Conquered all the 2017 Academy Awards Best Picture nominees with just a day to spare? That means there’s plenty of time to screen this year’s feature and short documentary nominees.
From war-torn Syria, to inside The Lion King, the Best Documentary Feature and Best Documentary Short films vary in topic and genre. Luckily, many of the films require only a Netflix subscription to view. Here’s how to watch them, now.
How to Watch the Best Documentary Feature Nominees:
Fire at Sea
From Italian director Gianfranco Rosi, Fire at Sea tackles the current refugee crisis in Europe, centered around the island of Lampedusa,...
From war-torn Syria, to inside The Lion King, the Best Documentary Feature and Best Documentary Short films vary in topic and genre. Luckily, many of the films require only a Netflix subscription to view. Here’s how to watch them, now.
How to Watch the Best Documentary Feature Nominees:
Fire at Sea
From Italian director Gianfranco Rosi, Fire at Sea tackles the current refugee crisis in Europe, centered around the island of Lampedusa,...
- 2/26/2017
- by Lindsay Kimble
- PEOPLE.com
As usual, the five nominees in the fiercely competitive Best Documentary Oscar category are comprised of high-profile hits and festival award-winners with the right combination of accessibility, artful filmmaking, and gravitas. However, this year’s race was marked by outside factors that included #OscarsSoWhite and the election of President Donald Trump. (Of note: Filmmakers of color directed four of the five nominated feature documentaries.)
Here’s how the documentary race shakes out:
“O.J.: Made in America” (Ezra Edelman, Espn, May 20)
Scoring great reviews at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival was Ezra Edelman’s five-part movie “O.J.: Made in America,” an exhaustive, eye-opening examination of O.J. Simpson and race relations in Los Angeles from the ’60s through the Trial of the Century and beyond.
The movie swept through awards groups: it won three Cinema Eye Honors awards, took home the Ida for Best Feature, the Gotham, the National Board of Review, National Society of Film Critics,...
Here’s how the documentary race shakes out:
“O.J.: Made in America” (Ezra Edelman, Espn, May 20)
Scoring great reviews at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival was Ezra Edelman’s five-part movie “O.J.: Made in America,” an exhaustive, eye-opening examination of O.J. Simpson and race relations in Los Angeles from the ’60s through the Trial of the Century and beyond.
The movie swept through awards groups: it won three Cinema Eye Honors awards, took home the Ida for Best Feature, the Gotham, the National Board of Review, National Society of Film Critics,...
- 2/15/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
As usual, the five nominees in the fiercely competitive Best Documentary Oscar category are comprised of high-profile hits and festival award-winners with the right combination of accessibility, artful filmmaking, and gravitas. However, this year’s race was marked by outside factors that included #OscarsSoWhite and the election of President Donald Trump. (Of note: Filmmakers of color directed four of the five nominated feature documentaries.)
Here’s how the documentary race shakes out:
“O.J.: Made in America” (Ezra Edelman, Espn, May 20)
Scoring great reviews at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival was Ezra Edelman’s five-part movie “O.J.: Made in America,” an exhaustive, eye-opening examination of O.J. Simpson and race relations in Los Angeles from the ’60s through the Trial of the Century and beyond.
The movie swept through awards groups: it won three Cinema Eye Honors awards, took home the Ida for Best Feature, the Gotham, the National Board of Review, National Society of Film Critics,...
Here’s how the documentary race shakes out:
“O.J.: Made in America” (Ezra Edelman, Espn, May 20)
Scoring great reviews at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival was Ezra Edelman’s five-part movie “O.J.: Made in America,” an exhaustive, eye-opening examination of O.J. Simpson and race relations in Los Angeles from the ’60s through the Trial of the Century and beyond.
The movie swept through awards groups: it won three Cinema Eye Honors awards, took home the Ida for Best Feature, the Gotham, the National Board of Review, National Society of Film Critics,...
- 2/15/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
When director Roger Ross Williams set out to make a documentary about Owen Suskind, a young autistic man who learned to communicate from watching animated Disney movies, he knew animation would be essential to his film. But Williams didn’t realize until later that his film, the Oscar-nominated “Life, Animated,” would include three different layers of animation, including Disney film clips that the studio granted him permission to use, and original animated sequences that illustrated scenes from the life of his subject. And most importantly, his film also includes “The Land of the Lost Sidekicks,” a new six-minute animated short based on.
