Exclusive: Julia Butters (The Fabelmans), Jacob Tremblay (Room), Martin Freeman (Fargo) and Taylor Schilling (Pam & Tommy) have been tapped as the leads for the folk horror film Queen of Bones, from Appian Way, Lumanity Productions and Productivity Media, which has entered production in Canada.
Queen of Bones follows twin siblings Lily (Butters) and Sam (Tremblay) who live at a remote homestead with their widowed father, Malcolm (Freeman), a violinmaker in 1931 Oregon. When Lily and Sam find an Icelandic spell book in the cellar, they begin to suspect a connection between their mother’s death and dark forces in the woods. They then embark on a dangerous mission to force their father and his friend, Ida May (Schilling), to reveal the truth.
Robert Budreau (Delia’s Gone) is directing from a script by Michael Burgner (The Darkest Corner of Paradise).
Queen of Bones is the latest project to reteam Budreau with Productivity Media,...
Queen of Bones follows twin siblings Lily (Butters) and Sam (Tremblay) who live at a remote homestead with their widowed father, Malcolm (Freeman), a violinmaker in 1931 Oregon. When Lily and Sam find an Icelandic spell book in the cellar, they begin to suspect a connection between their mother’s death and dark forces in the woods. They then embark on a dangerous mission to force their father and his friend, Ida May (Schilling), to reveal the truth.
Robert Budreau (Delia’s Gone) is directing from a script by Michael Burgner (The Darkest Corner of Paradise).
Queen of Bones is the latest project to reteam Budreau with Productivity Media,...
- 8/30/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, Terra Mater Factual Studios looks back on an eventful decade that made its name synonymous with high-end nature and wildlife productions, while also embracing the ever-expanding opportunities offered by the growth of streaming platforms.
The Austrian company’s productions include Kief Davidson and Richard Ladkani’s acclaimed “The Ivory Game,” which exposes the dark world of ivory trafficking; Ladkani’s “Sea of Shadows,” about the efforts to save the smallest whale species in the world from extinction; and Myles Connolly and Florian Schulz’s upcoming “The Arctic: Our Last Great Wilderness.” CEO Walter Koehler, the former head of Austrian broadcaster Orf’s nature and wildlife unit, Universum, established Terra Mater as a subsidiary of Red Bull in 2011.
“When I opened the company 10 years ago, we started with 12 or 13 people; now we have more than 40 employees,” he says. The figure does not include the many...
The Austrian company’s productions include Kief Davidson and Richard Ladkani’s acclaimed “The Ivory Game,” which exposes the dark world of ivory trafficking; Ladkani’s “Sea of Shadows,” about the efforts to save the smallest whale species in the world from extinction; and Myles Connolly and Florian Schulz’s upcoming “The Arctic: Our Last Great Wilderness.” CEO Walter Koehler, the former head of Austrian broadcaster Orf’s nature and wildlife unit, Universum, established Terra Mater as a subsidiary of Red Bull in 2011.
“When I opened the company 10 years ago, we started with 12 or 13 people; now we have more than 40 employees,” he says. The figure does not include the many...
- 4/23/2021
- by Ed Meza
- Variety Film + TV
In a concerted bid to train the next generation of film and media industry professionals, a new training center, the International Screen Institute, has launched in Europe.
The new non-profit org, founded by Vienna-based Terra Mater Factual Studios, producer of “The Ivory Game” (pictured), and Satel Film, bows March 2 at the European Film Market. Isi is also supported by partnerships with the Austrian Film Institute and Unverzagt Rechtsanwälte, based in Hamburg and Berlin.
The official launch kicks off with a special online event at the EFM on March 2. This will be followed by the Vienna-based institute’s first webinar, which will focus on breaking down the strategy behind selecting the right sales company for a project.
Julia Short, who ran several European training programs, including Creative Europe-funded Inside Pictures and the Media Business School’s Marketing & Distribution program in Ronda, Spain, has been tapped as Isi’s head of studies.
The new non-profit org, founded by Vienna-based Terra Mater Factual Studios, producer of “The Ivory Game” (pictured), and Satel Film, bows March 2 at the European Film Market. Isi is also supported by partnerships with the Austrian Film Institute and Unverzagt Rechtsanwälte, based in Hamburg and Berlin.
The official launch kicks off with a special online event at the EFM on March 2. This will be followed by the Vienna-based institute’s first webinar, which will focus on breaking down the strategy behind selecting the right sales company for a project.
Julia Short, who ran several European training programs, including Creative Europe-funded Inside Pictures and the Media Business School’s Marketing & Distribution program in Ronda, Spain, has been tapped as Isi’s head of studies.
- 2/26/2021
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way and In Good Company Films are developing the utopian series “Island,” based on Aldous Huxley’s novel “Island.”
Huxley’s final book, published in 1962, follows a cynical journalist shipwrecked on the fictional utopian island of Pala in the Indian Ocean. Originally tasked with exploiting Pala’s natural resources, he uncovers an independently developed society and embraces the people, their culture and traditions — including psychedelic adventures and alternative social structures. His experience alters the course of his mission.
Huxlery wrote “Island” as the utopian counterpoint to his most famous work, the 1932 dystopian novel, “Brave New World.” “Island” explores the themes of freedom and the power of human potential. Huxley died of cancer in 1963.
Davisson and DiCaprio will executive produce for Appian Way along with George DiCaprio and Roee Sharon. Andrew Alter and Jason Whitmore will executive produce for Igc Films.
Appian Way launched in 2004 as a...
Huxley’s final book, published in 1962, follows a cynical journalist shipwrecked on the fictional utopian island of Pala in the Indian Ocean. Originally tasked with exploiting Pala’s natural resources, he uncovers an independently developed society and embraces the people, their culture and traditions — including psychedelic adventures and alternative social structures. His experience alters the course of his mission.
Huxlery wrote “Island” as the utopian counterpoint to his most famous work, the 1932 dystopian novel, “Brave New World.” “Island” explores the themes of freedom and the power of human potential. Huxley died of cancer in 1963.
Davisson and DiCaprio will executive produce for Appian Way along with George DiCaprio and Roee Sharon. Andrew Alter and Jason Whitmore will executive produce for Igc Films.
Appian Way launched in 2004 as a...
- 7/30/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Leonardo DiCaprio, Barry Jenkins and Netflix are collaborating on a movie version of the Oscar-nominated documentary “Virunga” about the battle to save the Congo’s endangered mountain gorillas.
DiCaprio is producing with Jennifer Davisson and Phillip Watson for Appian Way, along with Joanna Natasegara for Violet Films. Orlando von Einsiedel, who directed the 2014 documentary, is executive producing the pic.
Jenkins, who won an adapted screenplay Oscar with Tarell Alvin McCraney for “Moonlight,” will write the script for “Virunga.”
The documentary “Virunga” focused on the fight to protect the world’s last mountain gorillas in Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Von Einsiedel spotlighted the biodiversity of Virunga, along with the political and economic issues arising from oil exploration and armed conflict in the region. Netflix bought the rights to the documentary in 2014.
DiCaprio won an Academy Award for “The Revenant.” In addition to a prolific acting career,...
