The Sudanese drama Goodbye Julia is continuing its impressive awards run, earning the Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature over the weekend at the Sonoma International Film Festival in California.
Mohamed Kordofani directed the story set in the context of the secessionist movement that led to the establishment of the independent nation of South Sudan in 2011.
“We commend the festival for its impressive selection of narrative features and unanimously select Goodbye Julia as the best film,” jurors wrote. “An outstanding first feature from Mohamed Kordofani, anchored by two stellar performances from Eiman Yousif and Siran Riak, Goodbye Julia provides a glimpse into a culture and region that’s underrepresented and underexplored in contemporary cinema.”
The jury, comprised of Rosa Bosch (Begin Again Films), Tyler Coates (The Hollywood Reporter), Rebecca Fisher (Magnolia Pictures), Jason Hellerstein (Sideshow), and Julie Huntsinger (Telluride Film Festival), awarded a Special Mention to Hesitation Wound, describing...
Mohamed Kordofani directed the story set in the context of the secessionist movement that led to the establishment of the independent nation of South Sudan in 2011.
“We commend the festival for its impressive selection of narrative features and unanimously select Goodbye Julia as the best film,” jurors wrote. “An outstanding first feature from Mohamed Kordofani, anchored by two stellar performances from Eiman Yousif and Siran Riak, Goodbye Julia provides a glimpse into a culture and region that’s underrepresented and underexplored in contemporary cinema.”
The jury, comprised of Rosa Bosch (Begin Again Films), Tyler Coates (The Hollywood Reporter), Rebecca Fisher (Magnolia Pictures), Jason Hellerstein (Sideshow), and Julie Huntsinger (Telluride Film Festival), awarded a Special Mention to Hesitation Wound, describing...
- 3/25/2024
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
The 27th Sonoma International Film Festival (March 20-24), as always, leaned into wine and food with the sold-out opening night U.S. premiere of Thomas Napper’s “Widow Clicquot” (Vertical Entertainment), starring Haley Bennett as the woman who saves the legendary winemaker’s legacy. The wine country film festival drew its highest audience attendance to date with a robust film slate programmed by artistic director Carl Spence (working with Executive Director Ginny Krieger), in his second year, including upcoming specialty fare like Luc Besson’s “DogMan” (Briarcliff Entertainment) starring Caleb Landry Jones in an incendiary performance, and Sony Pictures Classics’ raucous comedy “Wicked Little Letters,” starring Olivia Colman, along with a smattering of yummy wine and food events.
The five-day festival curated by Spence along with senior programmers Amanda Salazar and Ken Jacobson, showcased more than 100 films. Twenty-five countries were represented in this year’s lineup of 43 narrative features, 16 documentary features,...
The five-day festival curated by Spence along with senior programmers Amanda Salazar and Ken Jacobson, showcased more than 100 films. Twenty-five countries were represented in this year’s lineup of 43 narrative features, 16 documentary features,...
- 3/24/2024
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Pope Francis, Hillary Rodham Clinton and former Un chief Ban Ki-Moon will be honored at the upcoming Cinema for Peace gala in Berlin on February 19.
The long-running gala run by the Cinema for Peace Foundation will be accompanied by the inaugural World Forum on the Future Of Democracy, Tech and Humankind.
The latter event will run from February 18 to 19 at the Allianz Forum next to the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin with the aim of promoting the renewal of democracy and freedom at a time when both are under threat.
The Cinema for Peace Foundation was created in 2008 as an international non-profit organization with the goal to foster change through film. Over the years it has worked with a host of stars including Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and George Clooney.
Clinton and Ban will attend the February 19 gala in person while Pope Francis will be shown receiving his award in a recorded video.
The long-running gala run by the Cinema for Peace Foundation will be accompanied by the inaugural World Forum on the Future Of Democracy, Tech and Humankind.
The latter event will run from February 18 to 19 at the Allianz Forum next to the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin with the aim of promoting the renewal of democracy and freedom at a time when both are under threat.
The Cinema for Peace Foundation was created in 2008 as an international non-profit organization with the goal to foster change through film. Over the years it has worked with a host of stars including Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and George Clooney.
Clinton and Ban will attend the February 19 gala in person while Pope Francis will be shown receiving his award in a recorded video.
- 2/12/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Taiwan’s transformation from an authoritarian state to a flourishing democracy determined to decide its own future is charted in the engrossing and highly informative documentary “Invisible Nation.” Centered on President Tsai Ing-wen as she promotes her country’s case for ongoing autonomy in the face of mounting political isolation, as well as China’s claim that Taiwan is part of its territory and must unite with the mainland, Vanessa Hope’s skilfully assembled film delivers a compelling picture of Taiwan’s increasingly precarious position in the region and on the world stage.
Currently enjoying a substantial festival run, “Invisible Nation” has gained an extra note of urgency and its visibility should only increase in the wake of Taiwan’s elections on January 13, 2024. After becoming Taiwan’s first female president in 2016, Tsai will formally complete the two terms permitted under Taiwanese law on May 20. Voters have elected her Democratic Progressive...
Currently enjoying a substantial festival run, “Invisible Nation” has gained an extra note of urgency and its visibility should only increase in the wake of Taiwan’s elections on January 13, 2024. After becoming Taiwan’s first female president in 2016, Tsai will formally complete the two terms permitted under Taiwanese law on May 20. Voters have elected her Democratic Progressive...
