Notorious mob consort Jimmy Hoffa is the subject of a new docuseries.
Hoffa, who led the Teamsters for around 15 years in the late ‘50s and ‘60s, disappeared on July 30, 1975, with many believing this was at the hands of the Mafia.
His family has now given Village Roadshow Unscripted Television and Erik Nelson exclusive access to the family, including his son and daughter, as well as his personal archives and files, including audio tapes, to develop a docuseries.
Nelson will produce and direct; he previously directed a number of films with Werner Herzog including Grizzly Man and has directed films such as The Cold Blue, Terror and Glory: 1945 and Daytime Revolution. He is repped by Travis Tammero at UTA and Marc Simon at Fox Rothschild.
Hoffa, who has been played by the likes of Al Pacino in The Irishman, Sylvester Stallone in F.I.S.T, and Jack Nicholson in Hoffa,...
Hoffa, who led the Teamsters for around 15 years in the late ‘50s and ‘60s, disappeared on July 30, 1975, with many believing this was at the hands of the Mafia.
His family has now given Village Roadshow Unscripted Television and Erik Nelson exclusive access to the family, including his son and daughter, as well as his personal archives and files, including audio tapes, to develop a docuseries.
Nelson will produce and direct; he previously directed a number of films with Werner Herzog including Grizzly Man and has directed films such as The Cold Blue, Terror and Glory: 1945 and Daytime Revolution. He is repped by Travis Tammero at UTA and Marc Simon at Fox Rothschild.
Hoffa, who has been played by the likes of Al Pacino in The Irishman, Sylvester Stallone in F.I.S.T, and Jack Nicholson in Hoffa,...
- 1/18/2024
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
The United States celebrated the end of World War II with Victory in Japan Day on Aug. 14, 1945, exactly 75 years before the release of “Apocalypse ’45,” Erik Nelson’s examination of the war in the Pacific in the words and film footage of the men who were there.
But as that foreboding title suggests, you wouldn’t use a word like “celebrated” to refer to “Apocalypse ’45.” The documentary is a tribute to the men who fought, but it’s also an elegy for those who were lost, and it doesn’t evade questions about the reverberations that linger from the use of the two atomic bombs that helped end the war.
In some ways, it is a film about victory, illustrated with vivid, restored footage that was shot during the war but has largely sat unseen in the National Archives since then. But more than that, it is a film about loss and sacrifice,...
But as that foreboding title suggests, you wouldn’t use a word like “celebrated” to refer to “Apocalypse ’45.” The documentary is a tribute to the men who fought, but it’s also an elegy for those who were lost, and it doesn’t evade questions about the reverberations that linger from the use of the two atomic bombs that helped end the war.
In some ways, it is a film about victory, illustrated with vivid, restored footage that was shot during the war but has largely sat unseen in the National Archives since then. But more than that, it is a film about loss and sacrifice,...
- 8/14/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
"They didn't care about us... they were there to sink the ships." Abramorama has released an official trailer for a restored WWII footage documentary titled Apocalypse '45, the latest film directed by acclaimed doc filmmaker Erik Nelson. Nelson found in archives and restored in 4K tons of old footage and news reels from World War II. Apocalypse '45 uses the pristine raw, color film footage to tell a chilling narrative of the last months of the War in the Pacific. It documents events from the flag raising at Iwo Jima to the harrowing kamikaze attacks and vicious ground combat at Okinawa in April to the first test of the atomic bomb in the remote deserts of New Mexico in July. In addition, we witness the air war over Japan the summer of '45, and perhaps most astonishingly, the still burning ruins of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, when a U.S. Army medical...
- 8/9/2020
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Exclusive: Discovery and Abramorama are teaming for a virtual theatrical and broadcast rollout of Apocalypse ‘45, a documentary from Erik Nelson that recounts the harrowing end of World War II through the eyes of 24 men who lived through the events and using never-before-seen footage. The documentary will get a two-week exclusive virtual cinema run beginning August 14, leading into the the film’s Labor Day Weekend broadcast on Discovery Channel.
