Youth v. Gov[/caption]
SFFILM awarded its inaugural SFFILM Environmental Fellowship along with the $25,000 cash prize to filmmaker Christi Cooper and her documentary Youth v. Gov. Cooper will also receive a year of mentorship and services to support the development, production, and impact campaign for the film.
The SFFILM Environmental Fellowship in partnership with Paul G. Allen’s Vulcan Productions is geared towards mid-career filmmakers with a feature documentary project in development or early production that focuses on pressing environmental or conservation issues. Cooper is an Emmy Award-winning cinematographer with a passion for transforming complex issues into compelling storytelling. Youth v. Gov will chronicle a landmark lawsuit brought by 21 youths who are suing the U.S. government and fossil fuel industry for creating a climate emergency and endangering their futures.
Youth v. Gov was selected from a field of 70+ submissions by a committee of film and environmental experts from SFFILM, Vulcan Productions, Sierra Magazine, EarthX and the Redford Center.
“Talented filmmakers are telling powerful stories about climate change and the environment, and we are proud to be able to help bring this particular story to life via this new partnership with SFFILM,” said Carole Tomko, general manager and creative director of Vulcan Productions. “We support Christi’s incredibly timely film and recognize the importance of providing filmmakers financial and creative support.”
“We’re thrilled to partner with Vulcan to add to our commitment to the crucial early development stage of this documentary and elevate emerging voices tackling such significant issues of the environment and conservation,” added Caroline von Kühn, Director of Artist Development at SFFILM. “Through this process, it was really quite encouraging to see how many talented filmmakers are out there tackling these critical issues, but we are especially excited to support Christi and this timely, inspiring story of the next generation fighting for the future of our climate.”
“We are incredibly honored for this needed support to continue documenting this important story,” said Cooper. “We are once again at a point in history where youth are rising up and demanding change, from gun reform to social justice. These youth plaintiffs are on the frontlines of the climate crisis in our highest courts of law, holding their government accountable to protect their rights and inspiring other youth to take action. This story also has the power to change our discourse on climate change in a time of intense partisan divide, and to reframe it as a paramount responsibility of our government to protect our future.”
The SFFILM Environmental Fellowship supports a documentary filmmaker over the course of six months who is creating a powerful story about conservation and the environment. In addition to the $25,000 grant, the fellow will travel to San Francisco and Seattle to participate in filmmaking and environmental workshops and to cultivate connections within the entertainment industry. The program consists of three key components: a residency at SFFILM’s FilmHouse for artistic support and mentorship; guidance from a dedicated environmental advisor; and development of a community outreach campaign and educational plan. The fellowship will run from June to December 2018.
An Emmy-award winning cinematographer, Christi Cooper grew up in Boulder, Colorado, where she was fortunate to be surrounded by people that nurtured and helped her develop a strong connection to nature and the outdoors. She obtained an M.S. in Microbiology from Colorado State University and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Regensburg, Germany. After significant time in basic research and teaching at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, she made the decision to pursue her dream of an MFA in Science and Nature Filmmaking at Montana State University. In addition to communicating sometimes very complex issues through storytelling and visual narrative, her primary goals are to combine her research skills and in-depth knowledge of science with her desire to create compelling narratives focused on raising awareness about socio-political issues. In what little “free” time she has, she enjoys being a mother and a partner, growing her own food, and relishing in the incredible beauty and lifestyle of Montana.
In 2015, 21 young plaintiffs, ages 8 to 19, filed suit against the U.S. government asserting a willful violation of their constitutional rights. Youth v. Gov follows this turbulent legal battle as the government and fossil fuel industry take extraordinary measures to get the case dismissed. The case will go to trial on October 29, 2018 in Eugene, Oregon.Documentary
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Filmmaker Christi Cooper Wins Inaugural SFFILM Environmental Fellowship
[caption id="attachment_31348" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Youth v. Gov[/caption]
SFFILM awarded its inaugural SFFILM Environmental Fellowship along with the $25,000 cash prize to filmmaker Christi Cooper and her documentary Youth v. Gov. Cooper will also receive a year of mentorship and services to support the development, production, and impact campaign for the film.
The SFFILM Environmental Fellowship in partnership with Paul G. Allen’s Vulcan Productions is geared towards mid-career filmmakers with a feature documentary project in development or early production that focuses on pressing environmental or conservation issues. Cooper is an Emmy Award-winning cinematographer with a passion for transforming complex issues into compelling storytelling. Youth v. Gov will chronicle a landmark lawsuit brought by 21 youths who are suing the U.S. government and fossil fuel industry for creating a climate emergency and endangering their futures.
Youth v. Gov was selected from a field of 70+ submissions by a committee of film and environmental experts from SFFILM, Vulcan Productions, Sierra Magazine, EarthX and the Redford Center.