- 1/21/2024
- by Richard Kuipers
- Variety Film + TV
Celebrating its 30th anniversary next month, the Slamdance Film Festival has announced the full lineup for its 2024 edition, unspooling in Park City and Salt Lake Utah from January 19 – 25. The selection consists of 32 features, of which 17 are World Premieres, 75 shorts, and five episodic series. Oscar-winning filmmaker Carol Dysinger’s One Bullet is the opening night film, and the closing is Vanessa Hope’s Invisible Nation. “Our 2024 Slamdance lineup is a testament to filmmakers who dare to push their stories to the very edge of filmmaking, making it deeply personal yet globally resonant,” said Festival Director […]
The post Slamdance 2024 Announces Its Full Lineup first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Slamdance 2024 Announces Its Full Lineup first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 12/5/2023
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Celebrating its 30th anniversary next month, the Slamdance Film Festival has announced the full lineup for its 2024 edition, unspooling in Park City and Salt Lake Utah from January 19 – 25. The selection consists of 32 features, of which 17 are World Premieres, 75 shorts, and five episodic series. Oscar-winning filmmaker Carol Dysinger’s One Bullet is the opening night film, and the closing is Vanessa Hope’s Invisible Nation. “Our 2024 Slamdance lineup is a testament to filmmakers who dare to push their stories to the very edge of filmmaking, making it deeply personal yet globally resonant,” said Festival Director […]
The post Slamdance 2024 Announces Its Full Lineup first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Slamdance 2024 Announces Its Full Lineup first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 12/5/2023
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
The 30th Slamdance Film Festival has announced its complete 2024 lineup, including 32 features, 75 shorts and five episodic titles. Slamdance will take place in-person at Yarrow Hotel in Park City and in Salt Lake City, Utah from Jan. 19-25, and online screenings will be offered on the Slamdance Channel from Jan. 22-28.
Oscar-winner Carol Dysinger’s documentary “One Bullet” will open the festival and Vanessa Hope’s “Invisible Nation” (pictured), which explores the political landscape of Taiwan, will close the festival on Jan. 25.
“Our 2024 Slamdance lineup is a testament to filmmakers who dare to push their stories to the very edge of filmmaking, making it deeply personal yet globally resonant,” said festival director Taylor Miller. “Their raw passion and risk-taking echo our commitment to exploring uncharted territories of cinematic expression. This year, we proudly host the most inclusive and accessible festival we’ve ever had, staying true to the core objectives I...
Oscar-winner Carol Dysinger’s documentary “One Bullet” will open the festival and Vanessa Hope’s “Invisible Nation” (pictured), which explores the political landscape of Taiwan, will close the festival on Jan. 25.
“Our 2024 Slamdance lineup is a testament to filmmakers who dare to push their stories to the very edge of filmmaking, making it deeply personal yet globally resonant,” said festival director Taylor Miller. “Their raw passion and risk-taking echo our commitment to exploring uncharted territories of cinematic expression. This year, we proudly host the most inclusive and accessible festival we’ve ever had, staying true to the core objectives I...
- 12/4/2023
- by Jaden Thompson
- Variety Film + TV
Festival runs January 19-25 in person, January 22-28 online.
Slamdance Film Festival has announced the roster for its upcoming 30th anniversary edition, which is bookended by Carol Dysinger’s previously announced post-Afghanistan War documentary One Bullet and Vanessa Hope’s IDFA closing night documentary Invisible Nation, a profile of Taiwanese first female president Tsai Ing-wen.
Running January 19-25 in person and January 22-28 online, this year’s event returns to Yarrow Hotel in Park City where the festival launched and will showcase 32 features, of which 17 are world premieres, as well as 75 shorts, and five episodics.
Festival organisers said this year...
Slamdance Film Festival has announced the roster for its upcoming 30th anniversary edition, which is bookended by Carol Dysinger’s previously announced post-Afghanistan War documentary One Bullet and Vanessa Hope’s IDFA closing night documentary Invisible Nation, a profile of Taiwanese first female president Tsai Ing-wen.
Running January 19-25 in person and January 22-28 online, this year’s event returns to Yarrow Hotel in Park City where the festival launched and will showcase 32 features, of which 17 are world premieres, as well as 75 shorts, and five episodics.
Festival organisers said this year...
- 12/4/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
As part of this year’s industry program at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), producer Ted Hope sat down with the festival’s artistic director Orwa Nyrabia for an in-depth conversation about his career in U.S. independent film, the future of the industry, and the ways in which filmmakers and audiences are “trained by major players to adapt and conform to a creative process that colors only between the lines.”
Hope, who is at IDFA to support Vanessa Hope’s “Invisible Nation,” has navigated the independent filmmaking scene since the late 80s. The executive has produced over 70 films including Todd Solondz’s “Happiness” and, most recently, Roger Ross William’s fiction debut, “Cassandro.” From 2014 to 2020, Hope headed Amazon’s Original Movies.
“I spent most of my life looking for a mentor or father figure and found virtually none, and as a result wanted to give people what I longed for,...
Hope, who is at IDFA to support Vanessa Hope’s “Invisible Nation,” has navigated the independent filmmaking scene since the late 80s. The executive has produced over 70 films including Todd Solondz’s “Happiness” and, most recently, Roger Ross William’s fiction debut, “Cassandro.” From 2014 to 2020, Hope headed Amazon’s Original Movies.
“I spent most of my life looking for a mentor or father figure and found virtually none, and as a result wanted to give people what I longed for,...
