"Something's way off, all over the country..." Netflix has revealed a trailer for the documentary Saving Capitalism, based on Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich's book of the same name. His book attempts to provide a more focused concept of how America save itself, fix its economy, and maintain capitalism as the financial system of the country. "As income and wealth go to the top, more Americans are left behind. Now it’s up to those ordinary Americans to change the rules." This seems like one of those nice economics documentaries, kind of like Freakonomics, that attempts to take the big ideas and present them in a way that's understandable and digestible. I'm honestly not fully supportive of the idea of "saving capitalism", but I do support Netflix docs, so I'm featuring this anyway. It's always good to hear all the different arguments. Here's the trailer for Sari Gilman...
- 11/3/2017
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Women were all over the recent Sundance Film Festival, from many films directed and produced by them to a series of events celebrating the rise of women's power. The Producer's Brunch was dominated by keynoters Christine Vachon and Pam Koffler, whose 20-year-old Killer Films has produced 80 movies including "Still Alice" and 2016 Oscar contender "Carol" and boasted four films at the festival ("Wiener Dog," "Frank and Lola," "Goat" and "White Girl"). And New Yorker Julie Goldman was honored for documentary producing ("Life, Animated," "Weiner"). Women in Film hosted a panel and gave out grants at one packed Sundance brunch, including Dawn Porter and Sari Gilman for their Sundance abortion film "Trapped." Vimeo announced its Share the Screen initiative to feature women directors. Among the high-profile films hitting big at Sundance were...
- 2/13/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Simply put, the SXSW Film, Music and Interactive Festival is one of the biggest, most prestigious events in the media calendar. Taking place annually in Austin, Texas, it is beloved by film fans and filmmakers from all over the world, and has reached such heights by building a reputation for showcasing excellent content. This results in a high level of competition, with the Narrative Feature category alone having received 1442 submissions this year, and the documentary feature category having received 1,013.
The 2016 event looks to be particularly exciting, with many world premieres and feature debuts already announced. The Narrative Feature category will include Julia Hart’s Miss Stevens, Debra Eisenstadt’s Before The Sun Explodes, Joey Klein’s The Other Half, and Musa Syeed’s A Stray, among others, while the Headliner category will feature Richard Linklater’s Everybody Wants Some.
The Narrative Spotlight category includes 9 Rides by Matthew A. Cherry; The Waiting...
The 2016 event looks to be particularly exciting, with many world premieres and feature debuts already announced. The Narrative Feature category will include Julia Hart’s Miss Stevens, Debra Eisenstadt’s Before The Sun Explodes, Joey Klein’s The Other Half, and Musa Syeed’s A Stray, among others, while the Headliner category will feature Richard Linklater’s Everybody Wants Some.
The Narrative Spotlight category includes 9 Rides by Matthew A. Cherry; The Waiting...
- 2/10/2016
- by Sarah Myles
- We Got This Covered
FilmBuff has licensed international rights to Participant Media’s 10-part investigative docu-series about corruption and civil liberties narrated by Maggie Gyllenhaal.
The series will premiere in the Us on Participant Media’s Pivot network on January 22 and FilmBuff will commence talks with buyers at the Realscreen market, which runs in Washington DC from January 31-February 3.
Women In Film, Los Angeles (Wif) awarded $32,000 in cash and in-kind grants at its 10th Annual Women In Film Sundance Filmmakers Panel discussion on Sunday. Dogwalker’s Kim Sherman received the 2016 Women In Film/CalmDown Productions Inc. Grant. Rokhsareh Ghaemmaghami was awarded the Women In Film Documentary Grant for Sonita. Diane Bellino and Adam Davies of The Itching received the newly named Debra Hill Film Grant. Director Dawn Porter and writer-editor Sari Gilman received a new honour, the Women In Film Elevation Grant, for their documentary Trapped.
Stella Artois and Water.org co-founders Matt Damon and Gary White participated in a Sundance...
The series will premiere in the Us on Participant Media’s Pivot network on January 22 and FilmBuff will commence talks with buyers at the Realscreen market, which runs in Washington DC from January 31-February 3.
Women In Film, Los Angeles (Wif) awarded $32,000 in cash and in-kind grants at its 10th Annual Women In Film Sundance Filmmakers Panel discussion on Sunday. Dogwalker’s Kim Sherman received the 2016 Women In Film/CalmDown Productions Inc. Grant. Rokhsareh Ghaemmaghami was awarded the Women In Film Documentary Grant for Sonita. Diane Bellino and Adam Davies of The Itching received the newly named Debra Hill Film Grant. Director Dawn Porter and writer-editor Sari Gilman received a new honour, the Women In Film Elevation Grant, for their documentary Trapped.
Stella Artois and Water.org co-founders Matt Damon and Gary White participated in a Sundance...
- 1/24/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
This past weekend I was at the New Orleans Film Festival, serving as a juror for the event’s impressive documentary shorts program. Out of the 22 contenders, Oscar nominee Sari Gilman (King’s Point), Picture Motion’s Wendy Cohen and I awarded our prize to J. Christian Jensen‘s White Earth, honoring the film “for its pure, harsh look at a devastating economic reality from the unlikely perspective of people on the sidelines who are most affected, as well as for its stunning, metaphoric cinematography and restrained, quiet editing,” One day later, Jensen had another, perhaps bigger reason to celebrate: his film was named to the 2014 doc shorts Oscar shortlist. White Earth, which also won the Silver Medal in the documentary category at this year’s Student Academy Awards is the Stanford University alum’s Mfa thesis film. It focuses on the oil boom of North Dakota, partially from the perspective of children, and...
- 10/21/2014
- by Nonfics.com
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
If you didn't tune in for the Academy Awards last night, here's a short breakdown of what you missed: William Shatner showed up from the future, Jennifer Lawrence tripped and fell, and Michelle Obama co-presented the award for Best Picture. It was kind of a weird night, but for the most part, the hardware was handed out to all of the expected parties. Argo won Best Picture, Daniel Day-Lewis won Best Actor and Jennifer Lawrence won Best Actress. If there was a surprise, it was that Life of Pi walked away with the most awards (4) including Best Director for Ang Lee. Zero Dark Thirty got shut out of everything except for Best Sound Editing (in a rare tie with Skyfall). Quentin Tarantino was also a pleasant surprise for Best Original Screenplay. What did you think of this year's Oscars? What was the highlight of the night? How would you rate Seth McFarlane as host?...
- 2/25/2013
- by Sean
- FilmJunk
Hollywood's most prestigious night is coming to an end inside the Dolby Theatre, and GossipCenter has the complete list of winners from Sunday's 85th Academy Awards.
Helmed by "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane, celebrities gathered inside to find out which films received the historic Oscar winner recognition.
The top prize went to "Argo" taking home Best Film, while Ang Lee scored a win in the Best Director category.
Jennifer Lawrence and Daniel Day-Lewis can add a new title to their name after taking home the win for Best Actress and Best Actor, respectively.
Meanwhile, Adele, Norah Jones, and the cast of "Les Miserables" took to the stage to wow the crowd with amazing performances.
Take a look below for the complete list of the 2013 Academy Award winners!
Best Motion Picture of the Year
“Amour”
“Argo” Winner
“Beasts of the Southern Wild”
“Django Unchained”
“Les Misérables”
“Life of Pi”
“Lincoln”
“Silver Linings Playbook...
Helmed by "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane, celebrities gathered inside to find out which films received the historic Oscar winner recognition.
The top prize went to "Argo" taking home Best Film, while Ang Lee scored a win in the Best Director category.
Jennifer Lawrence and Daniel Day-Lewis can add a new title to their name after taking home the win for Best Actress and Best Actor, respectively.
Meanwhile, Adele, Norah Jones, and the cast of "Les Miserables" took to the stage to wow the crowd with amazing performances.
Take a look below for the complete list of the 2013 Academy Award winners!
Best Motion Picture of the Year
“Amour”
“Argo” Winner
“Beasts of the Southern Wild”
“Django Unchained”
“Les Misérables”
“Life of Pi”
“Lincoln”
“Silver Linings Playbook...
- 2/25/2013
- GossipCenter
This evening’s Oscar ceremony is now over, and with the dust settling on the biggest awards ceremony of the entire year, and the winners and losers celebrating and commiserating together, we’ve put together a full list of the winners (as well as the beaten nominees) for this year’s awards.
Jennifer Lawrence and Jessica Chastain nailed the red carpet, apparently, and Sandra Bullock did wonderful things with a diamond hair-clip, while Bradley Cooper and Chris Pine both proved that beards are very much the hot thing right now. But the big events were yet to happen inside the La venue, as the audience sat ready to receive host Seth MacFarlane, and his inevitably cutting humour.
For the most part, MacFarlane was reserved, though a few barbs did land before the end of the night. He played his part also in the excellent musical staging throughout the ceremony, whose highlights featured Shirley Bassey,...
Jennifer Lawrence and Jessica Chastain nailed the red carpet, apparently, and Sandra Bullock did wonderful things with a diamond hair-clip, while Bradley Cooper and Chris Pine both proved that beards are very much the hot thing right now. But the big events were yet to happen inside the La venue, as the audience sat ready to receive host Seth MacFarlane, and his inevitably cutting humour.
For the most part, MacFarlane was reserved, though a few barbs did land before the end of the night. He played his part also in the excellent musical staging throughout the ceremony, whose highlights featured Shirley Bassey,...
- 2/25/2013
- by Simon Gallagher
- Obsessed with Film
Tonight, Hollywood's biggest stars are at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood for the 2013 Oscar Awards, and Et is bringing you all of the winners as they are announced! (Winners underlined).
Click here for full Oscar coverage.
