In the opening moments of 20 Days in Mariupol, Mstyslav Chernov’s chilling account of the siege of the Ukrainian port city, a Russian tank marked with the ominous ‘Z’ swivels its turret toward a hospital. On an upper floor of the building, Chernov and his small team record as the cannon slowly rotates towards them, preparing to fire.
“The tank did shoot the hospital right above the floor we were at,” he says. “It hit between the fifth and sixth floors and a patient was killed with that shell.”
It was one of many times he put his life at risk to show the Russian army’s destruction of the city and its systematic targeting of civilians. He remembers feeling his life was about to end.
“Exactly in that moment in the film, this moment of uncertainty, the moment when tanks are shooting at the residential areas, when the hospital...
“The tank did shoot the hospital right above the floor we were at,” he says. “It hit between the fifth and sixth floors and a patient was killed with that shell.”
It was one of many times he put his life at risk to show the Russian army’s destruction of the city and its systematic targeting of civilians. He remembers feeling his life was about to end.
“Exactly in that moment in the film, this moment of uncertainty, the moment when tanks are shooting at the residential areas, when the hospital...
- 2/21/2024
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
The International Documentary Association (IDA), Cinema Eye Honors and Gotham Awards have delivered their verdicts on the top feature docs of the year. And, for the streamers, it’s a grim result.
Absent from the Gothams’ doc feature selections, the Cinema Eye’s top feature and director noms and the IDA’s 17-title shortlist are titles from Netflix, Prime Video and Apple TV+.
The lists read, in the words of one leading awards publicist, “like a giant fuck-you to Netflix.” And with Oscar campaigning in high gear, they pose the question: Is a streamer backlash brewing?
The Gotham noms are mostly non-u.S. productions, including Kino Lorber’s Four Daughters, PBS’ 20 Days in Mariupol and Cinema Guild’s Our Body. Likewise, the IDA’s shortlisted titles included Morocco’s The Mother of All Lies, Colombia’s Anhell69, South African artist portrait Milisuthando, the CBC-backed Twice Colonized and the BBC-backed,...
Absent from the Gothams’ doc feature selections, the Cinema Eye’s top feature and director noms and the IDA’s 17-title shortlist are titles from Netflix, Prime Video and Apple TV+.
The lists read, in the words of one leading awards publicist, “like a giant fuck-you to Netflix.” And with Oscar campaigning in high gear, they pose the question: Is a streamer backlash brewing?
The Gotham noms are mostly non-u.S. productions, including Kino Lorber’s Four Daughters, PBS’ 20 Days in Mariupol and Cinema Guild’s Our Body. Likewise, the IDA’s shortlisted titles included Morocco’s The Mother of All Lies, Colombia’s Anhell69, South African artist portrait Milisuthando, the CBC-backed Twice Colonized and the BBC-backed,...
- 12/14/2023
- by Adam Benzine
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Netflix has debuted the trailer for the sporting documentary on the iconic English Footballer, ‘Beckham.’
The four-part documentary series, tells the inside story of a global football star and cultural icon. David Beckham is one of the most known names on the planet, yet few people know who he really is. From his humble working-class beginnings in east London, his drive and determination to win, and the battle to find balance between ambition, love and family, David’s story is one of immense ups and downs. The series takes you on that rollercoaster and builds a surprising, personal and definitive story of one of the most recognisable and scrutinised athletes of all time.
Academy Award-winner Fisher Stevens along with Academy Award and Emmy Award-winning producer John Battsek are granted unprecedented access to David, his wife Victoria, his family, his friends and his team-mates. The result is an intimate portrait of...
The four-part documentary series, tells the inside story of a global football star and cultural icon. David Beckham is one of the most known names on the planet, yet few people know who he really is. From his humble working-class beginnings in east London, his drive and determination to win, and the battle to find balance between ambition, love and family, David’s story is one of immense ups and downs. The series takes you on that rollercoaster and builds a surprising, personal and definitive story of one of the most recognisable and scrutinised athletes of all time.
Academy Award-winner Fisher Stevens along with Academy Award and Emmy Award-winning producer John Battsek are granted unprecedented access to David, his wife Victoria, his family, his friends and his team-mates. The result is an intimate portrait of...
- 9/20/2023
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
German nonprofit organization Cinema for Peace honored Pope Francis and documentary filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky in a private ceremony at the Vatican on Tuesday night for their work in support of Ukraine’s fight against the ongoing Russian invasion, with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also named as an honoree.
Founded in 2008, Cinema for Peace supports film-based projects that tackle global humanitarian and environmental issues, and is most famous for financing an emergency airlift for Russian anti-corruption activist and outspoken Vladimir Putin critic Alexei Navalny in 2020 after he was poisoned with a nerve agent.
“There has not been a single day, since the full-scale war started last year, in which Pope Francis has not helped victims of the invasion of Ukraine. From going to Russian Embassy by himself on the first day of the full-scale invasion to ask the Ambassador of Russia to help reach Putin and stop this bloodshed, to asking...
Founded in 2008, Cinema for Peace supports film-based projects that tackle global humanitarian and environmental issues, and is most famous for financing an emergency airlift for Russian anti-corruption activist and outspoken Vladimir Putin critic Alexei Navalny in 2020 after he was poisoned with a nerve agent.
“There has not been a single day, since the full-scale war started last year, in which Pope Francis has not helped victims of the invasion of Ukraine. From going to Russian Embassy by himself on the first day of the full-scale invasion to ask the Ambassador of Russia to help reach Putin and stop this bloodshed, to asking...
- 6/29/2023
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Netflix executive Lisa Nishimura backed some of the streamer’s biggest successes – Tiger King, The Tinder Swindler, The Power of the Dog, Making a Murderer, and American Factory – but in an era of corporate cost-cutting, it wasn’t enough to save her job.
Related Story Netflix Vets Lisa Nishimura & Ian Bricke Depart In Film Group Reorg Related Story Omar Epps Boards Netflix's Limited Series 'The Perfect Couple' Related Story IFC Center's John Vanco Joins Netflix To Oversee Programming For Streamer's Theaters
Her imminent departure as VP of independent film and documentary features, after a 16-year stint at Netflix, has come as a particular shock to the nonfiction film community, which saw her build Netflix into a dominant force in documentary and become, in the process, one of Netflix’s most visible execs.
(L-r) Lisa Nishimura, Taylor Swift and Ted Sarandos attend the Netflix 2019 Golden Globes After Party
“Lisa...
Related Story Netflix Vets Lisa Nishimura & Ian Bricke Depart In Film Group Reorg Related Story Omar Epps Boards Netflix's Limited Series 'The Perfect Couple' Related Story IFC Center's John Vanco Joins Netflix To Oversee Programming For Streamer's Theaters
Her imminent departure as VP of independent film and documentary features, after a 16-year stint at Netflix, has come as a particular shock to the nonfiction film community, which saw her build Netflix into a dominant force in documentary and become, in the process, one of Netflix’s most visible execs.
(L-r) Lisa Nishimura, Taylor Swift and Ted Sarandos attend the Netflix 2019 Golden Globes After Party
“Lisa...
- 3/31/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
This is the third of three dispatches from the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. You can read the first here and the second here.
As always, the final days of the fest were considerably lower-key than those before them, with much of the press having departed and most of the buzzy films having screened. The homestretch, however, is when lower-profile gems are often discovered, as I was reminded by a few screenings.
The world premiere of the documentary feature Freedom on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom (still seeking U.S. distribution), Evgeny Afineevsky’s follow-up to his 2015 Oscar-nominated Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom, proved to be the definitive portrait, thus far, of the ongoing Russian atrocities — and remarkable resistance to them — in Ukraine. Afineevsky, who was born in Russia, made the entire film in the last six months, spending a chunk of...
This is the third of three dispatches from the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. You can read the first here and the second here.
As always, the final days of the fest were considerably lower-key than those before them, with much of the press having departed and most of the buzzy films having screened. The homestretch, however, is when lower-profile gems are often discovered, as I was reminded by a few screenings.
The world premiere of the documentary feature Freedom on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom (still seeking U.S. distribution), Evgeny Afineevsky’s follow-up to his 2015 Oscar-nominated Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom, proved to be the definitive portrait, thus far, of the ongoing Russian atrocities — and remarkable resistance to them — in Ukraine. Afineevsky, who was born in Russia, made the entire film in the last six months, spending a chunk of...
- 9/19/2022
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Click here to read the full article.
