In advance of its premiere April 7 at the Cleveland International Film Festival, the filmmakers have shared a trailer for Katie Dellamaggiore’s documentary, Small Town Universe. The documentary explores Green Bank, West Virginia, home to the world’s largest fully steerable radio telescope. While the telescope explores the universe for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence, the town’s residents communicate in more traditional ways; in order for the telescope to function, wi-fi and cell phones are banned in the town. “Within the telescope’s orbit, Green Bank residents experience defining moments of life and loss and […]
The post Trailer Watch: Small Town Universe, Director Katie Dellamaggiore’s Astronomy Documentary first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Trailer Watch: Small Town Universe, Director Katie Dellamaggiore’s Astronomy Documentary first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 4/1/2024
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
In advance of its premiere April 7 at the Cleveland International Film Festival, the filmmakers have shared a trailer for Katie Dellamaggiore’s documentary, Small Town Universe. The documentary explores Green Bank, West Virginia, home to the world’s largest fully steerable radio telescope. While the telescope explores the universe for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence, the town’s residents communicate in more traditional ways; in order for the telescope to function, wi-fi and cell phones are banned in the town. “Within the telescope’s orbit, Green Bank residents experience defining moments of life and loss and […]
The post Trailer Watch: Small Town Universe, Director Katie Dellamaggiore’s Astronomy Documentary first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Trailer Watch: Small Town Universe, Director Katie Dellamaggiore’s Astronomy Documentary first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 4/1/2024
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Time, Inc. is about to drop one of its first major online video projects. As part of its larger digital video strategy, the publishing giant is releasing its anthology-style documentary series New Orleans, Here & Now across multiple digital platforms on August 27, 2015, nearly ten years after the Hurricane Katrina disaster.
Produced alongside Killer Films, Field Office Films, and production and distribution company Rampante, New Orleans, Here & Now contains six different short films centered on the lives of individuals living in the post-Katrina Louisiana city. For example, one of the documentary’s episodes will cover the story of an oyster farmer and his decades-long quest to build a boat, while another segment will show four high school seniors, who were only eight when Katrina hit, preparing for graduation.
Time will release New Orleans, Here & Now on its own website; visitors to Time.com will be able to view one of the six segments of the documentary,...
Produced alongside Killer Films, Field Office Films, and production and distribution company Rampante, New Orleans, Here & Now contains six different short films centered on the lives of individuals living in the post-Katrina Louisiana city. For example, one of the documentary’s episodes will cover the story of an oyster farmer and his decades-long quest to build a boat, while another segment will show four high school seniors, who were only eight when Katrina hit, preparing for graduation.
Time will release New Orleans, Here & Now on its own website; visitors to Time.com will be able to view one of the six segments of the documentary,...
- 8/18/2015
- by Bree Brouwer
- Tubefilter.com
Read More: Rampante's Doc Series 'New Orleans, Here and Now' to Honor 10th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina New Orleans has always served as one of America's most culturally rich cities. After the tragedies of Hurricane Katrina, there was no real concerted effort to track and document the progress of rebuilding the infrastructure and political makeup of the Louisiana city, but "New Orleans, Here and Now" is about to change that. The docu-series, directed by John Maringouin, Darius Clark Monroe, Angela Tucker, Lily Keber, Zach Godshall and Katie Dellamaggiore, is a collection of short films that inspire reflection of the city's resurgence through gripping personal stories spanning multiple generations. From Tiffany Junot's path to becoming the World Boxing Council Welterweight Champion of the World to the musical talents of the Tbc Brass Band to the family history of a beloved Vietnamese restaurant, "New Orleans, Here & Now" offers a unique...
- 8/18/2015
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Read More: New Orleans Film Festival Locks Down Narrative and Documentary Competitions; Female Filmmakers Dominate Lineup New Orleans has always served as one of America's most culturally and historically rich cities. After the tragedies of Hurricane Katrina, there was no real concerted effort to track and document the progress, rebuilding and politics of the Louisiana city. As we approach the 10th anniversary of the natural disaster, however, Rampante's documentary series "New Orleans, Here and Now" will serve as a major contributor to this narrative. The docu-series is directed by John Maringouin. Darius Clark Monroe, Angela Tucker, Lily Keber, Zach Godshall and Katie Dellamaggiore. Christine Vachon, Patricia Clarkson, Scott Bakula and Pamela Koffler all serve as executive producers. The series will launch in August, marking the first release from the partnership between Time Inc. and Rampante. "Rampante's first series is a reflection of our commitment to...
- 7/15/2015
- by Sarah Choi
- Indiewire
In today.s edition of "New Hollywood Besties," we.ll be discussing the recent business ventures of mega-producer Scott Rudin and Seth Rogen, whose production companies . Scott Rudin Productions and Point Grey, respectively . are set up for three films to be co-produced and distributed by Sony Pictures and Eli Bush. That.s quite the lucrative partnership. One of the projects they.ll be focusing on is a feature adaptation of the acclaimed 2012 chess-centered documentary Brooklyn Castle, for which 50/50 director Jonathan Levine will be reteaming with that film.s screenwriter, Will Reiser. Get ready to experience the feels on an eight-by-eight gameboard. Katie Dellamaggiore directed the documentary, which followed a chess team from the Brooklyn junior high school I.S. 318 that were seemingly unbeatable. While part of the film focuses on the kids. extreme skills in what is commonly thought of as one of the brainiest board games out there, attention...