The timing coincides with the 75th anniversary of VJ Day on August 15, when the Japanese forces surrendered to the Allies, with the National WW II Museum in New Orleans and the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York among those participating in screening events. An invite-only premiere is set for Thursday.
Nelson, a longtime collaborator of Werner Herzog has followed up his previous archival feature The Cold Blue with this doc, for which the National Archives allowed previously denied access to more than 700 reels of footage, covering the harrowing expanse of the final months of WWII in the Pacific that culminated in the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The footage, which includes film shot by director John Ford capturing the ruins of the Pacific Fleet after the attack on Pearl Harbor, has been digitally restored in 4K and in color.
Interviews with the two dozen men who lived through the events make up the film’s narration, guiding viewers from the flag-raising at Iwo Jima in February 1945, Okinawa in April, the New Mexico desert bomb tests in July and the air war over Japan in the summer.
Check out the trailer here:
“This was an important time in our nation’s history, and it is vital that we never forget the sacrifices of the people who lived through it,” said Nancy Daniels, Chief Brand Officer at Discovery and Factual. “Erik’s documentary delivers their stories with stunning, never-before-seen footage and raw emotion. With the 75th anniversary, it is the perfect opportunity to bring this timely film to Discovery audiences in multiple ways.”
Said Abramorama principals Richard Abramowitz and Karol Martesko-Fenster: “We are honored to be partnering with Discovery to release Erik’s astonishing film to mark this momentous time in our history. Now more than ever we need the kind of heroes who understand the consequences of their actions.”
Apocalypse 45 is produced by Peter Hankoff and Elisabeth M. Hartjens, with Clark Bunting, Daniels, Dave Harding and Howard Swartz executive producers.
Here’s the poster:...
The timing coincides with the 75th anniversary of VJ Day on August 15, when the Japanese forces surrendered to the Allies, with the National WW II Museum in New Orleans and the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York among those participating in screening events. An invite-only premiere is set for Thursday.
Nelson, a longtime collaborator of Werner Herzog has followed up his previous archival feature The Cold Blue with this doc, for which the National Archives allowed previously denied access to more than 700 reels of footage, covering the harrowing expanse of the final months of WWII in the Pacific that culminated in the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The footage, which includes film shot by director John Ford capturing the ruins of the Pacific Fleet after the attack on Pearl Harbor, has been digitally restored in 4K and in color.
Interviews with the two dozen men who lived through the events make up the film’s narration, guiding viewers from the flag-raising at Iwo Jima in February 1945, Okinawa in April, the New Mexico desert bomb tests in July and the air war over Japan in the summer.
Check out the trailer here:
“This was an important time in our nation’s history, and it is vital that we never forget the sacrifices of the people who lived through it,” said Nancy Daniels, Chief Brand Officer at Discovery and Factual. “Erik’s documentary delivers their stories with stunning, never-before-seen footage and raw emotion. With the 75th anniversary, it is the perfect opportunity to bring this timely film to Discovery audiences in multiple ways.”
Said Abramorama principals Richard Abramowitz and Karol Martesko-Fenster: “We are honored to be partnering with Discovery to release Erik’s astonishing film to mark this momentous time in our history. Now more than ever we need the kind of heroes who understand the consequences of their actions.”
Apocalypse 45 is produced by Peter Hankoff and Elisabeth M. Hartjens, with Clark Bunting, Daniels, Dave Harding and Howard Swartz executive producers.
Here’s the poster:...
- 8/3/2020
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today that 344 feature films are eligible for the 2019 Academy Awards.
To be eligible for the consideration, the films must open in a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles County by Dec. 31, and begin a minimum run of seven consecutive days. Academy rules also state that a feature-length motion picture must have a running time of more than 40 minutes and must have been exhibited theatrically on 35mm or 70mm film, or in a qualifying digital format.