The Scad Savannah Film Festival, which takes place at the Savannah College of Art and Design each year shortly before the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences votes to determine its Oscar shortlists, and which has become a premier showcase for documentary programming, in particular, has revealed the names of the 10 documentary features that it will highlight on this year’s edition of its celebrated Docs to Watch panel.
The one-of-a-kind Docs to Watch gathering, which features discussion about the challenges and rewards of documentary filmmaking, will take place at the Lucas Theatre on the evening of Wednesday, Oct. 26, midway through the 25th edition of the fest, which will run from Oct. 22 through Oct. 29. For the ninth year in a row, it will be presented by The Hollywood Reporter and moderated by yours truly.
The films represented on the panel will be:...
The Scad Savannah Film Festival, which takes place at the Savannah College of Art and Design each year shortly before the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences votes to determine its Oscar shortlists, and which has become a premier showcase for documentary programming, in particular, has revealed the names of the 10 documentary features that it will highlight on this year’s edition of its celebrated Docs to Watch panel.
The one-of-a-kind Docs to Watch gathering, which features discussion about the challenges and rewards of documentary filmmaking, will take place at the Lucas Theatre on the evening of Wednesday, Oct. 26, midway through the 25th edition of the fest, which will run from Oct. 22 through Oct. 29. For the ninth year in a row, it will be presented by The Hollywood Reporter and moderated by yours truly.
The films represented on the panel will be:...
- 9/16/2022
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A few minutes before the North American premiere of “Freedom on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom,” director Evgeny Afineesvky summed up his state of mind in a single word: “exhausted.”
That makes sense, because “Freedom on Fire” screened at the Toronto International Film Festival about six months after Afineevsky and his team began working on it, barely more than a month after its final footage was filmed and only a few weeks after Helen Mirren recorded narration for a scene that comes early in the documentary.
For Afineevsky, who landed Oscar and Emmy nominations for 2015’s “Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom,” this sequel of sorts was made in a six-month rush, including just three months of editing after Russian forces invaded Ukraine in February of this year. “The urgency of the movie,” the Russian-born director told the audience before the Tuesday morning TIFF screening, “is to not neglect the situation right now.
That makes sense, because “Freedom on Fire” screened at the Toronto International Film Festival about six months after Afineevsky and his team began working on it, barely more than a month after its final footage was filmed and only a few weeks after Helen Mirren recorded narration for a scene that comes early in the documentary.
For Afineevsky, who landed Oscar and Emmy nominations for 2015’s “Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom,” this sequel of sorts was made in a six-month rush, including just three months of editing after Russian forces invaded Ukraine in February of this year. “The urgency of the movie,” the Russian-born director told the audience before the Tuesday morning TIFF screening, “is to not neglect the situation right now.
- 9/13/2022
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
A documentary titled “Freedom on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom” doesn’t seem like a place for understatement, but it’s filled with moments where victims of the war in Ukraine turn to the camera and plainly speak devastating truths. In one such moment Maria, a television journalist, turns to the camera and near-whispers, “War remains incomprehensible.”
Evgeny Afineevsky’s sequel to Maidan Uprising doc “Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom” takes place in the early stages of the invasion of Ukraine. We begin with an effective but frantically paced animated summary of Ukraine’s history, beginning 1,200 years ago and through wars, occupations, and catastrophes. No matter what borders took hold or occupying forces said, the film maps out how Ukraine became its own distinct country that refused to be swallowed whole by Russia.
From there, “Freedom on Fire” employs a more traditional documentary structure, cutting between interviews, phone audio,...
Evgeny Afineevsky’s sequel to Maidan Uprising doc “Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom” takes place in the early stages of the invasion of Ukraine. We begin with an effective but frantically paced animated summary of Ukraine’s history, beginning 1,200 years ago and through wars, occupations, and catastrophes. No matter what borders took hold or occupying forces said, the film maps out how Ukraine became its own distinct country that refused to be swallowed whole by Russia.
From there, “Freedom on Fire” employs a more traditional documentary structure, cutting between interviews, phone audio,...
- 9/7/2022
- by Leila Latif
- Indiewire
The Ukrainian cast and crew of Luxembourg, Luxembourg — premiering in the Horizons section of the Venice Film Festival — today used their Lido photo call as a powerful call for support of Ukraine’s families.
In connection with the theme of the movie, director Antonio Lukich and team held up a series of pictures from classic films featuring a strong father and son relationship, and in which the father’s image was obscured. This while posing with banners that read “Imagine movies without fathers” and “Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, thousands of Ukrainian children have been left without parents.”
Luxembourg, Luxembourg follows twin Ukrainian brothers who set out on a journey to the titular country upon learning their long-absent father is sick in the capital.
In a statement, the filmmakers said, “We want to attract the attention to the problem with which we, as Ukrainians, will be faced after...
In connection with the theme of the movie, director Antonio Lukich and team held up a series of pictures from classic films featuring a strong father and son relationship, and in which the father’s image was obscured. This while posing with banners that read “Imagine movies without fathers” and “Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, thousands of Ukrainian children have been left without parents.”
Luxembourg, Luxembourg follows twin Ukrainian brothers who set out on a journey to the titular country upon learning their long-absent father is sick in the capital.
In a statement, the filmmakers said, “We want to attract the attention to the problem with which we, as Ukrainians, will be faced after...
- 9/7/2022
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
On the eve of the 79th Venice Film Festival, where his powerful Ukraine war documentary “Freedom on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom” will premiere out of competition on Sept. 7, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky was in a frantic race against time.
Footage was still being shot in Ukraine into the second week of August, with Afineevsky only completing the film on Aug. 31 — the same day that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the A-list celebrities and foreign press at the festival’s opening ceremony, urging the world not to forget the war in Ukraine with the impassioned plea: “Don’t turn your back to us.”
While Hollywood stars like Julianne Moore, Adam Driver and Tessa Thompson have lit up the red carpet in Venice and Timothée Chalamet has sparked Chala-mania on the Lido, Afineevsky has been working ‘round-the-clock to make sure the world is still watching Ukraine.
“It’s important not...
Footage was still being shot in Ukraine into the second week of August, with Afineevsky only completing the film on Aug. 31 — the same day that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the A-list celebrities and foreign press at the festival’s opening ceremony, urging the world not to forget the war in Ukraine with the impassioned plea: “Don’t turn your back to us.”
While Hollywood stars like Julianne Moore, Adam Driver and Tessa Thompson have lit up the red carpet in Venice and Timothée Chalamet has sparked Chala-mania on the Lido, Afineevsky has been working ‘round-the-clock to make sure the world is still watching Ukraine.
“It’s important not...
- 9/4/2022
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Academy Award-nominated Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom producer Den Tolmor is creating a feature based on Wali, the Canadian ‘lone wolf’ sniper who spent the first two months of the Ukrainian war fighting the Russians.
Provisionally titled The Good Fight, Tolmor, who has spent much time filming in Ukraine since the 2014 annexation of Crimea, is penning with Nicholas Klein (The Million Dollar Hotel). He hopes to start shooting later this year and the pic is currently part funded.
The film is inspired by the man nicknamed Wali, an excellent ‘lone wolf’ sniper who has also spent time fighting in Syria. He travelled to Ukraine from late February to early May and, although the Russians claimed they had killed him, he resurfaced in Canada shortly afterwards.
The Good Fight tells the story of a retired Navy Seal who travels to Ukraine to see his son before the outbreak...
Provisionally titled The Good Fight, Tolmor, who has spent much time filming in Ukraine since the 2014 annexation of Crimea, is penning with Nicholas Klein (The Million Dollar Hotel). He hopes to start shooting later this year and the pic is currently part funded.
The film is inspired by the man nicknamed Wali, an excellent ‘lone wolf’ sniper who has also spent time fighting in Syria. He travelled to Ukraine from late February to early May and, although the Russians claimed they had killed him, he resurfaced in Canada shortly afterwards.
The Good Fight tells the story of a retired Navy Seal who travels to Ukraine to see his son before the outbreak...
- 8/9/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: The final TV show to be filmed in Ukraine before the war commenced is nearing completion in a bomb shelter.
Porn, I Love You, a rare U.S./Ukraine co-production from Netflix’s Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight For Freedom producer Den Tolmor, was filmed in Kyiv just prior to the war starting and editors, sound designers, composers, directors and others are now putting the finishing touches in the shelter.
These shelters have doubled up to serve a number of functions over the past three months while, in the reverse, Film.UA’s Ukraine studio has itself been used as a bomb shelter.