- 3/1/2014
- cinemablend.com
Jonathan Levine will direct a film version of Brooklyn Castle.
The 50/50 director has signed on to adapt Katie Dellamaggiore's acclaimed 2012 documentary for Sony Pictures, reports Deadline.
Brooklyn Castle centres around the young students of New York school I.S. 318.
Despite being located in a desperately impoverished neighbourhood, the institution has consistently delivered national chess champions.
Levine will also be reteaming with 50/50's Seth Rogen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt for a Christmas comedy film.
He is working on Street Dreams - a television series about the life of Nas - and Bad Romance with Channing Tatum.
Scott Rudin Productions' Scott Rudin and Eli Bush, and Point Grey's Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and James Weaver are producing the film, alongside two other projects.
These are Console Wars - which charts the rivalry between Nintendo and Sega in the 1990s - and a project from the Mail Order Comedy troupe.
Watch the...
The 50/50 director has signed on to adapt Katie Dellamaggiore's acclaimed 2012 documentary for Sony Pictures, reports Deadline.
Brooklyn Castle centres around the young students of New York school I.S. 318.
Despite being located in a desperately impoverished neighbourhood, the institution has consistently delivered national chess champions.
Levine will also be reteaming with 50/50's Seth Rogen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt for a Christmas comedy film.
He is working on Street Dreams - a television series about the life of Nas - and Bad Romance with Channing Tatum.
Scott Rudin Productions' Scott Rudin and Eli Bush, and Point Grey's Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and James Weaver are producing the film, alongside two other projects.
These are Console Wars - which charts the rivalry between Nintendo and Sega in the 1990s - and a project from the Mail Order Comedy troupe.
Watch the...
- 2/28/2014
- Digital Spy
Filmmakers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg have joined forces to produce an adaptation of the 2012 documentary "Brooklyn Castle" which Jonathan Levine is attached to direct.
The story centers on a team of dominant chess champions who hail from the inner-city Brooklyn school I.S. 318, as budget cuts threaten to take the team away from these students.
Will Reiser ("50/50") is writing the script based on Katie Dellamaggiore's doco. James Weaver, Scott Rudin and Eli Bush will also produce.
Source: Deadline...
The story centers on a team of dominant chess champions who hail from the inner-city Brooklyn school I.S. 318, as budget cuts threaten to take the team away from these students.
Will Reiser ("50/50") is writing the script based on Katie Dellamaggiore's doco. James Weaver, Scott Rudin and Eli Bush will also produce.
Source: Deadline...
- 2/28/2014
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Brooklyn Castle is being turned into a narrative feature, courtesy of Seth Rogen and his 50/50 team. His Point Grey has set up an adaptation of the junior high chess documentary at Sony, with 50/50 helmer Jonathan Levine and 50/50 scribe Will Reiser on board. Directed by Katie Dellamaggiore, the original film centered on the […]
The post ‘Brooklyn Castle’ Adaptation Coming From Seth Rogen appeared first on /Film.
The post ‘Brooklyn Castle’ Adaptation Coming From Seth Rogen appeared first on /Film.
- 2/27/2014
- by Angie Han
- Slash Film
Jonathan Levine is spending February lining up project after project. This summer, he's reteaming with his "50/50" stars Seth Rogen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt to shoot a Christmas comedy, he's got a TV series based on the life of Nas called "Street Dreams" cooking, and he's also in the mix to direct Marvel's "Doctor Strange." (And don't forget he's also got "Bad Romance" with Channing Tatum in there as well). And yet another project has crossed Levine's desk which he'll be taking on. Deadline reports that Levine will turn Katie Dellamaggiore's winning 2012 documentary "Brooklyn Castle" (our review) into a feature film. And it's not hard to see the cinema in the story. The doc follows a handful of kids of I.S. 318 in Brooklyn, who are part of one of the best chess programs in the country, with the school delivering championship after championship. It's the major silver lining for the students,...
- 2/27/2014
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Exclusive: Scott Rudin Productions’ Scott Rudin and Eli Bush and Point Grey’s Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and James Weaver have together set up a trio of feature collaborations. Two of the films are based on documentaries and will be made for Sony, where Rudin has his deal. All three will be produced by Rudin and Eli Bush along the the Point Grey trio. Sony Pictures has just set 50/50 writer Will Reiser and that film’s director Jonathan Levine to craft a feature from Brooklyn Castle, based on the Katie Dellamaggiore-directed docu about the trials and tribulations of the junior unbeatable champion chess team at I.S. 318. That’s an inner-city junior high school where more than 65% of students come from homes with incomes below the federal poverty level and where budget cuts threaten to derail its chessboard dominance. The docu won the Audience Award at SXSW, and it...
