Cph:forum, the financing and co-production section of the Copenhagen Intl. Documentary Film Festival (also known as Cph:dox), will showcase 32 projects, including new works from producers such as Sidsel Lønvig Siersted, Signe Byrge Sørensen (“Flee”), Diane Becker (“Navalny”) and Mandy Chang, the creative director of Fremantle label Undeniable and former head of BBC documentary strand Storyville, as well as directors Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh (“Writing With Fire”), and Mads Brügger (“Cold Case Hammarskjöld”).
Other projects include those by directors Sky Hopinka (“Kicking the Clouds”), Talal Derki (“Of Fathers and Sons”), and Rachel Leah Jones and Philippe Bellaiche (“Advocat”), and producers Lindsey Dryden (“Trans in America”), Mila Aung-Thwin (“Midwives”) and Kat Mansoor (“Cow”).
Cph:forum will bring together more than 65 filmmakers and producers from 26 countries between March 18-21.
The selected projects will compete for a number of long-standing as well as newly-introduced awards at Cph:Industry, the professional section of the festival.
Other projects include those by directors Sky Hopinka (“Kicking the Clouds”), Talal Derki (“Of Fathers and Sons”), and Rachel Leah Jones and Philippe Bellaiche (“Advocat”), and producers Lindsey Dryden (“Trans in America”), Mila Aung-Thwin (“Midwives”) and Kat Mansoor (“Cow”).
Cph:forum will bring together more than 65 filmmakers and producers from 26 countries between March 18-21.
The selected projects will compete for a number of long-standing as well as newly-introduced awards at Cph:Industry, the professional section of the festival.
- 2/8/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Copenhagen-based Elk Film’s hunger for global reach with quality creative docs was fully-achieved with the art world mystery “The Lost Leonardo,” one of the most buzzed about documentaries of 2021, released in the U.S. by Sony Pictures Classics.
Elk Film’s co-founders, director/producer Andreas Dalsgaard and editor Nicolás Nørgaard Staffolani (“Cold Case Hammarskjöld”) are on the verge of inking a deal for a fiction series take of “The Lost Leonardo” with Studiocanal, The Picture Company, Entertainment 360, together with Vestigo Films’ Christoph Jörg. At the same time, the partners are gearing up for the world premiere of “As the Tide Comes In” at IDFA in the International Competition section.
The Danish film is helmed by Basque-born Juan Palacios with co-director Sofie Husum Johannesen, a trained anthropologist like most of Elk’s creatives. The feature-length doc is a portrait of the Danish Wadden Sea island of Mandø and its 27 dwellers,...
Elk Film’s co-founders, director/producer Andreas Dalsgaard and editor Nicolás Nørgaard Staffolani (“Cold Case Hammarskjöld”) are on the verge of inking a deal for a fiction series take of “The Lost Leonardo” with Studiocanal, The Picture Company, Entertainment 360, together with Vestigo Films’ Christoph Jörg. At the same time, the partners are gearing up for the world premiere of “As the Tide Comes In” at IDFA in the International Competition section.
The Danish film is helmed by Basque-born Juan Palacios with co-director Sofie Husum Johannesen, a trained anthropologist like most of Elk’s creatives. The feature-length doc is a portrait of the Danish Wadden Sea island of Mandø and its 27 dwellers,...
- 11/6/2023
- by Annika Pham
- Variety Film + TV
Messages have been pouring in to pay tribute to Jess Search, producer and co-founder of U.K.’s Doc Society, who died Monday from brain cancer at the age of 54.
Search was a founding director of Doc Society, the mission of which is to “unleash the transformational power of documentary film to address the two critical and intertwined issues of climate change and democracies in crisis.”
Before that, she was a commissioning editor at Channel 4 and a founder of Shooting People, the online filmmakers network. She was also a board member of the U.K. think tank Ippr. She moderated panel discussions for IDFA, the Skoll World Forum, the Trust Women conference, and Doc Society’s Good Pitch.
Search was nominated for an Emmy for “Virunga.” Her recent executive producer credits included “F@ck This Job,” “Welcome to Chechnya” and “Cold Case Hammarskjöld.”
British Film Institute CEO Ben Roberts said:...
Search was a founding director of Doc Society, the mission of which is to “unleash the transformational power of documentary film to address the two critical and intertwined issues of climate change and democracies in crisis.”
Before that, she was a commissioning editor at Channel 4 and a founder of Shooting People, the online filmmakers network. She was also a board member of the U.K. think tank Ippr. She moderated panel discussions for IDFA, the Skoll World Forum, the Trust Women conference, and Doc Society’s Good Pitch.
Search was nominated for an Emmy for “Virunga.” Her recent executive producer credits included “F@ck This Job,” “Welcome to Chechnya” and “Cold Case Hammarskjöld.”
British Film Institute CEO Ben Roberts said:...
- 8/3/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Oslo has five non-fiction features in production and development.
Award-winning documentary filmmakers Bjarte Morner Tveit and Tonje Hessen Schei have joined Norway’s Oslo Pictures as the company ramps up its investment in non-fiction.
Producer Morner Tveit joins from Stavanger-based Piraya Film, where his credits included Cold Case Hammarskjold, Inside Fur, The Secret Life of Pigs and The Mole. The latter went undercover in North Korea and won best documentary at the Danish Film Academy’s Robert Awards in 2021.
Director Hessen Schei joins from UpNorth Film, which she co-founded in 2017, and is known for documentaries such as iHuman, Drone and Play Again.
Award-winning documentary filmmakers Bjarte Morner Tveit and Tonje Hessen Schei have joined Norway’s Oslo Pictures as the company ramps up its investment in non-fiction.
Producer Morner Tveit joins from Stavanger-based Piraya Film, where his credits included Cold Case Hammarskjold, Inside Fur, The Secret Life of Pigs and The Mole. The latter went undercover in North Korea and won best documentary at the Danish Film Academy’s Robert Awards in 2021.
Director Hessen Schei joins from UpNorth Film, which she co-founded in 2017, and is known for documentaries such as iHuman, Drone and Play Again.
- 3/22/2022
- by Wendy Mitchell
- ScreenDaily
New projects from filmmakers Tatiana Huezo (“Prayers for the Stolen”), Mads Brügger (“Cold Case Hammarskjöld”), and Nishtha Jain (“Gulabi Gang”) will mark this year’s IDFA pitch forum, which will return as an in-person event, running concurrent to the larger festival from Nov. 20-26.
The doc festival’s industry focused co-financing and co-production market, IDFA Forum will host 62 titles across its five different sections, allowing filmmakers and producers to present their projects – all at various stages of production and development – before buyers, curators and various decision makers from the worlds of public and private broadcasting, streaming and international film festivals.
Heading into its 29th edition, the market’s flagship pitch session will host 23 titles. Among them, Huezo’s “The Echo” follows a group of children forged by the harsh climate of a remote mountain village; Brügger’s “Who Killed Thomas Sankara?” tracks the 1987 assassination of the Burkinabé president; and Jain...
The doc festival’s industry focused co-financing and co-production market, IDFA Forum will host 62 titles across its five different sections, allowing filmmakers and producers to present their projects – all at various stages of production and development – before buyers, curators and various decision makers from the worlds of public and private broadcasting, streaming and international film festivals.
Heading into its 29th edition, the market’s flagship pitch session will host 23 titles. Among them, Huezo’s “The Echo” follows a group of children forged by the harsh climate of a remote mountain village; Brügger’s “Who Killed Thomas Sankara?” tracks the 1987 assassination of the Burkinabé president; and Jain...
- 10/14/2021
- by Ben Croll
- Variety Film + TV
Danish filmmaker Mads Brügger, who won a Sundance best director award for “Cold Case Hammarskjöld,” expected a bigger fallout following the release of his latest film, “The Mole: Undercover in North Korea,” he admitted during his CineLink Talk at Sarajevo Film Festival.
