Here’s your daily dose of an indie film, web series, TV pilot, what-have-you in progress, as presented by the creators themselves. At the end of the week, you’ll have the chance to vote for your favorite.
In the meantime: Is this a project you’d want to see? Tell us in the comments.
Diamond Diplomacy
Logline: Devotion to baseball has been tossed between the U.S. and Japan since the late 1800s, and mirrors profound shifts in diplomacy between the two nations. “Diamond Diplomacy” charts this story revealing pivotal moments of often-controversial duality.
Elevator Pitch:
Baseball is the national pastime of two very different countries. “Diamond Diplomacy” is the never-before-told story about the dramatic ups and downs of U.S. and Japan diplomacy, since 1872, through the lens of a shared love of baseball. Several players and managers (including Babe Ruth and Lefty O’Doul) have been important ambassadors through baseball.
In the meantime: Is this a project you’d want to see? Tell us in the comments.
Diamond Diplomacy
Logline: Devotion to baseball has been tossed between the U.S. and Japan since the late 1800s, and mirrors profound shifts in diplomacy between the two nations. “Diamond Diplomacy” charts this story revealing pivotal moments of often-controversial duality.
Elevator Pitch:
Baseball is the national pastime of two very different countries. “Diamond Diplomacy” is the never-before-told story about the dramatic ups and downs of U.S. and Japan diplomacy, since 1872, through the lens of a shared love of baseball. Several players and managers (including Babe Ruth and Lefty O’Doul) have been important ambassadors through baseball.
- 10/24/2016
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
By Anjelica Oswald
Managing Editor
Directed by Rory Kennedy, Last Days in Vietnam focuses on the final weeks of the Vietnam War in April 1975 and the Americans who tried to rescue as many South Vietnamese refugees that they could — against White House orders — as the North Vietnamese Army approached Saigon. Kennedy has never been nominated for an Oscar, but her 2012 documentary Ethel, about Ethel Kennedy (Rory’s mother), was nominated for five Emmys. Last Days in Vietnam, which premiered at Sundance, could garner Kennedy her first Oscar nom.
Historically, Vietnam documentaries have done well in the documentary category at the Oscars, and that may be due to many Academy members having come of age during the war. Here are 11 Vietnam documentaries that have been nominated for best documentary (in chronological order):
The Anderson Platoon
Filmed in 1966 by Pierre Schoendoerffer, a war reporter and cameraman, the film follows a 33-man...
Managing Editor
Directed by Rory Kennedy, Last Days in Vietnam focuses on the final weeks of the Vietnam War in April 1975 and the Americans who tried to rescue as many South Vietnamese refugees that they could — against White House orders — as the North Vietnamese Army approached Saigon. Kennedy has never been nominated for an Oscar, but her 2012 documentary Ethel, about Ethel Kennedy (Rory’s mother), was nominated for five Emmys. Last Days in Vietnam, which premiered at Sundance, could garner Kennedy her first Oscar nom.
Historically, Vietnam documentaries have done well in the documentary category at the Oscars, and that may be due to many Academy members having come of age during the war. Here are 11 Vietnam documentaries that have been nominated for best documentary (in chronological order):
The Anderson Platoon
Filmed in 1966 by Pierre Schoendoerffer, a war reporter and cameraman, the film follows a 33-man...
- 10/24/2014
- by Anjelica Oswald
- Scott Feinberg
The Academy has announced the new class of invited members for 2014 and, as is typical, many of which are among last year's nominees, which includes Barkhad Abdi, Michael Fassbender, Sally Hawkins, Mads Mikkelsen, Lupita Nyong'o and June Squibb in the Actors branch not to mention curious additions such as Josh Hutcherson, Rob Riggle and Jason Statham, but, okay. The Directors branch adds Jay and Mark Duplass along with Jean-Marc Vallee, Denis Villeneuve and Thomas Vinterberg. I didn't do an immediate tally of male to female additions or other demographics, but at first glance it seems to be a wide spread batch of new additions on all fronts. The Academy is also clearly attempting to aggressively bump up the demographics as this is the second year in a row where they have added a large number of new members, well over the average of 133 new members from 2004 to 2012. As far as...
- 6/26/2014
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is extending invitations to join the organization to 271 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures.
Those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy’s membership in 2014.