U.S. distributor Propagate is already shopping Porn, I Love You to buyers, with the hope that they will see the intense work that has gone into the show and appreciate its comic appeal at a time of hardship for the nation that won the coveted Eurovision Song Contest earlier this month.
Porn, I Love You, a rare U.S./Ukraine co-production from Netflix’s Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight For Freedom producer Den Tolmor, was filmed in Kyiv just prior to the war starting and editors, sound designers, composers, directors and others are now putting the finishing touches in the shelter.
These shelters have doubled up to serve a number of functions over the past three months while, in the reverse, Film.UA’s Ukraine studio has itself been used as a bomb shelter.
U.S. distributor Propagate is already shopping Porn, I Love You to buyers, with the hope that they will see the intense work that has gone into the show and appreciate its comic appeal at a time of hardship for the nation that won the coveted Eurovision Song Contest earlier this month.
- 5/25/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
A panel composed of representatives from A-list festivals got together on Sunday for an online talk staged by documentary film festival Visions du Réel to discuss the place of documentary films at their events.
The speakers were Giulia D’Agnolo Vallan, U.S. programmer and selection committee member of the Venice Film Festival, Cristina Nord, head of the Berlinale Forum, Eva Sangiorgi, director of the Viennale, and Frédéric Boyer, artistic director of the Tribeca Film Festival.
Asked to outline their selection criteria, most panelists agreed theirs was a director-driven approach based on individual submissions.
“It’s first and foremost about inviting films that are truly inspiring and ground-breaking: it’s always interesting when you discover something that you haven’t seen before,” said Nord, adding that documentaries hold a significant place in the Berlinale’s independently curated, experimental Forum section, where they represent roughly half of the films selected.
“Our objective...
The speakers were Giulia D’Agnolo Vallan, U.S. programmer and selection committee member of the Venice Film Festival, Cristina Nord, head of the Berlinale Forum, Eva Sangiorgi, director of the Viennale, and Frédéric Boyer, artistic director of the Tribeca Film Festival.
Asked to outline their selection criteria, most panelists agreed theirs was a director-driven approach based on individual submissions.
“It’s first and foremost about inviting films that are truly inspiring and ground-breaking: it’s always interesting when you discover something that you haven’t seen before,” said Nord, adding that documentaries hold a significant place in the Berlinale’s independently curated, experimental Forum section, where they represent roughly half of the films selected.
“Our objective...
- 4/12/2022
- by Lise Pedersen
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix has suspended its service in Russia to protest the country’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Earlier this week, the streaming service had announced that it would pause all future projects and acquisitions from Russia, joining a growing list of companies that have cut ties with the country. Netflix had four Russian originals in the works, including a crime thriller series directed by Dasha Zhuk, which was shooting and has since been put on hold. Netflix also recently refused to carry 20 Russian free-to-air propaganda channels that it was required to host under Russian law.
Now, the company is taking an additional step in shutting down its service entirely.
“Given the circumstances on the ground, we have decided to suspend our service in Russia,” a spokesperson for Netflix said.
The economic blowback that Russia has faced in the wake of its decision to go to war with Ukraine has been intense.
Earlier this week, the streaming service had announced that it would pause all future projects and acquisitions from Russia, joining a growing list of companies that have cut ties with the country. Netflix had four Russian originals in the works, including a crime thriller series directed by Dasha Zhuk, which was shooting and has since been put on hold. Netflix also recently refused to carry 20 Russian free-to-air propaganda channels that it was required to host under Russian law.
Now, the company is taking an additional step in shutting down its service entirely.
“Given the circumstances on the ground, we have decided to suspend our service in Russia,” a spokesperson for Netflix said.
The economic blowback that Russia has faced in the wake of its decision to go to war with Ukraine has been intense.
- 3/6/2022
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Amid the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Netflix co-founder, chairman, and co-ceo Reed Hastings announced a $1 million donation to Razom for Ukraine, a non-profit emergency relief organization to aid civilians.
“$1m donation on the way for emergency relief to Razom, thanks to @evgeny_director,” Hastings tweeted March 2, crediting “Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom” director Evgeny Afineevsky for connecting him with the foundation. “Every dollar helps.”
Netflix also announced that it would pause all productions and acquisitions out of Russia in the wake of its military attacks on Ukraine. Netflix reportedly had four Russian original projects in the works, including its first original series filmed in Russia, neo-noir mystery series “Zato.”
Russian-born, Israeli-American filmmaker Afineevsky directed Netflix’s 2015 Oscar-nominated documentary “Winter on Fire,” capturing the unrest in Ukraine as student demonstrations supporting European integration led to calls for the resignation of President Viktor F. Yanukovich.
“I wish Netflix would relaunch a campaign for the film,...
“$1m donation on the way for emergency relief to Razom, thanks to @evgeny_director,” Hastings tweeted March 2, crediting “Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom” director Evgeny Afineevsky for connecting him with the foundation. “Every dollar helps.”
Netflix also announced that it would pause all productions and acquisitions out of Russia in the wake of its military attacks on Ukraine. Netflix reportedly had four Russian original projects in the works, including its first original series filmed in Russia, neo-noir mystery series “Zato.”
Russian-born, Israeli-American filmmaker Afineevsky directed Netflix’s 2015 Oscar-nominated documentary “Winter on Fire,” capturing the unrest in Ukraine as student demonstrations supporting European integration led to calls for the resignation of President Viktor F. Yanukovich.
“I wish Netflix would relaunch a campaign for the film,...
- 3/3/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Just hours after Deadline reported that Netflix is pausing all of its production and acquisitions work in Russia, the company’s co-founder, chairman and co-ceo Reed Hastings announced a $1 million donation to an organization providing emergency relief to Ukraine.
“$1m donation on the way for emergency relief to Razom,” wrote the Netflix exec, “thanks to @evgeny_director. Every dollar helps.”
$1m donation on the way for emergency relief to Razom, thanks to @evgeny_director. Every dollar helps.
— Reed Hastings (@reedhastings) March 2, 2022
“@evgeny_director” is Russian-born Evgeny Afineevsky, who directed the Oscar-nominated documentary Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom for Netflix in 2015. The film documents the unrest in Ukraine in 2013 and 2014 as student demonstrations supporting European integration grew into a violent revolution calling for the resignation of President Viktor F. Yanukovich, an movement that is not unrelated to the Russian invasion and the stiff resistance it now faces.
“These people will not be slaves.
“$1m donation on the way for emergency relief to Razom,” wrote the Netflix exec, “thanks to @evgeny_director. Every dollar helps.”
$1m donation on the way for emergency relief to Razom, thanks to @evgeny_director. Every dollar helps.
— Reed Hastings (@reedhastings) March 2, 2022
“@evgeny_director” is Russian-born Evgeny Afineevsky, who directed the Oscar-nominated documentary Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom for Netflix in 2015. The film documents the unrest in Ukraine in 2013 and 2014 as student demonstrations supporting European integration grew into a violent revolution calling for the resignation of President Viktor F. Yanukovich, an movement that is not unrelated to the Russian invasion and the stiff resistance it now faces.
“These people will not be slaves.
- 3/3/2022
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
At home in Studio City, California, filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky carefully unfolds a blue and white Ukrainian flag. The once bright hues are darkened with soot, the fabric frayed at the edges.
The banner sustained those battle scars in 2014 as it flew over Maidan Square in Kyiv, in the midst of a revolution to oust a pro-Russian leader and to reestablish Ukraine as a true democratic republic. Afineevsky was on hand as the drama unfolded, documenting it for his Oscar-nominated film Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom. As Ukraine attempts to stave off a Russian attack on the country, he says the invaders will learn how attached Ukrainians have become to liberty in the past eight years.
“These people will not be slaves. They will not go back into the former Soviet Union,” Afineevsky insists. “They have a taste of freedom. They became a part of the European society, and...
The banner sustained those battle scars in 2014 as it flew over Maidan Square in Kyiv, in the midst of a revolution to oust a pro-Russian leader and to reestablish Ukraine as a true democratic republic. Afineevsky was on hand as the drama unfolded, documenting it for his Oscar-nominated film Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom. As Ukraine attempts to stave off a Russian attack on the country, he says the invaders will learn how attached Ukrainians have become to liberty in the past eight years.
“These people will not be slaves. They will not go back into the former Soviet Union,” Afineevsky insists. “They have a taste of freedom. They became a part of the European society, and...