- 2/27/2014
- by MIKE FLEMING JR
- Deadline
Warm Bodies director Jonathan Levine is looking to team back up with his 50/50 screenwriter Will Reiser for a new film called Brooklyn Castle. The movie will be produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg.
It's based on a documentary directed by Katie Dellamaggiore about "the trials and tribulations of the junior unbeatable champion chess team at I.S. 318. That’s an inner-city junior high school where more than 65% of students come from homes with incomes below the federal poverty level and where budget cuts threaten to derail its chessboard dominance."
Levine is a talented young director, and this seems like a great project for him to develop. I enjoy these types of inspiring films. The doc won the Audience Award at SXSW last year, so it must be a great story.
Here's the description of the doc:
This movie tells the stories of five members of the chess team at...
It's based on a documentary directed by Katie Dellamaggiore about "the trials and tribulations of the junior unbeatable champion chess team at I.S. 318. That’s an inner-city junior high school where more than 65% of students come from homes with incomes below the federal poverty level and where budget cuts threaten to derail its chessboard dominance."
Levine is a talented young director, and this seems like a great project for him to develop. I enjoy these types of inspiring films. The doc won the Audience Award at SXSW last year, so it must be a great story.
Here's the description of the doc:
This movie tells the stories of five members of the chess team at...
- 2/27/2014
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
Team 50/50 clearly cannot get enough of working together. Earlier this month, we learned that director Jonathan Levine and stars Seth Rogen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt were planning a reunion for an untitled Christmas comedy. Levine and Rogen are also involved in another project, an adaptation of chess documentary Brooklyn Castle.The 50/50 connection doesn’t end there. Sony has that film’s writer, Will Reiser, set to write a film based on Katie Dellamaggiore’s documentary. Brooklyn Castle followed the trials and triumphs of the students from I.S. 318, an inner city junior high school in New York where more than 65 percent of the students comes from homes living below the U.S. government poverty level. Budget cuts constantly threaten the school’s chess programme and the kids must battle their own personal issues while perfecting their game.It’s all part of a trio of film collaborations between Rogen and Evan Goldberg...
- 2/27/2014
- EmpireOnline
Sony Pictures is developing a narrative take on director Katie Dellamaggiore's recent documentary Brooklyn Castle . Jonathan Levine ( Warm Bodies ) is planning to direct, re-teaming with 50/50 scribe Will Reiser and producers Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and James Weaver. The original film, released in 2012, is officially described as follows: Brooklyn Castle tells the stories of five members of the chess team at a below-the-poverty-line inner city junior high school that has won more national championships than any other in the country. The film follows the challenges these kids face in their personal lives as well as on the chessboard, and is as much about the sting of their losses as it is about the anticipation of their victories. Scott Rudin and Eli Bush are also...
- 2/27/2014
- Comingsoon.net
Sure, Sunday tends to be overcrowded with high-end TV, including "Boardwalk Empire," "Eastbound and Down," "Homeland," "Masters of Sex" and more, but what to watch the rest of the time? Every Monday, we bring you five noteworthy highlights from the other six days of the week. "Valentine Road": Television Premiere Monday, October 7th at 9pm on HBO Coming to HBO off of a premiere at Sundance earlier this year, Marta Cunningham's documentary looks at the murder of eighth grader Larry King by his classmate Brandon McInerney, unpacking a story of Lgbt discrimination, bullying and two kids coming from abusive backgrounds and meeting in tragedy. "Pov": "Brooklyn Castle" Monday, October 7th at 10pm on PBS Katie Dellamaggiore's quiet charmer of a doc about an inner city school's champ chess team comes to PBS this week. The film follows students from I.S. 138's program as they face national championships and budget cuts,...
- 10/7/2013
- by Alison Willmore
- Indiewire
Here is a collection of a dozen of the best documentaries I saw in 2012. It's not a "best of the year" list. Just some good memories of these films.
I will not burden you again with another complaint about lists. More than ever, I despise them because they shift focus away from a film and toward a list. When I recently caught up with "Django Unchained," for example, I gave it four stars. The comments section was overrun with readers asking if that meant it was now on my Top Ten list. One reader insisted on knowing which title it replaced. Although the piece was some 2,000 words long, another reader insisted he still wanted to see "my official review."
All I can do with any film is tell you that I've seen it, and what I thought about it. If it sounds interesting to you, it might be worth seeking out.
I will not burden you again with another complaint about lists. More than ever, I despise them because they shift focus away from a film and toward a list. When I recently caught up with "Django Unchained," for example, I gave it four stars. The comments section was overrun with readers asking if that meant it was now on my Top Ten list. One reader insisted on knowing which title it replaced. Although the piece was some 2,000 words long, another reader insisted he still wanted to see "my official review."
All I can do with any film is tell you that I've seen it, and what I thought about it. If it sounds interesting to you, it might be worth seeking out.
- 1/15/2013
- by Roger Ebert
- blogs.suntimes.com/ebert
Day seven of the 21st Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival already?!? There are still four days and hundreds of great films to go!
