Documentary

PBS to Release BILL NYE: SCIENCE GUY Documentary in Theaters Late 2017

“Bill Nye: Science Guy,” which premiered at the 2017 South by Southwest Film Festival follows the legendary science advocate and TV personality Bill Nye in his pursuit to ignite a passion among Americans for science and science education. PBS Distribution (PBSd) will release the film in theaters across the country later this year, following a robust festival tour including upcoming screenings at AFI Docs in Washington, D.C. and the Los Angeles Film Festival. It will have its broadcast premiere in 2018 via PBS documentary series POV. “Bill Nye: Science Guy” was produced and directed by David Alvarado and Jason Sussberg, produced by Seth Gordon, Kate McLean, and Nick Pampenella, executive produced by Walker Deibel, Mary Rohlich, Henry S. Rosenthal, and Chad Troutwine, and co-executive produced by Andre Gaines. Bill Nye is on a journey to change the world. Once the host of a popular kids show, today he is the CEO of The Planetary Society where he’s leading a mission to launch a solar-powered satellite into the cosmos and advocating for the importance of science research and discovery. He is taking off “The Science Guy” costume and taking on those who deny the importance of science, with the goal of creating a more scientifically literate and engaged universe. “Bill Nye: Science Guy” follows the man himself as he embarks on a quest to change the world through science advocacy and education. With intimate and exclusive access, as well as plenty of wonder and whimsy, this is a behind-the-scenes portrait of “the Science Guy,” as he inspires millennials to participate in STEM. The film features Bill Nye, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Ann Druyan, Ken Ham, Joe Bastardi, and many others.
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Eight Documentary Film Projects Selected for Sundance Institute Documentary Edit and Story Labs

The Sundance Institute has selected eight documentary film projects for its annual Documentary Edit and Story Labs, taking place in two sessions at the Sundance Resort in Utah from June 23 to July 1 and July 7 to 15. The Documentary Edit and Story Lab creates an incubation space for nonfiction storytellers to creatively interrogate their projects during the later stages of post-production. Among the breathtaking scenery of the Sundance Mountain Resort, filmmakers take advantage of the Lab’s creative environment to intensively explore story, dramatic structure and character development, centering their work around their own original motivation and intention. Overseen by Documentary Film Program Director Tabitha Jackson and Labs Director Kristin Feeley, each Lab brings together independent director and editor teams with world-renowned documentary filmmakers acting as advisors. For the second year the Lab will host writers-in-residence Eric Hynes and Logan Hill in a program designed to bring film critics and nonfiction filmmakers together to forge a deeper understanding of nonfiction film through immersion in the creative process. “This vibrant array of projects illustrates the power of documentary filmmakers to use the language of cinema to tell untold stories, challenge and change perspectives and use their independent voice to speak truth to power,” said Jackson. “Convening these directors and editors, to refine and hone their craft with the help of our creative advisors, will we hope fuel their bold and pivotal work at this critical moment.” Recent projects that have participated in the Documentary Edit and Story Lab include Unrest, Whose Streets?, Newtown, Strong Island and Cameraperson. The Lab is part of the 26 residential Labs the Institute hosts each year to discover and foster the talent of emerging independent artists in film, theatre, new media and episodic content. The selected projects for the Documentary Edit and Story Lab are: Jacqueline Olive (director) / Always in Season (USA): As the trauma of more than a century of lynching African Americans bleeds into the present, Always in Season follows relatives of the perpetrators and victims seeking justice and reconciliation – all in the midst of police shootings, church burnings and heated national debate about the value of black lives. Marilyn Ness (director), Don Bernier (editor) / Charm City (USA): During three years of unparalleled violence in Baltimore, Charm City delivers an unexpectedly candid, observational portrait of those left on the frontlines. With grit, fury and compassion, a group of police, citizens and government officials grapple with the consequences of violence and try to reclaim their future. Sedika Mojadidi (director), Sinead Kinnane (editor) / Facing the Dragon (Afghanistan/USA): Filmmaker Sedika Mojadidi follows two compelling Afghan women, a Member of Parliament and a journalist, as the international community withdraws from Afghanistan, threatening its fragile democracy. Naziha Arebi (director), Alice Powell (editor) / Freedom Fields (UK/Libya): In post-revolution Libya, a group of women are brought together by one dream: to play football for their nation. But as the country descends into civil war, their personal stories of aspirations, love and struggle collide with history. Petra Costa (director), Jordana Berg (editor) / Impeachment (Brazil): An epic tragedy of corruption and betrayal, Impeachment is a behind-the-scenes look at the ousting of Brazil’s first female president. With unique access to the president and other key politicians, the film unravels like a political thriller as Brazil falls into disarray, echoing the undoing of so many democracies throughout the world. Cristina Ibarra (co-director/co-editor), Alex Rivera (co-director/co-editor) / The Infiltrators (USA): When two young immigrant-activists get detained by Border Patrol, on purpose, their mission to expose the abuses inside a detention center becomes much more complex and dangerous than they imagined. Hao Wu (director), Nanfu Wang (editor) / People’s Republic of Desire (China/USA): In China’s popular live-streaming showrooms, three millennials seek fame, fortune and human connection, ultimately finding the same promises and perils online as in their real lives. Christina D. King (co-director), Elizabeth Castle (co-director), Kristen Nutile (editor) / Warrior Women (USA): Chronicling the lifelong struggle of a Lakota mother and daughter in the American Indian Movement’s fight for Native liberation from the 1970s to today, where they are protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline in Standing Rock, North Dakota.
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Watch Putin Offer His Opinion of Senator McCain in New Clip from Oliver Stone’s THE PUTIN INTERVIEWS