- 2/28/2022
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
As Russia launched its military assault across Ukraine this week, reports circulated about citizens of the besieged nation gripped by sudden fear for their lives as many explored frantic escape options. In the midst of these dire circumstances, however, modern events suggest a lingering spirit of defiance. From November 2013 to February 2014, tens of thousands of activists occupied Maidan Square in Kiev to protest pro-Putin prime minister Viktor Yanukovych’s efforts to prevent Ukraine from entering the European Union.
Despite violent pushback from government forces, the so-called “Euromaidan” protests ultimately forced Yanukovych to flee the country. Ukraine has been planning to apply to join the EU in 2024.
These dramatic circumstances are captured in alarming closeup in the 2015 Oscar-nominated documentary “Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom.” Israeli-American director Evgeny Afineevsky dispatched a large team of cinematographers to the scene of the protests, illustrating the intensity of the circumstances with shocking, moment-to-moment detail.
Despite violent pushback from government forces, the so-called “Euromaidan” protests ultimately forced Yanukovych to flee the country. Ukraine has been planning to apply to join the EU in 2024.
These dramatic circumstances are captured in alarming closeup in the 2015 Oscar-nominated documentary “Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom.” Israeli-American director Evgeny Afineevsky dispatched a large team of cinematographers to the scene of the protests, illustrating the intensity of the circumstances with shocking, moment-to-moment detail.
- 2/24/2022
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Pope Francis Greets Afghans And Other Refugees After Vatican Screening Of Discovery+ Doc ‘Francesco’
Exclusive: A group of 200 refugees and immigrants, some newly arrived from Afghanistan, attended a special Vatican screening of the discovery+ documentary Francesco Monday night, and later met with Pope Francis himself.
“When the movie finished he was downstairs waiting for them,” Oscar-nominated director Evgeny Afineevsky told Deadline following the screening in the Vatican’s New Synod Hall. “He wanted to meet everybody and greet everybody… He is a human being who cherishes being close to the people, cherishes the moment he can spread love, joy in their lives–not easy lives. And he always remembers that he can be in their place [as a refugee]. He said it many, many times, ‘It can be you or me.’”
Afineevsky’s film, which already is available in the A.M.P.A.S. screening room for Oscar voters across all branches to see, examines the pope’s engagement with the world’s most pressing moral and ethical problems,...
“When the movie finished he was downstairs waiting for them,” Oscar-nominated director Evgeny Afineevsky told Deadline following the screening in the Vatican’s New Synod Hall. “He wanted to meet everybody and greet everybody… He is a human being who cherishes being close to the people, cherishes the moment he can spread love, joy in their lives–not easy lives. And he always remembers that he can be in their place [as a refugee]. He said it many, many times, ‘It can be you or me.’”
Afineevsky’s film, which already is available in the A.M.P.A.S. screening room for Oscar voters across all branches to see, examines the pope’s engagement with the world’s most pressing moral and ethical problems,...
- 9/7/2021
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Some of the documentary features vying for 2021 Emmys may seem familiar. That’s because a bunch of them pushed through the ultra-long Oscar season last year, and some landed on the Oscar shortlist of 15, only to be left off the final five nominations. Last year’s revised Emmy rules dictate that no Oscar nominees will be chasing one of two Primetime Emmy Award categories for features, Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special or Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking. That’s why you can count out of the Emmy running the Oscar-winning “My Octopus Teacher” (Netflix) and four nominees “Collective” (Magnolia), “Time” (Amazon), “Crip Camp” (Netflix), and “The Mole Agent” (Gravitas Ventures).
Last year, the Television Academy forged a stronger divide between the Emmy Awards and the Oscars to clear up some of the confusion that has reigned as movies have double-dipped from one to the other. The Academy has done its...
Last year, the Television Academy forged a stronger divide between the Emmy Awards and the Oscars to clear up some of the confusion that has reigned as movies have double-dipped from one to the other. The Academy has done its...
- 6/14/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Some of the documentary features vying for 2021 Emmys may seem familiar. That’s because a bunch of them pushed through the ultra-long Oscar season last year, and some landed on the Oscar shortlist of 15, only to be left off the final five nominations. Last year’s revised Emmy rules dictate that no Oscar nominees will be chasing one of two Primetime Emmy Award categories for features, Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special or Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking. That’s why you can count out of the Emmy running the Oscar-winning “My Octopus Teacher” (Netflix) and four nominees “Collective” (Magnolia), “Time” (Amazon), “Crip Camp” (Netflix), and “The Mole Agent” (Gravitas Ventures).
Last year, the Television Academy forged a stronger divide between the Emmy Awards and the Oscars to clear up some of the confusion that has reigned as movies have double-dipped from one to the other. The Academy has done its...
Last year, the Television Academy forged a stronger divide between the Emmy Awards and the Oscars to clear up some of the confusion that has reigned as movies have double-dipped from one to the other. The Academy has done its...
- 6/14/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Evgeny Afineevsky’s documentary on Pope Francis goes one further than the recent Wim Wenders film by discussing child abuse, but is still another baffling act of hagiography
Pope Francis was recently bathed in movie love, courtesy of Fernando Meirelles’s The Two Popes, with its excellent performances from Jonathan Pryce as Pope Francis, and Anthony Hopkins as the now emeritus Pope Benedict XVI; this film sentimentally imagined a pontiff bromance between the outgoing conservative and incoming liberal. The truth might be more complicated. Before that, there was Wim Wenders’s deeply respectful documentary Pope Francis: A Man of His Word, which paid tribute to Francis’s new engagement with issues such as the climate crisis, refugees and inequality.
Now there is another docu-celebration, from the Oscar-nominated director Evgeny Afineevsky (Winter on Fire), who perhaps has had direct interview access with his subject, though it isn’t clear; there is...
Pope Francis was recently bathed in movie love, courtesy of Fernando Meirelles’s The Two Popes, with its excellent performances from Jonathan Pryce as Pope Francis, and Anthony Hopkins as the now emeritus Pope Benedict XVI; this film sentimentally imagined a pontiff bromance between the outgoing conservative and incoming liberal. The truth might be more complicated. Before that, there was Wim Wenders’s deeply respectful documentary Pope Francis: A Man of His Word, which paid tribute to Francis’s new engagement with issues such as the climate crisis, refugees and inequality.
Now there is another docu-celebration, from the Oscar-nominated director Evgeny Afineevsky (Winter on Fire), who perhaps has had direct interview access with his subject, though it isn’t clear; there is...
- 3/26/2021
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
“Francesco,” a comprehensive documentary about Pope Francis with unprecedented access to the The Vatican, will air on Discovery on March 28, to mark the start of Holy Week. The film was directed by Israeli-American filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky, who received Oscar and Emmy nominations for 2015’s “Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom.” “Francesco” premiered at the Rome Film Festival, where Discovery+ acquired it as part of the channel’s ambitious new documentary film slate.
“”From the beginning, I got a green light from The Vatican, I never had any restrictions. I had full freedom,” Afineevsky said during Discovery’s session of the TCA’s ongoing winter press tour.
Though he had no restrictions, the film does not address any right-to-life issues, including abortion access or physician-assisted death.
“It was more important to not focus on the Catholic Church, but to focus on the global issues that are related to humanity, that...
“”From the beginning, I got a green light from The Vatican, I never had any restrictions. I had full freedom,” Afineevsky said during Discovery’s session of the TCA’s ongoing winter press tour.
Though he had no restrictions, the film does not address any right-to-life issues, including abortion access or physician-assisted death.
“It was more important to not focus on the Catholic Church, but to focus on the global issues that are related to humanity, that...
- 2/11/2021
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Pope Francis is coming to Discovery+ in time for Easter.
The subscription streamer said Wednesday that it has acquired Evgeny Afineevsky’s documentary Francesco, an exploration of the pope’s ministry and moral leadership in a time of surging right-wing populist movements, a worldwide refugee crisis, and the Covid-19 pandemic. Discovery+ will begin streaming Francesco globally on Sunday, March 28, the start of Holy Week, which leads up to Easter on April 4.
“It is an honor to host the global premiere of Francesco on Discovery+, spotlighting an intimate look at one of the world’s most beloved and influential leaders, Pope Francis,” said Lisa Holme, group SVP of content and commercial strategy at Discovery, in a statement. “We are thrilled to work with a powerful storyteller like Evgeny on this important project, which is emblematic of our ability to expand our documentary programming aperture on Discovery+ to serve subscribers around the...