Best Supporting Actor
Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook
Alan Arkin, Argo
Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln
Best Original Song
Before My Time, Chasing Ice
Pi's Lullaby, Life of Pi
Suddenly, Les Miserables
Everybody Needs a Best Friend, Ted
Skyfall, Skyfall
Best Supporting Actress
Sally Field, Lincoln
Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
Jacki Weaver, Silver Linings Playbook
Helen Hunt, The Sessions
Amy Adams, The Master
Best Animated Film
Frankenweenie
The Pirates! Band of Misfits
Wreck-It Ralph
ParaNorman
Brave
Best Foreign Language Film
Amour
No
War Witch
A Royal Affair
Kon-Tiki
Best Adapted Screenplay
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Argo
Lincoln
Silver Linings Playbook
Life of Pi
Best Original Screenplay
Flight
Zero Dark Thirty
[link...
Click here for full Oscar coverage.
Best Supporting Actor
Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook
Alan Arkin, Argo
Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln
Best Original Song
Before My Time, Chasing Ice
Pi's Lullaby, Life of Pi
Suddenly, Les Miserables
Everybody Needs a Best Friend, Ted
Skyfall, Skyfall
Best Supporting Actress
Sally Field, Lincoln
Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
Jacki Weaver, Silver Linings Playbook
Helen Hunt, The Sessions
Amy Adams, The Master
Best Animated Film
Frankenweenie
The Pirates! Band of Misfits
Wreck-It Ralph
ParaNorman
Brave
Best Foreign Language Film
Amour
No
War Witch
A Royal Affair
Kon-Tiki
Best Adapted Screenplay
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Argo
Lincoln
Silver Linings Playbook
Life of Pi
Best Original Screenplay
Flight
Zero Dark Thirty
[link...
- 2/25/2013
- Entertainment Tonight
Are you sick of those ordinary Oscar office pools? Tired of only guessing the top 6 or 8 categories for the Academy Awards? Let your inner-movie geek shine with Bowl the Perfect Oscar Score (aka Oscar Bowling), created by Jeff Bayer.
Try to nail 300 points on the 2013 Academy Awards.
This is a confidence list.
There are 24 categories.
How to play
Pick your winners in all 24 categories. Then, give each winner a confidence score. Your most confident pick gets 24 points, second most confident gets 23 points, third most confident gets 22 points, and eventually your least confident pick gets 1 point.
This is perfect for Oscar parties, because the lead keeps changing. The winner is the one with the most points at the end. A perfect score is 300. If there is a tie (there never is a tie), then the winner is the one with the most points in these three categories combined (Best Picture, Best Actor,...
Try to nail 300 points on the 2013 Academy Awards.
This is a confidence list.
There are 24 categories.
How to play
Pick your winners in all 24 categories. Then, give each winner a confidence score. Your most confident pick gets 24 points, second most confident gets 23 points, third most confident gets 22 points, and eventually your least confident pick gets 1 point.
This is perfect for Oscar parties, because the lead keeps changing. The winner is the one with the most points at the end. A perfect score is 300. If there is a tie (there never is a tie), then the winner is the one with the most points in these three categories combined (Best Picture, Best Actor,...
- 2/22/2013
- by Nick Allen
- The Scorecard Review
Are you sick of those ordinary Oscar office pools? Tired of only guessing the top 6 or 8 categories for the Academy Awards? Let your inner-movie geek shine with Bowl the Perfect Oscar Score (aka Oscar Bowling), created by Jeff Bayer.
Try to nail 300 points on the 2013 Academy Awards.
This is a confidence list.
There are 24 categories.
How to play
Pick your winners in all 24 categories. Then, give each winner a confidence score. Your most confident pick gets 24 points, second most confident gets 23 points, third most confident gets 22 points, and eventually your least confident pick gets 1 point.
This is perfect for Oscar parties, because the lead keeps changing. The winner is the one with the most points at the end. A perfect score is 300. If there is a tie (there never is a tie), then the winner is the one with the most points in these three categories combined (Best Picture, Best Actor,...
Try to nail 300 points on the 2013 Academy Awards.
This is a confidence list.
There are 24 categories.
How to play
Pick your winners in all 24 categories. Then, give each winner a confidence score. Your most confident pick gets 24 points, second most confident gets 23 points, third most confident gets 22 points, and eventually your least confident pick gets 1 point.
This is perfect for Oscar parties, because the lead keeps changing. The winner is the one with the most points at the end. A perfect score is 300. If there is a tie (there never is a tie), then the winner is the one with the most points in these three categories combined (Best Picture, Best Actor,...
- 2/21/2013
- by Shane T. Nier
- The Scorecard Review
Are you sick of those ordinary Oscar office pools? Tired of only guessing the top 6 or 8 categories for the Academy Awards? Let your inner-movie geek shine with Bowl the Perfect Oscar Score (aka Oscar Bowling).
Try to nail 300 points on the 2013 Academy Awards.
This is a confidence list.
There are 24 categories.
How to play
Pick your winners in all 24 categories. Then, give each winner a confidence score. Your most confident pick gets 24 points, second most confident gets 23 points, third most confident gets 22 points, and eventually your least confident pick gets 1 point.
This is perfect for Oscar parties, because the lead keeps changing. The winner is the one with the most points at the end. A perfect score is 300. If there is a tie (there never is a tie), then the winner is the one with the most points in these three categories combined (Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress).
You...
Try to nail 300 points on the 2013 Academy Awards.
This is a confidence list.
There are 24 categories.
How to play
Pick your winners in all 24 categories. Then, give each winner a confidence score. Your most confident pick gets 24 points, second most confident gets 23 points, third most confident gets 22 points, and eventually your least confident pick gets 1 point.
This is perfect for Oscar parties, because the lead keeps changing. The winner is the one with the most points at the end. A perfect score is 300. If there is a tie (there never is a tie), then the winner is the one with the most points in these three categories combined (Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress).
You...
- 2/21/2013
- by Jeff Bayer
- The Scorecard Review
On Wednesday evening, documentary Branch governor Michael Moore hosted the “Oscar Celebrates: Docs” event at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, CA. Moore won the 2002 Documentary Feature Oscar for “Bowling for Columbine” and also was nominated in 2007 for “Sicko.”
“Oscar Celebrates: Docs” spotlighted the work of the nominated filmmakers in the Documentary Short Subject and Documentary Feature categories. The program included clips from all of the nominated documentaries in both categories, and a panel discussion with filmmakers from each group.
Of this group of filmmakers, Moore said he was honored to be in the company of this international group making nonfiction cinema. He happily shared with the audience that all the voting members of the Academy voted in both documentary categories. “There were no groups or panels deciding the winners. The Academy sent all the voters these provocative, powerful and emotional films on DVD.”
Moore also touched on the 800lb gorilla in the room.
“Oscar Celebrates: Docs” spotlighted the work of the nominated filmmakers in the Documentary Short Subject and Documentary Feature categories. The program included clips from all of the nominated documentaries in both categories, and a panel discussion with filmmakers from each group.
Of this group of filmmakers, Moore said he was honored to be in the company of this international group making nonfiction cinema. He happily shared with the audience that all the voting members of the Academy voted in both documentary categories. “There were no groups or panels deciding the winners. The Academy sent all the voters these provocative, powerful and emotional films on DVD.”
Moore also touched on the 800lb gorilla in the room.
- 2/21/2013
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Are you sick of those ordinary Oscar office pools? Tired of only guessing the top 6 or 8 categories for the Academy Awards? Let your inner-movie geek shine with Bowl the Perfect Oscar Score (aka Oscar Bowling).
Try to nail 300 points on the 2013 Academy Awards.
This is a confidence list.
There are 24 categories.
How to play
Pick your winners in all 24 categories. Then, give each winner a confidence score. Your most confident pick gets 24 points, second most confident gets 23 points, third most confident gets 22 points, and eventually your least confident pick gets 1 point.
This is perfect for Oscar parties, because the lead keeps changing. The winner is the one with the most points at the end. A perfect score is 300. If there is a tie (there never is a tie), then the winner is the one with the most points in these three categories combined (Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress).
You...
Try to nail 300 points on the 2013 Academy Awards.
This is a confidence list.
There are 24 categories.
How to play
Pick your winners in all 24 categories. Then, give each winner a confidence score. Your most confident pick gets 24 points, second most confident gets 23 points, third most confident gets 22 points, and eventually your least confident pick gets 1 point.
This is perfect for Oscar parties, because the lead keeps changing. The winner is the one with the most points at the end. A perfect score is 300. If there is a tie (there never is a tie), then the winner is the one with the most points in these three categories combined (Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress).
You...
- 2/18/2013
- by Jeff Bayer
- The Scorecard Review
Every year, Oscar puts on one of the most prestigious movie lunches for all of the nominees of Academy Awards that year and this year is no different. Yesterday, The Beverly Hilton Hotel hosted the lunch which was attended by hundreds of nominees as you can see in he photo below.
A list of all those in attendance is below and both are courtesy of Deadline. The 85th Academy Awards take place Sunday February 24th. Don’t forget to tune into HeyUGuys this Sunday for the 2013 BAFTA Awards. We’ll be blogging live and hopefully bringing you a lot of photos.
Click the image below to enlarge.
Seated (left to right): Sam Fell, Rich Moore, Dan Hennah, Seamus MacGarvey, Sari Gilman, Paco Delgado, Jackie Weaver, Donna Gigliotti, Ethan Van der Ryn, Pilar Savone, Quvenzhane Wallis, Bradley Cooper, Naomi Watts, Joanna Johnston, Paul N.J. Ottoson, Janusz Kaminski, David Womark,...
