Exclusive: Brooklyn-based filmmaker Ged Dickersin (Coda) is launching True Indy, a production company intent on making films that can and should be made independently, with filmmakers telling acutely relevant stories for the world market.
True Indy sees the opportunity to attract financing for films that can be made in the $1 million-$5 million range, reducing the financial risk to investors and increasing the chances for a return on the investment. The company is introducing its slate of original U.S.-born indies at the upcoming European Film Market in Berlin, as well as looking to partner with filmmakers from around the world in international co-productions.
“Independent filmmaking has developed so much, with budgets that exceed what the new world market can return, making it difficult for private equity to support the independents,” Dickersin said. “Coming out of the pandemic and the strikes, the cost of making a film has inflated drastically,...
True Indy sees the opportunity to attract financing for films that can be made in the $1 million-$5 million range, reducing the financial risk to investors and increasing the chances for a return on the investment. The company is introducing its slate of original U.S.-born indies at the upcoming European Film Market in Berlin, as well as looking to partner with filmmakers from around the world in international co-productions.
“Independent filmmaking has developed so much, with budgets that exceed what the new world market can return, making it difficult for private equity to support the independents,” Dickersin said. “Coming out of the pandemic and the strikes, the cost of making a film has inflated drastically,...
- 2/13/2024
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Ryan Heller has been promoted to Executive Vice President, Film & Documentary at Topic Studios, the award-winning studio from First Look Media.
In his new role, he will continue to lead the feature film group, while adding feature-length documentaries to his purview, formalizing an area in which he had already been operating. He will oversee the doc arena with Vice President, Nonfiction, Christine Connor, continuing to report to CEO Michael Bloom.
A key player in the launch and critical successes of Topic Studios, who has since 2018 built and managed its feature film slate through development, financing, production and distribution, Heller most recently served as Senior Vice President of Film and Acquisitions.
He has long been a champion for new directorial voices, in recent years shepherding such breakout projects as the psychological horror Nanny and the acclaimed buddy comedy, The Climb. The former title from rising star director Nikyatu Jusu was...
In his new role, he will continue to lead the feature film group, while adding feature-length documentaries to his purview, formalizing an area in which he had already been operating. He will oversee the doc arena with Vice President, Nonfiction, Christine Connor, continuing to report to CEO Michael Bloom.
A key player in the launch and critical successes of Topic Studios, who has since 2018 built and managed its feature film slate through development, financing, production and distribution, Heller most recently served as Senior Vice President of Film and Acquisitions.
He has long been a champion for new directorial voices, in recent years shepherding such breakout projects as the psychological horror Nanny and the acclaimed buddy comedy, The Climb. The former title from rising star director Nikyatu Jusu was...
- 1/12/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s another eclectic month for Mubi releases as they’ve announced their July 2022 slate. When it comes to new releases, highlights include Albert Birney and Kentucker Audley’s inventive Sundance hit Strawberry Mansion, Andrew Dominik’s new Nick Cave and Warren Ellis documentary This Much I Know to Be True, Camilo Restrepo’s Los conductos, Laura Wendel’s Oscar-shortlisted drama Playground, and Lucrecia Martel’s new short North Terminal.
They’ll also be featuring Johnnie To’s Drug War, King Hu’s Raining in the Mountain, Terence Davies’ Sunset Song, Bertrand Bonello’s Zombi Child, a pair of features from both Diao Yi’nan and Athina Rachel Tsangari, and much more.
Check out the lineup below and get 30 days free here.
July 1 – Strawberry Mansion, directed by Albert Birney, Kentucker Audley | Mubi Spotlight
July 2 – The Wild Goose Lake, directed by Diao Yi’nan | The Electric Dark: Two Neo-noirs by Diao Yinan
July 3 – Little Girl,...
They’ll also be featuring Johnnie To’s Drug War, King Hu’s Raining in the Mountain, Terence Davies’ Sunset Song, Bertrand Bonello’s Zombi Child, a pair of features from both Diao Yi’nan and Athina Rachel Tsangari, and much more.
Check out the lineup below and get 30 days free here.
July 1 – Strawberry Mansion, directed by Albert Birney, Kentucker Audley | Mubi Spotlight
July 2 – The Wild Goose Lake, directed by Diao Yi’nan | The Electric Dark: Two Neo-noirs by Diao Yinan
July 3 – Little Girl,...
- 6/29/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Copenhagen Intl. Documentary Film Festival (Cph:Dox), which runs in-person March 21-April 3, has revealed the lineup for its music program, Sound & Vision.
Highlights of the program, which contains 18 films, include a Nick Cave documentary, a look at the rise and fall of Sinéad O’Connor’s music career, the story behind Leonard Cohen’s hit “Hallelujah,” and an examinations of an album composed by artificial intelligence. The music of Leonard Bernstein, Stockhausen, Xxxtentaction and a feminist metal band from Lebanon will also feature.
Although people have been singing along to Cohen’s “Hallelujah” for more than 40 years, it flopped when it was first released in 1984. The documentary “Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song” takes us through Cohen’s career and the creation of “Hallelujah,” which he worked on for seven years.
Cave’s film “This Much I Know to Be True” focuses on an intimate concert experience, and also provides...
Highlights of the program, which contains 18 films, include a Nick Cave documentary, a look at the rise and fall of Sinéad O’Connor’s music career, the story behind Leonard Cohen’s hit “Hallelujah,” and an examinations of an album composed by artificial intelligence. The music of Leonard Bernstein, Stockhausen, Xxxtentaction and a feminist metal band from Lebanon will also feature.
Although people have been singing along to Cohen’s “Hallelujah” for more than 40 years, it flopped when it was first released in 1984. The documentary “Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song” takes us through Cohen’s career and the creation of “Hallelujah,” which he worked on for seven years.
Cave’s film “This Much I Know to Be True” focuses on an intimate concert experience, and also provides...
- 2/24/2022
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Chicago – Composer/conductor Leonard Bernstein was one of the most influential music icons of the 20th Century, that is never in dispute. The latest doc on his life, “Bernstein’s Wall,” is a philosophical overview bio told by creator/director Douglas Tirola. The film, with a Q&a with the director, will screen at the Chicago Critics Film Festival on November 13th, click Lenny for details.
This is a bright and cerebral biography of composer/conductor Leonard Bernstein, one of the greatest classical music masters of the 20th Century. This force of nature rose from modest and non-musical roots that began by plinking on a piano at age ten to eventually became assistant conductor (and celebrity) at New York’s Philharmonic at age 25 in the 1940s. The key to his greatness was in his teaching method, engaging his audiences with stories of how classical music fits into our humanity. What...
This is a bright and cerebral biography of composer/conductor Leonard Bernstein, one of the greatest classical music masters of the 20th Century. This force of nature rose from modest and non-musical roots that began by plinking on a piano at age ten to eventually became assistant conductor (and celebrity) at New York’s Philharmonic at age 25 in the 1940s. The key to his greatness was in his teaching method, engaging his audiences with stories of how classical music fits into our humanity. What...
- 11/13/2021
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – After a postponement in 2020, the Chicago Film Critics Festival (Ccff) – the only U.S. film fest curated by film critics – will present a truncated weekend of films from the major festivals in 2021 and the upcoming Awards Season favorites. The fest kicks off Friday, November 12th at Chicago’s Music Box Theatre. For details on passes , films and tickets, click Ccff 2021.
Festival highlights … besides the previews below … include the Opening Night film, The Lost Daughter, filmmaker Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog, a film showcase Ccff Shorts Program and the Closing Night Film, Red Rocket. Click on the links for description and ticket information.
Preview Of The 2021 Ccff: Capsule Reviews
The Novice
Photo credit: Ccff
Click the title for information …
Rating: 4.5/5.0
”The Novice” – Awarded the Best U.S. Narrative at 2021 Tribeca, this film lives up to the honor as an intense character study of a female student/athlete named Alex Dall,...
Festival highlights … besides the previews below … include the Opening Night film, The Lost Daughter, filmmaker Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog, a film showcase Ccff Shorts Program and the Closing Night Film, Red Rocket. Click on the links for description and ticket information.
