The documentary The Insufferable Groo by Scott Christopherson, follows a prolific low budget indie-filmmaker who sets off to cast Jack Black in his newest feature film, an elf/human love story. The Insufferable Groo will be released in select theaters in December and on demand December 14th by Gravitas Ventures.
The Insufferable Groo received critical praise and audience attention at its World Premiere at The Sheffield Film Festival earlier this year and had its North American Premiere on November 14th at DOC NYC in New York.
“Jack Black and Stephen Groo make for a hilarious documentary experience” says Christopherson. “Groo’s huge body of work should be recognized and celebrated and we are excited to have Gravitas share his story with the world.”
The Insufferable Groo follows Utah based filmmaker Stephen Groo, age 41, a self-proclaimed auteur, narrowing in on his 200th film in 20 years. His oeuvre of outlandishly awful genre films has managed to attract admirers like Napoleon Dynamite’s Jared Hess and Jack Black, but the Utah-based director has never made a dime off of his work, leaving his wife to provide for their family of four small boys. As Groo attempts to make his latest opus, an elf/human love story, his narcissism threatens to prove his undoing in this entertaining look at low-budget guerrilla filmmaking.
Scott Christopherson was one of ten documentary filmmakers featured in Variety Magazine’s “Docu-makers to Watch” list in 2015. Scott’s debut feature film, Peace Officer, won both the Grand Jury and Audience Awards for best documentary at the SXSW Film Festival. Scott’s films have played at Hot Docs, Full Frame, Sheffield, DOC NYC, Montclair, Camden, Traverse City, New Zealand International, Melbourne International, and Taiwan film festivals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kwwSwbwltIFilms
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Documentary THE INSUFFERABLE GROO Starring Jack Black Sets December Release Date
The documentary The Insufferable Groo by Scott Christopherson, follows a prolific low budget indie-filmmaker who sets off to cast Jack Black in his newest feature film, an elf/human love story. The Insufferable Groo will be released in select theaters in December and on demand December 14th by Gravitas Ventures.
The Insufferable Groo received critical praise and audience attention at its World Premiere at The Sheffield Film Festival earlier this year and had its North American Premiere on November 14th at DOC NYC in New York.
“Jack Black and Stephen Groo make for a hilarious documentary experience” says Christopherson. “Groo’s huge body of work should be recognized and celebrated and we are excited to have Gravitas share his story with the world.”
The Insufferable Groo follows Utah based filmmaker Stephen Groo, age 41, a self-proclaimed auteur, narrowing in on his 200th film in 20 years. His oeuvre of outlandishly awful genre films has managed to attract admirers like Napoleon Dynamite’s Jared Hess and Jack Black, but the Utah-based director has never made a dime off of his work, leaving his wife to provide for their family of four small boys. As Groo attempts to make his latest opus, an elf/human love story, his narcissism threatens to prove his undoing in this entertaining look at low-budget guerrilla filmmaking.
Scott Christopherson was one of ten documentary filmmakers featured in Variety Magazine’s “Docu-makers to Watch” list in 2015. Scott’s debut feature film, Peace Officer, won both the Grand Jury and Audience Awards for best documentary at the SXSW Film Festival. Scott’s films have played at Hot Docs, Full Frame, Sheffield, DOC NYC, Montclair, Camden, Traverse City, New Zealand International, Melbourne International, and Taiwan film festivals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kwwSwbwltI
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Neflix to Release Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Directorial Debut THE BOY WHO HARNESSED THE WIND
The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind, the directorial debut of Academy Award nominee and BAFTA Award winner Chiwetel Ejiofor will launch in 2019 on Netflix and in select theaters in the US and UK. The British film which was shot in Malawi last year, is based on the bestselling book of the same name written by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer.
Adapted from the bestselling book by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind follows 13-year-old William Kamkwamba (newcomer Maxwell Simba) who is thrown out of the school he loves when his family can no longer afford the fees. Sneaking back into the school library, he finds a way, using the bones of the bicycle belonging to his father Trywell (Chiwetel Ejiofor), to build a windmill which then saves his Malawian village from famine. The emotional journey of a father and his exceptional son at its heart, William’s tale captures the incredible determination of a boy whose inquisitive mind overcame every obstacle in his path.