“Talented filmmakers are telling powerful stories about climate change and the environment, and we are proud to be able to help bring this particular story to life via this new partnership with SFFILM,” said Carole Tomko, general manager and creative director of Vulcan Productions. “We support Christi’s incredibly timely film and recognize the importance of providing filmmakers financial and creative support.”
“We’re thrilled to partner with Vulcan to add to our commitment to the crucial early development stage of this documentary and elevate emerging voices tackling such significant issues of the environment and conservation,” added Caroline von Kühn, Director of Artist Development at SFFILM. “Through this process, it was really quite encouraging to see how many talented filmmakers are out there tackling these critical issues, but we are especially excited to support Christi and this timely, inspiring story of the next generation fighting for the future of our climate.”
“We are incredibly honored for this needed support to continue documenting this important story,” said Cooper. “We are once again at a point in history where youth are rising up and demanding change, from gun reform to social justice. These youth plaintiffs are on the frontlines of the climate crisis in our highest courts of law, holding their government accountable to protect their rights and inspiring other youth to take action. This story also has the power to change our discourse on climate change in a time of intense partisan divide, and to reframe it as a paramount responsibility of our government to protect our future.”
The SFFILM Environmental Fellowship supports a documentary filmmaker over the course of six months who is creating a powerful story about conservation and the environment. In addition to the $25,000 grant, the fellow will travel to San Francisco and Seattle to participate in filmmaking and environmental workshops and to cultivate connections within the entertainment industry. The program consists of three key components: a residency at SFFILM’s FilmHouse for artistic support and mentorship; guidance from a dedicated environmental advisor; and development of a community outreach campaign and educational plan. The fellowship will run from June to December 2018.
An Emmy-award winning cinematographer, Christi Cooper grew up in Boulder, Colorado, where she was fortunate to be surrounded by people that nurtured and helped her develop a strong connection to nature and the outdoors. She obtained an M.S. in Microbiology from Colorado State University and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Regensburg, Germany. After significant time in basic research and teaching at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, she made the decision to pursue her dream of an MFA in Science and Nature Filmmaking at Montana State University. In addition to communicating sometimes very complex issues through storytelling and visual narrative, her primary goals are to combine her research skills and in-depth knowledge of science with her desire to create compelling narratives focused on raising awareness about socio-political issues. In what little “free” time she has, she enjoys being a mother and a partner, growing her own food, and relishing in the incredible beauty and lifestyle of Montana.
In 2015, 21 young plaintiffs, ages 8 to 19, filed suit against the U.S. government asserting a willful violation of their constitutional rights. Youth v. Gov follows this turbulent legal battle as the government and fossil fuel industry take extraordinary measures to get the case dismissed. The case will go to trial on October 29, 2018 in Eugene, Oregon.
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Toronto International Film Festival Unveils 2018 Docs Program, Opens with Michael Moore’s FAHRENHEIT 11/9
[caption id="attachment_31339" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 11/9[/caption]
The World Premiere of Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 11/9 , a radical and humorous look at the United States under Donald Trump, will open the Toronto International Film Festival 2018 documentary program. The Festival will screen 27 feature-length non-fiction films, representing 19 countries in the 2018 documentary program.
Other World Premieres include Rashida Jones and Alan Hicks’ Quincy, profiling musical icon Quincy Jones; Victoria Stone and Mark Deeble’s The Elephant Queen, narrated by Chiwetel Ejiofor, tracing the epic journey of an elephant herd; Billy Corben’s Screwball, a true-crime comedy on doping in Major League Baseball; and Maxim Pozdorovkin’s The Truth About Killer Robots, investigating the lethal consequences of automation.
One-third of this year’s doc features are directed or co-directed by female filmmakers including TIFF Docs closing film, Margarethe von Trotta’s Searching for Ingmar Bergman, which offers a multi-faceted look at the Swedish auteur’s life 100 years after his birth. Women creators, trailblazers, and the #MeToo movement are also examined within the lineup: Naziha Arebi’s Freedom Fields, about a Libyan women’s football team; Alex Holmes’ Maiden recounts the story of the first all-women sailing crew in the Whitbread Round the World Race (now the Volvo Ocean Race), skippered by Tracy Edwards; and Tom Volf’s Maria by Callas, narrated by Joyce DiDonato, profiles one of the major icons of the 20th century. More highlights include Alexis Bloom’s Divide and Conquer: The Story of Roger Ailes, covering the Fox News creator who was ousted for allegations of sexual harassment; and Tom Donahue’s This Changes Everything, an examination of gender dynamics in Hollywood, executive produced by Geena Davis. Mark Cousins’ Women Make Film: A New Road Movie Through Cinema , narrated by Tilda Swinton, explores international cinema through the lens of women directors.