- 11/15/2023
- by Rafa Sales Ross
- Variety Film + TV
Though producer-director Vanessa Hope has spent her career zeroing in on China—from producing Wang Quanan’s The Story Of Ermei and Chantal Akerman’s Tombee De Nuit Sur Shanghai to directing her own short China In Three Words and feature-length debut All Eyes and Ears—Hope’s followup feature is nonetheless a bit of a surprise. An intimate portrait of Taiwan’s first female president Tsai Ing-wen, Invisible Nation weaves the tale of President Tsai’s contemporary rise with the (often buried) history of the long-colonized island itself. Through archival footage and in-depth interviews with activists, historians and, of course, the head of (a disputed) state, […]
The post “Understanding Taiwan on Its Own Terms”: Vanessa Hope on Invisible Nation first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “Understanding Taiwan on Its Own Terms”: Vanessa Hope on Invisible Nation first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 11/15/2023
- by Lauren Wissot
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Though producer-director Vanessa Hope has spent her career zeroing in on China—from producing Wang Quanan’s The Story Of Ermei and Chantal Akerman’s Tombee De Nuit Sur Shanghai to directing her own short China In Three Words and feature-length debut All Eyes and Ears—Hope’s followup feature is nonetheless a bit of a surprise. An intimate portrait of Taiwan’s first female president Tsai Ing-wen, Invisible Nation weaves the tale of President Tsai’s contemporary rise with the (often buried) history of the long-colonized island itself. Through archival footage and in-depth interviews with activists, historians and, of course, the head of (a disputed) state, […]
The post “Understanding Taiwan on Its Own Terms”: Vanessa Hope on Invisible Nation first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “Understanding Taiwan on Its Own Terms”: Vanessa Hope on Invisible Nation first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 11/15/2023
- by Lauren Wissot
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
It took director Vanessa Hope seven years to make the eye-opening doc “Invisible Nation,” for which she gained unprecedented access to Taiwan’s first female president, Tsai Ing-wen.
A longstanding expert on U.S. and China relations – which Hope first depicted in her 2015 debut doc “All Eyes and Ears” – Vanessa and her husband, producer Ted Hope, struggled with financing issues and the Covid-19 pandemic as they captured Tsai’s two consecutive terms, during which the president performed a delicate balancing act. She bolstered Taiwan’s right to sovereignty, forging closer collaboration with the U.S., while avoiding direct provocation of China amid rising worries about the country’s aggression.
Below, Vanessa and Ted Hope speak with Variety about the complexities of making “Invisible Nation” prior to its international premiere on Nov. 14 at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA).
Vanessa, you’ve been observing China for a long time. What...
A longstanding expert on U.S. and China relations – which Hope first depicted in her 2015 debut doc “All Eyes and Ears” – Vanessa and her husband, producer Ted Hope, struggled with financing issues and the Covid-19 pandemic as they captured Tsai’s two consecutive terms, during which the president performed a delicate balancing act. She bolstered Taiwan’s right to sovereignty, forging closer collaboration with the U.S., while avoiding direct provocation of China amid rising worries about the country’s aggression.
Below, Vanessa and Ted Hope speak with Variety about the complexities of making “Invisible Nation” prior to its international premiere on Nov. 14 at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA).
Vanessa, you’ve been observing China for a long time. What...
- 11/13/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Directed by D.W.Young, ’Uncropped’ rediscovers the work of a New York photographer billed as one of the great chroniclers of the cultural history of America
Vienna-based Autlook Filmsales has acquired world rights, excluding the US and Canada, for the feature-length documentary Uncropped, exec produced by Wes Anderson, in advance of the film receiving its world premiere as the Centerpiece presentation of the Doc NYC festival on November 11.
Directed by D.W. Young, whose credits includeThe Booksellers, the film rediscovers the work of James Hamilton, one of the great chroniclers of the cultural history of the US. Working as a...
Vienna-based Autlook Filmsales has acquired world rights, excluding the US and Canada, for the feature-length documentary Uncropped, exec produced by Wes Anderson, in advance of the film receiving its world premiere as the Centerpiece presentation of the Doc NYC festival on November 11.
Directed by D.W. Young, whose credits includeThe Booksellers, the film rediscovers the work of James Hamilton, one of the great chroniclers of the cultural history of the US. Working as a...
- 11/9/2023
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
Cord Jefferson’s comedy, “American Fiction,” has won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at the 2023 Middleburg Film Festival. Since winning the same prize at the Toronto International Film Festival, the film has been steadily rising in our combined Best Picture odds, where it’s currently in ninth place as a predicted nominee. Jefferson also received the award for Special Achievement in Filmmaking for his debut feature.
The top documentary prize went to Vanessa Hope‘s “Invisible Nation,” which follows the election and subsequent administration of Taiwan’s first female president, Dr. Tsai Ing-wen. The top award for international filmmaking went to the J.A. Bayona film “Society of the Snow,” about the 29 survivors Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, which crashed in the Andes in 1972, and the extreme measures they had to take to stay alive while they were trapped.
See ‘American Fiction’ trailer: Jeffrey Wright stars in Cord Jefferson’s acclaimed directorial debut [Watch]
The festival,...
The top documentary prize went to Vanessa Hope‘s “Invisible Nation,” which follows the election and subsequent administration of Taiwan’s first female president, Dr. Tsai Ing-wen. The top award for international filmmaking went to the J.A. Bayona film “Society of the Snow,” about the 29 survivors Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, which crashed in the Andes in 1972, and the extreme measures they had to take to stay alive while they were trapped.
See ‘American Fiction’ trailer: Jeffrey Wright stars in Cord Jefferson’s acclaimed directorial debut [Watch]
The festival,...
- 10/23/2023
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Cord Jefferson’s satirical comedy “American Fiction” has won the Audience Award for narrative film at the Middleburg Film Festival. Proving to be a true crowd-pleaser, it’s the third audience prize for the MGM title on the festival circuit following the Toronto and Mill Valley Film Festivals (at the latter it tied with “Rustin”).
