Amazing Grace, the long-awaited Aretha Franklin film which made its World Premiere at DOC NYC will get an early 2019 theatrical release by NEON, following its Oscar qualifying run in New York and Los Angeles. The film has reportedly been garnering standing ovations during its New York qualifying run.
American Dream/American Knightmare[/caption]
The new documentary film American Dream/American Knightmare, directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, Southpaw), which offers an uncensored look into the life of notorious rap mogul Marion “Suge” Knight, will world premiere on Friday, December 21 at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT on-air, on Showtime.
In American Dream/American Knightmare, critically-acclaimed director and producer Fuqua delves deep into the life and storied exploits of the iconic Death Row Records co-founder, Suge Knight, as well as the volatile and highly influential era in music that he presided over. Through a series of interviews with Knight, viewers are guided through his world as he personally reveals exactly how it all happened and why it all fell apart. Once described as the “most feared man in hip-hop,” Knight is currently in jail, sentenced to 28 years in prison after pleading no contest to voluntary manslaughter in a 2015 hit-and-run death.
“In this documentary – which took years of research, production and labor to complete – Suge Knight discusses for the first time his complex life in detail,” said Fuqua. “The audience will learn how he built and lost Death Row Records, and his views about the rap music scene. Suge also gives a first-person account and new details about the Las Vegas shooting that took the life of Tupac Shakur and also seriously injured him. This documentary will give viewers more access to Suge’s story than ever before. This is a cautionary tale of one man’s choices and the consequences of his decisions.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ran8XRQ9T6Y
From space, at night, Nigeria is awash in light. But the glow almost entirely flares from oil and gas wells. The country, with the world’s largest proven oil reserves, leaves half its population without electricity, and the rest with erratic service.
Take Light, the feature directorial debut from Shasha Nakhai, takes us to her hometown in the country where she grew up, Port Harcourt, Nigeria, the ironically-nicknamed “Garden City” where the skies have turned grey. There, she follows the lives of workers for PHED, the previously state-owned Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED) which was privatized in 2013. If any public servants anywhere feel unappreciated, they should compare their lot with the likes of Martins, an unflaggingly upbeat and religious family-man and electrical engineer, or Deborah, a sales-representative-turned-debt-collector.
Both face anger and even mob violence on a daily basis as they cut off service to delinquent customers (most of whom have little ability to pay, in a country with 7.5 million jobless). Martins, who has miraculously survived electrocution in the past, climbs poles to cut off dangerous makeshift wiring that is used to steal power. (We also meet Godwin, an “illegal electrician,” who invariably reconnects the “People’s Power” the following night).
The powerlessness closes businesses and forces people to use generators when they can (often bringing them indoors where they often succumb to fires and carbon monoxide poisoning). Even hospitals fall prey, unable to maintain refrigeration in their morgue, forcing them to “dry embalm” corpses.
“Shasha has crafted a film with global implications while maintaining focus on the intimate humanity of the people on screen,” says Tony Piantedosi, Director of Acquisitions at Gravitas. “We are proud to be presenting this powerful documentary to US audiences.”
“This is the film I’ve always wanted to see made about the power situation in Nigeria,” says Director Nakhai, “and I’m excited to finally be able to share it widely with audiences in my hometown of Port Harcourt, Nigeria and around the world.”
“Port Harcourt is the source of my fondest childhood memories,” says Nakhai, who produced the Oscar short-listed Frame 394. “Today, however, the city is much different than what I remember. Perfectly manicured green hedges have turned to black dust—the fallout zone of a fossil-fuel economy.
“Take Light is a film about Nigeria’s energy crisis, with my hometown as the backdrop. It’s about a crisis of electrical energy, but also about other kinds of power struggles – the tensions between people, between past and present, between governments and colonial powers—and about the transformation of it all into a seething, powerful force.
“I want to show the urgency and challenges of transitioning to greener and more egalitarian economies.
“But, this is also a film about the power of hope. With people like Martins, it is about keeping the candle lit in times of darkness and despair, about fighting to remain a good person when corruption is the status-quo, and harnessing the power of humour and religion to make it through each day.”
Take Light can be found on VOD: Comcast, Cox, dish Network, Verizon, Frontier, suddenlink, Mediacom, WOW! Also on iVOD: iTunes, Google play, YouTube, vudu, primevideo, Microsoft, vimeo, redbox.