Showtime has released a new extended clip from Oliver Stone’s unprecedented conversations with Vladimir Putin, the docuseries – The Putin Interviews. The clip is pulled from hour four of the special, which features Stone’s most recent discussion with the Russian president this past February, following the U.S. presidential elections. In the newly released clip, Putin offers his opinion of his former Cold War foe, Senator John McCain, that sheds light on how Putin views today’s global affairs in a historical context. https://youtu.be/le7fv_9TfcE Additionally, a new video for The Putin Interviews was released that features a behind-the-scenes look and interview with Stone, about the making of the television special. https://youtu.be/FvNo0jRj7is In one of multiple interviews over the course of two years, Oliver Stone interviews Russian President Vladimir Putin while he is driving, where Putin discusses his point of view on Edward Snowden. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UD4eIM-8Vrc Granted intimate access to both Putin’s professional and personal worlds, Oscar(R)-winning writer and director Oliver Stone (Platoon, Snowden), with the help of his longtime documentary producer Fernando Sulichin, interviewed the Russian leader more than a dozen times over the course of two years. Since first becoming the president of Russia in 2000, Putin has never before spoken at such length or in such detail to a Western interviewer, leaving no topic off limits. In scope and depth, The Putin Interviews recalls The Nixon Interviews, the series of conversations between David Frost and Richard Nixon that aired in the spring of 1977, 40 years ago. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2cJXEWkt60 The Putin Interviews will have its world television premiere on Showtime over four consecutive nights starting on Monday, June 12 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
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CHASING CORAL Releases New Trailer for World Oceans Day

Today, on World Oceans Day, a new trailer was released for the documentary Chasing Coral, set to debut globally July 14 on Netflix. Chasing Coral taps into the collective will and wisdom of an ad man, a self-proclaimed coral nerd, top-notch camera designers, and renowned marine biologists as they reveal a phenomenon called “coral bleaching.” With its breathtaking photography and nail-biting suspense, Chasing Coral is a dramatic revelation that won’t have audiences sitting idle for long. “Our oceans are dramatically changing and we are losing coral reefs on a global scale,” said Jeff Orlowski, director of Chasing Coral. “We spent three years with divers, underwater photographers, and experts to reveal the majesty of our oceans, and the rapidly changing reality we’re facing. We are excited to launch this trailer on World Oceans Day and help heighten awareness of the connection between humanity and our ocean.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6fHA9R2cKI
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Sundance Selects to Release Jeff Unay’s THE CAGE FIGHTER Documentary