DiCaprio is producing with Jennifer Davisson and Phillip Watson for Appian Way, along with Joanna Natasegara for Violet Films. Orlando von Einsiedel, who directed the 2014 documentary, is executive producing the pic.
Jenkins, who won an adapted screenplay Oscar with Tarell Alvin McCraney for “Moonlight,” will write the script for “Virunga.”
The documentary “Virunga” focused on the fight to protect the world’s last mountain gorillas in Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Von Einsiedel spotlighted the biodiversity of Virunga, along with the political and economic issues arising from oil exploration and armed conflict in the region. Netflix bought the rights to the documentary in 2014.
DiCaprio won an Academy Award for “The Revenant.” In addition to a prolific acting career,...
- 6/23/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
FX has unveiled a trailer for their first true crime docuseries, The Most Dangerous Animal Of All, which is based on The New York Times best-selling book of the same name. Executive produced by Ross M. Dinerstein (The Innocent Man) and Academy Award-nominated director Kief Davidson (The Ivory Game), the upcoming presentation explores Gary L. Stewart’s search for the father…...
- 2/24/2020
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
“Sea of Shadows” is director Richard Ladkani’s second “eco-thriller.” It’s a documentary ostensibly about scientists, activists, and law enforcement agents who are all trying to protect one of the most endangered species on Earth, but it plays more like a popcorn-friendly narrative feature thanks to the fact that Mexican drug cartels and the Chinese mafia are all intertwined in the story.
“Sea of Shadows” follows the intertwined plights of the the Vaquita porpoise and the totoaba fish in the Sea of Cortez as Mexican drug cartels erect illegal gill nets to catch totoaba to export to China, where there is a thriving illegal market for their bladders, which are purported to have medicinal properties. But those nets also catch the extremely endangered vaquita porpoise, posing a threat to the Sea’s entire delicate ecosystem.
The new genre in which the filmmaker has been working is something he and...
“Sea of Shadows” follows the intertwined plights of the the Vaquita porpoise and the totoaba fish in the Sea of Cortez as Mexican drug cartels erect illegal gill nets to catch totoaba to export to China, where there is a thriving illegal market for their bladders, which are purported to have medicinal properties. But those nets also catch the extremely endangered vaquita porpoise, posing a threat to the Sea’s entire delicate ecosystem.
The new genre in which the filmmaker has been working is something he and...
- 11/8/2019
- by Jean Bentley
- Indiewire
Victoria Stone and her partner Mark Deeble went through a pretty long casting process – a year and a half, to be exact – to find the pachyderm star of their Apple TV+ documentary “The Elephant Queen.”
“We started working outside the national park [in Africa] and everything’s going fine until price of ivory rose [and] the elephants became extremely scared [of poachers],” Stone revealed during Gold Derby’s Meet the Experts: Documentary panel, moderated by this author (watch above). “She really found us rather than us finding her. We came back one day to camp … and there was this little group of elephants under a tree behind the kitchen tent area, and the matriarch just turned her head and she had these amazingly long, even beautiful tusks, and a very calm manner and a family of youngsters in it and about the size we were looking for. Then we just started following them and she became the subject.
“We started working outside the national park [in Africa] and everything’s going fine until price of ivory rose [and] the elephants became extremely scared [of poachers],” Stone revealed during Gold Derby’s Meet the Experts: Documentary panel, moderated by this author (watch above). “She really found us rather than us finding her. We came back one day to camp … and there was this little group of elephants under a tree behind the kitchen tent area, and the matriarch just turned her head and she had these amazingly long, even beautiful tusks, and a very calm manner and a family of youngsters in it and about the size we were looking for. Then we just started following them and she became the subject.
- 11/7/2019
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
National Geographic’s new documentary “Sea of Shadows,” which will premiere commercial-free on Saturday at 9/8c, is about an endangered animal you’ve probably never heard of: the vaquita. But this is not a simple story of impending extinction. The world’s smallest whale, the vaquita has become collateral damage in an illicit trade between Mexican cartels and the Chinese mob for the swim bladder — aka the “cocaine of the sea” — of another fish, the totoaba, which also resides in the Sea of Cortez with the vaquita off of Baja California.
“We have, in this case, organized crime attacking planet Earth. Very few people know that the wildlife trade is the fourth biggest industry in the world in the black market,” “Sea of Shadows” director Richard Ladkani told Gold Derby at our Meet the Experts: Documentary panel, moderated by this author (watch above). “These organized syndicates around the world are feeding off our precious animals,...
“We have, in this case, organized crime attacking planet Earth. Very few people know that the wildlife trade is the fourth biggest industry in the world in the black market,” “Sea of Shadows” director Richard Ladkani told Gold Derby at our Meet the Experts: Documentary panel, moderated by this author (watch above). “These organized syndicates around the world are feeding off our precious animals,...
- 11/7/2019
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
You are invited to attend our Q&a discussion with three of film’s top composers (songwriting and scores) who now compete for Oscars and more. Our event is on Wednesday, November 6, at 7:00 p.m. at the Landmark Theater at 10850 W. Pico Blvd. in Los Angeles. Admission and parking are free. Academy and guild members will get priority seating.
To RSVP, make your reservation here: https://goldderbycomposerspanel19.splashthat.com/
Gold Derby managing editor Joyce Eng will moderate this “Meet the Film Experts” panel with the following contenders for 2019/2020 awards consideration:
H. Scott Salinas represents Apple for “The Banker” (score)
Salinas won Bmi TV Music Awards for “Murder in the First” and the Jerry Goldsmith Award for “The Ivory Game.” Other films have included “The Square,” “Cartel Land” and “Sea of Shadows.”
Justin Tranter represents Netflix for “Klaus” (song: “Invisible”)
Tranter received a Grammy nomination for the Julia Michaels song “Issues.
To RSVP, make your reservation here: https://goldderbycomposerspanel19.splashthat.com/
Gold Derby managing editor Joyce Eng will moderate this “Meet the Film Experts” panel with the following contenders for 2019/2020 awards consideration:
H. Scott Salinas represents Apple for “The Banker” (score)
Salinas won Bmi TV Music Awards for “Murder in the First” and the Jerry Goldsmith Award for “The Ivory Game.” Other films have included “The Square,” “Cartel Land” and “Sea of Shadows.”
Justin Tranter represents Netflix for “Klaus” (song: “Invisible”)
Tranter received a Grammy nomination for the Julia Michaels song “Issues.
- 10/31/2019
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
You are invited to attend our Q&a discussion with four of film’s top documentarians who now compete for Oscars and more. Our event is on Tuesday, November 5, at 7:00 p.m. at the Landmark Theater at 10850 W. Pico Blvd. in Los Angeles. Admission and parking are free. Academy and guild members will get priority seating.
To RSVP, make your reservation here: https://goldderbydocumentarypanel2019.splashthat.com/
Gold Derby managing editor Joyce Eng will moderate this “Meet the Film Experts” panel with the following contenders for 2019/2020 awards consideration:
Petra Costa represents Netflix for “The Edge of Democracy”
The film explores one of the most dramatic periods in Brazilian history, combining unprecedented access to Presidents Lula da Silva and Dilma Rousseff. Costa has had other awards contenders with “Elena,” “Olmo and the Seagull” and “Undertow Eyes.”