Preview Of The 2021 Ccff: Capsule Reviews
The Novice
Photo credit: Ccff
Click the title for information …
Rating: 4.5/5.0
”The Novice” – Awarded the Best U.S. Narrative at 2021 Tribeca, this film lives up to the honor as an intense character study of a female student/athlete named Alex Dall,...
- 11/12/2021
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Topic Studios president Maria Zuckerman is a canny executive who can see over the horizon. In 2019, the New Yorker figured out that the Hollywood universe was expanding at such a rate that it was time to become a bicoastal content provider instead of a distributor-buyer. She left producing at HBO, where she had been happily ensconced for almost 20 years, and moved over to independent Topic Studios. She quickly saw a route to diversifying and expanding the company’s lineup, by backing, funding, and producing (at different levels) a wide range of independent features, building on the Oscar-winning “Spotlight” toward this past weekend’s opener, Pablo Larraín’s surreal Princess Diana drama “Spencer” (Neon), starring Oscar frontrunner Kristen Stewart.
“It’s a fiercely independent company,” Zuckerman said in an interview with IndieWire. That’s because owner First Look Media (Oscar-winning “Spotlight”) created a two-sided entity: the not-for-profit and the studio. “Our mission is to be profitable,...
“It’s a fiercely independent company,” Zuckerman said in an interview with IndieWire. That’s because owner First Look Media (Oscar-winning “Spotlight”) created a two-sided entity: the not-for-profit and the studio. “Our mission is to be profitable,...
- 11/8/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Topic Studios president Maria Zuckerman is a canny executive who can see over the horizon. In 2019, the New Yorker figured out that the Hollywood universe was expanding at such a rate that it was time to become a bicoastal content provider instead of a distributor-buyer. She left producing at HBO, where she had been happily ensconced for almost 20 years, and moved over to independent Topic Studios. She quickly saw a route to diversifying and expanding the company’s lineup, by backing, funding, and producing (at different levels) a wide range of independent features, building on the Oscar-winning “Spotlight” toward this past weekend’s opener, Pablo Larraín’s surreal Princess Diana drama “Spencer” (Neon), starring Oscar frontrunner Kristen Stewart.
“It’s a fiercely independent company,” Zuckerman said in an interview with IndieWire. That’s because owner First Look Media (Oscar-winning “Spotlight”) created a two-sided entity: the not-for-profit and the studio. “Our mission is to be profitable,...
“It’s a fiercely independent company,” Zuckerman said in an interview with IndieWire. That’s because owner First Look Media (Oscar-winning “Spotlight”) created a two-sided entity: the not-for-profit and the studio. “Our mission is to be profitable,...
- 11/8/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
The Hamptons Intl. Film Festival will open with the world premiere of Matthew Heineman’s “The First Wave” on Oct. 7 and buzzy titles including Pablo Larrain’s “Spencer” as the Saturday centerpiece film and Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dog” in the additional spotlight selection. The in-person festival ends Oct. 13 with Wes Anderson’s “French Dispatch.” The festival takes place in the Hamptons on the Eastern End of Long Island, N.Y. from Oct. 7-13. Masks and proof of vaccination are required in theaters.
Spotlight Titles
Newly announced Spotlight titles include the East Coast premiere of Joe Wright’s “Cyrano,” Maggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial feature debut of “The Lost Daughter,” Academy Award-winning director Pedro Almodóvar’s “Parallel Mothers,” Rebecca Hall’s directorial debut “Passing” and Campion’s “The Power of the Dog.”
Signature Programs
As part of the Signature Programs, the Conflict and Resolution section will include Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s “Flee,...
Spotlight Titles
Newly announced Spotlight titles include the East Coast premiere of Joe Wright’s “Cyrano,” Maggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial feature debut of “The Lost Daughter,” Academy Award-winning director Pedro Almodóvar’s “Parallel Mothers,” Rebecca Hall’s directorial debut “Passing” and Campion’s “The Power of the Dog.”
Signature Programs
As part of the Signature Programs, the Conflict and Resolution section will include Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s “Flee,...
- 9/15/2021
- by Jennifer Yuma
- Variety Film + TV
There aren’t many stains on the legacy of consummate conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein, best known as the long-running maestro, front and center, for the New York Philharmonic beginning in the 1950s. But in January 1970 one curious controversy briefly turned Bernstein’s life into a tabloid fixture when Tom Wolfe wrote a New York Magazine essay skewering a benefit party Bernstein held in his home for the Black Panthers as the stuff of “radical chic” — a term the “Bonfire of the Vanities” writer coined to describe a certain strain of limousine liberalism. The party convened the liter- and glitterati of 1970s New York City to support one of the politically active Bernstein’s many causes, but critics like Wolfe interpreted the event as misguided. Wolfe went so far as to call it “slumming.”
The compassionate new documentary “Bernstein’s Wall” spends about five minutes on this episode, clearly a...
The compassionate new documentary “Bernstein’s Wall” spends about five minutes on this episode, clearly a...
- 9/6/2021
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Leonard Bernstein’s closeted sexuality provides a vaguely salacious hook for “Bernstein’s Wall,” a documentary about his life and achievements that devotes time to his liaisons with men before and during his marriage to actress Felicia Montealegre.
But with newly discovered archival footage, much of which Bernstein narrates himself, documentarian Douglas Tirola (“Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead”) creates an engaging overview of an artist and activist that throws down a considerable dramatic gauntlet — perhaps, more than anything, for the biopic of the composer and conductor that Bradley Cooper is currently cowriting, directing, producing and starring in for Netflix.
Its feverishly edited volume of concert footage and first-person interviews occasionally delivers a slightly dizzying chronology of Bernstein’s life and times, but Tirola does an exceptional job of showcasing the irrefutable truth that he contained a few more multitudes than most.
Starting with Bernstein’s Boston upbringing as the son of...
But with newly discovered archival footage, much of which Bernstein narrates himself, documentarian Douglas Tirola (“Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead”) creates an engaging overview of an artist and activist that throws down a considerable dramatic gauntlet — perhaps, more than anything, for the biopic of the composer and conductor that Bradley Cooper is currently cowriting, directing, producing and starring in for Netflix.
Its feverishly edited volume of concert footage and first-person interviews occasionally delivers a slightly dizzying chronology of Bernstein’s life and times, but Tirola does an exceptional job of showcasing the irrefutable truth that he contained a few more multitudes than most.
Starting with Bernstein’s Boston upbringing as the son of...
- 9/2/2021
- by Todd Gilchrist
- The Wrap
Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange) with Stanley Kubrick in Gregory Monro’s Tribeca Film Festival highlight Kubrick by Kubrick
In the first instalment of my conversation on Tribeca Film Festival highlight Kubrick By Kubrick with director Gregory Monro, we discussed Stanley Kubrick’s thoughts as a room and the rarity of hearing his voice in the recorded taped interviews by Michel Ciment. Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange) saying “John Wayne is more violent”, Marisa Berenson (Barry Lyndon), and Sterling Hayden (The Killing and Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb), Kubrick’s longtime association with Leon Vitali, the mystery of 2001: A Space Odyssey, and The Shining also came up. I noted two other Tribeca highlights - Pan Nalin’s Last Film Show, where he references Kubrick and Douglas Tirola’s use of a Look magazine photo taken by Kubrick for his documentary on Leonard Bernstein,...
In the first instalment of my conversation on Tribeca Film Festival highlight Kubrick By Kubrick with director Gregory Monro, we discussed Stanley Kubrick’s thoughts as a room and the rarity of hearing his voice in the recorded taped interviews by Michel Ciment. Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange) saying “John Wayne is more violent”, Marisa Berenson (Barry Lyndon), and Sterling Hayden (The Killing and Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb), Kubrick’s longtime association with Leon Vitali, the mystery of 2001: A Space Odyssey, and The Shining also came up. I noted two other Tribeca highlights - Pan Nalin’s Last Film Show, where he references Kubrick and Douglas Tirola’s use of a Look magazine photo taken by Kubrick for his documentary on Leonard Bernstein,...
- 6/26/2021
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Chicago – That’s a wrap! The 2021 Tribeca Film Festival – a hybrid mix of New York City in-person events and online access – has its last day on Sunday, June 20th. It’s also the last day for Tribeca At Home, click Tribeca2021.