His documentary, focusing on two men embarking on a mission to expose the secrets of the Korean Friendship Association (Kfa) and its Spanish president, is shown at the festival in the Dealing with the Past section, alongside his previous efforts “The Ambassador,” an investigation of the blood diamond trade in Africa, and “Cold Case Hammarskjöld,” about the mysterious death of the secretary general of the United Nations.
“I thought it would lead to the arrest of Alejandro Cao de Benós, but nothing has happened. All of this made me contemplate that maybe he is a double agent himself,” said Brügger, teasing a possible continuation of the larger-than-life saga...
His documentary, focusing on two men embarking on a mission to expose the secrets of the Korean Friendship Association (Kfa) and its Spanish president, is shown at the festival in the Dealing with the Past section, alongside his previous efforts “The Ambassador,” an investigation of the blood diamond trade in Africa, and “Cold Case Hammarskjöld,” about the mysterious death of the secretary general of the United Nations.
“I thought it would lead to the arrest of Alejandro Cao de Benós, but nothing has happened. All of this made me contemplate that maybe he is a double agent himself,” said Brügger, teasing a possible continuation of the larger-than-life saga...
- 8/16/2021
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
The 10 hour-long CineLink Talks will run from August 14-19.
Screen International and Documentary Campus have once again teamed up with the Sarajevo Film Festival to host CineLink Talks, an online programme of panels for the festival’s 2021 industry strand.
The 10 hour-long CineLink Talks will run from August 14-19. Topics include filmmaking during the pandemic, working with streamers, female filmmaker quotas, mental health in the film industry and new models for distribution. The line-up also includes masterclasses with filmmakers Mads Brugger and Alexander Nanau.
All of the webinars will run via Zoom and feature a live Q&a in which audience...
Screen International and Documentary Campus have once again teamed up with the Sarajevo Film Festival to host CineLink Talks, an online programme of panels for the festival’s 2021 industry strand.
The 10 hour-long CineLink Talks will run from August 14-19. Topics include filmmaking during the pandemic, working with streamers, female filmmaker quotas, mental health in the film industry and new models for distribution. The line-up also includes masterclasses with filmmakers Mads Brugger and Alexander Nanau.
All of the webinars will run via Zoom and feature a live Q&a in which audience...
- 8/6/2021
- by Screen staff
- ScreenDaily
Corporate behemoths like Netflix and Disney Plus define the streaming world, but the pandemic inspired specialized distributors to invent a VOD niche with virtual cinema. Led by companies like Kino Lorber, Magnolia Films, and Film Movement, they offer films in partnership with art house theaters and split the revenues. What initially sounded like a long shot became common practice in the space of a year, and virtual cinema could be a permanent feature that runs in parallel to theatrical releases.
Using its website and membership lists to access target audiences, Kino Lorber began selling films through its Kino Lorber Marquee platform last March, starting with “Bacurau.” It also helped acclimate older viewers into seeing movies online.
A year later, Kino Lorber has released 30 films via virtual cinema. According to its self reporting, shared with IndieWire, the platform grossed $1.2 million, with $600,000 going to some 50 arthouse theaters. That’s down from the...
Using its website and membership lists to access target audiences, Kino Lorber began selling films through its Kino Lorber Marquee platform last March, starting with “Bacurau.” It also helped acclimate older viewers into seeing movies online.
A year later, Kino Lorber has released 30 films via virtual cinema. According to its self reporting, shared with IndieWire, the platform grossed $1.2 million, with $600,000 going to some 50 arthouse theaters. That’s down from the...
- 3/10/2021
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
Line-up also includes the new project from two-time Oscar nominee Lucy Walker.
Danish documentary festival Cph:dox has revealed the 35 projects set to be presented at Cph:forum, its financing and co-production event that will take place online-only from April 26-30.
Scroll down for full list of titles
The selection includes new projects from two-time Oscar nominee Lucy Walker (Waste Land), Sundance winners Mads Brügger (Cold Case Hammarskjöld) and Eugene Jarecki (The House I Live In), Berlin Crystal Bear winner Geneviève Dulude-De Celle (A Colony) and Venice Horizons winner Lech Kowalski (East Of Paradise).
Further notable filmmakers include Radu Ciorniciuc, whose Acasa,...
Danish documentary festival Cph:dox has revealed the 35 projects set to be presented at Cph:forum, its financing and co-production event that will take place online-only from April 26-30.
Scroll down for full list of titles
The selection includes new projects from two-time Oscar nominee Lucy Walker (Waste Land), Sundance winners Mads Brügger (Cold Case Hammarskjöld) and Eugene Jarecki (The House I Live In), Berlin Crystal Bear winner Geneviève Dulude-De Celle (A Colony) and Venice Horizons winner Lech Kowalski (East Of Paradise).
Further notable filmmakers include Radu Ciorniciuc, whose Acasa,...
- 3/3/2021
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
As social distancing, shuttered theaters, and self-quarantine become daily life, chances are you’ve turned to your plethora of streaming services to quell the boredom. But there’s more to life than Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+: several niche streaming services are offering free trials and discounts, giving you plenty of offbeat and hard-to-find content choices. Among them is horror specialist Shudder, British-focused Acorn TV, nonfiction purveyor Dox, and Sundance Now.
IndieWire has compiled a list of services currently offering discounts and free trials, along with some of their most notable offerings, and will update it with any new additions. Also included are other streaming services that regularly offer free trials.
More from IndieWireThe Best Movies New to Every Major Streaming Platform in February 2020A Mysterious Plane Crash Unravels Into Global Conspiracy in 'Cold Case Hammarskjöld' Doc -- Exclusive Clip Shudder
The offer: 30 days free with promo code...
IndieWire has compiled a list of services currently offering discounts and free trials, along with some of their most notable offerings, and will update it with any new additions. Also included are other streaming services that regularly offer free trials.
More from IndieWireThe Best Movies New to Every Major Streaming Platform in February 2020A Mysterious Plane Crash Unravels Into Global Conspiracy in 'Cold Case Hammarskjöld' Doc -- Exclusive Clip Shudder
The offer: 30 days free with promo code...
- 3/18/2020
- by Chris Lindahl
- Indiewire
Following our top 50 films of 2019, we’re sharing personal top 10 lists from our contributors. Check out the latest below and see our complete year-end coverage here.
The end of the decade has spurred reflection on what defined the last ten years in cinema as streaming wars commenced and the future of the theatrical experience was further questioned. It’s still too early to deduce such matters with any long-lasting clarity, so for now, I’ll take a look back at my perspective on the previous year in cinema.
Before we get to new films, my favorite few days inside a cinema in 2019 was at The Nitrate Picture Show at the George Eastman Museum and one can see my 100 favorite new-to-me films throughout the year. After the staggering first viewings of the sprawling masterpieces Berlin Alexanderplatz, Sátántangó, War and Peace, Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler, Les Vampires, and Celine and Julie Go Boating,...
The end of the decade has spurred reflection on what defined the last ten years in cinema as streaming wars commenced and the future of the theatrical experience was further questioned. It’s still too early to deduce such matters with any long-lasting clarity, so for now, I’ll take a look back at my perspective on the previous year in cinema.
Before we get to new films, my favorite few days inside a cinema in 2019 was at The Nitrate Picture Show at the George Eastman Museum and one can see my 100 favorite new-to-me films throughout the year. After the staggering first viewings of the sprawling masterpieces Berlin Alexanderplatz, Sátántangó, War and Peace, Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler, Les Vampires, and Celine and Julie Go Boating,...
- 1/5/2020
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Welcome to the last day of the decade. As we move from 2019 to 2020, it’s time for my annual look at year’s best and brightest. Yes, today I’ll be giving out some personal awards, revealing my top ten list, and basically just putting a final bow on the year. 2019 is about to end, so why don’t we go out with a bang? Let’s get started with the end of the year rundown folks! As always, below you will be able to see both my picks for the very best movies of 2019 as well as the best performances of the year. In terms of the films, I’ll be doing a top 30 list again, with a dozen honorable mentions, just because (I like including as much as possible on these lists…we know this by now). The same will go for the performances I’m keenest on,...