A list of all those in attendance is below and both are courtesy of Deadline. The 85th Academy Awards take place Sunday February 24th. Don’t forget to tune into HeyUGuys this Sunday for the 2013 BAFTA Awards. We’ll be blogging live and hopefully bringing you a lot of photos.
Click the image below to enlarge.
Seated (left to right): Sam Fell, Rich Moore, Dan Hennah, Seamus MacGarvey, Sari Gilman, Paco Delgado, Jackie Weaver, Donna Gigliotti, Ethan Van der Ryn, Pilar Savone, Quvenzhane Wallis, Bradley Cooper, Naomi Watts, Joanna Johnston, Paul N.J. Ottoson, Janusz Kaminski, David Womark,...
- 2/5/2013
- by David Sztypuljak
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Vol. I Issue 6
Send us links to your sizzle reels and film sites.
Note: See Issues 1, 2, 3, and 4 for reviews and clips of the Academy documentary films and short films. Additional reviews of the documentary features follow in this issue.
Best documentary feature
5 Broken Cameras Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi
The Gatekeepers Nominees to be determined *See note below
How to Survive a Plague Nominees to be determined
The Invisible War Nominees to be determined
Searching for Sugar Man Nominees to be determined
Best documentary short subject
Inocente Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine
Kings Point Sari Gilman and Jedd Wider
Mondays at Racine Cynthia Wade and Robin Honan
Open Heart Kief Davidson and Cori Shepherd Stern
Redemption Jon Alpert and Matthew O'Neill
Best animated short film
Adam and Dog Minkyu Lee
Fresh Guacamole Pes
Head over Heels Timothy Reckart and Fodhla Cronin O'Reilly
Maggie Simpson in The Longest Daycare David Silverman
Paperman John Kahrs
Best live action short film
Asad Bryan Buckley and Mino Jarjoura
Buzkashi Boys Sam French and Ariel Nasr
Curfew Shawn Christensen
Death of a Shadow (Dood van een Schaduw) Tom Van Avermaet and Ellen De Waele
Henry Yan England
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song) from a documentary
Before My Time from The documentary feature Chasing Ice Music and Lyric by J. Ralph
Note: *Nominees to be determined* The Documentary Brand gives the nomination to the individual(s) most involved in the key creative aspects of the filmmaking process. A maximum of two persons may be designated as nominees, one of whom must be the credited director who exercised directorial control, and the other of whom must have a producer or director credit. If a producer is named, that individual must have performed a major portion of the producing functions, in accordance with Academy producer criteria. No more than two statuettes will normally be given in the Documentary Feature category. All individuals with a “Producer” or “Produced by” credit on films that reach the semifinal round will automatically be vetted.
The Documentary Branch Executive Committee will determine which producers, if any, are eligible to receive an Oscar. In the unlikely event of a dispute, filmmakers may appeal the committee’s decision. In extremely rare circumstances, a third statuette may be awarded.
Production companies or persons with the screen credit of executive producer, co-producer or any credit other than director or producer shall not be eligible as nominees for the motion picture.
DGA Documentary Award Nominations
Kirby Dick The Invisible War
This is Mr. Dick’s first DGA Award nomination.
Malik Bendjelloul Searching For Sugar Man
This is Mr. Bendjelloul’s first DGA Award nomination.
Lauren Greenfield The Queen of Versailles
This is Ms. Greenfield’s first DGA Award nomination.
David France How To Survive A Plague
This is Mr. France’s first DGA Award nomination.
Alison Klayman Ai WeiWei: Never Sorry
This is Ms. Klayman’s first DGA Award nomination.
Two Academy Nominated Documentary Features
& One Academy Short Listed Documentary Reviewed
The Gatekeepers, directed by Dror Moreh
Documentary Feature Nominee
Six former heads of Israel’s domestic secret service agency, the Shin Bet, share their insights and reflect publicly on their actions and decisions in The Gatekeepers, a film by Dror Moreh. These six heads of the Shin Bet stood at the center of Israel's decision-making process in all matters pertaining to security. They worked closely with every Israeli prime minister, and their assessments and insights had—and continue to have—a profound impact on Israeli policy. The Gatekeepers is an exclusive account of their successes and failures.
I find The Gatekeepers remarkable. Not for its craft but for its concept and vision. Imagine
J Edger Hoover talking about his tenure at the FBI, his successes and his failures, his interactions with the Presidents and members of Congress, and his critical self-evaluation of his mission and how his agency’s work affected our nation. Imagine. Dror Moreh accomplished this feat when he convinced these six surviving members of the Shin Bet, to speak on camera.
The film provides a historical perspective of Israel that is both candid and critical of the successive governments in this rare Middle Eastern democracy. The Shin Bet was created in 1949 by David Ben-Gurion’s government to focus on the internal affairs of Israel and evolved into dealing with counterterrorism and intelligence gathering in the West Bank and Gaza.
These intelligence heads, like ours, report to the President/Prime Minister. They are not part of the military complex. It is this context that gives this work its power. We hear the story of Israel’s struggle to protect itself from both its internal and external enemies; the bombers, terrorists, agents and others who worked to destroy this small country. These men are not glamorous or like the fictional heads of the spy agencies we have seen in James Bond and Bourne films. They are bald or balding grandfather-types. Articulate, highly educated, calm and yet we know that they protected Israel from its enemies even if they had them killed.
This is one of the strongest of the nominated docs. It raises significant issues of personal responsibilities. Despite the lack of oversight we don’t feel that this is an organization gone amuck like the Catholic Church not protecting children or the Us Military not protecting its members from sexual harassment. We see these articulate men as guardians and protectors of their nation steadfastly doing their duty within the confines of their moral beliefs. What is scary about The Gatekeepers is that clearly there could have been abuses and wrongs done by the Shin Bet if these six had less character or their mission was redefined by the government without regard to moral or ethical standards. The film on reflection is troubling for regardless of how the spectator might feel about Israel it forces us to look at this conflict through the lenses of these six guardians and we can only wonder what they don’t tell us about what they did in the name of their country.
Credits:
Director: Dror Moreh
Camera: Avner Shahaf
Producers: Dror Moreh, Estelle Fialon, Philippa Kowarsky
Co Producer: Anna Van Der Wee
Sound: Amos Zipori
Sound Design: Aex Claude
Music: Ab Ovo, Jérôme Chassagnard, Régis Baillet
Editor: Oron Adar
Production Companies: Dror Moreh Productions, Les Films du Poisson, Cinephil
In Co-Production with: Mac Guff, Wild Heart Productions, Arte France, Iba, Ndr, Rtbf
With the support of: Cnc, Media, Région Ile-de-France, Procirep, Angoa, The Rabinovich Foundation for the Arts – Cinema Project
Distribution: Sony Classics
Trailer: http://www.sonyclassics.com/thegatekeepers/
The House I Live In, directed by Eugene Jarecki
Short Listed Documentary Feature for Academy Award nomination
The House I Live In looks at how America has waged war on some of its poorest citizens, costing countless lives, destroying families, and inflicting untold damage on future generations of Americans. It posits that over the last forty years, the War on Drugs has accounted for more than 45 million arrests and shows how America became the world’s largest jailer, damaging poor communities at home and abroad. Yet today drugs are cheaper, purer and more available than ever before. It shows that drug abuse is a public health issue. Despite this, it is treated by our society as a criminal matter and a vast machine has been created that feeds on the men and women who are incarcerated. Because of this, the prisoners are not offered help or a cure for their underlying problems, so they return to prison in a never ending cycle.
Eugene Jarecki, whose previous films looked at the military industrial complex (Why We Fight and The Trials of Henry Kissinger), won the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary at Sundance in both 2005 and 2010. The film tackles difficult material. Material that has been in scores of documentaries and television shows over the years. Yet Jarecki, using his personal experience, a wealth of interviews and strong case studies, builds a compelling case for changing the sentencing guidelines for crack (and cocaine) and for dealing with both addiction and the underlying causes of addiction. Jarecki is a skillful filmmaker who has picked a vast and complex subject and has created a work that while rich in content moves along at a good pace although it might have been stronger if it had tried to do less. The film editor Paul Frost and the composer Robert Miller do an excellent job building strong sequences with evocative music. It was nicely shot by Sam Cullman and Derek Hallquist. Richard Abramowitz’s Abramorama handled the distribution and was successful getting the work out which is never easy for such an issue oriented film.
Credits:
Director, Producer, Screenwriter: Eugene Jarecki
Producers: Melinda Shopsin, Sam Cullman, Christopher St. John
Executive Producers: Eugene Jarecki, Nick Fraser, Joslyn Barnes, Danny Glover, Russell Simmons, Roy Ackerman, John Legend, Sally Jo Feifer, Nick Fraser
Camera: Sam Cullman, Derek Hallquist
Sound: Matthew Freed, Art Jaso
Music: Robert Milller
Editor: Paul Frost
Production Companies: Charlotte Street Films, Zdf Enterprises, Independent Television Services, BBC, Aljazeera Documentary Channel, Vpro, Special Broadcasting Service Corporation, Louverture Films, Nhk
Distribution (Us): Abramorama Entertainment, Snag Films
How to Survive a Plague, directed by David France
Documentary Feature Nominee
How to Survive a Plague by writer and filmmaker David France tells the story of how two coalitions came together to lobby for effective treatments and funding for treatments of AIDS in the late 1980s when it was evident that the Us government and its health and other agencies were not being very effective dealing with the AIDS epidemic. The coalitions, Act Up and Tag (Treatment Action Group) helped to make AIDS more treatable. While there is still no cure for AIDS and thousands of people globally still die from the virus, it is now possible to prolong life with treatments that have been developed.