Sliff’s main venues are the the Hi-Pointe Theatre, Tivoli Theatre, Plaza Frontenac Cinema, Webster University’s Winifred Moore Auditorium, Washington University’s Brown Hall Auditorium and the Wildey Theatre in Edwardsville, Il
The entire schedule for the 21st Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival be found Here.
http://cinemastlouis.org/sliff-2012
Here is what will be screening at The 21st Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival today, Wednesday, November 14th
Booker’S Place
Booker’S Place plays at 7:15pm at the Tivoli Theatre
Booker Wright was an African-American restaurant owner who also served double-duty as a waiter in a whites-only restaurant in Mississippi in the 1960s. He became an unlikely activist for the civil-rights movement when he appeared on a 1965 network TV...
Sliff’s main venues are the the Hi-Pointe Theatre, Tivoli Theatre, Plaza Frontenac Cinema, Webster University’s Winifred Moore Auditorium, Washington University’s Brown Hall Auditorium and the Wildey Theatre in Edwardsville, Il
The entire schedule for the 21st Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival be found Here.
http://cinemastlouis.org/sliff-2012
Here is what will be screening at The 21st Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival today, Wednesday, November 14th
Booker’S Place
Booker’S Place plays at 7:15pm at the Tivoli Theatre
Booker Wright was an African-American restaurant owner who also served double-duty as a waiter in a whites-only restaurant in Mississippi in the 1960s. He became an unlikely activist for the civil-rights movement when he appeared on a 1965 network TV...
- 11/14/2012
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
"Brooklyn Castle," the acclaimed documentary revolving around how chess acts as an unlikely inspiration for an inner-city school, found a way to expand on the already positive word of mouth garnered following its October 19th release. Last night the film's director, Katie Dellamaggiore, and one of its stars, Pobo Efekoro, sat down on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" to discuss the film. The appearance of a relatively small documentary on ratings and popularity giant Stewart should go a long way to expanding interest in the film. "Brooklyn Castle," currently in theaters, holds a B+ average on Criticwire. The full interview with Dellamaggiore and Efekoro is below.
- 11/9/2012
- by Eric Mattina
- Indiewire
Chicago – One of the greatest casualties of America’s economic crisis is the extracurricular activities at high schools and middle schools. Whereas the primary subjects fill students’ heads with knowledge, after-school programs provide them with a place to apply it. It’s in the hours following the standard daily curriculum where much of the learning and growing takes place.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
That’s certainly true of the chess team at Brooklyn’s Intermediate School 318. Many of these students live below the poverty line, but their challenging circumstances haven’t prevented their intellects from soaring. Under the tutelage of teacher Elizabeth Spiegel and assistant principal John Galvin, these supremely gifted kids have garnered more championships than any other middle school in the country. At the ages of 11, 12 and 13, these students are routinely demolishing their competition, which includes players in high school.
Read Matt Fagerholm’s full review of “Brooklyn Castle” in our reviews section.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
That’s certainly true of the chess team at Brooklyn’s Intermediate School 318. Many of these students live below the poverty line, but their challenging circumstances haven’t prevented their intellects from soaring. Under the tutelage of teacher Elizabeth Spiegel and assistant principal John Galvin, these supremely gifted kids have garnered more championships than any other middle school in the country. At the ages of 11, 12 and 13, these students are routinely demolishing their competition, which includes players in high school.
Read Matt Fagerholm’s full review of “Brooklyn Castle” in our reviews section.
- 11/2/2012
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Title: Brooklyn Castle Director: Katie Dellamaggiore An Audience Award winner at this year’s SXSW Film Festival, documentary “Brooklyn Castle” is, in the mold of fellow nonfiction flicks of emotional uplift like “Spellbound,” “Jig” and “Make Believe: The Battle to Become the World’s Best Teen Magician,” a movie about kids reaching for dreams, and discovering the causal relationship between hard work and self-betterment. In this case it’s not spelling, dancing or sleight of hand that’s under the sub-cultural microscope, but instead chess, by way of an influential and successful after-school program at a New York City public school. A Brooklyn pilot school (meaning its students have to means-test into it) where more than two-thirds of the [ Read More ]
The post Brooklyn Castle Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Brooklyn Castle Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 10/30/2012
- by bsimon
- ShockYa
Editor’s note: With SXSW Audience Award winner Brooklyn Castle hitting limited release, here is a re-run of our festival review, originally published on March 15, 2012. Why do we like to watch documentaries? Most of us enjoy seeing an uplifting story, but so many of the documentaries I’ve seen at film festivals are about depressing subject matters. Yet, they usually share a common feeling of hope at the end – that things can change, tides can turn, and people can make a difference. Every good documentary sheds light on a subject that people may have zero familiarity with, but when they walk out of that theater, they’ll be aware and hopefully…hopeful. Brooklyn Castle is one of those movies. While it partially devolves into a harsh look at the current state of public education in New York City and around the country near the end, it’s a heartwarming look at the exact reason why we need...