Based on the novel “Erasure” by Percival Everett, the film follows author Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (Jeffrey Wright), a frustrated novelist who is fed up with the establishment profiting from “Black” entertainment that relies on tired and offensive tropes. The film also stars Sterling K. Brown, Erika Alexander, Issa Rae, Tracee Ellis Ross, Leslie Uggams and John Ortiz.
With SAG-AFTRA still on strike, it’s been writer, director and producer Jefferson doing the promotional and festival rounds for the movie, with the Oscar buzz continuing to grow in these early days of the season.
Now in its 11th year,...
Based on the novel “Erasure” by Percival Everett, the film follows author Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (Jeffrey Wright), a frustrated novelist who is fed up with the establishment profiting from “Black” entertainment that relies on tired and offensive tropes. The film also stars Sterling K. Brown, Erika Alexander, Issa Rae, Tracee Ellis Ross, Leslie Uggams and John Ortiz.
With SAG-AFTRA still on strike, it’s been writer, director and producer Jefferson doing the promotional and festival rounds for the movie, with the Oscar buzz continuing to grow in these early days of the season.
Now in its 11th year,...
- 10/23/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Sixty-six titles have been added to the program for the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) as the event unveils the Luminous and Frontlight sections, in addition to titles for live cinema section IDFA on Stage, experimental art section Paradocs and queer cinema section Contagious & Queer. IDFA’s 36th edition runs Nov. 8 to 19.
Luminous, which presents a wide range of styles and formalist approaches, from observational to personal to experimental, has 23 titles, of which 22 are world or international premieres.
Several films tell powerful feminist stories. Through vivid recollections and a wealth of archival footage, “Helke Sander: Cleaning House” by Claudia Richarz invites audiences to revisit the filmmaker and feminist’s work and activism. “Atirkül in the Land of Real Men” by Janyl Jusupjan tells the story of age-old Central Asian traditions and one Kyrgyz woman’s determined defiance, as she resists the roles laid out for her and follows the call of the wild.
Luminous, which presents a wide range of styles and formalist approaches, from observational to personal to experimental, has 23 titles, of which 22 are world or international premieres.
Several films tell powerful feminist stories. Through vivid recollections and a wealth of archival footage, “Helke Sander: Cleaning House” by Claudia Richarz invites audiences to revisit the filmmaker and feminist’s work and activism. “Atirkül in the Land of Real Men” by Janyl Jusupjan tells the story of age-old Central Asian traditions and one Kyrgyz woman’s determined defiance, as she resists the roles laid out for her and follows the call of the wild.
- 10/10/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Also programmes IDFA on Stage events, plus Paradocs and queer programme.
International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) has selected 35 feature films across its Luminous and Frontlight sections, including new films from Albania, South Africa and Panama.
The Luminous section includes non-fiction titles with a range of styles and formalistic approaches, and consists of 23 films, 22 of which are world or international premieres and 20 of which are features.
Titles include Zikethiwe Ngcobo and Chloe White’s South Africa-uk co-production 1001 Days, about the young mothers struggling to raise their children amid unemployment, poverty, disease and domestic violence in Johannesburg. The film, with Zulu and English-language dialogue,...
International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) has selected 35 feature films across its Luminous and Frontlight sections, including new films from Albania, South Africa and Panama.
The Luminous section includes non-fiction titles with a range of styles and formalistic approaches, and consists of 23 films, 22 of which are world or international premieres and 20 of which are features.
Titles include Zikethiwe Ngcobo and Chloe White’s South Africa-uk co-production 1001 Days, about the young mothers struggling to raise their children amid unemployment, poverty, disease and domestic violence in Johannesburg. The film, with Zulu and English-language dialogue,...
- 10/10/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
There’s something inherently seductive about the glitz and glamour of Old Hollywood. Perhaps it’s the backstage intrigue and the tawdry tales of showbusiness hedonism that draws us in again and again. Or maybe it’s the romanticized image of smokey rooms, silken gowns and stylish fedoras that we find so endlessly alluring. For many, however, it’s the larger-than-life figures from silver screen history that remain irresistible decades later.
Whatever the reason, films, books and television shows about Hollywood’s Golden Age continue to captivate new generations year after year. Look no further than Oscar-winners like “The Artist,” bestsellers like Shawn Levy’s “The Castle on Sunset,” acclaimed documentaries like “Tab Hunter Confidential,” and a host of recent TV series from Ryan Murphy if you have any doubt. Each of these attempt, in some way, to simultaneously celebrate the era while pulling back the curtain on the studio system.
Whatever the reason, films, books and television shows about Hollywood’s Golden Age continue to captivate new generations year after year. Look no further than Oscar-winners like “The Artist,” bestsellers like Shawn Levy’s “The Castle on Sunset,” acclaimed documentaries like “Tab Hunter Confidential,” and a host of recent TV series from Ryan Murphy if you have any doubt. Each of these attempt, in some way, to simultaneously celebrate the era while pulling back the curtain on the studio system.
- 11/16/2021
- by Matthew Chernov
- Variety Film + TV
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSChameleon StreetThe New York Film Festival has announced an excellent selection for its Revivals section. The roster includes restorations of Mira Nair's Mississippi Masala, John Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13, Sarah Maldoror's Sambizanga, Wendell B. Harris Jr.'s Chameleon Street, and Michael Powell's Bluebeard's Castle. The 2021 Locarno Film Festival has come to an end, with Indonesian filmmaker Edwin's Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash winning the Golden Leopard. For a full list of this year's award winners, read here. Recommended VIEWINGAhead of premiere, a trailer for the latest Spike Lee joint: the four-part documentary series NYC Epicenters: 9/11 → 2021 ½. The series, which captures twenty years of New York City history from the perspective of its citizens, will premiere on HBO Max August 22. Cinema Guild has released a trailer for Matías Piñeiro's Isabella.
