![U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton meets with Chef José Andrés, Culinary Ambassador for the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. [State Department]](https://images.vimooz.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/17204305/Jose-Andres-1024x681.jpg)
Following the debut of Rebuilding Paradise at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, National Geographic Documentary Films announced its next feature project from acclaimed director Ron Howard, producer Brian Grazer and Imagine Documentaries. The upcoming documentary will chronicle the globally renowned chef and humanitarian José Andrés and his legendary nonprofit, World Central Kitchen, as they rebuild nations in the wake of disaster, providing healthy food to those affected.
Due to the ongoing circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, the Napa Valley Film Festival which was slated to take place in November 2020, announced that the festival will now be held the following year from November 10 – 14, 2021.
In many ways, acclaimed actress Natalie Wood’s life and career have been overshadowed by her tragic death at age 43 off the coast of Catalina Island. Her daughter Natasha Gregson Wagner explores her mother’s public life and private persona through personal interviews with those closest to her in the HBO documentary Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind.
Brian Dennehy, known for his award winning performances on film, stage, and television died on Wednesday in New Haven, Conneticut, from cardiac arrest due to sepsis. He was 81.
Ahead of Earth Day, National Geographic Documentary Films announced a new documentary short, Akashinga: The Brave Ones. Executive produced by three-time Academy Award winner James Cameron and directed by Maria Wilhelm, executive director of the Avatar Alliance Foundation, the film tells the story of Akashinga, the all-female anti-poaching unit in Zimbabwe that is facing down poachers and saving wildlife. Akashinga: The Brave Ones will have its world premiere at the EarthxFilm Festival, which will be held virtually April 22 to 27 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. The documentary short is also an official selection of the Tribeca Film Festival and will broadcast on National Geographic later this year in 171 countries and 43 languages.
Cannes Film Festival is running out of options for a 2020 festival, following the French President’s statement on Monday banning any large festivals and events with large audiences before mid-July at the earliest.
EarthxFilm unveiled its lineup of virtual programming celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, including 36 features and shorts; virtual options for XR experiences; various filmmaker, youth leader live-streams, Q&A’s, panels, live music and EarthxFilmYouth programming. Kicking off with Music on April 17 at 6:00PM EST, EarthxFilm will present the bulk of its programming, including Brett Falentine’s FIRE ON THE HILL: THE COWBOYS OF SOUTH CENTRAL L.A., Alexander John Glustrom’s MOSSVILLE: WHEN GREAT TREES FALL, David Byars’ PUBLIC TRUST, and Deia Schlosberg’s THE STORY OF PLASTIC on April 22-27.
Braking For Whales, the feature film debut from writer/director Sean McEwen (“The Dougherty Gang”) will be released by Gravitas Ventures on all VOD/Digital & DVD platforms on April 24th, 2020.
499, the fourth feature film by director Rodrigo Reyes, will have its world premiere as part of the official documentary competition at the 19th edition of the Tribeca Film Festival, followed by its Canadian premiere in the International Spectrum competition at the 2020 edition of the Hot Docs International Documentary Festival in Toronto.
Oxford Film Festival unveiled its Weekly Virtual Film Festival series showcasing films that were programmed for the 2020 edition of the popular film festival. Beginning with the first week, scheduled for April 24-May 1, the Oxford Film Festival will roll out a different series of films each successive week, with themed presentations, throughout the summer and fall as an initial alternative to film festival that was postponed from March.
The new trailer debuted today for the dark comedy Tammy’s Always Dying starring Felicity Huffman, Anastasia Phillips, Lauren Holly. The film premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last Fall and was planning a limited theatrical release, but will now make a wide digital release – streaming online everywhere on May 1.
Miami Film Festival will present online the World Premiere of the Canadian documentary They Call Me Dr. Miami, directed by Jean-Simon Chartier, after the original world premiere at its 37th edition in March was cancelled due to a mid-festival termination of public screenings, out of concern for health and safety during the worldwide coronavirus pandemic outbreak.