The 2021 Tribeca Festival was presented by AT&T, bringing artists and diverse audiences together to celebrate storytelling in all its forms, including film, TV, VR, gaming, music, and online work. With strong roots in independent film, Tribeca is a platform for creative expression and immersive entertainment. This year’s celebration of storytelling can be enjoyed virtually through the “Tribeca At Home” program. Many of the most anticipated features and short films will be made available only as part of our Tribeca Online Premieres lineup … a diverse range of dramas, comedies and documentaries.
Bernstein’s Wall
Photo credit: TribecaFilm.com
Four Films Of Tribeca Fest: Capsule Reviews
Click the title for...
The 2021 Tribeca Festival was presented by AT&T, bringing artists and diverse audiences together to celebrate storytelling in all its forms, including film, TV, VR, gaming, music, and online work. With strong roots in independent film, Tribeca is a platform for creative expression and immersive entertainment. This year’s celebration of storytelling can be enjoyed virtually through the “Tribeca At Home” program. Many of the most anticipated features and short films will be made available only as part of our Tribeca Online Premieres lineup … a diverse range of dramas, comedies and documentaries.
Bernstein’s Wall
Photo credit: TribecaFilm.com
Four Films Of Tribeca Fest: Capsule Reviews
Click the title for...
- 6/21/2021
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Tribeca may have been the first big in-person film event of 2021, but it wasn’t clear what it told us about the year ahead. From anticipated premieres to lower-profile films, ambiguity loomed large.
The 20th edition launched June 9 with the world premiere in all five boroughs of Jon M. Chu’s movie of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical “In the Heights,” from relaxed lawn chairs on the Oval in Battery Park to the mask-free 91-year-old United Palace in Washington Heights. Mostly, outdoor venues at The Battery and a reopened Pier 76 at the Hudson River Park were the main attractions during the festival, which offered 56 world premieres out of 66 feature titles. Many of them were also available online, along with shorts, VR offerings, podcasts, and conversations with the likes of Gina Prince-Bythewood and Bradley Cooper and his “Nightmare Alley” director Guillermo del Toro.
Needless to say, movies were only part of the equation,...
The 20th edition launched June 9 with the world premiere in all five boroughs of Jon M. Chu’s movie of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical “In the Heights,” from relaxed lawn chairs on the Oval in Battery Park to the mask-free 91-year-old United Palace in Washington Heights. Mostly, outdoor venues at The Battery and a reopened Pier 76 at the Hudson River Park were the main attractions during the festival, which offered 56 world premieres out of 66 feature titles. Many of them were also available online, along with shorts, VR offerings, podcasts, and conversations with the likes of Gina Prince-Bythewood and Bradley Cooper and his “Nightmare Alley” director Guillermo del Toro.
Needless to say, movies were only part of the equation,...
- 6/19/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Tribeca may have been the first big in-person film event of 2021, but it wasn’t clear what it told us about the year ahead. From anticipated premieres to lower-profile films, ambiguity loomed large.
The 20th edition launched June 9 with the world premiere in all five boroughs of Jon M. Chu’s movie of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical “In the Heights,” from relaxed lawn chairs on the Oval in Battery Park to the mask-free 91-year-old United Palace in Washington Heights. Mostly, outdoor venues at The Battery and a reopened Pier 76 at the Hudson River Park were the main attractions during the festival, which offered 56 world premieres out of 66 feature titles. Many of them were also available online, along with shorts, VR offerings, podcasts, and conversations with the likes of Gina Prince-Bythewood and Bradley Cooper and his “Nightmare Alley” director Guillermo del Toro.
Needless to say, movies were only part of the equation,...
The 20th edition launched June 9 with the world premiere in all five boroughs of Jon M. Chu’s movie of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical “In the Heights,” from relaxed lawn chairs on the Oval in Battery Park to the mask-free 91-year-old United Palace in Washington Heights. Mostly, outdoor venues at The Battery and a reopened Pier 76 at the Hudson River Park were the main attractions during the festival, which offered 56 world premieres out of 66 feature titles. Many of them were also available online, along with shorts, VR offerings, podcasts, and conversations with the likes of Gina Prince-Bythewood and Bradley Cooper and his “Nightmare Alley” director Guillermo del Toro.
Needless to say, movies were only part of the equation,...
- 6/19/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Using Leonard Bernstein’s own voice, collected from his myriad interviews throughout his life, as well as personal letters, many of which were published in the 2013 book “The Leonard Bernstein Letters,” Douglas Tirola’s “Bernstein’s Wall” works as both a broad overview of the famous conductor’s life, as well as a deep dive into his political activism. Framed around Bernstein’s famous 1989 “Ode to Freedom” concert that coincided with the Fall of Berlin Wall – and saw Bernstein change Schiller’s “Ode to Joy” to reflect the word “Freedom” – Tirola’s documentary allows Bernstein to create a political bildungsroman, as he talks through his entangled interests of artistic creation and social change.
Continue reading ‘Bernstein’s Wall’: An Engrossing Dive Into The Famous Composer’s Political Activism [Tribeca Review] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Bernstein’s Wall’: An Engrossing Dive Into The Famous Composer’s Political Activism [Tribeca Review] at The Playlist.
- 6/15/2021
- by Christian Gallichio
- The Playlist
As anticipation builds for Steven Spielberg’s upcoming West Side Story remake, attention is bound to turn once again to Leonard Bernstein’s ageless score, still one of the most thrilling orchestral works ever heard on Broadway, mixing jagged shards of testosterone-fueled jazz with exquisite expressions of love. But the composer takes a back seat in Bernstein’s Wall to the educator, activist, arts ambassador and extravagantly gifted conductor, whose work illuminating classical music for wider audiences made him a groundbreaking cultural figure in American television in the 1950s. Douglas Tirola’s fascinating docu-portrait takes advantage of vast archival resources to reveal the passions that drove ...
- 6/14/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
As anticipation builds for Steven Spielberg’s upcoming West Side Story remake, attention is bound to turn once again to Leonard Bernstein’s ageless score, still one of the most thrilling orchestral works ever heard on Broadway, mixing jagged shards of testosterone-fueled jazz with exquisite expressions of love. But the composer takes a back seat in Bernstein’s Wall to the educator, activist, arts ambassador and extravagantly gifted conductor, whose work illuminating classical music for wider audiences made him a groundbreaking cultural figure in American television in the 1950s. Douglas Tirola’s fascinating docu-portrait takes advantage of vast archival resources to reveal the passions that drove ...
- 6/14/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
After a Covid-induced hiatus, Tribeca Festival returns with in-person premieres and an exciting mix of studio productions and low-fi indies. The festival has ditched the word “film” from its title in order to emphasize the fact that Tribeca now encompasses podcasting, gaming, TV and so much more. But who are they kidding? For most New Yorkers, it’s all about the movies. With that in mind, here are 11 films that should be on every festival-goer’s must-see list.
12 Mighty Orphans
Director: Ty Roberts
Cast: Luke Wilson, Vinessa Shaw, Martin Sheen, Robert Duvall, Wayne Knight, Jake Austin Walker
Meet your next uplifting sports drama. In the tradition of “Rudy” or “Hoosiers” comes “12 Mighty Orphans,” the story of the Mighty Mites, the football team of a Fort Worth orphanage who became unlikely Texas state championship contenders. In the process, their plucky come-from-nowhere run inspired a country reeling from the Great Depression.
12 Mighty Orphans
Director: Ty Roberts
Cast: Luke Wilson, Vinessa Shaw, Martin Sheen, Robert Duvall, Wayne Knight, Jake Austin Walker
Meet your next uplifting sports drama. In the tradition of “Rudy” or “Hoosiers” comes “12 Mighty Orphans,” the story of the Mighty Mites, the football team of a Fort Worth orphanage who became unlikely Texas state championship contenders. In the process, their plucky come-from-nowhere run inspired a country reeling from the Great Depression.