Despite having no scientific training, these self-made activists infiltrated the pharmaceutical industry and helped identify promising new drugs, moving them from experimental trials to patients in record time. With access to never-before-seen archival footage from the 1980s and '90s, filmmaker David France puts the viewer smack in the middle of the controversial actions, the heated meetings, the heartbreaking failures, and the exultant breakthroughs. Faced with their own mortality an improbable group of young men and women, many of them HIV-positive took on Washington and the medical establishment.
While there have been a handful of outstanding films dealing with the AIDS epidemic including Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt, The Broadcast Tapes of Dr. Peter and Silverlake Life, to name a few, How to Survive a Plague picks up on the story begun in the landmark Common Threads and updates the struggle, looking at the quest to find a treatment and possibly a cure for this vicious disease. The film weaves together stories of activism and shows how a small determined group can effect change not just nationally but globally. While the film is not as well made as Common Threads or Dr. Peter, it’s powerful. The archival footage manages to capture some of the key figures of Act Up and Tag showing actions as they take place. Instead of relying on talking heads to tell this amazing story, it is presented with footage shot as the story unfolded. This footage and its solid editing distinguishes this film from so many of the works that have tried to tell this story.
Few documentaries have such powerful antagonists, the government, incompetence, a lack of urgency on the part of the medical community and fear. Throw in homophobia and it is evident that the dramatic actions of these heroes saved hundreds of thousands of possible victims from this mostly sexually spread plague.
My only serious criticism of this documentary is its failure to be clearer that the plague continues, that there is no cure for HIV/AIDS and that the community continues to give a false sense of hope. Currently the Cdc states:
” ..estimates that 1,148,200 persons aged 13 years and older are living with HIV infection, including 207,600 (18.1%) who are unaware of their infection1. Over the past decade, the number of people living with HIV has increased, while the annual number of new HIV infections has remained relatively stable. Still, the pace of new infections continues at far too high a level—particularly among certain groups.
HIV Incidence(new infections): The estimated incidence of HIV has remained stable overall in recent years, at about 50,000 new HIV infections per year.2 Within the overall estimates, however, some groups are affected more than others. Msm (men who have sex with men) continue to bear the greatest burden of HIV infection, and among races/ethnicities, African Americans continue to be disproportionately affected.”
This information could have been contained in the last few minutes of this powerful work, to inspire and warn the audience that testing is critical and that safe sex is still the only way to contain AIDS.
The Filmmaker
David France, Director, Producer
David France is an award-winning journalist and New York Times best-selling author who has been writing about AIDS since 1982 and today is one of the best-known chroniclers of the epidemic. His work has appeared in the New York Times, Newsweek, GQ, and New York magazine, where he is a contributing editor, and has received the National Headliner Award and the GLAAD Media Award, among others. Several films have been inspired by his work, most recently the Emmy-nominated Showtime film Our Fathers, for which he received a WGA nomination. He is at work on a major history of AIDS, due from Alfred A. Knopf in 2013. Based on decades of reporting, How to Survive a Plague is his directorial debut.
Credits
Director: David France
Writers: David France, Todd Woody Richman, Tyler H. Walk
Producers: David France, Howard Gertler
Executive Producers: Dan Cogan, Joy A. Tomchin
Co-Producer: Todd Woody Richman
Camera: Derek Wieshahn
Sound: Stuart Deutsch, Topher Reifeiss
Original Music: Stuart Bogie
Editor: Todd Woody Richman, Tyler H. Walk
Production Companies: Public Square Films, Ninety Thousand Words
Distribution (Us): Sundance Selects
Short Notes and Update:
The International Documentary Association in Los Angeles presents Doc U: The Doc Reporter
Navigating the Intersection of Documentary and Journalism
Moderated by: Karin Skellwagen (The Brooks Institute)
With Panelists:
Sarah Burns (The Central Park Five)
Michael Donaldson (Partner, Donaldson & Callif)
David France (How To Survive A Plague)
For information: http://doc-u-jan-2013-la.eventbrite.com/
Sundance Announces 2013 International Documentary Competition:
Fallen City/ China (Director: Qi Zhao) — Fallen City spans four years to reveal how three families who survived the 2008 Sichuan earthquake to embark on a journey searching for hope, purpose, identity, and to rebuild their lives in a new China torn between tradition and modernity. North American Premiere
Fire in the Blood/ India (Director: Dylan Mohan Gray) — In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Western governments and pharmaceutical companies blocked low-cost antiretroviral drugs from reaching AIDS-stricken Africa, causing 10 million or more unnecessary deaths. An improbable group of people decided to fight back. North American Premiere
Google and the World Brain/ Spain, United Kingdom (Director: Ben Lewis) — In the most ambitious Internet project ever conceived, Google is working to scan every book in the world. Google says it is building a library for mankind. But some are trying to stop it, claiming that Google may have other intentions. World Premiere
The Machine Which Makes Everything Disappear/ Georgia, Germany (Director: Tinatin Gurchiani) — A film director casting a 15-23-year-old protagonist visits villages and cities to meet people who answer her call. She follows those who prove to be interesting enough through various dramatic and funny situations. North American Premiere
The Moo Man/ United Kingdom (Directors: Andy Heathcote, Heike Bachelier) — A year in the life of heroic farmer Steve, scene stealing Ida (queen of the herd), and a supporting cast of 55 cows. When Ida falls ill, Steve’s optimism is challenged and their whole way of life is at stake. World Premiere
Pussy Riot – A Punk Prayer/ Russian Federation, United Kingdom (Directors: Mike Lerner, Maxim Pozdorovkin) — Three young women face seven years in a Russian prison for a satirical performance in a Moscow cathedral. But who is really on trial: the three young artists or the society they live in? World Premiere
A River Changes Course/ Cambodia, U.S.A. (Director: Kalyanee Mam) — Three young Cambodians struggle to overcome the crushing effects of deforestation, overfishing, and overwhelming debt in this devastatingly beautiful story of a country reeling from the tragedies of war and rushing to keep pace with a rapidly expanding world. World Premiere
Salma/ United Kingdom, India (Director: Kim Longinotto) — When Salma, a young girl in South India, reached puberty, her parents locked her away. Millions of girls all over the world share the same fate. Twenty-five years later, Salma has fought her way back to the outside world. World Premiere
The Square (Al Midan)/ Egypt, U.S.A. (Director: Jehane Noujaim) — What does it mean to risk your life for your ideals? How far will five revolutionaries go in defending their beliefs in the fight for their nation? World Premiere
The Stuart Hall Project/ United Kingdom (Director: John Akomfrah) — Antinuclear campaigner, New Left activist and founding father of Cultural Studies, this documentary interweaves 70 years of Stuart Hall’s film, radio and television appearances, and material from his private archive to document a memorable life and construct a portrait of Britain’s foremost radical intellectual. World Premiere
The Summit/ Ireland, United Kingdom (Director: Nick Ryan) — Twenty-four climbers converged at the last stop before summiting the most dangerous mountain on Earth. Forty-eight hours later, 11 had been killed or simply vanished. Had one, Ger McDonnell, stuck to the climbers' code, he might still be alive. International Premiere
Who is Dayani Cristal?/ United Kingdom (Director: Marc Silver) — An anonymous body in the Arizona desert sparks the beginning of a real-life human drama. The search for its identity leads us across a continent to seek out the people left behind and the meaning of a mysterious tattoo. World Premiere. Day One Film
Producer’s Guild Announces Nominations for the Award for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures and Non-Fiction Television:
A People Uncounted(Urbinder Films)
Producers: Marc Swenker, Aaron Yeger
The Gatekeepers(Sony Pictures Classics)
Producers: Estelle Fialon, Philippa Kowarsky, Dror Moreh
The Island President(Samuel Goldwyn Films)
Producers: Richard Berge, Bonni Cohen
The Other Dream Team(The Film Arcade)
Producers: Marius Markevicius, Jon Weinbach
Searching For Sugar Man(Sony Pictures Classics)
Producers: Malik Bendjelloul, Simon Chinn
Nominations for the Award for Outstanding Producer of
Non-Fiction Television:
American Masters(PBS)
Producers: Prudence Glass, Susan Lacy, Julie Sacks
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations(Travel Channel)
Producers: Anthony Bourdain, Christopher Collins, Lydia Tenaglia, Sandy Zweig
Deadliest Catch(Discovery Channel)
Producers: Thom Beers, Jeff Conroy, Sean Dash, John Gray, Sheila McCormack, Bill Pruitt, Decker Watson
Inside the Actors Studio(Bravo)
Producers: James Lipton, Shawn Tesser, Jeff Wurtz
Shark Tank(ABC)
Producers: Rhett Bachner, Becky Blitz, Mark Burnett, Bill Gaudsmith, Yun Lingner, Brien Meagher, Clay Newbill, Jim Roush, Laura Skowlund, Paul Sutera, Patrick Wood
BAFTA Short and Documentary Feature Nominations (British Academy of Film and Television Arts, London)
Documentary Feature
The ImposterBart Layton, Dimitri Doganis
Marley Kevin Macdonald, Steve Bing, Charles Steel
McCullin David Morris, Jacqui Morris
Searching for Sugar Man Malik Bendjelloul, Simon Chinn
West of Memphis Amy Berg
Short Animation
Here to Fall Kris Kelly, Evelyn McGrath
I’m Fine Thanks Eamonn O'Neill
The Making of Longbird Will Anderson, Ainslie Henderson
Short Film
The Curse Fyzal Boulifa, Gavin Humphries
Good Night Muriel d'Ansembourg, Eva Sigurdardottir
Swimmer Lynne Ramsay, Peter Carlton, Diarmid Scrimshaw
Tumult Johnny Barrington, Rhianna Andrews
The Voorman Problem Mark Gill, Baldwin Li
The Broadcast Film Critics Association (Bfca)
Documentary Feature Nominations
Bully
The Imposter
Queen of Versailles
Searching for Sugar Man (Winner)
The Central Park Five
West of Memphis
________________________________________________________________________
Credits: Editing by Jessica Just for SydneysBuzz
________________________________________________________________________
Block Doc Workshops in Los Angeles February 2013 Ida Doc U
The International Documentary Association will be hosting Documentary Funding and Documentary Tune-Up Workshops with Block on February 9/10. http://www.documentary.org/news/february-documentary-producing-workshops-mitchell-block
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.