Feras Fayyad represents NatGeo for “The Cave”
This film follows a dedicated team of female...
To RSVP, make your reservation here: https://goldderbydocumentarypanel2019.splashthat.com/
Gold Derby managing editor Joyce Eng will moderate this “Meet the Film Experts” panel with the following contenders for 2019/2020 awards consideration:
Petra Costa represents Netflix for “The Edge of Democracy”
The film explores one of the most dramatic periods in Brazilian history, combining unprecedented access to Presidents Lula da Silva and Dilma Rousseff. Costa has had other awards contenders with “Elena,” “Olmo and the Seagull” and “Undertow Eyes.”
Feras Fayyad represents NatGeo for “The Cave”
This film follows a dedicated team of female...
- 10/22/2019
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
FX is continuing its push into the documentary business with the announcement of six new projects.
The cabler announced at the Television Critics Association summer press tour that they have ordered five new docuseries and one documentary feature. The move comes after FX launched the New York Times docuseries “The Weekly” back in June.
“FX has long sought to give artists a platform to showcase their individual, uncompromising vision and its new docuseries and features are an opportunity to extend that ambition in our collaboration with non-fiction talent,” said Nick Grad, co-president of original programming for FX Entertainment. “It’s been tremendously rewarding to partner with The New York Times and Hulu on ‘The Weekly,’ which has excelled creatively and is hitting series-high ratings. Under the guidance of FX’s Jonathan Frank and J.J. Klein, we are now honored to partner with these new teams to create docuseries and features...
The cabler announced at the Television Critics Association summer press tour that they have ordered five new docuseries and one documentary feature. The move comes after FX launched the New York Times docuseries “The Weekly” back in June.
“FX has long sought to give artists a platform to showcase their individual, uncompromising vision and its new docuseries and features are an opportunity to extend that ambition in our collaboration with non-fiction talent,” said Nick Grad, co-president of original programming for FX Entertainment. “It’s been tremendously rewarding to partner with The New York Times and Hulu on ‘The Weekly,’ which has excelled creatively and is hitting series-high ratings. Under the guidance of FX’s Jonathan Frank and J.J. Klein, we are now honored to partner with these new teams to create docuseries and features...
- 8/6/2019
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Docuseries about Tupac Shakur and his mother, the fight for Lgbtq civil rights in America and the man who possibly was the Zodiac killer lead FX’s latest documentary slate.
FX is ramping up its non-fiction slate with five new docuseries and one feature documentary, building on its latest series The Weekly, with The New York Times.
The news was revealed by Nick Grad and Gina Balian, Presidents, Original Programming, FX Entertainment at the TCA summer press tour.
Outlaw: The Saga of Afeni and Tupac Shakur, from The Defiant Ones director Allen Hughes is a five-part series looking at the mother and son. Told through the eyes of the people who knew them best, the series explores their message of freedom, equality, persecution and justice.
Pride is a six-part docuseries chronicling the fight for Lgbtq civil rights in America through the lens of history, pop culture and politics. Produced by...
FX is ramping up its non-fiction slate with five new docuseries and one feature documentary, building on its latest series The Weekly, with The New York Times.
The news was revealed by Nick Grad and Gina Balian, Presidents, Original Programming, FX Entertainment at the TCA summer press tour.
Outlaw: The Saga of Afeni and Tupac Shakur, from The Defiant Ones director Allen Hughes is a five-part series looking at the mother and son. Told through the eyes of the people who knew them best, the series explores their message of freedom, equality, persecution and justice.
Pride is a six-part docuseries chronicling the fight for Lgbtq civil rights in America through the lens of history, pop culture and politics. Produced by...
- 8/6/2019
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
The new National Geographic documentary Sea Of Shadows brings to light the crisis at the border in Baja California as the native porpoise, the vaquitas are facing extinction because of the poaching of a rare fish by the Mexican drug cartel and the Chinese mafia. The netting is killing both the fish and the vaquitas, and only 15 of the dolphin-like creatures remain. One of the subjects of the documentary by director Richard Ladkani (The Ivory Game) is Mexican investigative journalist Carlos Loret de Mola who has been investigating the cartel behind it but he, along with the filmmakers and subjects of the documentary, have faced death threats from the narcos. We caught up with Carlos to talk about his role in Sea Of Shadows, and why it's important to act now.
- 7/13/2019
- by info@cinemovie.tv (Super User)
- CineMovie
Leonardo DiCaprio‘s latest eco-documentary “Sea of Shadows” doesn’t shy away from taking on Mexican cartels.
“For some of the guys there, he is state enemy number one at the moment,” said producer Wolfgang Knöpfler at the documentary’s premiere on Wednesday night at Neuehouse in Los Angeles. “The cartels don’t like him.”
Appian Way and DiCaprio executive produced the National Geographic documentary, which casts a spotlight on the little-known plight of the endangered vaquita, a species of porpoise that has become collateral damage in a poaching crisis raging in Mexico’s Sea of Cortez. Mexican crime syndicates have partnered with the Chinese mafia in the illegal fishing of the native totoaba, whose bladders are believed to have miraculous healing powers and fetch prices upwards of $100,000 on the Chinese black market.
Ensnared in nets meant for the totoaba, with their natural habitat decimated, the vaquita numbers have dwindled to less than fifteen.
“For some of the guys there, he is state enemy number one at the moment,” said producer Wolfgang Knöpfler at the documentary’s premiere on Wednesday night at Neuehouse in Los Angeles. “The cartels don’t like him.”
Appian Way and DiCaprio executive produced the National Geographic documentary, which casts a spotlight on the little-known plight of the endangered vaquita, a species of porpoise that has become collateral damage in a poaching crisis raging in Mexico’s Sea of Cortez. Mexican crime syndicates have partnered with the Chinese mafia in the illegal fishing of the native totoaba, whose bladders are believed to have miraculous healing powers and fetch prices upwards of $100,000 on the Chinese black market.
Ensnared in nets meant for the totoaba, with their natural habitat decimated, the vaquita numbers have dwindled to less than fifteen.
- 7/11/2019
- by Ashley Hume
- Variety Film + TV
Directed by Richard Ladkani (The Ivory Game), Sea of Shadows is a riveting documentary that, while providing much needed information about an endangered species, is also an immersive storytelling experience.
There are only 15 vaquita porpoises that survive on this world, and they reside near the Sea of Cortez. Fisherman have cast their nets into the [...]
The post ‘Sea of Shadows’ Review: Riveting Documentary Spotlights Endangered Vaquita Porpoise appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.
There are only 15 vaquita porpoises that survive on this world, and they reside near the Sea of Cortez. Fisherman have cast their nets into the [...]
The post ‘Sea of Shadows’ Review: Riveting Documentary Spotlights Endangered Vaquita Porpoise appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.
- 7/11/2019
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
If you’re in search of a first rate documentary to check out in theaters this month, Sea of Shadows should fit the bill. Directed by Richard Ladkani (The Ivory Game) and executive produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, the project focuses on the push to save the vaquita porpoise, an endangered whale species that resides near the [...]
The post CinemAddicts Podcast Delves Into Eye Opening Documentary ‘Sea of Shadows’ appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.
The post CinemAddicts Podcast Delves Into Eye Opening Documentary ‘Sea of Shadows’ appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.