- 8/18/2021
- MUBI
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSAbove: The Souvenir Part II. (Courtesy of A24)NYFF has announced its full main slate, which includes Paul Verhoeven's Benedetta, Joanna Hogg's The Souvenir Part II, Julia Ducournau's Titane, Apichatpong Weerasethakul's Memoria, and more. A long-gestating epistolary documentary that consists of a dialogue between Jean-Luc Godard and Iranian filmmaker and intellectual Ebrahim Golestan is set to premiere on the international festival circuit. The project consisted of Golestan sending emails with text and no visuals to Godard, who would respond with visuals and aphorisms. Mel Brooks' memoir, My Remarkable Life in Show Business, will be released November 30. The book is said to follow the "peaks and valleys" of Brooks' storied life beginning with his childhood, retold with his signature irreverent humor. Recommended VIEWINGThe official trailer for Andreas Fontana's riveting political thriller Azor,...
- 8/11/2021
- MUBI
The story of Hollywood producer Walter Wanger and his wife, actress Joan Bennett, who pioneered film noir before being embroiled in a bloody scandal is being explored in a new narrative podcast series.
Jon Hamm and Zooey Deschanel are starring in Love is a Crime, which comes from You Must Remember This creator Karina Longworth, filmmaker Vanessa Hope, the granddaughter of Wanger and Bennett, and Vanity Fair.
The series will tell the story of how, in 1951, Wanger, who produced films including 1963’s Cleopatra, shot agent Jennings Lang, whom he suspected was having an affair with Bennett, but it was Bennett who paid a public price for her husband’s offense.
Longworth and Hope will co-host the podcast and share the inside story of the pair’s professional partnership and fallout.
Zooey Deschanel will play the role of Joan Bennett, Jon Hamm will portray Walter Wanger, and Griffin Dunne will play Jennings Lang.
Jon Hamm and Zooey Deschanel are starring in Love is a Crime, which comes from You Must Remember This creator Karina Longworth, filmmaker Vanessa Hope, the granddaughter of Wanger and Bennett, and Vanity Fair.
The series will tell the story of how, in 1951, Wanger, who produced films including 1963’s Cleopatra, shot agent Jennings Lang, whom he suspected was having an affair with Bennett, but it was Bennett who paid a public price for her husband’s offense.
Longworth and Hope will co-host the podcast and share the inside story of the pair’s professional partnership and fallout.
Zooey Deschanel will play the role of Joan Bennett, Jon Hamm will portray Walter Wanger, and Griffin Dunne will play Jennings Lang.
- 8/10/2021
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Sony Pictures Classics has taken worldwide rights to the documentary film Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America, directed by Emily Kunstler & Sarah Kunstler and written by Jeffery Robinson. The movie won the Documentary Spotlight Audience Award at SXSW this year.
The distributor plans an awards-qualifying run for this year with a theatrical release on January 14, 2022, and expand throughout the month of February, Black History Month.
The documentary interweaves lecture, personal anecdotes, interviews and shocking revelations as criminal defense/civil rights lawyer Robinson draws a stark timeline of anti-Black racism in the U.S. from slavery to the modern myth of a post-racial America.
Who We Are is produced by Robinson, Emily and Sarah Kunstler, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Andrea Crabtree, Vanessa Hope, Susan Korda, Katharine Nephew and Jayashri Wyatt, and executive produced by Ted Hope.
“Who We Are opens our eyes to our history as a nation and people...
The distributor plans an awards-qualifying run for this year with a theatrical release on January 14, 2022, and expand throughout the month of February, Black History Month.
The documentary interweaves lecture, personal anecdotes, interviews and shocking revelations as criminal defense/civil rights lawyer Robinson draws a stark timeline of anti-Black racism in the U.S. from slavery to the modern myth of a post-racial America.
Who We Are is produced by Robinson, Emily and Sarah Kunstler, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Andrea Crabtree, Vanessa Hope, Susan Korda, Katharine Nephew and Jayashri Wyatt, and executive produced by Ted Hope.
“Who We Are opens our eyes to our history as a nation and people...
- 6/25/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Sony Pictures Classics has acquired the worldwide rights to the documentary “Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America,” which won an audience award following this year’s SXSW Film Festival.
Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler directed the documentary film that was written by Jeffery Robinson. SPC plans to release the movie on January 14, 2022 and throughout Black History Month in February, all following an awards qualifying run later this year.
“Who We Are” follows civil rights and criminal defense lawyer Jeffery Robinson as he works to draw a timeline of anti-Black racism in the U.S. dating back to slavery up until today and the “modern myth of a post-racial America.” The film uses lectures, personal anecdotes, interviews and other shocking revelations to tell America’s racial history.
“Who We Are” is produced by Robinson, Emily and Sarah Kunstler, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Andrea Crabtree, Vanessa Hope, Susan Korda, Katharine Nephew...
Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler directed the documentary film that was written by Jeffery Robinson. SPC plans to release the movie on January 14, 2022 and throughout Black History Month in February, all following an awards qualifying run later this year.
“Who We Are” follows civil rights and criminal defense lawyer Jeffery Robinson as he works to draw a timeline of anti-Black racism in the U.S. dating back to slavery up until today and the “modern myth of a post-racial America.” The film uses lectures, personal anecdotes, interviews and other shocking revelations to tell America’s racial history.