- 12/31/2019
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
As we continue to explore the best in 2019, today we’re taking a look at the articles that you, our dear readers, enjoyed the most throughout the past twelve months. Spanning reviews, interviews, features, podcasts, news, and trailers, it’s a wide-ranging snapshot of our most-read posts. Check out the highlights below and return for more year-end coverage as well as a glimpse into 2020 in the coming weeks.
10 Most-Read Reviews
10. A Hidden Life
9. Proxima
8. Weathering with You
7. Cold Case Hammarskjöld
6. The Lighthouse
5. Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile
4. Jallikattu
3. Lucy in the Sky
2. Joker
1. Color Out of Space
10 Most-Read Interviews
10. Lav Diaz on the Desire for Epic Runtimes, Not Voting for the Oscars, and the Problem with Big Film Festivals
9. Isabelle Huppert on Playing a Psychopath for the First Time, Flipping Tables, and Her Favorite Films of 2018
8. Rodrigo Prieto on the Visual Storytelling of The Irishman and Collaborating with Martin Scorsese...
10 Most-Read Reviews
10. A Hidden Life
9. Proxima
8. Weathering with You
7. Cold Case Hammarskjöld
6. The Lighthouse
5. Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile
4. Jallikattu
3. Lucy in the Sky
2. Joker
1. Color Out of Space
10 Most-Read Interviews
10. Lav Diaz on the Desire for Epic Runtimes, Not Voting for the Oscars, and the Problem with Big Film Festivals
9. Isabelle Huppert on Playing a Psychopath for the First Time, Flipping Tables, and Her Favorite Films of 2018
8. Rodrigo Prieto on the Visual Storytelling of The Irishman and Collaborating with Martin Scorsese...
- 12/28/2019
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options—not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves–each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit platforms. Check out this week’s selections below and an archive of past round-ups here.
Before we get to our weekly streaming picks, check out our annual feature: Where to Stream the Best Films of 2019.
Cold Case Hammarskjöld (Mads Brügger)
In 1961, Secretary-General of the United Nations Dag Hammarskjöld was killed in a plane crash in Africa under mysterious circumstances. Beginning as an investigation into his still-unsolved death, the trail that Mads Brügger follows in Cold Case Hammarskjöld is one that expands to implicate some of the world’s most powerful governments in unfathomably heinous crimes. Without revealing the specifics of the jaw-dropping revelations in this thoroughly engrossing documentary, if there’s any justice, what is brought to light will cause global...
Before we get to our weekly streaming picks, check out our annual feature: Where to Stream the Best Films of 2019.
Cold Case Hammarskjöld (Mads Brügger)
In 1961, Secretary-General of the United Nations Dag Hammarskjöld was killed in a plane crash in Africa under mysterious circumstances. Beginning as an investigation into his still-unsolved death, the trail that Mads Brügger follows in Cold Case Hammarskjöld is one that expands to implicate some of the world’s most powerful governments in unfathomably heinous crimes. Without revealing the specifics of the jaw-dropping revelations in this thoroughly engrossing documentary, if there’s any justice, what is brought to light will cause global...
- 12/20/2019
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Moments ago, the Academy released a handful of shortlists for some of their below the line categories. Last year, they tried it out for the first time and it seemed to go over well, so expect this to be the new normal. Yes, in the categories of Best Documentary Feature, Best Documentary Short Subject, Best Foreign Language Film, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Original Score, Best Original Song, Best Animated Short Film, Best Live Action Short Film, and Best Visual Effects, we now have a narrowed field for the 92nd Academy Awards. Essentially, Academy voters can once again focus in on just a handful of titles in these categories, for better or worse. The wisdom of that still remains to be seen as the years progress, but it will still take some time to see if we get a different set of nominees than expected because of this. For now,...
- 12/16/2019
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
The feminist satire by Teona Strugar Mitevska has been voted the winner of the prize by the Members of the European Parliament. The European Parliament has just announced the winner of the 2019 Lux Prize. During the award ceremony held in Strasbourg, the feminist satire God Exists, Her Name Is Petrunya by North Macedonian director Teona Strugar Mitevska triumphed over its competitors, Cold Case Hammarskjöld by Mads Brügger and The Realm by Rodrigo Sorogoyen. Since 11 November, Members of the European Parliament had had the chance to vote for their favourite film from among the Lux Official Competition titles, which this year stood out on account of the wide range of styles and genres represented by the three finalists. President of the European Parliament David Maria Sassoli, who handed out the award, said: “Cinema is key. It opens the doors for...
- 11/27/2019
- Cineuropa - The Best of European Cinema
Each year for over a decade, the Cinema Eye Honors selection committees, comprised of filmmakers from the documentary community, help to whittle down an increasingly overwhelming list of must-see non-fiction film and television. The 2020 nominees for Outstanding Feature Film are lead by Oscar frontrunners “American Factory” and “Apollo 11”, with five nominations each, and “For Sama”, “Honeyland”, “Midnight Family”, and “One Child Nation”, with three apiece.
Also scoring three nominations were “Aquarela” (Sony Pictures Classics”), “The Cave” (NatGeo), and “Beyoncé’s Homecoming” (Netflix). “American Factory,” “Honeyland,” and “One Child Nation” also earned nods for Outstanding Direction, along with Feras Fayyad for “The Cave,” Mads Brügger for “Cold Case Hammarskjöld,” and Brett Story for “The Hottest August.”
Audience Choice nominees include “17 Blocks,” “The Amazing Johnathan Documentary,” “Ask Dr. Ruth,” “The Biggest Little Farm,” “Knock Down the House,” and “Maiden.”
Netflix led all distributors/broadcasters with a record total of 17 nominations,...
Also scoring three nominations were “Aquarela” (Sony Pictures Classics”), “The Cave” (NatGeo), and “Beyoncé’s Homecoming” (Netflix). “American Factory,” “Honeyland,” and “One Child Nation” also earned nods for Outstanding Direction, along with Feras Fayyad for “The Cave,” Mads Brügger for “Cold Case Hammarskjöld,” and Brett Story for “The Hottest August.”
Audience Choice nominees include “17 Blocks,” “The Amazing Johnathan Documentary,” “Ask Dr. Ruth,” “The Biggest Little Farm,” “Knock Down the House,” and “Maiden.”
Netflix led all distributors/broadcasters with a record total of 17 nominations,...
- 11/7/2019
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Each year for over a decade, the Cinema Eye Honors selection committees, comprised of filmmakers from the documentary community, help to whittle down an increasingly overwhelming list of must-see non-fiction film and television. The 2020 nominees for Outstanding Feature Film are lead by Oscar frontrunners “American Factory” and “Apollo 11”, with five nominations each, and “For Sama”, “Honeyland”, “Midnight Family”, and “One Child Nation”, with three apiece.
Also scoring three nominations were “Aquarela” (Sony Pictures Classics”), “The Cave” (NatGeo), and “Beyoncé’s Homecoming” (Netflix). “American Factory,” “Honeyland,” and “One Child Nation” also earned nods for Outstanding Direction, along with Feras Fayyad for “The Cave,” Mads Brügger for “Cold Case Hammarskjöld,” and Brett Story for “The Hottest August.”
Audience Choice nominees include “17 Blocks,” “The Amazing Johnathan Documentary,” “Ask Dr. Ruth,” “The Biggest Little Farm,” “Knock Down the House,” and “Maiden.”
Netflix led all distributors/broadcasters with a record total of 17 nominations,...
Also scoring three nominations were “Aquarela” (Sony Pictures Classics”), “The Cave” (NatGeo), and “Beyoncé’s Homecoming” (Netflix). “American Factory,” “Honeyland,” and “One Child Nation” also earned nods for Outstanding Direction, along with Feras Fayyad for “The Cave,” Mads Brügger for “Cold Case Hammarskjöld,” and Brett Story for “The Hottest August.”