- 6/10/2021
- by Brent Lang and Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Consider it a celebration with something of an asterisk: in-person film festivals are back! But so are virtual components, making some of the year’s biggest cinematic events both safe and accessible for an even wider audience to enjoy them. After a cancelled 2020 edition and a delayed 2021 event, the Tribeca Festival is bellying up for a hybrid event with a major in-person edge, with lots to watch, no matter in which manner you choose to consume it.
In March, the festival announced that it would “transform prominent locations into an expansive 12-day multi-screen outdoor celebration” held this month, and is believed to be first major North American film festival to mount such an in-person event.
Director Jon M. Chu’s long-awaited “In the Heights,” adapted from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, will open the 20th anniversary edition of Tribeca on June 9. The festival will also celebrate the world...
In March, the festival announced that it would “transform prominent locations into an expansive 12-day multi-screen outdoor celebration” held this month, and is believed to be first major North American film festival to mount such an in-person event.
Director Jon M. Chu’s long-awaited “In the Heights,” adapted from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, will open the 20th anniversary edition of Tribeca on June 9. The festival will also celebrate the world...
- 6/7/2021
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Media executive Matty Simmons, a producer of the influential “National Lampoon’s Animal House” and “National Lampoon’s Vacation” comedy movies, died Wednesday in Los Angeles. He was 93.
His daughter, Kate Simmons, announced the news on her Instagram account on Thursday.
“Yesterday I lost my hero,” she wrote, in part. “My dad had gone from the sharpest, healthiest 93 year old most people have encountered to abruptly having every imaginable issue except corona. What he did in a lifetime was legendary.”
Matty Simmons was a Brooklyn native and an executive VP at the Diners Club credit card company. He founded Twenty First Century Communications in 1967 with Len Mogel to publish countercultural magazine Cheetah, then went on to publish Weight Watchers and National Lampoon magazines.
The National Lampoon launched in 1970 as a spinoff of the Harvard Lampoon humor magazine, which led to the 1972 stage show “Lemmings” and “The National Lampoon Radio Hour.” Performers included...
His daughter, Kate Simmons, announced the news on her Instagram account on Thursday.
“Yesterday I lost my hero,” she wrote, in part. “My dad had gone from the sharpest, healthiest 93 year old most people have encountered to abruptly having every imaginable issue except corona. What he did in a lifetime was legendary.”
Matty Simmons was a Brooklyn native and an executive VP at the Diners Club credit card company. He founded Twenty First Century Communications in 1967 with Len Mogel to publish countercultural magazine Cheetah, then went on to publish Weight Watchers and National Lampoon magazines.
The National Lampoon launched in 1970 as a spinoff of the Harvard Lampoon humor magazine, which led to the 1972 stage show “Lemmings” and “The National Lampoon Radio Hour.” Performers included...
- 5/1/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Matty Simmons, a founder of the Diners Club credit card and Weight Watchers magazine who found his highest profile success after co-founding National Lampoon magazine and producing film offshoots including Animal House and the Vacation franchise, died Wednesday in Los Angeles following a brief, non-coronavirus-related illness. He was 93.
Simmons death was announced by his daughter Kate Simmons.
More from DeadlineJun Maeda Dies Of Covid-19: Obie Award-Winning Theater Set Designer Was 79Veteran Casting Director Cis Corman Remembered By "Best Friend" Barbra StreisandPeter H. Hunt Dies: Tony Award-Winning '1776' Director, Uncle Of Actress Helen Hunt Was 81
“Yesterday I lost my hero,” Kate Simmons wrote on Instagram. “My dad had gone from the sharpest, healthiest 93 year old most people have encountered to abruptly having every imaginable issue except corona.”
An author of nine books including the 2012 memoir Fat, Drunk, and Stupid: The Making of Animal House (St. Martins Press), Simmons made...
Simmons death was announced by his daughter Kate Simmons.
More from DeadlineJun Maeda Dies Of Covid-19: Obie Award-Winning Theater Set Designer Was 79Veteran Casting Director Cis Corman Remembered By "Best Friend" Barbra StreisandPeter H. Hunt Dies: Tony Award-Winning '1776' Director, Uncle Of Actress Helen Hunt Was 81
“Yesterday I lost my hero,” Kate Simmons wrote on Instagram. “My dad had gone from the sharpest, healthiest 93 year old most people have encountered to abruptly having every imaginable issue except corona.”
An author of nine books including the 2012 memoir Fat, Drunk, and Stupid: The Making of Animal House (St. Martins Press), Simmons made...
- 5/1/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Following the November 1 launch of Apple TV+, the streamer is realigning its executive ranks under toppers Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht, combining development and current into a single-executive structure.
Kim Rozenfeld is leaving as head of current scripted programming and docu/unscripted content. He will return to his producing roots with a first-look deal at Apple for his company Half Full Productions.
Apple TV+ head of scripted development Matt Cherniss will now also oversee current scripted series. Molly Thompson, who joined Apple as Head of Documentaries in April, reporting to Rozenfeld, will continue to oversee documentary film and series programming, development and current.
Former Sony TV head of current programming Rozenfeld was one of the first executive hires after Van Amburg and Erlicht left Sony TV in 2017 to lead worldwide video programming for Apple.
Before joining Sony TV as Evp Current Programming in 2011, Rozenfeld was a scripted series producer based at ABC Studios,...
Kim Rozenfeld is leaving as head of current scripted programming and docu/unscripted content. He will return to his producing roots with a first-look deal at Apple for his company Half Full Productions.
Apple TV+ head of scripted development Matt Cherniss will now also oversee current scripted series. Molly Thompson, who joined Apple as Head of Documentaries in April, reporting to Rozenfeld, will continue to oversee documentary film and series programming, development and current.
Former Sony TV head of current programming Rozenfeld was one of the first executive hires after Van Amburg and Erlicht left Sony TV in 2017 to lead worldwide video programming for Apple.
Before joining Sony TV as Evp Current Programming in 2011, Rozenfeld was a scripted series producer based at ABC Studios,...
- 11/11/2019
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
The last 70 years or so of feminist theory and activism are definitely on the menu in “Bloodroot.” Douglas Tirola’s documentary pays fond tribute to the two women who’ve stayed the course throughout the nearly half-century history of the titular collectively owned vegetarian restaurant in Bridgeport, Conn. Their individual stories provide archetypal illustrations of how the women’s liberation movement impacted many in the 1970s, amid an ingratiating mix of cultural flashback, personality profile and armchair foodie travel. This should be a particularly popular item on the Lgbt festival circuit.
Raised in a time and milieu where “If you weren’t marriageable by the time you got out of college, you might as well commit suicide,” Selma Miriam and Noel Furie dutifully followed separate paths to suburban wedlock and child-rearing without quite realizing what they were missing. Still, they knew it was something. Miriam studied premed at Tufts until...
Raised in a time and milieu where “If you weren’t marriageable by the time you got out of college, you might as well commit suicide,” Selma Miriam and Noel Furie dutifully followed separate paths to suburban wedlock and child-rearing without quite realizing what they were missing. Still, they knew it was something. Miriam studied premed at Tufts until...
- 4/27/2019
- by Dennis Harvey
- Variety Film + TV
Molly Thompson has joined Apple’s upcoming streaming service as its head of documentaries.
Thompson previously founded A&E Indie Films, the feature film production unit of A+E Networks. She was also previously the head of documentary films for A+E Networks. Recent documentaries she has executive produced include “The Clinton Affair,” Charles Ferguson’s “Watergate” docuseries, “Studio 54,” and “City of Ghosts.” She was also an executive producer on celebrated documentaries like “Life, Animated,” “Cartel Land,” “Murderball,” and “Jesus Camp.”
She also executive produced Amir Bar-Lev’s “The Tillman Story” and Bart Layton’s “The Imposter,” as well as two narrative features for Lifetime Films. Those were “Lila & Eve,” starring Viola Davis and Jennifer Lopez, and “Paris Can Wait,” starring Diane Lane and Alec Baldwin.
Additionally, Thompson served as executive producer on all feature films produced under the History Films banner, including Werner Herzog’s “Meeting Gorbachev” and “Cave of Forgotten Dreams,...