The film highlights the power of education and individual determination to change the trajectory of a life, a village and a nation. By telling the story of one boy’s efforts to overcome the barriers he faces to education, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind inspires audiences to imagine a future where every child, in every village, has access to knowledge and to opportunities to put that knowledge to work.
The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind stars Maxwell Simba, Academy Award Nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave), A?ssa Ma?ga (Anything for Alice), Lily Banda, Lemogang Tsipa (Eye in the Sky), Philbert Falakeza, with Joseph Marcell (“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”) and Noma Dumezweni (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child)
Ejiofor commented: “William’s story represents, what has to be, the future in countries like Malawi: developing countries, overflowing with beauty and harboring enormous potential. A global story, such as this, requires a global platform and I’m thrilled to be working with Netflix on bringing William’s extraordinary tale of determination and inventiveness to audiences worldwide.”
Image via BBC
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20th ANIMATION SHOW OF SHOWS to Showcase 15 Animated Short Films from Around the World
[caption id="attachment_32641" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Weekends – Trevor Jimenez[/caption]
The 20th Annual Animation Show of Shows returns to theaters across North America and will have its US theatrical premiere at Laemmle Theaters in Los Angeles on December 14th, and at the Quad Cinema in New York on December 28th (many other cities will follow). Since 1998, the Animation Show of Shows has been selecting the best in animated short films from around the world and has been presenting new and innovative short films to appreciative audiences at animation studios, schools and, since 2015, theaters in the US and other countries. Over the years, 38 of the films showcased in The Animation Show of Shows went on to receive Academy Award® nominations, with 11 films winning the Oscar®.
The 20th Annual Animation Show of Shows will present 15 thought-provoking, poignant, and very funny animated shorts from around the world. In a year when the best and worst of human nature has been on constant display, the works in this year’s show remind us of both the universality of shared ideals, as well as the diverse challenges we face. “Animation is such a flexible and open-ended medium that it lends itself to exploring the innumerable aspects of what it means to be human,” says founder and curator Ron Diamond. “And this year’s program, as much as any of our past presentations, really illuminates human strengths and foibles, and the bonds that unite us across cultures and generations.” The 20th Annual Animation Show of Shows represents the work of artists from six countries and includes six student films. Funny, moving, engaging, and thought-provoking, The Animation Show of Shows not only has something for everyone, but is a remarkable and insightful microcosm of our world.
The show has a running time of 98 minutes and includes 15 films, four of which have qualified for Academy Award® consideration *.
20th Annual Animation Show of Shows Lineup
The Green Bird * – Maximilien Bougeois, Quentin Dubois, Marine Goalard, Irina Nguyen, Pierre Perveyrie, France [caption id="attachment_32644" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
One Small Step * – Andrew Chesworth, Bobby Pontillas[/caption]
One Small Step * – Andrew Chesworth, Bobby Pontillas, U.S.
Grands Canons – Alain Biet, France
Barry – Anchi Shen, U.S.
Super Girl – Nancy Kangas, Josh Kun, U.S.
Love Me, Fear Me – Veronica Solomon, Germany
Business Meeting – Guy Charnaux, Brazil
Flower Found! – Jorn Leeuwerink, The Netherlands
Bullets – Nancy Kangas, Josh Kun, U.S.
A Table Game – Nicolás Petelski, Spain
Carlotta’s Face – Valentin Riedl, Frédéric Schuld, Germany
Age of Sail * – John Kahrs, U.S.
Polaris – Hikari Toriumi, U.S.
My Moon – Eusong Lee, U.S.
Weekends * – Trevor Jimenez, U.S.
The power of family ties, and specifically the enduring connection between parents and children, are sensitively evoked in Hikari Toriumi’s deeply affecting “Polaris,” about a young polar bear leaving home for the first time. “One Small Step,” Bobby Pontillas and Andrew Chesworth’s inspiring story of a Chinese-American girl’s dream of being an astronaut, centers on her evolving relationship with her father. The beautifully designed “Weekends,” by Trevor Jimenez, explores the complex emotional landscape of a young boy and his recently divorced parents, as he shuttles between their very different homes and lives.
