Documentary director Jeff Kaufman has given an update on the situation for detained award-winning Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh following an in-depth call with her husband Reza Khandan.
Kaufman and his casting director and producer wife Marcia Ross became close with Khandan while making their 2020 Olivia Colman-narrated documentary Nasrin.
The immersive work follows Sotoudeh’s battle to defend human rights in the face of abuses by Iran’s hardline Islamic Republic regime.
“This morning we had an in-depth conversation with Nasrin’s indefatigable husband Reza Khandan. He authorized us to release this update,” wrote Kaufman in a note sent out on Monday evening.
Sotoudeh was among a number of women arrested at the funeral on October 29 of tragic Tehran teenager Armita Geravand, who went into a coma and died after allegedly being assaulted by the country’s morality police for not wearing Iran’s obligatory veil.
The detainees...
Kaufman and his casting director and producer wife Marcia Ross became close with Khandan while making their 2020 Olivia Colman-narrated documentary Nasrin.
The immersive work follows Sotoudeh’s battle to defend human rights in the face of abuses by Iran’s hardline Islamic Republic regime.
“This morning we had an in-depth conversation with Nasrin’s indefatigable husband Reza Khandan. He authorized us to release this update,” wrote Kaufman in a note sent out on Monday evening.
Sotoudeh was among a number of women arrested at the funeral on October 29 of tragic Tehran teenager Armita Geravand, who went into a coma and died after allegedly being assaulted by the country’s morality police for not wearing Iran’s obligatory veil.
The detainees...
- 11/6/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Updated November 2… Fears are growing for the health of detained Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh following fresh details of the violent circumstances of her arrest and current physical condition.
Sotoudeh was among several women who were arrested at the funeral in Tehran on Sunday of teenager Armita Geravand, who died after allegedly being assaulted as they arrested her for not wearing Iran’s obligatory veil.
Sotoudeh’s husband, Reza Khandan has revealed that a group of some 50 police and security personnel charged at the mourners gathered at the funeral, beating some and dragging others across gravestones as they were arrested.
Following a subsequent prison visit, Khandan reported that Sotoudeh had said that she was covered in bruises, that the back of her head remained swollen, and that she was experiencing a prolonged headache.
New York-based freedom of expression champion Pen called on the Iranian authorities to transfer Sotoudeh access to hospital withou delay.
Sotoudeh was among several women who were arrested at the funeral in Tehran on Sunday of teenager Armita Geravand, who died after allegedly being assaulted as they arrested her for not wearing Iran’s obligatory veil.
Sotoudeh’s husband, Reza Khandan has revealed that a group of some 50 police and security personnel charged at the mourners gathered at the funeral, beating some and dragging others across gravestones as they were arrested.
Following a subsequent prison visit, Khandan reported that Sotoudeh had said that she was covered in bruises, that the back of her head remained swollen, and that she was experiencing a prolonged headache.
New York-based freedom of expression champion Pen called on the Iranian authorities to transfer Sotoudeh access to hospital withou delay.
- 11/2/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Jeff Kaufman and Marcia Ross’s most recent documentary on Nasrin Sotoudeh is bittersweet. Sotoudeh, often dubbed the “Nelson Mandela of Iran,” has long become a household name for her human rights activism and hijabi rights in her home country. The fight for justice is fraught under an oppressive regime, however. In 2010, the government detained her for the first time in the infamous Evin Prison. After a brief period of respite between 2013 to 2018, she now sits in the even worse Gharchak Prison for a slew of unfair charges.
Perhaps this explains why “Nasrin” (2020) was entirely filmed in secret. From 2016 to 2020, Kaufman and Ross did not publicly mention the film at all: no announcements, no disclosed film crew, no prior press. On the occasion of the film’s release on multiple Ott platforms this week, the documentary duo share with us some of the details kept under the wraps over the years.
Perhaps this explains why “Nasrin” (2020) was entirely filmed in secret. From 2016 to 2020, Kaufman and Ross did not publicly mention the film at all: no announcements, no disclosed film crew, no prior press. On the occasion of the film’s release on multiple Ott platforms this week, the documentary duo share with us some of the details kept under the wraps over the years.
- 6/24/2021
- by Grace Han
- AsianMoviePulse
Jafar Panahi Recalls Jail Time in Iran While Supporting Imprisoned Human Rights Activist — Exclusive
Jafar Panahi, the outspoken Iranian filmmaker behind 2015’s acclaimed “Taxi,” has recorded an International Women’s Day message in support of imprisoned lawyer and human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh. IndieWire is exclusively premiering Panahi’s message to Sotoudeh, which can be viewed below.
Panahi, who has been banned from filming and leaving Iran, secretly recorded the message in support of a conversation about Sotoudeh that will be co-hosted by Amnesty International USA, The Global Justice Center, and The Feminist Majority Foundation on Monday evening. The event coincides with Sotoudeh’s 100th day in prison and the international VOD release of Jeff Kaufman’s “Nasrin” documentary.
Panahi lauded Sotoudeh’s activism and outlook in his video message.
“I remember one day when Nasrin was in prison, I went to her house to visit her husband and children and in a way to comfort them,” Panahi said in the video message. “There...
Panahi, who has been banned from filming and leaving Iran, secretly recorded the message in support of a conversation about Sotoudeh that will be co-hosted by Amnesty International USA, The Global Justice Center, and The Feminist Majority Foundation on Monday evening. The event coincides with Sotoudeh’s 100th day in prison and the international VOD release of Jeff Kaufman’s “Nasrin” documentary.
Panahi lauded Sotoudeh’s activism and outlook in his video message.
“I remember one day when Nasrin was in prison, I went to her house to visit her husband and children and in a way to comfort them,” Panahi said in the video message. “There...