“Who We Are” is produced by Robinson, Emily and Sarah Kunstler, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Andrea Crabtree, Vanessa Hope, Susan Korda, Katharine Nephew...
- 6/25/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Following awards qualifying run, film will open on January 14, 2022, and expand through Black History Month.
Sony Pictures Classics has acquired worldwide rights to Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler’s SXSW audience award winner Who We Are – A Chronicle Of Racism In America.
Following an awards qualifying run, the documentary will open on January 14, 2022, and expand through February during Black History Month.
Who We Are combines lecture, personal anecdotes, interviews and revelations as criminal defence and civil rights lawyer Jeffery Robinson draws a stark timeline of anti-Black racism in the United States from slavery to the notion of a post-racial America.
Sony Pictures Classics has acquired worldwide rights to Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler’s SXSW audience award winner Who We Are – A Chronicle Of Racism In America.
Following an awards qualifying run, the documentary will open on January 14, 2022, and expand through February during Black History Month.
Who We Are combines lecture, personal anecdotes, interviews and revelations as criminal defence and civil rights lawyer Jeffery Robinson draws a stark timeline of anti-Black racism in the United States from slavery to the notion of a post-racial America.
- 6/25/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Ted Hope, the producer and former co-head of Amazon Movies, is joining the faculty of Asu’s Thunderbird School of Global Management. He will help lead an innovative new Los Angeles-based graduate program—namely, the Master of Arts in in Global Affairs and Management in the Creative Industries.
Launching this fall at the Herald Examiner building in downtown L.A., the program is tailored to those pursuing global leadership and management careers within film, television, new media, music, VR/Xr/Mr, gaming, design, dance, fashion, theater, sports, themed entertainment and the arts. It has been crafted via collaboration between Thunderbird and two other Asu colleges, The Sidney Poitier New American Film School and The Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts.
As a professor of practice, Hope will impart wisdom gleaned from his 30-plus years of entertainment experience, sharing his knowledge of everything from development and production to executive stewardship,...
Launching this fall at the Herald Examiner building in downtown L.A., the program is tailored to those pursuing global leadership and management careers within film, television, new media, music, VR/Xr/Mr, gaming, design, dance, fashion, theater, sports, themed entertainment and the arts. It has been crafted via collaboration between Thunderbird and two other Asu colleges, The Sidney Poitier New American Film School and The Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts.
As a professor of practice, Hope will impart wisdom gleaned from his 30-plus years of entertainment experience, sharing his knowledge of everything from development and production to executive stewardship,...
- 3/22/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Hollywood has been in full party mode ahead of Sunday’s awards-season finale at the Oscars. Here’s a look at tonight’s lineup of festivities from viewing parties to the post-show Governors Ball at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland, and what’s come before it.
Sunday, February 9
92nd Annual Academy Awards
5 Pm
Location: Dolby Theater at Hollywood & Highland Center, Los Angeles
Vanity Fair Oscars Academy Awards Party 2020
After Oscars ceremony
Location: Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Beverly Hills
The Governors Ball
After Oscars ceremony
Location: Ray Dolby Ballroom, Hollywood & Highland
Guests expected: Oscar winners and nominees, show presenters and other telecast participants
Elton John AIDS Foundation’s 28th Annual Academy Awards Viewing Party
3:30 Pm
Location: The City of West Hollywood Park
Benefits the Elton John AIDS Foundation
The 28th annual gala will be hosted by Netflix’s Queer Eye‘s Jonathan Van Ness, Tan France,...
Sunday, February 9
92nd Annual Academy Awards
5 Pm
Location: Dolby Theater at Hollywood & Highland Center, Los Angeles
Vanity Fair Oscars Academy Awards Party 2020
After Oscars ceremony
Location: Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Beverly Hills
The Governors Ball
After Oscars ceremony
Location: Ray Dolby Ballroom, Hollywood & Highland
Guests expected: Oscar winners and nominees, show presenters and other telecast participants
Elton John AIDS Foundation’s 28th Annual Academy Awards Viewing Party
3:30 Pm
Location: The City of West Hollywood Park
Benefits the Elton John AIDS Foundation
The 28th annual gala will be hosted by Netflix’s Queer Eye‘s Jonathan Van Ness, Tan France,...
- 2/9/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
He was one of the most flamboyant figures in Hollywood, a man-about-town, womanizer and famed producer whose pictures included 1939’s Stagecoach and 1940’s Foreign Correspondent. But by the early 1950s, Walter Wanger’s career was on the skids. A guy who liked to live as large as his films, he’d declared bankruptcy and was now trying to get into television — while being dogged by creditors who didn’t believe the bankruptcy was real. "Walter was in his worst position ever," says granddaughter and filmmaker Vanessa Hope.
“For two years things had been getting worse and ...
“For two years things had been getting worse and ...
- 11/18/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
He was one of the most flamboyant figures in Hollywood, a man-about-town, womanizer and famed producer whose pictures included 1939’s Stagecoach and 1940’s Foreign Correspondent. But by the early 1950s, Walter Wanger’s career was on the skids. A guy who liked to live as large as his films, he’d declared bankruptcy and was now trying to get into television — while being dogged by creditors who didn’t believe the bankruptcy was real. "Walter was in his worst position ever," says granddaughter and filmmaker Vanessa Hope.
“For two years things had been getting worse and ...
“For two years things had been getting worse and ...
- 11/18/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Documentarian Vanessa Hope’s first full-length feature focuses on the complex relationship between the United States and China, effectively combining both very personal stories and a broader look at international relations in general.
“All Eyes and Ears” combines stories involving the U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman, his adopted Chinese daughter Gracie Mei, and blind legal advocate Chen Guangcheng, to create a smart (and very timely) exploration into a relationship between super powers that has always come with its own complications. The film debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival last year.