The darker side of relationships is forcefully explored in Veronica Solomon’s “Love Me, Fear Me,” a tour de force of claymation that uses dance to delve into the lengths people go to to deceive each other and try to pass for something they’re not. Eusong Lee’s “My Moon” takes a more cosmic and lighthearted approach to a troubled relationship, depicting a celestial love triangle played out by the sun, the moon, and the earth.“Carlotta’s Face,” by Valentin Riedl and Frédéric Schuld, illuminates a different kind of relationship dysfunction in its sensitive portrayal of a woman who suffers from prosopagnosia, the inability to recognize faces, and her salvation through art.
Among the other program highlights are the very funny computer animation “The Green Bird,” winner of a 2018 Gold Student Academy Award® International Animation, which harks back to classic cartoons of the mid-20th century. Oscar-winning director John Kahrs’ “Age of Sail,” the latest in Google’s series of Spotlight Stories, chronicles the adventures of an old sailor who rescues a teenaged girl after she falls overboard. Alain Biet’s jaw-dropping “Grands Canons” is a dizzying symphonic celebration of everyday objects that uses finely detailed drawings created by the filmmaker. And two very short films, “Supergirl” and “Bullets,” take their inspiration from poems composed by surprisingly eloquent preschoolers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbKjakQbRzs
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Aretha Franklin Documentary AMAZING GRACE Added to AFI FEST 2018
A Special Screening of Amazing Grace, the long-awaited documentary featuring Aretha Franklin’s renowned performances at New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles, has been added to AFI FEST 2018 presented by Audi. Marking the film’s West Coast premiere, the Special Screening will take place Thursday, November 15, 8:00 p.m. at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres.
The live performances, ranked among Ms. Franklin’s finest, were originally recorded and filmed during a church service in Watts on January 13 and 14, 1972. Warner Bros. Pictures captured the footage for a companion documentary to the double live album “Amazing Grace.” “Amazing Grace” would go on to be the biggest selling album of Aretha Franklin’s career, and the best-selling gospel album of all time. Mired in technical issues, the film was never released to the public.
Producer Alan Elliott acquired the film rights in 2007 and worked with a team of producers including Joe Boyd, Robert Johnson, Chiemi Karasawa, Sabrina Owens, Jerry Wexler, Tirrell D. Whittley and Joseph Woolf, to bring the feature-length documentary to light. The film was edited by Jeff Buchanan and its music was mixed by Jimmy Douglass. The documentary is a labor of love and a timely tribute to the music icon who passed away in August 2018. The film is now ready for release with the complete support and blessing from The Aretha Franklin Estate.
After decades of waiting, fans of the Queen of Soul can view her iconic performance at the AFI FEST 2018. The film features Ms. Franklin’s legendary gospel hits, performed in front of a distinguished audience that includes her father, the famed Reverend C.L. Franklin, Gospel legends Clara Ward and Mother Ward of the Ward Family Singers along with Mick Jagger and Charlie Watts of the Rolling Stones (who were in Los Angeles recording “Exile on Main Street”).
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Finnish-Syrian LGBT Romantic Drama A MOMENT IN THE REEDS Gets Release Date
Finnish-Syrian LGBT romantic drama A Moment in the Reeds, the feature debut of Finnish writer/director Mikko Makela is a moving gay romance between a young Finnish academic and a struggling Syrian refugee, set against an idyllic Finnish summer.
After world premiering at the 2017 London Film Festival and a year of critical success on the worldwide festival circuit and opening theatrically to critical acclaim in Finland this past summer, A Moment in the Reeds releases on December 4th, 2018 in the U.S. and Canada on DVD & VOD.
Mikko Makela’s stunning debut explores the relationship between two men, set against an idyllic Finnish summer. Whilst visiting his estranged father, Leevi meets Tareq, a handsome Syrian immigrant employed to restore the family lake house. Leevi’s father departs for the city, leaving the two men alone in the beautiful remote countryside and enabling them to act on their impulses and the chemistry that clearly exists between them. Far removed from their everyday lives, the only immediate threat to the men’s relationship is the eventual return of Leevi’s father. But there’s also Tareq’s complex relationship with his family back in Syria. Makela sensitively explores the perspectives of both men, who long for some human connection, acceptance and a place to call home. Locating marginalised characters at the forefront of the story, Makela’s film is a very welcome and refreshingly frank portrait of contemporary Finnish society.