- 3/9/2021
- by Tyler Hersko
- Indiewire
There's an urgency about Jeff Kaufman's latest documentary that's rarely present in what we see onscreen, at least where individuals are concerned. on the one hand it's a portrait of prominent lawyer and women's rights activist Nasrin Sotoudeh. On the other, it's a call for people worldwide to show their support for her - something that her life could depend on.
Arrested in 2018 (in her second brush with the law) and charged with crimes against the state, Nasrin was sentenced to a total of 38 years in prison and 148 lashes. She was an outspoken critic of the country's rulers and had recently made headlines with her defence of women who defied the law by removing their hijabs in public. Her supporters contend that the charges against her were politically motivated and nothing has emerged to suggest otherwise.
Shortly before this review was written, Nasrin was granted three days' leave...
Arrested in 2018 (in her second brush with the law) and charged with crimes against the state, Nasrin was sentenced to a total of 38 years in prison and 148 lashes. She was an outspoken critic of the country's rulers and had recently made headlines with her defence of women who defied the law by removing their hijabs in public. Her supporters contend that the charges against her were politically motivated and nothing has emerged to suggest otherwise.
Shortly before this review was written, Nasrin was granted three days' leave...
- 1/26/2021
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
A version of this story about Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty first appeared in the Race Begins issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine.
“After 35 years of writing musicals, I’m beginning to realize that I am sort of a political writer,” said lyricist Lynn Ahrens, whose work has ranged from the Broadway musicals “Ragtime” and “Once on This Island” to the animated film “Anastasia” and the TV series “Schoolhouse Rock.” “There’s sometimes a subliminal political message in what I write, and songwriting can make a difference even if it’s not what you intended.”
She first realized this, Ahrens said, when the climactic song from the 1998 musical “Ragtime,” “Make Them Hear You,” took on a life of its own outside that show, including a spectacular version by Aretha Franklin in honor of Nelson Mandela. “That song made me understand that even if I’m writing for a specific purpose,...
“After 35 years of writing musicals, I’m beginning to realize that I am sort of a political writer,” said lyricist Lynn Ahrens, whose work has ranged from the Broadway musicals “Ragtime” and “Once on This Island” to the animated film “Anastasia” and the TV series “Schoolhouse Rock.” “There’s sometimes a subliminal political message in what I write, and songwriting can make a difference even if it’s not what you intended.”
She first realized this, Ahrens said, when the climactic song from the 1998 musical “Ragtime,” “Make Them Hear You,” took on a life of its own outside that show, including a spectacular version by Aretha Franklin in honor of Nelson Mandela. “That song made me understand that even if I’m writing for a specific purpose,...
- 1/12/2021
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
When it comes to the Best Documentary Oscar race, it helps when films have a face that voters can root for. Sure, voters often want to reward a topic that feels relevant or important, and they surely desire quality filmmaking. But history shows that giving audiences a clear protagonist to follow and care about improves a movie’s chances of being nominated. With that in mind, Oscar pundits would be wise to keep an eye on “Nasrin” and its secret weapon: its fierce and endearing subject Nasrin Sotoudeh.
Directed by Emmy nominee Jeff Kaufman (“American Masters”) and narrated by Olivia Colman, the doc, filmed secretly in Iran, follows human rights lawyer Sotoudeh on her quest for justice against an oppressive regime. Many of her clients are set to be executed and she vigorously fights against the use of the death penalty. Her biggest cause, however, may be rebuffing unjust mandatory hijab laws for Iranian women.
Directed by Emmy nominee Jeff Kaufman (“American Masters”) and narrated by Olivia Colman, the doc, filmed secretly in Iran, follows human rights lawyer Sotoudeh on her quest for justice against an oppressive regime. Many of her clients are set to be executed and she vigorously fights against the use of the death penalty. Her biggest cause, however, may be rebuffing unjust mandatory hijab laws for Iranian women.
- 1/11/2021
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
“Her story is so compelling… there’s no way that you couldn’t do it,” says composer Stephen Flaherty of crafting a song for the documentary “Nasrin,” about Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh. Filmmaker Jeff Kaufman showed Flaherty and lyricist Lynn Ahrens a rough cut of his film, and the Tony winning songwriting team was so moved they didn’t even need to discuss whether they would write a tune or not. “The movie is so emotional,” recounts Ahrens, “it just seemed to call for something that was human and intimate, yet stirring.” The pair quickly came up with a song that lives up to those requirements: “How Can I Tell You?” Watch the exclusive video interview above.
The lyrics appear to conjure Sotoudeh herself, referencing the activist lawyer’s time in jail. That’s no accident. “As theatre writers, we tend to channel characters… you try to become the character you’re writing,...
The lyrics appear to conjure Sotoudeh herself, referencing the activist lawyer’s time in jail. That’s no accident. “As theatre writers, we tend to channel characters… you try to become the character you’re writing,...
- 1/6/2021
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
Grammy winner Angélique Kidjo has released the music video for “How Can I Tell You?” from the new documentary “Nasrin.” The song is written by Lynn Ahrens (lyrics) and Stephen Flaherty (music). The film chronicles the life of activist Nasrin Sotoudeh, who fought for women’s rights in Iran, as well as the rights of children and journalists, and was arrested in June 2018. She’s serving a sentence of 38 years in prison.
Said Kidjo who featured on the BBC’s list of the 100 most inspiring and influential women: “I am so glad to be part of this beautiful project. I want Nasrin to be free because if she’s not free, none of us are free. She’s fighting for human rights, the right to decide what we want to do with our lives, the right to choose our own future. I think each one of us around the world...
