Whirlybird (2020)

  • Jeff Daniels’ ‘Television Event’ Kicks off Sidewalk Film Festival 2021 Lineup

    Television Event directed by Jeff Daniels
    Television Event directed by Jeff Daniels

    The 23rd edition of Sidewalk Film Festival, the Birmingham-based film festival will take place August 23-29, 2021, with Jeff Daniels’ Television Event as the Opening Night film and Jim Cummings and PJ McCabe’s The Beta Test will be the Closing Night screening.

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  • WHIRLYBIRD Trailer. Sundance Doc Looks at Husband-and-Wife Helicopter News Duo who Covered LA’s Historic Events

    Whirlybird directed by Matt Yoka
    Whirlybird directed by Matt Yoka

    Husband-and-wife helicopter news duo Marika Gerrard and Zoey Tur (known then as Bob) famous for capturing some of Los Angeles’ most epic breaking news stories recount the salacious details of their career in the Sundance documentary Whirlybird. Directed by Matt Yoka, the documentary film opens in selects theaters on Friday, August 6th (see below for theater listings).

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  • Tallgrass Film Festival 2020 Winners – “Itchy Fingers” and “Whirlybird” Win Outstanding Film Prizes

    Itchy Fingers directed by Anna Nilles and Marco Jake
    Itchy Fingers directed by Anna Nilles and Marco Jake

    After screening 47 features and 196 shorts, from more than 35 countries around the world, the virtual 18th Annual Tallgrass Film Festival announce this year’s award winners. The award for Outstanding Narrative Feature – went to Itchy Fingers directed by Anna Nilles and Marco Jake; and Whirlybird directed by Matt Yoka won for Outstanding Documentary Feature.

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  • AFI FEST 2020 Announces Full Lineup – UNCLE FRANK, HOPPER/WELLES and More

    (L-R) Paul Bettany as "Frank," Sophia Lillis as "Beth," and Peter Macdissi as "Wally" in UNCLE FRANK  Photo: Brownie Harris/Amazon Studios
    (L-R) Paul Bettany as “Frank,” Sophia Lillis as “Beth,” and Peter Macdissi as “Wally” in UNCLE FRANK Photo: Brownie Harris/Amazon Studios

    AFI today announced the full lineup for this year’s virtual AFI Fest presented by Audi running online October 15-22. The festival features 124 titles – 53% are directed by women, 39% are directed by BIPOC and 17% are directed by LBGTQ+.

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  • Canceled Full Frame Documentary Film Festival Reveals 2020 Lineup

    Bully. Coward. Victim. The Story of Roy Cohn
    Bully. Coward. Victim. The Story of Roy Cohn

    The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival announced the official feature and short film selections for the festival’s 23rd edition which was originally scheduled to take place April 2-5 in downtown Durham, but was cancelled amid COVID-19 public health and safety concerns. The NEW DOCS program and Invited Program includes 44 features and 12 shorts from 26 countries

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  • Complete List of 118 Feature-length Films Selected for 2020 Sundance Film Festival

    Cuties by Maïmouna Doucouré,
    Fathia Youssouf, Medina El Aidi-Azouni, Esther Gohourou, Ilanah Cami-Goursolas, Myriam Hamma, Demba Diaw, and Maimouna Gueye appear in “Cuties” by Maïmouna Doucouré, an official selection of the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute. ‘Courtesy of Sundance Institute.’

    The 2020 Sundance Film Festival revealed the 118 feature-length films, representing 27 countries and 44 first-time feature filmmakers that will be showcased at the upcoming festival. Films range from indie films to star studded cast featuring Meek Mill, Wilmer Valderrama, Elisabeth Moss, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Anne Hathaway, Ben Affleck and more. The Festival hosts screenings in Park City, Salt Lake City and at Sundance Mountain Resort, from January 23 to February 2, 2020.

