News

The 15th annual Doc NYC festival unveiled the titles in its Short List sections, an early precursor lineup in advance of the Oscar nominations next January in the categories of Best Documentary Feature and Documentary Short.

America’s largest documentary festival, based in the Chelsea and Greenwich Village neighborhoods of New York City, launches on Nov. 13 with the opening night premiere of “Blue Road: The Edna O’Brien Story.”

The titles in the Short Lists include Benjamin Ree’s “The Remarkable Life of Ibelin,” Raoul Peck’s “Ernest Cole: Lost and Found,” Carla Gutiérrez’s “Frida,” Mati Diop’s “Dahomey” and “No Other Land,” directed by a four-person collective of Israeli and Palestinian artists.

Additional films, nearly all screening with filmmakers in person for Q&As, include “Will and Harper,” about the friendship between Will Ferrell and Harper Steele, “The Last of the Sea Women,” produced by Nobel Peace Prize winner...

The Oscar hopes of almost a dozen documentaries will be getting a lift from the International Documentary Association.

The IDA announced the first 11 films in its FallDocs screening series, traditionally an important FYC showcase for documentaries with awards ambitions. Among the 11 are Sugarcane and Blink, both from National Geographic Documentary Films; Frida and I Am: Celine Dion, from Amazon MGM Studios; Black Box Diaries from MTV Documentary Films; Hollywoodgate from Fourth Act Film; The Last of the Sea Women, an Apple TV+ documentary that is about to make its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, and Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat, from Kino Lorber. Scroll for the full list of films.

As it has done for several years running, FallDocs is also making room for several films without distribution to date: The Brink of Dreams (winner of the L’Oeil d’or prize at the Cannes Film Festival); The Flats,...

Quick Links The NeverEnding Story Remake Latest News The NeverEnding Story Remake Is Confirmed The NeverEnding Story Remake Story Details The Neverending Story: Further News & Info

The NeverEnding Story is returning to the big screen with a new film franchise based on the original movie and book series coming soon. Based on Michael Ende's 1979 book, the 1984 live-action film adaptation tells the story of Bastian Bax, a child who disappears from his difficult life into the pages of a magical book. It was praised for both the magical story itself, and the special effects, which were cutting-edge at the time. The film quickly became cemented as a core part of Millennial childhoods, and remains a favorite to this day.

The NeverEnding Story was followed by multiple sequels - The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter (1990) and The NeverEnding Story III: Escape from Fantasia (1994), as well as an animated TV series.

The original Childlike Empress from The NeverEnding Story supports plans for a series reboot to inspire creativity and keep the dreamer alive. The franchise faced past failed reboots, making fans wary, but a new approach could stay true to the original source material. The hope is that the new NeverEnding Story reboot will introduce Fantasia to a new generation of fans successfully.

The NeverEnding Storys original Childlike Empress weighs in on plans for a series reboot. Based on the 1979 fantasy novel by German author Michael Ende, 1984s The NeverEnding Story would originally only receive modest box office success in the US, despite a strong reception from critics. It eventually became a much beloved cult classic. Spawning two sequels and a short-lived television series, plans for a fresh reboot were first announced as far back as 2009. Despite rights issues causing those plans to fall through, a new series of live-action films...

The 2024 Sundance Film Festival winners are in, with films like “In the Summers,” “Didi,” and “Daughters” dominating across the categories. “In the Summers” filmmaker Alessandra Lacorazza, whose film centers on a fractured family in New Mexico, also won the Directing prize in U.S. Dramatic.

On Friday, January 26, the winners of juried prizes were shared out of the competition sections, including the U.S. Dramatic Competition, U.S. Documentary Competition, World Cinema Dramatic Competition, World Cinema Documentary Competition, and the Next lineup.

The 2024 Sundance jury consisted of 16 filmmakers and artists across all sections, with the U.S. Dramatic Competition jury made up of “Winter’s Bone” director/co-writer Debra Granik, “Shortcomings” screenwriter Adrian Tomine, and “Master of None” producer Lena Waithe.

“Navalny” producer Shane Boris, “The Disappearance of Shere Hite” director Nicole Newnham, and “The Sentence” director Rudy Valdez serve on the U.S. Documentary Competition jury, with “The Babadook” director Jennifer Kent,...