“This year’s class of invitees represents some of the most talented, creative and passionate filmmakers working in our industry today,” said Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs. “Their contributions to film have entertained audiences around the world, and we are proud to welcome them to the Academy.”
The 2014 invitees are:
Actors
Barkhad Abdi – “Captain Phillips”
Clancy Brown – “The Hurricane,” “The Shawshank Redeption”
Paul Dano – “12 Years a Slave,” “Prisoners”
Michael Fassbender – “12 Years a Slave,” “Shame”
Ben Foster – “Lone Survivor,” “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints”
Beth Grant – “The Artist,” “No Country for Old Men”
Clark Gregg – “Much Ado about Nothing,” “Marvel’s The Avengers”
Sally Hawkins – “Blue Jasmine,...
Those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy’s membership in 2014.
“This year’s class of invitees represents some of the most talented, creative and passionate filmmakers working in our industry today,” said Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs. “Their contributions to film have entertained audiences around the world, and we are proud to welcome them to the Academy.”
The 2014 invitees are:
Actors
Barkhad Abdi – “Captain Phillips”
Clancy Brown – “The Hurricane,” “The Shawshank Redeption”
Paul Dano – “12 Years a Slave,” “Prisoners”
Michael Fassbender – “12 Years a Slave,” “Shame”
Ben Foster – “Lone Survivor,” “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints”
Beth Grant – “The Artist,” “No Country for Old Men”
Clark Gregg – “Much Ado about Nothing,” “Marvel’s The Avengers”
Sally Hawkins – “Blue Jasmine,...
- 6/26/2014
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Michael Fassbender and Lupita Nyong’o of 12 Years a Slave were two of the 271 artists and industry leaders invited to become members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which determines nominations and winners at the annual Oscars. The entire list of Academy membership—which numbers about 6,000—isn’t public information so the annual invitation list is often the best indication of the artists involved in the prestigious awards process. It’s worth noting that invitations need to be accepted in order for artists to become members; some artists, like two-time Best Actor winner Sean Penn, have declined membership over the years.
- 6/26/2014
- by Jeff Labrecque
- EW - Inside Movies
Pop quiz: What do Chris Rock, Claire Denis, Eddie Vedder and Josh Hutcherson all have in common? Answer: They could all be Oscar voters very soon. The annual Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences invitation list always makes for interesting reading, shedding light on just how large and far-reaching the group's membership is -- or could be, depending on who accepts their invitations. This year, 271 individuals have been asked to join AMPAS, meaning every one of them could contribute to next year's Academy Awards balloting -- and it's as diverse a list as they've ever assembled. Think the Academy consists entirely of fusty retired white dudes? Not if recent Best Original Song nominee Pharrell Williams takes them up on their offer. Think it's all just a Hollywood insiders' game? Not if French arthouse titans Chantal Akerman and Olivier Assayas join the party. It's a list that subverts expectation at every turn.
- 6/26/2014
- by Guy Lodge
- Hitfix
The 21st annual Chicago Underground Film Festival, which will run April 2-6 at the Logan Theater, will be extra special this year. Why? Because Mike Everleth, the Executive Editor of the Underground Film Journal, is sitting on this year’s festival jury! And looking over the fest lineup below, he is incredibly excited to witness this visual extravaganza of revolutionary cinematic madness. (Other jurors are Brian Chankin, Therese Grisham and Alison Cuddy.)
Opening Night Film: What I Love About Concrete is the debut feature by the directing team of Katherine Dohan and Alanna Stewart and is a surreal suburban tale about a teenage girl who believes she is transforming into a swan.
Closing Night Film: Usama Alshaibi will be making his triumphant return to Chicago with his latest documentary, American Arab, a personal and sociological examination of what it means to be an Arab in a post-9/11 United States. This...
Opening Night Film: What I Love About Concrete is the debut feature by the directing team of Katherine Dohan and Alanna Stewart and is a surreal suburban tale about a teenage girl who believes she is transforming into a swan.
Closing Night Film: Usama Alshaibi will be making his triumphant return to Chicago with his latest documentary, American Arab, a personal and sociological examination of what it means to be an Arab in a post-9/11 United States. This...