Global politics and leaders of modern society are put under the microscope with films such as Werner Herzog and André Singer’s Meeting Gorbachev, on the former Soviet leader; Vitaly Mansky’s Putin’s Witnesses, focusing on Russia’s president; and Errol Morris’ American Dharma , looking at controversial Trump strategist Steve Bannon.
Grand adventures are at the heart of several docs in the selection. E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin’s Free Solo captures Alex Honnold’s unprecedented climb of El Capitan without safety ropes; Andrey Paounov’s Walking on Water documents the artist Christo’s project The Floating Piers; John Chester’s The Biggest Little Farm chronicles an eight-year struggle to run a family farm; and Shannon Service and Jeffrey Waldron’s Ghost Fleet captures a nail-biting rescue of fishermen enslaved at sea.
After directing last year’s Festival opener Borg vs McEnroe, Janus Metz teams with Sine Plambech for the World Premiere of Heartbound, a longitudinal study 10 years in the making about the trend of Thai women marrying Danish men. And several documentaries represent eclectic perspectives told from around the world, including: Rithy Panh’s Graves Without a Name, on the legacy of Cambodia’s genocide; Jawad Rhalib’s When Arabs Danced, on Muslim performers pushing boundaries; James Longley’s Angels Are Made Of Light, about a group of Afghan children and their teachers; and Frederick Wiseman’s Monrovia, Indiana , about a small town in America’s Midwest.
The 43rd Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 6 to 16, 2018.
2018 TIFF Docs Program
American Dharma Errol Morris | USA/United Kingdom North American Premiere Angels Are Made Of Light James Longley | USA/Denmark/Norway Canadian Premiere The Biggest Little Farm John Chester | USA International Premiere Divide and Conquer: The Story of Roger Ailes Alexis Bloom | USA World Premiere The Elephant Queen Victoria Stone, Mark Deeble | United Kingdom/Kenya World Premiere TIFF Docs Opening Film Fahrenheit 11/9 Michael Moore | USA World Premiere Free Solo E. Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin | USA International Premiere Freedom Fields Naziha Arebi | Libya/United Kingdom/Netherlands/USA/Qatar/Lebanon/Canada World Premiere Ghost Fleet Shannon Service, Jeffrey Waldron | USA International Premiere Graves Without a Name ( Les tombeaux sans noms) Rithy Panh | France/Cambodia Canadian Premiere Heartbound ( Hjertelandet) Janus Metz, Sine Plambech | Denmark/Netherlands/Sweden World Premiere Maiden Alex Holmes | United Kingdom World Premiere Maria by Callas Tom Volf | France North American Premiere Meeting Gorbachev Werner Herzog, André Singer | United Kingdom/USA/Germany Canadian Premiere This Changes Everything Tom Donahue | USA World Premiere Monrovia, Indiana Frederick Wiseman | USA North American Premiere Putin’s Witnesses ( Svideteli Putina) Vitaly Mansky | Latvia/Switzerland/Czech Republic International Premiere Quincy Rashida Jones, Alan Hicks | USA World Premiere Screwball Billy Corben | USA World Premiere TIFF Docs Closing Film Searching for Ingmar Bergman Margarethe von Trotta | Germany/France North American Premiere The Truth About Killer Robots Maxim Pozdorovkin | USA World Premiere Walking on Water Andrey Paounov | Italy/USA North American Premiere When Arabs Danced ( Au temps où les Arabes dansaient) Jawad Rhalib | Belgium North American Premiere Women Make Film: A New Road Movie Through Cinema Mark Cousins | United Kingdom North American Premiere Previously announced Canadian features at the Festival include Ron Mann’s Carmine Street Guitars, Barry Avrich’s Prosecuting Evil: The Extraordinary World of Ben Ferencz, and Astra Taylor’s What is Democracy?
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Netflix Releases Most Inspiring Trailer for ZION on High School Wrestler Born Without Legs
[caption id="attachment_27267" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Zion Clark appears in ZION by Floyd Russ | photo by Gregory Wilson[/caption]
Netflix released the trailer for the Zion, a gripping portrait of Zion Clark, a young wrestler born without legs who grew up in foster care. The documentary short, premiered earlier this year at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and launches globally on Netflix on August 10.
Zion is a gripping portrait of Zion Clark, a young wrestler born without legs who grew up in foster care. Clark began wrestling in second grade against his able-bodied peers. The physical challenge became a therapeutic outlet and gave him a sense of family. Moving from foster home to foster home, wrestling became the only constant thing in his childhood. The Netflix original documentary short is directed by Floyd Russ.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWo0MN_tY1E
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Watch New Brilliant Trailer + Poster for Dan Habib’s INTELLIGENT LIVES
The new trailer and poster dropped this week for Dan Habib’s powerful, timely documentary Intelligent Lives, tackling the label of intellectual disability and what it means to be intelligent. The film narrated by Academy Award-winning actor Chris Cooper opens theatrically on September 21 in NYC at the Village East Cinema with a national release to follow.