This isn’t a meteorology blog. We’re under no obligation to inform you that–despite a historically slow ski season start–the snow now falling across Northern Utah’s Wasatch Valley is voluminous and omnipresent. All the better excuse for sequestering oneself inside the weatherproofed walls of Park City’s myriad Sundance screening venues. And whether you’re a Sundance programmer, filmmaker, critic, industry wonk or civilian attendee, one thing is certain: there are currently a lot of granola bars getting smushed in a lot of people’s pockets.

Of course, our favorite among these snowblind wretches are our own Film Independent Fellows proudly debuting their new works at the festival. And by “Fellows” here we of course mean filmmakers who have been directly supported by Film Independent’s Lab Programs, Project Involve, Fast Track and Fiscal Sponsorship programs, as well as Emerging Filmmaker Award winners and grant recipients.

Updated with new release date in New York of Nov. 3.

Exclusive: Greenwich Entertainment is maintaining a brisk pace of acquisitions. A day after picking up North American rights to the TIFF premiere documentary Sorry/Not Sorry, the independent distributor announced it has partnered with Kanopy to acquire U.S. and Canadian rights to the feature doc Subject.

Jennifer Tiexiera and Camilla Hall produced and directed the film, which premiered at the 2022 Tribeca Festival. Greenwich plans to open the film in theaters in New York and Los Angeles on November 3, while Kanopy will host a pre-theatrical screening and Q&a with the filmmakers online through public and college libraries. Tvod/DVD, college and public library streaming kicks off December 5.

“Subject goes behind the scenes of such famous nonfiction stories as Hoop Dreams, Capturing the Friedmans, The Wolfpack, The Square and The Staircase to explore the often murky ethical dilemmas and complex...

In the lead-up to the upcoming “Andor” finale on Disney+, The Walt Disney Company will air the first two episodes of the series across networks including ABC, FX and Freeform, and also make it available to view on sister streamer Hulu.

“Andor” episodes “Kassa” and “That Would Be Me” will be made available on the following schedule across the Thanksgiving holiday, with Hulu offering an extended streaming window:

ABC: Wednesday November 23, 9 p.m. Et FX: Thursday, November 24, 9 p.m. Et Freeform: Friday, November 25, 9 p.m. Et Hulu: Available from November 23 through December 7

The two-episode finale for the Disney+ “Star Wars” series, which stars Diego Luna as Cassian Andor, premieres on Wednesday, November 23.

Additional cast members for the series include Genevieve O’Reilly, Stellan Skarsgård, Adria Arjona, Denise Gough, Kyle Soller, Fiona Shaw, Forest Whitaker and Andy Serkis. The executive producers are Kathleen Kennedy, Tony Gilroy, Sanne Wohlenberg, Luna and Michelle Rejwan.

It’s been a headline-making weekend at the Kelly-Giffords household in Tucson, Arizona.

The couple celebrated the news Friday that Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly had been re-elected to his first full term representing Arizona, winning a tight contest with Republican Blake Masters. That bulletin was followed by the announcement today that CNN will premiere Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down, the acclaimed documentary about the former Congresswoman, next Sunday, November 20.

The film from Oscar nominees Julie Cohen and Betsy West, documents Giffords’ arduous rehabilitation from a near-fatal shooting in January 2011, a tragic event that stopped her ascent as a rising star in the Democratic Party.

Directors Betsy West (L) and Julie Cohen

“Directors Julie Cohen and Betsy West reveal incredible new, personal perspectives on the assassination attempt and recovery of former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, following a devastating mass shooting event that...

Aretha Franklin documentary Amazing Grace, which tells the story of the singer’s 1972 gospel album, is subject of more legal issues.

The film, which was mired in limbo for 46 years as a result of various legal battles, is now the subject of a suit from producers including Alan Elliott, against distributor Neon and CEO Tom Quinn.

The crux of the issue also involves the Hollywood trade press, including Deadline, which covered the news that Neon had acquired the U.S rights to the film in December 2018. There was one small problem, the producers allege, it hadn’t signed a deal, and in fact, the producers were in talks with other buyers, including Apple, when Neon announced the deal.

The suit (read it here) alleges that Neon “fraudulently induced” the producers to accept a distribution deal by publicly announcing the pact.

“In a plan commandeered by Quinn, Neon acquired the coveted...

Updated with trailer: Briarcliff Entertainment on Tuesday dropped the trailer for Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down, the upcoming documentary from Rbg and Julia directors Betsy West and Julie Cohen.

The feature-length pic is gearing up for a theatrical release July 15 after the distributor acquired it in April after its world premiere at SXSW. CNN Films will air it later this year.