______________________________________________________________________
©2013Mwb All Rights Reserved All Rights Reserved. All information and designs on the Sites are copyrighted material owned by Block. Reproduction, dissemination, or transmission of any part of the material here without the express written consent of the owner is strictly prohibited.All other product names and marks on Block Direct, whether trademarks, service marks, or other type, and whether registered or unregistered, is the property of Block.
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Note: See Issues 1, 2, 3, and 4 for reviews and clips of the Academy documentary films and short films. Additional reviews of the documentary features follow in this issue.
Best documentary feature
5 Broken Cameras Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi
The Gatekeepers Nominees to be determined *See note below
How to Survive a Plague Nominees to be determined
The Invisible War Nominees to be determined
Searching for Sugar Man Nominees to be determined
Best documentary short subject
Inocente Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine
Kings Point Sari Gilman and Jedd Wider
Mondays at Racine Cynthia Wade and Robin Honan
Open Heart Kief Davidson and Cori Shepherd Stern
Redemption Jon Alpert and Matthew O'Neill
Best animated short film
Adam and Dog Minkyu Lee
Fresh Guacamole Pes
Head over Heels Timothy Reckart and Fodhla Cronin O'Reilly
Maggie Simpson in The Longest Daycare David Silverman
Paperman John Kahrs
Best live action short film
Asad Bryan Buckley and Mino Jarjoura
Buzkashi Boys Sam French and Ariel Nasr
Curfew Shawn Christensen
Death of a Shadow (Dood van een Schaduw) Tom Van Avermaet and Ellen De Waele
Henry Yan England
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song) from a documentary
Before My Time from The documentary feature Chasing Ice Music and Lyric by J. Ralph
Note: *Nominees to be determined* The Documentary Brand gives the nomination to the individual(s) most involved in the key creative aspects of the filmmaking process. A maximum of two persons may be designated as nominees, one of whom must be the credited director who exercised directorial control, and the other of whom must have a producer or director credit. If a producer is named, that individual must have performed a major portion of the producing functions, in accordance with Academy producer criteria. No more than two statuettes will normally be given in the Documentary Feature category. All individuals with a “Producer” or “Produced by” credit on films that reach the semifinal round will automatically be vetted.
The Documentary Branch Executive Committee will determine which producers, if any, are eligible to receive an Oscar. In the unlikely event of a dispute, filmmakers may appeal the committee’s decision. In extremely rare circumstances, a third statuette may be awarded.
Production companies or persons with the screen credit of executive producer, co-producer or any credit other than director or producer shall not be eligible as nominees for the motion picture.
DGA Documentary Award Nominations
Kirby Dick The Invisible War
This is Mr. Dick’s first DGA Award nomination.
Malik Bendjelloul Searching For Sugar Man
This is Mr. Bendjelloul’s first DGA Award nomination.
Lauren Greenfield The Queen of Versailles
This is Ms. Greenfield’s first DGA Award nomination.
David France How To Survive A Plague
This is Mr. France’s first DGA Award nomination.
Alison Klayman Ai WeiWei: Never Sorry
This is Ms. Klayman’s first DGA Award nomination.
Two Academy Nominated Documentary Features
& One Academy Short Listed Documentary Reviewed
The Gatekeepers, directed by Dror Moreh
Documentary Feature Nominee
Six former heads of Israel’s domestic secret service agency, the Shin Bet, share their insights and reflect publicly on their actions and decisions in The Gatekeepers, a film by Dror Moreh. These six heads of the Shin Bet stood at the center of Israel's decision-making process in all matters pertaining to security. They worked closely with every Israeli prime minister, and their assessments and insights had—and continue to have—a profound impact on Israeli policy. The Gatekeepers is an exclusive account of their successes and failures.
I find The Gatekeepers remarkable. Not for its craft but for its concept and vision. Imagine
J Edger Hoover talking about his tenure at the FBI, his successes and his failures, his interactions with the Presidents and members of Congress, and his critical self-evaluation of his mission and how his agency’s work affected our nation. Imagine. Dror Moreh accomplished this feat when he convinced these six surviving members of the Shin Bet, to speak on camera.
The film provides a historical perspective of Israel that is both candid and critical of the successive governments in this rare Middle Eastern democracy. The Shin Bet was created in 1949 by David Ben-Gurion’s government to focus on the internal affairs of Israel and evolved into dealing with counterterrorism and intelligence gathering in the West Bank and Gaza.
These intelligence heads, like ours, report to the President/Prime Minister. They are not part of the military complex. It is this context that gives this work its power. We hear the story of Israel’s struggle to protect itself from both its internal and external enemies; the bombers, terrorists, agents and others who worked to destroy this small country. These men are not glamorous or like the fictional heads of the spy agencies we have seen in James Bond and Bourne films. They are bald or balding grandfather-types. Articulate, highly educated, calm and yet we know that they protected Israel from its enemies even if they had them killed.
This is one of the strongest of the nominated docs. It raises significant issues of personal responsibilities. Despite the lack of oversight we don’t feel that this is an organization gone amuck like the Catholic Church not protecting children or the Us Military not protecting its members from sexual harassment. We see these articulate men as guardians and protectors of their nation steadfastly doing their duty within the confines of their moral beliefs. What is scary about The Gatekeepers is that clearly there could have been abuses and wrongs done by the Shin Bet if these six had less character or their mission was redefined by the government without regard to moral or ethical standards. The film on reflection is troubling for regardless of how the spectator might feel about Israel it forces us to look at this conflict through the lenses of these six guardians and we can only wonder what they don’t tell us about what they did in the name of their country.
Credits:
Director: Dror Moreh
Camera: Avner Shahaf
Producers: Dror Moreh, Estelle Fialon, Philippa Kowarsky
Co Producer: Anna Van Der Wee
Sound: Amos Zipori
Sound Design: Aex Claude
Music: Ab Ovo, Jérôme Chassagnard, Régis Baillet
Editor: Oron Adar
Production Companies: Dror Moreh Productions, Les Films du Poisson, Cinephil
In Co-Production with: Mac Guff, Wild Heart Productions, Arte France, Iba, Ndr, Rtbf
With the support of: Cnc, Media, Région Ile-de-France, Procirep, Angoa, The Rabinovich Foundation for the Arts – Cinema Project
Distribution: Sony Classics
Trailer: http://www.sonyclassics.com/thegatekeepers/
The House I Live In, directed by Eugene Jarecki
Short Listed Documentary Feature for Academy Award nomination
The House I Live In looks at how America has waged war on some of its poorest citizens, costing countless lives, destroying families, and inflicting untold damage on future generations of Americans. It posits that over the last forty years, the War on Drugs has accounted for more than 45 million arrests and shows how America became the world’s largest jailer, damaging poor communities at home and abroad. Yet today drugs are cheaper, purer and more available than ever before. It shows that drug abuse is a public health issue. Despite this, it is treated by our society as a criminal matter and a vast machine has been created that feeds on the men and women who are incarcerated. Because of this, the prisoners are not offered help or a cure for their underlying problems, so they return to prison in a never ending cycle.
Eugene Jarecki, whose previous films looked at the military industrial complex (Why We Fight and The Trials of Henry Kissinger), won the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary at Sundance in both 2005 and 2010. The film tackles difficult material. Material that has been in scores of documentaries and television shows over the years. Yet Jarecki, using his personal experience, a wealth of interviews and strong case studies, builds a compelling case for changing the sentencing guidelines for crack (and cocaine) and for dealing with both addiction and the underlying causes of addiction. Jarecki is a skillful filmmaker who has picked a vast and complex subject and has created a work that while rich in content moves along at a good pace although it might have been stronger if it had tried to do less. The film editor Paul Frost and the composer Robert Miller do an excellent job building strong sequences with evocative music. It was nicely shot by Sam Cullman and Derek Hallquist. Richard Abramowitz’s Abramorama handled the distribution and was successful getting the work out which is never easy for such an issue oriented film.
Credits:
Director, Producer, Screenwriter: Eugene Jarecki
Producers: Melinda Shopsin, Sam Cullman, Christopher St. John
Executive Producers: Eugene Jarecki, Nick Fraser, Joslyn Barnes, Danny Glover, Russell Simmons, Roy Ackerman, John Legend, Sally Jo Feifer, Nick Fraser
Camera: Sam Cullman, Derek Hallquist
Sound: Matthew Freed, Art Jaso
Music: Robert Milller
Editor: Paul Frost
Production Companies: Charlotte Street Films, Zdf Enterprises, Independent Television Services, BBC, Aljazeera Documentary Channel, Vpro, Special Broadcasting Service Corporation, Louverture Films, Nhk
Distribution (Us): Abramorama Entertainment, Snag Films
How to Survive a Plague, directed by David France
Documentary Feature Nominee
How to Survive a Plague by writer and filmmaker David France tells the story of how two coalitions came together to lobby for effective treatments and funding for treatments of AIDS in the late 1980s when it was evident that the Us government and its health and other agencies were not being very effective dealing with the AIDS epidemic. The coalitions, Act Up and Tag (Treatment Action Group) helped to make AIDS more treatable. While there is still no cure for AIDS and thousands of people globally still die from the virus, it is now possible to prolong life with treatments that have been developed.