Nominations for the 92nd Academy Awards will be announced on Monday, Jan. 13, 2020. The ceremony takes place on Sunday, Feb. 9, airing live from Hollywood on ABC.
“Abominable”
“Ad Astra”
“Adam”
“The Addams Family”
“The Aeronauts”
“After the Wedding”
“The Aftermath”
“Aga”
“Aladdin”
“Alita: Battle Angel”
“Always Be My Maybe”
“The Amazing Johnathan”
“American Factory”
“American Woman”
“Angel Has Fallen”
“The Angry Birds Movie 2”
“Anna”
“Annabelle Comes Home...
To be eligible for the consideration, the films must open in a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles County by Dec. 31, and begin a minimum run of seven consecutive days. Academy rules also state that a feature-length motion picture must have a running time of more than 40 minutes and must have been exhibited theatrically on 35mm or 70mm film, or in a qualifying digital format.
Nominations for the 92nd Academy Awards will be announced on Monday, Jan. 13, 2020. The ceremony takes place on Sunday, Feb. 9, airing live from Hollywood on ABC.
“Abominable”
“Ad Astra”
“Adam”
“The Addams Family”
“The Aeronauts”
“After the Wedding”
“The Aftermath”
“Aga”
“Aladdin”
“Alita: Battle Angel”
“Always Be My Maybe”
“The Amazing Johnathan”
“American Factory”
“American Woman”
“Angel Has Fallen”
“The Angry Birds Movie 2”
“Anna”
“Annabelle Comes Home...
- 12/18/2019
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
Erik Nelson describes his documentary “The Cold Blue” as “the garage band of movies” — he didn’t have the large team or crew other documentary contenders have.
“The Cold Blue” is a World War II documentary that looks at raids and B-17 bombing missions that took place during the war. Nelson’s team looked at 34 reels of 16mm footage from William Wyler’s “The Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress,” poring over them for 15 hours.
The footage was without sound, so Nelson not only restored it to stunning quality, but he also tracked down eight of the existing B-17 planes, flew up in them and captured the sound. The end result is an immersive and modern documentary.
As a film historian, Nelson also sought out veterans who flew the B-17s.
“Wyler covered the bomb runs, the briefings, and I knew what we had,” Nelson said of the footage.
“The Cold Blue” is a World War II documentary that looks at raids and B-17 bombing missions that took place during the war. Nelson’s team looked at 34 reels of 16mm footage from William Wyler’s “The Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress,” poring over them for 15 hours.
The footage was without sound, so Nelson not only restored it to stunning quality, but he also tracked down eight of the existing B-17 planes, flew up in them and captured the sound. The end result is an immersive and modern documentary.
As a film historian, Nelson also sought out veterans who flew the B-17s.
“Wyler covered the bomb runs, the briefings, and I knew what we had,” Nelson said of the footage.
- 12/10/2019
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Two years ago, the Academy documentary branch had to grapple with a record 170 documentary feature submissions for the Best Documentary Feature Oscar. This year, it’s not so bad: only 159 were entered. The short list of 15 will be announced, along with eight others, on December 16.
All year, branch members have been getting lists of secure online screeners available to watch on the Academy website, increasing in volume, with more to come. Each voter is assigned a list of about 22-23 films to screen, so they all get covered. But it’s a burden to see them all, so the ones with the most attention move to the top of the much-watch list.
Give the advantage to box-office hits that were made available earlier in the year such as Neon’s “The Biggest Little Farm” and “Apollo 11,” as well as high-profile titles from HBO (“Diego Maradona” and “The Apollo”), Netflix,...
All year, branch members have been getting lists of secure online screeners available to watch on the Academy website, increasing in volume, with more to come. Each voter is assigned a list of about 22-23 films to screen, so they all get covered. But it’s a burden to see them all, so the ones with the most attention move to the top of the much-watch list.