- 2/14/2017
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Life, Animated, director Roger Ross Williams, 43, faced a unique challenge. The film recounts the singular story of Owen Suskind, an autistic boy who learned to speak by mimicking the characters in Disney animated movies. Williams — an Oscar winner for the 2010 short doc Music for Prudence and a member of the Academy's board of directors — had access to home footage shot by Owen's father, journalist Ron Suskind, and he conducted new interviews with Owen, now a young man, as he ventured out into the world. But how would he dramatize the...
- 2/3/2017
- by Carolyn Giardina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Documentarian Roger Ross Williams seized a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with “Life, Animated,” capturing the remarkable story of Owen Suskind, a young man living with autism who learned to connect with the world around him by watching Disney animated films. Based on the book by Owen’s father, Roger Suskind, the film reveals the literal healing power of story. Owen not only learned to read by watching the credits of Disney films, but he also began communicating with his own family members by inhabiting the world of Disney’s animated characters.
“Owen is someone who was raised on myth and fable,” Williams said during our Awards Spotlight conversation. “These classic Disney animated films are really classic myths and fables that they’ve updated, and so Owen becomes really wise in the world on what it means to be human and to connect with other people.”
The book and the film have moved MIT,...
“Owen is someone who was raised on myth and fable,” Williams said during our Awards Spotlight conversation. “These classic Disney animated films are really classic myths and fables that they’ve updated, and so Owen becomes really wise in the world on what it means to be human and to connect with other people.”
The book and the film have moved MIT,...
- 2/2/2017
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
Roger Ross Williams, the director of “Life, Animated,” had more than one reason to be proud on Tuesday morning. For one thing, his film about Owen Suskind, an autistic youth who learned to communicate by watching animated Disney films, was nominated for Best Documentary Feature. He learned about the nomination at the Sundance Film Festival, where the film premiered a year ago, and immediately cancelled his flight home so he could spend more time celebrating with the indie film community there. But Williams is also one of five black directors in his category, alongside Ava DuVernay (“13th”), Raoul Peck (“I Am.
- 1/24/2017
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Earlier this week, Stephen Colbert and his wife, Evelyn, hosted a party in celebration of the acclaimed, Oscar-shortlisted documentary Life, Animated. The film explores how Owen Suskind, the autistic son of Pulitzer-prize winning journalist Ron Suskind and his wife, Cornelia, learned how to express his emotions and communicate with others, including his parents, through Disney movies.
The Colberts first saw the film at the Montclair Film Festival, which they've long been involved with, with Stephen even hosting a post-screening Q&A with director Roger Ross Williams after the movie opened the 2016 edition of the New Jersey...
The Colberts first saw the film at the Montclair Film Festival, which they've long been involved with, with Stephen even hosting a post-screening Q&A with director Roger Ross Williams after the movie opened the 2016 edition of the New Jersey...
- 12/17/2016
- by Hilary Lewis
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Trey Edward Shults cast his own relatives in a story based on their own family – the result is intense and complex
When Owen Suskind was three years old, the previously chatty little boy shut down. His verbal skills vanished. He closed in on himself. His family were devastated by a diagnosis of autism, which came with the warning that he may never speak again. But then Owen suddenly said a line from one of the Disney films that he watched avidly. And the animations that were his passion also became his key to unlocking the world. This heartwarming documentary pays tribute to a remarkable young man and the supportive family who helped him reconnect with the neurotypical environment which, filtered through his condition, had become a baffling and frightening place. More so than dramas that deal with people on the autistic spectrum, this documentary, through expressive sound design, appealing animation and Owen’s observations,...
When Owen Suskind was three years old, the previously chatty little boy shut down. His verbal skills vanished. He closed in on himself. His family were devastated by a diagnosis of autism, which came with the warning that he may never speak again. But then Owen suddenly said a line from one of the Disney films that he watched avidly. And the animations that were his passion also became his key to unlocking the world. This heartwarming documentary pays tribute to a remarkable young man and the supportive family who helped him reconnect with the neurotypical environment which, filtered through his condition, had become a baffling and frightening place. More so than dramas that deal with people on the autistic spectrum, this documentary, through expressive sound design, appealing animation and Owen’s observations,...