Read More: Stephen Colbert: Trump and Obama’s Meeting Was Awkward ‘Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner’ Remake — Watch
The film follows Huntsman and his family during his tenure as ambassador (2009 – 2011, a tenure he ended so that he could in the 2012 presidential race) while also following Chen Guangcheng’s journey from being under house arrest to his...
“All Eyes and Ears” combines stories involving the U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman, his adopted Chinese daughter Gracie Mei, and blind legal advocate Chen Guangcheng, to create a smart (and very timely) exploration into a relationship between super powers that has always come with its own complications. The film debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival last year.
Read More: Stephen Colbert: Trump and Obama’s Meeting Was Awkward ‘Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner’ Remake — Watch
The film follows Huntsman and his family during his tenure as ambassador (2009 – 2011, a tenure he ended so that he could in the 2012 presidential race) while also following Chen Guangcheng’s journey from being under house arrest to his...
- 12/2/2016
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
The Bahamas International Film Festival has announced their lineup and competition programs for their 12th year, which will run from December 1-12. More than 130 films are represented in the lineup, which includes competition categories for Spirit of Freedom: Narrative, Spirit of Freedom: Documentary, New Visions, Carribean Spotlight Narrative, Carribean Spotlight Documentary, Comedy and non-Jury Short Films. Read More: Vanessa Hope's 'All Eyes and Ears' Examines U.S.-China Relations Below is the list of films. Spirit Of Freedom (Narrative) "Eadward" (Canada) / Director: Kyle Rideout "Showing Roots" (USA) / Director: Michael Wilson "Sin and Illy" (Germany) / Director: Maria Hengge "The Sleeping Tree" (Bahrain) / Director: Mohammed Rashed BuAli "UnIndian" (Australia) Director: Anupam SHarma "Wildlike" (USA) / Director: Frank Hall Green Spirit Of Freedom (Documentary) "All Eyes All Ears"...
- 10/26/2015
- by Wil Barlow
- Indiewire
A hot-blooded debate broke out at IMDb founder Col Needham’s annual dinner at the Toronto Film Festival this week as Col’s favorite table game — name the most important film you haven’t seen — got commandeered by concern over the lack of women filmmakers at the festival and everywhere else. Those of us at the table — including filmmaker Vanessa Hope and her husband, Ted, the indie veteran who runs Amazon’s original films division; Motion Picture Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs; BAFTA New York’s new CEO Julie La’Bassiere; and Chaz Ebert, among others — tried to put together a list.
- 9/16/2015
- by Sharon Waxman
- The Wrap
Here's your daily dose of an indie film in progress -- at the end of the week, you'll have the chance to vote for your favorite. In the meantime: Is this a movie you’d want to see? Tell us in the comments. All Eyes and Ears Logline: Ambassador Jon Huntsman, his adopted Chinese daughter Gracie and blind legal activist Chen Guangcheng star in this doc on U.S.-China relations. Elevator Pitch: "A deeply human examination of relations between the U.S. and China, Vanessa Hope’s feature documentary debut follows three key figures: U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman, as he struggles to maintain diplomacy amid international tensions over security and economic expansion; his adopted Chinese-American daughter Gracie, as she fosters a newfound appreciation for her bicultural heritage; and blind Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng, as he seeks asylum in the U.S. Through their individual and often-interlocking stories,...
- 5/19/2015
- by Indiewire
- Indiewire
Andrew Renzi‘s directorial debut about a third wheel starring Richard Gere, Dakota Fanning and Theo James, Reed Morano‘s relationship testing drama featuring Olivia Wilde and Luke Wilson, Onur Tukel‘s secret unleashed on the airwaves and Gregory Kohn‘s hallucinatory tale with Eléonore Hendricks topling are part of the American independent offerings at the 14th Tribeca Film Festival. Renzi’s Franny and Morano’s Meadowland will be competing in the dozen selected in the World Narrative Competition while Tukel’s Applesauce and Kohn’s Come Down Molly are among the in the Viewpoints sidebar. Here are the selected titles below sans synopsis.
World Narrative Feature Competition (12)
The Adderall Diaries, directed and written by Pamela Romanowsky. (USA) – World Premiere.
Bridgend, directed by Jeppe Rønde, co-written by Jeppe Rønde, Torben Bech, and Peter Asmussen. (Denmark) – North American Premiere.
Dixieland, directed and written by Hank Bedford. (USA) – World Premiere
Franny, directed and written by Andrew Renzi.
World Narrative Feature Competition (12)
The Adderall Diaries, directed and written by Pamela Romanowsky. (USA) – World Premiere.
Bridgend, directed by Jeppe Rønde, co-written by Jeppe Rønde, Torben Bech, and Peter Asmussen. (Denmark) – North American Premiere.
Dixieland, directed and written by Hank Bedford. (USA) – World Premiere
Franny, directed and written by Andrew Renzi.
- 3/3/2015
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Top brass at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival (Tff) presented by At&T have announced the World Narrative and Documentary Competition and Viewpoints selections.
Organisers also said that At&T’s Film For All Friday will return with free screenings on April 24. The festival is set to run in New York City from April 15-26 and the festival hub is Spring Studios.
Tuesday’s announcement covers 51 films out of a total 97 features at the upcoming 14th edition. As previously announced, Tribeca will open with the documentary Live From New York!
The line-up includes world premieres of Andrew Renzi’s Franny starring Richard Gere, Pamela Romanowsky’s The Adderall Diaries with James Franco, Amber Heard, Ed Harris and Cynthia Nixon and documentaries In My Father’s House by Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg and In Transit from Albert Maysles and four co-directors.