Said Kidjo who featured on the BBC’s list of the 100 most inspiring and influential women: “I am so glad to be part of this beautiful project. I want Nasrin to be free because if she’s not free, none of us are free. She’s fighting for human rights, the right to decide what we want to do with our lives, the right to choose our own future. I think each one of us around the world...
- 1/6/2021
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Doc NYC, America’s largest documentary festival and staple of the New York film community, announced the lineup for its 11th edition, running online November 11-19 and available to viewers across the US. The program includes new films about John Belushi, Pope Francis, Bill T. Jones, Jamal Khashoggi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Frank Zappa, and many more. The 2020 festival lineup includes 107 feature-length documentaries among over 200 films and dozens of events. Included are 23 World Premieres, 12 international or North American premieres, and 7 US premieres. Fifty-seven features (53% of the lineup) are directed or co-directed by women and 36 by Bipoc directors (34% of the feature program).
World Premieres at the festival include Nelson G. Navarrete and Maxx Caicedo’s “A La Calle,” Petra Epperlein and Michael Tucker’s “The Meaning of Hitler,” Gong Cheng and Yung Chang’s “Wuhan Wuhan,” Sian-Pierre Regis’s “Duty Free,” Noah Hutton’s “In Silico,” Nancy Buirski’s “A Crime on the Bayou,...
World Premieres at the festival include Nelson G. Navarrete and Maxx Caicedo’s “A La Calle,” Petra Epperlein and Michael Tucker’s “The Meaning of Hitler,” Gong Cheng and Yung Chang’s “Wuhan Wuhan,” Sian-Pierre Regis’s “Duty Free,” Noah Hutton’s “In Silico,” Nancy Buirski’s “A Crime on the Bayou,...
- 10/15/2020
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Virgil Films & Entertainment has acquired North American rights to Nasrin, a documentary about activist Nasrin Sotoudeh narrated by Oscar winner Olivia Colman.
Sotoudeh is a human rights activists and an outspoken leader of Iran’s women’s rights movement. Last week, she cited serious health concerns in ending a six-week hunger strike in Evin Prison, where she has been serving a nearly four-decade sentence. Millions of people from around the world have called for her release.
Secretly filmed in Iran by men and women who asked that they not be identified due to the high level of risk involved, Nasrin is directed, produced, written by Jeff Kaufman and produced by Marcia S. Ross. The pair earned Emmy nominations for Terrence McNally: Every Act of Life.
The film features an original song by Tony-winning composers Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, performed by Grammy winner Angélique Kidjo. Washington Post columnist...
Sotoudeh is a human rights activists and an outspoken leader of Iran’s women’s rights movement. Last week, she cited serious health concerns in ending a six-week hunger strike in Evin Prison, where she has been serving a nearly four-decade sentence. Millions of people from around the world have called for her release.
Secretly filmed in Iran by men and women who asked that they not be identified due to the high level of risk involved, Nasrin is directed, produced, written by Jeff Kaufman and produced by Marcia S. Ross. The pair earned Emmy nominations for Terrence McNally: Every Act of Life.
The film features an original song by Tony-winning composers Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, performed by Grammy winner Angélique Kidjo. Washington Post columnist...
- 9/29/2020
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Playwright Terrence McNally’s death from coronavirus-related causes in late March deprived the theater world of one of its greatest talents, a four-time Tony Award winner known for Master Class and Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, among many other works. Just how much he achieved in his 81 years comes into focus in the Emmy-contending documentary Terrence McNally: Every Act of Life, directed by Jeff Kaufman and produced by Marcia Ross.
“At every stage of Terrence’s life, he keeps pushing himself in a new direction,” Kaufman tells Deadline. “He never plays it safe. He’s a truth teller.”
The film premiered on PBS last year as part of American Masters. That series, winner of 28 Emmys to date, is once again up for consideration as Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series, and the Terrence McNally episode will appear on nomination ballots in the directing, editing, cinematography and sound categories.
“At every stage of Terrence’s life, he keeps pushing himself in a new direction,” Kaufman tells Deadline. “He never plays it safe. He’s a truth teller.”
The film premiered on PBS last year as part of American Masters. That series, winner of 28 Emmys to date, is once again up for consideration as Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series, and the Terrence McNally episode will appear on nomination ballots in the directing, editing, cinematography and sound categories.
- 6/8/2020
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: New York’s Drama League and filmmakers Jeff Kaufman and Marcia Ross have teamed up for a special video tribute to Terrence McNally. The playwright was set to receive the League’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Unique Contribution to Theater when he died last month due to complications from Covid-19.
Watch an exclusive preview of the tribute video below.
With the pandemic preventing social gatherings, the League is re-envisioning its 86th Annual Awards celebration on April 30 as a virtual tribute and fundraiser rebranded as The Gratitude Awards. The online event will include taped vignettes from such Broadway stars as Aaron Tveit, Adrienne Warren, Condola Rashad, Elizabeth Stanley, Idina Menzel, Jeremy Pope, Kelli O’Hara, Kristin Chenoweth, Marianne Elliott, Megan Hilty, Nathan Lane, and Sutton Foster, among others.
McNally’s husband Tom Kirdahy will accept the lifetime achievement award on behalf of the Love! Valour! Compassion! playwright, and a special In...
Watch an exclusive preview of the tribute video below.
With the pandemic preventing social gatherings, the League is re-envisioning its 86th Annual Awards celebration on April 30 as a virtual tribute and fundraiser rebranded as The Gratitude Awards. The online event will include taped vignettes from such Broadway stars as Aaron Tveit, Adrienne Warren, Condola Rashad, Elizabeth Stanley, Idina Menzel, Jeremy Pope, Kelli O’Hara, Kristin Chenoweth, Marianne Elliott, Megan Hilty, Nathan Lane, and Sutton Foster, among others.