- 10/20/2012
- by Kevin Kelly
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
This weekly column is intended to provide reviews of nearly every new indie release (and, in certain cases, studio films). Specific release dates and distributor information follow each review. Reviews This Week "Brooklyn Castle" "All Together" "Nobody Walks" "Paranormal Activity 4" "The Sessions" "Tai Chi Zero" *** "Brooklyn Castle" Brooklyn Castle doesn’t quite posit chess (like sports before it) as the way out for inner city youth, but Katie Dellamaggiore’s engaging documentary about the championship chess program at the eponymous borough’s I.S. 138, does suggest that pushing pawns can teach valuable skills and focus critical attention for impoverished teens. Fair enough, even if the film hews pretty closely to the ghetto school sports doc template. Unlike, such recent entries in that genre, though, such as the...
- 10/18/2012
- by Indiewire
- Indiewire
Dellamaggiore Makes Major Moves: Despite Budget Cuts, Young Chess Players Are Building An Empire
Inner city public schools are generally not known for their successful extracurricular programs, but I.S. 318, a small middle school in central Brooklyn, is a shining exception. The school is home to a massive chess team that has dominated on a national level for the past few years. Katie Dellamaggiore’s directorial debut documents the team as they struggle through a series of serious budget cuts, all the while still cultivating the best and the worst of the varied group of urban eggheads. With a brilliantly charismatic team of lead subjects that navigate this hopeful story of the possibilities of supportive public education, it’s easy to see why Brooklyn Castle won an audience award at SXSW this year. Built on structural finesse, and a winning story of triumphs both big and small, this is top...
Inner city public schools are generally not known for their successful extracurricular programs, but I.S. 318, a small middle school in central Brooklyn, is a shining exception. The school is home to a massive chess team that has dominated on a national level for the past few years. Katie Dellamaggiore’s directorial debut documents the team as they struggle through a series of serious budget cuts, all the while still cultivating the best and the worst of the varied group of urban eggheads. With a brilliantly charismatic team of lead subjects that navigate this hopeful story of the possibilities of supportive public education, it’s easy to see why Brooklyn Castle won an audience award at SXSW this year. Built on structural finesse, and a winning story of triumphs both big and small, this is top...
- 10/17/2012
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
It's hard to emphasize just how important after school programs are in keeping kids off the streets, being productive and in an environment where they can continue to learn, flourish and grow with their peers. And while for the most part these programs tend to put the focus on the arts and sports, at Broooklyn's I.S. 318, things are a bit different. Chess is king, the cool kids know their rooks from their pawns, and these young players are the driving force behind the upcoming documentary "Brooklyn Castle." Directed by Katie Dellamaggiore, the SXSW Audience Award-winning film tells the inspiring tale of the school, whose students -- 70% of whom live below the poverty line -- are part of a massively successful chess program that has seen them win more championships than any other school in the country. But their livelihood is threatened when budget cuts as a result of the...
- 10/3/2012
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
While Steve James took a look at the goal of basketball success amidst inner-city high school struggles in Hoop Dreams, director Katie Dellamaggiore dives into chess dreams in a similar environment with her documentary Brooklyn Castle. The film won the audience award at SXSW film festival (where we praised it) and it was quickly snatched up by Scott Rudin to develop a narrative [...]...
- 9/19/2012
- by Jack Cunliffe
- The Film Stage
Producers Distribution Agency ("Senna," "The Way" and "Exit Through The Gift Shop") will release "Brooklyn Castle," the SXSW documentary from Katie Dellamaggiore which won the doc audience award, on October 19, followed by an awards season expansion. Pda's John Sloss believes the film is "hugely playable and will resonate not only with those who are interested in the future of our country’s educational system, and the millions of chess players in the Us, but also the traditional documentary audience, and everyone who loves a great story, well told." Richard Abramowitz believes that "you don’t need to spend a lot of money on a massive advertising campaign to pique the interest of theatergoers," stating that the key ingredients are "finding a film that plays, and targeting the right audiences with the right kind of grassroots, word of mouth campaign.” The film also played at HotDocs...
- 7/19/2012
- by Sophia Savage
- Thompson on Hollywood
My Sunday at Dallas International Film Festival started almost identically to Saturday: Get up, have a reasonably healthy breakfast downstairs in the hotel, write and edit until time for the first movie. And like I did on Saturday, I headed to the Angelika for my first film, although I had to dress for surprisingly cool and rainy weather.
I wasn't entirely sure what I was seeing, though. The Dallas Iff schedule had a "Tba" listed at noon, and I couldn't find any info on what the movie was. So I thought I might check it out, and if it wasn't to my liking, I could go to the Brooklyn Castle screening, 15 minutes later. It turned out the Tba film had been canceled, a volunteer kindly let me know at the theater. (Note to Diff: That would be excellent info to post to your otherwise informative Twitter account, in the future.
I wasn't entirely sure what I was seeing, though. The Dallas Iff schedule had a "Tba" listed at noon, and I couldn't find any info on what the movie was. So I thought I might check it out, and if it wasn't to my liking, I could go to the Brooklyn Castle screening, 15 minutes later. It turned out the Tba film had been canceled, a volunteer kindly let me know at the theater. (Note to Diff: That would be excellent info to post to your otherwise informative Twitter account, in the future.