The subscription streamer said Wednesday that it has acquired Evgeny Afineevsky’s documentary Francesco, an exploration of the pope’s ministry and moral leadership in a time of surging right-wing populist movements, a worldwide refugee crisis, and the Covid-19 pandemic. Discovery+ will begin streaming Francesco globally on Sunday, March 28, the start of Holy Week, which leads up to Easter on April 4.
“It is an honor to host the global premiere of Francesco on Discovery+, spotlighting an intimate look at one of the world’s most beloved and influential leaders, Pope Francis,” said Lisa Holme, group SVP of content and commercial strategy at Discovery, in a statement. “We are thrilled to work with a powerful storyteller like Evgeny on this important project, which is emblematic of our ability to expand our documentary programming aperture on Discovery+ to serve subscribers around the...
- 1/27/2021
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Francesco, a documentary feature about Pope Francis that premiered at last October’s Rome Film Festival to strong notices and had the whole world talking about the pontiff’s comments regarding gay Catholics, has been acquired by discovery+, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The film will be released in virtual cinemas ahead of its debut on discovery+ on Sunday, March 28, which marks the start of Holy Week.
The deal was negotiated by ICM Partners on behalf of the filmmakers.
Directed and produced by the Oscar-nominated filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky (Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom), who received unprecedented access to the Pope and ...
The film will be released in virtual cinemas ahead of its debut on discovery+ on Sunday, March 28, which marks the start of Holy Week.
The deal was negotiated by ICM Partners on behalf of the filmmakers.
Directed and produced by the Oscar-nominated filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky (Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom), who received unprecedented access to the Pope and ...
- 1/27/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Francesco, a documentary feature about Pope Francis that premiered at last October’s Rome Film Festival to strong notices and had the whole world talking about the pontiff’s comments regarding gay Catholics, has been acquired by discovery+, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The film will be released in virtual cinemas ahead of its debut on discovery+ on Sunday, March 28, which marks the start of Holy Week.
The deal was negotiated by ICM Partners on behalf of the filmmakers.
Directed and produced by the Oscar-nominated filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky (Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom), who received unprecedented access to the ...
The film will be released in virtual cinemas ahead of its debut on discovery+ on Sunday, March 28, which marks the start of Holy Week.
The deal was negotiated by ICM Partners on behalf of the filmmakers.
Directed and produced by the Oscar-nominated filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky (Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom), who received unprecedented access to the ...
- 1/27/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Four years ago, Doc NYC was the first major film festival after the election. It was an appropriate time for the country’s largest showcasing of non-fiction cinema, much of which speaks to some of the most pressing issues of our time. That’s true again this year, but the mood is likely to be quite different, and so is the experience as a whole. Like most of the festival circuit this year, Doc NYC is going virtual, which means that people across America can stream all 108 features and 92 shorts over the course of eight packed days.
The lineup encompasses a wide range of subjects, from activism to police brutality and the role of creativity to parse an increasingly complex world. Here are 11 highlights. Browse the full lineup and purchase tickets here. Doc NYC runs November 11-19.
“A La Calle”
Following in the tradition of revolutionary documentaries like “The Square” and “Winter on Fire,...
The lineup encompasses a wide range of subjects, from activism to police brutality and the role of creativity to parse an increasingly complex world. Here are 11 highlights. Browse the full lineup and purchase tickets here. Doc NYC runs November 11-19.
“A La Calle”
Following in the tradition of revolutionary documentaries like “The Square” and “Winter on Fire,...
- 11/10/2020
- by Eric Kohn, Kate Erbland, Chris O'Falt, Tambay Obenson and Jude Dry
- Indiewire
It’s the rare documentary film premiere that triggers worldwide headlines, but that’s what has happened with Evgeny Afineevsky’s Francesco. The film about Pope Francis debuted at the Rome Film Festival today and first the Catholic press and then secular media picked up on something the pope told Afineevsky in the film: Gay people should be allowed to form civil unions.
The Catholic Church traditionally has been hostile to homosexual activity, calling it “deviant behavior.” It has preached acceptance of gay people but called the idea of conferring legal status on same sex unions an attack on the family. What Pope Francis told Afineevsky contradicted that orthodoxy.
“Homosexuals have a right to be a part of the family. They’re children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out, or be made miserable because of it,” the pope says in Francesco. “What...
The Catholic Church traditionally has been hostile to homosexual activity, calling it “deviant behavior.” It has preached acceptance of gay people but called the idea of conferring legal status on same sex unions an attack on the family. What Pope Francis told Afineevsky contradicted that orthodoxy.
“Homosexuals have a right to be a part of the family. They’re children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out, or be made miserable because of it,” the pope says in Francesco. “What...
- 10/21/2020
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Pope Francis has called for civil union laws for same-sex couples in what experts consider to be his most explicit statement yet on the hot button issue, unveiled as part of a new documentary that world premiered Wednesday at the Rome Film Festival.
In “Francesco,” directed by U.S.-based helmer Evgeny Afineevsky (“Winter on Fire”), the pontiff also says that “homosexuals have a right to be part of the family,” as quoted by the Catholic News Agency.
Regarding same-sex civil unions, the Vatican-aligned news outlet also quotes Pope Francis as saying that “what we have to create is a civil union law,” and adding, “That way, they are legally covered. I stood up for that.”
Though Francis is known to have supported civil unions for gay couples in lieu of same-sex marriages when he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires, experts say he had never spoken so clearly about supporting...
In “Francesco,” directed by U.S.-based helmer Evgeny Afineevsky (“Winter on Fire”), the pontiff also says that “homosexuals have a right to be part of the family,” as quoted by the Catholic News Agency.
Regarding same-sex civil unions, the Vatican-aligned news outlet also quotes Pope Francis as saying that “what we have to create is a civil union law,” and adding, “That way, they are legally covered. I stood up for that.”
Though Francis is known to have supported civil unions for gay couples in lieu of same-sex marriages when he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires, experts say he had never spoken so clearly about supporting...
- 10/21/2020
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Francesco, a new documentary feature about and featuring unprecedented access to Pope Francis, is set to have its world premiere at the Rome Film Festival on Oct. 21 and its North American premiere at the Savannah Film Festival on Oct. 25.
The Hollywood Reporter is exclusively debuting the trailer for the film (see below), which was directed by Oscar nominee Evgeny Afineevsky (2015’s Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom) and is seeking U.S. distribution.
Filmed with the pope right through June, in the midst of the pandemic, Francesco chronicles the pontiff’s work and candid thoughts on Covid-19, police violence, racism, border ...
The Hollywood Reporter is exclusively debuting the trailer for the film (see below), which was directed by Oscar nominee Evgeny Afineevsky (2015’s Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom) and is seeking U.S. distribution.
Filmed with the pope right through June, in the midst of the pandemic, Francesco chronicles the pontiff’s work and candid thoughts on Covid-19, police violence, racism, border ...
- 10/6/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Francesco, a new documentary feature about and featuring unprecedented access to Pope Francis, is set to have its world premiere at the Rome Film Festival on Oct. 21 and its North American premiere at the Savannah Film Festival on Oct. 25.
The Hollywood Reporter is exclusively debuting the trailer for the film (see below), which was directed by Oscar nominee Evgeny Afineevsky (2015’s Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom) and is seeking U.S. distribution.
Filmed with the Pope right through June, in the midst of the pandemic, Francesco chronicles the pontiff’s work and candid thoughts on Covid-19, police violence, racism, border ...
The Hollywood Reporter is exclusively debuting the trailer for the film (see below), which was directed by Oscar nominee Evgeny Afineevsky (2015’s Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom) and is seeking U.S. distribution.
Filmed with the Pope right through June, in the midst of the pandemic, Francesco chronicles the pontiff’s work and candid thoughts on Covid-19, police violence, racism, border ...
- 10/6/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Acclaimed documentary producer John Battsek, whose credits include Oscar-winner One Day In September and Emmy-winner Manhunt: The Inside Story Of The Hunt for Bin Laden, is making his first foray into podcasts with Audible series Deepcut.
The investigative six part non-fiction series will see Battsek and his new production company Ventureland tackle the complex and controversial cases of four deaths at the Deepcut army barracks in the UK.
The series will examine the deaths of the four young soldiers, found shot dead at the Princes Royal Barracks (Aka Deepcut) in Surrey, England between 1995 and 2002. As their families searched for answers, allegations of bullying, sexual abuse and violence begin to surface and suspicions mounted that evidence had been withheld or destroyed. The incidents led to lengthy legal contests.