Give the advantage to box-office hits that were made available earlier in the year such as Neon’s “The Biggest Little Farm” and “Apollo 11,” as well as high-profile titles from HBO (“Diego Maradona” and “The Apollo”), Netflix,...
- 11/12/2019
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Two years ago, the Academy documentary branch had to grapple with a record 170 documentary feature submissions for the Best Documentary Feature Oscar. This year, it’s not so bad: only 159 were entered. The short list of 15 will be announced, along with eight others, on December 16.
All year, branch members have been getting lists of secure online screeners available to watch on the Academy website, increasing in volume, with more to come. Each voter is assigned a list of about 22-23 films to screen, so they all get covered. But it’s a burden to see them all, so the ones with the most attention move to the top of the much-watch list.
Give the advantage to box-office hits that were made available earlier in the year such as Neon’s “The Biggest Little Farm” and “Apollo 11,” as well as high-profile titles from HBO (“Diego Maradona” and “The Apollo”), Netflix,...
All year, branch members have been getting lists of secure online screeners available to watch on the Academy website, increasing in volume, with more to come. Each voter is assigned a list of about 22-23 films to screen, so they all get covered. But it’s a burden to see them all, so the ones with the most attention move to the top of the much-watch list.
Give the advantage to box-office hits that were made available earlier in the year such as Neon’s “The Biggest Little Farm” and “Apollo 11,” as well as high-profile titles from HBO (“Diego Maradona” and “The Apollo”), Netflix,...
- 11/12/2019
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has released its list of 159 documentary features that have been submitted for the 92 annual Academy Awards. See the full list below.
A shortlist of 15 films will be announced on December 16.
The Academy notes that several of the films have not had their required Los Angeles and New York qualifying releases yet. Submitted features must fulfill the theatrical release requirements and comply with all of the category’s other qualifying rules in order to advance in the voting process.
Documentary features that have won a qualifying award at a competitive film festival or have been submitted in the International Feature Film category as their country’s official selection also are eligible in the category.
Here is the alphabetical list:
Advocate
After Parkland
The All-Americans
Always in Season
The Amazing Johnathan Documentary
American Dharma
American Factory
American Relapse
Angels Are Made of Light
The Apollo
Apollo 11
Aquarela
Ask Dr.
A shortlist of 15 films will be announced on December 16.
The Academy notes that several of the films have not had their required Los Angeles and New York qualifying releases yet. Submitted features must fulfill the theatrical release requirements and comply with all of the category’s other qualifying rules in order to advance in the voting process.
Documentary features that have won a qualifying award at a competitive film festival or have been submitted in the International Feature Film category as their country’s official selection also are eligible in the category.
Here is the alphabetical list:
Advocate
After Parkland
The All-Americans
Always in Season
The Amazing Johnathan Documentary
American Dharma
American Factory
American Relapse
Angels Are Made of Light
The Apollo
Apollo 11
Aquarela
Ask Dr.
- 11/12/2019
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
A total of 159 documentary features have qualified in the Oscars’ Best Documentary Feature category, the Academy announced on Tuesday.
Last year, 166 documentaries qualified. In 2017, a record 170 made the cut.
All of the films are now available to members of the Documentary Branch to stream on the Academy’s secure members website. The films have been placed there over the last six months, with 23 added to the site in June, 24 in July, 26 in August, 19 in September and 62 in October and only five in November.
Also Read: 'Maiden' Star Tracy Edwards Kept Her Story 'Messy' to Serve the Next Generation of Women Athletes (Video)
Each member is randomly assigned 20% of the films as mandatory viewing but is free to see any additional films beyond those that are assigned. A preliminary round of voting will produce a 15-film shortlist, with a second-round narrowing those 15 to the five nominees.
This year is...
Last year, 166 documentaries qualified. In 2017, a record 170 made the cut.