Here’s the trailer:

Previous Exclusive, April 19: Briarcliff Entertainment has acquired North American rights to Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down, the new documentary from directors Betsy West and Julie Cohen. The distributor plans to open the film nationwide July 15, with CNN Films planning to air it later in the year.

The doc, which premiered at SXSW last month, is viewed as an awards-season contender, with a 100 score so far on Rotten Tomatoes.

The project tells the story of Giffords, who was seriously wounded in a 2011 assassination...

Ahead of its world premiere at Hot Docs, London-based MetFilm Sales has acquired worldwide rights (excluding the U.S.) for feature documentary “Delikado,” directed by Karl Malakunas.

The film is an environmental thriller set in Palawan, one of Asia’s hottest new tourist destinations. Within this idyllic setting, forests and wildlife are being pillaged by criminal gangs, often supported by politicians and their cronies.

Human life is cheap and mortal danger constant and pulpable. In such an environment, a tiny network of environmental crusaders, led by the charismatic Bobby, Tata and Mayor Nieves, risk their lives and the safety of their families to prevent the thieving and destruction of their homeland.

The film is the first feature film for filmmaker and journalist Karl Malakunas, who has been covering environmental issues, conflict, natural disasters and political upheavals for two decades. After living in the Philippines for eight years while working as Afp’s Manila bureau chief,...

Briarcliff Entertainment has acquired the North American theatrical rights to “Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down,” the new documentary film from directors Betsy West and Julie Cohen.

The film is set for a nationwide theatrical release on July 15. CNN Films, which produced the project with Time Studios, still retains the broadcast rights and will show the film on CNN later this year.

“Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down” tells the story of former Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her inspiring rise in the Democratic party before she was shot in the head following an assassination attempt on her life in 2011. The film shows her long road to recovery, her strong bond and love with her husband, astronaut Mark Kelly, and above all, her ongoing battle with the mental language condition aphasia brought on by her brain injury.

West and Cohen’s film premiered to acclaim at last month’s SXSW...

Betsy West and Julie Cohen, the filmmaking team behind “Rbg” and “Julia,” have found their next project.

The duo will partner on “Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down,” a look at the former congresswoman’s courage and perseverance in the aftermath of a 2021 assassination attempt the left her partially paralyzed and with the language impairment, aphasia. In total, 13 people were wounded and six were killed in the attack, including a 9-year-old girl.

The directors have been granted access to home movies that were taken at the hospital. It will also include current-day cinema verité footage documenting Gifford’s painstaking recovery from a gunshot to her head and emergence as one of America’s most passionate and powerful advocates for gun violence prevention.

The filmmakers tell a more personal story, as Giffords’ husband Mark Kelly gives up his job as a NASA astronaut to support his wife’s recovery, before launching...

Oscar-nominated Rbg directors Betsy West and Julie Cohen are to tell the extraordinary story of U.S. congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords’ remarkable perseverance following an assassination attempt.

West and Cohen are teaming once again on Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down from CNN Films, Time Studios, Storyville Films and Lisa Erspamer Entertainment.

Giffords was the target of an assassination attempt 10 years ago, during which 13 people were wounded and six were killed, and the attempt left her with partial paralysis and the language impairment, aphasia.

Home movies taken at the hospital, and current-day cinema verité filming, show Giffords’ painstaking and miraculous recovery from a gunshot to her head, and her path to becoming one of America’s most effective advocates for gun violence prevention. The filmmakers also capture a remarkable love story. Nine years after Giffords’ husband Mark Kelly gave up his job as a NASA astronaut to support his wife’s recovery,...

CNN Films and Time Studios have announced a new documentary film about Gabrielle Giffords called “Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down” that will trace the former Arizona Congresswoman’s political career following an assassination attempt on her life.

Betsy West and Julie Cohen, known for the films “Rbg,” “Julia” and “My Name is Pauli Murray,” are directing the film that includes home movie footage of the 2011 shooting that left her partially paralyzed as well as tracking her U.S. Senate run for the state of Arizona in 2020.

Production on “Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down” is near completion, but no release date was set.

On Jan. 8, 2011, U.S. Rep. Giffords was the target of an assassination attempt by a lone gunman while she was engaged in a constituency outreach event in Tucson, Arizona. Giffords was shot in the head, and 13 people were wounded and six were killed, including a 9-year-old girl.

Time Studios is expanding its library of documentaries and kids and family programming. The television and film production company plans to broaden its scope by hiring new creatives and increasing its overall production spend.