McNally’s husband Tom Kirdahy will accept the lifetime achievement award on behalf of the Love! Valour! Compassion! playwright, and a special In...
- 4/28/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The Drama League has just announcedThe Gratitude Awards Spring 2020, a one time only pre-recorded digital fundraiser, is set to air on Thursday, April 30 at 730pm Est. The Gratitude Awards is a large-scale kindness project designed to share the gift of gratitude from within the theater community, with NYC, and to all. The program will include vignettes from Friends of the Drama League, which is inclusive of Broadway's biggest stars, past Honorees and Award NomineesRecipients. The Drama League is also proud to announce the special Honorees nominated before the Covid- 19 crisis, Marianne Elliott as the recipient of the Founders Award for Excellence in Directing, and Terrence McNally as the recipient of the Unique Contribution to Theater Award. Tom Kirdahy will accept on behalf of Mr. McNally and the program will be inclusive of an In Memoriam, presented by Jeff Kaufman Marcia Ross producers of Terrence McNally Every Act of Life.
- 4/16/2020
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
IndieWire asked Jeff Kaufman, the writer-producer-director of “Every Act of Life,” a documentary about Tony-winning playwright Terrence McNally, to remember the writer of the books for musicals “Kiss of the Spider Woman — the Musical,” and “Ragtime,” as well as “Master Class” and two plays that he adapted into “Love! Valour! Compassion!” and “Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune,” which were directed by Joe Mantello and Garry Marshall, respectively. On Wednesday, McNally, who had been fighting lung cancer, succumbed at age 81 from complications of the Coronavirus.
When I first spoke to Terrence McNally about making a documentary on his life, he said something like, “Everything you need to know about me is in my work. What is there to say?” As everyone who has seen or read Terrence’s plays, books for musicals, opera librettos, and screenplays knows, there is so much to discover (and appreciate) in the characters and worlds he created.
When I first spoke to Terrence McNally about making a documentary on his life, he said something like, “Everything you need to know about me is in my work. What is there to say?” As everyone who has seen or read Terrence’s plays, books for musicals, opera librettos, and screenplays knows, there is so much to discover (and appreciate) in the characters and worlds he created.
- 3/25/2020
- by Jeff Kaufman
- Indiewire
Terrence McNally died today from complications of coronavirus with New York City in lockdown Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Terrence McNally Photo: Al Pereira
At his press conference this afternoon New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio paid tribute to Terrence McNally, the four-time Tony Award winning playwright, who died today at the age of 81 from coronavirus complications. The Mayor noted that at NYU he was a roommate of Tom Kirdahy, Terrence McNally’s husband, and that he renewed their vows at City Hall.
Terrence McNally’s screenwriting credits include Garry Marshall’s Frankie And Johnny, starring Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer, Richard Lester’s The Ritz and Joe Mantello’s Love! Valour! Compassion!.
Jeff Kaufman’s Terrence McNally: Every Act Of Life (with interviews of Christine Baranski, Tyne Daly, Edie Falco, John Kander, Nathan Lane, Angela Lansbury, Audra McDonald, Rita Moreno, Billy Porter, Chita Rivera, Doris Roberts, John Slattery and Patrick Wilson,...
Terrence McNally Photo: Al Pereira
At his press conference this afternoon New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio paid tribute to Terrence McNally, the four-time Tony Award winning playwright, who died today at the age of 81 from coronavirus complications. The Mayor noted that at NYU he was a roommate of Tom Kirdahy, Terrence McNally’s husband, and that he renewed their vows at City Hall.
Terrence McNally’s screenwriting credits include Garry Marshall’s Frankie And Johnny, starring Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer, Richard Lester’s The Ritz and Joe Mantello’s Love! Valour! Compassion!.
Jeff Kaufman’s Terrence McNally: Every Act Of Life (with interviews of Christine Baranski, Tyne Daly, Edie Falco, John Kander, Nathan Lane, Angela Lansbury, Audra McDonald, Rita Moreno, Billy Porter, Chita Rivera, Doris Roberts, John Slattery and Patrick Wilson,...
- 3/24/2020
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
The Hamptons Doc Fest on Thursday unveiled the lineup for its 11th edition, which will include a tribute to former HBO Documentary Films president Sheila Nevins.
The festival will open on Nov. 29 with Jeff Kaufman's Every Act of Life, a film about Terrence McNally, with the four-time Tony Award-winning playwright in attendance. And the closing night film on Dec. 3 is Free Solo, about free-solo climber Alex Honnold, by directors Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi.
The Hamptons Doc Fest will also hold a tribute for veteran producer and former president of HBO Documentary Films Sheila Nevins, who will be ...
The festival will open on Nov. 29 with Jeff Kaufman's Every Act of Life, a film about Terrence McNally, with the four-time Tony Award-winning playwright in attendance. And the closing night film on Dec. 3 is Free Solo, about free-solo climber Alex Honnold, by directors Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi.
The Hamptons Doc Fest will also hold a tribute for veteran producer and former president of HBO Documentary Films Sheila Nevins, who will be ...
- 10/25/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
The Hamptons Doc Fest on Thursday unveiled the lineup for its 11th edition, which will include a tribute to former HBO Documentary Films president Sheila Nevins.
The festival will open on Nov. 29 with Jeff Kaufman's Every Act of Life, a film about Terrence McNally, with the four-time Tony Award-winning playwright in attendance. And the closing night film on Dec. 3 is Free Solo, about free-solo climber Alex Honnold, by directors Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi.
The Hamptons Doc Fest will also hold a tribute for veteran producer and former president of HBO Documentary Films Sheila Nevins, who will be ...