One of the first LGBT-themed films made in Finland, Makela’s intimate drama places at its center the freedom and acceptance of sexual and ethnic minorities, amidst the backdrop of breathtaking Finnish lake country.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sld9shloXw4
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Watch Trailer for Jeff Fry’s Anti-War Short Film KRIEG
Filmmaker Jeff Fry’s directorial debut is the Academy-qualified live-action short film “Krieg,” that follows the journey of a soldier whose remorse for inaction in the face of murder compels him to risk all to protect a wounded enemy airman.
Tasked with locating a French Underground transmitter, an elite German SS mountain unit commits atrocities against their Partisan prisoners. Shamed by his involvement, one officer is compelled to leave camp and seek out the transmitter on his own hoping that, by finding the radio, he can prevent further crimes. He discovers a downed American aircraft and, in a twistof fate, finds redemption by delivering the wounded bombardier to the very enemy for whom they are searching.
“Krieg” is an anti-war film that challenges our conceptions of war and how the enemy behaves, blurring the boundaries between nations to teach us that wars are not fought on the battlefield, but in the hearts of men. “Krieg” stars Heiko Obermoller (“A Cure For Wellness”), Scott Bailey (“Timeless”), Alexander Schottky (“Nikola”), Zoey Sidwell (“How To Get Away With Murder”), Alex DeVorak (”Night of the Dead: Leben Tod”), Rene Heger (“Circle”), Marko Janovic (“Then What Happened?”), Amanda Michaels (“Krieg”), Sierra Willis (“Forerunner”), Chad Evans (“Krieg”), Joshua M. Bott (“Loser’s Lounge”), John Gillen (“Surge of Power: The Revenge of the Sequel”), Matt O’Hare (“Wearing Hitler’s Pants”), Ken Collins (“Cape Fear”), and Alison Lees-Taylor (“Escape From Tomorrow”), among others.
Fry wrote, produced, directed, and shot this intimate WW2 narrative. His filmmaking career has spanned from the inner workings of NASA’s Mission Control to Hollywood. For the last thirty years, he has been serving others by working on their films, hence he finally created his own, the theme of which is “serving others.” “Krieg” is actually a product of his desire to serve other filmmakers by developing a project so unique that their incredible talents would not go unnoticed.
“Krieg” is still continuing its incredible film festival awards sweep, to date having received an unprecedented thirty-three awards and an additional thirty nominations. “Krieg” can next be seen by film festival audiences across the United States at the Red Rock Film Festival in Utah on November 8th, at the Alexandria Film Festival in Virginia on November 11th, and at the Dragonfly Film Festival in Tempe, Arizona on November 16th & 17th, among others. The dialogue in “Krieg” is German and French with subtitles, but the film was produced in the United States, making it “An American Foreign Film” – Fry’s trademark for his domestically produced foreign language films. Shot in 35mm, the film has an organic feel and style appropriate to the period. The costumes and props are authentic, and the scale of the film is epic, peppered with vintage aircraft and vehicles.
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Watch an EXCLUSIVE Clip from CHINA LOVE on Chinese Ritual of Pre-Wedding Photography
[caption id="attachment_32605" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
China Love. At Only Photo Studio just out of Shanghai. This is a “go-to” pre wedding photography studio with 3 floors of ‘old world’ romantic and fantasy sets. July 2015[/caption]
Just for you our readers, an exclusive clip from China Love directed by Olivia Martin-McGuire premiering in the U.S. on November 9, 2018 at 2018 DOC NYC.
China Love takes us on a billion-dollar ride of fantasy exploring contemporary China through the window of the pre-wedding photography industry. The film is a feature length observational documentary which follows Chinese and Australian participants as they navigate love, weddings and family in the lead up to the most important ritual of Chinese society – getting married.
China Love is directed and produced by Olivia Martin-McGuire, produced by Rebecca Barry and Madeleine Hetherton, and features documentary subject Allen Shi the owner of the Jihao Group.
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Polish Drama COLD WAR Leads Nominations for 31st European Film Awards
[caption id="attachment_29874" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]
COLD WAR by Pawel Pawlikowski[/caption]
The Polish drama Cold War (Zimna wojna) directed by Ali Abbasi leads the nominations for the 31st European Film Awards with 5 nods including Best European Film, Best Director, European Screenwriter along with Best Actress for Joanna Kulig as Zula, and Best Actor for Tomasz Kot as Wiktor. The more than 3,500 EFA Members will now vote for the winners who will be presented during the awards ceremony on December 15 in Seville.