Audience Choice nominees include “17 Blocks,” “The Amazing Johnathan Documentary,” “Ask Dr. Ruth,” “The Biggest Little Farm,” “Knock Down the House,” and “Maiden.”
Netflix led all distributors/broadcasters with a record total of 17 nominations,...
- 11/7/2019
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
“American Factory” and “Apollo 11” led all films in nominations for the 13th annual Cinema Eye Honors, a New York-based awards show created to pay tribute to all facets of nonfiction filmmaking.
The two films each received five nominations, including Outstanding Nonfiction Feature, from the Cinema Eye jury of festival programmers, as well as votes from this year’s eligible filmmakers.
The full slate of nominees in that category is a solid lineup of the year’s most acclaimed docs. In addition to Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert’s “American Factory” and Todd Douglas Miller’s “Apollo 11,” it includes Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watts’ “For Sama,” Ljubomir Stefanov and Tamara Kotevska’s “Honeyland,” Luke Lorentzen’s “Midnight Family” and Nanfu Wang and Jialing Zhang’s “One Child Nation.”
Also Read: 12 Documentaries to Check Out This Fall, Including Films by Bruce Springsteen and Agnès Varda (Photos)
“American Factory,” “Apollo 11...
The two films each received five nominations, including Outstanding Nonfiction Feature, from the Cinema Eye jury of festival programmers, as well as votes from this year’s eligible filmmakers.
The full slate of nominees in that category is a solid lineup of the year’s most acclaimed docs. In addition to Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert’s “American Factory” and Todd Douglas Miller’s “Apollo 11,” it includes Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watts’ “For Sama,” Ljubomir Stefanov and Tamara Kotevska’s “Honeyland,” Luke Lorentzen’s “Midnight Family” and Nanfu Wang and Jialing Zhang’s “One Child Nation.”
Also Read: 12 Documentaries to Check Out This Fall, Including Films by Bruce Springsteen and Agnès Varda (Photos)
“American Factory,” “Apollo 11...
- 11/7/2019
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Screenings of the three finalist films are planned in more than 50 cities, including major film festivals, until February 2020. The three finalist films for the 2019 Lux Prize are being brought to cinemas across Europe during the Lux Film Days. Once again this year, the European Parliament’s initiative will organise screenings in more than 50 cities, including major film festivals, during this period. As a reminder, the three finalists are Cold Case Hammarskjöld by Mads Brügger (Denmark/Norway/Sweden/Belgium), God Exists, Her Name Is Petrunya by Teona Strugar Mitevska (North Macedonia/Belgium/Slovenia/Croatia/France) and The Realm by Rodrigo Sorogoyen (Spain/France) (see the news). All three films shed light on topical subjects in the European current reality: dealing with the past, the presence of women in the social, political and religious spheres, and political corruption. Film lovers can watch the three contenders during the Lux Film Days at film festivals or cinemas in all.
- 10/21/2019
- Cineuropa - The Best of European Cinema
The International Documentary Association (Ida) has revealed the 35th Annual Ida Documentary Awards shortlists for the Best Feature and Best Short categories, culled from 785 submissions: 375 documentary features, 153 documentary shorts, 124 documentary series, 89 student films, 44 podcasts, and 48 music documentaries. After winnowing down each list to up to ten nominees to be announced on Wednesday, October 23, online screeners will be accessible for viewing as of November 4, followed by the Ida membership voting.
The 2019 Awards will be presented at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles on Saturday, December 7. The Ida will bestow awards in 16 categories. This year, the Ida has changed how craft awards are selected: cinematographers, editors, writers and composers will do the honors. And for the first time, the Ida will present an award for Best Director.
The awards categories include Best Feature, Best Short, Best Curated Series, Best Episodic Series, Best Multi-Part Documentary, Best Short Form Series, Best Audio Documentary, David L. Wolper Student Documentary Award,...
The 2019 Awards will be presented at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles on Saturday, December 7. The Ida will bestow awards in 16 categories. This year, the Ida has changed how craft awards are selected: cinematographers, editors, writers and composers will do the honors. And for the first time, the Ida will present an award for Best Director.
The awards categories include Best Feature, Best Short, Best Curated Series, Best Episodic Series, Best Multi-Part Documentary, Best Short Form Series, Best Audio Documentary, David L. Wolper Student Documentary Award,...
- 10/10/2019
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
The International Documentary Association (Ida) has revealed the 35th Annual Ida Documentary Awards shortlists for the Best Feature and Best Short categories, culled from 785 submissions: 375 documentary features, 153 documentary shorts, 124 documentary series, 89 student films, 44 podcasts, and 48 music documentaries. After winnowing down each list to up to ten nominees to be announced on Wednesday, October 23, online screeners will be accessible for viewing as of November 4, followed by the Ida membership voting.
The 2019 Awards will be presented at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles on Saturday, December 7. The Ida will bestow awards in 16 categories. This year, the Ida has changed how craft awards are selected: cinematographers, editors, writers and composers will do the honors. And for the first time, the Ida will present an award for Best Director.
The awards categories include Best Feature, Best Short, Best Curated Series, Best Episodic Series, Best Multi-Part Documentary, Best Short Form Series, Best Audio Documentary, David L. Wolper Student Documentary Award,...
The 2019 Awards will be presented at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles on Saturday, December 7. The Ida will bestow awards in 16 categories. This year, the Ida has changed how craft awards are selected: cinematographers, editors, writers and composers will do the honors. And for the first time, the Ida will present an award for Best Director.
The awards categories include Best Feature, Best Short, Best Curated Series, Best Episodic Series, Best Multi-Part Documentary, Best Short Form Series, Best Audio Documentary, David L. Wolper Student Documentary Award,...
- 10/10/2019
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Welcome, one and all, to the latest episode of The Film Stage Show! Today, Michael Snydel, Bill Graham, and I are joined by Dan Schindel of Hyper Allergic to discuss Mads Brügger’s conspiracy-fueled documentary Cold Case Hammarskjöld, which is now available on VOD.
Subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or stream below. Enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor.
The Film Stage Show is supported by Mubi, a curated online cinema streaming a selection of exceptional independent, classic, and award-winning films from around the world. Each day, Mubi hand-picks a new gem and you have one month to watch it. Try it for free at mubi.com/filmstage.
Subscribe below:
Support The Film Stage Show on Patreon. E-mail us or follow on Twitter and Facebook with any questions or comments.
Subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or stream below. Enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor.
The Film Stage Show is supported by Mubi, a curated online cinema streaming a selection of exceptional independent, classic, and award-winning films from around the world. Each day, Mubi hand-picks a new gem and you have one month to watch it. Try it for free at mubi.com/filmstage.
Subscribe below:
Support The Film Stage Show on Patreon. E-mail us or follow on Twitter and Facebook with any questions or comments.
- 9/2/2019
- by Brian Roan
- The Film Stage
August warmth is a harbinger for the fall theatrical season, which is already revving into gear. Magnolia Pictures’ Cold Case Hammarskjöld continues recent non-fiction theatrical debuts that are eyeing awards season. Cold Case won the Best Director prize in the World Documentary section at Sundance in January. Sony Pictures Classics is opening doc Aquarela in select locations. The Participant-produced title debuted at last year’s Venice Film Festival. India’s Fip will have the widest Specialty start on this continent this weekend for drama Mission Mangal headlined by Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar. Sundance comedy Adam begins its run in two New York and L.A. theaters, while Slamdance honoree Birds Without Feathers by Wendy McColm launches exclusively in Manhattan.
Other limited releases include Roberto Minervini’s What You Gonna Do When the World’s on Fire? via KimStim. Halfway Crooks Entertainment has Low Low in L.A. starting Friday, while...
Other limited releases include Roberto Minervini’s What You Gonna Do When the World’s on Fire? via KimStim. Halfway Crooks Entertainment has Low Low in L.A. starting Friday, while...
- 8/16/2019
- by Brian Brooks
- Deadline Film + TV
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options—not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves–each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit platforms. Check out this week’s selections below and an archive of past round-ups here.