- 7/8/2019
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
National Geographic Documentary Films has secured worldwide rights to the environmental documentary “Sea of Shadows,” executive produced by Leonardo DiCaprio.
Directed by Richard Ladkani (“The Ivory Game”), the documentary premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and won the Audience Award for world cinema documentary.
“Sea of Shadows” highlights efforts to save the endangered vaquita whale in the Sea of Cortez, where the native totoaba fish are being poached because of a superstitious belief among some in China that their bladders possess miraculous healing powers. The non-fiction film follows a team of scientists, high-tech conservationists, investigative journalists, undercover agents and the Mexican Navy to save the last remaining vaquita and bring the crime syndicate to justice.
“What is happening in Mexico is yet another example of human-caused devastation due to the greed of a few,” Ladkani said in a statement. “My hope is that this film can raise awareness...
Directed by Richard Ladkani (“The Ivory Game”), the documentary premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and won the Audience Award for world cinema documentary.
“Sea of Shadows” highlights efforts to save the endangered vaquita whale in the Sea of Cortez, where the native totoaba fish are being poached because of a superstitious belief among some in China that their bladders possess miraculous healing powers. The non-fiction film follows a team of scientists, high-tech conservationists, investigative journalists, undercover agents and the Mexican Navy to save the last remaining vaquita and bring the crime syndicate to justice.
“What is happening in Mexico is yet another example of human-caused devastation due to the greed of a few,” Ladkani said in a statement. “My hope is that this film can raise awareness...
- 2/4/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
National Geographic Films has acquired the worldwide rights to “Sea of Shadows,” an award-winning Sundance documentary executive produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, the company announced Monday.
The documentary premiered on Jan. 27 at the Sundance Film Festival and played and won the Audience Award for a documentary from the festival. Richard Ladkani directs the film along with Terra Mater Factual Studios in association with Leonardo DiCaprio and Appian Way, Malaika Pictures and Wild Lens Collective.
The deal was negotiated on behalf of the filmmakers by Josh Braun, Ben Braun, Matt Burke and Ben Schwartz of Submarine.
“Sea of Shadows” examines an environmental crisis formed as a result of actions by Mexican drug cartels and the Chinese mafia. The film looks at the Sea of Cortez, which is collapsing as a result of the hunting of a valuable fish called totoaba...
The documentary premiered on Jan. 27 at the Sundance Film Festival and played and won the Audience Award for a documentary from the festival. Richard Ladkani directs the film along with Terra Mater Factual Studios in association with Leonardo DiCaprio and Appian Way, Malaika Pictures and Wild Lens Collective.
The deal was negotiated on behalf of the filmmakers by Josh Braun, Ben Braun, Matt Burke and Ben Schwartz of Submarine.
“Sea of Shadows” examines an environmental crisis formed as a result of actions by Mexican drug cartels and the Chinese mafia. The film looks at the Sea of Cortez, which is collapsing as a result of the hunting of a valuable fish called totoaba...
- 2/4/2019
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
National Geographic Documentary Films has netted Richard Ladkani's environmental documentary Sea of Shadows, plunking down $3 million for worldwide rights, which is believed to be the biggest doc acquisition of this year's Sundance market. Leonardo DiCaprio, who produced Ladkani's doc The Ivory Game, served as an executive producer.
The nonfiction thriller chronicles the plight of the vaquita, the world's smallest whale, which is near extinction as its habitat is destroyed by Mexican drug cartels and the Chinese mafia, who harvest the swim bladder of the totoaba fish, the "cocaine of the sea." Environmental activists, the Mexican ...
The nonfiction thriller chronicles the plight of the vaquita, the world's smallest whale, which is near extinction as its habitat is destroyed by Mexican drug cartels and the Chinese mafia, who harvest the swim bladder of the totoaba fish, the "cocaine of the sea." Environmental activists, the Mexican ...
National Geographic Documentary Films has netted Richard Ladkani's environmental documentary Sea of Shadows, plunking down $3 million for worldwide rights, which is believed to be the biggest doc acquisition of this year's Sundance market. Leonardo DiCaprio, who produced Ladkani's doc The Ivory Game, served as an executive producer.
The nonfiction thriller chronicles the plight of the vaquita, the world's smallest whale, which is near extinction as its habitat is destroyed by Mexican drug cartels and the Chinese mafia, who harvest the swim bladder of the totoaba fish, the "cocaine of the sea." Environmental activists, the Mexican ...
The nonfiction thriller chronicles the plight of the vaquita, the world's smallest whale, which is near extinction as its habitat is destroyed by Mexican drug cartels and the Chinese mafia, who harvest the swim bladder of the totoaba fish, the "cocaine of the sea." Environmental activists, the Mexican ...
Reel-Important People is a monthly column that highlights those individuals in or related to the movies that have left us in recent weeks. Below you'll find names big and small and from all areas of the industry, though each was significant to the movies in his or her own way. Paul G. Allen (1953-2018) - Businessman. In addition to co-founding Microsoft and his work in various other ventures, he co-owned Vulcan Productions and produced the movies Hard Candy, Far From Heaven, Titus and the documentaries Lightning in a Bottle, Pandora's Promise, Racing Extinction, Girl Rising and Netflix's The Ivory Game. He was played by Josh Hopkins in the movie Pirates of Silicon Valley. He died on October 15. (Nyt) Charles Aznavour (1924-2018) - Singer, Actor. In addition to his...
- 11/2/2018
- by Christopher Campbell
- Movies.com
"Extinction happens in front of our eyes." Save the animals! They are important, too. An official trailer has debuted for the documentary The Last Animals, the feature directorial debut of renown photojournalist Kate Brooks. The Last Animals follows the conservationists, scientists and activists battling poachers and criminal networks to save elephants and rhinos from the edge of extinction. It's a film about how important it is to fight back, to organize systems of defense and to mobilize people in order to save the animals that are threatened by ever-greedy humans who want them dead for their own gain. This is similar to the other doc The Ivory Game about elephant poaching, and just as powerful. These films are so important and show how incredibly passionate people are fighting to save what truly matters, even putting their own lives on the line. Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) for Kate Brooks' documentary The Last Animals,...
- 10/31/2018
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
For all the scholarship that exists on pop history, plenty of mysteries remain: Who killed Jam Master Jay; what precisely happened on the night of Sam Cooke’s death; and what exactly was the relationship between Johnny Cash and Richard Nixon? Netflix’s new ReMastered docuseries seeks to investigate these and other tales in the months ahead, starting with its first entry, Who Shot the Sheriff?, an examination of the events leading up to — and following — the attempted assassination of Bob Marley in 1976. Here, a few things we gleaned from the hour-long doc,...
- 10/26/2018
- by David Browne
- Rollingstone.com
There's a new film about the Zodiac Killer being developed called The Most Dangerous Animal of All. It's based on the The New York Times bestselling book of the same name written by Gary L. Stewart, who claims that his dad, Earl Van Best. Jr., was the Zodiac Killer.
The rights to the book were acquired by Ross Dinerstein and Campfire Entertainment. The plan is to make a documentary first and then they will follow that up with a feature film. The title of the book comes from the 1932 movie The Most Dangerous Game which law enforcement for years has said could have inspired the Zodiac killer.