The news comes as Time Studios announces it has surpassed $70 million in revenue since launching in early 2020. Within the last year, it has sold more than 20 projects to Netflix, Amazon, Paramount Plus, as well as HBO, Showtime, Nickelodeon and CNN Films. Some titles include “Big Vape” on Netflix and “John Lewis: Good Trouble” on CNN Films and “Amazing Grace” at Neon.

To support the company’s growth, Time Studios has made several executive hires. Alexandra Johnes and Loren Hammonds have been tapped to lead its documentary division, while Maria Perez-Brown has been appointed to spearhead its new kids and family programming arm, dedicated to young viewers and their families. Additional hires and promotions include Rebecca Teitel as VP of documentary,...

Time Studios, the Emmy-winning TV and film production division of Time, which has generated more than $70M in revenue since its 2020 launch, today announced the expansion of its Documentary division, also introducing a new arm for Kids & Family programming.

Alexandra Johnes and Loren Hammonds have been tapped as Heads of Documentary, with Maria Perez-Brown coming aboard as Head of Kids & Family. Additional new hires and promotions include Rebecca Teitel as VP of Documentary, Rebecca Gitlitz as Director and Showrunner and Jeff Smith as Executive Producer and Showrunner. The Scripted division of Time Studios will be run by Kaveh Veyssi, VP of Film & TV, Time Studios, as part of a strategic alliance with Sugar23, as previously announced.

The new Kids & Family division will build on Time’s success in the space with the Daytime Emmy Award-nominated Kid of the Year television special, recognizing the contributions of extraordinary young leaders in a range of fields,...

Exclusive: Oscar winner Orlando von Einsiedel’s (The White Helmets, Virunga) latest documentary short, From Devil’s Breath, will air as part of The Tipping Point, the upcoming docuseries from Time Studios, Trevor Noah’s Day Zero Productions, Sugar23 and P&g Studios announced back in July, which is focused on the rapidly shifting developments that are promising to reshape our world.

The climate change doc produced by Leonardo DiCaprio tells the unlikely first-person story of two remarkable narratives that come crashing together—that of the community of survivors of the deadly 2017 wildfires in Portugal, fighting to ensure what they’ve lived through can never happen again, and a revolutionary, world-changing scientific discovery which could help protect us all from the climate emergency.

From Devil’s Breath recently completed an Oscar-qualifying theatrical release and has also screened as part of the IDA Documentary Screening Series, spotlighting the most acclaimed documentary films of the year.

Afm’s 40th anniversary market runs November 6-13.

Industry innovators, international pre-sales, and diverse content will come under the spotlight during the Afm Conferences at the American Film Market in Santa Monica next month.

The conferences kick off on November 8 at the Fairmont Hotel when Picturestart CEO Erik Feig, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema founder Tim League, Wattpad Studios head Aron Levitz, and Neon CEO Tom Quinn will take part in a session called Breaking The Mold: The Innovators.

The Producing For The International Pre-sales Marketplace panel features Cold Iron Pictures CEO Miranda Bailey, The H Collective president of production Sherryl Clark,...

Afm’s 40th anniversary market runs November 6-13.

Industry innovators, international pre-sales, and diverse content will come under the spotlight during the Afm Conferences at the American Film Market in Santa Monica next month.

The conferences kick off on November 8 at the Fairmont Hotel when Picturestart CEO Erik Feig, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema founder Tim League, Wattpad Studios head Aron Levitz, and Neon CEO Tom Quinn will take part in a session called Breaking The Mold: The Innovators.

The Producing For The International Pre-sales Marketplace panel features Cold Iron Pictures CEO Miranda Bailey, The H Collective president of production Sherryl Clark,...

Accompanied by a strong presence of Tap producers at this year’s Tiff line-up, Trans Atlantic Partners (Tap), renowned international co-production training and networking program launches Module 2 of the 2014 edition in Halifax September 8th. Tap Producers will tackle a vast range of training topics and networking opportunities leading into the international coproduction market Strategic Partners, as part of the program.

Potsdam, Germany – After completing Module 1 in Berlin in June, The Erich Pommer Institut – Epi (Germany), new Presenting Partner Canadian Media Production Association – Cmpa (Canada), and the Independent Filmmaker Project – Ifp (USA) proudly present Module 2 of their annual intensive training and networking program for established producers from Europe, Canada, and the United States, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, September 8th- 14th. 22 experienced producers were selected from the target countries including, the UK, Germany, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Greece, Denmark, Canada and USA to participate in the 6th edition.