- 12/11/2016
- by Wendy Ide
- The Guardian - Film News
A documentary about how Disney cartoons reached a boy with autism is heartwarming and insightful
When Owen Suskind was three years old, the previously chatty little boy shut down. His verbal skills vanished. He closed in on himself. His family were devastated by a diagnosis of autism, which came with the warning that he may never speak again. But then Owen suddenly said a line from one of the Disney films that he watched avidly. And the animations that were his passion also became his key to unlocking the world. This heartwarming documentary pays tribute to a remarkable young man and the supportive family who helped him reconnect with the neurotypical environment which, filtered through his condition, had become a baffling and frightening place. More so than dramas that deal with people on the autistic spectrum, this documentary, through expressive sound design, appealing animation and Owen’s observations, gives real...
When Owen Suskind was three years old, the previously chatty little boy shut down. His verbal skills vanished. He closed in on himself. His family were devastated by a diagnosis of autism, which came with the warning that he may never speak again. But then Owen suddenly said a line from one of the Disney films that he watched avidly. And the animations that were his passion also became his key to unlocking the world. This heartwarming documentary pays tribute to a remarkable young man and the supportive family who helped him reconnect with the neurotypical environment which, filtered through his condition, had become a baffling and frightening place. More so than dramas that deal with people on the autistic spectrum, this documentary, through expressive sound design, appealing animation and Owen’s observations, gives real...
- 12/11/2016
- by Wendy Ide
- The Guardian - Film News
Life, Animated is a magical documentary about a distinctly un-magical situation. At age 3, Owen Suskind, an otherwise happy child, stops talking altogether. His frightened parents take him to doctors, where he is soon diagnosed with autism. In the 1990s, the prognostic isn’t good, and the consensus is that he may never speak again. And […]
The post Life, Animated Review appeared first on HeyUGuys.
The post Life, Animated Review appeared first on HeyUGuys.
- 12/8/2016
- by Guest
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
★★★★☆ We all love a Disney movie. Many childhoods have been warmed by their glow and generations are defined by what set of Disney characters are close to their hearts. For older viewers, the animals of Bambi and The Jungle Book were childhood friends, for the youngest among us perhaps the liberated women of Frozen and Moana provide inspiration. Owen Suskind, however, found more in the Disney universe than most, rescuing him from what his father calls "the prison of autism".
- 12/7/2016
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
Thanks to “Persepolis,” “Waltz with Bashir” and “Chicago 10,” the blending of animation with documentaries has become a successful sub-genre. This year, it’s pushed further both thematically and stylistically with great impact.
In “Life, Animated,” the autistic Owen Suskind learned to communicate by watching classic Disney animation; in “Floyd Norman: An Animated Life,” Disney’s first African-American animator gets long overdue recognition; and in “Tower,” the use of rotoscope animation helps recreate a 50-year-old mass shooting at the University of Texas Tower.
Read More: How ‘The Red Turtle’ Became an Animated, Cycle of Life Oscar Contender
“Owen was able to have a communication breakthrough when he was a child as a result of watching Disney classics…he used them as a guide to decipher life and to connect to other people,” director Roger Ross Williams told IndieWire. He’s the first African-American director to win an Oscar for the documentary short,...
In “Life, Animated,” the autistic Owen Suskind learned to communicate by watching classic Disney animation; in “Floyd Norman: An Animated Life,” Disney’s first African-American animator gets long overdue recognition; and in “Tower,” the use of rotoscope animation helps recreate a 50-year-old mass shooting at the University of Texas Tower.
Read More: How ‘The Red Turtle’ Became an Animated, Cycle of Life Oscar Contender
“Owen was able to have a communication breakthrough when he was a child as a result of watching Disney classics…he used them as a guide to decipher life and to connect to other people,” director Roger Ross Williams told IndieWire. He’s the first African-American director to win an Oscar for the documentary short,...