From award-winning filmmaker Dan Habib comes Intelligent Lives, a catalyst to transform the label of intellectual disability from a life sentence of isolation into a life of possibility for the most systematically segregated people in America.
[caption id="attachment_31315" align="aligncenter" width="1100"]
Jesse, Marianne, and Chris Cooper in INTELLIGENT LIVES[/caption]
Intelligent Lives stars three pioneering young American adults with intellectual disabilities – Micah, Naieer, and Naomie – who challenge perceptions of intelligence as they navigate high school, college, and the workforce. Academy Award-winning actor and narrator Chris Cooper contextualizes the lives of these central characters through the emotional personal story of his son Jesse, as the film unpacks the shameful and ongoing track record of intelligence testing in the U.S.
Intelligent Lives challenges what it means to be intelligent, and points to a future in which people of all abilities can fully participate in higher education, meaningful employment and intimate relationships.
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GARRY WINOGRAND: ALL THINGS ARE PHOTOGRAPHABLE, Documentary on Photographer Garry Winogrand, Opens on September 19 [Trailer]
Garry Winogrand: All Things are Photographable is the first documentary made on the life and work of Garry Winogrand, who was the epic photographer of 20th century American life. Directed by Sasha Waters Freyer, the film will open on Wednesday, September 19 at New York’s Film Forum with a national rollout to follow.
“What is a photograph?” Garry Winogrand (1928-1984) asks in his iconic, gravelly Bronx accent. Decades before digital technology transformed how we make and see pictures, Winogrand made hundreds of thousands of them with his 35mm Leica, creating an encyclopedic portrait of America from the late 1950s to the early 1980s in the process. When he died suddenly at age 56, Winogrand left behind more than 10,000 rolls of film—more than a quarter of a million pictures! These images capture a bygone era: the New York of Mad Men and the early years of the Women’s Movement, the birth of American suburbs, and the glamour and alienation of Hollywood. He produced so many unseen images that it has taken until now for the full measure of his artistic legacy to emerge. Forged by Winogrand’s own words and images, Garry Winogrand: All Things are Photographable is a stunningly intimate portrait of an artist who both personified his era and transformed it.
Image (top): Portrait of Garry Winogrand. Credit: Judy Teller
Image (bottom): New York, 1968 [laughing woman with ice cream] Credit: Photographs by Garry Winogrand,Collection Center for Creative Photography, The University of Arizona. © The Estate of Garry Winogrand, courtesy of Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco.
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SUSANNE BARTSCH: ON TOP Documentary on NYC Nightlife and Fashion Icon Sets Release Date
[caption id="attachment_24586" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Susanne Bartsch: On Top[/caption]
The documentary Susanne Bartsch: On Top by award-winning director duo Anthony&Alex is an intimate immersion into the world of New York City nightlife and fashion icon Susanne Bartsch credited with launching the careers of RuPaul and Marc Jacobs; and raising millions of dollars for the fight against AIDS. The Orchard will open Susanne Bartsch: On Top theatrically on Friday, September 7 in Los Angeles at Laemmle Monica Film Center.
People have flocked to New York City to break free from the oppressive shackles of social norms and find themselves for decades; Susanne Bartsch has dedicated her life to creating a safe haven for just those people. The mother of avant-garde self-expression, Susanne creates imaginative spaces where people can live out their wildest fantasies night after night.
Susanne Bartsch: On Top explores Susanne’s life and impact through never-before-seen archival footage, verité cinematography, personal testimonials, and highly stylized imagery. From quiet moments at home to the creation of deliciously debaucherous spectacles, Susanne juggles family life with the overwhelming stress of being a one-woman industry. At an age when most of her peers have slowed down, Susanne moves forward more determined than ever.
Anthony&Alex are an award-winning director duo who over the past decade have transitioned from experimental live theater to filmmaking. Their work has been featured on MTV, VH1, Vogue, Dazed, HuffPo, Rolling Stone, Paper Magazine, Bullett, Out, Vice, been banned from Youtube, and awarded a Vimeo Staff Pick. In 2015 they directed the feature length work Success, an experimental concert film for musician Liam Finn, that premiered at The Museum of the Moving Image. Anthony&Alex debuted their first feature documentary, Susanne Bartsch: On Top, which premiered at Hot Docs and went on to win the John Schlesinger award at the Provincetown International Film Festival. They are partners at No Weather, a production company and filmmaking collective in NYC.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fEGoXMDg60
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVAAsU9NnsI
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3100: RUN AND BECOME, Documentary on Endurance Runners Sprints into Theaters on August 17 [Trailer]
3100: Run and Become is a new documentary about why we run; featuring uplifting, and intimate portrait of endurance runners and what motivates them. The documentary directed by Sanjay Rawal (Food Chains) opens in theaters on August 17, 2018.