Looking forward to the upcoming training unit, Tap Head of Studies, Jan Miller, comments, “With the strong presence of Tap producers at Tiff this year, we’re seeing tangible evidence that the training program in Berlin and Halifax is supporting the best in international producer talent.”

The Tap producers’ highlight list of films that premiere at Tiff include:

"Bang Bang Baby" produced by Daniel Bekerman (Tap 2013)

"Big Muddy"produced by Bob Crowe (Tap 2009)

"Cub" produced by Peter De Maegd (Tap 2009) and co-produced by Femke Wolting (Tap 2011)

"Dukhtar" co-produced by Shrihari Sathe (Tap 2013)

"Guidance" produced by Mike MacMillan (Tap 2014)

"Hole" produced by Laura Perlmutter and Andrew Nicholas McCann Smith (both Tap 2014)

"Shelter" produced by Katie Mustard (Tap 2014)

"Tigers" produced by Guneet Monga (Tap 2011)

"Voice Over" co-produced by Nicolas Comeau (Tap 2014)

"Wet Bum" produced by Paula Devonshire and Lauren Grant (both Tap 2013)

In Module 2, producers take part in a multi-facetted training programme including up-to-date topics on marketing and distribution and case studies. The list of experts and trainers is broad: Susan Shopmaker (Susan Shopmaker Casting, USA), Mark Horowitz (H20 Motion Pictures, USA), Mia Bays (Missing In Action Films, UK), Evan Schwartz (FilmBuff, USA), Jay van Hoy (Parts and Labor Films, USA), Marc Almon (Story Engine Pictures), Andrew Noble (Filmoption International) and Belgium producer Jean-Yves Roubin (Frakas Productions) as well as Phyllis Laing (Buffalo Gal Pictures). The Tap training leads directly into Strategic Partners where producers will participate in 3 days of b2b meetings, panels and keynote speakers at one of the world’s pre-eminent international co-production markets.

About Trans Atlantic Partners

Tap offers a unique combination of intensive, hands-on training with effective networking among potential partners, and targeted project feedback from resource trainers.

Tap alumni include internationally acclaimed producers such as Sol Bondy, Germany (Youth – bfi Award-nomination 2013), Peter Bouckaert, Belgium (Bullhead – Oscar®-nomination 2012), Marc- Daniel Dichant, Germany (In Darkness – Oscar®-nomination 2012), Anne-Marie Gelinas, Canada (Mars and Avril – Canadian Screen Awards 4 nominations 2013), Alexandra Johnes, USA (The House I Live in – Sundance Grand Jury Prize 2012), Bob Moore, Canada (China Heavyweight – Sundance Grand Jury Prize nomination 2012), Guneet Monga, India (Gangs of Wasseypur– Toronto & Cannes 2012, The Lunchbox – 2013 Cannes Critics’ Week Grand Rail d’ Or), and Ryan Zacharias, USA (I Used to Be Darker – Sundance & Berlin 2013). Presenting

Partners

The Erich Pommer Institut (Epi) is one of the leading centers in Europe for media law, media management, and media research. As a non-profit independent institute, our curriculum follows the process of media convergence through research, consultation and advanced training. Each year, Epi organizes and hosts close to 40 seminars, workshops, conferences and panels – for the German as well as the European media industry. www.epi-medieninstitut.de

The Canadian Media Production Association (Cmpa) is Canada's leading trade association for independent producers. The Cmpa represents more than 350 companies engaged in the production and distribution of English-language television programs, feature films and digital media. Together, the production sector generates almost $6 billion of activity annually and sustains 127,700 high-quality, full-time jobs. The Cmpa works on behalf of members to promote and stimulate the Canadian production industry to ensure the continued success of Canada's independent production sector and a future for Canadian content. www.cmpa.ca

The Independent Filmmaker Project (Ifp) is the U.S.'s oldest and largest not-for-profit advocacy organization for independent filmmakers. Ifp represents a network of 10,000 filmmakers in New York City and around the world, with a mission of ensuring that independent films enrich the universal language of cinema, seeding the global culture with new ideas, kindling awareness and fostering activism. www.ifp.org

Tap is supported by Telefilm Canada, Vff (Verwertungsgesellschaft der Film- und Fernsehproduzenten mbH) Germany, and Creative BC, Canada. Associate partner: Strategic Partners...