- 12/1/2016
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Unsurprising surprises dominated this morning’s Producers Guild of America documentary nominees. While the PGA’s feature nominees often align with Oscar contenders, that’s often untrue for the documentaries. In 2014, the PGA nominated “The Green Prince,” “Life Itself,” “Merchants of Doubt,” “Virunga, and “Particle Fever;” only “Virunga made the final Oscar five. (The winner was Laura Poitras’ “Citizenfour.)
Last year, the PGA did select eventual Oscar nominees “Amy” (which won the Oscar) and “The Look of Silence,” but also chose “The Hunting Ground” and “Meru,” both of which made the Oscar shortlist of 15; PGA selection”Something Better to Come” didn’t even make that cut.
Today, the committee of some 30 or more PGA documentary producers nominated two anticipated films in Roger Ross Williams’ “Life, Animated” (The Orchard/A & E) and Ezra Edelman’s “O.J.: Made in America” (Espn Films). Both were much-lauded Sundance hits and made the Doc NYC Shortlist.
Last year, the PGA did select eventual Oscar nominees “Amy” (which won the Oscar) and “The Look of Silence,” but also chose “The Hunting Ground” and “Meru,” both of which made the Oscar shortlist of 15; PGA selection”Something Better to Come” didn’t even make that cut.
Today, the committee of some 30 or more PGA documentary producers nominated two anticipated films in Roger Ross Williams’ “Life, Animated” (The Orchard/A & E) and Ezra Edelman’s “O.J.: Made in America” (Espn Films). Both were much-lauded Sundance hits and made the Doc NYC Shortlist.
- 11/22/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Unsurprising surprises dominated this morning’s Producers Guild of America documentary nominees. While the PGA’s feature nominees often align with Oscar contenders, that’s often untrue for the documentaries. In 2014, the PGA nominated “The Green Prince,” “Life Itself,” “Merchants of Doubt,” “Virunga, and “Particle Fever;” only “Virunga made the final Oscar five. (The winner was Laura Poitras’ “Citizenfour.)
Last year, the PGA did select eventual Oscar nominees “Amy” (which won the Oscar) and “The Look of Silence,” but also chose “The Hunting Ground” and “Meru,” both of which made the Oscar shortlist of 15; PGA selection”Something Better to Come” didn’t even make that cut.
Today, the committee of 30 PGA documentary producers nominated two anticipated films in Roger Ross Williams’ “Life, Animated” (The Orchard/A & E) and Ezra Edelman’s “O.J.: Made in America” (Espn Films). Both were much-lauded Sundance hits and made the Doc NYC Shortlist.
However, the...
Last year, the PGA did select eventual Oscar nominees “Amy” (which won the Oscar) and “The Look of Silence,” but also chose “The Hunting Ground” and “Meru,” both of which made the Oscar shortlist of 15; PGA selection”Something Better to Come” didn’t even make that cut.
Today, the committee of 30 PGA documentary producers nominated two anticipated films in Roger Ross Williams’ “Life, Animated” (The Orchard/A & E) and Ezra Edelman’s “O.J.: Made in America” (Espn Films). Both were much-lauded Sundance hits and made the Doc NYC Shortlist.
However, the...
- 11/22/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Many are called, few are chosen: The number of high-quality, awards-worthy documentaries seems to grow every year, but there’s still only 15 slots on the Oscar documentary shortlist. That will be announced December 5; the final five will be revealed on nominations morning, January 24. This year, 145 features were submitted.
This is the white-knuckle portion of the final campaign stretch, as documentary filmmakers and distributors hope their movies make it onto documentary branch voters’ viewing piles before they file their final grades. Those with the advantage are high-profile established hits and festival award-winners with the right combination of engaging accessibility, artful filmmaking, and gravitas.
So what’s looking like a strong bet? It’s a diverse list in more ways than one. Here are my picks for the Top 15, which are not listed in order of likelihood.
See more ‘Amanda Knox’: Why It Took Five Years to Unravel the Story of...
This is the white-knuckle portion of the final campaign stretch, as documentary filmmakers and distributors hope their movies make it onto documentary branch voters’ viewing piles before they file their final grades. Those with the advantage are high-profile established hits and festival award-winners with the right combination of engaging accessibility, artful filmmaking, and gravitas.