The festival will open on Nov. 29 with Jeff Kaufman's Every Act of Life, a film about Terrence McNally, with the four-time Tony Award-winning playwright in attendance. And the closing night film on Dec. 3 is Free Solo, about free-solo climber Alex Honnold, by directors Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi.
The Hamptons Doc Fest will also hold a tribute for veteran producer and former president of HBO Documentary Films Sheila Nevins, who will be ...
- 10/25/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
"Terrence is able to get to the core of the human condition in so many ways." The Orchard has released an official trailer for a documentary titled Every Act of Life, an uplifting film about the acclaimed, beloved Tony-winning playwright Terrence McNally. McNally, now 79 years old, has been described as "a probing and enduring dramatist" and also "one of the greatest contemporary playwrights the theater world has yet produced." He has been working in theater for over 60 years, creating groundbreaking plays and musicals, fighting for Lgbt rights, and winning four Tonys in the process. The doc film is not only about him and his life, but also the pursuit of love and inspiration at every age, and the power of the arts to transform society. Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Jeff Kaufman's doc Every Act of Life, direct from YouTube: A film about four-time Tony-winning playwright Terrence...
- 10/23/2018
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
NewFest, the New York-set Lgbtq film festival that is celebrating its 30th year, has unveiled its full linuep of movies ahead of its run October 24-30. As previously announced, the fest opens with Yen Tan’s AIDS drama 1985 starring Gotham‘s Corey Michael Smith, The Gifted‘s Jamie Chung, Aidan Langford, Virginia Madsen and Michael Chiklis.
This year’s slate includes the New York Centerpiece screening of the Matt Smith-starring Mapplethorpe; the Telluride-bowing Boy Erased starring Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe and Lucas Hedges as the U.S. Centerpiece; and the International Centerpiece Rafiki, Wanuri Kahiu’s pic that has been banned in its native Keyna for centering on a relationship between two women.
Also on tap is the Documentary Centerpiece film Dykes, Camera, Action. The fest will close with Robert Clift and Hillary Demmon’s Making Montgomery Clift.
This year’s lineup features programming from 32 countries, with 46 feature films,...
This year’s slate includes the New York Centerpiece screening of the Matt Smith-starring Mapplethorpe; the Telluride-bowing Boy Erased starring Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe and Lucas Hedges as the U.S. Centerpiece; and the International Centerpiece Rafiki, Wanuri Kahiu’s pic that has been banned in its native Keyna for centering on a relationship between two women.
Also on tap is the Documentary Centerpiece film Dykes, Camera, Action. The fest will close with Robert Clift and Hillary Demmon’s Making Montgomery Clift.
This year’s lineup features programming from 32 countries, with 46 feature films,...
- 9/21/2018
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Pride Films and Plays will host the first Chicago screening of the documentary Every Act Of Life, a feature-length documentary film by Jeff Kaufman about Terrence McNally, one of theatre's most important and prolific playwrights of the last half-century. Every Act Of Life profiles McNally's pioneering five-decade career in the theater, focusing on the struggle for Lgbt rights and his pursuit of love and inspiration at every age. The 93-minute film features Angela Lansbury, F. Murray Abraham, Larry Kramer, Nathan Lane, Audra McDonald, Edie Falco, Christine Baranski, Patrick Wilson, Billy Porter, and many more artists who have worked with McNally over his career.
- 9/14/2018
- by TV News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
Few if any living playwrights have been as successful for as long as Terrence McNally. “Every Act of Life” provides a predictably starry, rather standard, but satisfying overview of a prodigious career that is still going full-steam as the writer nears his ninth decade. It may require posterity to deliver a film that really weighs McNally’s influence, strengths, and weaknesses as a dramatist; Jeff Kaufman’s feature is more of a biographical valentine, aimed squarely at fans already somewhat knowledgeable about the subject’s life, works, and times. It should play well wherever such aficionados can be found — which is to say, anywhere Broadway and gay theater have a loyal base.
Opening with footage of McNally receiving a Tony — one of four won so far — for “Master Class” in 1996, this straightforward bio then backtracks to the start of a strictly chronological hagiography. Our protagonist traces lifelong “feelings of not...
Opening with footage of McNally receiving a Tony — one of four won so far — for “Master Class” in 1996, this straightforward bio then backtracks to the start of a strictly chronological hagiography. Our protagonist traces lifelong “feelings of not...
- 6/30/2018
- by Dennis Harvey
- Variety Film + TV
Essential viewing for theatre lovers, Every Act of Life which had its World Premiere at the 17th Tribeca Film Festival, is a tribute to the continuing career of multiple Tony-winning playwright Terrence McNally. His groundbreaking inclusion of layered gay characters and openness about his own sexuality made him stand out among his contemporaries such as Edward Albee, with whom he had a relationship as the film explores.
One of the film’s strengths it that although it is a loving portrait, it allows its contributors including Nathan Lane and Christine Baranski to discuss less flattering aspects of their experience of working with McNally as well as honouring him. The playwright himself is forthright about his own struggles with alcohol and recounts a memorable run in with screen legend Lauren Bacall at a Sondheim house party when he spilt a drink on the her. We also hear both sides of an...
One of the film’s strengths it that although it is a loving portrait, it allows its contributors including Nathan Lane and Christine Baranski to discuss less flattering aspects of their experience of working with McNally as well as honouring him. The playwright himself is forthright about his own struggles with alcohol and recounts a memorable run in with screen legend Lauren Bacall at a Sondheim house party when he spilt a drink on the her. We also hear both sides of an...
- 4/30/2018
- by James Kleinmann
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
This year’s Tribeca Film Festival will again live-stream a dozen panels and events exclusively on Facebook for free — no ticket or trip to Manhattan required.