31st European Film Awards Nominations
EUROPEAN FILM 2018
BORDER GRÄNS Sweden, Denmark DIRECTED BY Ali Abbasi WRITTEN BY Ali Abbasi, Isabella Eklöf & John Ajvide Lindqvist PRODUCED BY Nina Bisgaard, Piodor Gustafsson & Petra Jönsson COLD WAR ZIMNA WOJNA Poland, UK, France WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY Pawel Pawlikowski PRODUCED BY Ewa Puszczynska & Tanya Seghatchian DOGMAN Italy, France DIRECTED BY Matteo Garrone WRITTEN BY Matteo Garrone, Ugo Chiti & Massimo Gaudioso PRODUCED BY Matteo Garrone, Jean Labadie, Jeremy Thomas & Paolo Del Brocco GIRL Belgium, Netherlands DIRECTED BY Lukas Dhont WRITTEN BY Lukas Dhont & Angelo Tijssens PRODUCED BY Dirk Impens [caption id="attachment_30997" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
HAPPY AS LAZARRO[/caption]
HAPPY AS LAZZARO
LAZZARO FELICE
Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland
WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY Alice Rohrwacher
PRODUCED BY Carlo Cresto-Dina, Tiziana Soudani, Alexandra Henochsberg, Grégory Gajos, Arthur Hallereau, Pierre-François Piet, Michel Merkt, Michael Weber & Viola Fügen
EUROPEAN DOCUMENTARY 2018
A WOMAN CAPTURED Hungary, Germany DIRECTED BY Bernadett Tuza-Ritter PRODUCED BY Julianna Ugrin & Viki Réka Kiss BERGMAN – A YEAR IN A LIFE BERGMAN – ETT ÅR, ETT LIV Sweden, Germany DIRECTED BY Jane Magnusson PRODUCED BY Cecilia Nessen, Fredrik Heinig & Mattias Nohrborg OF FATHERS AND SONS Germany, Syria, Lebanon, Qatar DIRECTED BY Talal Derki PRODUCED BY Tobias Siebert, Ansgar Frerich, Eva Kemme & Hans Robert Eisenhauer THE DISTANT BARKING OF DOGS Denmark, Finland, Sweden DIRECTED BY Simon Lereng Wilmont PRODUCED BY Monica Hellström, Tobias Janson & Sami Jahnukainen THE SILENCE OF OTHERS Spain, USA DIRECTED & PRODUCED BY Almudena Carracedo & Robert BaharEUROPEAN DIRECTOR 2018
Ali Abbasi for BORDER Matteo Garrone for DOGMAN Samuel Maoz for FOXTROT Pawel Pawlikowski for COLD WAR Alice Rohrwacher for HAPPY AS LAZZAROEUROPEAN ACTRESS 2018
Marie Bäumer as Romy Schneider in 3 DAYS IN QUIBERON Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir as Halla / Ása in WOMAN AT WAR Joanna Kulig as Zula in COLD WAR Bárbara Lennie as Petra in PETRA Eva Melander as Tina in BORDER Alba Rohrwacher as Antonia old in HAPPY AS LAZZAROEUROPEAN ACTOR 2018
Jakob Cedergren as Asger in THE GUILTY Rupert Everett as Oscar Wilde in THE HAPPY PRINCE Marcello Fonte as Marcello in DOGMAN Sverrir Gudnason as Björn Borg in BORG/MCENROE Tomasz Kot as Wiktor in COLD WAR Victor Polster as Lara in GIRLEUROPEAN SCREENWRITER 2018
[caption id="attachment_29152" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
GRÄNS (BORDER) by Ali Abbasi[/caption]
Ali Abbasi, Isabella Eklöf & John Ajvide Lindqvist for BORDER
Matteo Garrone, Ugo Chiti & Massimo Gaudioso for DOGMAN
Gustav Möller & Emil Nygaard Albertsen for THE GUILTY
Pawel Pawlikowski for COLD WAR
Alice Rohrwacher for HAPPY AS LAZZARO
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Watch Spine-Tingling Electrifying Trailer for CAM, Set in World of Webcam Porn
Netflix today released the new trailer for the psychological cyberworld thriller CAM starring Madeline Brewer, set in the world of webcam porn.