Cold Case Hammarskjöld (Mads Brügger)
In 1961, Secretary-General of the United Nations Dag Hammarskjöld was killed in a plane crash in Africa under mysterious circumstances. Beginning as an investigation into his still-unsolved death, the trail that Mads Brügger follows in Cold Case Hammarskjöld is one that expands to implicate some of the world’s most powerful governments in unfathomably heinous crimes. Without revealing the specifics of the jaw-dropping revelations in this thoroughly engrossing documentary, if there’s any justice, what is brought to light will cause global attention and a demand for some kind of retribution. – Jordan R. (full review)
Where to Stream: Amazon, iTunes, Google
The...
Cold Case Hammarskjöld (Mads Brügger)
In 1961, Secretary-General of the United Nations Dag Hammarskjöld was killed in a plane crash in Africa under mysterious circumstances. Beginning as an investigation into his still-unsolved death, the trail that Mads Brügger follows in Cold Case Hammarskjöld is one that expands to implicate some of the world’s most powerful governments in unfathomably heinous crimes. Without revealing the specifics of the jaw-dropping revelations in this thoroughly engrossing documentary, if there’s any justice, what is brought to light will cause global attention and a demand for some kind of retribution. – Jordan R. (full review)
Where to Stream: Amazon, iTunes, Google
The...
- 8/16/2019
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
History buffs might know a thing or two about the 1961 plane crash of United Nations Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld. He was, at the time, outspoken in his support for the sovereignty of the Congo, despite pressure from foreign mining companies to pillage the African nation’s rich mineral resources.
Was the plane crash an unhappy accident, or a deliberate assassination planned as part of a vast conspiracy with tentacles reaching all over the world? That’s what filmmaker Mads Brügger sets out to unpack in “Cold Case Hammarskjöld,” opening in select theaters this weekend from Magnolia Pictures. The documentary carefully unpeels the mysterious details surrounding Hammarskjöld’s unexpected death and the ensuing fallout. Overflowing with enough personality to warrant his own documentary film, Brügger inserts himself into the proceedings in Herzogian fashion as a showboating investigative journalist, abetted by a Danish private investigator who, alongside the director, falls down the rabbit hole of conspiracy theory.
Was the plane crash an unhappy accident, or a deliberate assassination planned as part of a vast conspiracy with tentacles reaching all over the world? That’s what filmmaker Mads Brügger sets out to unpack in “Cold Case Hammarskjöld,” opening in select theaters this weekend from Magnolia Pictures. The documentary carefully unpeels the mysterious details surrounding Hammarskjöld’s unexpected death and the ensuing fallout. Overflowing with enough personality to warrant his own documentary film, Brügger inserts himself into the proceedings in Herzogian fashion as a showboating investigative journalist, abetted by a Danish private investigator who, alongside the director, falls down the rabbit hole of conspiracy theory.
- 8/15/2019
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
“It borders on fiction,” Danish filmmaker Mads Brügger explains at one point in “Cold Case Hammarskjöld,” his latest documentary. “Some of it is real and some of it is very difficult to prove.”
If only he had warned us sooner.
“Cold Case Hammarskjöld” is an unusual blend of investigative journalism and tacky artifice. The film chronicles Brügger’s pursuit of the truth behind the mysterious death of former United Nations General Secretary Dag Hammarskjöld, whose plane crashed in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) in 1961.
Also Read: Magnolia Pictures Acquires Rights to Sundance Doc 'Cold Case Hammarskjöld'
Unlike the rest of the passengers, Hammarskjöld was not burned beyond recognition. He also had a playing card stuck in his collar, which will be important later. And of course, Hammarskjöld was working to protect newly independent African nations from western (formerly colonial) influences. A lot of people had a lot to gain from his work,...
If only he had warned us sooner.
“Cold Case Hammarskjöld” is an unusual blend of investigative journalism and tacky artifice. The film chronicles Brügger’s pursuit of the truth behind the mysterious death of former United Nations General Secretary Dag Hammarskjöld, whose plane crashed in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) in 1961.
Also Read: Magnolia Pictures Acquires Rights to Sundance Doc 'Cold Case Hammarskjöld'
Unlike the rest of the passengers, Hammarskjöld was not burned beyond recognition. He also had a playing card stuck in his collar, which will be important later. And of course, Hammarskjöld was working to protect newly independent African nations from western (formerly colonial) influences. A lot of people had a lot to gain from his work,...
- 8/15/2019
- by William Bibbiani
- The Wrap
‘Cold Case Hammarskjöld’ a Documentary Directed by Mads Brügger
Opens in New York and Los Angeles on August 16
**Winner — Directing Award, World Cinema Documentary Competition — Sundance Ff 2019
“This could either be the world’s biggest murder mystery, or the world’s most idiotic conspiracy theory.” And with that sentence, the documentary ‘Cold Case Hammarskjöld’ begins.
In 1961, United Nations Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld, a kind of boring bureaucrat since taking office in 1952 (at the height of the Cold War), was killed in an airplane crash while en route to cease-fire negotiations during the Congo Crisis, at a time when he was becoming a figure of hope and transformation for the nations of Africa emerging from under the colonial thumbs.
The superpowers had expected the Secretary-General would focus on administrative issues and refrain from participating in political discussion. Hammarskjöld’s reputation at the time was, in the words of biographer Emery Kelèn, “that of a brilliant economist,...
Opens in New York and Los Angeles on August 16
**Winner — Directing Award, World Cinema Documentary Competition — Sundance Ff 2019
“This could either be the world’s biggest murder mystery, or the world’s most idiotic conspiracy theory.” And with that sentence, the documentary ‘Cold Case Hammarskjöld’ begins.
In 1961, United Nations Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld, a kind of boring bureaucrat since taking office in 1952 (at the height of the Cold War), was killed in an airplane crash while en route to cease-fire negotiations during the Congo Crisis, at a time when he was becoming a figure of hope and transformation for the nations of Africa emerging from under the colonial thumbs.
The superpowers had expected the Secretary-General would focus on administrative issues and refrain from participating in political discussion. Hammarskjöld’s reputation at the time was, in the words of biographer Emery Kelèn, “that of a brilliant economist,...
- 8/13/2019
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
True crime docs are all the rage nowadays. Thanks to streaming services, documentaries, in general, have seen their profile greatly increase, but the subgenre of true crime has blown up thanks to projects like “Making a Murderer.” But I can promise you one thing, you’ve never seen a true crime doc, or any doc really, quite like “Cold Case Hammarskjöld.”
And with the theatrical release of “Cold Case Hammarskjöld” right around the corner, we are thrilled to give you an exclusive look at a clip from the film, which gives a pretty great overview of what Mads Brügger’s film is all about.
Continue reading ‘Cold Case Hammarskjöld’ Exclusive Clip: Mads Brügger’s Sundance Award Winner Is A True Crime Doc Unlike Any Other at The Playlist.
And with the theatrical release of “Cold Case Hammarskjöld” right around the corner, we are thrilled to give you an exclusive look at a clip from the film, which gives a pretty great overview of what Mads Brügger’s film is all about.
Continue reading ‘Cold Case Hammarskjöld’ Exclusive Clip: Mads Brügger’s Sundance Award Winner Is A True Crime Doc Unlike Any Other at The Playlist.
- 8/12/2019
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
Believe it or not, but the summer, somehow, is almost over. I meant to get to this a few days ago, obviously, but with all of the Nyff announcements and such, we’ve been a bit delayed. Still, August is in its first days, so a look at the month is still appropriate. Furthermore, the month is almost overcrowded, there’s to much goodness here. Two of my absolute favorite films of the year come out over the next week and change, so if that isn’t an endorsement, I don’t know what is, right? There’s some real gems opening, so it’s a very strong movie month, to say the least… Here now are what I feel are the ten very best bets for the month of August: 10. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark – This Guillermo del Toro backed horror offering comes from a well regarded book series.
