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“Dahomey,” “Ernest Cole: Lost and Found,” “The Remarkable Life of Ibelin,” “Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat” and “Sugarcane” are among the 20 nonfiction films that have made the shortlist for the International Documentary Association’s 2024 IDA Documentary Awards, the IDA announced on Thursday morning.

The shortlisted features come from 21 different countries and include works by Mati Diop (“Dahomey”), Raoul Peck (“Ernest Cole: Lost and Found”). The IDA’s feature shortlist is typically idiosyncratic in that it doesn’t include several of the most acclaimed and highest-profile nonfiction films of the year, including “Will & Harper,” “Daughters,” “Piece by Piece,” “Mountain Queen” and “Union.”

Of the 20 films on the IDA shortlist, eight also appeared on the Doc NYC list of likely awards titles: “Black Box Diaries,” “Dahomey,” “Ernest Cole: Lost and Found,” “No Other Land,” Queendom,” “The Remarkable Life of Ibelin,” “Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat” and “Sugarcane.”

The IDA’s shortlist...

Exclusive: Black Box Management has signed Nick August-Perna, the filmmaker behind the buzzy true crime doc Tell Them You Love Me, which topped Netflix’s film charts in its February debut.

Hitting #1 on Netflix’s Top 10 Movies, the film tells the true story of Anna Stubblefield, an esteemed professor involved in a controversial affair with Derrick Johnson, a non-verbal man with cerebral palsy. Their relationship eventually led to a criminal trial challenging perceptions of disability and nature of consent.

Black Box and August-Perna are teaming to produce a scripted remake of the film, the hope being to replica the success of much-discussed true-crime projects like I, Tonya, The Act, and The Girl from Plainville.

In a statement to Deadline, Black Box’s founding partners Mike Dill and Lowell Shapiro shared, “When we first saw Nick’s incredible film Tell Them You Love Me, we knew that he was someone we had to represent.

It’s been a circuitous journey to the top of the Netflix charts for the documentary Tell Them You Love Me.

Sundance rejected it. So did the Toronto International Film Festival, Tribeca Festival, and the prestigious Sheffield DocFest in the U.K., according to the filmmakers – director Nick August-Perna and executive producer Louis Theroux.

“I was like, what the f*ck?” Theroux remembers thinking after all the rejections. August-Perna recalls, “It was painful, it was annoying. I think we all felt that we’d made something really special.”

Derrick “D.J.” Johnson (left) with his brother John.

The film explores the unsettling case of Dr. Anna Stubblefield, a white Rutgers University philosophy professor and disability theorist who began working with Derrick Johnson, a non-verbal Black man with cerebral palsy and intellectual disabilities, using a scientifically questionable method to help him communicate. That method, called Facilitated Communication, involves supporting the hand...

Tell Them You Love Me is a documentary about Anna Stubblefield's relationship with Derrick Johnson, exploring the complex case involving consent, race, and assumptions about the disabled. The documentary leaves out some details about the trial and Anna's personal life. For example, the troubles of Anna's previous marriage are alluded to, but many details about what went wrong in their relationship are left out.

Produced by documentarian Louis Theroux and directed by Nick August-Perna, Tell Them You Love Me provides plenty of information about the case against Anna Stubblefield, but still leaves out a few key details. Tell Them You Love Me is a shocking documentary about Anna's controversial relationship with Derrick Johnson, a non-verbal man she helped through the use of facilitated communication. Rather than the information being spread over a few episodes, Tell Them You Love Me details the complex issues within the case in an hour and 42-minute runtime.

This post contains references to sexual assault.

The documentary Tell Them You Love Me examines the case of Anna Stubblefield and her relationship with Derrick Johnson. The case raises questions about professional boundaries, consent, and the potential for facilitated communication to be exploited. Anna Stubblefield was sentenced to 12 years in prison but released after two years following an appeal.

Tell Them You Love Me was a powerful exploration of control, consent, disability, race, and sex that featured several shocking reveals throughout. Directed by Nick August-Perna and executive produced by Louis Theroux, Tell Them You Love Me has certainly sparked conversation and debate. Focusing upon the case that led to a prison sentence for Anna Stubblefield, a former philosophy professor and disability activist accused of sexually assaulting a non-verbal black man, Tell Them You Love Me brought up pressing questions about society's prejudices, the ability to consent, and abuses of power.