Thompson previously founded A&E Indie Films, the feature film production unit of A+E Networks. She was also previously the head of documentary films for A+E Networks. Recent documentaries she has executive produced include “The Clinton Affair,” Charles Ferguson’s “Watergate” docuseries, “Studio 54,” and “City of Ghosts.” She was also an executive producer on celebrated documentaries like “Life, Animated,” “Cartel Land,” “Murderball,” and “Jesus Camp.”
She also executive produced Amir Bar-Lev’s “The Tillman Story” and Bart Layton’s “The Imposter,” as well as two narrative features for Lifetime Films. Those were “Lila & Eve,” starring Viola Davis and Jennifer Lopez, and “Paris Can Wait,” starring Diane Lane and Alec Baldwin.
Additionally, Thompson served as executive producer on all feature films produced under the History Films banner, including Werner Herzog’s “Meeting Gorbachev” and “Cave of Forgotten Dreams,...
- 4/15/2019
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Apple has hired A&E IndieFilms founder Molly Thompson as Head of Documentaries.
Thompson, who also served as Head of Documentary films for A+E Networks, has executive produced such projects as The Clinton Affair; the docuseries Watergate; City of Ghosts; Life, Animated; Cartel Land; Murderball; and Jesus Camp.
Thompson served as executive producer on all feature films produced under the History Films banner, including Werner Herzog’s Meeting Gorbachev — which will have its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival — and Cave of Forgotten Dreams, Janet Tobias’ No Place on Earth, Errol Morris’ The Unknown Known: The Life and Times of Donald Rumsfeld, Douglas Tirola’s Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon and the Johnny Knoxville-produced Being Evel.
Among other projects, Thompson also Ep’d Amir Bar-Lev’s Emmy-winning The Tillman Story, Bart Layton’s BAFTA-winning The Imposter and two narrative features for Lifetime Films: Lila & Eve,...
Thompson, who also served as Head of Documentary films for A+E Networks, has executive produced such projects as The Clinton Affair; the docuseries Watergate; City of Ghosts; Life, Animated; Cartel Land; Murderball; and Jesus Camp.
Thompson served as executive producer on all feature films produced under the History Films banner, including Werner Herzog’s Meeting Gorbachev — which will have its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival — and Cave of Forgotten Dreams, Janet Tobias’ No Place on Earth, Errol Morris’ The Unknown Known: The Life and Times of Donald Rumsfeld, Douglas Tirola’s Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon and the Johnny Knoxville-produced Being Evel.
Among other projects, Thompson also Ep’d Amir Bar-Lev’s Emmy-winning The Tillman Story, Bart Layton’s BAFTA-winning The Imposter and two narrative features for Lifetime Films: Lila & Eve,...
- 4/15/2019
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Cinema Eye Honors said that Eyes on the Prize, the landmark civil rights docuseries that first aired on public television in 1987, will receive the group’s 2019 Legacy Award. The honor will be bestowed January 10 during the 12th annual Cinema Eye Honors awards ceremony in New York.
“For me and so many others, Eyes on the Prize was a transformational cinematic experience, artfully crafting the history of a nation into an unforgettable story,” Cinema Eye board co-chair Dawn Porter said Thursday. “Countless filmmakers have been inspired by this elegant body of work.”
Created and by the late Henry Hampton’s Blackside, the 14-part Eyes on the Prize is considered the definitive documentary record of the American civil rights era, tracing the country’s long and brutal march toward equality and the fight to end decades of discrimination and segregation. It aired in two parts, the first covering the years 1954–1965 and...
“For me and so many others, Eyes on the Prize was a transformational cinematic experience, artfully crafting the history of a nation into an unforgettable story,” Cinema Eye board co-chair Dawn Porter said Thursday. “Countless filmmakers have been inspired by this elegant body of work.”
Created and by the late Henry Hampton’s Blackside, the 14-part Eyes on the Prize is considered the definitive documentary record of the American civil rights era, tracing the country’s long and brutal march toward equality and the fight to end decades of discrimination and segregation. It aired in two parts, the first covering the years 1954–1965 and...
- 12/20/2018
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
A film memoir of former Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev featuring exclusive interviews has had its North American rights acquired by distributor The Orchard from History Films.
Meeting Gorbachev is a documentary directed by Werner Herzog and André Singer for Spring Films and Werner Herzog Film. The behind-the-scenes look at the eighth and last leader of the Soviet Union features interviews of Gorbachev by Herzog on three occasions across a six-month period, capturing a unique look at a politician who changed the world.
“Meeting Gorbachev is an enthralling look back at a fascinating leader and diplomat, all the more impactful based on what the world looks like today,” said Paul Davidson, The Orchard’s Evp film and television. “Werner and Andre’s own sensibilities make the film engaging and personal in a way no other filmmakers could.”
The documentary is produced by Lucki Stipetic and Svetlana Palmer. The executive producers...
Meeting Gorbachev is a documentary directed by Werner Herzog and André Singer for Spring Films and Werner Herzog Film. The behind-the-scenes look at the eighth and last leader of the Soviet Union features interviews of Gorbachev by Herzog on three occasions across a six-month period, capturing a unique look at a politician who changed the world.
“Meeting Gorbachev is an enthralling look back at a fascinating leader and diplomat, all the more impactful based on what the world looks like today,” said Paul Davidson, The Orchard’s Evp film and television. “Werner and Andre’s own sensibilities make the film engaging and personal in a way no other filmmakers could.”
The documentary is produced by Lucki Stipetic and Svetlana Palmer. The executive producers...
- 12/8/2018
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Fox Digital Studio, Heavy Metal Media and 4th Row Films are in development on a documentary feature film about the sci-fi fantasy magazine Heavy Metal with director Douglas Tirola attached.
Tirola has directed six feature documentaries including A&E IndieFilms’ “Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead” about the story of the National Lampoon, and “Brewmaster,” which had its World Premiere at SXSW and is being released by The Orchard. Tirola has produced over a dozen films, most recently the 2018 Sundance film “Bisbee ‘17.”
The influence and culture surrounding Heavy Metal magazine helped popularize high art comics fans when it premiered in 1977 as a publisher of science fiction, fantasy and horror illustrations from around the world. In 1981, the animation from the magazine was used to create the Ivan Reitman film “Heavy Metal,” and its prominence helped create the music genre phrase “heavy metal.” It’s also been cited as an inspiration for filmmakers including Ridley Scott,...
Tirola has directed six feature documentaries including A&E IndieFilms’ “Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead” about the story of the National Lampoon, and “Brewmaster,” which had its World Premiere at SXSW and is being released by The Orchard. Tirola has produced over a dozen films, most recently the 2018 Sundance film “Bisbee ‘17.”
The influence and culture surrounding Heavy Metal magazine helped popularize high art comics fans when it premiered in 1977 as a publisher of science fiction, fantasy and horror illustrations from around the world. In 1981, the animation from the magazine was used to create the Ivan Reitman film “Heavy Metal,” and its prominence helped create the music genre phrase “heavy metal.” It’s also been cited as an inspiration for filmmakers including Ridley Scott,...
- 12/4/2018
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
The Cinema Eye Honors, which annually presents awards to “celebrate outstanding artistry and craft in nonfiction film,” has revealed its nominees in 10 categories, including Outstanding Nonfiction Feature and Outstanding Nonfiction Short. Multiple nominees include Robert Greene’s ”Bisbee ‘17,” Sandi Tan’s “Shirkers,” and RaMell Ross’ ”Hale County This Morning, This Evening,” with five nods each. While Greene is a Cinema Eye Honors vet, both Tan and Ross are first-time filmmakers.
Another first-time filmmaker on the rise: Bing Liu, whose autobiographical skateboarding doc “Minding the Gap,” leads the nominees with a total of seven nominations. That’s good enough to put the newbie filmmaker into rarefied territory, tying his film with lauded documentaries like Louie Psihoyos’ ”The Cove,” Lixin Fan’s ”Last Train Home,” and Ari Folman’s “Waltz With Bashir” for most Cinema Eye Honors nods ever. As Liu is a named nominee for six of those awards, he’s...