So what’s looking like a strong bet? It’s a diverse list in more ways than one. Here are my picks for the Top 15, which are not listed in order of likelihood.
See more ‘Amanda Knox’: Why It Took Five Years to Unravel the Story of...
- 11/21/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Many are called, few are chosen: The number of high-quality, awards-worthy documentaries seems to grow every year, but there’s still only 15 slots on the Oscar documentary shortlist. That will be announced December 5; the final five will be revealed on nominations morning, January 24. This year, 145 features were submitted.
This is the white-knuckle portion of the final campaign stretch, as documentary filmmakers and distributors hope their movies make it onto documentary branch voters’ viewing piles before they file their final grades. Those with the advantage are high-profile established hits and festival award-winners with the right combination of engaging accessibility, artful filmmaking, and gravitas.
So what’s looking like a strong bet? It’s a diverse list in more ways than one. Here are my picks for the Top 15, which are not listed in order of likelihood.
See more ‘Amanda Knox’: Why It Took Five Years to Unravel the Story of...
This is the white-knuckle portion of the final campaign stretch, as documentary filmmakers and distributors hope their movies make it onto documentary branch voters’ viewing piles before they file their final grades. Those with the advantage are high-profile established hits and festival award-winners with the right combination of engaging accessibility, artful filmmaking, and gravitas.
So what’s looking like a strong bet? It’s a diverse list in more ways than one. Here are my picks for the Top 15, which are not listed in order of likelihood.
See more ‘Amanda Knox’: Why It Took Five Years to Unravel the Story of...
- 11/21/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
(Brooklyn, NY . November 3, 2016) . The Broadcast Film Critics. Association (Bfca) and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association (Btja) announced the winners of the inaugural Critics. Choice Documentary Awards tonight at a gala event, hosted by Penn Jillette at Bric in Brooklyn.
Oj: Made in America took home the most awards for the evening with Best Documentary (Theatrical Feature), Best Director (Theatrical Feature) for Ezra Edelman, Best Limited Documentary Series and Best Sports Documentary.
13th won three awards for Best Documentary (TV/Streaming), Best Political Documentary and Best Director (TV/Streaming) for Ava DuVernay.
The Best First Documentary (TV/Streaming) was a tie, with awards going to both Jacob Bernstein and Nick Hooker for Everything is Copy: Nora Ephron: Scripted and Unscripted. and Deborah Esquenazi for Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four. Jack Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg won Best First Documentary (Theatrical Feature) for Weiner.
The Beatles:...
Oj: Made in America took home the most awards for the evening with Best Documentary (Theatrical Feature), Best Director (Theatrical Feature) for Ezra Edelman, Best Limited Documentary Series and Best Sports Documentary.
13th won three awards for Best Documentary (TV/Streaming), Best Political Documentary and Best Director (TV/Streaming) for Ava DuVernay.
The Best First Documentary (TV/Streaming) was a tie, with awards going to both Jacob Bernstein and Nick Hooker for Everything is Copy: Nora Ephron: Scripted and Unscripted. and Deborah Esquenazi for Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four. Jack Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg won Best First Documentary (Theatrical Feature) for Weiner.
The Beatles:...
- 11/4/2016
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Cinema Eye, the organization that recognizes outstanding craft and artistry in nonfiction filmmaking, has announced their annual list of The Unforgettables, designed to highlight “this year’s most notable and significant nonfiction film subjects.” This is Cinema Eye’s tenth anniversary year, and the fourth straight year that they have unveiled their list of Unforgettables, which IndieWire is very happy to exclusively reveal below.
The Unforgettables list aims to celebrate the year’s most exciting collaborations between filmmakers and their subjects, and it’s hard to imagine a list more representative of that ideal than this one. Standouts include director Kirsten Johnson of “Cameraperson,” actress Kate Sheil of “Kate Plays Christine,” subject Sharon Jones of “Miss Sharon Jones!” and both Huma Abedin and Anthony Weiner from the revealing feature “Weiner.” And that’s just the start of a list that’s wonderfully representative of some of this year’s most indelible doc subjects.