- 4/20/2012
- by Jette Kernion
- Slackerwood
Brooklyn Castle, Katie Dellamaggiore’s thoughtful first documentary, is an incredible story about an after-school program in New York City called “the Yankees of Chess.” With 20 titles since the ’90s, the moniker suits the scholastic chess team at I.S. 318, a “Title I” junior high school in a district well below the poverty line. Full-time chess instructor Elizabeth Vicary and assistant principal John Galvin chaperone students on cross-country trips while teaching them to “find their best move,” on the board and in life. It’s an inspirational example of empowerment, accompanied by the reality of recessionary budget cuts that target after-school programs.
The faculty and the filmmakers share a “children first” mentality in their approach. The eager young thinkers of I.S. 318 are the focus, and their accomplishments, development, and hopeful futures speak for themselves. We meet and cheer for kids like 13-year-old Rochelle, who is studying diligently to be...
The faculty and the filmmakers share a “children first” mentality in their approach. The eager young thinkers of I.S. 318 are the focus, and their accomplishments, development, and hopeful futures speak for themselves. We meet and cheer for kids like 13-year-old Rochelle, who is studying diligently to be...
- 3/27/2012
- by Jeff Leins
- newsinfilm.com
Is 318, a Brooklyn public school residing in an area with a 70% poverty rate, with a top ranked chess team is the subject of the uplifting doc Brooklyn Castle. Director Katie Dellamaggiore spent several years with the chess team when budgets for non-essential school activities (ie: arts and extracurricular activities) were slashed by $1.3 million, which means a reduction in funds to travel to chess events.
The students of Is 318 share essentially the same story as those briefly chronicled in Waiting for Superman and The Lottery – they hope to get into a good school, and that rides on either a lottery or a standardized test. I suppose a good school will provide the resources to continue their chess career, although there is a not-for-profit that hooks up several Is 318 students with chess-masters, Chess in Schools. Scenes of students discovering which school they got into, complete with intercut interviews of students and parents...
The students of Is 318 share essentially the same story as those briefly chronicled in Waiting for Superman and The Lottery – they hope to get into a good school, and that rides on either a lottery or a standardized test. I suppose a good school will provide the resources to continue their chess career, although there is a not-for-profit that hooks up several Is 318 students with chess-masters, Chess in Schools. Scenes of students discovering which school they got into, complete with intercut interviews of students and parents...
- 3/24/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
Several days after their perplexing decision to hand out jury awards only halfway through the festival, SXSW has now ended their 2012 film run with the audience side of things. This grouping already bestowed feature film plaudits upon Annie Eastman‘s documentary, Bay of All Saints, and Megan Griffiths‘ Eden back on Tuesday, but we now have the victors in Documentary Spotlight, Narrative Spotlight, Emerging Visions, Midnighters, 24 Beats Per Second, SXGlobal, and Festival Favorites.
The only one of this bunch that we managed to catch was Matthew Lillard‘s Fat Kid Rules the World — a film that, despite its positive buzz, was not in our favor — while the rest of the titles (discounting Citadel) are ones I don’t have much, if any familiarity with; I’ll certainly end up checking out some throughout the year, depending on the ensuing reviews. That might sound like disinterest to some, but in a...
The only one of this bunch that we managed to catch was Matthew Lillard‘s Fat Kid Rules the World — a film that, despite its positive buzz, was not in our favor — while the rest of the titles (discounting Citadel) are ones I don’t have much, if any familiarity with; I’ll certainly end up checking out some throughout the year, depending on the ensuing reviews. That might sound like disinterest to some, but in a...
- 3/18/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
SXSW 2012 is winding down and those little torn slips of paper have all been tabulated. We already told you about the Jury Prizes, now here are the Audience Awards. Coming Monday is one last prize for the Headliners.2012 SXSW Film Festival Audience Award Winners: Documentary SPOTLIGHTWinner: Brooklyn CastleDirector: Katie Dellamaggiore Narrative SPOTLIGHTWinner: Fat Kid Rules the WorldDirector: Matthew Lillard Emerging VISIONSWinner: Low & CLEARDirectors: Kahlil Hudson & Tyler Hughen MIDNIGHTERSWinner: CITADELDirector: Ciarán Foy John Jarzemsky's Review 24 Beats Per SECONDWinner: Under African SkiesDirector: Joe Berlinger Alex Koehne's Review SXGLOBALWinner: Her Master's VoiceDirector: Nina Conti...
- 3/17/2012
- Screen Anarchy
Some of the most important awards that are given out at a festival are its Audience Awards. Although they may not necessarily hold as much weight with film snobs worldwide, they at least let filmmakers know that the real film critics of the world, every day fans, are coming out and enjoying their films. Now I’m not sure why SXSW chooses to hold two separate awards shows, but nonetheless yesterday’s festival saw the announcement of the remaining Audience Award winning films (which just so happen to include my favorite ‘Citadel’). They are as follows:
Documentary Spotlight
Winner: Brooklyn Castle
Director: Katie Dellamaggiore
Narrative Spotlight
Winner: Fat Kid Rules the World
Director: Matthew Lillard (Yay!)