[caption id="attachment_22652" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] The Cage Fighter[/caption] Jeff Unay’s documentary and directorial feature debut The Cage Fighter that premiered earlier this year at the 2017 San Francisco International Film Festival has been acquired by Sundance Selects for release in the US. It was written, directed and photographed by Jeff Unay. The Cage Fighter is the story of a man in the fight of his life. Joe Carman is a blue-collar Washington State boilermaker and master plumber, a loving father and husband. Unable to cope with stresses at home, reeling from his wife’s recent illness and an ongoing custody battle, Joe escapes back into the fighting cage — the one place he’d promised never to set foot again. By trading his inner pain for physical blows, Joe struggles to heal himself and come to terms with his past. In the fighting cage, life’s problems are as simple as they are acute; but there, unlike in the real world, an old fighter can at least go down swinging. “I am very excited that we are partnering with Sundance Selects to bring The Cage Fighter to the public,” said Jeff Unay, director. “Their prestigious label/brand of films coupled together with their penchant to distribute their films to the widest possible audience is extremely promising and very important to our film. We are proud to be part of the Sundance Selects family.” “Jeff Unay’s impressive and beautiful debut unfolds like a narrative film in which the story of Joe Carman and his journey is portrayed with empathy and universal accessibility. We can’t wait to share his story with audiences across the country,” said Arianna Bocco, EVP of Acquisitions and Productions.
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Emmy Winner Cady McClain’s SEEING IS BELIEVING: WOMEN DIRECT to East Coast Premiere at SOHO International Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_22616" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Seeing is Believing: Women Direct[/caption] Emmy winning actress-turned-director Cady McClain’s Seeing is Believing: Women Direct will make its East Coast Premiere and is an Official Selection of the 2017 SOHO International Film Festival, screening Monday, June 19 at Village East Cinemas. Seeing is Believing: Women Direct is a documentary series directed, executive produced, written and edited by Cady McClain about women directors who are on the front lines of the field: from major award winners and those in the vanguard of television and feature films, to graduate students and frustrated auteurs. The first episode recently made its World Premiere at Newport Beach Film Festival, where it won an Honorable Mention for Best Documentary Short. Now, McClain will debut a feature-length version at SOHO International Film Festival. McClain has spent the past year traveling the globe, speaking to female directors of film and television and documenting their stories. The outcome is a feature film and a serialized documentary, providing insider access to the skills and tools needed to succeed as a woman in the directing field. When only 1.9% of the top 100 films are directed by women, it is a symptom of a larger problem: an ingrained cultural bias against women’s ability to lead. McClain believes the best way to create change is to show proof that the bias is based on outdated and false ideas. Considering all aspects of the directing experience, the series will show how these women drive through obstacles creative, cultural and professional. The series is also intended to serve as peer-to-peer mentorship for anyone of any gender looking for guidance and real world experience as they pursue their dreams of becoming a visual storyteller. Last fall, McClain started an IndieGoGo crowdfunding campaign for the project’s post-production, which successfully met and then surpassed its $50,000 goal by 16%. Donations were fully tax-deductible due to not-for-profit sponsorship from The Film Collaborative. The series also received a micro grant and social media support from Awesome Without Borders via the Harnisch Foundation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k67qp3vjIGU “We are so excited to be sharing our feature-length version of this documentary with the SOHO International Film Festival this June,” said Cady McClain. “My husband (who is a producer on this doc) and I are both veterans of the festival having screened his narrative feature (I was his AP) and my short (he was my PA!) in 2013 and 2015. We’ve found the audiences at SOHO to be full of savvy film lovers and caring filmmakers. The personal support from the festival of our work is truly meaningful to us both.” The 50 interviewees include: Sarah Gavron (Suffragette, Brick Lane), Meera Menon (Equity), Oscar winner Lee Grant (Down and out in America), Lesli Linka Glatter (EP/Director, Homeland), Betty Thomas (highest grossing female director: The Brady Bunch Movie, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeekquel) Bethany Rooney (200+ hours primetime TV & co-author of Directors Tell the Story), Lizzie Borden (Born In Flames, Working Girls (Sundance Jury Prize), two-time Oscar-winner Sarah Kernochan (documentaries: Marjoe, Thoth), Emmy-winner Anne Makepeace (I. M. Pei: Building China Modern, Robert Capa in Love and War), Rusudan Glurdijdze (Karlovy Vary winner: House of Others), Marianna Palka (Sundance: Good Dick, Bitch), Nicole Conn (lesbian genre films: A Perfect Ending, Elena Undone), producer Deborah Del Prete (Ender’s Game, The Spirit), plus John Wells (ER, West Wing), Mike Robin (Major Crimes), Deborah Riley Draper (Olympic Pride, American Prejudice, Versailles ‘73: American Runway Revolution) and many more. The producing team: Lead Producer: Kate Super (Director/Producer: Women on the Edge), Additional Producers: Amanda Quinn Olivar (Board member, The Chimaera Project), Kimberly McCullough (Director: Pretty Little Liars), Jon Lindstrom (Director: How We Got Away With It) and Li Lu (Director: There Is a New World Somewhere).
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The LGBT Documentary THE LIFE AND DEATH OF MARSHA P JOHNSON to Debut on Netflix | Trailer