What would you do to transform your life? How far would you go to change yourself? Would you drive, would you fly, would you run?
These are the themes of a new documentary about why we run, 3100: Run and Become. This uplifting, intimate portrait of endurance runners and what motivates them opens around the US in theaters August 17, 2018.
3100: Run and Become follows Ashprihanal Aalto, an unassuming Finnish paperboy, and Shamita, an Austrian cellist, in their attempts to complete the Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race, the world’s longest certified footrace, which takes place each summer June through August. The 3100 encourages runners to discover the limits of their capacities–and to try to go beyond them. And go beyond, they must: the small group of competitors come from all over the world to run a distance that approximates a US cross-country run — a total of 3,100 miles in 52 days – 5,649 laps around one city block in Jamaica, Queens.
Ashprihanal and Shamita’s 3100 quest takes viewers from the heart of this astonishing event in New York to places around the world where ancient cultures have held running sacred for millennia: the Kalahari Desert, Arizona’s Navajo Reservation, and to the mountain temples of Japan. Through the heroic stories of three other runners (Shaun Martin, a Navajo runner and Board Member of Wings of America; Gaolo of the San Bushmen of the Kalahari; and Gyoman-san of the Monks of Mt. Hiei, Japan) 3100: Run and Become presents a portrait of endurance and transformation. Beyond competitiveness and athletic prowess, they run not for glory but for spiritual enlightenment, universal oneness –or because they simply have the responsibility to run.
3100: Run and Become is directed by Sanjay Rawal (Food Chains) and produced by Tanya Ager Meillier (Alias Ruby Blade, Capitalism: a Love Story). It was edited by Alex Meillier (Alias Ruby Blade, Obscene) and shot in 4K by Sean Kirby (Racing Extinction, We are X, Long Strange Trip). The film’s soundtrack, composed by Michael A. Levine, features an original song recorded by Roberta Flack, her first after suffering a stroke in 2016.
https://vimeo.com/261386426
DATE : CITY – THEATER
Aug 17 : Santa Fe – Center for Contemporary Art
Aug 24 : Albuquerque – Regal High Ridge
Aug 31 : Phoenix – Shea 14
Aug 31 : Sedona – Sedona 6
Aug 31 : Flagstaff – Flagstaff 16
Sep 7 : Eugene – Bijou Metro
Sep 7 : Seattle – Varsity Cinemas
Sep 7 : Portland – Cinema 21
Sep 7 : Bend – Pony Village 10
Sep 11 : Boulder – Int’l Film Series
Sep 14 : Denver – Sie FilmCenter
Sep 21 : Chicago – Gene Siskel
Sep 28 : North Lake Tahoe – Tahoe Art Haus and Cinema
Oct 26 : New York – Village East
Nov 9 : LA/Santa Monica – Laemmle Theater
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Refugee Crisis Documentary ELDORADO is Switzerland’s Entry in Oscar Race for Best Foreign Film [Trailer]
The refugee crisis documentary Eldorado by Oscar nominee Markus Imhoof has been selected to represent Switzerland in the category of Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards. Eldorado had its world premiere earlier this year at the 2018 Berlin Film Festival.
Drawing inspiration from his personal encounter with Giovanna, the refugee child who was taken in by his family during World War II, Markus Imhoof tracks today’s refugees on their dangerous journey to Europe. Eldorado was screened out of competition at the Berlinale 2018 and received a Special Mention from the jury of the Amnesty International Film Prize.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwfMCvY33pY
Additionally, four short film productions from Switzerland are eligible for a nomination at the 91st Academy Awards in the categories of Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film or Documentary Short Subject as a result of winning awards at Oscar-qualifying festivals: COYOTE by Lorenz Wunderle; INTIMITY by Elodie Dermange; BLACKJACK by Lora Mure-Ravaud; and ANTHONY, THE INVISIBLE ONE by Maya Kosa and Sergio Da Costa.
On behalf of the Federal Office of Culture, the promotion agency SWISS FILMS has been assigned the task of coordinating and carrying out the selection process of the official Swiss entry for the Academy Awards in the category of Foreign Language Film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will announce the short list in December, and the Oscar nominations on January 22, 2019. The 91st Academy Awards will be held in Los Angeles on February 24, 2019.