Despite having no scientific training, these self-made activists infiltrated the pharmaceutical industry and helped identify promising new drugs, moving them from experimental trials to patients in record time. With access to never-before-seen archival footage from the 1980s and '90s, filmmaker David France puts the viewer smack in the middle of the controversial actions, the heated meetings, the heartbreaking failures, and the exultant breakthroughs. Faced with their own mortality an improbable group of young men and women, many of them HIV-positive took on Washington and the medical establishment.
While there have been a handful of outstanding films dealing with the AIDS epidemic including Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt, The Broadcast Tapes of Dr. Peter and Silverlake Life, to name a few, How to Survive a Plague picks up on the story begun in the landmark Common Threads and updates the struggle, looking at the quest to find a treatment and possibly a cure for this vicious disease. The film weaves together stories of activism and shows how a small determined group can effect change not just nationally but globally. While the film is not as well made as Common Threads or Dr. Peter, it’s powerful. The archival footage manages to capture some of the key figures of Act Up and Tag showing actions as they take place. Instead of relying on talking heads to tell this amazing story, it is presented with footage shot as the story unfolded. This footage and its solid editing distinguishes this film from so many of the works that have tried to tell this story.
Few documentaries have such powerful antagonists, the government, incompetence, a lack of urgency on the part of the medical community and fear. Throw in homophobia and it is evident that the dramatic actions of these heroes saved hundreds of thousands of possible victims from this mostly sexually spread plague.
My only serious criticism of this documentary is its failure to be clearer that the plague continues, that there is no cure for HIV/AIDS and that the community continues to give a false sense of hope. Currently the Cdc states:
” ..estimates that 1,148,200 persons aged 13 years and older are living with HIV infection, including 207,600 (18.1%) who are unaware of their infection1. Over the past decade, the number of people living with HIV has increased, while the annual number of new HIV infections has remained relatively stable. Still, the pace of new infections continues at far too high a level—particularly among certain groups.
HIV Incidence(new infections): The estimated incidence of HIV has remained stable overall in recent years, at about 50,000 new HIV infections per year.2 Within the overall estimates, however, some groups are affected more than others. Msm (men who have sex with men) continue to bear the greatest burden of HIV infection, and among races/ethnicities, African Americans continue to be disproportionately affected.”
This information could have been contained in the last few minutes of this powerful work, to inspire and warn the audience that testing is critical and that safe sex is still the only way to contain AIDS.
The Filmmaker
David France, Director, Producer
David France is an award-winning journalist and New York Times best-selling author who has been writing about AIDS since 1982 and today is one of the best-known chroniclers of the epidemic. His work has appeared in the New York Times, Newsweek, GQ, and New York magazine, where he is a contributing editor, and has received the National Headliner Award and the GLAAD Media Award, among others. Several films have been inspired by his work, most recently the Emmy-nominated Showtime film Our Fathers, for which he received a WGA nomination. He is at work on a major history of AIDS, due from Alfred A. Knopf in 2013. Based on decades of reporting, How to Survive a Plague is his directorial debut.
Credits
Director: David France
Writers: David France, Todd Woody Richman, Tyler H. Walk
Producers: David France, Howard Gertler
Executive Producers: Dan Cogan, Joy A. Tomchin
Co-Producer: Todd Woody Richman
Camera: Derek Wieshahn
Sound: Stuart Deutsch, Topher Reifeiss
Original Music: Stuart Bogie
Editor: Todd Woody Richman, Tyler H. Walk
Production Companies: Public Square Films, Ninety Thousand Words
Distribution (Us): Sundance Selects
Short Notes and Update:
The International Documentary Association in Los Angeles presents Doc U: The Doc Reporter
Navigating the Intersection of Documentary and Journalism
Moderated by: Karin Skellwagen (The Brooks Institute)
With Panelists:
Sarah Burns (The Central Park Five)
Michael Donaldson (Partner, Donaldson & Callif)
David France (How To Survive A Plague)
For information: http://doc-u-jan-2013-la.eventbrite.com/
Sundance Announces 2013 International Documentary Competition:
Fallen City/ China (Director: Qi Zhao) — Fallen City spans four years to reveal how three families who survived the 2008 Sichuan earthquake to embark on a journey searching for hope, purpose, identity, and to rebuild their lives in a new China torn between tradition and modernity. North American Premiere
Fire in the Blood/ India (Director: Dylan Mohan Gray) — In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Western governments and pharmaceutical companies blocked low-cost antiretroviral drugs from reaching AIDS-stricken Africa, causing 10 million or more unnecessary deaths. An improbable group of people decided to fight back. North American Premiere
Google and the World Brain/ Spain, United Kingdom (Director: Ben Lewis) — In the most ambitious Internet project ever conceived, Google is working to scan every book in the world. Google says it is building a library for mankind. But some are trying to stop it, claiming that Google may have other intentions. World Premiere
The Machine Which Makes Everything Disappear/ Georgia, Germany (Director: Tinatin Gurchiani) — A film director casting a 15-23-year-old protagonist visits villages and cities to meet people who answer her call. She follows those who prove to be interesting enough through various dramatic and funny situations. North American Premiere
The Moo Man/ United Kingdom (Directors: Andy Heathcote, Heike Bachelier) — A year in the life of heroic farmer Steve, scene stealing Ida (queen of the herd), and a supporting cast of 55 cows. When Ida falls ill, Steve’s optimism is challenged and their whole way of life is at stake. World Premiere
Pussy Riot – A Punk Prayer/ Russian Federation, United Kingdom (Directors: Mike Lerner, Maxim Pozdorovkin) — Three young women face seven years in a Russian prison for a satirical performance in a Moscow cathedral. But who is really on trial: the three young artists or the society they live in? World Premiere
A River Changes Course/ Cambodia, U.S.A. (Director: Kalyanee Mam) — Three young Cambodians struggle to overcome the crushing effects of deforestation, overfishing, and overwhelming debt in this devastatingly beautiful story of a country reeling from the tragedies of war and rushing to keep pace with a rapidly expanding world. World Premiere
Salma/ United Kingdom, India (Director: Kim Longinotto) — When Salma, a young girl in South India, reached puberty, her parents locked her away. Millions of girls all over the world share the same fate. Twenty-five years later, Salma has fought her way back to the outside world. World Premiere
The Square (Al Midan)/ Egypt, U.S.A. (Director: Jehane Noujaim) — What does it mean to risk your life for your ideals? How far will five revolutionaries go in defending their beliefs in the fight for their nation? World Premiere
The Stuart Hall Project/ United Kingdom (Director: John Akomfrah) — Antinuclear campaigner, New Left activist and founding father of Cultural Studies, this documentary interweaves 70 years of Stuart Hall’s film, radio and television appearances, and material from his private archive to document a memorable life and construct a portrait of Britain’s foremost radical intellectual. World Premiere
The Summit/ Ireland, United Kingdom (Director: Nick Ryan) — Twenty-four climbers converged at the last stop before summiting the most dangerous mountain on Earth. Forty-eight hours later, 11 had been killed or simply vanished. Had one, Ger McDonnell, stuck to the climbers' code, he might still be alive. International Premiere
Who is Dayani Cristal?/ United Kingdom (Director: Marc Silver) — An anonymous body in the Arizona desert sparks the beginning of a real-life human drama. The search for its identity leads us across a continent to seek out the people left behind and the meaning of a mysterious tattoo. World Premiere. Day One Film
Producer’s Guild Announces Nominations for the Award for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures and Non-Fiction Television:
A People Uncounted(Urbinder Films)
Producers: Marc Swenker, Aaron Yeger
The Gatekeepers(Sony Pictures Classics)
Producers: Estelle Fialon, Philippa Kowarsky, Dror Moreh
The Island President(Samuel Goldwyn Films)
Producers: Richard Berge, Bonni Cohen
The Other Dream Team(The Film Arcade)
Producers: Marius Markevicius, Jon Weinbach
Searching For Sugar Man(Sony Pictures Classics)
Producers: Malik Bendjelloul, Simon Chinn
Nominations for the Award for Outstanding Producer of
Non-Fiction Television:
American Masters(PBS)
Producers: Prudence Glass, Susan Lacy, Julie Sacks
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations(Travel Channel)
Producers: Anthony Bourdain, Christopher Collins, Lydia Tenaglia, Sandy Zweig
Deadliest Catch(Discovery Channel)
Producers: Thom Beers, Jeff Conroy, Sean Dash, John Gray, Sheila McCormack, Bill Pruitt, Decker Watson
Inside the Actors Studio(Bravo)
Producers: James Lipton, Shawn Tesser, Jeff Wurtz
Shark Tank(ABC)
Producers: Rhett Bachner, Becky Blitz, Mark Burnett, Bill Gaudsmith, Yun Lingner, Brien Meagher, Clay Newbill, Jim Roush, Laura Skowlund, Paul Sutera, Patrick Wood
BAFTA Short and Documentary Feature Nominations (British Academy of Film and Television Arts, London)
Documentary Feature
The ImposterBart Layton, Dimitri Doganis
Marley Kevin Macdonald, Steve Bing, Charles Steel
McCullin David Morris, Jacqui Morris
Searching for Sugar Man Malik Bendjelloul, Simon Chinn
West of Memphis Amy Berg
Short Animation
Here to Fall Kris Kelly, Evelyn McGrath
I’m Fine Thanks Eamonn O'Neill
The Making of Longbird Will Anderson, Ainslie Henderson
Short Film
The Curse Fyzal Boulifa, Gavin Humphries
Good Night Muriel d'Ansembourg, Eva Sigurdardottir
Swimmer Lynne Ramsay, Peter Carlton, Diarmid Scrimshaw
Tumult Johnny Barrington, Rhianna Andrews
The Voorman Problem Mark Gill, Baldwin Li
The Broadcast Film Critics Association (Bfca)
Documentary Feature Nominations
Bully
The Imposter
Queen of Versailles
Searching for Sugar Man (Winner)
The Central Park Five
West of Memphis
________________________________________________________________________
Credits: Editing by Jessica Just for SydneysBuzz
________________________________________________________________________
Block Doc Workshops in Los Angeles February 2013 Ida Doc U
The International Documentary Association will be hosting Documentary Funding and Documentary Tune-Up Workshops with Block on February 9/10. http://www.documentary.org/news/february-documentary-producing-workshops-mitchell-block
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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©2013Mwb All Rights Reserved All Rights Reserved. All information and designs on the Sites are copyrighted material owned by Block. Reproduction, dissemination, or transmission of any part of the material here without the express written consent of the owner is strictly prohibited.All other product names and marks on Block Direct, whether trademarks, service marks, or other type, and whether registered or unregistered, is the property of Block.