The distribution landscape is changing — fast. So, on April 21st, we gathered a panel of experts at our monthly Doc U series to discuss the rapidly shifting world of theatrical distribution in the first of a two-part series on distribution. Alexandra Johnes (The Square) moderated a conversation with Peter Goldwyn (Samuel Goldwyn Films), James Shapiro (Drafthouse Films), Michael Kananack (Gathr Films), and Brenna Sanchez (Burn) who covered the crucial role that theatrical exhibition can play in a documentary’s overall distribution plan. We’ve distilled their talk into digestible bits ...

Jehane Noujaim's "The Square" edged out Joshua Oppenheimer's "The Act of Killing" to emerge as the big winner of the 2013 Ida Documentary Awards! The documentary about the 2011 Egyptian Revolution also beat Jason Osder's "Let the Fire Burn," Gabriela Cowperthwaite's "Blackfish," and Sarah Polley's Stories We Tell" for the prize.

Here's a full list of winners of the 2013 Ida Documentary Awards:

Best Feature Award

The Square

Director: Jehane Noujaim

Producer: Karim Amer; Executive Producers: Geralyn Dreyfous, Mike Lerner, Sarah Johnson, Jodie Evans, Lekha Singh, Gavin Dougan, Dan Catullo III, Lisa Nishimura, Adam Del Deo, Khalil Noujaim, Alexandra Johnes, Jeff Skol; Noujaim Films, Netflix Originals

Best Short Award

Slomo

Director: Josh Izenberg; Producer: Amanda Micheli; Executive Producer: Neil Izenberg; Big Young Films, Runaway Films

Best Limited Series Award

Inside Man

Producers: Kristen Vaurio, Lisa Kalikow, Shannon Gibson, Suzanne Hillinger, Lara Benario; Writers: Jeremy Chilnick, Morgan Spurlock; Executive Producers: Jeremy Chilnick,...

Jehane Noujaim’s Egyptian Revolution doc “The Square” led the winners of the International Documentary Association's annual awards, which were announced last night at a ceremony at the Directors Guild of America theater in Los Angeles. The film -- which was shortlisted for an Oscar last week -- beat out Joshua Oppenheimer’s "The Act of Killing," Jason Osder’s "Let the Fire Burn," Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s "Blackfish," and Sarah Polley’s "Stories We Tell" for the prize. All but "Fire" also made Oscar's top 15. Here's a full list of winners: Best Feature Award The Square Director: Jehane Noujaim Producer: Karim Amer; Executive Producers: Geralyn Dreyfous, Mike Lerner, Sarah Johnson, Jodie Evans, Lekha Singh, Gavin Dougan, Dan Catullo III, Lisa Nishimura, Adam Del Deo, Khalil Noujaim, Alexandra Johnes, Jeff Skol; Noujaim Films, Netflix Originals Best Short Award Slomo Director: Josh Izenberg; Producer: Amanda Micheli; Executive Producer: Neil Izenberg; Big Young Films,...

Not a bad week for Jehane Noujaim’s film about Egyptian activists battling the establishment. The Square scored the Best Feature trophy tonight at the 29th annual Ida Documentary Awards, three days after it made the Oscar shortlist. The film, which also is up for a Spirit Award, is the first documentary picked up by Netflix. Other winners announced at the ceremony hosted by Paul Provenza at DGA headquarters in Los Angeles included Slomo for Best Short, PBS’ Independent Lens for Best Continuing Series and CNN’s Morgan Spurlock-hosted Inside Man for Best Limited Series. Alex Gibney, who won an Oscar for Taxi To The Dark Side and was nominated for Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room, received a Career Achievement Award. Here is the full list of winners at the 2013 Ida Documentary Awards, presented by the International Documentary Association: Career Achievement Award Alex Gibney Ida Amicus Award...

This is a tough awards season! Lots of great movies to see, so little time! I'm catching up like crazy before we vote for the Critics' Choice Movie Awards for the Broadcast Film Critics Association. So I apologize if I haven't updated you with the latest on the awards season 2013-2014! And there were many award-giving bodies announcing nominations.

We already told you about the Rome Film Festival and the Film Independent Spirit Awards, now let's talk about the 2013 Gotham Awards, the Ida Documentary Awards, the Cinema Eye, and the Producers Guild announcing its best documentary choices.

First stop, we have the 2013 Gotham Awards where Steve McQueen's "12 Years a Slave" topped the nominations with three nods including best feature, best actor for Chiwetel Ejiofor and breakthrough actor for Lupita Nyong'o.