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  • WEINER Documentary to Open Full Frame Documentary Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_11832" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]WEINER, Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg WEINER, Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg[/caption] Weiner, following disgraced congressman Anthony Weiner’s 2013 campaign for mayor of New York City, will be the Opening Night Film of the 2016 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival. Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You, directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, will screen as the free Closing Night Film. Four films : Unlocking the Cage by Chris Hegedus and DA Pennebaker, Two Trains Runnin’ by Sam Pollard, Raising Bertie by Margaret Byrne, and Presenting Princess Shaw by Ido Haar, will exhibit as Center Frame screenings. Filmmakers and subjects from the films will participate in extended conversations after the Center Frame screenings. Special guests include Steven Wise from Unlocking the Cage; David Dennis, co-director of Mississippi Freedom Summer, from Two Trains Runnin’; Reginald Askew, Davonte Harrell, David Perry, and Vivian Saunders from Raising Bertie; and Samantha Montgomery from Presenting Princess Shaw. Full Frame 2016 will feature two free outdoor screenings in addition to the Closing Night Film, continuing its tradition of showing free films Friday and Saturday nights. (Dis)Honesty – The Truth About Lies and Iris will screen outdoors at Durham Central Park. The 2016 Garrett Scott Documentary Development Grant, now in its tenth year, has been awarded to Jonathan Olshefski for Quest: The Fury and the Sound and to Matt Yoka for Whirlybird. Grant organizers will join the filmmakers in presenting short excerpts from their works-in-progress prior to a screening of The Peacemaker by 2014 grant recipient James Demo. The grant is awarded in honor of filmmaker Garrett Scott, who made a distinctive mark in the documentary genre during his brief career. It recognizes first-time filmmakers who, like Scott, bring a unique vision to the content and style of their documentary films. Opening Night Film of the 2016 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival at Carolina Theatre’s Fletcher Hall OPENING NIGHT FILM – Thursday, April 7, at 7:40pm Weiner (Directors: Josh Kriegman, Elyse Steinberg) With unparalleled access to the candidate, Weiner follows disgraced congressman Anthony Weiner’s 2013 campaign for mayor of New York City and intensely navigates new political scandal as it unfolds. Center Frame Screenings at Carolina Theatre’s Fletcher Hall CENTER FRAME – Friday, April 8, at 1:30pm Unlocking the Cage (Directors: Chris Hegedus, DA Pennebaker) Having devoted his career to fighting for greater legal rights for nonhuman animals, attorney Steven Wise and his colleagues at the Nonhuman Rights Project launch a history-making lawsuit arguing for captive chimpanzees’ right to personhood. CENTER FRAME – Friday, April 8, at 8:00pm Two Trains Runnin’ (Director: Sam Pollard) Featuring artful animation and performances by Gary Clark Jr. and Lucinda Williams, this story of the search for two forgotten blues singers takes us to Mississippi during the height of the civil rights movement. World Premiere CENTER FRAME – Saturday, April 9, at 4:30pm Raising Bertie (Director: Margaret Byrne) In this intimate portrait of coming of age, three young men in rural Bertie County, North Carolina, persevere against poverty, discrimination, and unemployment. World Premiere CENTER FRAME – Saturday, April 9, at 8:00 pm Presenting Princess Shaw (Director: Ido Haar) Video blogger and aspiring singer Samantha Montgomery is unaware she has a follower and fan in the form of an enigmatic Israeli composer, whose unforgettable YouTube mashups might just help Samantha achieve her dreams. FREE CLOSING NIGHT FILM Sunday, April 10, at 8:00pm – Carolina Theatre’s Fletcher Hall (Ticket Required) Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You (Directors: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady) The legendary, influential king of 1970s sitcoms reflects on his life, his work, and the profound shift in national consciousness fomented by his groundbreaking television shows. FREE OUTDOOR SCREENING Friday, April 8, at 8:30pm – Durham Central Park (Dis)Honesty – The Truth About Lies (Director: Yael Melamede) Personal stories of dishonesty are interwoven with insights by behavioral economics expert Dan Ariely in this enlightening study of the human tendency to lie. FREE OUTDOOR SCREENING Saturday, April 9, at 8:30pm – Durham Central Park Iris (Director: Albert Maysles) The late, legendary Albert Maysles documents 93-year-old fashion icon Iris Apfel in this charming celebration of style, wit, and individuality. Garrett Scott Documentary Development Grant Saturday, April 9, at 4:20pm – Cinema 3 Quest: The Fury and the Sound (Director: Jonathan Olshefski) A longitudinal portrait of an African American family who, despite being victimized by gun violence, continue to embrace their community. Whirlybird (Director: Matt Yoka) Bob Tur revolutionized the news industry from the Los Angeles sky and defined our recorded memory of the city.

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