And Home Video: amazon, Barnes&Noble, Target, Walmart, Baker & Taylor, Alliance, Midwest Tape.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eu1ToXEvtA
My Country No More[/caption]
Between 2011 and 2016, oil drilling in rural North Dakota reached its peak, setting off a modern-day gold rush in Trenton, North Dakota, population less than 1000. With billions of dollars to be gained in an industry-friendly state with a “reasonable regulation” climate, small towns like Trenton became overwhelmed by an influx of workers, and countless acres of farmland were repurposed for industrial development. My Country No More, a new documentary produced and directed by Rita Baghdadi and Jeremiah Hammerling, follows the rise and fall of the oil boom in North Dakota and paints a portrait of a rural American community in crisis. Through the voices of Trenton’s residents, the film challenges the notion of “progress” and questions the long-term human consequences of short-term approaches to land use, decisions that ultimate affect all Americans, rural and urban alike. My Country No More premieres on Independent Lens Monday, January 7, 2019, 10:00-11:00 PM ET (check local listings) on PBS.
Kalie Rider and her older brother Jed are striving to return to a life of farming after having suffered the loss of their parents’ farm during the 1980s farm crisis. Their uncle’s decision to sell a piece of land for a planned ethanol plant sets off a chain of consequences from which there is no turning back. With the Trenton church being eyed for a diesel refinery, the community becomes divided, with some favoring development and jobs, and others bemoaning the loss of their rural way of life.
“Although the media frenzy surrounding the Dakota Access Pipeline has faded, My Country No More reveals how small communities like Trenton, North Dakota are forever changed by the rise and fall of the oil boom,” said Lois Vossen, executive producer of Independent Lens. “Rita and Jeremiah have created a contemplative, beautifully shot film about a town caught between economic opportunity and personal regret. As the foundation of life and identity shifts beneath their feet, the people of Trenton are left asking what is the value of community history and what sacrifices are they willing to make to preserve a vanishing way of life.”
This Is North Preston, the remarkable documentary film by Jaren Hayman which will have its world premiere at Whistler Film Festival on Friday November 30, will be released in Canada by Northern Banner Releasing.
Northern Banner will have a limited theatrical release in Canada starting in the new year, and the film has been picked up in the US by Virgil Films, who will release digitally, also in the new year.
North Preston is the largest black community in the country and started as a safe haven for escaped slaves but has more recently been painted as one of the biggest hubs of pimping & human trafficking in the nation.
This Is North Preston explores how the town of 4,000 has dealt with generations of pimp culture, violence, economic struggle, and constant systemic racism through the eyes of the pimps, trafficking victims, politicians, police, and community members looking to change the narrative.
This Is North Preston not only tells a truly unique story, but also an incredibly important one. While the community has several deep rooted issues it’s facing including an accepted pimp culture and high levels of gun violence, the film explores how and why this is now a reality. The movie also looks at the decades of systemic racism that the town has experienced and continues to experience.
ESPN Films Next 30 for 30 is “42 to 1”, the documentary on Buster Douglas defeating Mike Tyson for the 1990 Heavyweight Championship of the World.
The documentary “42 to 1”, co-directed by Jeremy Schaap and Ben Houser, premieres Tuesday, December 11th at 9:00p.m. ET on ESPN
If you were a sports fan in 1990, you’ll never forget where you were when you heard about Tyson-Douglas. Because, after all, it was impossible.
In sports, we’re used to seeing the improbable. But the impossible is another matter entirely. And on February 11, 1990, while the odds were technically 42-1, it was very much the impossible that happened in a boxing ring in Tokyo, Japan, when James “Buster” Douglas defeated Mike Tyson for the heavyweight championship of the world.
The 30 for 30 documentary “42-1” tells the story of just how incredibly unlikely it was. It starts in Columbus, Ohio, where Douglas grew up the son of a boxer, who trained and guided him to become a top-10 heavyweight contender in the mid 1980’s. Of course, it was all in the shadow of the rise of “Iron” Mike Tyson, who became a worldwide phenomenon in a remarkable undefeated run to the undisputed title. And by the time their fight was set, Douglas was lightly regarded, merely a stepping stone for bigger fights for the champion. But on the day they met, a series of extraordinary circumstances led to an unimaginable result.
Featuring rare footage and never before seen images, this is a film about how Douglas pulled off a victory that changed the course of sports history, channeling the absolute best version of himself, if only for one fight, when it mattered most and no one thought it was possible.
Co-Directed by 11-time Emmy Award winner Jeremy Schaap (E:60, The Sporting Life) & 17-time Emmy award and 4-time Edward R. Murrow Award winner Ben Houser (E:60 docs Owen & Haatchi, The Number, Leaf).
Image via YouTube
The haunting new documentary Man on Fire explores how a community dealt with the shocking public suicide of Charles Moore, an elderly minister who self-immolated in a Texas Parking Lot. Man on Fire premieres on Independent Lens on Monday, December 17, 2018, 10-11:00 PM ET (check local listings) on PBS.