Winners will be announced on Dec. 2nd where Richard Linklater, Forest Whitaker, and Katherine Oliver (head of the NYC...

Vol. I Issue 4

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Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God

Directed by Alex Gibney

In Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God, Oscar®-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney examines the abuse of power in the Catholic Church through the story of four courageous deaf men who, in the first known case of public protest, set out to expose the priest who abused them. The film follows a cover-up that winds its way from the row houses of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, through the bare ruined choirs of Ireland's churches, all the way to the highest office of the Vatican.

Like Woodward and Bernstein covering the story of Watergate, Gibney uses the keyhole of the first known protest against clerical sexual abuse in the Us to show that the Pope knew (or should have known) that there is wide spread child abuse within the ranks of Catholic priests, not just in the U.S. but worldwide. Not exactly a pretty picture. This powerful, beautifully crafted film builds a case that screams out for reform of an institution that, like our military, is run by men with little or no outside supervision. One feels that like Nixon after the proven Watergate charges, the Pope should resign along with others who have allowed this outrageous behavior and its cover up to be so institutionalized.

Gibney’s films have a logical clarity that reinforces their intelligence. Smart, clear and wrenchingly powerful they explore institutions and the people who are part of them. From governors to prison guards he shows little patience for lies and incompetence. The chain he establishes in Maxima Culpa links the victims to the priests to their supervisors and on to Rome to the office formally run by the man who is now the Pope. What can you say? They knew, they had to know, the links are compelling. Why would this institution shelter these men (and women) who were abusing children and in some cases adults? Who would tolerate this behavior? Why would the Church tolerate this behavior? Yet the cover up continues.

In a year of films dealing with institutions, such as government officials slowly trying to find a cure for HIV/AIDS, or the military dealing with women being abused, or the Israel army ignoring the rights of the provocative Palestinians or even government failures to act on global warming, this is the best and it should be one of the nominees.

The Filmmaker

Alex Gibney is the founder of Jigsaw Productions. An Oscar, Emmy, and Grammy Award-winning producer, he is well known for producing one of the highest grossing documentaries of all time, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room.

His work as a writer and director includes the recent hit Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer, as well as the 2006 Oscar-nominated Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room and the 2008 Oscar-winning Taxi to the Dark Side. Alex attended the film program at UCLA.

Credits:

Director/Producer/Writer: Alex Gibney

Producers:Trevor Birney, Alexandra Johnes, Ruth O’Reilly, Kristen Vaurio, Jedd Wider, Todd Widler

Executive Producers: Jessica Kingdon, Sheila Nevins, Lori Singer

Writer: Mark Monroe

Cinematography: Lisa Rinzler

Original Music Composer: Ivor Guest

Editor: Sloane Klevin

Production Companies: Jigsaw Productions, Wilder Film Projects, Union Editorial

Distribution: Content Media, HBO Documentary Films, HBO

Paperman a short animated film by John Kahrs

Paperman is an original seven-minute-long short animated film produced by Disney Animation.

It tells the story of a lonely young man in mid-century New York City, whose destiny takes an unexpected turn after a chance meeting with a beautiful woman on his morning commute. Convinced the girl of his dreams is gone forever, he gets a second chance when he spots her in a skyscraper window across the avenue from his office. With only his heart, imagination and a stack of papers to get her attention, his efforts are no match for what the fates have in store for him.

Director John Kahrs was the animation supervisor on Tangled, an animator on Bolt and Ratatouille, and worked on Pixar’s The Incredibles, Mike’s New Car, Monsters, Inc., Toy Story 2 and A Bug’s Life. Kahrs now gets his break as a director at Disney. 14 years of work in the animation department at Pixar, that’s paying dues! Now, I understand why this “Disney” animation film looks and feels like a “Pixar” film. It’s brilliant, polished, and elegant and, like the Simpson short, silent. Expressive muted black and white images with a slight color tint in this perfect short film dramatizes love at first sight. Tasteful, romantic and above all beautifully executed, I look forward to Kahrs’ feature film debut. A little Pixar goes a long way and this work is expressive of adult feelings that any child could enjoy. No need to dumb the story down, it works for audiences of all ages. A perfect 10.

Original music by Christophe Beck (who has 105 scoring credits) this work is produced by Kristina Reed (from Disney) and Executive Produced by Pixar’s John Lasseter. Written by Clio Chiang and Kendrelle Hoyer, it shows that “less” can be plenty. Short films don’t get better than this!