- 8/5/2019
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
Ray And Liz Photo: Courtesy of New York Film Festival UK film Ray & Liz and the UK co-produced Cold Case Hammarskjöld were among the ten nominees for the Lux Priz announced at a ceremony at the Grand Hotel Pupp (used as a location for Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel) as part of the 54th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
The short list for the prize - supported by the European Parliament as a way of promoting European cinema within the European Union countries - was devised by 21 European film professionals, including fiction, documentaries and first features.
The official line-up was announced by the European Parliament´s Vice-Chair of the Committee on Culture and Education Helga Trüpel, Vice-Chair of the Committee on Budgetary Control Martina Dlabajová, Lux Prize coordinator Doris Pack, and Benedikt Erlingsson, director of 2018 Lux Prize winner Woman At War.
The selection of Richard Billingham's Ray & Liz,...
The short list for the prize - supported by the European Parliament as a way of promoting European cinema within the European Union countries - was devised by 21 European film professionals, including fiction, documentaries and first features.
The official line-up was announced by the European Parliament´s Vice-Chair of the Committee on Culture and Education Helga Trüpel, Vice-Chair of the Committee on Budgetary Control Martina Dlabajová, Lux Prize coordinator Doris Pack, and Benedikt Erlingsson, director of 2018 Lux Prize winner Woman At War.
The selection of Richard Billingham's Ray & Liz,...
- 7/1/2019
- by Richard Mowe
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
"The villain of the story - he only wore white." Magnolia Pictures has released a new full-length official Us trailer for the incredible documentary Cold Case Hammarskjöld, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. This is the latest film from Danish filmmaker Mads Brügger, who is a bit of a kooky character (if you're not familiar with him), and he puts himself in the film quite a bit in addition to directing (and doing a large amount of research). In Cold Case Hammarskjöld, Mads decides to investigate the mysterious death of Un Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld, who died in a plane crash in Africa in 1961. As he gets deeper into the investigation, he discovers something seriously frightening about a shadowy organization based in South Africa that seems to have orchestrated a biological attack as a means of control. I saw this film at Sundance and it's shocking...
- 6/27/2019
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
One of the most gripping, terrifying films of the year starts fairly inconspicuously, before it unfolds into something far more substantial and affecting. In 1961, Secretary-General of the United Nations Dag Hammarskjöld was killed in a plane crash in Africa under mysterious circumstances. Beginning as an investigation into his still-unsolved death, the trail that Mads Brügger follows in Cold Case Hammarskjöld is one that expands to implicate some of the world’s most powerful governments in unfathomably heinous crimes. Following a premiere at Sundance, a new trailer has now arrived ahead of an August release, featuring a quote from our review.
I said in my review, “Sitting down for the documentary, I had virtually no knowledge or interest in a Swedish Secretary-General who died over half-a-century ago. By the first half, I was fully invested in the case. At the finale, I was reeling from the atrocities that were uncovered and...
I said in my review, “Sitting down for the documentary, I had virtually no knowledge or interest in a Swedish Secretary-General who died over half-a-century ago. By the first half, I was fully invested in the case. At the finale, I was reeling from the atrocities that were uncovered and...
- 6/27/2019
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
“This could either be the world’s biggest murder mystery, or the world’s most idiotic conspiracy theory.” And with that sentence, the first trailer for the upcoming documentary “Cold Case Hammarskjöld” begins.
As seen in the footage, “Cold Case Hammarskjöld” is one of the more unusual, and thus, interesting, films you’ll likely see all year. Told by Danish journalist and filmmaker Mads Brügger, the film follows the story of United Nations secretary-general Dag Hammarskjöld and his untimely death following a mysterious plane crash in 1961.
Continue reading ‘Cold Case Hammarskjöld’ Trailer: Mads Brügger’s Sundance Doc Pushes The Boundaries Of Non-Fiction Storytelling at The Playlist.
As seen in the footage, “Cold Case Hammarskjöld” is one of the more unusual, and thus, interesting, films you’ll likely see all year. Told by Danish journalist and filmmaker Mads Brügger, the film follows the story of United Nations secretary-general Dag Hammarskjöld and his untimely death following a mysterious plane crash in 1961.
Continue reading ‘Cold Case Hammarskjöld’ Trailer: Mads Brügger’s Sundance Doc Pushes The Boundaries Of Non-Fiction Storytelling at The Playlist.
- 6/27/2019
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
The year was 1961, and United Nations General Secretary Dag Hammarskjöld was under fire for his support of Congo. Rather than appeasing the Un, he was outspoken in his opposition to colonialism. While powerful foreign mining companies had their hearts set on maintaining access to Congo’s mineral resources, Hammarskjöld was unwavering in his commitment to the African nations’ independence.
Then his plane crashed.
The circumstances behind the General Secretary’s sudden death have always been mysterious. It has long been suggested that the crash was a deliberate attempt on his life from one of his deep-pocketed enemies. But as time passed, the unsolved story vanished from the public consciousness.
Filmmaker Mads Brügger is hoping to change that with his new documentary “Cold Case Hammarskjöld.” The film is a methodical investigation of the events surrounding his death, with Brügger making himself the main character of the film. Much like his past films,...
Then his plane crashed.
The circumstances behind the General Secretary’s sudden death have always been mysterious. It has long been suggested that the crash was a deliberate attempt on his life from one of his deep-pocketed enemies. But as time passed, the unsolved story vanished from the public consciousness.
Filmmaker Mads Brügger is hoping to change that with his new documentary “Cold Case Hammarskjöld.” The film is a methodical investigation of the events surrounding his death, with Brügger making himself the main character of the film. Much like his past films,...
- 6/27/2019
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
This time a year ago, the Ruth Bader Ginsburg documentary “Rbg” was proving to be a boon for arthouse and indie movie theaters nationwide, becoming the first of several hit summer documentaries. But in 2019, are there any docs that can keep the genre’s hot streak rolling?
Already this year, we’ve seen one documentary find some mainstream success. Neon/CNN Films’ “Apollo 11” rode a mix of strong marketing, critical acclaim and IMAX support to an $8.6 million box-office total during its approximately 600-screen theatrical run.
That comes off of a 2018 in which five documentaries grossed more than $10 million, the most titles the genre has seen pass that milestone in a single calendar year. Among them were “Rbg,” ($14 million) the Mister Rogers doc “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” ($22.8 million) and the Oscar-winning “Free Solo” ($17.5 million).
Also Read: John Lewis Documentary From CNN Films in the Works
This summer, it...
Already this year, we’ve seen one documentary find some mainstream success. Neon/CNN Films’ “Apollo 11” rode a mix of strong marketing, critical acclaim and IMAX support to an $8.6 million box-office total during its approximately 600-screen theatrical run.
That comes off of a 2018 in which five documentaries grossed more than $10 million, the most titles the genre has seen pass that milestone in a single calendar year. Among them were “Rbg,” ($14 million) the Mister Rogers doc “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” ($22.8 million) and the Oscar-winning “Free Solo” ($17.5 million).
Also Read: John Lewis Documentary From CNN Films in the Works
This summer, it...
- 5/8/2019
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Projects include ’The Real Truman Show’, Sally Potter’s ’Oh Moscow’ and docs about Frank Bruno and Sinead O’Connor.
Sheffield Doc/Fest (June 6-11) has revealed the titles that will pitch for funding at the 15th edition of its MeetMarket initiative.
Among the line-up are films by Sally Potter and Mark Cousins, and docs about Frank Bruno and Sinead O’Connor.
62 project teams from 27 countries will pitch to international and UK decision makers for research, development and production funding. Over 300 delegates from 30 countries will attend the market, including executives from Netflix, BBC, Channel 4 and ESPN.
The festival has...
Sheffield Doc/Fest (June 6-11) has revealed the titles that will pitch for funding at the 15th edition of its MeetMarket initiative.
Among the line-up are films by Sally Potter and Mark Cousins, and docs about Frank Bruno and Sinead O’Connor.