- 3/28/2014
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Previously: The Arrivals
8:00 The announcer just said Zero Dark Thirty Jessica Chastain is "Zero Dark Flirty". Regret to inform that his was not even the worst pun of the intro. This was not even in the bottom ten of worst puns. Yikes. "Argo Seat Yourself"??? (And you don't even want to know how much television pays writers for this sort of thing. Can I apply?)
8:02 I Am An Actor from Jane Krakowski, Chris Tucker, Helen Hunt, Hal Holbrook, Sofia Vergara. Followed by Nicole Kidman with some hot razor cut flat iron hair to announce...
8:06 Supporting Actor. I predicted Tommy Lee Jones because of the huge audience response he gets in Lincoln. But perhaps I'm too stuck back in November and the Tlj hoopla has ended. The award goes to... oh, wow. Tommy Lee Jones. Who is not there. His absence does him no favors in a possibly very tight Oscar race.
8:00 The announcer just said Zero Dark Thirty Jessica Chastain is "Zero Dark Flirty". Regret to inform that his was not even the worst pun of the intro. This was not even in the bottom ten of worst puns. Yikes. "Argo Seat Yourself"??? (And you don't even want to know how much television pays writers for this sort of thing. Can I apply?)
8:02 I Am An Actor from Jane Krakowski, Chris Tucker, Helen Hunt, Hal Holbrook, Sofia Vergara. Followed by Nicole Kidman with some hot razor cut flat iron hair to announce...
8:06 Supporting Actor. I predicted Tommy Lee Jones because of the huge audience response he gets in Lincoln. But perhaps I'm too stuck back in November and the Tlj hoopla has ended. The award goes to... oh, wow. Tommy Lee Jones. Who is not there. His absence does him no favors in a possibly very tight Oscar race.
- 1/28/2013
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
This article was originally published in my movie column at Towleroad
"Fairy tale revisionism" has been rapidly climbing the Hollywood idea chart. In the past few years we've seen Alice in Wonderland, Rapunzel in Tangled, Red Riding Hood, and Snow White in Mirror Mirror (reviewed here). There are several more on the way including Angelina Jolie as Maleficent terrorizing Sleeping Beauty Elle Fanning. This weekend Snow White returned to theaters for the second time in three months. Her timing is apt since the apple-munching princess is celebrating her 75th big screen anniversary (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiered in 1937). Why so many fairy tales? Modern Hollywood thrives on branding so the more familiar the movie before it arrives the better. And what's more familiar than fairy tales?
Tale as old as time. True as it can be… ♫
Oops wrong fairy tale. Regret to inform that Snow White and the Huntsman...
"Fairy tale revisionism" has been rapidly climbing the Hollywood idea chart. In the past few years we've seen Alice in Wonderland, Rapunzel in Tangled, Red Riding Hood, and Snow White in Mirror Mirror (reviewed here). There are several more on the way including Angelina Jolie as Maleficent terrorizing Sleeping Beauty Elle Fanning. This weekend Snow White returned to theaters for the second time in three months. Her timing is apt since the apple-munching princess is celebrating her 75th big screen anniversary (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiered in 1937). Why so many fairy tales? Modern Hollywood thrives on branding so the more familiar the movie before it arrives the better. And what's more familiar than fairy tales?
Tale as old as time. True as it can be… ♫
Oops wrong fairy tale. Regret to inform that Snow White and the Huntsman...
- 6/4/2012
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Inferno Entertainment has optioned the film rights to Harlan Coben's 2008 standalone thriller novel "Hold Tight" reports Variety.
The story follows a father who must fight for his family's survival after his son inadvertently exposes them to dangerous criminals via the internet.
Scott F. Butler ("We Regret to Inform You") will adapt the script while Steve Lee Jones, Bill Johnson and Jim Seibel will produce. Coben's penned "Tell No One" which became a hit 2006 French film with Francois Cluzet and Kristin Scott Thomas.
The story follows a father who must fight for his family's survival after his son inadvertently exposes them to dangerous criminals via the internet.
Scott F. Butler ("We Regret to Inform You") will adapt the script while Steve Lee Jones, Bill Johnson and Jim Seibel will produce. Coben's penned "Tell No One" which became a hit 2006 French film with Francois Cluzet and Kristin Scott Thomas.
- 3/16/2012
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Hit List is a handful of items that we find noteworthy, shared with you daily on our homepage. Enjoy!