There have been multiple films made about the Zodiac Killer over the years. My favorite is David Fincher's 2007 film Zodiac, which is one of my favorite movies of all time. I've been fascinated with the Zodiac Killer for a long time. The...
The rights to the book were acquired by Ross Dinerstein and Campfire Entertainment. The plan is to make a documentary first and then they will follow that up with a feature film. The title of the book comes from the 1932 movie The Most Dangerous Game which law enforcement for years has said could have inspired the Zodiac killer.
There have been multiple films made about the Zodiac Killer over the years. My favorite is David Fincher's 2007 film Zodiac, which is one of my favorite movies of all time. I've been fascinated with the Zodiac Killer for a long time. The...
- 5/31/2018
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
Exclusive: The rights to The New York Times bestselling book The Most Dangerous Animal of All, written by Gary L. Stewart who claims his father was the Zodiac Killer, has just been secured by Ross Dinerstein and Campfire Entertainment. First up will be a documentary with plans for a feature. The title of the book comes from the 1932 movie The Most Dangerous Game which law enforcement for years have said could have inspired the Zodiac killer.
There have been many theories over the years on who the Zodiac killer could have been. There have also been multiple movies made about the subject, including one directed by David Fincher, released in 2007, entitled Zodiac. That one was based on true crime author Robert Graysmith’s story while working at the San Francisco Chronicle when he attempted to decode the letters sent to the newspaper.
So what is Stewart’s story? He was...
There have been many theories over the years on who the Zodiac killer could have been. There have also been multiple movies made about the subject, including one directed by David Fincher, released in 2007, entitled Zodiac. That one was based on true crime author Robert Graysmith’s story while working at the San Francisco Chronicle when he attempted to decode the letters sent to the newspaper.
So what is Stewart’s story? He was...
- 5/30/2018
- by Anita Busch
- Deadline Film + TV
Terra Mater Factual Studios, the movie and TV production arm of Red Bull, has reteamed with Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way on documentary “Vaquita — Sea of Ghosts,” following their collaboration on Oscar-shortlisted documentary “The Ivory Game.”
The new film, which is helmed by “The Ivory Game” director Richard Ladkani, follows the attempts to save the endangered vaquita porpoise, whose numbers have been devastated by illegal fishing in the Gulf of California. Fewer than 15 of these porpoises remain as they are often caught in the nets of rogue fishermen hunting the totoaba, whose swim bladder sells for more than $100,000 apiece in China.
The film starts with a meeting between DiCaprio and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto last year, and then follows the sometimes violent conflict between the Mexican drug cartels and Chinese crime gangs on the one side, and the Mexican government, the U.S. Navy, the FBI, Sea Shepherd and other wildlife activist groups,...
The new film, which is helmed by “The Ivory Game” director Richard Ladkani, follows the attempts to save the endangered vaquita porpoise, whose numbers have been devastated by illegal fishing in the Gulf of California. Fewer than 15 of these porpoises remain as they are often caught in the nets of rogue fishermen hunting the totoaba, whose swim bladder sells for more than $100,000 apiece in China.
The film starts with a meeting between DiCaprio and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto last year, and then follows the sometimes violent conflict between the Mexican drug cartels and Chinese crime gangs on the one side, and the Mexican government, the U.S. Navy, the FBI, Sea Shepherd and other wildlife activist groups,...
- 5/8/2018
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Red Bull Media House has pacted with Berlin-based space pioneers PTScientists to be the exclusive media production and distribution partner for “Mission to the Moon,” the first private venture to land on the Moon. The partnership was announced at an event at TV conference and market MipTV in Cannes.
Fifty years after the first humans stepped on the Moon, PTScientists will undertake their mission to land on the Moon in the second half of 2019. “Mission to the Moon” will be a robotic space exploration mission led by Robert Böhme. It will return to the landing site of the Apollo 17 mission, and will view the final footprints and the Moon buggy left behind on the lunar surface.
“We aim to create an ‘Apollo moment’ for a new generation. PTScientists believe that space belongs to everyone and ‘Mission to the Moon’ will make space accessible for all to explore,” Böhme said in a statement.
Fifty years after the first humans stepped on the Moon, PTScientists will undertake their mission to land on the Moon in the second half of 2019. “Mission to the Moon” will be a robotic space exploration mission led by Robert Böhme. It will return to the landing site of the Apollo 17 mission, and will view the final footprints and the Moon buggy left behind on the lunar surface.
“We aim to create an ‘Apollo moment’ for a new generation. PTScientists believe that space belongs to everyone and ‘Mission to the Moon’ will make space accessible for all to explore,” Böhme said in a statement.
- 4/10/2018
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Preferred Content founder and CEO Kevin Iwashina has joined Endeavor Content, the division formerly known as Wme Global led by co-presidents Graham Taylor and Chris Rice. Iwashina will wind down his company and join Endeavor Content as an agent focusing on non-fiction content. He will work alongside the team there and bolster a department whose recent non-fiction film efforts have included the Oscar-winning docu Undefeated, Chef's Table, The Ivory Game, Amanda K…...
- 11/2/2017
- Deadline
As we make our way deeper and deeper into the Fall Festival season, some of the highlights from festivals earlier in the year are finally arriving in theaters. Be it the Safdie Brothers Cannes-stealing Good Time or Eliza Hittman’s Sundance stunner Beach Rats some of the spring’s most talked about festival pictures are just now making their way into theaters around the country. But what about those that went relatively unspoken of? There are some true discoveries to be had.
One of those discoveries is the newest film from Narco Cultura director Shaul Schwarz and co-director Christina Clusiau, entitled Trophy. As one could gather from the title, the film focuses its lens on the world of animal conservation in an age where more and more animals inch closer and closer to extinction. We watch as people try to help nurture animals and their populations back to life as...
One of those discoveries is the newest film from Narco Cultura director Shaul Schwarz and co-director Christina Clusiau, entitled Trophy. As one could gather from the title, the film focuses its lens on the world of animal conservation in an age where more and more animals inch closer and closer to extinction. We watch as people try to help nurture animals and their populations back to life as...
- 9/8/2017
- by Joshua Brunsting
- CriterionCast
Abramorama has picked up the U.S. theatrical rights to Bending the Arc, a documentary by directors Kief Davidson (The Ivory Game) and Pedro Kos (The Square), and plans a limited release beginning October 6 in New York. The film, which premiered at Sundance in January, revolves around three Harvard med students — Jim Kim (current President of the World Bank), Paul Farmer and Ophelia Dahl — who became pioneers of global health, literally inventing an international framework…...
- 8/16/2017
- Deadline
"We have to keep this fight going!" The Orchard has debuted an official trailer for a documentary called Trophy, examining the world of big game trophy hunters and how it connects to wildlife conservation. This premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in competition earlier this year, and has played at other fests all over the world. The description for this says it will make you question "what is right, what is wrong and what is necessary in order to save the great species of the world from extinction." This seems like it would make a great double feature with the other wildlife doc The Ivory Game (about elephant poaching) from last year. I will admit I'm curious about seeing this, and I'm a bit sad I missed it at Sundance. Take a look below. Here's the trailer (+ poster) for Christina Clusiau & Shaul Schwarz's doc Trophy, from YouTube: Christina Clusiau...