Battsek’s team for the series includes investigative journalist Jane MacSorley and former detective chief inspector Colin Sutton who join forces to...
The investigative six part non-fiction series will see Battsek and his new production company Ventureland tackle the complex and controversial cases of four deaths at the Deepcut army barracks in the UK.
The series will examine the deaths of the four young soldiers, found shot dead at the Princes Royal Barracks (Aka Deepcut) in Surrey, England between 1995 and 2002. As their families searched for answers, allegations of bullying, sexual abuse and violence begin to surface and suspicions mounted that evidence had been withheld or destroyed. The incidents led to lengthy legal contests.
Battsek’s team for the series includes investigative journalist Jane MacSorley and former detective chief inspector Colin Sutton who join forces to...
- 5/20/2020
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Oscar-winning producer John Battsek (One Day In September) is exiting Passion Pictures after a stellar 20-year run to launch La and London-based company Ventureland with Kerstin Emhoff, Ali Brown, and director Paul Hunter of U.S. production and commercials firm Prettybird.
Ventureland will produce a range of content across the documentary and scripted spaces but will also work in branded content, technology, music and original IP.
Battsek and Emhoff have previously teamed up to produce Emmy-winning projects Manhunt: The Inside Story Of The Hunt For Bin Laden and The Tillman Story, as well as The Final Year, Sergio and Legion Of Brothers. The duo have worked together on-and-off for more than a decade and the majority of Passion’s U.S. productions have been based out of Prettybird’s La facilities.
Battsek co-founded Passion Pictures Films in 1999 with Andrew Ruhemann and won the company’s first Oscar with One Day In September,...
Ventureland will produce a range of content across the documentary and scripted spaces but will also work in branded content, technology, music and original IP.
Battsek and Emhoff have previously teamed up to produce Emmy-winning projects Manhunt: The Inside Story Of The Hunt For Bin Laden and The Tillman Story, as well as The Final Year, Sergio and Legion Of Brothers. The duo have worked together on-and-off for more than a decade and the majority of Passion’s U.S. productions have been based out of Prettybird’s La facilities.
Battsek co-founded Passion Pictures Films in 1999 with Andrew Ruhemann and won the company’s first Oscar with One Day In September,...
- 1/21/2020
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson will direct “Black Woodstock,” a feature documentary about the Harlem Cultural Festival, Variety has learned.
Held in 1969, the outdoor festival featured performances from some of the leading black musicians of the day — a group of heavy-hitters that includes Sly and the Family Stone, Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, B.B. King, the 5th Dimension, David Ruffin, Mahalia Jackson, the Staple Singers, and Gladys Knight and the Pips. The festival took place one year after the death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, and was intended to celebrate African American culture and politics, as well as to promote black pride and unity.
It unfolded in Harlem’s Mount Morris Park during the same summer that Woodstock captured the attention of the world. Despite drawing over 300,000 people, the Harlem Cultural Festival received virtually no coverage from mainstream media, a staggering omission that Thompson’s film hopes to rectify. “Black Woodstock” will...
Held in 1969, the outdoor festival featured performances from some of the leading black musicians of the day — a group of heavy-hitters that includes Sly and the Family Stone, Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, B.B. King, the 5th Dimension, David Ruffin, Mahalia Jackson, the Staple Singers, and Gladys Knight and the Pips. The festival took place one year after the death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, and was intended to celebrate African American culture and politics, as well as to promote black pride and unity.
It unfolded in Harlem’s Mount Morris Park during the same summer that Woodstock captured the attention of the world. Despite drawing over 300,000 people, the Harlem Cultural Festival received virtually no coverage from mainstream media, a staggering omission that Thompson’s film hopes to rectify. “Black Woodstock” will...
- 12/2/2019
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
"War was never our choice. We were forced into war." HBO has debuted an official trailer for the powerful documentary titled Cries From Syria, described as a "searing, comprehensive account of the Syrian war from the inside out." This looks intense and depressing. Made by the same filmmaker behind the Academy Award nominated doc Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom, director Evgeny Afineevsky takes us inside the Syrian war examining the horrors occurring in that Middle Eastern country. The doc is narrated by Helen Mirren, and also features the original song "Prayers for this World," written by Diane Warren, and recorded by Cher along with The West Los Angeles Children's Choir. This should be mandatory viewing. Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Evgeny Afineevsky's doc Cries From Syria, from HBO's YouTube: Stranded between the opposing forces in the conflict, hundreds of thousands of Syrians have been killed, seven...
- 2/23/2017
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Exclusive: As the U.S. broadcast media remains laser-focused on all things Donald Trump, it’s easy to forget that there’s other news in the world. And we need to take notice of it. Take this clip of Cries From Syria, Evgeny Afineevsky’s documentary that HBO acquired last week and screens at Sundance. The filmmaker’s follow-up to Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom, which scored Oscar and Emmy noms, is a lesson in misery and man’s contempt for his fellow man that…...
- 1/18/2017
- Deadline
Exclusive: As the U.S. broadcast media remains laser-focused on all things Donald Trump, it’s easy to forget that there’s other news in the world. And we need to take notice of it. Take this clip of Cries From Syria, Evgeny Afineevsky’s documentary that HBO acquired last week and screens at Sundance. The filmmaker’s follow-up to Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom, which scored Oscar and Emmy noms, is a lesson in misery and man’s contempt for his fellow man that…...
- 1/18/2017
- Deadline TV
The Suskind family of Life, Animated Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Last year's Doc NYC had ten films in its Short List program make the Oscar Best Documentary shortlist, including Oscar winner Amy, Asif Kapadia's Amy Winehouse doc, and nominees Matthew Heineman's Cartel Land; Joshua Oppenheimer's The Look Of Silence; Nina Simone in Liz Garbus's What Happened, Miss Simone? and Evgeny Afineevsky's Winter On Fire: Ukraine's Fight For Freedom.
Liz Garbus, Morgan Neville and Asif Kapadia Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Morgan Neville and Robert Gordon's Best Of Enemies; Alex Gibney's Going Clear: Scientology And The Prison Of Belief; Davis Guggenheim's He Named Me Malala; Kirby Dick's The Hunting Ground, and Michael Moore's Where To Invade Next round out the list.
Barbara Kopple's Miss Sharon Jones!; Gianfranco Rosi's Fire At Sea (Fuocoammare); Life, Animated by Roger Ross Williams from the Short List,...
Last year's Doc NYC had ten films in its Short List program make the Oscar Best Documentary shortlist, including Oscar winner Amy, Asif Kapadia's Amy Winehouse doc, and nominees Matthew Heineman's Cartel Land; Joshua Oppenheimer's The Look Of Silence; Nina Simone in Liz Garbus's What Happened, Miss Simone? and Evgeny Afineevsky's Winter On Fire: Ukraine's Fight For Freedom.
Liz Garbus, Morgan Neville and Asif Kapadia Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Morgan Neville and Robert Gordon's Best Of Enemies; Alex Gibney's Going Clear: Scientology And The Prison Of Belief; Davis Guggenheim's He Named Me Malala; Kirby Dick's The Hunting Ground, and Michael Moore's Where To Invade Next round out the list.
Barbara Kopple's Miss Sharon Jones!; Gianfranco Rosi's Fire At Sea (Fuocoammare); Life, Animated by Roger Ross Williams from the Short List,...
- 10/27/2016
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Here's the list of nominees for the 88th Academy Awards that were announced Sunday at the Dolby Theater.
Winners are noted in bold and with an asterisk.
Actor in a Leading Role
Bryan Cranston, "Trumbo"Matt Damon, "The Martian"Leonardo DiCaprio, "The Revenant", (*Winner)Michael Fassbender, "Steve Jobs"Eddie Redmayne, "The Danish Girl"
Actor in a Supporting Role
Christian Bale, "The Big Short"Mark Ruffalo, "Spotlight"Mark Rylance, "Bridge of Spies" (*Winner)Sylvester Stallone, "Creed"Tom Hardy, "The Revenant"
Actress in a Leading Role
Cate Blanchett, "Carol"Brie Larson, "Room", (*Winner)Jennifer Lawrence, "Joy"Charlotte Rampling, "45 Years"Saoirse Ronan, "Brooklyn"
Actress in a Supporting Role
Jennifer Jason Leigh, "The Hateful Eight"Rooney Mara, "Carol"Rachel McAdams, "Spotlight"Alicia Vikander, "The Danish Girl" (*Winner)Kate WInslest, "Steve Jobs"
Directing
Adam McKay, "The Big Short"George Miller, "Mad Max: Fury Road"Alejandro González Iñárritu, "The Revenant", (*Winner)Lenny Abrhamson, "Room"Tom McCarthy,...