Another first-time filmmaker on the rise: Bing Liu, whose autobiographical skateboarding doc “Minding the Gap,” leads the nominees with a total of seven nominations. That’s good enough to put the newbie filmmaker into rarefied territory, tying his film with lauded documentaries like Louie Psihoyos’ ”The Cove,” Lixin Fan’s ”Last Train Home,” and Ari Folman’s “Waltz With Bashir” for most Cinema Eye Honors nods ever. As Liu is a named nominee for six of those awards, he’s...
- 11/8/2018
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
“Minding the Gap,” a documentary that mixes stories of skateboarding teens with a dark family story, led all films in nominations for the Cinema Eye Honors, one of the top awards devoted to all facets of nonfiction filmmaking.
Bing Liu’s highly personal film tied a Cinema Eye record by receiving seven nominations overall, one in a previously announced category and six in the 10 categories that Cinema Eye announced on Thursday. Those included nominations for directing, editing, cinematography and music, as well as one in the marquee category, Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking.
Other nominees in that category were Robert Greene’s “Bisbee ’17,” RaMell Ross’ “Hale County This Morning, This Evening,” Talal Derki’s “Of Fathers and Son,” Tim Wardle’s “Three Identical Strangers” and the 12th highest-grossing documentary of all time, Morgan Neville’s “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”
Also Read: 'Minding the Gap' Film Review: Powerful...
Bing Liu’s highly personal film tied a Cinema Eye record by receiving seven nominations overall, one in a previously announced category and six in the 10 categories that Cinema Eye announced on Thursday. Those included nominations for directing, editing, cinematography and music, as well as one in the marquee category, Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking.
Other nominees in that category were Robert Greene’s “Bisbee ’17,” RaMell Ross’ “Hale County This Morning, This Evening,” Talal Derki’s “Of Fathers and Son,” Tim Wardle’s “Three Identical Strangers” and the 12th highest-grossing documentary of all time, Morgan Neville’s “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”
Also Read: 'Minding the Gap' Film Review: Powerful...
- 11/8/2018
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Special jury award goes to Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz for ensemble performance in The Favourite.
Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Favourite, Josephine Decker’s Madeline’s Madeline, and Barry Jenkins’ If Beale Street Could Talk are among best picture nominees in the running for honours at the 28th annual Ifp Gotham Awards, while Paul Schrader’s First Reformed leads the pack on three nods overall.
First Reformed and Chloé Zhao’s The Rider are also in contention for best picture following Thursday’s (18) announcement, with First Reformed earning additional recognition for best screenplay and best actor for Ethan Hawke.
Roma was a notable absentee,...
Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Favourite, Josephine Decker’s Madeline’s Madeline, and Barry Jenkins’ If Beale Street Could Talk are among best picture nominees in the running for honours at the 28th annual Ifp Gotham Awards, while Paul Schrader’s First Reformed leads the pack on three nods overall.
First Reformed and Chloé Zhao’s The Rider are also in contention for best picture following Thursday’s (18) announcement, with First Reformed earning additional recognition for best screenplay and best actor for Ethan Hawke.
Roma was a notable absentee,...
- 10/18/2018
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
We may still have two months left in the year, but considering nearly all independent films have already made their debuts, it’s time for the 2018 Gotham Awards to reveal their nominations. Leading the pack are Paul Schrader’s First Reformed and Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Favourite, both picked up a trio of nominations.
Rounding out the Best Feature nominations are Madeline’s Madeline, If Beale Street Could Talk, and The Rider. Other highlights include Minding the Gap, Hale County This Morning, This Evening, and Bisbee ’17 earning Best Documentary nominations, while Roma‘s Yalitza Aparicio, Sorry to Bother You‘s Lakeith Stanfield, Support the Girl‘s Regina Hall, Hereditary‘s Toni Collette, and more.
Presented by the Independent Filmmaker Project, the 2018 Gotham Awards will take place on November 26. See the nominations below.
Best Feature
“The Favourite”
Yorgos Lanthimos, director; Ceci Dempsey, Ed Guiney, Lee Magiday, Yorgos Lanthimos, producers (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
“First Reformed”
Paul Schrader,...
Rounding out the Best Feature nominations are Madeline’s Madeline, If Beale Street Could Talk, and The Rider. Other highlights include Minding the Gap, Hale County This Morning, This Evening, and Bisbee ’17 earning Best Documentary nominations, while Roma‘s Yalitza Aparicio, Sorry to Bother You‘s Lakeith Stanfield, Support the Girl‘s Regina Hall, Hereditary‘s Toni Collette, and more.
Presented by the Independent Filmmaker Project, the 2018 Gotham Awards will take place on November 26. See the nominations below.
Best Feature
“The Favourite”
Yorgos Lanthimos, director; Ceci Dempsey, Ed Guiney, Lee Magiday, Yorgos Lanthimos, producers (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
“First Reformed”
Paul Schrader,...
- 10/18/2018
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
First Reformed, The Favourite and Eighth Grade were among the most-recognized films in the 28th annual Gotham Awards nominations, which were announced this morning.
First Reformed, from writer-director Paul Schrader, is up for Best Feature, Best Screenplay and Best Actor (Ethan Hawke). Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Favourite, which won the Golden Lion at Venice, captured noms for Best Feature and Best Screenplay as well as a special ensemble acting citation from the jury for the trio of Olivia Colman, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz. Sundance breakout Eighth Grade got a nod for Breakthrough Director (Bo Burnham) as well as Breakthrough Actor (Elsie Fisher).
See the full list of nominees below.
The noms for the indie-heavy honors from the Independent Filmmaker Project are considered the unofficial kickoff to the annual film awards season, beginning this year’s accelerated sprint to the Oscars, which are set for February 24.
This year’s Gotham winners...
First Reformed, from writer-director Paul Schrader, is up for Best Feature, Best Screenplay and Best Actor (Ethan Hawke). Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Favourite, which won the Golden Lion at Venice, captured noms for Best Feature and Best Screenplay as well as a special ensemble acting citation from the jury for the trio of Olivia Colman, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz. Sundance breakout Eighth Grade got a nod for Breakthrough Director (Bo Burnham) as well as Breakthrough Actor (Elsie Fisher).
See the full list of nominees below.
The noms for the indie-heavy honors from the Independent Filmmaker Project are considered the unofficial kickoff to the annual film awards season, beginning this year’s accelerated sprint to the Oscars, which are set for February 24.
This year’s Gotham winners...
- 10/18/2018
- by Dade Hayes and Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Paul Schrader’s “First Reformed,” Yorgos Lanthimos’ “The Favourite,” Barry Jenkins’ “If Beale Street Could Talk,” Joseph Decker’s “Madeline’s Madeline” and Chloe Zhao’s “The Rider” have been nominated for the top award at the Ifp Gotham Awards, the Independent Filmmaker Project announced on Thursday.
In nominations that were evenly distributed among 19 independent movies, “First Reformed” led all films with three nominations – one for the film, one for lead actor Ethan Hawke and one for Schrader’s screenplay about a pastor tortured by the death of his son in Iraq.
“The Favourite,” a twisted period piece set in early 18th century England, received nominations for film and screenplay, as well as a special Gotham Awards voted to its three leading actresses: Olivia Colman, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz.
Also Read: 'First Reformed' Film Review: Paul Schrader and Ethan Hawke Channel Robert Bresson
Other films with multiple nominations included “Beale Street,...
In nominations that were evenly distributed among 19 independent movies, “First Reformed” led all films with three nominations – one for the film, one for lead actor Ethan Hawke and one for Schrader’s screenplay about a pastor tortured by the death of his son in Iraq.
“The Favourite,” a twisted period piece set in early 18th century England, received nominations for film and screenplay, as well as a special Gotham Awards voted to its three leading actresses: Olivia Colman, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz.
Also Read: 'First Reformed' Film Review: Paul Schrader and Ethan Hawke Channel Robert Bresson
Other films with multiple nominations included “Beale Street,...
- 10/18/2018
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Exclusive: The Orchard has acquired U.S. distribution rights to Brewmaster, Douglas Tirola’s documentary about the craft beer movement and the community that makes it flow. The film, which had its premiere at SXSW this year, will open in theaters October 19 followed by a digital bow November 20.