- 1/17/2013
- by Mitchell Block
- Sydney's Buzz
Paperman
ShortsHD™ The Short Movie Channel (www.shorts.tv), working with Magnolia Pictures, will release The Oscar® Nominated Short Films 2013 in over 260 theatres across the United States, Canada and Europe on February 1, 2013. This is the 8th year of the Oscar Nominated Short Film Theatrical Release. The announcement comes on the heels of last year’s record-breaking release, which was one of the top 50 grossing independent film releases in North America, earning over $1,700,000 nationwide. Since its debut in 2005, the Oscar® Nominated Short Films theatrical release program has grown 800%.
A key fixture of the awards season, the theatrical release featuring Live Action, Animation and Documentary short films is the only opportunity for audiences around the country to watch the nominated shorts prior to the 85th Academy Awards® ceremony on February 24, 2013.
This year’s release breaks new ground: a past Oscar winner in that category will host each film. Hosting the Live Action...
ShortsHD™ The Short Movie Channel (www.shorts.tv), working with Magnolia Pictures, will release The Oscar® Nominated Short Films 2013 in over 260 theatres across the United States, Canada and Europe on February 1, 2013. This is the 8th year of the Oscar Nominated Short Film Theatrical Release. The announcement comes on the heels of last year’s record-breaking release, which was one of the top 50 grossing independent film releases in North America, earning over $1,700,000 nationwide. Since its debut in 2005, the Oscar® Nominated Short Films theatrical release program has grown 800%.
A key fixture of the awards season, the theatrical release featuring Live Action, Animation and Documentary short films is the only opportunity for audiences around the country to watch the nominated shorts prior to the 85th Academy Awards® ceremony on February 24, 2013.
This year’s release breaks new ground: a past Oscar winner in that category will host each film. Hosting the Live Action...
- 1/16/2013
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
After a couple months of various organizations and associations sharing their favorites of the year, (look for our own Jeff Bayer at the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards tonight), the big kahuna has spoken – Oscar nominations are in.
Here are the nominees for the 85th annual Academy Awards, with the ceremony taking place on February 24, which will be hosted by Seth MacFarlane.
Best Picture
Nominees:
Amour (2012): To Be Determined
Argo (2012): Grant Heslov, Ben Affleck, George Clooney
Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012): Dan Janvey, Josh Penn, Michael Gottwald
Django Unchained (2012): Stacey Sher, Reginald Hudlin, Pilar Savone
Les Misérables (2012): Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Debra Hayward, Cameron Mackintosh
Life of Pi (2012): Gil Netter, Ang Lee, David Womark
Lincoln (2012): Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy
Silver Linings Playbook (2012): Donna Gigliotti, Bruce Cohen, Jonathan Gordon
Zero Dark Thirty (2012): Mark Boal, Kathryn Bigelow, Megan Ellison
Best Performance by an Actor...
Here are the nominees for the 85th annual Academy Awards, with the ceremony taking place on February 24, which will be hosted by Seth MacFarlane.
Best Picture
Nominees:
Amour (2012): To Be Determined
Argo (2012): Grant Heslov, Ben Affleck, George Clooney
Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012): Dan Janvey, Josh Penn, Michael Gottwald
Django Unchained (2012): Stacey Sher, Reginald Hudlin, Pilar Savone
Les Misérables (2012): Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Debra Hayward, Cameron Mackintosh
Life of Pi (2012): Gil Netter, Ang Lee, David Womark
Lincoln (2012): Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy
Silver Linings Playbook (2012): Donna Gigliotti, Bruce Cohen, Jonathan Gordon
Zero Dark Thirty (2012): Mark Boal, Kathryn Bigelow, Megan Ellison
Best Performance by an Actor...
- 1/10/2013
- by Nick Allen
- The Scorecard Review
Contributors: Michelle McCue and Melissa Thompson
It was a morning of Oscar surprises . both shocking and welcomed. Nominations for the 85th Academy Awards® were announced today (Thursday, January 10) by this year’s Oscar host (and nominee) Seth MacFarlane, and actress Emma Stone. Minus the usual podium, MacFarlane and Stone humorously unveiled the nominees at a 5:38 a.m. Pt live news conference attended by more than 400 international media representatives. Wamg and the various outlets were greeted with a golden breakfast, strong coffee and Jamba Juice.
Let.s get right to it. Steven Spielberg.s Lincoln scored the most nominations with 12, followed by Life of Pi with 11, and Les Misérables and Silver Linings Playbook at 8 apiece.
The nominees for best motion picture of the year are:
“Amour” Nominees to be determined “Argo” Grant Heslov, Ben Affleck and George Clooney, Producers “Beasts of the Southern Wild” Dan Janvey, Josh Penn and Michael Gottwald,...
It was a morning of Oscar surprises . both shocking and welcomed. Nominations for the 85th Academy Awards® were announced today (Thursday, January 10) by this year’s Oscar host (and nominee) Seth MacFarlane, and actress Emma Stone. Minus the usual podium, MacFarlane and Stone humorously unveiled the nominees at a 5:38 a.m. Pt live news conference attended by more than 400 international media representatives. Wamg and the various outlets were greeted with a golden breakfast, strong coffee and Jamba Juice.
Let.s get right to it. Steven Spielberg.s Lincoln scored the most nominations with 12, followed by Life of Pi with 11, and Les Misérables and Silver Linings Playbook at 8 apiece.
The nominees for best motion picture of the year are:
“Amour” Nominees to be determined “Argo” Grant Heslov, Ben Affleck and George Clooney, Producers “Beasts of the Southern Wild” Dan Janvey, Josh Penn and Michael Gottwald,...
- 1/10/2013
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
I've enjoyed watching the Academy Awards for as long as I can remember. Even though I don't always agree with their decisions, it's still a fun experience for me. This year Emma Stone and Seth MacFarlane woke up at the buttcrack of dawn to give us the nominations for the 85th Academy Awards, I however didn't wake up to watch because I was just too damn tired.
There's a lot of great movies that were nominated this year and Lincoln leads the pack with 12 nominations which isn't surprising at all. Life of Pi ended up getting 11 noms, Les Miserables got 8, Silver Linings Playbook got 8 as well, Argo ended up with 7, Zero Dark Thirty has 5, Skyfall got 5, Django Unchained got 5 and The Avengers got 1.
There aren't many surprises this year, some might think that Beasts of the Southern Wild was a surprise, but there's been so much ridiculous hype for the...
There's a lot of great movies that were nominated this year and Lincoln leads the pack with 12 nominations which isn't surprising at all. Life of Pi ended up getting 11 noms, Les Miserables got 8, Silver Linings Playbook got 8 as well, Argo ended up with 7, Zero Dark Thirty has 5, Skyfall got 5, Django Unchained got 5 and The Avengers got 1.
There aren't many surprises this year, some might think that Beasts of the Southern Wild was a surprise, but there's been so much ridiculous hype for the...
- 1/10/2013
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
Seth MacFarlane and Emma Stone took the stage at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills this morning to announce this year's Academy Award nominations, and they played out almost exactly as everyone expected. Steven Spielberg's Lincoln led the way with 12 nominations including Best Picture, Best Director and another Best Actor nod for Daniel Day-Lewis. Ang Lee's Life of Pi was up for 11 awards, while David O. Russell's Silver Linings Playbook and Tom Hooper's Les Miserables received 8 nominations apiece. There were a total of 9 Best Picture nominees this year, and if there were any surprises they would probably be Beasts of the Southern Wild and Amour. Django Unchained was also in the mix, although Quentin Tarantino was ignored for Best Director. On the bright side, Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams were all recognized for their performances in The Master, although the movie itself received no love.
- 1/10/2013
- by Sean
- FilmJunk
The awards season is finally coming to its peak. The BAFTA nominations were announced yesterday. The Golden Globes ceremony will be held this Sunday. And now the Oscar nominations have been announced, cutting down the finalists that have been contending for the coveted awards over the past few months.
Waking up at an extremely early hour to announce the nominees at 5:30 a.m. Pt this morning, the brilliant duo of Seth MacFarlane and Emma Stone were on hand to give us the below nominations.
Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln sweeps the nominations with an impressive 12 nods. Ang Lee’s Life of Pi follows swiftly behind it with 11. Tom Hooper’s Les Misérables and David O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook each take 8 nominations. Ben Affleck’s Argo picks up 7, followed closely by Sam Mendes’ Skyfall with 6. Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained, Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty, and Michael Haneke...
Waking up at an extremely early hour to announce the nominees at 5:30 a.m. Pt this morning, the brilliant duo of Seth MacFarlane and Emma Stone were on hand to give us the below nominations.
Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln sweeps the nominations with an impressive 12 nods. Ang Lee’s Life of Pi follows swiftly behind it with 11. Tom Hooper’s Les Misérables and David O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook each take 8 nominations. Ben Affleck’s Argo picks up 7, followed closely by Sam Mendes’ Skyfall with 6. Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained, Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty, and Michael Haneke...
- 1/10/2013
- by Kenji Lloyd
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Seth MacFarlane and Emma Stone announced the Oscar nominations Thursday, January 10. Powerhouse Steven Spielberg biopic Lincoln picked up 12 nominations, while Life of Pi picked up 11, and Silver Linings Playbook and Les Miserables got eight.
Click here for full Oscar coverage.
Read on to find out who picked up a nom!
Best Supporting Actor
Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook
Alan Arkin, Argo
Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln
Best Original Song
Before My Time, Chasing Ice
Pi's Lullaby, Life of Pi
Suddenly, Les Miserables
Everybody Needs a Best Friend, Ted
Skyfall, Skyfall
Best Supporting Actress
Sally Field, Lincoln
Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
Jacki Weaver, Silver Linings Playbook
Helen Hunt, The Sessions
Amy Adams, The Master
Best Animated Film
Frankenweenie
The Pirates! Band of Misfits
Wreck-It Ralph
ParaNorman
Brave
Best Foreign Language Film
Amour
No
War Witch
A Royal Affair
Kon-Tiki
Best Adapted Screenplay
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Argo
Lincoln...
Click here for full Oscar coverage.
Read on to find out who picked up a nom!
Best Supporting Actor
Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook
Alan Arkin, Argo
Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln
Best Original Song
Before My Time, Chasing Ice
Pi's Lullaby, Life of Pi
Suddenly, Les Miserables
Everybody Needs a Best Friend, Ted
Skyfall, Skyfall
Best Supporting Actress
Sally Field, Lincoln
Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
Jacki Weaver, Silver Linings Playbook
Helen Hunt, The Sessions
Amy Adams, The Master
Best Animated Film
Frankenweenie
The Pirates! Band of Misfits
Wreck-It Ralph
ParaNorman
Brave
Best Foreign Language Film
Amour
No
War Witch
A Royal Affair
Kon-Tiki
Best Adapted Screenplay
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Argo
Lincoln...
- 1/10/2013
- Entertainment Tonight
Nominations for the 85th annual Academy Awards will be announced today by host Seth MacFarlane and actress Emma Stone at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.
You can now watch the nominations Live by using the video below and later on we will post all the nominations.
Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Oscar Sunday, February 24, 2013, at the Dolby Theatre™ at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.
“Lincoln,” director Steven Spielberg’s film about the 16th president and his battle to end slavery, topped the nominations for the 85th Academy Awards on Thursday, receiving 12 nods, including best picture.
“Life of Pi” was second with 11 nominations, including best picture, best director (Ang Lee) and best adapted screenplay.
As usual, there were a handful of surprises.
You can now watch the nominations Live by using the video below and later on we will post all the nominations.
Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Oscar Sunday, February 24, 2013, at the Dolby Theatre™ at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.
“Lincoln,” director Steven Spielberg’s film about the 16th president and his battle to end slavery, topped the nominations for the 85th Academy Awards on Thursday, receiving 12 nods, including best picture.
“Life of Pi” was second with 11 nominations, including best picture, best director (Ang Lee) and best adapted screenplay.
As usual, there were a handful of surprises.
- 1/10/2013
- by Kellvin Chavez
- LRMonline.com
Early, early this morning Emma Stone and Seth MacFarlane were on hand to announce the nominations for this year's Academy Awards. Speculation and buzz began early as to who would even get a nod this year. Now we can put that to rest and being speculating on who's going to win.
As usual there's a fair number of "that's exactly what I expected", "what the Hell?", and snubs to go around. Here's the list:
Best Picture
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty
Lincoln
Les Misérables
Life of Pi
Amour
Django Unchained
Argo
Best Director
David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
Ang Lee, Life of Pi
Steven Spielberg, Lincoln
Michael Haneke, Amour
Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild
Best Actress
Naomi Watts, The Impossible
Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Emmanuelle Riva, Amour
Quvenzhané Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild
Best Actor
Daniel Day-Lewis,...
As usual there's a fair number of "that's exactly what I expected", "what the Hell?", and snubs to go around. Here's the list:
Best Picture
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty
Lincoln
Les Misérables
Life of Pi
Amour
Django Unchained
Argo
Best Director
David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
Ang Lee, Life of Pi
Steven Spielberg, Lincoln
Michael Haneke, Amour
Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild
Best Actress
Naomi Watts, The Impossible
Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Emmanuelle Riva, Amour
Quvenzhané Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild
Best Actor
Daniel Day-Lewis,...
- 1/10/2013
- by feeds@cinelinx.com (Jordan Maison)
- Cinelinx
Early, early this morning Emma Stone and Seth MacFarlane were on hand to announce the nominations for this year's Academy Awards. Speculation and buzz began early as to who would even get a nod this year. Now we can put that to rest and being speculating on who's going to win.
As usual there's a fair number of "that's exactly what I expected", "what the Hell?", and snubs to go around. Here's the list:
Best Picture
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty
Lincoln
Les Misérables
Life of Pi
Amour
Django Unchained
Argo
Best Director
David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
Ang Lee, Life of Pi
Steven Spielberg, Lincoln
Michael Haneke, Amour
Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild
Best Actress
Naomi Watts, The Impossible
Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Emmanuelle Riva, Amour
Quvenzhané Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild
Best Actor
Daniel Day-Lewis,...
As usual there's a fair number of "that's exactly what I expected", "what the Hell?", and snubs to go around. Here's the list:
Best Picture
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty
Lincoln
Les Misérables
Life of Pi
Amour
Django Unchained
Argo
Best Director
David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
Ang Lee, Life of Pi
Steven Spielberg, Lincoln
Michael Haneke, Amour
Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild
Best Actress
Naomi Watts, The Impossible
Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Emmanuelle Riva, Amour
Quvenzhané Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild
Best Actor
Daniel Day-Lewis,...
- 1/10/2013
- by feeds@cinelinx.com (Jordan Maison)
- Cinelinx
Let’s not pretend like anyone is any good at prognosticating which documentary short will emerge from the pack to stand on stage while the Get Off the Stage music swells. It’s one of the culprits that destroys everyone’s chances every year at rocking a perfect Oscar ballot prediction. But maybe, just maybe, you can get a head start on your co-workers by checking out the films that have the honor of just being nominated. The Education of Mohhamad Hussein Directed by: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady Synopsis: A look at the largest Muslim community in America, how they respond to an anti-Islamic preacher and how their children grow up a decade after 9/11 Inocente Directed by: Sean Fine, Andrea Nix Synopsis: A homeless, undocumented 15-year-old immigrant struggles to come of age and become a better artist under staggering odds Kings Point Directed by: Sari Gilman Synopsis: The humor and humanity of senior citizens living in a...
- 10/12/2012
- by Cole Abaius
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Eight documentary short films have been selected for the 2013 Oscars shortlist, of which three to five will earn nominations. Full list below. The doc subjects range from a portrait of an anti-Islamic preacher ("The Education of Mohammed Hussein") to a Florida retirement community ("Kings Point"); from a Long Island hair salon that sets aside one day a month to serve women with cancer ("Mondays at Racine") to Rwandan children in need of heart transplants ("Open Heart"). Filmmakers with past Oscar nominations or wins make up a good percentage of this year's shortlist, including "Detropia" filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (nominated for "Jesus Camp"), Sean Fine (for "War/Dance") and Sari Gilman (for "Ghosts of Abu Ghraib"). Cynthia Wade won the Oscar in 2007 for "Freeheld." "The Education of Mohammad Hussein," (dirs. Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady; produced by Loki...
- 10/11/2012
- by Beth Hanna
- Thompson on Hollywood
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that the field of Documentary Short Subject contenders for the 85th Academy Awards® has been narrowed to eight films, out of a submission pool of 31. Three to five of these titles will earn Oscar® nominations.
Three of the shorts on the list qualified for Academy Award consideration through Ida's DocuWeeksTM Theatrical Documentary Showcase this past summer: King's Point, from director/producer Sari Gilman and producers Jed Wider and Todd Wider; Open Heart, from director/producer/writer Kief Davison and producer Cori Stern; and The ...
Three of the shorts on the list qualified for Academy Award consideration through Ida's DocuWeeksTM Theatrical Documentary Showcase this past summer: King's Point, from director/producer Sari Gilman and producers Jed Wider and Todd Wider; Open Heart, from director/producer/writer Kief Davison and producer Cori Stern; and The ...
- 10/11/2012
- by IDA Editorial Staff
- International Documentary Association
In an afternoon ceremony yesterday in Silver Spring MD, Silverdocs announced the jury and special award winners for its 10th anniversary edition. Jason Tippet and Elizabeth Mims' "Only the Young," a beautifully-lensed portrait of adolescent friendship and romance in suburban Californa, was the recipient of the Sterling Award for Best Us Feature, while Seungiun Yi's acclaimed "Planet of Snail," a lyrical film about the life of a deaf and blind South Korean poet and his wife, claimed the Sterling Award for Best World Feature. Both awards came with a $5000 cash prize. The Sterling Award for Best Short Film (for which I served as a juror) went to Sari Gilman's evocative exploration of the need for human connection among a group of Floridian senior citizens, "Kings Point." The award is accompanied by a $2500 cash prize. In addition to the juried awards, Silverdocs presented two cash prizes in partnership with...
- 6/24/2012
- by Basil Tsiokos
- Indiewire
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