg Beauchamp.
Maya Erskine and Jack Quaid star as longtime single friends agreeing to be each other’s plus one at every wedding they’re invited to during a summer. Ed Begley Jr., Rosalind Chao, Beck Bennett, and Finn Wittrock also star.
“Gay Chorus Deep South,” directed by David Charles Rodrigues, was given the Documentary Audience Award. The film was produced by Bud Johnston and Jesse Moss and follows the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus embarking on an unprecedented bus tour through the Deep South, celebrating music, challenging intolerance, and confronting their own dark coming out stories.
- 5/4/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Frameline Film Festival announced Tuesday the first 12 films heading up the lineup for the 43rd annual Lgbtq film festival, which takes place in San Francisco’s famous Castro district. The opening night film will be the Elizabeth Debicki-starring Virginia Woolf lesbian drama “Vita & Virginia,” which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last fall. Two documentaries will round out the centerpiece and closing night screenings: “Gay Chorus Deep South,” and the world premiere of the Judy Garland focused “Sid & Judy.”
“People question the place of film festivals in a now media-saturated culture, but the Festival is about communities: bringing everyone together to celebrate and expand our knowledge of the world around us, as well as ourselves,” Frameline Executive Director Frances Wallace said in a statement. “Frameline’s Festival attendance increased in 2018, and we predict a continued expansion of our audience this year. The Lgbtq+ world has never been...
“People question the place of film festivals in a now media-saturated culture, but the Festival is about communities: bringing everyone together to celebrate and expand our knowledge of the world around us, as well as ourselves,” Frameline Executive Director Frances Wallace said in a statement. “Frameline’s Festival attendance increased in 2018, and we predict a continued expansion of our audience this year. The Lgbtq+ world has never been...
- 4/30/2019
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
The Tribeca Film Festival kicks off on Wednesday with a slate of movies from up-and-coming filmmakers and established directors that tackle hot-button issues such as gun violence, homophobia, and gender discrimination.
The annual celebration of film was originally founded by Robert De Niro and producer Jane Rosenthal to encourage people to return to a corner of Manhattan that was still reeling from the 9/11 attacks. Well, downtown is largely rebuilt, but the festival is still going strong, with a particular emphasis on inclusion and representation. Of the more than 100 features that will debut at this edition of Tribeca, 40% are directed by women, 29% by people of color and 13% by Lgbtq filmmakers.
Now in its 18th year, Tribeca has grown to encompass television series, shorts, gaming, and virtual reality. But it’s the indie movies that provide the biggest sizzle. Here’s a look at nine acquisition titles that could have buyers circling.
The annual celebration of film was originally founded by Robert De Niro and producer Jane Rosenthal to encourage people to return to a corner of Manhattan that was still reeling from the 9/11 attacks. Well, downtown is largely rebuilt, but the festival is still going strong, with a particular emphasis on inclusion and representation. Of the more than 100 features that will debut at this edition of Tribeca, 40% are directed by women, 29% by people of color and 13% by Lgbtq filmmakers.
Now in its 18th year, Tribeca has grown to encompass television series, shorts, gaming, and virtual reality. But it’s the indie movies that provide the biggest sizzle. Here’s a look at nine acquisition titles that could have buyers circling.
- 4/24/2019
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
The latest player to hit the film-festival circuit may be a bit unexpected: Airbnb, the travel-accommodations booking marketplace, developed, financed and produced documentary film “Gay Chorus Deep South,” set to premiere at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival on April 29.
It’s the company’s very first feature film. Directed by David Charles Rodrigues, “Gay Chorus Deep South” follows the 300-member San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus on a 10-day tour across the Southeastern U.S. with the goal of inspiring conversation around inclusivity and civil rights. The film documents the challenges the singers faced as they brought their music into people’s homes, churches and concert halls.
Why did the Silicon Valley commerce company decide to dive into film production? James Goode, Airbnb’s head of creative, explained that the film aligns with its corporate values that all people should not only be treated with dignity and respect but should be welcomed and celebrated.
It’s the company’s very first feature film. Directed by David Charles Rodrigues, “Gay Chorus Deep South” follows the 300-member San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus on a 10-day tour across the Southeastern U.S. with the goal of inspiring conversation around inclusivity and civil rights. The film documents the challenges the singers faced as they brought their music into people’s homes, churches and concert halls.
Why did the Silicon Valley commerce company decide to dive into film production? James Goode, Airbnb’s head of creative, explained that the film aligns with its corporate values that all people should not only be treated with dignity and respect but should be welcomed and celebrated.
- 4/18/2019
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety Film + TV
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