- 8/8/2017
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Trio form co-development agreement for feature films.
Vivendi-owned Studiocanal, Universal Music Group and Terra Mater Film Studios have entered into a co-development parternership to produce feature films with a ‘strong European narrative’ for the global market
Red Bull-owned Terra Mater recently produced the Oscar-shortlisted documentary The Ivory Game [pictured] and science-fiction drama Mindgamers.
Projects developed under the deal will be distributed internationally by Studiocanal, with music partnerships being handled by Universal.
“Partnering with such industry forces as StudioCanal and Universal Music Group is a thrilling prospect for us,” commented Terra Mater Film Studios’ Walter Koehler, “We each hold a shared belief in the films we would like to make together and I can’t wait to bring those ideas to fruition through our co-development partnership.”...
Vivendi-owned Studiocanal, Universal Music Group and Terra Mater Film Studios have entered into a co-development parternership to produce feature films with a ‘strong European narrative’ for the global market
Red Bull-owned Terra Mater recently produced the Oscar-shortlisted documentary The Ivory Game [pictured] and science-fiction drama Mindgamers.
Projects developed under the deal will be distributed internationally by Studiocanal, with music partnerships being handled by Universal.
“Partnering with such industry forces as StudioCanal and Universal Music Group is a thrilling prospect for us,” commented Terra Mater Film Studios’ Walter Koehler, “We each hold a shared belief in the films we would like to make together and I can’t wait to bring those ideas to fruition through our co-development partnership.”...
- 5/25/2017
- ScreenDaily
In what’s become a semi-weekly tradition, tens of thousands of people took to the streets in protest of the Trump administration and its policies yesterday. The People’s Climate March took place in Washington, D.C. and several other cities, counting several celebrities among its high-profile supporters and attendees: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jane Fonda, Kerry Washington, Jared Leto. All of them had something to say about it.
Read More: ‘Before the Flood’: Watch Leonardo DiCaprio’s Climate Change Documentary Now for Free
DiCaprio has long been vocal about the urgency of combating climate change — other than acting and dating supermodels, you might say it’s his raison d’être — and has produced the documentaries “Before the Flood” and “The 11th Hour.” “Honored to join Indigenous leaders and native peoples as they fight for climate justice,” he tweeted yesterday. “Join me in standing with them.”
Read More: ‘The Ivory Game...
Read More: ‘Before the Flood’: Watch Leonardo DiCaprio’s Climate Change Documentary Now for Free
DiCaprio has long been vocal about the urgency of combating climate change — other than acting and dating supermodels, you might say it’s his raison d’être — and has produced the documentaries “Before the Flood” and “The 11th Hour.” “Honored to join Indigenous leaders and native peoples as they fight for climate justice,” he tweeted yesterday. “Join me in standing with them.”
Read More: ‘The Ivory Game...
- 4/30/2017
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
“Arrival,” “Rogue One,” and “Hacksaw Ridge” each received three Mpse sound editing nominations (Dialogue/Adr, Effects/Foley, and Music) in the race for the 64th Golden Reel Awards (held February 19th at the Westin Bonaventure).
While the Oscars singled out Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi thriller, which boasts unique animal sounds and music as well as Mel Gibson’s powerful Okinawa World War II battles, they overlooked Gareth Edwards’ “Star Wars” standalone.
Right behind these three films with two nominations each were Marvel’s “Deadpool” (Dialogue/Adr, Effects/Foley) and “Doctor Strange” (Effects/Folley, Music), plus Disney’s “Moana” (Animation, Musical).
“La La Land” scored a Musical nomination, as did “Forest Foster Jenkins,” “Sing Street,” and DreamWorks’ animated “Trolls.”
Other animated contenders included Oscar nominees from Disney (“Zootopia”) Laika (“Kubo and the Two Strings”) and Studio Ghibli (“The Red Turtle”), plus Pixar’s “Finding Dory” and Netflix’s “The Little Prince.
While the Oscars singled out Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi thriller, which boasts unique animal sounds and music as well as Mel Gibson’s powerful Okinawa World War II battles, they overlooked Gareth Edwards’ “Star Wars” standalone.
Right behind these three films with two nominations each were Marvel’s “Deadpool” (Dialogue/Adr, Effects/Foley) and “Doctor Strange” (Effects/Folley, Music), plus Disney’s “Moana” (Animation, Musical).
“La La Land” scored a Musical nomination, as did “Forest Foster Jenkins,” “Sing Street,” and DreamWorks’ animated “Trolls.”
Other animated contenders included Oscar nominees from Disney (“Zootopia”) Laika (“Kubo and the Two Strings”) and Studio Ghibli (“The Red Turtle”), plus Pixar’s “Finding Dory” and Netflix’s “The Little Prince.
- 1/27/2017
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Netflix's elephant conservation documentary The Ivory Game has scored an official selection slot at the upcoming Beijing International Film Festival.
Shortlisted in the best documentary Oscar category this year, the film has been hailed for its gripping depiction of the dangerous underworld of ivory trading and the urgent threat posed to Africa's wild elephant population.
The state-backed Beijing festival's decision to screen the film comes on the heels of China's recent decision to ban ivory trade by the end of 2017.
"On Dec. 30, we received the amazing and historic news that China will ban ivory. It was...
Shortlisted in the best documentary Oscar category this year, the film has been hailed for its gripping depiction of the dangerous underworld of ivory trading and the urgent threat posed to Africa's wild elephant population.
The state-backed Beijing festival's decision to screen the film comes on the heels of China's recent decision to ban ivory trade by the end of 2017.
"On Dec. 30, we received the amazing and historic news that China will ban ivory. It was...
- 1/16/2017
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
As if to make it real, Netflix’s documentary The Ivory Game has been selected as an official selection at the state-run 2017 Beijing International Film Festival, just over two weeks after China’s vow to ban the ivory trade by the end of 2017. “On December 30, we received the amazing and historic news, that China will ban ivory. It was this single most important act that may save the elephants,” said directors Richard Ladkani and Kief Davidson. “We have now received word…...
- 1/14/2017
- Deadline
Exclusive: Netflix’s elephant conservation documentary, The Ivory Game, has secured an official selection slot at the 2017 Beijing International Film Festival. The state-run event's selection comes on the heels of China's recent decision to ban the ivory trade by the end of 2017. Shortlisted in the Best Documentary Oscar category this year, the film depicts the dangerous underworld of ivory trading and uses interviews with intelligence operatives, undercover activists…...
- 1/13/2017
- Deadline TV
Exclusive: Netflix’s elephant conservation documentary, The Ivory Game, has secured an official selection slot at the 2017 Beijing International Film Festival. The state-run event's selection comes on the heels of China's recent decision to ban the ivory trade by the end of 2017. Shortlisted in the Best Documentary Oscar category this year, the film depicts the dangerous underworld of ivory trading and uses interviews with intelligence operatives, undercover activists…...