62 project teams from 27 countries will pitch to international and UK decision makers for research, development and production funding. Over 300 delegates from 30 countries will attend the market, including executives from Netflix, BBC, Channel 4 and ESPN.
The festival has...
- 4/10/2019
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
"He had the Death Card in his collar." An official trailer has debuted for the highly acclaimed, profoundly shocking documentary Cold Case Hammarskjöld, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. This is the latest film from Danish filmmaker Mads Brügger, who is a bit of a kooky character (if you're not familiar with him), and he puts himself in the film quite a bit in addition to directing (and doing a large amount of research). In Cold Case Hammarskjöld, Mads decides to investigate the mysterious death of Un Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld, who died in a plane crash in Africa in 1961. As he gets deeper into the investigation, he discovers something seriously frightening about a shadowy organization based in South Africa that seems to have orchestrated a biological attack as a means of control. You just need to see this film for yourself (read my review), and...
- 3/4/2019
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Remarkably still comfortable working with the confines of the gonzo investigative docu style of filmmaking, Mads Brügger comically addresses how storytelling can curtail and shape-shift especially when the original charted route brings unintended surprises. In another filmmaker’s hands, a docu film such as Cold Case Hammarskjöld would not work, but this Dane goes full pandora’s box with a probing film subject matter that is disturbing food for thought past the film’s run time. With terrific buzz (and a film prize win of Best Director to boot), I caught one of the final screenings before the filmmaker headed off to Europe.
…...
…...
- 2/19/2019
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
Magnolia Pictures has acquired the North American rights to the documentary “Cold Case Hammarskjöld,” which won the World Cinema Documentary Directing Award at Sundance this month. Magnolia is planning to release the film this year.
The film follows the unfinished investigation into the death of Un Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld, who was killed in a plane crash in 1961. It’s understood that because at the time, Hammarskjöld was advocating for Congo’s independence, the “crash” was an assassination.
With the case still unsolved fifty-plus years later, Danish journalist and filmmaker Mads Brügger takes up the case and begins to uncover a critical secret that could send shockwaves around the world.
Also Read: Magnolia Pictures Lands 'Mike Wallace Is Here' Documentary
“Mads Brügger has gotten ahold of a whopper of a tale,” said Magnolia president Eamonn Bowles. “‘Cold Case Hammarskjöld’ is destined to be one of the most hotly-discussed films of the year.
The film follows the unfinished investigation into the death of Un Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld, who was killed in a plane crash in 1961. It’s understood that because at the time, Hammarskjöld was advocating for Congo’s independence, the “crash” was an assassination.
With the case still unsolved fifty-plus years later, Danish journalist and filmmaker Mads Brügger takes up the case and begins to uncover a critical secret that could send shockwaves around the world.
Also Read: Magnolia Pictures Lands 'Mike Wallace Is Here' Documentary
“Mads Brügger has gotten ahold of a whopper of a tale,” said Magnolia president Eamonn Bowles. “‘Cold Case Hammarskjöld’ is destined to be one of the most hotly-discussed films of the year.
- 2/14/2019
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
It’s a cliché, but “more than you bargained for” documentaries are typically the best ones. Those films that feature a filmmaker on an odyssey quest for one piece of truth, but discovers something richer and more profound along the journey. Such is the case with what Mads Brügger‘s astonishing “Cold Case Hammarskjöld,” about an investigation into a mysterious murder that strikes a vein and the blood of discovery comes gushing.
Continue reading ‘Cold Case Hammarskjöld’ Is An Astonishing Murder Mystery Investigation Doc [Sundance Review] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Cold Case Hammarskjöld’ Is An Astonishing Murder Mystery Investigation Doc [Sundance Review] at The Playlist.
- 2/7/2019
- by Jordan Ruimy
- The Playlist
The organizers of the True/False Film Fest, taking place in Columbia, Missouri, on February 28 to March 3, are announcing their lineup exclusively to IndieWire. The 36 feature films and 18 short films (full list below) were culled from “roughly” 1,100 submissions.
Among the 36 new features, four of the films announced are world premieres. “The Hottest August,” is from director Brett Story and explores the anxieties of a “sweltering” New York City. “Midnight in Paris,” the directorial feature debut from Roni Moore and James Blagden, follows the Flint Northern High School’s senior class of 2012 as the Michigan students prepare for prom. Brazil-based filmmaker Maíra Bühler will screen “Let it Burn,” described as a tender portrait of addicts housed in a converted hotel in São Paulo’s notorious Cracolândia neighborhood. And the fourth T/F world premiere is director Jeffrey Peixoto’s exploration into what attracts members to the Church of Scientology in “Over the Rainbow.
Among the 36 new features, four of the films announced are world premieres. “The Hottest August,” is from director Brett Story and explores the anxieties of a “sweltering” New York City. “Midnight in Paris,” the directorial feature debut from Roni Moore and James Blagden, follows the Flint Northern High School’s senior class of 2012 as the Michigan students prepare for prom. Brazil-based filmmaker Maíra Bühler will screen “Let it Burn,” described as a tender portrait of addicts housed in a converted hotel in São Paulo’s notorious Cracolândia neighborhood. And the fourth T/F world premiere is director Jeffrey Peixoto’s exploration into what attracts members to the Church of Scientology in “Over the Rainbow.
- 2/6/2019
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
Danish documaker Simon Lereng Wilmont’s Oscar-shortlisted “The Distant Barking of Dogs,” which observes the impact of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine on the life of a 10-year-old Ukrainian boy, encapsulates why, just as with fictional features, Danish docs are thriving.
This fly-on-the-wall portrait that unfolds from the boy’s perspective without a word of narration “deftly weaves a precise coming-of-age narrative into its morally urgent anti-war tableau,” wrote Variety critic Guy Lodge. Besides stemming from a special sensitivity for the children’s universe that Danish cinema is known for, the pluriprized doc is also emblematic of how local documakers are honing their craft, pushing boundaries, and taking their works to new heights.
“In Denmark they are really experimenting with various forms of documentary storytelling in terms of making the narratives dramaturgically like feature films,” says Petri Kemppinen, head of the Oslo-based Nordisk Film & TV Fund.
The thriller-like...
This fly-on-the-wall portrait that unfolds from the boy’s perspective without a word of narration “deftly weaves a precise coming-of-age narrative into its morally urgent anti-war tableau,” wrote Variety critic Guy Lodge. Besides stemming from a special sensitivity for the children’s universe that Danish cinema is known for, the pluriprized doc is also emblematic of how local documakers are honing their craft, pushing boundaries, and taking their works to new heights.
“In Denmark they are really experimenting with various forms of documentary storytelling in terms of making the narratives dramaturgically like feature films,” says Petri Kemppinen, head of the Oslo-based Nordisk Film & TV Fund.
The thriller-like...
- 2/6/2019
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
The Danish film industry is on a roll this year with berths secured at major festivals besides the Berlinale where Lone Scherfig’s “The Kindness of Strangers” landed the opening slot, just as Susanne Bier’s Sandra Bullock starrer “Bird Box” is breaking records on Netflix and first-timer Gustav Möller’s “The Guilty” made the foreign-language Oscar shortlist.
It’s a particularly good time because different types of local productions are performing well both at home, where the domestic share of total admissions was a strong 29% in 2018, and in the international arena, which is seeing a new generation of Danish directors coming to the fore.
Last year there were 26 homegrown titles released in Denmark that sold 3.8 million tickets total, up from 2.5 million tickets in 2017, when the national market share was 20%.
Aside from new works by known names such as Christoffer Boe, whose high-profile crimer “The Purity of Vengeance” topped the 2018 chart,...
It’s a particularly good time because different types of local productions are performing well both at home, where the domestic share of total admissions was a strong 29% in 2018, and in the international arena, which is seeing a new generation of Danish directors coming to the fore.
Last year there were 26 homegrown titles released in Denmark that sold 3.8 million tickets total, up from 2.5 million tickets in 2017, when the national market share was 20%.