[caption id="attachment_22039" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] THE DEATH AND LIFE OF MARSHA P. JOHNSON[/caption] David France’s The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson, a deeply compelling look at the murder of a transgender legend, known as “the Rosa Parks of the LGBT movement” has been acquired by Netflix, for release later this year. The powerful, haunting film is France’s follow-up to his Academy Award(R) nominated How to Survive a Plague. When Marsha P. Johnson, the beloved, self-described “street queen” of NYC’s gay ghetto, was found floating in the Hudson River in 1992, the NYPD refused to investigate. Instead, they chalked it up to suicide, a widely dismissed conclusion, and left the mystery to fester for decades. Having played a pivotal role in the Stonewall Riots of 1969, Marsha and fellow icon Sylvia Rivera went on to form the world’s first trans-rights organization, STAR (Street Transvestites Action Revolutionaries) in 1970. And despite their many challenges over the years – harassment, homelessness, alcoholism – Marsha and Sylvia ignited a powerful and lasting civil rights movement for gender nonconforming people. Now, 25 years after her untimely death, at a time of unprecedented visibility for, and escalating violence against, the transgender community, veteran crime-victim advocate Victoria Cruz has taken it upon herself to reexamine what happened to Marsha and measure the challenges that still face the community. The film follows as this intrepid champion pursues leads, mobilizes officials, and raises troubling new questions about a famous cold case. Along the way she burnishes the political legacy of a celebrated historical figure. “Almost single-handedly, Marsha P. Johnson and her best friend Sylvia Rivera touched off a revolution in the way we talk about gender today,” said David France. “Their names should be household words. But Marsha’s life was cut tragically short and Sylvia died shortly thereafter, the victim of a broken heart. Getting to know their story through the investigation undertaken by Victoria Cruz, a seminal activist in her own right, has been one of the great honors of my career. Now, with Netflix as our distribution partner, I am confident the legacy of these tremendous women will never be forgotten.” “We are honored to bring much deserved recognition to the dynamic life of Marsha P Johnson,” said Netflix VP of Original Documentary Programming Lisa Nishimura. “Her effervescent spirit and pioneering leadership of the LGBT movement is illuminated with an eloquent force by director David France and is a true testament to the power of documentary films.”
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Watch Trailer for Chris Burkard’s Documentary UNDER AN ARCTIC SKY on Surfing in Iceland

[caption id="attachment_22549" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Under an Arctic Sky[/caption] Here is the trailer for “Under an Arctic Sky,” a documentary film that follows six surfers along with photographer Chris Burkard on their journey to Iceland’s north coast in search of perfect waves during the largest storm in 25 years. The film first premiered this past April at the Tribeca Film Festival to a sold-out crowd. If you are in New York City, next Thursday, June 8th, Adorama, one of the world’s largest photography, video, audio, imaging and electronics retailers, will be hosting a film screening of “Under an Arctic Sky.” The film follows six surfers along with adventure photographer Chris Burkard and filmmaker Ben Weiland as they seek out unknown swell in the remote fjords of Iceland’s Hornstrandir Nature Reserve. Chartering a boat, they depart from Isafjordur on the cusp of the largest storm to make landfall in twenty-five years. With the knowledge that storms bring legendary swell the crew are optimistic, but face failure when the storm forces them back to shore. Making the decision to carry the expedition on by road they experience the brutality of Iceland’s winter and begin to question if searching out the unknown is worth risking their lives for. Despite setbacks the team pushes on and finds that uncertainty is the best ingredient for discovering the unimaginable.
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THE REAGAN SHOW, A Doc Look at the First TV President, Opens June 30 in NY & LA | Trailer