It follows Alice (Brewer), an ambitious camgirl, who wakes up one day to discover she’s been replaced on her show with an exact replica of herself. As this copy begins to push the boundaries of Alice’s internet identity, the control that Alice has over her life, and the men in it, vanishes. While she struggles to regain what she’s lost, she slowly finds herself drawn back to her show and to the mysterious person who has taken her place.
Daniel Goldhaber directed the pic, which was co-financed by Blumhouse Productions and Gunpowder & Sky and produced by Divide/Conquer. Goldhaber also co-wrote the story with Isabelle Link-Levy and Isa Mazzei, who penned the script from her experience as an ex-camgirl, making CAM a rare film about sex work openly written by a sex worker. Link-Levy, Adam Hendricks, John Lang, Greg Gilreath produced.
CAM premiered at this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal and stars Madeline Brewer (“The Handmaid’s Tale”), Patch Darragh (“The First Purge”), Melora Walters (“Venom”), and Devin Druid (“13 Reasons Why”). The film took home the best first feature and best screenplay awards from Fantasia and recently won best actress, a special jury prize for production design, and the audience award at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pN8xZ5WDonk
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Roy Cohn Documentary, From Director Ivy Meeropol, To Debut on HBO in 2019
A documentary on infamous attorney Roy Cohn will debut on HBO in 2019, drawing on extensive, newly unearthed archival material to present the most revealing examination of him to date. Director Ivy Meeropol (“Indian Point,” HBO’s “Heir to an Execution”), granddaughter of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, spent much of her life feeling both repelled and fascinated by the man who prosecuted the Rosenbergs in what became known as the “atomic spies” case, obtaining their convictions in federal court and then insisting on their executions.
The untitled film features recently discovered audiotapes of candid discussions between Cohn and journalist Peter Manso, recorded at the height of Cohn’s career as a power broker in the rough and tumble world of New York City business and politics.
This vivid portrait focuses on family, friends, colleagues, employees and lovers, as well as those targeted by him – all of whom were profoundly affected by crossing paths with Cohn. The film focuses on key periods of his life, including his time in Provincetown, Mass., where he was considerably more open about his sexuality than in other settings, and where he shared a house with Manso and novelist Norman Mailer.
The documentary includes interviews with playwright Tony Kushner, whose Pulitzer Prize- and Tony-winning play “Angels in America” featured Cohn as a main character, and actor Nathan Lane, who starred in it as Cohn for nearly a year. Lane offers insights into how devastatingly dangerous the actual Roy Cohn was and how he wielded power through invective and innuendo.
Director Ivy Meeropol notes, “The time has come for audiences to understand a man who, while hiding so much of himself from the world, has had a profound influence on our society, even to this day. We are thrilled to partner with HBO Documentary Films to bring this remarkable story to life.”
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8 Documentaries to Watch at 2018 DOC NYC
[caption id="attachment_32158" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Beyond the Bolex[/caption]
DOC NYC kicks off this weekend and the lineup is bursting with titles. Here are a few interesting documentary films to give you a sense of the programming and inspire a reason to get out and watch something nice, or at least fun.