The Unforgettables list aims to celebrate the year’s most exciting collaborations between filmmakers and their subjects, and it’s hard to imagine a list more representative of that ideal than this one. Standouts include director Kirsten Johnson of “Cameraperson,” actress Kate Sheil of “Kate Plays Christine,” subject Sharon Jones of “Miss Sharon Jones!” and both Huma Abedin and Anthony Weiner from the revealing feature “Weiner.” And that’s just the start of a list that’s wonderfully representative of some of this year’s most indelible doc subjects.
- 10/19/2016
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Los Angeles, CA (October 10, 2016) . The Broadcast Film Critics Association (Bfca) and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association (Btja) have announced the nominees for the inaugural Critics. Choice Documentary Awards. The winners will be presented their awards at a gala event on Thursday, November 3, 2016 at Bric, in Brooklyn, New York.
.It is an amazing time for documentaries, with the ever-increasing number of platforms enabling producers to reach enthusiastic and growing audiences for non-fiction storytelling,. said Bfca and Btja President Joey Berlin.
.This is clearly demonstrated in the depth and quality of our inaugural nominees. We have a wealth of brilliant creators who are bringing to light some of the most entertaining and illuminating stories being told today. Indeed, documentary filmmaking is modern investigative journalism. We look forward to celebrating all these fine and important achievements at the first Critics. Choice Documentary Awards gala on November 3rd..
13th, 30 For 30: O.J.: Made in America...
.It is an amazing time for documentaries, with the ever-increasing number of platforms enabling producers to reach enthusiastic and growing audiences for non-fiction storytelling,. said Bfca and Btja President Joey Berlin.
.This is clearly demonstrated in the depth and quality of our inaugural nominees. We have a wealth of brilliant creators who are bringing to light some of the most entertaining and illuminating stories being told today. Indeed, documentary filmmaking is modern investigative journalism. We look forward to celebrating all these fine and important achievements at the first Critics. Choice Documentary Awards gala on November 3rd..
13th, 30 For 30: O.J.: Made in America...
- 10/11/2016
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
The Broadcast Film Critics Association (Bfca) and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association (Btja) have announced the nominees for their inaugural Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards, taking place next month at a first-time gala event in Brooklyn, New York. Ava DuVernay’s “13th,” Ezra Edelman’s “O.J.: Made in America” and Clay Tweel’s “Gleason” lead the pack of nominees, with five nominations each. Other nominees include Kirsten Johnson’s “Cameraperson,” the gob-smacking “Weiner” and recent Netflix features “Amanda Knox” and “Audrie & Daisy.”
“It is an amazing time for documentaries, with the ever-increasing number of platforms enabling producers to reach enthusiastic and growing audiences for non-fiction storytelling,” said Bfca and Btja President Joey Berlin. “This is clearly demonstrated in the depth and quality of our inaugural nominees. We have a wealth of brilliant creators who are bringing to light some of the most entertaining and illuminating stories being told today. Indeed, documentary filmmaking is modern investigative journalism.
“It is an amazing time for documentaries, with the ever-increasing number of platforms enabling producers to reach enthusiastic and growing audiences for non-fiction storytelling,” said Bfca and Btja President Joey Berlin. “This is clearly demonstrated in the depth and quality of our inaugural nominees. We have a wealth of brilliant creators who are bringing to light some of the most entertaining and illuminating stories being told today. Indeed, documentary filmmaking is modern investigative journalism.
- 10/10/2016
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
From Academy Award® winning director Roger Ross Williams, Life, Animated is the inspirational story of Owen Suskind, a young man who was unable to speak as a child until he and his family discovered a unique way to communicate by immersing themselves in the world of classic Disney animated films. This emotional coming-of-age story follows Owen as he graduates to adulthood and takes his first steps toward independence.
The subject of his father Ron Suskind’s New York Times bestseller, Owen was a thriving three year old who suddenly and inexplicably went silent – and for years after remained unable to connect with other people or to convey his thoughts, feelings or desires. Over time, through repeated viewings of Disney classics like The Little Mermaid and The Lion King, Owen found useful tools to help him to understand complex social cues and to re-connect with the world around him. Life, Animated...