The 12 sessions from Tribeca include the April 19 panel with HBO’s “Westworld” co-creators/showrunners/directors Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, along with cast members Evan Rachel Wood (pictured above), Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright, and James Marsden. They’ll be talking about the upcoming season 2 premiere, slated for April 22, after it screens at the festival.
Tribeca’s Facebook live-streams also are scheduled to include sessions with Spike Lee, Alec Baldwin, Jamie Foxx, Paris Hilton, Nathan Lane, Christine Baranski, André Leon Tally, Antonio Banderas, Terrance McNally and John Legend. The 2018 Tribeca Film Festival, presented by At&T, runs April 18-29.
The talks are available exclusively via Facebook Live on the Tribeca Film Festival Facebook page at facebook.com/tribeca. Tribeca also live-streamed 12 panels during last year’s fest on Facebook.
The 12 sessions from Tribeca include the April 19 panel with HBO’s “Westworld” co-creators/showrunners/directors Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, along with cast members Evan Rachel Wood (pictured above), Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright, and James Marsden. They’ll be talking about the upcoming season 2 premiere, slated for April 22, after it screens at the festival.
Tribeca’s Facebook live-streams also are scheduled to include sessions with Spike Lee, Alec Baldwin, Jamie Foxx, Paris Hilton, Nathan Lane, Christine Baranski, André Leon Tally, Antonio Banderas, Terrance McNally and John Legend. The 2018 Tribeca Film Festival, presented by At&T, runs April 18-29.
The talks are available exclusively via Facebook Live on the Tribeca Film Festival Facebook page at facebook.com/tribeca. Tribeca also live-streamed 12 panels during last year’s fest on Facebook.
- 4/18/2018
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety Film + TV
In late April, theater lovers devote most of their attention to the clutch of Broadway shows rushing to open before the eligibility cutoff for Tony nominations. But this year fans should be keeping an eye on things downtown too: New projects by or about Broadway talent aren’t onstage. They’re at a film festival — the Tribeca Film Festival (running April 18-29), where Terrence McNally, Howard Ashman, Michael Mayer and Stephen Karam are all in the mix.
Every Act of Life (pictured top)
Jeff Kaufman and Marcia Ross’ documentary, making its world premiere at the festival, chronicles the life of McNally, the veteran, out-and-proud playwright and four-time Tony winner behind “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” “Ragtime,” “Love! Valour! Compassion!” and more. The biopic — which counts Audra McDonald, Christine Baranski, Angela Lansbury, Meryl Streep and Bryan Cranston among those involved — touches on everything from McNally’s romance with Edward Albee to...
Every Act of Life (pictured top)
Jeff Kaufman and Marcia Ross’ documentary, making its world premiere at the festival, chronicles the life of McNally, the veteran, out-and-proud playwright and four-time Tony winner behind “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” “Ragtime,” “Love! Valour! Compassion!” and more. The biopic — which counts Audra McDonald, Christine Baranski, Angela Lansbury, Meryl Streep and Bryan Cranston among those involved — touches on everything from McNally’s romance with Edward Albee to...
- 4/10/2018
- by Gordon Cox
- Variety Film + TV
Every Act of Life, directed and written by Jeff Kaufman. Produced by Jeff Kaufman, Marcia Ross. Will have its world debut at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festical on April 23rd. Every Act of Life presents a revealing portrait of four-time Tony-winning playwright Terrence McNally's groundbreaking life and work of 4-time Tony-winning playwright Terrence McNally a personal journey through 5-decades of the American theatre, the struggle for Lgbt rights, triumph over addiction, the power of the arts to shape society, and finding love and inspiration at all ages.
- 4/4/2018
- by TV News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
"The State of Marriage," which follows the long struggle of Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders' Mary Bonauto and Vermont lawyers Beth Robinson and Susan Murray to secure marriage equality for same-sex couples in the state, premieres June 18 at the Provincetown Film Festival. Toh! has an exclusive first look at the poster for the film below. Directed by Jeff Kaufman, who co-produced with Marcia Ross (among many women who were key to getting the film made) "The State of Marriage" traces the trio's pioneering work—against powerful, vocal opposition—across two decades. In 1999, after a landmark decision by the State Supreme Court, Vermont became the first state to recognize legal rights for same-sex couples; in 2009, the state became the first to legalize marriage equality by legislative vote. Their grassroots campaign is considered instrumental in the broader movement-building that's seen same-sex marriage become legal in 37 states and Washington, D.C. in...
- 6/9/2015
- by Matt Brennan
- Thompson on Hollywood
We return with another edition of the Indie Spotlight, highlighting recent independent horror news sent our way. Today’s feature includes a behind-the-scenes video from Dead in Tombstone, details on the Box of Dread, first poster for Proxy, All Cheerleaders Die premiere details, and much more:
Dead in Tombstone: “In celebration of the upcoming release of Dead in Tombstone on Blu-ray & DVD on 10/22, here’s the new bonus feature “Horses, Guns & Explosions,” Danny Trejo, director Roel Reine and producer Mike Elliott talk about the big explosions audiences will see in the upcoming film.
Danny Trejo (Machete), Anthony Michael Hall (The Dark Knight) and Oscar nominee Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler) star in this unrated, action-packed battle for vengeance. As a ruthless gang overruns a small mining town, they murder their own leader, Guerrero Hernandez (Trejo), in a cold-blooded power grab. Sentenced to eternity in hell, Guerrero finds himself confronted by...
Dead in Tombstone: “In celebration of the upcoming release of Dead in Tombstone on Blu-ray & DVD on 10/22, here’s the new bonus feature “Horses, Guns & Explosions,” Danny Trejo, director Roel Reine and producer Mike Elliott talk about the big explosions audiences will see in the upcoming film.