Credits:

Directed by: John Kahrs

Produced by: Kristina Reed

Executive Producer: John Lasseter

Art Direction: Jeff Tuley

Written by: Chio Chiang and Kendelle Hoyer

Music by: Christophe Beck

Film Editing: Lisa Linder

Produced by: Walt Disney Animation

Distributed by: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Running time: 7:00

Short Notes and Update:

The Invisible War is on the New York Times' and Christian Science Monitor's and Newsweek's 10 Best Films of 2012. The Gate Keepers is on the Wall Street Journal’s 10 Best Films of 2012.

Academy announces 10 animated films shortlisted for the Animation Short Film Nomination

The Short Films and Feature Animation Branch Reviewing Committee viewed all 57 eligible entries for the preliminary round of voting at screenings held in New York and Los Angeles. I’ve seen all of the films and this is one of the strongest group shortlisted in years, from the elegant Pixar/Disney film Paperman to the wildly funny Simpsons’ Daycare. These films are a treat for the eyes and mind. Stunning, moving, original, powerful and frankly amazing they will both amuse and entertain and each of the 10 films is special. The styles range from traditional animation to computer designed. A number of students made it with entries which are testimony to their vigorous programs and their talent. This is a year where handicapping is impossible.

At screenings of the short listed films, Short Films and Feature Animation Branch members have selected three to five nominees from among these 10 titles for its nominations.

The 85th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 10, 2013, at 5:30 a.m. Pst in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Adam and Dog, Minkyu Lee, director (Lodge Films)

Web Link: https://vimeo.com/34849443

Length: 16 min.

Language: none

Country: USA

Combustible,Katsuhiro Otomo, director (Sunrise Inc.)

Web Link: None available

Length: 13 min.

Language: none

Country: Japan

Dripped, Léo Verrier, director (ChezEddy)

Web Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wk9keXSBbhY

Length: 8 min.

Language: none

Country: France

The Eagleman Stag, Mikey Please, director, and Benedict Please, music scores and sound design (Royal College of Art)

Web Link: https://vimeo.com/mikeyplease/eaglemanstag

Length: 9 min.

Language: none

Country: England

The Fall of the House of Usher, Raul Garcia, director, and Stephan Roelants, producer (Melusine Productions, R&R Communications Inc., Les Armateurs, The Big Farm)

Web Link: http://youtu.be/5So_E6yPW40

Length: 17 min.

Language: none

Country: USA

Fresh Guacamole, Pes, director (Pes)

Web Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQMO6vjmkyI

Length: 2 min.

Language: none

Country: USA

Head over Heels, Timothy Reckart, director, and Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly, producer (National Film and Television School)

Web Link: https://vimeo.com/timr/headoverheels

Length: 10 min.

Language: none

Country: England

Maggie Simpson in The Longest Daycare, David Silverman, director (Gracie Films)

Web Link: http://youtu.be/gV-NRwLV2qU

Length: 5 min.

Language: none

Country: USA

Paperman, John Kahrs, director (Disney Animation Studios)

Web Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsoiEpuvTeQ

*note this about the technology in this film, but not a true trailer

Length: 7 min.

Language: none

Country: USA

Tram, Michaela Pavlátová, director, and Ron Dyens, producer (Sacrebleu Productions)

Web Link: http://youtu.be/a_QT-JaDswY

Length: 7 min.

Language: none

Country: French

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Errata

Volume 1 Issue 3 In Chasing Ice the film was edited by Davis Coombe (and not Mark Monroe); Distributor (Us) Submarine Deluxe (not National Geographic).

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Block Doc Workshops in Los Angeles

The International Documentary Association will be hosting Documentary Funding and Documentary Tune Up Workshops with Block on February 9/10. http://www.eventbrite.com/org/169037034

Mitchell Block specializes in conceiving, producing, marketing & distributing independent features & consulting. He is an expert in placing both completed works into distribution & working with producers to make projects fundable. He conducts regular workshops in film producing in Los Angeles and most recently in Maine, Russia and in Myanmar (Burma).

Poster Girl, produced by Block was nominated for a Documentary Academy Award and selected by the Ida as the Best Doc Short 2011. It was also nominated for two Emmy Awards and aired on HBO. He is an executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning PBS series Carrier, a 10-hour series that he conceived & co-created. Block is a graduate of Tisch School and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business. He is a member of Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the Television Academy, a founding member of BAFTA-la and has been teaching at USC School of Cinematic Arts since 1979. Currently Block teaches a required class in the USC Peter Stark Producing Program.

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