- 1/13/2017
- Deadline
- 1/11/2017
- by Jazz Tangcay
- AwardsDaily.com
The Oscars can have its annual celebrity luncheon. This week, several documentarians celebrated the Cinema Eye Honors with an after-hours field trip to the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Conceived in 2008 as a bid to broaden awareness for documentary achievements, the Cinema Eyes highlight a dozen categories that range from best director to best cinematography to graphic design. However, while it began as a tonic to the five-nominee limitations that circumscribe the Oscars, the Cinema Eyes have evolved into an idiosyncratic celebration all its own. Although the awards are Wednesday night at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York, the ceremony is now only the culmination of a full week of programming that includes three days of activities.
“It’s kind of like senior skip week,” said co-founder and filmmaker Aj Schnack, catching his breath on Monday night before delivering a speech to the filmmakers in attendance. “Yes,...
Conceived in 2008 as a bid to broaden awareness for documentary achievements, the Cinema Eyes highlight a dozen categories that range from best director to best cinematography to graphic design. However, while it began as a tonic to the five-nominee limitations that circumscribe the Oscars, the Cinema Eyes have evolved into an idiosyncratic celebration all its own. Although the awards are Wednesday night at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York, the ceremony is now only the culmination of a full week of programming that includes three days of activities.
“It’s kind of like senior skip week,” said co-founder and filmmaker Aj Schnack, catching his breath on Monday night before delivering a speech to the filmmakers in attendance. “Yes,...
- 1/11/2017
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
What’s this? Good news in 2016? For a change, yes: China announced yesterday that it is completely banning its ivory trade by the end of 2017, a move that will hopefully go a long way toward protecting the world’s dwindling elephant population. Especially happy with the development is “The Ivory Game” co-director Kief Davidson, who says in an email to IndieWire that he and his team are “all so blown away by the news.”
“When we set out to make this film four years ago, it really seemed like such an improbable outcome that China would go against centuries of tradition and ban ivory,” continues Davidson. “The impact of this is everything we could have had hoped for as documentary filmmakers. We’ve received so many emails in the last 24 hours from conservationists on the...
“When we set out to make this film four years ago, it really seemed like such an improbable outcome that China would go against centuries of tradition and ban ivory,” continues Davidson. “The impact of this is everything we could have had hoped for as documentary filmmakers. We’ve received so many emails in the last 24 hours from conservationists on the...
- 12/31/2016
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
No matter what happens on Oscar nominations Tuesday, there are going to be a number of great docs that are snubbed. It’s that simple. Will “Weiner,” “Tower” and “Fire at Sea” be a few of those films? It looks like it…at the moment. [Dec. 29]
Top Five
“Cameraperson,” Big Mouth Productions
“The Eagle Huntress,” Stacey Reiss Productions, Kissiki Films and 19340 Productions
“I Am Not Your Negro,” Velvet Film
“O.J.: Made in America,” Laylow Films and Espn Films
“13th,” Forward Movement
Almost There
“Command and Control,” American Experience Films/PBS
“Fire at Sea,” Stemal Entertainment
“Gleason,” Dear Rivers Productions, Exhibit A and Img Films
“Hooligan Sparrow,” Little Horse Crossing the River
“The Ivory Game,” Terra Mater Film Studios and Vulcan Productions
“Life, Animated,” Motto Pictures and A&E IndieFilms
“Tower,” Go-Valley
“Weiner,” Edgeline Films
“The Witness,” The Witnesses Film
“Zero Days,” Jigsaw Productions
Gregory Ellwood’s Current Oscar Predictions:
Best Picture...
Top Five
“Cameraperson,” Big Mouth Productions
“The Eagle Huntress,” Stacey Reiss Productions, Kissiki Films and 19340 Productions
“I Am Not Your Negro,” Velvet Film
“O.J.: Made in America,” Laylow Films and Espn Films
“13th,” Forward Movement
Almost There
“Command and Control,” American Experience Films/PBS
“Fire at Sea,” Stemal Entertainment
“Gleason,” Dear Rivers Productions, Exhibit A and Img Films
“Hooligan Sparrow,” Little Horse Crossing the River
“The Ivory Game,” Terra Mater Film Studios and Vulcan Productions
“Life, Animated,” Motto Pictures and A&E IndieFilms
“Tower,” Go-Valley
“Weiner,” Edgeline Films
“The Witness,” The Witnesses Film
“Zero Days,” Jigsaw Productions
Gregory Ellwood’s Current Oscar Predictions:
Best Picture...
- 12/30/2016
- by Gregory Ellwood
- The Playlist
The horrific plight of wild elephants is front and center in “The Ivory Game.” Currently streaming on Netflix, Richard Ladkani and Kief Davidson’s Oscar shortlisted documentary — which has been prominently backed by Leonardo DiCaprio and Jane Goodall, among others — offers a ground-level view of the black market trade. Davidson recently sat down at the International Documentary Association film series (video below) to talk about the film’s journey and how he styled it as a thriller.
Read More: ‘The Ivory Game’ Trailer: Leonardo DiCaprio-Produced Doc Is a Shocking Look at Elephant Poaching
No, however much he might have liked to, he did not get to pet any elephants: “That happens in Disney movies; it’s not like that in real life,” he said. “We never really got close enough to know them, to really feel like an elephant should be a character, unfortunately.”
Davidson and cinematographer Ladkani, who...
Read More: ‘The Ivory Game’ Trailer: Leonardo DiCaprio-Produced Doc Is a Shocking Look at Elephant Poaching
No, however much he might have liked to, he did not get to pet any elephants: “That happens in Disney movies; it’s not like that in real life,” he said. “We never really got close enough to know them, to really feel like an elephant should be a character, unfortunately.”
Davidson and cinematographer Ladkani, who...
- 12/21/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The horrific plight of wild elephants is front and center in “The Ivory Game.” Currently streaming on Netflix, Richard Ladkani and Kief Davidson’s Oscar shortlisted documentary — which has been prominently backed by Leonardo DiCaprio and Jane Goodall, among others — offers a ground-level view of the black market trade. Davidson recently sat down at the International Documentary Association film series (video below) to talk about the film’s journey.
Read More: ‘The Ivory Game’ Trailer: Leonardo DiCaprio-Produced Doc Is a Shocking Look at Elephant Poaching
No, however much he might have liked to, he did not get to pet any elephants: “That happens in Disney movies; it’s not like that in real life,” he said. “We never really got close enough to know them, to really feel like an elephant should be a character, unfortunately.”
Davidson and cinematographer Ladkani, who have been friends for 20 years and previously shot “The Devil’s Miner,...
Read More: ‘The Ivory Game’ Trailer: Leonardo DiCaprio-Produced Doc Is a Shocking Look at Elephant Poaching
No, however much he might have liked to, he did not get to pet any elephants: “That happens in Disney movies; it’s not like that in real life,” he said. “We never really got close enough to know them, to really feel like an elephant should be a character, unfortunately.”
Davidson and cinematographer Ladkani, who have been friends for 20 years and previously shot “The Devil’s Miner,...
- 12/21/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
With its surprising Los Angeles Film Critics Association win for best animated feature, the delightful, body-switching, “Your Name,” from director Makoto Shinkai, has been elevated to Oscar contention as a result of its unique anime style and off-beat, fantasy romance.
Of course, it helps that Shinkai’s breakout hit is not only the year’s biggest box office success in Japan ($288 million), but also the fifth highest-grossing anime in history. And it’s easy to see why: it taps into Ya fantasies about vicarious excitement, romance and upward mobility. The director wants young adults to ponder why people meet and think about what it means for them.