Danny Trejo (Machete), Anthony Michael Hall (The Dark Knight) and Oscar nominee Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler) star in this unrated, action-packed battle for vengeance. As a ruthless gang overruns a small mining town, they murder their own leader, Guerrero Hernandez (Trejo), in a cold-blooded power grab. Sentenced to eternity in hell, Guerrero finds himself confronted by...
- 8/25/2013
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
The second best thing about this week's Nyff screening of The Savoy King: Chick Webb and the Music that Changed America might have been the audience -- a fire-hazard crowd of friends, family and jazz enthusiasts ready to laugh, hoot, and more than once, sing along to the music. But the first best thing was 92-year-old Norma Miller, a delightful presence both on film and live on-stage, where she joined director Jeff Kaufman for a lively but all-too brief Q&A. Nattily dressed in a black cap and sequined, sparkling jacket, the Queen of Swing spoke passionately about the power of jazz, the thrill of her days as a dancer at Harlem's legendary Savoy Ballroom and of course her love for the bandleader and drummer Chick Webb, who succumbed at age 30 from complications from tuberculosis. He died far too early for his fans but not too early to have built...
- 10/5/2012
- by Sheerly Avni
- Thompson on Hollywood
A trailer has surfaced for the Swing-era feature documentary The Savoy King: Chick Webb & The Music That Changed America, which screens at the New York Film Festival starting this month. Last month we posted some clips from the upcoming the the New Heritage Theatre Group co-production, directed/produced by Jeff Kaufman and edited by Jamal El-Amin. Described as "a meditation on the transformative power of art," Savoy King follows the short life of drummer Chick Webb, who suffered from Spinal Tuberculosis since he was a child, as he built the hottest American Jazz orchestra based at the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem, NY. The doc, which also tells the story of...
- 9/10/2012
- by Vanessa Martinez
- ShadowAndAct
Screening at the New York Film Festival this October as part of the fest's "On The Arts" Special Events, the Swing-era feature documentary The Savoy King: Chick Webb & The Music That Changed America, follows the short life of drummer Chick Webb, who suffered from Spinal Tuberculosis since he was a child, as he built the hottest American Jazz orchestra based at the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem, NY. Described as "a meditation on the transformative power of art," the New Heritage Theatre Group co-production is directed/produced by Jeff Kaufman and edited by Jamal El-Amin. The Savoy King, which also tells the story of Ella Fitzgerald, quotes the greatest legends in...
- 8/21/2012
- by Vanessa Martinez
- ShadowAndAct
You could count me as enthusiastic for this year’s initial New York Film Festival lineup — no, I won’t even bother listing all the auteurs — so hats off to Lincoln Center for making it all the better. In unveiling their Masterworks, Cinema Reflected, On the Arts, and Special Events selection, it’s become evident that 2012 will bring forth a glut of outside-the-lines works.
The most notable of these would be an 8k Lawrence of Arabia restoration; a documentary “preview” from Oliver Stone; Odd Man Out, the follow-up to 2008′s excellent Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired; the acclaimed Kubrick documentary, Room 237; something about Ingmar Bergman & Liv Ullmann; and even The Princess Bride. Talk about something for everybody.
Read the list below:
Masterworks
Lawrence of Arabia (David Lean, 1962, UK/USA)
The screen’s greatest epic returns in a magnificent 8K restoration. A Sony Pictures Repertory release.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (David Hand,...
The most notable of these would be an 8k Lawrence of Arabia restoration; a documentary “preview” from Oliver Stone; Odd Man Out, the follow-up to 2008′s excellent Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired; the acclaimed Kubrick documentary, Room 237; something about Ingmar Bergman & Liv Ullmann; and even The Princess Bride. Talk about something for everybody.
Read the list below:
Masterworks
Lawrence of Arabia (David Lean, 1962, UK/USA)
The screen’s greatest epic returns in a magnificent 8K restoration. A Sony Pictures Repertory release.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (David Hand,...
- 8/21/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
HollywoodNews.com: The 38th Seattle International Film Festival, the largest and most highly-attended event of its kind in the United States concluded today with the announcement of the Siff 2012 Competition Awards and Golden Space Needle Audience Awards. The 25-day Festival, which began May 17, featured over 460 films from more than 70 countries, including 65 feature premieres (24 World, 25 North American, 16 U.S.) and over 700 screenings. Additionally, Siff brought in more than 300 directors, actors and industry professionals.
“A festival’s success is dependent on two basic principles: providing a platform for filmmakers to be celebrated and connecting them to audience members that would not otherwise be aware of their remarkable stories,” said Siff Artistic Director Carl Spence. “This year a record number of filmmakers participated in person and online with virtual Q&A’s successfully expanding the conversation around the best in cinema with passionate audiences, illuminating guests and distinguished industry in attendance.”
Siff Managing Director Deborah Person said,...
“A festival’s success is dependent on two basic principles: providing a platform for filmmakers to be celebrated and connecting them to audience members that would not otherwise be aware of their remarkable stories,” said Siff Artistic Director Carl Spence. “This year a record number of filmmakers participated in person and online with virtual Q&A’s successfully expanding the conversation around the best in cinema with passionate audiences, illuminating guests and distinguished industry in attendance.”
Siff Managing Director Deborah Person said,...
- 6/10/2012
- by Josh Abraham
- Hollywoodnews.com
I can't remember a time I went to the Seattle International Film Festival (Siff) press launch and looked over the list of films and saw so many I was interested in seeing. The claim to fame for over the years is to call it the largest and most-highly attended festival in the United States. This is a fact I've often taken issue with as I don't equate quantity with quality. Granted, there has been a large number of quality features to play the fest over the years, including Golden Space Needle (Best Film) winners such as Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985), My Life as a Dog (1987), Trainspotting (1996), Run Lola Run (1999), Whale Rider (2003) and even recent Best Director winner, Michel Hazanavicius's Oss 117: Nest of Spies in 2006. That said, looking over this year's crop of films I see a lot of films I will be doing my absolute best to see.