Emerging Visions
Winner: Low & Clear
Directors: Kahlil Hudson & Tyler Hughen
Midnighters
Winner: Citadel
Director: Ciarán Foy
24 Beats Per Second
Winner: Under African Skies
Director: Joe Berlinger
Sxglobal
Winner: Her Master’s Voice
Director: Nina Conti...
Documentary Spotlight
Winner: Brooklyn Castle
Director: Katie Dellamaggiore
Narrative Spotlight
Winner: Fat Kid Rules the World
Director: Matthew Lillard (Yay!)
Emerging Visions
Winner: Low & Clear
Directors: Kahlil Hudson & Tyler Hughen
Midnighters
Winner: Citadel
Director: Ciarán Foy
24 Beats Per Second
Winner: Under African Skies
Director: Joe Berlinger
Sxglobal
Winner: Her Master’s Voice
Director: Nina Conti...
- 3/17/2012
- by Ty Cooper
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The SXSW festival has already handed out some of its most prestigious awards — Bronx graffiti artist tale Gimme the Loot took home 2012′s coveted Grand Jury Prize — but today, the Austin, TX committee announced the recipients of a few more audience prizes. Check them out below:
Additional 2012 SXSW Film Festival Audience Award Winners:
Documentary Spotlight
Winner: Brooklyn Castle
Director: Katie Dellamaggiore
Narrative Spotlight
Winner: Fat Kid Rules the World
Director: Matthew Lillard
Emerging Visions
Winner: Low & Clear
Directors: Kahlil Hudson & Tyler Hughen
Midnighters
Winner: Citadel
Director: Ciarán Foy
24 Beats Per Second
Winner: Under African Skies
Director: Joe Berlinger
Sxglobal
Winner:...
Additional 2012 SXSW Film Festival Audience Award Winners:
Documentary Spotlight
Winner: Brooklyn Castle
Director: Katie Dellamaggiore
Narrative Spotlight
Winner: Fat Kid Rules the World
Director: Matthew Lillard
Emerging Visions
Winner: Low & Clear
Directors: Kahlil Hudson & Tyler Hughen
Midnighters
Winner: Citadel
Director: Ciarán Foy
24 Beats Per Second
Winner: Under African Skies
Director: Joe Berlinger
Sxglobal
Winner:...
- 3/17/2012
- by Grady Smith
- EW - Inside Movies
The 2012 SXSW Film Festival has announced seven additional audience prizes. SXSW announced its first round of awards at a ceremony held March 13. A final prize, the Headliner Audience Award, will follow on March 19. Documentary Spotlight Winner: Brooklyn Castle Director: Katie Dellamaggiore Narrative Spotlight Winner: Fat Kid Rules the World Director: Matthew Lillard Emerging Visions Winner: Low & Clear Directors: Kahlil Hudson & Tyler Hughen Midnighters Winner: Citadel Director: Ciarán Foy 24 Beats Per Second Winner: Under African Skies Director: Joe Berlinger Sxglobal Winner: Her Master’s Voice Director: Nina Conti Festival Favorites Winner: Chasing Ice Director: Jeff Orlowski...
- 3/17/2012
- by Indiewire
- Indiewire
Austin, Texas - On Monday at a SXSW screening here, director Katie Dellamaggiore announced that Sony Pictures and producer Scott Rudin purchased the remake rights to “Brooklyn Castle,” her documentary about a group of New York schoolkids that compete regularly in national chess tournaments. This of course is but the latest doc set to be remade by Hollywood, but it’s hard to imagine a fiction film doing justice to the complexity and utter humanness of Dellamaggiore’s version. The film uses school chess programs to evidence both the neglect legislators show towards education when time comes to cutting checks, and yet the...
- 3/15/2012
- by Todd Gilchrist
- Hitfix
.Crowd Pleaser. isn.t an official award at the South By Southwest film festival, which might be a good thing because picking a favorite this year would be damn near impossible. After its recent premiere, I.m sure 21 Jump Street would earn votes. So would Cabin in the Woods, which kicked off this year.s fest with a bang. And don't forget The Raid. But those are titles you already knew. Here.s one you haven.t heard of yet but will soon. Brooklyn Castle is the movie this year that is brought up in conversation and recommended the most (at least, in my limited experience). The winning documentary, directed by Katie Dellamaggiore, follows students at a cash-strapped public school who compete through the facility.s chess club. Their accomplishments have elevated the school.s stature, though the school.s future is currently being threatened by budget cuts. If you...
- 3/13/2012
- cinemablend.com
It seems producer Scott Rudin has had a thing for documentaries lately. Back in January at Sundance, the acclaimed, Oscar winning producer picked up the remake rights to the buzzed about video game documentary "Indie Game: The Movie," and now at SXSW, he's swooped in on another doc hoping to turn it into a big screen story.
Down in the rain of Austin, Rudin and Sony Pictures have snagged the remake rights to "Brooklyn Castle" from first time feature filmmaker Katie Dellamaggiore. The movie, which premiered last night and will screen this week as well, tells the story of I.S. 318, a school in Brooklyn where more than 65% of the student population come from a home below the poverty line. However, both the students and teacher have found tremendous success with their chess program, one that has made them one of the top tier junior high teams in the country.