All of the films are now available to members of the Documentary Branch to stream on the Academy’s secure members website. The films have been placed there over the last six months, with 23 added to the site in June, 24 in July, 26 in August, 19 in September and 62 in October and only five in November.
Also Read: 'Maiden' Star Tracy Edwards Kept Her Story 'Messy' to Serve the Next Generation of Women Athletes (Video)
Each member is randomly assigned 20% of the films as mandatory viewing but is free to see any additional films beyond those that are assigned. A preliminary round of voting will produce a 15-film shortlist, with a second-round narrowing those 15 to the five nominees.
This year is...
- 11/12/2019
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Summer is here, and you know what that means — time to sit inside and watch TV in the dark. For those with HBO subscriptions looking to fill the void left by “Game of Thrones,” here is all the brand new content coming to the service in June.
Perhaps the most anticipated addition of the month is Season 2 of “Big Little Lies” coming June 9, now starring Meryl Streep alongside Zoë Kravitz, Reese Witherspoon, Shailene Woodley, Nicole Kidman, and Laura Dern.
Season one of Zendaya’s new Drake-produced high school drama series “Eurphoria” is also coming, and you can watch a teaser for it here. Fred Armisen’s comedy series “Los Espookys” arrives June 14.
Also Read: Lgbtq Hollywood: 18 Stars Who've Come Out Since Last Year's Pride (Photos)
October 2018’s retro-thriller “Bad Times at the El Royale” is also being added June 1, and it stars the magnificent Jeff Bridges alongside Jon Hamm, Dakota Johnson...
Perhaps the most anticipated addition of the month is Season 2 of “Big Little Lies” coming June 9, now starring Meryl Streep alongside Zoë Kravitz, Reese Witherspoon, Shailene Woodley, Nicole Kidman, and Laura Dern.
Season one of Zendaya’s new Drake-produced high school drama series “Eurphoria” is also coming, and you can watch a teaser for it here. Fred Armisen’s comedy series “Los Espookys” arrives June 14.
Also Read: Lgbtq Hollywood: 18 Stars Who've Come Out Since Last Year's Pride (Photos)
October 2018’s retro-thriller “Bad Times at the El Royale” is also being added June 1, and it stars the magnificent Jeff Bridges alongside Jon Hamm, Dakota Johnson...
- 6/2/2019
- by Margeaux Sippell
- The Wrap
Ruth Johnston has been promoted to general manager of Vulcan Productions, the Seattle-based company founded by the late Paul Allen and his sister, Jody Allen.
Johnston will oversee all creative operations for the company that focuses on documentaries and productions that “entertain, inspire, change the way people understand and activate on the world’s toughest challenges.” Upcoming Vulcan Productions include “The Cold Blue,” about the famed Eighth Air Force unit that was documented by director William Wyler during World War II, to air on HBO next month, and “The Ghost Fleet,” examining human trafficking in connection with Thailand’s fishing industry. “Ghost Fleet” is set for a theatrical release by Abramorama in June.
Johnston joined Vulcan in 2016 after serving as chief operating officer of Lion TV, home of Discovery’s “Cash Cab” and other franchises. She launched her own shingle, New Prospect, in Seattle before joining Vulcan.
“Under her leadership,...
Johnston will oversee all creative operations for the company that focuses on documentaries and productions that “entertain, inspire, change the way people understand and activate on the world’s toughest challenges.” Upcoming Vulcan Productions include “The Cold Blue,” about the famed Eighth Air Force unit that was documented by director William Wyler during World War II, to air on HBO next month, and “The Ghost Fleet,” examining human trafficking in connection with Thailand’s fishing industry. “Ghost Fleet” is set for a theatrical release by Abramorama in June.
Johnston joined Vulcan in 2016 after serving as chief operating officer of Lion TV, home of Discovery’s “Cash Cab” and other franchises. She launched her own shingle, New Prospect, in Seattle before joining Vulcan.
“Under her leadership,...
- 5/10/2019
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
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