Winners are noted in bold and with an asterisk.
Actor in a Leading Role
Bryan Cranston, "Trumbo"Matt Damon, "The Martian"Leonardo DiCaprio, "The Revenant", (*Winner)Michael Fassbender, "Steve Jobs"Eddie Redmayne, "The Danish Girl"
Actor in a Supporting Role
Christian Bale, "The Big Short"Mark Ruffalo, "Spotlight"Mark Rylance, "Bridge of Spies" (*Winner)Sylvester Stallone, "Creed"Tom Hardy, "The Revenant"
Actress in a Leading Role
Cate Blanchett, "Carol"Brie Larson, "Room", (*Winner)Jennifer Lawrence, "Joy"Charlotte Rampling, "45 Years"Saoirse Ronan, "Brooklyn"
Actress in a Supporting Role
Jennifer Jason Leigh, "The Hateful Eight"Rooney Mara, "Carol"Rachel McAdams, "Spotlight"Alicia Vikander, "The Danish Girl" (*Winner)Kate WInslest, "Steve Jobs"
Directing
Adam McKay, "The Big Short"George Miller, "Mad Max: Fury Road"Alejandro González Iñárritu, "The Revenant", (*Winner)Lenny Abrhamson, "Room"Tom McCarthy,...
- 2/29/2016
- by Kellvin Chavez
- LRMonline.com
Amy took home the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature on Sunday night. Director Asif Kapadia took the stage, along with producer James Gay-Rees, dedicating the trophy to Amy Winehouse and her fans. "Really this film's all about Amy, showing the world who she truly was, not a tabloid version of her," said Kapadia said. He continued, "This is for the fans, Amy's fans who loved her through thick and thin - that's all she ever really wanted." Winehouse's parents, Mitch and Janis, have been vocal about their negative feelings towards the film, with Mitch expressing his distaste for it on Twitter in January.
- 2/29/2016
- by Aurelie Corinthios and Naja Rayne
- PEOPLE.com
First of all, I'm very happy that my favorite film of the year, Tom McCarthy's "Spotlight," wins big at the 88th Academy Awards! I was losing hope after "The Big Short" won the Producers Guild Award and "The Revenant" zoomed onto the frontrunner status!
But no. At the night of the Oscars, "Spotlight" won two major awards including Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay!
Kudos to McCarthy and team!
My heart felt "Spotlight" would win but my mind said "The Revenant." See? The heart always wins!
Now, onto the show itself. I thought Chris Rock did a good job in softening the #OscarsSoWhite controversy! But the show itself? A bit of a bore. It felt long! Not quite the 4 hours and 23 minutes of the 74th Oscars but long nonetheless.
And really? Only Sam Smith, The Weeknd, and Lady Gaga were invited to perform the Best Original Song nominees? What...
But no. At the night of the Oscars, "Spotlight" won two major awards including Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay!
Kudos to McCarthy and team!
My heart felt "Spotlight" would win but my mind said "The Revenant." See? The heart always wins!
Now, onto the show itself. I thought Chris Rock did a good job in softening the #OscarsSoWhite controversy! But the show itself? A bit of a bore. It felt long! Not quite the 4 hours and 23 minutes of the 74th Oscars but long nonetheless.
And really? Only Sam Smith, The Weeknd, and Lady Gaga were invited to perform the Best Original Song nominees? What...
- 2/29/2016
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Join me on my Facebook page about 5 p.m. Pacific and let's talk all things Oscars! Click here, it'll be fun! Grab your favorite drink and finger foods and let's blog the Oscars away! Go to facebook.com/MannyTheMovieGuy and I'll see you there!
Here's my full Oscar predictions again:
Best Picture
"The Big Short"
"Bridge of Spies"
"Brooklyn"
"Mad Max: Fury Road"
"The Martian"
"The Revenant"
"Room"
"Spotlight"
Will Win: .The Revenant.
Should Win: .Spotlight.
Best Director
Adam McKay, "The Big Short"
George Miller, "Mad Max: Fury Road"
Alejandro González Iñárritu, "The Revenant"
Lenny Abrahamson, "Room"
Tom McCarthy, "Spotlight"
Will Win: Alejandro González Iñárritu, "The Revenant"
Should Win: George Miller, "Mad Max: Fury Road"
Best Actor
Bryan Cranston, "Trumbo"
Matt Damon, "The Martian"
Leonardo DiCaprio, "The Revenant"
Michael Fassbender, "Steve Jobs"
Eddie Redmayne, "The Danish Girl"
Will Win: Leonardo DiCaprio, "The Revenant"
Should Win: Matt Damon, "The Martian"
Best Actress
Cate Blanchett,...
Here's my full Oscar predictions again:
Best Picture
"The Big Short"
"Bridge of Spies"
"Brooklyn"
"Mad Max: Fury Road"
"The Martian"
"The Revenant"
"Room"
"Spotlight"
Will Win: .The Revenant.
Should Win: .Spotlight.
Best Director
Adam McKay, "The Big Short"
George Miller, "Mad Max: Fury Road"
Alejandro González Iñárritu, "The Revenant"
Lenny Abrahamson, "Room"
Tom McCarthy, "Spotlight"
Will Win: Alejandro González Iñárritu, "The Revenant"
Should Win: George Miller, "Mad Max: Fury Road"
Best Actor
Bryan Cranston, "Trumbo"
Matt Damon, "The Martian"
Leonardo DiCaprio, "The Revenant"
Michael Fassbender, "Steve Jobs"
Eddie Redmayne, "The Danish Girl"
Will Win: Leonardo DiCaprio, "The Revenant"
Should Win: Matt Damon, "The Martian"
Best Actress
Cate Blanchett,...
- 2/28/2016
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
The awards season comes to a close with the 88th Academy Awards. And it.s one of the most unpredictable Oscars yet! In order to predict the outcome, I divided each category between the heart (who should win) and mind (who will win).
Best Picture
"The Big Short"
"Bridge of Spies"
"Brooklyn"
"Mad Max: Fury Road"
"The Martian"
"The Revenant"
"Room"
"Spotlight"
Will Win: .The Revenant.
Should Win: .Spotlight.
Best Director
Adam McKay, "The Big Short"
George Miller, "Mad Max: Fury Road"
Alejandro González Iñárritu, "The Revenant"
Lenny Abrahamson, "Room"
Tom McCarthy, "Spotlight"
Will Win: Alejandro González Iñárritu, "The Revenant"
Should Win: George Miller, "Mad Max: Fury Road"
Best Actor
Bryan Cranston, "Trumbo"
Matt Damon, "The Martian"
Leonardo DiCaprio, "The Revenant"
Michael Fassbender, "Steve Jobs"
Eddie Redmayne, "The Danish Girl"
Will Win: Leonardo DiCaprio, "The Revenant"
Should Win: Matt Damon, "The Martian"
Best Actress
Cate Blanchett, "Carol"
Brie Larson, "Room"
Jennifer Lawrence,...
Best Picture
"The Big Short"
"Bridge of Spies"
"Brooklyn"
"Mad Max: Fury Road"
"The Martian"
"The Revenant"
"Room"
"Spotlight"
Will Win: .The Revenant.
Should Win: .Spotlight.
Best Director
Adam McKay, "The Big Short"
George Miller, "Mad Max: Fury Road"
Alejandro González Iñárritu, "The Revenant"
Lenny Abrahamson, "Room"
Tom McCarthy, "Spotlight"
Will Win: Alejandro González Iñárritu, "The Revenant"
Should Win: George Miller, "Mad Max: Fury Road"
Best Actor
Bryan Cranston, "Trumbo"
Matt Damon, "The Martian"
Leonardo DiCaprio, "The Revenant"
Michael Fassbender, "Steve Jobs"
Eddie Redmayne, "The Danish Girl"
Will Win: Leonardo DiCaprio, "The Revenant"
Should Win: Matt Damon, "The Martian"
Best Actress
Cate Blanchett, "Carol"
Brie Larson, "Room"
Jennifer Lawrence,...
- 2/25/2016
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Okay, you've already seen "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," but where can you see "Steve Jobs," "Creed," and all the other Oscar-nominated movies of 2015?