Thirty of the festival’s feature film directors are women –the highest percentage in Tribeca history. Nine of...
Organisers also said that At&T’s Film For All Friday will return with free screenings on April 24. The festival is set to run in New York City from April 15-26 and the festival hub is Spring Studios.
Tuesday’s announcement covers 51 films out of a total 97 features at the upcoming 14th edition. As previously announced, Tribeca will open with the documentary Live From New York!
The line-up includes world premieres of Andrew Renzi’s Franny starring Richard Gere, Pamela Romanowsky’s The Adderall Diaries with James Franco, Amber Heard, Ed Harris and Cynthia Nixon and documentaries In My Father’s House by Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg and In Transit from Albert Maysles and four co-directors.
Thirty of the festival’s feature film directors are women –the highest percentage in Tribeca history. Nine of...
- 3/3/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Now that the busy winter fest schedule of Sundance, Rotterdam and the Berlinale has concluded, we’ve now got our eyes on the likes of True/False and SXSW. While, True/False does not specialize in attention grabbing world premieres, it does provide a late winter haven for cream of the crop non-fiction fare from all the previously mentioned fests and a selection of overlooked genre blending films presented in a down home setting. This year will mark my first trip to the Columbia, Missouri based fest, where I hope to catch a little of everything, from their hush-hush secret screenings, to selections from their Neither/Nor series, this year featuring chimeric Polish cinema of decades past, to a spotlight of Adam Curtis’s incisive oeuvre. But truth be told, it is SXSW, with its slew of high profile world premieres being announced, such as Alex Gibney’s Steve Jobs...
- 2/27/2015
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
Whether you are a filmmaker, or one of the Sundance programmers whose task it is to identify the films that make up a line-up, it is indeed the most wonderful, panic-filled and nerve racking time of the year. The 31st edition of the Sundance Film Festival kicks off on January 22nd with Park City and Salt Lake City playing host to some of the more innovative, thought-provoking narrative and non-fiction films of 2015. Last year, a Jenga tall order of 4,057 features and 8,161 shorts were submitted. Now let’s think about those numbers for a second.
Twenty years ago, Terry Zwigoff’s Crumb claimed the Grand Jury Prize Documentary award, Living in Oblivion‘s Tom Dicillo was honored with the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award, and Edward Burns’ micro-budgeted The Brothers McMullen (there is a read-worthy, lively, eleventh hour account on how it was submitted to the fest in Ted Hope’s “Hope...
Twenty years ago, Terry Zwigoff’s Crumb claimed the Grand Jury Prize Documentary award, Living in Oblivion‘s Tom Dicillo was honored with the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award, and Edward Burns’ micro-budgeted The Brothers McMullen (there is a read-worthy, lively, eleventh hour account on how it was submitted to the fest in Ted Hope’s “Hope...
- 11/17/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
By Raven Patton
The Austin Film Society was honored late last year by the visit of Ted Hope, who was there to discuss an important matter concerning the creation of a sustainable film community. Ted Hope is an award winning film producer who has had widespread success with several production companies including Good Machine, which went on to become Focus Features, one of the most forward thinking production companies around, and his most recent production company, Double Hope, that he founded with his wife Vanessa Hope. Hope is also the executive director of the San Francisco Film Society.
What exactly does it mean to create a sustainable film community and why is it so important? According to Hope, we are a society that is oversaturated and distracted. At the dawn of the film industry, movies were scarce and controlled. Hope, a self-proclaimed chronic listmaker, says he made a list of...
The Austin Film Society was honored late last year by the visit of Ted Hope, who was there to discuss an important matter concerning the creation of a sustainable film community. Ted Hope is an award winning film producer who has had widespread success with several production companies including Good Machine, which went on to become Focus Features, one of the most forward thinking production companies around, and his most recent production company, Double Hope, that he founded with his wife Vanessa Hope. Hope is also the executive director of the San Francisco Film Society.
What exactly does it mean to create a sustainable film community and why is it so important? According to Hope, we are a society that is oversaturated and distracted. At the dawn of the film industry, movies were scarce and controlled. Hope, a self-proclaimed chronic listmaker, says he made a list of...
- 1/9/2013
- by Contributors
- Slackerwood
On Friday night the Ifp and 7 For All Mankind put the spotlight on seven talents that soon will get your attention. Nestled in the Tr Suites in Park City, the 7 Fresh Faces In Film party rocked late into the night. Attendees included industry vets like producers Ted Hope, Vanessa Hope, and Jamie Patricof; Visit Films topper Ryan Kampe; Slated’s Duncan Cork; new media expert and consultant Brian Newman; filmmaker and distribution guru Jon Reiss; the much buzzed about cast of Pariah and even Olympic snowboarder Shaun White.
But the night belonged to these seven faces.
Olivia Crociccha – Starring in Azazel Jacobs‘ Terri at this year’s Sundance, Crociccha has also starred in episodes of Law & Order, Rescue Me and will star in David O. Russell‘s upcoming Nailed.
Thomas Dekker – Acting since age six Dekker has been in everything from The Weird Al Show to Jackie Chan Adventures, but...
But the night belonged to these seven faces.
Olivia Crociccha – Starring in Azazel Jacobs‘ Terri at this year’s Sundance, Crociccha has also starred in episodes of Law & Order, Rescue Me and will star in David O. Russell‘s upcoming Nailed.
Thomas Dekker – Acting since age six Dekker has been in everything from The Weird Al Show to Jackie Chan Adventures, but...
- 1/24/2011
- by Jason Guerrasio
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
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