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KUSAMA – INFINITY, Portrait of Legendary Female Artist Yayoi Kusama Sets Release Date
Kusama – Infinity is a revelatory portrait of artist Yayoi Kusama, who overcame impossible odds to become the top-selling female artist in the world. Directed by Heather Lenz, the film will open on Friday, September 7 at New York’s Film Forum and in Los Angeles at the Landmark Nuart with a national rollout to follow.
Yayoi Kusama is best known for her colorful polka dot- and pumpkin-themed designs and her massively popular mirrored Infinity Rooms. For decades, her work pushed boundaries that often alienated her from her peers and those in power in the art world. She was an underdog with everything stacked against her: growing up in Japan during World War II, life in a dysfunctional family that discouraged her creative ambitions, sexism and racism in the art establishment, and mental illness in a culture where that was a particular stigma. In spite of it all, Kusama has endured and has created a legacy of artwork that spans the disciplines of painting, sculpture, installation art, performance art, poetry and novels. After six decades of work—including many years in New York in the pulsing art scene of the ‘60s—people around the globe are now experiencing her Infinity Rooms in record numbers, and Kusama continues to create new work every day.
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Barbara Kopple’s A MURDER IN MANSFIELD to have its TV Debut on Investigation Discovery [Trailer]
Two-time Oscar(R)-winning director Barbara Kopple explores the legacy of the notorious 1989 murder of Noreen Boyle in Mansfield, Ohio in the new documentary, A Murder In Mansfield. The film chronicles Noreen’s son Collier’s journey for answers and peace in the aftermath of his mother’s death nearly three decades ago. A Murder In Mansfield will have its national television debut exclusively on Investigation Discovery on November 17, 2018 at 9 pm.
Eleven-year-old Collier Boyle and his family lived comfortably in Mansfield, until New Year’s Eve in 1989, when Collier’s father, Dr. Jack Boyle, murdered Noreen, his wife of 20 years. With only circumstantial evidence connecting Dr. Boyle to the crime, Collier’s devastating testimony was the key to convicting him. Now, more than two decades later, Collier returns to Ohio seeking to retrace his past and confront his imprisoned father, who remains in denial of his guilt. The film had its world premiere at DOC NYC and played leading film festivals including Full Frame, AFI Docs and IDFA.
“Collier’s depth of character is a wonder to behold from childhood to adulthood, and out of his tragic story, we witness the power of human resilience,” said Kopple. “I am grateful that Collier has trusted me with his story, and believe this film shows the power of the human spirit, and our ability to rise above tragedy.”
“Families and friends of the victims of violence become secondary victims, often suffering a lifetime of post-traumatic stress,” said Henry Schleiff, Group President, Investigation Discovery, Travel Channel, Destination America and American Heroes Channel. “As a storyteller, there is no one better than Barbara Kopple to capture Collier’s life journey, and we are honored to partner with her and her team at Cabin Creek Films to bring ID viewers on his awe-inspiring journey of resilience and reconciliation.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0DHwdY7xBs
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HBO Announces Documentaries on Sandra Bland, Jane Fonda, and More for Second Half of 2018
[caption id="attachment_28284" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Sandra Bland in SAY HER NAME: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF SANDRA BLAND.[/caption]
HBO has confirmed a fresh array of thought-provoking documentaries for the second half of 2018, including: Susan Lacy’s JANE FONDA IN FIVE ACTS, the intimate story of an icon; Nathaniel Kahn’s THE PRICE OF EVERYTHING, an insider’s look at today’s money-driven art world; Kate Davis and David Heilbroner’s SAY HER NAME: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF SANDRA BLAND about the tragic death of a young woman who was stopped for a routine traffic violation; and Rudy Valdez’s Sundance award winner THE SENTENCE, a portrait of a family in crisis.
Upcoming HBO documentaries include (in chronological order):
SWIPED: HOOKING UP IN THE DIGITAL AGE (debuts Sept. 10). With more than 40 million Americans currently engaging in online and app dating, this $2.5-billion industry is rapidly changing the rules of dating, while expanding access to potential mates for everything from “hookups” to long-term relationships. This eye-opening look at the evolving nature of sex and dating in the digital age offers candid insights from twentysomethings and experts in the field. Directed by Nancy Jo Sales.
THE OSLO DIARIES (Sept. 13). In 1992, with Israeli-Palestinian relations at an all-time low and any communication between the two sides punishable by jail time, a small group of Israelis and Palestinians gathered secretly in Oslo for a series of meetings that came to be known as The Oslo Accords and dramatically changed the political landscape of the Middle East. Articulated through readings of the participants’ diaries from the time and airing on the 25th anniversary of the Accords, this geopolitical story features never-before-seen archival footage and exclusive interviews with key players, including the last on-camera conversation with former Israeli president Shimon Peres. A riveting account of talks that spanned a period of 1,100 days, the film offers a resonant portrait of diplomacy and the delicate nature of peace. Directed by Mor Loushy and Daniel Sivan.