‘63 Boycott
Gordon Quinn’s new short film 63’ Boycott looks to be not just another social issue film about racial segregation in Chicago public schools, but a relevant piece about activism that is still happening over half a century later. Mixing unseen archival footage (shot by Quinn himself) from the Freedom Day movement with present-day video from demonstrations, there are a clear similarities drawn between then and now. Quinn being an active participant of organizations for the betterment of communities they serve, 63’ Boycott seems to have the energy to get people on the streets. Director Gordon Quinn with producers Rachel Dickson and Tracye A. Matthews are expected to be at the screening on November 9th at the IFC Center.Beyond the Bolex
A film with a production history that may have been years in the making, filmmaker Alyssa Bolsey creates a portrait of the inventor of the Bolex camera, her great-grandfather Jacques Bolsey. Using materials from family photos as well the possibly limitless hours of footage shot from a Bolex, Bolsey paints a picture of the Steve Jobs like inventor/designer. Director Alyssa Bolsey is expected to attend the world premiere on November 8th at the Chelsea Cinepolis.Barbara Rubin & The Exploding NY Underground
An undiscussed figure of the 60s underground art scene, Barbara Rubin was out there. Chuck Smith takes the time to elaborate the fascinating profile of Rubin contextualizing the avant-garde films she’s made. Chronicling her life from hanging out with the likes of Andy Warhol and Allen Ginsberg to settling down in France with a Hasidic Jewish community. Smith’s film includes interviews with people who knew her well including Amy Taubin and Jonas Mekas. Director Chuck Smith is expected to attend to screening on November 11th at the IFC Center.The Eyes of Orson Welles
From the same Irish narration of Mark Cousins, from The Story of Film: An Odyssey, comes a conversational look at the unseen artwork of Orson Welles. Sketches, storyboards, poems, notes; it all comes out and is explored with a soft touch, as if it were an interview that Welles could only be a part of by speaking from his art. Cousins’ is expected to be at the screening on November 12th at Chelsea Cinepolis.Hillbilly
Similar to Walter Evan’s work documenting Americans during the Great Depression, directors Sally Rubin and Ashley York’s film looks at the “American hillbilly.” Especially interesting during a time when that label has contentious connotations concerning America’s political atmosphere. Going to York’s hometown in Appalachian Hills, the women give wider perspective on the classical stereotype of close-minded ignorance. Both directors are expected to attend the screening on November 12th at the IFC Center.My Dead Dad’s Porno Tapes
Charlie Tyrell’s new short film has a title with a combined meaning of being off-putting (“Dad’s Porno Tapes”) but deeply personal (“Dead Dad”.) With a similar to Dear Zachary, Tyrell focuses on the recently formed bond shared between him and his late father, by way of a VHS pornography collection. Subject matter aside there is a combination of archival photography of his father along with stop-motion animation, a process that is far too tedious to not be commendable. Charlie Tyrell is expected to attend the screen on November 9th at the IFC Center.See Know Evil
The photography of Davide Sorrenti is known for being anti-glamour and disturbingly melancholic, but the story of his very short life has yet to be properly told. Having been a part of youth culture of the 90s, the heroin scene, and even a relationship with Jaime King; Sorrenti could be described as a James Dean for fashion photography. Director Charlie Curran who has done work in both film and fashion should be no stranger to the kind of image making that makes iconic personas. Curran and his team are expected to be at world premiere on November 9th at the SVA Theatre.What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael
A self-explanatory title but Pauline Kael deserves more than that. Being one of the most well known film critics ever, Rob Graver’s portrait of Kael seeks to contextualize the critic to make sense of the madness. Including interviews from filmmakers and writers alike, archived footage, clips from relevant films; perhaps this doc is more than a celebration of an iconic figure in film criticism, it’s a spotlight on a leading women figure in a world of men. Director Rob Graver along with producers Glen Zipper and Doug Blush will be attendance at the screening on November 11th at the SVA Theatre, followed by an extended conversation with critics David Edelstein, Stephanie Zacharek, and Eric Kohn.
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165 Films Documentary Feature Films Submitted for 2018 Oscar Race
[caption id="attachment_28784" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind[/caption]
One hundred sixty-six features have been submitted for consideration in the Documentary Feature category for the 91st Academy Awards®. Several of the films have not yet had their required Los Angeles and New York qualifying releases. Submitted features must fulfill the theatrical release requirements and comply with all of the category’s other qualifying rules in order to advance in the voting process. This year, for the first time, films that have won a qualifying award at a competitive film festival or have been submitted in the Foreign Language Film category as their country’s official selection, are also eligible in the category. A shortlist of 15 films will be announced on December 17.
Films submitted in the Documentary Feature category may also qualify for Academy Awards in other categories, including Best Picture.
Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 22, 2019.