- 4/27/2012
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Kcet is airing a special broadcast of Les Guthman's must-see 1996 feature docu, Corwin on Saturday night at 8:00 p.m., followed by a show about the 1938 radio drama The Plot to Overthrow Christmas, in tribute to the late great radio pioneer Norman Corwin, who passed away last week at 101. Corwin left radio in 1955 during the McCarthy era and wrote Hollywood screenplays, including Lust for Life, which earned him an Oscar nomination. Thanks to documentary filmmaker Jeff Kaufman, I got to meet Corwin, who was still dazzling as he neared his centennial. Here's the Nyt obit:Mr. Corwin was a prolific writer and producer for CBS in the 1930s and ’40s, best known for his dramatizations of American history, vivid human-interest reports from abroad ...
- 10/26/2011
- Thompson on Hollywood
The trailer for horror film Blood Fare has been released online after having its world premiere on the Big City Comics video wall at this year's San Diego Comic-Con.
It's the fourth film from writer-director J.A. Steel following her horror shocker Denizen, supernatural thriller Salvation and action feature The Third Society.
Steel attended the premiere with cast members Gil Gerard (famous for his lead role in the TV series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century) and Savannah Ostler (Vengeance, Splattercontainer Scream Queen October 2010).
Also there was Jeff Kaufman, creator of the new graphic novel Terminal Alice, published by Big City Comics and centring on five female contract killers who find they each have a price on their head and must work together to find out who wants them dead. Pictured above at the launch are Resurrection Studios' Dave Stewart, Savannah Ostler, Gil Gerard and Jeff Kaufman.
Blood Fare is a...
It's the fourth film from writer-director J.A. Steel following her horror shocker Denizen, supernatural thriller Salvation and action feature The Third Society.
Steel attended the premiere with cast members Gil Gerard (famous for his lead role in the TV series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century) and Savannah Ostler (Vengeance, Splattercontainer Scream Queen October 2010).
Also there was Jeff Kaufman, creator of the new graphic novel Terminal Alice, published by Big City Comics and centring on five female contract killers who find they each have a price on their head and must work together to find out who wants them dead. Pictured above at the launch are Resurrection Studios' Dave Stewart, Savannah Ostler, Gil Gerard and Jeff Kaufman.
Blood Fare is a...
- 7/31/2011
- by David Bentley
- The Geek Files
Another Civil War-themed horror film in Blood Fare has got a new trailer, that played at Sdcc 2011, and a press release came out about the film, directed by J.A. Steel.
On July 26, 2011, the trailer of the award-winning female writer and director J.A. Steel’s fourth feature film, Blood Fare, hits the web after having its world premiere on the Big City Comics video wall at the San Diego Comic-Con 2011 on July 23. Steel; Gil Gerard, internationally recognized for his lead role as Captain William ‘Buck’ Rogers in the science fiction movie and television series “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century”; Savannah Ostler (Vengeance), Splattercontainer Scream Queen October 2010; and Jeff Kaufman, creator of the brand new graphic novel “Terminal Alice”, attended the world premiere.
Blood Fare is a Civil War ghost story with a modern twist by J.A. Steel and co-producer Christian K. Koch. It is the tale of Corporal Henry Trout...
On July 26, 2011, the trailer of the award-winning female writer and director J.A. Steel’s fourth feature film, Blood Fare, hits the web after having its world premiere on the Big City Comics video wall at the San Diego Comic-Con 2011 on July 23. Steel; Gil Gerard, internationally recognized for his lead role as Captain William ‘Buck’ Rogers in the science fiction movie and television series “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century”; Savannah Ostler (Vengeance), Splattercontainer Scream Queen October 2010; and Jeff Kaufman, creator of the brand new graphic novel “Terminal Alice”, attended the world premiere.
Blood Fare is a Civil War ghost story with a modern twist by J.A. Steel and co-producer Christian K. Koch. It is the tale of Corporal Henry Trout...
- 7/27/2011
- by Jon Peters
- Killer Films
With so many big movies and properties at Comic-Con this year grabbing most of the attention, it's only right that a smaller horror flick we're really looking forward to get some love. A new trailer for J.A. Steel's Blood Fare debuted at the big dance, and we have it for you right here!
From the Press Release: On July 26, 2011, the trailer of the award-winning female writer and director J.A. Steel’s fourth feature film, Blood Fare, hits the web after having its world premiere on the Big City Comics video wall at the San Diego Comic-Con 2011 on July 23. Steel; Gil Gerard, internationally recognized for his lead role as Captain William ‘Buck’ Rogers in the science fiction movie and television series “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century”; Savannah Ostler (Vengeance), Splattercontainer Scream Queen October 2010; and Jeff Kaufman, creator of the brand new graphic novel “Terminal Alice”, attended the world premiere.
From the Press Release: On July 26, 2011, the trailer of the award-winning female writer and director J.A. Steel’s fourth feature film, Blood Fare, hits the web after having its world premiere on the Big City Comics video wall at the San Diego Comic-Con 2011 on July 23. Steel; Gil Gerard, internationally recognized for his lead role as Captain William ‘Buck’ Rogers in the science fiction movie and television series “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century”; Savannah Ostler (Vengeance), Splattercontainer Scream Queen October 2010; and Jeff Kaufman, creator of the brand new graphic novel “Terminal Alice”, attended the world premiere.
- 7/26/2011
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
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