I Regret to Inform You That My Wedding to Captain Von Trapp Has Been Canceled from McSweeneys.net
Photo Gallery: Oprah Winfrey’s Final Guests from Life.com
Musings on Action Movie Villains from the 1980s to Today from Flixchatter
How Comedians Transition Into Dramatic Roles from Splitsider.com
Interview: “The Walking Dead” Star Jon Bernthal from SFX.co.uk
A Celebration of the Sci-Fi Ray Gun from DenOfGeek.com (Suggested by simon_brew)
The Geekiest TV Shows Heading for Your TV from Wired.com
“Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” Gets an Odd Second Life on Twitter from TheAwl.com
Have an item you’d like to see featured on Hit List? Submit it here.
I Regret to Inform You That My Wedding to Captain Von Trapp Has Been Canceled from McSweeneys.net
Photo Gallery: Oprah Winfrey’s Final Guests from Life.com
Musings on Action Movie Villains from the 1980s to Today from Flixchatter
How Comedians Transition Into Dramatic Roles from Splitsider.com
Interview: “The Walking Dead” Star Jon Bernthal from SFX.co.uk
A Celebration of the Sci-Fi Ray Gun from DenOfGeek.com (Suggested by simon_brew)
The Geekiest TV Shows Heading for Your TV from Wired.com
“Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” Gets an Odd Second Life on Twitter from TheAwl.com
Have an item you’d like to see featured on Hit List? Submit it here.
- 5/19/2011
- by heatherc
- IMDb Blog - All the Latest
The Beasties, who I refuse to call 'boys' for obvious reasons, have picked a date for their coming album, Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 2. The LP is set to drop on May 3rd. After Pt. 1 was delayed due to Adam Yauch's bout with cancer, the group decided to skip it in favor of releasing the second installment on time. This past October, on their official site, they wrote, loudly: Although We Regret To Inform You That "Hot Sauce Committee Part 1" Will Continue To Be Delayed Indefinitely, "Hot Sauce Committee Part 2" Will Be Released On Time As Originally Planned In Spring Of 2011 Well, Spring 2011 is approaching and they plan to deliver. Along with the announcement of the release date, Adam Horovitz gave fans a look at the cover art. I don't know what it has to do with hot sauce or committees, but it looks [...]...
- 3/14/2011
- Nerve
In the tradition of Oprah Winfrey's famous book club, the talk show host's cable channel, Own: The Oprah Winfrey Network, will launch a documentary film club.
Own has partnered with Ro*co prods., a division of documentary film distributor Ro*co Films International, to do a primetime monthly documentary film series on the cable channel, a co-venture between Winfrey's Harpo Prods. and Discovery Communications, which is scheduled to premiere in January 2011.
Additionally, exclusive footage from the films featured in the documentary film club will be put up on Own.tv, and some of them will get nationwide theatrical screenings.
Own is planning to create communities nationwide that can screen the films together and participate in a live, moderated panel discussion.
The films selected for the club will have inspirational themes.
"Own's commitment to self-discovery provides the ideal platform to elevate documentary films and the real, compelling stories they tell,...
Own has partnered with Ro*co prods., a division of documentary film distributor Ro*co Films International, to do a primetime monthly documentary film series on the cable channel, a co-venture between Winfrey's Harpo Prods. and Discovery Communications, which is scheduled to premiere in January 2011.
Additionally, exclusive footage from the films featured in the documentary film club will be put up on Own.tv, and some of them will get nationwide theatrical screenings.
Own is planning to create communities nationwide that can screen the films together and participate in a live, moderated panel discussion.
The films selected for the club will have inspirational themes.
"Own's commitment to self-discovery provides the ideal platform to elevate documentary films and the real, compelling stories they tell,...
- 12/9/2009
- by By Nellie Andreeva
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Los Angeles, Dec. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Own: The Oprah Winfrey Network has entered into an innovative partnership with ro*co productions, a division of ro*co films international, a renowned documentary film distribution company, to identify select documentaries for Own. The announcement was made today by Chief Executive Officer Christina Norman. A leader in the national and international documentary distribution world, ro*co films international has distributed eight Oscar® nominated or Oscar® winning feature documentaries including Born into Brothels, The Garden, Jesus Camp, No End in Sight, Promises, Regret to Inform, Street Fight, and The Weather Underground.
- 12/9/2009
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.