Tirola’s documentary follows an ambitious young New York lawyer who struggles to chase his American dream of becoming a brewmaster and a Milwaukee-based professional beer educator attempting to become a Master Cicerone (like a sommelier for beer). Along the way are insights on the craft culture and industry from the likes of Brooklyn Brewery (and James Beard-winning) brewmaster Garrett Oliver, Samuel Adams founder Jim Koch, Pilsner Urquell brewmaster Vaclav Berka, the Cicerone program founder Ray Daniels, Dogfish Head Brewery founder Sam Calagione and author Randy Mosher.
The film is produced by Grasshopper + Marks Productions and Tirola’s 4th Row Films,...
Tirola’s documentary follows an ambitious young New York lawyer who struggles to chase his American dream of becoming a brewmaster and a Milwaukee-based professional beer educator attempting to become a Master Cicerone (like a sommelier for beer). Along the way are insights on the craft culture and industry from the likes of Brooklyn Brewery (and James Beard-winning) brewmaster Garrett Oliver, Samuel Adams founder Jim Koch, Pilsner Urquell brewmaster Vaclav Berka, the Cicerone program founder Ray Daniels, Dogfish Head Brewery founder Sam Calagione and author Randy Mosher.
The film is produced by Grasshopper + Marks Productions and Tirola’s 4th Row Films,...
- 10/10/2018
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
The Traverse City Film Festival is celebrating its 14th year in 2018 by bringing together some of the year’s best indies and documentaries, plus classics from Jonathan Demme, Hal Ashby, and more. The Michigan-set festival, backed by Michael Moore, is being run in 2018 by directors Susan Fisher and Meg Weichman, who have worked on the festival for nearly a decade and have been at the helm since December.
Tickets for this year’s edition will go on sale to the public on Saturday, July 21 (click here for the official festival website). Friends of the Film Festival will be able to get early access to tickets with advance sales starting Sunday, July 15.
The full lineup for the 2018 Traverse City Film Festival is below.
Opening Night: “Rbg”
Centerpiece: “Hearts Beat Loud”
Closing Night: “Burden”
Open Space
“Stop Making Sense,” Jonathan Demme
“Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” Jake Kasdan
“Coco,” Lee Unkrich
“Black Panther,...
Tickets for this year’s edition will go on sale to the public on Saturday, July 21 (click here for the official festival website). Friends of the Film Festival will be able to get early access to tickets with advance sales starting Sunday, July 15.
The full lineup for the 2018 Traverse City Film Festival is below.
Opening Night: “Rbg”
Centerpiece: “Hearts Beat Loud”
Closing Night: “Burden”
Open Space
“Stop Making Sense,” Jonathan Demme
“Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” Jake Kasdan
“Coco,” Lee Unkrich
“Black Panther,...
- 6/29/2018
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
It’s hard to overstate the impact of National Lampoon magazine, but director Douglas Tirola tried anyway in 2015 with “Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead,” a documentary examining its history and legacy. As much as David Wain’s “A Futile And Stupid Gesture” (premiering on Netflix January 26) might feel like a retread of its buoyant history lesson, his adaptation of Josh Karp’s book of the same name focuses primarily on the exploits of Lampoon co-founder Douglas Kenney, filtering the publication’s incendiary accomplishments through his suitably troubled personal history while assembling an impressive cast of contemporary comedy stars to provide some occasionally wildly...
- 1/25/2018
- by Todd Gilchrist
- The Wrap
Omar Broadway, the co-director and subject of the 2008 HBO documentary “An Omar Broadway Film,” killed himself earlier this month as police were attempting to arrest him for the murder of his 18-year-old nephew. The 35-year-old Broadway shot himself in the basement of an Essex County, New Jersey residence as authorities surrounded the house. Police are still looking for Kenneth Durant, 36, another subject in the May 4 murder of Najee Broadway.
Read More: Sundance Institute Announces 8 Projects for Annual Documentary Edit and Story Lab
Omar Broadway made the transition from incarcerated gang member to filmmaker after arranging for a camera to be smuggled into a state prison and surreptitiously shooting footage for roughly six months, capturing everything from the boredom of life behind bars to corruption among the prison guards, some of whom would use excessive force and physically abuse inmates. Broadway had hoped that getting the tapes out of prison and...
Read More: Sundance Institute Announces 8 Projects for Annual Documentary Edit and Story Lab
Omar Broadway made the transition from incarcerated gang member to filmmaker after arranging for a camera to be smuggled into a state prison and surreptitiously shooting footage for roughly six months, capturing everything from the boredom of life behind bars to corruption among the prison guards, some of whom would use excessive force and physically abuse inmates. Broadway had hoped that getting the tapes out of prison and...
- 6/20/2017
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
As the definition of an independent film has shifted with the ever-expanding budget divide in American filmmaking — particularly Hollywood cutting back on its mid-range projects — when it comes time for awards season, it’s often only the highest profile of “indie films” that get recognized. While we do our best to recognize the films that often get unfortunately, a new awards has launched that honors the best of truly independent American cinema, featuring films all under a $1 million budget.
Aptly titled the American Independent Film Awards (aka AIFAs), they were voted on by international film festival programmers, U.S. based film festival programmers, and North American film critics (including yours truly.) “First and foremost, we would like to thank all film producers and distribution companies who helped us identify qualifying films and outline the categories. We’d also like to thank the international and American based film festival programmers, and...
Aptly titled the American Independent Film Awards (aka AIFAs), they were voted on by international film festival programmers, U.S. based film festival programmers, and North American film critics (including yours truly.) “First and foremost, we would like to thank all film producers and distribution companies who helped us identify qualifying films and outline the categories. We’d also like to thank the international and American based film festival programmers, and...
- 2/20/2017
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The election will be over in six days, but this cycle has been unprecedented in so many ways — most of them bad — that it’s likely to take years of hindsight and any number of books and movies to fully understand. Jeff Deutchman will start that process with “11/8/16,” a documentary he’s producing that will be directed by a huge group of directors that includes David Lowery, Lena Dunham and Yung Chang. The Orchard will both fund and produce the project, which is being executive produced by Dana O’Keefe, Brad Navin, Paul Davidson and Danielle Digiacomo.
Read More: Career Moves: Jeff Deutchman Leaves Alchemy, Bob Pilon Goes to Participant and More
More than 30 filmmakers total will document Election Day, from early morning until the polls close and the results are announced, in a follow-up to Deutchman’s earlier “11/4/08.” “This election has started to feel like it is testing the...
Read More: Career Moves: Jeff Deutchman Leaves Alchemy, Bob Pilon Goes to Participant and More
More than 30 filmmakers total will document Election Day, from early morning until the polls close and the results are announced, in a follow-up to Deutchman’s earlier “11/4/08.” “This election has started to feel like it is testing the...
- 11/2/2016
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Screen Masculinity
Dark Horizons regular and good friend Blake Howard today continues his and my column exploring masculinity in movies. His truly stellar second piece which just went online explores the relationships of fathers and sons in "Superman" and "The Judge" and how his own personal experiences come into play in his assessment. Check out the feature by clicking here.
Sharone Stone
Last month came word that Sharon Stone would appear in an upcoming Marvel movie with several outlets speculating it would be as Janet Van Dyne in "Ant-Man and the Wasp".
Stone couldn't confirm though, saying that along with having already signed the contract, she also had to sign an Nda. In a new interview this week though, she offered two brief clues - revealing that her secret power is heat and the character is a hero. [Source: Aarp]
Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead
A+E Studios is developing "Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead,...
Dark Horizons regular and good friend Blake Howard today continues his and my column exploring masculinity in movies. His truly stellar second piece which just went online explores the relationships of fathers and sons in "Superman" and "The Judge" and how his own personal experiences come into play in his assessment. Check out the feature by clicking here.
Sharone Stone
Last month came word that Sharon Stone would appear in an upcoming Marvel movie with several outlets speculating it would be as Janet Van Dyne in "Ant-Man and the Wasp".
Stone couldn't confirm though, saying that along with having already signed the contract, she also had to sign an Nda. In a new interview this week though, she offered two brief clues - revealing that her secret power is heat and the character is a hero. [Source: Aarp]
Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead
A+E Studios is developing "Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead,...
- 6/9/2016
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
This ain't no joke. Deadline reports A&E is developing a new series based on the National Lampoon documentary Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead.