Aside from new works by known names such as Christoffer Boe, whose high-profile crimer “The Purity of Vengeance” topped the 2018 chart,...
- 2/6/2019
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: At the Efm Studiocanal will be looking to capitalize on the surge for smart, cross-over documentaries with Capital In The 21st Century, based on Thomas Piketty’s New York Times bestselling polemic of the same name about how capitalism affects our world today.
Currently in its final stages of post-production, Jb Dunckel of French electro band Air is arranging music for the English-language film, which Studiocanal will be selling off of a new trailer here in Berlin. Fellow Vivendi subsidiary Upside Distribution was previously handling sales but the project has been moved up to the Studiocanal slate.
Piketty’s book, which has sold more than 3M copies worldwide, breaks with the popular assumption that the accumulation of capital runs hand in hand with social progress. The book focuses on wealth and income inequality in Europe and the U.S. since the 18th century with a central thesis that inequality...
Currently in its final stages of post-production, Jb Dunckel of French electro band Air is arranging music for the English-language film, which Studiocanal will be selling off of a new trailer here in Berlin. Fellow Vivendi subsidiary Upside Distribution was previously handling sales but the project has been moved up to the Studiocanal slate.
Piketty’s book, which has sold more than 3M copies worldwide, breaks with the popular assumption that the accumulation of capital runs hand in hand with social progress. The book focuses on wealth and income inequality in Europe and the U.S. since the 18th century with a central thesis that inequality...
- 2/5/2019
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
With over 50 films viewed and more coverage coming from the Sundance Film Festival, it’s time to wrap up the first major cinema event in 2019. We already got the official jury and audience winners (here), and now it’s time to highlight our favorites.
One will find our favorites (in alphabetical order), followed by the rest of our reviews. Check out everything below and stay tuned to our site, and specifically Twitter, for acquisition and release date news on the below films in the coming months.
American Factory (Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert)
When the Rust Belt was hit hard in the financial crisis of 2008, the blue-collar workers of Dayton, Ohio found a savior in a Chinese billionaire. Six years after the lifeblood that was a General Motors plant was shut down, the car-glass manufacturers Fuyao opened up their first American factory in the town, meaning thousands of new job opportunities.
One will find our favorites (in alphabetical order), followed by the rest of our reviews. Check out everything below and stay tuned to our site, and specifically Twitter, for acquisition and release date news on the below films in the coming months.
American Factory (Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert)
When the Rust Belt was hit hard in the financial crisis of 2008, the blue-collar workers of Dayton, Ohio found a savior in a Chinese billionaire. Six years after the lifeblood that was a General Motors plant was shut down, the car-glass manufacturers Fuyao opened up their first American factory in the town, meaning thousands of new job opportunities.
- 2/4/2019
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Goteborg — The 20th Nordic Film Market, held parallel to the Göteborg Film Festival, closed Sunday after three days of screenings and pitchings of 48 Nordic films and projects. Following, five key takeaways or trends:
Standout Nordic Brand Quality
An excellent crop, better than 2018, with a large diversity of content, catering to arthouse/mainstream as well as local/international audiences – these were prevailing reactions from international buyers and programmers polled yesterday in Göteborg. A senior A festival programmer – who asked to remain anonymous- even said: “Today the Nordics are perhaps the strongest region in Europe creatively across TV drama, feature and documentary film.”
Although most titles had already been snatched by the big Nordic sellers – TrustNordisk, LevelK, New Europe Film Sales, The Yellow Affair, Sf Studios – a dozen small offers in post, or in development at the Discovery section, still open for negotiations, made the Göteborg stop-over – fully worthwhile for the 25-plus sales reps in attendance.
Standout Nordic Brand Quality
An excellent crop, better than 2018, with a large diversity of content, catering to arthouse/mainstream as well as local/international audiences – these were prevailing reactions from international buyers and programmers polled yesterday in Göteborg. A senior A festival programmer – who asked to remain anonymous- even said: “Today the Nordics are perhaps the strongest region in Europe creatively across TV drama, feature and documentary film.”
Although most titles had already been snatched by the big Nordic sellers – TrustNordisk, LevelK, New Europe Film Sales, The Yellow Affair, Sf Studios – a dozen small offers in post, or in development at the Discovery section, still open for negotiations, made the Göteborg stop-over – fully worthwhile for the 25-plus sales reps in attendance.
- 2/3/2019
- by Annika Pham
- Variety Film + TV
The Sundance Film Festival concluded with five female directors — and one man — sharing the grand jury prizes in the four main competition categories.
In U.S. dramatic competition, African-American writer-director Chinonye Chukwu won for “Clemency,” in which Alfre Woodard plays a prison warden who connects with a death-row inmate. Meanwhile, in the world dramatic category, Joanna Hogg’s “The Souvenir” specifically looks at the challenges and setbacks facing a young female filmmaker, who puts her directing ambitions on hold in order to deal with the drug-addicted man who monopolizes her attention.
Top U.S. documentary honors went to Nanfu Wang and Jialing Zhang’s “One Child Nation,” a personal exploration of the suffering and aftermath of China’s infamous population-control policy through co-director Wang’s family. In the world documentary competition, “Honeyland” — an artful portrait of a Macedonian beekeeper struggling to protect her livelihood — was a clear favorite with the jury,...
In U.S. dramatic competition, African-American writer-director Chinonye Chukwu won for “Clemency,” in which Alfre Woodard plays a prison warden who connects with a death-row inmate. Meanwhile, in the world dramatic category, Joanna Hogg’s “The Souvenir” specifically looks at the challenges and setbacks facing a young female filmmaker, who puts her directing ambitions on hold in order to deal with the drug-addicted man who monopolizes her attention.
Top U.S. documentary honors went to Nanfu Wang and Jialing Zhang’s “One Child Nation,” a personal exploration of the suffering and aftermath of China’s infamous population-control policy through co-director Wang’s family. In the world documentary competition, “Honeyland” — an artful portrait of a Macedonian beekeeper struggling to protect her livelihood — was a clear favorite with the jury,...
- 2/3/2019
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
For better or worse, the last few years have seen a sizable influx of twist-dependent documentaries: Non-fiction odysseys that start as one thing and then — due to an ominous circumstance of some kind — suddenly veer in an unexpected new direction, these films tend to dig their own rabbit holes and then gain narrative traction from the gravity of plummeting down them. Looking at the success of recent examples like “Catfish,” “Tickled,” and even last year’s “Three Identical Strangers” (which might be a bit less coy about its big reveal), it seems that “Wtf!” has become an increasingly desirable reaction in a culture that fears and fetishizes spoilers in equal measure.
“Cold Case Hammarskjöld” is far and away the best and most shocking of these films. It’s the only one in which the big “twist” has genuine real-world implications that stretch beyond the story at hand, and the only...
“Cold Case Hammarskjöld” is far and away the best and most shocking of these films. It’s the only one in which the big “twist” has genuine real-world implications that stretch beyond the story at hand, and the only...
- 1/29/2019
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
John C. Reilly and Steve Coogan may have received major award nominations this season for their fine work in “Stan & Ollie,” but there’s arguably a superior Laurel & Hardy tribute act to be found in the droll Danish comedy “St. Bernard Syndicate.” As a pair of bumbling losers who turn an already dubious business proposal — breeding and hawking St. Bernard puppies for the Chinese market — into a shambolically fine mess, actors Frederik Cilius and Rasmus Bruun have a passive-aggressive, oil-and-water chemistry that somehow recalls the bantering vintage duo as if stranded in a Dogme 95 comedy of embarrassment. A wily left turn into narrative filmmaking for celebrated docmaker Mads Brügger (“The Red Chapel”), “St. Bernard Syndicate” deftly extends the dry satirical streak of his non-fiction work into a more heightened vein of farce; rarefied cult status awaits.
Receiving a limited run in U.S. theaters around the same time as...
Receiving a limited run in U.S. theaters around the same time as...
- 1/20/2019
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
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