Down in the rain of Austin, Rudin and Sony Pictures have snagged the remake rights to "Brooklyn Castle" from first time feature filmmaker Katie Dellamaggiore. The movie, which premiered last night and will screen this week as well, tells the story of I.S. 318, a school in Brooklyn where more than 65% of the student population come from a home below the poverty line. However, both the students and teacher have found tremendous success with their chess program, one that has made them one of the top tier junior high teams in the country.
- 3/12/2012
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Sony Pictures and producer Scott Rudin have partnered to acquire remake rights to the Spotlight documentary Brooklyn Castle at the SXSW Film Festival. The film had its world premiere Sunday, March 11. Director Katie Dellamaggiore announced the acquisition from the stage at the Q&A after the film’s second screening Monday. The film tracks an inner-city junior high school's champion chess team as it struggles through budget cuts and the recession. After the Sunday screening, the filmmakers held "Chess in the Square: The Brooklyn Castle Premiere Party & Chess Event."
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- 3/12/2012
- by Jay A. Fernandez
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sound On Sight will once again be covering the SXSW Film Festival this year, making it our second time attending. 130 feature films will screen at the Austin, Texas fest taking place March 9-17, including 65 World Premieres, 17 North American Premieres and 10 U.S. Premieres. As previously announced, Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon’s The Cabin in the Woods will have the honours of opening the festival, and now they have released the full list of films – and it’s looking pretty amazing. Enjoy!
Narrative Feature Competition
This year’s 8 films were selected from 1,112 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere. Films screening in Narrative Feature Competition are:
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin
When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted.
Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail (World Premiere)
Eden
Director: Megan Griffiths,...
Narrative Feature Competition
This year’s 8 films were selected from 1,112 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere. Films screening in Narrative Feature Competition are:
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin
When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted.
Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail (World Premiere)
Eden
Director: Megan Griffiths,...
- 2/3/2012
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Iggy Pop and Debbie Harry, shot by Bob Gruen in 1977
Rock 'N' Roll Exposed: The Photography of Bob Gruen
screens as part of 24 Beats per Second
SXSW Film has just announced its features lineup for the 2012 edition, running March 9 through 17. We already knew that the Opening Night Film would be Drew Goddard's The Cabin in the Woods. For its Closing Night Film, the festival will host the world premiere of of Emmett Malloy’s documentary Big Easy Express (more below). The lineup, with descriptions from the festival:
Narrative Feature Competition
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin. When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted. Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail. (World Premiere)
Eden
Director: Megan Griffiths, Screenwriters: Richard B. Phillips, Megan Griffiths, Story by: Richard B. Phillips & Chong Kim.
Rock 'N' Roll Exposed: The Photography of Bob Gruen
screens as part of 24 Beats per Second
SXSW Film has just announced its features lineup for the 2012 edition, running March 9 through 17. We already knew that the Opening Night Film would be Drew Goddard's The Cabin in the Woods. For its Closing Night Film, the festival will host the world premiere of of Emmett Malloy’s documentary Big Easy Express (more below). The lineup, with descriptions from the festival:
Narrative Feature Competition
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin. When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted. Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail. (World Premiere)
Eden
Director: Megan Griffiths, Screenwriters: Richard B. Phillips, Megan Griffiths, Story by: Richard B. Phillips & Chong Kim.
- 2/1/2012
- MUBI
With Sundance 2012 Film Festival over, the next big one on the horizon is South by Southwest, which we’ll be heavily covering. The biggest chunk of the line-up has been announced today, which has some great premieres including 21 Jump Street, Tiff and Sundance hit The Raid, Will Ferrell‘s Casa de mi Padre, the documentary Girl Model (which we liked at Tiff), as well as the next from Broken Lizard, The Babymakers. There are many other promising titles included and you can see them all below. Check back for our coverage for the fest, kicking off March 9th.
Narrative Feature Competition
This year’s 8 films were selected from 1,112 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere. Films screening in Narrative Feature Competition are:
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin
When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted.
Narrative Feature Competition
This year’s 8 films were selected from 1,112 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere. Films screening in Narrative Feature Competition are:
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin
When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted.
- 2/1/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
Attendees of South by Southwest 2012 are in for a treat. 130 feature films will screen at the Austin, Texas festival taking place March 9-17. Among them are 65 World Premieres, 17 North American Premieres and 10 U.S. Premieres. The organization already announced [1] Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon's The Cabin in the Woods would open the festival (the movie is phenomenal [2]) and today the majority of the remaining line up has been revealed. One of the highlights is the unbelievably smart and hilarious 21 Jump Street, directed by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller. Both of those are World Premieres. Other highlights include The Hunter, Killer Joe, The Babymakers, frankie goes boom, God Bless America, The Imposter, The Raid, Bernie and Casa de mi Padre just to name a few. After the jump, read descriptions of all the films that have been announced so far. Before I copy and paste the rest of the list, a few minor notes.
- 2/1/2012
- by Germain Lussier
- Slash Film
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