JANE FONDA IN FIVE ACTS (Sept. 24). Girl next door, sex icon, activist, fitness tycoon, Oscar(R)-winning actress Jane Fonda has lived a life marked by controversy, tragedy and transformation – and she’s done it all in the public eye. From award-winning documentarian Susan Lacy, this is an intimate look at one woman’s singular journey.
RX EARLY DETECTION: A CANCER JOURNEY WITH SANDRA LEE (Oct. 8). This deeply personal short documentary follows Sandra Lee, along with those closest to her – including her sister, Kimber, and her longtime partner, NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo – as she faces a cancer diagnosis following a routine annual exam. Directed by Cathy Chermol Schrijver.
THE SENTENCE (Oct. 15). Drawing on hundreds of hours of footage, Rudy Valdez shows the aftermath of his sister Cindy’s 15-year incarceration for conspiracy charges related to crimes committed by her now-deceased ex-boyfriend, known in legal terms as “the girlfriend problem.” Valdez’s method of coping with this tragedy was to film his sister’s family for her, both the everyday details and the milestones, which Cindy can no longer share in. But in the midst of this nightmare, Valdez and his family begin to fight for Cindy’s release during the last months of the Obama administration’s clemency initiative. A 2018 Sundance Film Festival Audience Award winner. Directed by Rudy Valdez.
STOLEN DAUGHTERS: KIDNAPPED BY BOKO HARAM (Oct. 22). In 2014, 276 Nigerian school girls were kidnapped from a school in Chibok, Northern Nigeria, and hidden in the vast Sambisa forest for three years by Boko Haram, a violent Islamic insurgent movement. Granted exclusive access to the 82 girls who were freed last year and taken to a secret government safe house in the capitol of Abuja, the film reveals how the young women are adapting to life after their traumatic imprisonment and how the Nigerian government is handling their reentry into society. Directed by Karen Edwards and Gemma Atwal.
WE ARE NOT DONE YET (Nov.). This documentary follows veterans and active-duty service members from varied backgrounds who come together to combat their traumas through the written word in a USO-sponsored arts workshop at Walter Reed National Military Hospital. Sharing fears, vulnerabilities and victories via poetry becomes a process for bonding, empowerment and healing that culminates in a live performance of a collaborative poem at Washington, D.C.’s Lansburgh Theater. Under the direction of poet Seema Reza and actor Jeffrey Wright, the warrior-poets take to the stage to tell often hidden truths about the consequences of intimacy with war and death. Directed by Sareen Hairabedian.
THE PRICE OF EVERYTHING (Nov.). Exploring the labyrinth of the contemporary art world, this film spotlights the role of art and artistic passion in today’s money-driven, consumer-based society. Featuring collectors, dealers, auctioneers and a rich range of artists, from current market darlings George Condo, Jeff Koons, Gerhard Richter and Njideka Akunyili Crosby, to one-time art star Larry Poons, it exposes deep contradictions as it holds a mirror up to contemporary values and times, coaxing out the dynamics at play in pricing the priceless and ultimately asks, “Who does art belong to?” Directed by Nathaniel Kahn.
THE TRUTH ABOUT KILLER ROBOTS (Nov.). An eerie, eye-opening work of science nonfiction, this film charts incidents in which robots have caused the deaths of humans in an automated Volkswagen factory, in a self-driving Tesla vehicle and from a bomb-carrying droid used by Dallas police. Though they are typically treated as freak anomalies, each case raises questions of accountability, legality and morality. Exploring the provocative views of engineers, journalists and philosophers, and drawing on archival footage, the film goes beyond sensational deaths to examine more subtle ways that robots pose a threat to society. Directed by Maxim Pozdorovkin.
SAY HER NAME: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF SANDRA BLAND (Dec.). In 2015, Sandra Bland, a 28-year-old black woman from Chicago, was arrested for a traffic violation in a small Texas town. Three days later, she was found hanging from a noose in her jail cell. Though ruled a suicide, her death sparked allegations of racially-motivated police murder and made Bland’s case a rallying point for activists across the country. Featuring Bland’s passionate video blogs, the timely documentary follows her family and their legal team as they try to make sense of what happened, presenting a compelling look at her life as well as her death. Directed and produced by Kate Davis; produced by David Heilbroner.
BRESLIN AND HAMILL: DEADLINE ARTISTS (Dec.). Brilliant writers, tribunes of the working class and icons of the lost world of newspapering, Jimmy Breslin and his friend, Pete Hamill, personified New York City. This documentary spotlights their unique take on many of the historic events of the second half of the 20th century. Directed by John Block, Jonathan Alter and Stephen McCarthy.