Read More: ‘Ocean Waves’ Trailer: Studio Ghibli’s Restored 1993 Animated Film Explores Changing Friendships
Two high school students meet in their dreams: Mitsuha, who’s frustrated living in a seaside village, switches bodies with Taki, who lives in Tokyo. They instantly make contact...
Of course, it helps that Shinkai’s breakout hit is not only the year’s biggest box office success in Japan ($288 million), but also the fifth highest-grossing anime in history. And it’s easy to see why: it taps into Ya fantasies about vicarious excitement, romance and upward mobility. The director wants young adults to ponder why people meet and think about what it means for them.
Read More: ‘Ocean Waves’ Trailer: Studio Ghibli’s Restored 1993 Animated Film Explores Changing Friendships
Two high school students meet in their dreams: Mitsuha, who’s frustrated living in a seaside village, switches bodies with Taki, who lives in Tokyo. They instantly make contact...
- 12/20/2016
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
In The Ivory Game, the Tanzania Secret Police and an underground Chinese activist are among those documented trying to bring down poachers and the ivory cartels.
"We have people that are fighting on the front line against poachers. People whose lives are on the line," explains co-director Kief Davidson in a featurette for the doc, which was recently shortlisted for Oscar consideration.
"They are prepared to shoot at you and you have to be prepared to shoot back," says an anonymous voice, over images of gun-carrying activists and poachers.
Leonardo DiCaprio is among the producers of the feature, which a is...
"We have people that are fighting on the front line against poachers. People whose lives are on the line," explains co-director Kief Davidson in a featurette for the doc, which was recently shortlisted for Oscar consideration.
"They are prepared to shoot at you and you have to be prepared to shoot back," says an anonymous voice, over images of gun-carrying activists and poachers.
Leonardo DiCaprio is among the producers of the feature, which a is...
- 12/19/2016
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
(Courtesy: Christopher Polk/Getty Images)
By: Carson Blackwelder
Managing Editor
We are finally on our way to finding out which film will be nominated and ultimately win the best documentary feature category at the Oscars taking place in 2017. While the Academy has announced their shortlist of 15 documentaries from which they’ll narrow down to the five nominees, the question still remains: can history perhaps tell us who will reign victorious?
This year’s shortlist is made up of the following films: Cameraperson; Command and Control; The Eagle Huntress; Fire at Sea; Gleason; Hooligan Sparrow; I Am Not Your Negro; The Ivory Game; Life, Animated; O.J.: Made in America; 13th; Tower; Weiner; The Witness; and Zero Days. Can the distributors — anywhere from theatrical to TV — of these films provide hints as to how the Oscars race will end up this year? Let’s take a look throughout the post-2000 history of the category and see.
By: Carson Blackwelder
Managing Editor
We are finally on our way to finding out which film will be nominated and ultimately win the best documentary feature category at the Oscars taking place in 2017. While the Academy has announced their shortlist of 15 documentaries from which they’ll narrow down to the five nominees, the question still remains: can history perhaps tell us who will reign victorious?
This year’s shortlist is made up of the following films: Cameraperson; Command and Control; The Eagle Huntress; Fire at Sea; Gleason; Hooligan Sparrow; I Am Not Your Negro; The Ivory Game; Life, Animated; O.J.: Made in America; 13th; Tower; Weiner; The Witness; and Zero Days. Can the distributors — anywhere from theatrical to TV — of these films provide hints as to how the Oscars race will end up this year? Let’s take a look throughout the post-2000 history of the category and see.
- 12/7/2016
- by Carson Blackwelder
- Scott Feinberg
The Ivory Game directors Kief Davidson and Richard Ladkani Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Kirsten Johnson's Cameraperson; Robert Kenner's Command And Control; Otto Bell's The Eagle Huntress; Gianfranco Rosi's Fire At Sea (Fuocoammare); Clay Tweel's Gleason; Nanfu Wang's Hooligan Sparrow; Raoul Peck's I Am Not Your Negro; Kief Davidson and Richard Ladkani's The Ivory Game; Roger Ross Williams's Life, Animated; Ezra Edelman's O.J.: Made In America; Ava DuVernay's 13th; Keith Maitland's Tower; Elyse Steinberg and Josh Kriegman's Weiner; James D Solomon's The Witness and Alex Gibney's Zero Days are a step closer to garnering a Best Documentary Oscar nomination.
Directors Raoul Peck, I Am Not Your Negro and Ezra Edelman, O.J.: Made in America Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Documentary Branch determined the shortlist in a preliminary round of voting on the 145 submitted titles.
Kirsten Johnson's Cameraperson; Robert Kenner's Command And Control; Otto Bell's The Eagle Huntress; Gianfranco Rosi's Fire At Sea (Fuocoammare); Clay Tweel's Gleason; Nanfu Wang's Hooligan Sparrow; Raoul Peck's I Am Not Your Negro; Kief Davidson and Richard Ladkani's The Ivory Game; Roger Ross Williams's Life, Animated; Ezra Edelman's O.J.: Made In America; Ava DuVernay's 13th; Keith Maitland's Tower; Elyse Steinberg and Josh Kriegman's Weiner; James D Solomon's The Witness and Alex Gibney's Zero Days are a step closer to garnering a Best Documentary Oscar nomination.
Directors Raoul Peck, I Am Not Your Negro and Ezra Edelman, O.J.: Made in America Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Documentary Branch determined the shortlist in a preliminary round of voting on the 145 submitted titles.
- 12/7/2016
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Oscar has winnowed down that massive Best Documentary Semi-Finals list to a more manageable fifteen. We've reviewed just over two thirds of them. Nine are currently available to stream online (handy links provided) and four are in select theaters. The finalists for the five nominations are...
Cameraperson (In Theaters / on Criterion Collection Blu-Ray February 2017) Command and Control (coming to PBS in January) The Eagle Huntress (In Theaters) Fire at Sea (In Theaters) Gleason (available to rent on Amazon) Hooligan Sparrow (streaming on Netflix) I Am Not Your Negro (In Theaters Feb 2017) The Ivory Game (streaming on Netflix) Life, Animated (available to rent on iTunes) O.J.: Made in America (series available to purchase on iTunes) 13th (streaming on Netflix) Tower (In Theaters) Weiner (available to buy on iTunes) The Witness (streaming on Netflix) Zero Days (available to buy on iTunes)
What's missing? Well, what isn't. There are always scads of depressing omissions.
Cameraperson (In Theaters / on Criterion Collection Blu-Ray February 2017) Command and Control (coming to PBS in January) The Eagle Huntress (In Theaters) Fire at Sea (In Theaters) Gleason (available to rent on Amazon) Hooligan Sparrow (streaming on Netflix) I Am Not Your Negro (In Theaters Feb 2017) The Ivory Game (streaming on Netflix) Life, Animated (available to rent on iTunes) O.J.: Made in America (series available to purchase on iTunes) 13th (streaming on Netflix) Tower (In Theaters) Weiner (available to buy on iTunes) The Witness (streaming on Netflix) Zero Days (available to buy on iTunes)
What's missing? Well, what isn't. There are always scads of depressing omissions.
- 12/6/2016
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
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