[caption id="attachment_22526" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] THE REAGAN SHOW[/caption] Pacho Velez’s and Sierra Pettengill’s THE REAGAN SHOW is an all-archival documentary about the original performer-president’s role of a lifetime: Leader of the Free World. A hit at the recent Tribeca Film Festival, the movie will open in New York at the Metrograph Theater and in Los Angeles at the Laemmle Monica Film Center on Friday, June 30, with a national rollout to immediately follow. It will also become available on VOD on July 4. Teasing apart the spectacle at the heart of finger-on-the-button global diplomacy, THE REAGAN SHOW follows Ronald Reagan’s rivalry with charismatic Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, tracing how the Communicator-in-Chief uses his public relations chops to overcome Soviet mistrust, the objections of a skeptical press corps and the looming threat of WW III. Chock full of wit and political irony, and told solely through 1980s network news and videotapes created by the Reagan administration itself, the film explores Reagan’s made-for-TV approach to politics as he faced down the United States’ greatest rival. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07BHVGm-Y6s
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Award-winning LGBT Documentary POLITICAL ANIMALS will be Released on DVD and VOD on June 6th | Trailer

[caption id="attachment_14305" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Political Animals[/caption] The award-winning LGBT documentary Political Animals, directed by Jonah Markowitz (Shelter), and co-directed by Tracy Wares (DP: Bomb It, Gay Republicans), will be released on DVD and VOD on June 6th in the U.S. and Canada via Gravitas Ventures. Documentary Political Animals is an inspiring portrait of four defiant California politicians – all out women – who bravely fought hatred and homophobia through pioneering legislative efforts in California to make political history, paving the way for success in the fight for Equality, and to create lasting and significant social change. Political Animals celebrates the legendary civil rights victories of the first four openly gay elected California state politicians – who were all women: Carole Migden, Sheila Kuehl, Jackie Goldberg, and Christine Kehoe. An inspiring portrait of four defiant politicians who refused to let hatred and homophobia stop them from making history and achieving legal recognition for LGBT people throughout California and the United States. Political Animals documents the tough struggles they endured together, and celebrates their pioneering success in the fight for Equality and the sweet victories these unforgettable women created to pave the way for lasting and significant social change. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ9jikA5Ip4
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FilmRise to Release Ramona S. Diaz’s Sundance Winning Documentary MOTHERLAND | Trailer

[caption id="attachment_22502" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Motherland[/caption] Ramona S. Diaz’s documentary Motherland which world premiered earlier this year at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, will be released in the Summer by FilmRise. Motherland, which won the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Commanding Vision at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, takes us into the heart of the planet’s busiest maternity hospital in one of the world’s poorest and most populous countries: the Philippines. The film’s viewer, like an unseen outsider dropped unobtrusively into the hospital’s stream of activity, passes through hallways, enters rooms and listens in on conversations. At first, the surrounding people are strangers. But as the film continues, it’s absorbingly intimate, rendering the women at the heart of the story increasingly familiar. Three women—Lea, Aira and Lerma—emerge to share their stories with other mothers, their families, doctors and social workers. While each of them faces daunting odds at home, their optimism, honesty and humor suggest a strength that they will certainly have to summon in the years ahead. Diaz said: “I’m very much looking forward to partnering with FilmRise on the release of our film after successful premieres at festivals both in the U.S. and abroad. We feel strongly that the film will strike a chord with viewers, all the more so in today’s political and cultural climate.”
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Award-winning Documentary, A CAMBODIAN SPRING to US Premiere at Brooklyn Film Festival | Trailer

[caption id="attachment_22492" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] A Cambodian Spring[/caption] The award-winning documentary, A Cambodian Spring, from UK video journalist/filmmaker Chris Kelly, will have its US premiere at the Brooklyn Film Festival. The film won the Special Jury Prize earlier this year at 2017 Hot Docs in Toronto. A Cambodian Spring is an intimate and unique portrait of three people caught up in the chaotic and often violent development that is shaping modern-day Cambodia. Spending 9 years on the film (shooting for 6 of those years) the film charts the growing wave of land-rights protests that led to the ‘Cambodian Spring’ and the tragic events that followed. This film is about the complexities – both political and personal, of fighting for what you believe in. “A Cambodian Spring is for me a deeply personal film, which took 9 years to complete,” says director Chris Kelly. “It is an exploration of what motivates us, what gives our lives meaning, and what happens when our personal desires colour and shape our actions. It is an unapologetically subjective portrait of my time in Cambodia, of the people who shared their lives with me and of the shifting landscapes, both physical and emotional, that I found there.” The film also includes a riveting original soundtrack by the UK’s best known electronic music artist James Holden. 2017 Brooklyn Film Festival Screening Time and Location showtime: 7:30 pm | Wednesday June 7 | Wythe Hotel showtime: 8:30 pm | Sunday June 11 | Wythe Hotel
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