BLEED OUT (Dec.). After a routine partial hip replacement operation leaves his mother in a coma with permanent brain damage, what starts as a son’s video diary becomes a citizen’s investigation into the future of American health care. Using undercover footage, court testimony, verité scenes shot over several years and interviews with people on all sides of the story, the film goes deep inside a flawed healthcare system. Part medical mystery and legal thriller, part investigative journey and meditation on family, this personal story is a cautionary tale. Directed by Steve Burrows.
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JANE FONDA IN FIVE ACTS, The Story of the Cultural Icon, Debuts September 24 on HBO
Directed and produced by award-winning documentarian Susan Lacy, Jane Fonda in Five Acts is an intimate look at Oscar(R)-winner Jane Fonda singular journey, drawing on 21 hours of interviews with Fonda, who speaks candidly about her life and her missteps. Girl next door, sex kitten, activist, fitness tycoon: Fonda has lived a life marked by controversy, tragedy and transformation, and she’s done it all in the public eye. Jane Fonda in Five Acts debuts Monday, September 24 (8:00-10:15 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO.
Jane Fonda has been vilified as Hanoi Jane, lusted after as Barbarella and heralded as a beacon of the women’s movement. This film goes to the heart of who she really is, a blend of deep vulnerability, magnetism, naiveté and bravery, revealing a life transformed over time.
The documentary draws on 21 hours of interviews with Fonda, who speaks candidly about her life and her missteps. She explores the pain of her mother’s suicide, her father’s emotional unavailability, 30 years of an eating disorder and three marriages to highly visible, yet diametrically opposed, men. Jane Fonda in Five Acts also includes interviews with family and friends, as well as rare home movies and verité footage of the 80-year-old Fonda’s busy life today at, as she puts it, “the beginning of my last act.”
Where “girls” of her generation were raised to be passive and compliant, Fonda has always seemed like very much “her own woman.” But her memories reveal the extent to which she was defined and controlled by the desires, ambitions, and fortunes of the powerful men in her life, and how much her own secret insecurities, unresolved anxieties and impulsive actions often prevented her from being the person she aspired to be.
Featuring interviews with Robert Redford, Lily Tomlin, producer Paula Weinstein and former spouses Tom Hayden and Ted Turner, among others, the first four acts of Fonda’s life are named after the four men who shared – and hugely influenced – her personal and professional ambitions. The fifth act is named after Fonda herself, as she finally confronts her demons, reconnects with her family and resumes a successful career as both an actress and an activist, entirely on her own terms.
Fonda recalls growing up “in the shadow of a national monument” in the form of her father, Henry. One of the most beloved actors of his time, the elder Fonda was a distant father in private, neglecting his family and having an affair while her mother descended into mental anguish that led to tragedy.
Fonda’s name and good looks brought her modeling gigs and a chance to study acting with Lee Strasberg, but “it never felt real,” she recalls. She impulsively went to France to experience the cinematic revolution of the French New Wave, and married director Roger Vadim, agreeing to live a “heady and hedonistic” life and reluctantly allowing herself to become a sex object with films like “Barbarella.”
Fonda’s proximity to leftist politics in Paris inspired an awakening about America’s role in Vietnam. Despite being a new mother, she threw herself into anti-war activism, eventually earning the nickname “Hanoi Jane” and a place in the crosshairs of the Nixon administration, and meeting her second husband, activist and organizer Tom Hayden.
“I’m proud of most of what I did,” Fonda recalls of the period when she became a divisive political figure, “but very sorry for some of what I did.” While her acting career soared in films like “Klute” and “Coming Home,” she lived a deliberately stripped-down life with Hayden and their son, Troy Garity (who recalls the family arriving at the Oscars in a station wagon), funneling just as much energy into Hayden’s career and ambitions as her own. She produced an exercise video to raise money for their political work, only to see “Jane Fonda’s Workout” become the best-selling home video to date.
With a newfound sense of purpose, Fonda began to confront her chronic discontent, leaving Hayden, going “cold turkey” on a lifelong eating disorder, learning more about her mother’s life and death and fostering an emotionally creative reunion with her father on the film “On Golden Pond.” Buoyed by the affection of third husband, billionaire mogul Ted Turner, she went into semi-retirement, until she recognized that she still had more to contribute and finally struck out on her own.
Today, still challenging herself creatively and still active politically, Jane Fonda continues to demonstrate that there is no limit to the possibilities in a life full of self-determination, honesty and hard work.
Susan Lacy is the creator and former executive producer of the celebrated WNET series “American Masters,” which is shown on PBS nationwide. She has won countless awards, and has produced and directed a broad library of acclaimed films exploring the lives of America’s most enduring cultural icons. Her previous HBO documentary, “Spielberg,” debuted on the network in Oct. 2017 and was recently nominated for an Emmy(R) in the category of Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special.