The 91st Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 24, 2019, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
The submitted features, listed in alphabetical order, are:
“Above and Beyond: NASA’S Journey to Tomorrow”
“Active Measures”
“Amazing Grace”
“American Chaos”
“Andy Irons: Kissed by God”
[caption id="attachment_25696" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex Fashion & Disco[/caption]
“Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex Fashion & Disco”
“Avicii: True Stories”
“Bali: Beats of Paradise”
“Bathtubs over Broadway”
“Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché”
“Believer”
“Better Angels”
“Bill Coors: The Will to Live”
“Bisbee ’17”
“The Bleeding Edge”
“Boom for Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat”
“Breaking Point: The War for Democracy in Ukraine”
“Call Her Ganda”
“Charm City”
“Chef Flynn”
“The China Hustle”
“Christian Audigier The Vif”
“The Cleaners”
“Communion”
“Crime + Punishment”
“Dark Money”
“Daughters of the Sexual Revolution: The Untold Story of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders”
“The Dawn Wall”
“The Distant Barking of Dogs”
“Divide and Conquer: The Story of Roger Ailes”
“Drug$”
“Eating Animals”
“Eldorado”
“Fahrenheit 11/9”
“Fail State”
“Family in Transition”
“Far from the Tree”
“Filmworker”
“The First Patient”
“Foreign Land”
“40 Years in the Making: The Magic Music Movie”
“Free Solo”
“Garry Winogrand: All Things Are Photographable”
“Generation Wealth”
“Ghost Hunting”
“Ghosthunter”
“The Gilligan Manifesto”
“The Gospel According to André”
“Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami”
“Graves without a Name”
“The Great Buster: A Celebration”
“Hal”
“Hale County This Morning, This Evening”
“Half the Picture”
“The Heart of Nuba”
“Hillbilly”
“The Homeless Chorus Speaks”
“Hondros”
“Howard”
“In Search of Greatness”
“In the Land of Pomegranates”
“Inventing Tomorrow”
“Invisible Hands”
“Itzhak”
“Jane Fonda in Five Acts”
“John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection”
“The Judge”
“Kangaroo: A Love Hate Story”
“Killer Bees”
“The King”
“King in the Wilderness”
“Kusama – Infinity”
“The Last Race”
“Leaning into the Wind: Andy Goldsworthy”
“Letter from Masanjia”
“Licu, a Romanian Story”
“Living in the Future’s Past”
“Liyana”
“Lots of Kids, a Monkey and a Castle”
“Love & Bananas: An Elephant Story”
“Love, Cecil”
“Love, Gilda”
“Love Is Tolerance – Tolerance Is Love – Make Tolerance Great Again!”
“Making The Five Heartbeats”
“Maria by Callas”
“Matangi / Maya / M.I.A.”
“McQueen”
“Minding the Gap”
“Monrovia, Indiana”
“The Most Unknown”
“New Moon”
“93Queen”
“Nossa Chape”
“Of Fathers and Sons”
“Of Love & Law”
“On Her Shoulders”
“Opera about Poland”
“The Opera House”
“The Oslo Diaries”
“The Other Side of Everything”
“The Panama Papers”
“Path of Blood”
“People’s Republic of Desire”
“Philosopher King – Lee Teng-hui’s Dialogue”
“Pick of the Litter”
“Piripkura”
“Police Killing”
“Pope Francis – A Man of His Word”
“The Price of Everything”
“The Price of Free”
“Qiu (Inmates)”
“Quincy”
“RBG”
“The Rachel Divide”
“The Raft”
“Recovery Boys”
“Restoring Tomorrow”
“Reversing Roe”
“The Road Movie”
“Robin Williams: Come inside My Mind”
“Ruben Blades Is Not My Name”
“Samouni Road”
“Saving Brinton”
“Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland”
“Science Fair”
“Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood”
“Searching for Ingmar Bergman”
“Seeing Allred”
“The Sentence”
“Shirkers”
“Shot in the Dark”
“The Silence of Others”
“Sisters of the Wilderness”
“A Son of Man”
“Songwriter”
“Stan”
“Studio 54”
“Summer in the Forest”
“Tea with the Dames”
“That Summer”
“That Way Madness Lies…”
“They Fight”
“They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead”
“This Is Congo”
“This Is Home: A Refugee Story”
“Three Identical Strangers”
“To Be Continued”
“Transformer”
“Travel Ban”
“The Trial”
“Triumph: The Untold Story of Perry Wallace”
“Trust Machine”
“Under the Wire”
“United Skates”
“Unknown Distance”
“Up Down and Sideways”
“The Waldheim Waltz”
“We Could Be Heroes”
“Weed the People”
“What Haunts Us”
“What Lies Upstream”
“Whitney”
“Wonderful Losers: A Different World”
“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”
“Yellow Is Forbidden”
“Yellowing”