The subject of his father Ron Suskind’s New York Times bestseller, Owen was a thriving three year old who suddenly and inexplicably went silent – and for years after remained unable to connect with other people or to convey his thoughts, feelings or desires. Over time, through repeated viewings of Disney classics like The Little Mermaid and The Lion King, Owen found useful tools to help him to understand complex social cues and to re-connect with the world around him. Life, Animated...
- 7/23/2016
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Chicago – The mystery of the particulars within an autistic mind is a theme in a new documentary, as a man named Owen Suskind is profiled through his personal breakthroughs using the animated films of the Walt Disney Studios. Director Roger Ross Williams introduces the unusual journey in the compelling “Life, Animated.”
Based on the book by main subject’s father, Ron Suskind, the story is about Owen’s struggle to understand the world around him, while his autistic condition prevents clear comprehension. Now a grown man, he must transition into a halfway house to live on his own. All the while, it has been the animated films of the Walt Disney studios that have been his guiding life force, from boyhood to manhood.
The Disney Life of Owen Suskind is Explored in ‘Life, Animated’
Photo credit: The Orchard
Roger Ross Williams is a former broadcast journalist, and won an Oscar...
Based on the book by main subject’s father, Ron Suskind, the story is about Owen’s struggle to understand the world around him, while his autistic condition prevents clear comprehension. Now a grown man, he must transition into a halfway house to live on his own. All the while, it has been the animated films of the Walt Disney studios that have been his guiding life force, from boyhood to manhood.
The Disney Life of Owen Suskind is Explored in ‘Life, Animated’
Photo credit: The Orchard
Roger Ross Williams is a former broadcast journalist, and won an Oscar...
- 7/20/2016
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Owen Suskind, the star of “Life, Animated,” is one of the more fascinating and endearing documentary subjects you will come across. Owen, who is autistic, was unable to speak as a child until he and his family discovered an unique way to communicate by immersing themselves in the world of classic Disney animated films. It’s a story that was captured in a book written by Owen’s father Ron, who is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist.
When director Roger Ross Williams met the Suskinds he was instantly drawn to the family, but he wasn’t interested in making a documentary that looked backwards and retold their amazing story. Williams wanted to find a way to use the tools of cinema to bring the audience into Owen’s world and allow viewers to relate to him on a very human and emotional level. IndieWire recently interviewed Williams about this process of...
When director Roger Ross Williams met the Suskinds he was instantly drawn to the family, but he wasn’t interested in making a documentary that looked backwards and retold their amazing story. Williams wanted to find a way to use the tools of cinema to bring the audience into Owen’s world and allow viewers to relate to him on a very human and emotional level. IndieWire recently interviewed Williams about this process of...
- 7/11/2016
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
To help sift through the increasing number of new releases (independent or otherwise), the Weekly Film Guide is here! Below you’ll find basic plot, personnel and cinema information for all of this week’s fresh offerings.
Starting this month, we’ve also put together a list for the entire month. We’ve included this week’s list below, complete with information on screening locations for films in limited release.
See More: Here Are All the Upcoming Movies in Theaters for July 2016
Here are the films opening theatrically in the U.S. the week of Friday, July 1. All synopses provided by distributor unless listed otherwise.
Wide
The Bfg
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Bill Hader, Jemaine Clement, Mark Rylance, Penelope Wilton, Rebecca Hall, Ruby Barnhill
Synopsis: The Bfg is no ordinary bone-crunching giant. He is far too nice and jumbly. It’s lucky for Sophie that he is. Had she been...
Starting this month, we’ve also put together a list for the entire month. We’ve included this week’s list below, complete with information on screening locations for films in limited release.
See More: Here Are All the Upcoming Movies in Theaters for July 2016
Here are the films opening theatrically in the U.S. the week of Friday, July 1. All synopses provided by distributor unless listed otherwise.
Wide
The Bfg
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Bill Hader, Jemaine Clement, Mark Rylance, Penelope Wilton, Rebecca Hall, Ruby Barnhill
Synopsis: The Bfg is no ordinary bone-crunching giant. He is far too nice and jumbly. It’s lucky for Sophie that he is. Had she been...
- 7/1/2016
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
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.