On June 23, 2014, a 79-year-old white Methodist minister named Charles Moore drove to an empty parking lot in his old hometown of Grand Saline, Texas, and set himself on fire. He left a note on his car’s windshield explaining that this act was his final protest against the virulent racism of the community and his country at large. Joel Fendelman’s Man on Fire goes back to Grand Saline – population 3,266 – to try to uncover the truth about the town’s ugly past and the fervor for God and justice that drove Moore to his shocking final act.
Grand Saline, home to one of Morton’s largest salt mines, has always had a reputation as a town unhospitable to African Americans. Oral tradition has it that there were signs at each end of the town warning African Americans to leave before sunset, and stories of lynchings and beheadings are well-known. Although the town fathers claim the stories are just rumors, African Americans from neighboring towns still avoid passing through. The shroud of secrecy ended when Charles Moore self-immolated and the media took note.
Although he was raised in Grand Saline, Moore’s religious devotion and quest to make a difference had led him far from his small hometown. A committed Methodist, Moore attended Southern Methodist University and became a preacher, first in Texas and then on the west side of Chicago, where his passion for social justice flourished. A fierce supporter of racial equality, LGBT rights, the abolition of the death penalty and more, his parishioners and colleagues marveled at the depth of his commitment. Even before his death, they understood that Moore was willing to die for what he believed.
Told through interviews with Moore’s friends and family members as well as residents of Grand Saline and surrounding towns, Man on Fire seeks to understand what drove Moore to his shocking final act — and what if anything, it changed.
“Joel’s disquieting film explores the length one white preacher was willing to go to remind us of our racist history,” said Lois Vossen, Independent Lens executive producer. “Some see his act of self-immolation as a radical protest, like the Buddhist monks whose suicide by fire raised awareness for their cause. Others believe it’s a sign of mental illness. At a time when we’re grappling to define a collective history, this story illustrates how difficult it is to find common language, let alone common ground.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfHOMkM-C4c
The new trailer is released for Tough Guy: The Bob Probert Story, the story of late NHL tough guy Bob Probert, who died at age 45, directed by 28-year-old documentary filmmaker Geordie Day. The documentary premieres on Superchannel in Canada on December 4 and will hit the U.S sometime next year.
On July 5, 2010, legendary NHL tough guy Bob Probert collapsed on his boat on Lake St. Clair, near Windsor and died of a heart attack. He was only 45 years old.
Bob was on his third glass of coke and eighth pill of OxyContin that day. He’d routinely take the two together to deal with his aching body. Seventeen years as the NHL’s toughest enforcer had taken its toll. As the undisputed, “heavyweight champ,” he finished his career fifth in all time penalty minutes. He averaged 40 brutal, bare-knuckled hockey fights a year.
Bob’s death wasn’t all that surprising. He lived hard. Chain smoking, alcoholism, snorting cocaine even in a jail cell while under arrest, cavorting with nurses during his many trips to rehab.
He said people always wanted to know, “Why do you struggle with drugs and alcohol?” He’d shrug off the ques, “I just got a little addicted to the fun.” But Bob’s life was often far from fun. In a rare moment of vulnerability, he wrote a letter to his disease while in rehab in 2003.
“You have taken away my freedom to make healthy choices. You have taken away my valuable time from my wonderful wife Dani and my four kids. You have taken away my self-respect and dignity. You have turned me into someone I am not.”
The film features Bob Probert, Dani Probert, Joe Kocur, Tie Domi, Don Cherry, Jeremy Roenick, Chris Chelios, Stu Grimson, Sheldon Kennedy, Troy Crowder, Steve Yzerman, Tony Twist, Ptr Klima, and Marty McSorely.
Tough Guy is based on the book Day’s real-life mother Kirstie McLellan Day wrote with the late Probert. Bob’s wife, Dani is EP.
It’s Geordie Day’s second hockey film. He co-directed Goalie, a film on former NHL goaltender Clint Malarchuk. This year, he produced Charles Manson: Final words, which contained the last ever recorded interviews with Manson. The film aired on REELZ.
KORN’S BRIAN “HEAD” WELCH: LOUD KRAZY LOVE[/caption]
Showtime will air a special week of music documentary premieres beginning Tuesday, December 11, profiling rock legends Jeff Beck, Agnostic Front, GG Allin and Korn’s Brian “Head” Welch.
JEFF BECK: STILL ON THE RUN will premiere Tuesday, December 11 at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT, AGNOSTIC FRONT: GODFATHERS OF HARDCORE on Wednesday, December 12 at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT, GG ALLIN: ALL IN THE FAMILY on Thursday, December 13 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT, and KORN’S BRIAN “HEAD” WELCH: LOUD KRAZY LOVE on Friday, December 14 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.
Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool[/caption]
Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, the new feature-length documentary directed by Emmy Award-winner Stanley Nelson, will debut in the Documentary Premieres category at Sundance Film Festival 2019.
With full access to the Miles Davis Estate, the film features never-before-seen footage, including studio outtakes from his recording sessions, new interviews and rare photos. Quincy Jones, Carlos Santana, Clive Davis, Wayne Shorter and Ron Carter are just a few of the luminaries weighing in on the life and career of a true visionary, innovator and originator. Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool is the definitive account of the man behind the legend.
Director Stanley Nelson said, “Miles Davis is an undisputed musical legend – but what I hoped to discover was the man behind the myth. By unpacking his upbringing, his methodology, his relationships, and his demons, we begin to understand the man who would redefine the original American musical genre, jazz and has influenced generations of musicians in rock, funk and hip-hop.”
Eagle Rock Chairman Terry Shand said, “We are delighted to be selected in a year with such strong submissions. We are proud to bring this film about the world’s most innovative & iconic jazz musician to Sundance Film Festival”.
A global theatrical release is planned for the Summer of 2019.
Anand Patwardhan (India), The IDFA Award for Best Feature-Length Documentary Film Reason, The film is a broad-ranging examination of Indian society, where secular rationalists are hunted down as they attempt to stem the rising tide of religious and nationalist fundamentalism.
Reason by Anand Patwardhan[/caption]
Anand Patwardhan won the IDFA Award for Best Feature-Length Documentary (€ 15.000) with Reason (India). The film is a broad-ranging examination of Indian society, where secular rationalists are hunted down as they attempt to stem the rising tide of religious and nationalist fundamentalism.
From the jury report: The IDFA Award for Best Feature-Length Documentary is unanimously given to Reason by Anand Patwardhan for the epic storytelling of the rise of the far right in one of the most populated countries of this planet, the violence of religious and ultranationalist militias with the support of authorities and dominant medias, the dignity of resistance in multiple forms, often at life-cost, in a way that acknowledges the complexity of the situation but put it in a very understandable shape.
[caption id="attachment_32860" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Los Reyes by Bettina Perut and Iván Osnovikoff[/caption]
In addition, the jury presented the IDFA Special Jury Award for Feature-Length Documentary (€ 2.500) to Los Reyes (Chile, Germany) by Bettina Perut and Iván Osnovikoff. In this almost fairytale-like film, the phenomenal, dreamlike camerawork centers almost entirely on the subtle interaction between two dogs, as they play with a ball, a stick, a stone, and each other.
From the jury report: The IDFA Special Jury Award for Feature-Length Documentary goes to Los Reyes, by Bettina Perut and Iván Osnivikoff (Chile, Germany) for the creative and beautiful way it displaces the viewer gaze by associating a sensible look at non-human wonderful characters and the soundtrack that connects daily lives of animal and human stray dogs.
Filmmaker and Peabody Award winner, Leon Lee’s social justice documentary Letter From Masanjia, follows the true story of an Oregon woman who finds a desperate SOS letter penned by a political prisoner in her Halloween decorations and the nail-biting chain of events that it sparks when she takes the letter public, exposing appalling flagrant human rights violations – that leads to sweeping labor reform in China.
Parade Deck Films opened this powerful documentary “Letter From Masanjia” theatrically in New York and Los Angeles on September 14th, 2018, and now Gravitas Ventures, a Red Arrow Studios company, will bring the film to audiences across North America on DVD & VOD/Digital platforms including: iTunes, Amazon, FandangoNow, VUDU, Xbox, Vimeo, Google Play, etc. on this upcoming December 4th, 2018.
Imagine being a young mother buying holiday decorations at a local Kmart, only to discover a letter asking for help from a prisoner in a labor camp in China? This is a shockingly true tale that dominated the news in real time then and is sadly as prominent a story as it is now I our current political climate as we celebrate Thanksgiving this week. Canadian based, acclaimed filmmaker and Peabody Award winner, Leon Lee’s social justice documentary “Letter From Masanjia,” shines a powerful light on human rights violations in China. When this story originally broke it was covered around the world affecting unprecedented change with the American disovery of a political prisoners letter.
Coming off of a wildly successful festival run and excellent enthusiastic early critical reviews – Leon Lee’s “Letter From Masanjia” has been hailed by audiences and critics alike as one of the best docs of 2018, taking home Audience Award for Documentary Feature at the 2018 Asian American International Film Festival, Atlanta Docufest, Newburport Documentary Film Festival, and Calgary International Film Festival.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKRavgm-KPY&feature=youtu.be