Directed by Douglas Tirola, the 2015 documentary chronicles the origin and rise of the National Lampoon comedy franchise, which spawned the careers of comedians and filmmakers like Chevy Chase, John Belushi, John Landis, and Gilda Radner.
Read More…...
Directed by Douglas Tirola, the 2015 documentary chronicles the origin and rise of the National Lampoon comedy franchise, which spawned the careers of comedians and filmmakers like Chevy Chase, John Belushi, John Landis, and Gilda Radner.
Read More…...
- 6/9/2016
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
A+E Studios will develop a scripted workplace series based on Douglas Tirola’s feature documentary film “Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon.” The series marks the first time A+E has developed a series based on one of its own properties. For the doc, Tirola conducted extensive interviews with all the magazine’s key living editors, writers and artists and unearthed never-before-seen archival footage in his feature documentary, which premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, and aired on History in January 2016. Also Read: Jackie Tohn to Play Gilda Radner in Netflix's National Lampoon Movie Matty Simmons,...
- 6/8/2016
- by Linda Ge
- The Wrap
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit the interwebs. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.
Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon (Douglas Tirola)
While the last few decades or so of National Lampoon’s output has been less than stellar, their influence through their humor magazine and films such as the original Vacation and Animal House can still be felt today. For those curious about the formation of the group and their rise to ubiquitous status, a...
Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon (Douglas Tirola)
While the last few decades or so of National Lampoon’s output has been less than stellar, their influence through their humor magazine and films such as the original Vacation and Animal House can still be felt today. For those curious about the formation of the group and their rise to ubiquitous status, a...
- 4/22/2016
- by TFS Staff
- The Film Stage
Exclusive: Documentary revolves around a news reporter who killed herself live on-air in 1974.
Documentary Kate Plays Christine, which screens at Berlin Film Festival tonight (Feb 15), has been snapped up for international sales and UK distribution by Dogwoof.
The film, which won director Robert Greene the Us Documentary Award for Writing at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, was secured by in a deal with New York-based production company 4th Row Films.
UK-based Dogwoof will present the film to buyers at the European Film Market (Efm) this week. The agreement excludes North America.
Described as a “blend of documentary and psychological thriller”, the film follows actress Kate Lyn Sheil as she prepares to portray the role of Christine Chubbuck, a real-life news reporter who killed herself on national television in 1974.
Producers are Susan Bedusa and Douglas Tirola for 4thRow Films and executive producer is Christos V. Konstantakopoulos.
Oli Harbottle, head of distribution at Dogwoof, said: “[link...
Documentary Kate Plays Christine, which screens at Berlin Film Festival tonight (Feb 15), has been snapped up for international sales and UK distribution by Dogwoof.
The film, which won director Robert Greene the Us Documentary Award for Writing at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, was secured by in a deal with New York-based production company 4th Row Films.
UK-based Dogwoof will present the film to buyers at the European Film Market (Efm) this week. The agreement excludes North America.
Described as a “blend of documentary and psychological thriller”, the film follows actress Kate Lyn Sheil as she prepares to portray the role of Christine Chubbuck, a real-life news reporter who killed herself on national television in 1974.
Producers are Susan Bedusa and Douglas Tirola for 4thRow Films and executive producer is Christos V. Konstantakopoulos.
Oli Harbottle, head of distribution at Dogwoof, said: “[link...
- 2/15/2016
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Is Sundance big enough for two Christines? It certainly would be a ballsy festival move and a trip as a cinephile to see, compare and admire two filmmakers’ perspectives and unique prisms on Miss Chubbuck. After Kati with an I (2010), Fake It So Real (2012) and Actress (2014), Robert Greene continues to tweak how we come to relate with the nonfiction form. Presented at the Sheffield Doc/Fest last April, Tribeca Film Institute and Cph:forum, Kate Plays Christine is likely going to see indie actress Kate Lyn Sheil morph into something special.
Gist: This film follows actor Kate Lyn Sheil preparing to play the role of Christine Chubbuck, a Florida television host who committed suicide on air in 1974.
Production Co./Producers: Susan Bedusa and Douglas Tirola (Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon).
Prediction: U.S Documentary section.
U.S. Distributor: Rights Available. Tbd (domestic). Tbd (international)
More 2016 Sundance...
Gist: This film follows actor Kate Lyn Sheil preparing to play the role of Christine Chubbuck, a Florida television host who committed suicide on air in 1974.
Production Co./Producers: Susan Bedusa and Douglas Tirola (Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon).
Prediction: U.S Documentary section.
U.S. Distributor: Rights Available. Tbd (domestic). Tbd (international)
More 2016 Sundance...
- 11/24/2015
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
It’s been a couple months since the last edition of What’s Up Doc? placed Michael Moore’s surprise world premiere of Where To Invade Next at the top of this list and in the meantime much shuffling has taken place and much time has been spent on various new endeavors (namely my Buffalo-based film series, Cultivate Cinema Circle). Finally taking its rightful place at the top, D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hagedus’ Unlocking the Cage is in the midst of being scored by composer James Lavino, according to Lavino’s own personal site. Though the project has been taking shape at its own leisurely pace, I’d expect to see the film making its festival debut in early 2016.
Right behind, the American direct cinema masters is a Texan soon to make his non-fiction debut with Voyage of Time. Just two weeks ago indieWIRE reported that Ennio Morricone, who scored...
Right behind, the American direct cinema masters is a Texan soon to make his non-fiction debut with Voyage of Time. Just two weeks ago indieWIRE reported that Ennio Morricone, who scored...
- 11/5/2015
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
Chicago – Before the days of 24/7 internet access to every form of entertainment that exists, there were eras of radical performance expression that changed the landscape of attitudes toward everything – think of The Beatles evolving music and also changing social culture. The roots of another evolution, especially in comedy, began with a modest humor magazine that brought together the right mix of anarchists and misfits. What they did would influence comedy for years afterward, and their story is told in “Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of National Lampoon,” directed by Douglas Tirola.
“National Lampoon” Magazine was a national publication founded in 1970, that was spawned from the Harvard Lampoon, and brought together a team of 1960s-influenced comic radicals that changed the way humor was conveyed. No sacred cows existed on their pages, and the magazine also broke out into signature comedy records, stage performances and radio shows. This cottage industry featured...
“National Lampoon” Magazine was a national publication founded in 1970, that was spawned from the Harvard Lampoon, and brought together a team of 1960s-influenced comic radicals that changed the way humor was conveyed. No sacred cows existed on their pages, and the magazine also broke out into signature comedy records, stage performances and radio shows. This cottage industry featured...
- 10/19/2015
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon
Directed by Douglas Tirola
United States, 2015
The words “National Lampoon” might mean different things depending on your generation: a magazine, Animal House, Saturday Night Live, a still-ongoing spate of raunchy films, that publication that you always get confused with Mad Magazine.
Douglas Tirola’s vivacious documentary neatly puts that history into perspective, in a fast-paced paean that celebrates the magazines vulgarity.
Tracing the history from its founding at Harvard, through the golden years, and into a mostly dismal, occasionally tragic ending, Tirola’s film uses a whole lot of comics straight from the magazine, sometimes in animated form, to punctuate and, effectively, illustrate the rise and fall of a mini-empire. Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead is often hilarious, if for no other reason then just from the old drawings themselves, which have remarkable staying power and prescience.
Part of the point...
Directed by Douglas Tirola
United States, 2015
The words “National Lampoon” might mean different things depending on your generation: a magazine, Animal House, Saturday Night Live, a still-ongoing spate of raunchy films, that publication that you always get confused with Mad Magazine.
Douglas Tirola’s vivacious documentary neatly puts that history into perspective, in a fast-paced paean that celebrates the magazines vulgarity.
Tracing the history from its founding at Harvard, through the golden years, and into a mostly dismal, occasionally tragic ending, Tirola’s film uses a whole lot of comics straight from the magazine, sometimes in animated form, to punctuate and, effectively, illustrate the rise and fall of a mini-empire. Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead is often hilarious, if for no other reason then just from the old drawings themselves, which have remarkable staying power and prescience.
Part of the point...
- 10/13/2015
- by Neal Dhand
- SoundOnSight
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