We've rounded up which movies are still in theaters, which are on DVD and Blu-ray, and which are available to stream or buy online. In the case of "The Martian," you have your choice of catching it on the big screen or owning your very own copy since it's still in theaters and out on DVD.
Dates and availability are subject to change. For limited release movies, check the film's official site for theaters.
In Theaters
"45 Years" (Best Actress - Charlotte Rampling) Limited release "Anomalisa" (Best Animated Feature Film) "The Big Short" (5 nominations, including Best Picture) "Boy and the World" (Best Animated Feature Film) Limited release "Brooklyn" (3 nominations, including Best Picture) "Carol" (6 nominations, including Best Actress - Cate Blanchett and Best Supporting Actress – Rooney Mara) "Creed...
We've rounded up which movies are still in theaters, which are on DVD and Blu-ray, and which are available to stream or buy online. In the case of "The Martian," you have your choice of catching it on the big screen or owning your very own copy since it's still in theaters and out on DVD.
Dates and availability are subject to change. For limited release movies, check the film's official site for theaters.
In Theaters
"45 Years" (Best Actress - Charlotte Rampling) Limited release "Anomalisa" (Best Animated Feature Film) "The Big Short" (5 nominations, including Best Picture) "Boy and the World" (Best Animated Feature Film) Limited release "Brooklyn" (3 nominations, including Best Picture) "Carol" (6 nominations, including Best Actress - Cate Blanchett and Best Supporting Actress – Rooney Mara) "Creed...
- 1/25/2016
- by Sharon Knolle
- Moviefone
Read More: Indiewire Awards Season Spotlight For the past three years, the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature has gone to... the film everyone thought it was going to go to. "Searching For Sugar Man," "20 Feet From Stardom" and "Citizenfour" each claimed frontrunner status by early on, and kept said status all the way to the Oscar stage. Is "Amy" this year's version of that? It certainly seems so, especially since it's the most awarded documentary of the year by a mile. Below is Anne Thompson's take on how things might shake down in the race for best documentary. Check out Thompson on Hollywood's Oscar predictions page for more awards season analysis. Click here for more category breakdowns on Indiewire. Nominees:"Amy" (Asif Kapadia)"Cartel Land" (Matthew Heineman) "The Look of Silence" (Joshua Oppenheimer)"What Happened, Miss Simone?" (Liz Garbus)"Winter on Fire: Ukraine's...
- 1/21/2016
- by Indiewire
- Indiewire
There was great news for Netflix from The Oscars today! Netflix Original documentaries What Happpened Miss Simone? and Winter on Fire : Fight for Freedom have been nominated in the Documentary Feature Category. Check them out on Netflix today! Discover the truth behind the legend in the trailer for Netflix’s Original Documentary, What Happened Miss Simone? The film, by Academy Award®-nominated director Liz Garbus, uses never-before-heard audio tapes, recorded over the course of three decades, of Nina telling her life story to various interviewers and would-be biographers. From over 100 hours of these recordings, What Happened Miss Simone? weaves together Nina’s narrative, told largely in her own words. Rare concert footage and archival interviews, along with diaries, letters, interviews with Nina’s daughter, Lisa Simone Kelly, friends and collaborators, along with other exclusive materials, make this the most authentic, personal, and unflinching telling of...
- 1/15/2016
- by noreply@blogger.com (Tom White)
- www.themoviebit.com
By Scott Feinberg
The Hollywood Reporter
What a morning. The 88th Oscar nominations were announcedon Thursday at the Beverly Hills headquarters of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The Revenant landed a field-leading 12 noms, followed close behind by Mad Max: Fury Road, with 10. The other headlines?
In: The Big Short‘s director Adam McKay; Room‘s director Lenny Abrahamson; Joy‘s lead actress Jennifer Lawrence; The Revenant‘s Tom Hardy; The Hateful Eight‘s supporting actress Jennifer Jason Leigh; both Netflix doc features, What Happened, Miss Simone? and Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom; and “Til It Happens to You,” the original song by Lady Gaga and seven-time Oscar bridesmaid Diane Warren.
Read the rest of this entry…...
The Hollywood Reporter
What a morning. The 88th Oscar nominations were announcedon Thursday at the Beverly Hills headquarters of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The Revenant landed a field-leading 12 noms, followed close behind by Mad Max: Fury Road, with 10. The other headlines?
In: The Big Short‘s director Adam McKay; Room‘s director Lenny Abrahamson; Joy‘s lead actress Jennifer Lawrence; The Revenant‘s Tom Hardy; The Hateful Eight‘s supporting actress Jennifer Jason Leigh; both Netflix doc features, What Happened, Miss Simone? and Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom; and “Til It Happens to You,” the original song by Lady Gaga and seven-time Oscar bridesmaid Diane Warren.
Read the rest of this entry…...
- 1/14/2016
- by Patrick Shanley
- Scott Feinberg
Chicago – “The Revenant,” director Alejandro Iñárritu’s epic drama, got 12 nominations – including Best Picture – as all the categories for the 88th Academy Awards were announced on January 14th, 2016. Rounding out the Best Picture class is “The Big Short,” “Bridge of Spies,” “Brooklyn,” “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “The Martian,” “Room” and “Spotlight.”
Chris Rock will Host the 88th Academy Awards on February 28th, 2016
Photo credit: ABC-TVs
The rest of the major categories contained few surprises, except maybe for Rachel McAdams as Best Supporting Actress in “Spotlight.” The 88th Academy Awards will take place on Sunday, February 28th, 2016, and will be hosted by comedian Chris Rock. The full list of the nominations are below…
Best Picture
“The Big Short”
“Bridge of Spies”
“Brooklyn”
“Mad Max: Fury Road”
“The Martian”
“The Revenant”
“Room”
“Spotlight”
Best Actor
Bryan Cranston, “Trumbo”
Matt Damon, “The Martian”
Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Revenant”
Michael Fassbender, “Steve Jobs”
Eddie Redmayne,...
Chris Rock will Host the 88th Academy Awards on February 28th, 2016
Photo credit: ABC-TVs
The rest of the major categories contained few surprises, except maybe for Rachel McAdams as Best Supporting Actress in “Spotlight.” The 88th Academy Awards will take place on Sunday, February 28th, 2016, and will be hosted by comedian Chris Rock. The full list of the nominations are below…
Best Picture
“The Big Short”
“Bridge of Spies”
“Brooklyn”
“Mad Max: Fury Road”
“The Martian”
“The Revenant”
“Room”
“Spotlight”
Best Actor
Bryan Cranston, “Trumbo”
Matt Damon, “The Martian”
Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Revenant”
Michael Fassbender, “Steve Jobs”
Eddie Redmayne,...
- 1/14/2016
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
A call from the president of Colombia; not waking the kids; and sharing the news with a shop assistant - how Thursday morning’s good news played out.Oscars 2016‘The Revenant’ leads Oscar race with 12 nomsFull list of nominations
‘The Revenant’ leads Oscar race with 12 nominationsScott, Spielberg, Sorkin shut out
Best Picture nominees at a glance
Comment: Oscar nominations reward ambition
Galleries: Best Picture; Actors
Titles listed in alphabetical order
45 Years
Charlotte Rampling (Lead actress): “I am deeply moved and thrilled by this nomination. Thank you to the Academy for recognizing 45 Years. Having the wonderful experience of working with the great Tom Courtenay and Andrew Haigh was a truly rewarding experience and I am simply delighted to have everyone’s hard work and true collaboration honoured by our friends and peers in the Academy.”
Amy
Asif Kapadia (Documentary): “The Academy Award nomination for best documentary is an incredible honour, thank you to...
‘The Revenant’ leads Oscar race with 12 nominationsScott, Spielberg, Sorkin shut out
Best Picture nominees at a glance
Comment: Oscar nominations reward ambition
Galleries: Best Picture; Actors
Titles listed in alphabetical order
45 Years
Charlotte Rampling (Lead actress): “I am deeply moved and thrilled by this nomination. Thank you to the Academy for recognizing 45 Years. Having the wonderful experience of working with the great Tom Courtenay and Andrew Haigh was a truly rewarding experience and I am simply delighted to have everyone’s hard work and true collaboration honoured by our friends and peers in the Academy.”
Amy
Asif Kapadia (Documentary): “The Academy Award nomination for best documentary is an incredible honour, thank you to...
- 1/14/2016
- ScreenDaily
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