Quick Links Louis Theroux's Name Helped Ease 'Nervousness... Among Industry People' Tell Them You Love Me 'Doesn't Fit Squarely Into a Single Box' Louis Theroux on His Interview Style and a Judge Rotenberg Center Project

Tell Them You Love Me rose from the film festival circuit and contained acclaim from Sky in the UK, launching to international notoriety when it was added to Netflix on June 14. The documentary film dominated the streaming service for nearly two weeks, and became the subject of countless water cooler conversations, to the extent that they still exist in our culture. The film by Nick August-Perna focuses on the controversial case of Anna Stubblefield, a Rutgers professor specializing in disability and facilitated communication, and who her court once considered to be her victim, Derrick Johnson, a disabled non-verbal man with whom she began an affair.

Questions soon surfaced regarding the nature of that relationship...

Tell Them You Love Me is a Sky documentary that became a huge hit on Netflix, and explores the legally precarious issue of consent between a professor and a disabled man. Nick August-Perna spent two years building trust to film a story first discovered in a New York Times Magazine article. The documentary captivated audiences with its fascinating and ethically complex narrative.

Tell Them You Love Me is a documentary film originally made for Sky in the UK by filmmaker Nick August-Perna, but it wasn't until its arrival on Netflix that the movie became a watercooler event. Debuting June 14, 2024, the film quickly shot up to the top 10 most-watched movies on Netflix, remaining in the first or second spot for more than 10 days. The ethically complex documentary explores the issue of consent between Rutgers professor Anna Stubblefield and the man she falls in love with, Derrick Johnson, who also happens to...

Quick Links What Is Tell Them You Love Me About? Is Tell Them You Love Me Based on a True Story? Where Is Anna Stubblefield Today?

Netflix is no stranger to impactful documentaries, and the latest in its repertoire is Tell Them You Love Me. Since its release on June 14, the true-crime documentary has caused quite a stir, especially in regard to consent. Tell Them You Love Me is a complicated narrative, chronicling the controversial true relationship between a former white professor of Philosophy, Anna Stubblefield, and a nonverbal African-American man with cerebral palsy, Derrick Johnson.

Tell Them You Love Me is directed by Nick August-Perna and executive produced by Louis Theroux and Arron Fellows. Spanning almost two hours, the documentary focuses on several sensitive themes, including disability, autonomous communication, power dynamics, ethical responsibility, and race. Despite the relationship between Stubblefield and Johnson initially beginning as an attempt to help the latter express himself,...

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Filmmaker Nick August-Perna spoke with MovieWeb's Matt Mahler about the years he spent developing and filming his new documentary, Tell Them You Love Me, which is produced by Louis Theroux and premiered on Sky but has become a runaway success on Netflix.

Tell Them You Love Me explores the story of Anna Stubblefield, an esteemed Rutgers university professor who becomes embroiled in a controversial affair with Derrick Johnson, a non verbal man with cerebral palsy. Anna says she unlocked Derricks mind from his body by teaching him to communicate using a keyboard.

The relationship that followed would lead to a high-profile criminal trial that would challenge our perceptions of disability and the nature of consent. Through exclusive footage and interviews with those on both sides of the case, this feature documentary weaves a riveting and endlessly nuanced story about communication, race, and sex.

Tell Them You Love Me is an unbiased documentary that challenges viewers to question their assumptions about consent, disability, and communication. The film is told in a very focused way, which might leave out some details, but gets to the heart of the true crime story of Anna Stubblefield and Derrick Johnson. Tell Them You Love Me is an ethically complicated film that leaves viewers with complex moral questions about communication and consent in relationships.

Beginning all the way back with Making a Murderer and even more so the past year or two, Netflix has become a behemoth of true crime documentaries lately, with new movies and especially docuseries dominating the zeitgeist seemingly every month. These titles often rise up to the top 10 most-watched lists, sparking even further interest in a feedback loop of crime and curiosity. American Nightmare, What Jennifer Did, Don't F**k with Cats, Can I Tell You a Secret,...

In the documentary Tell Them You Love Me, a relationship between a married white professor and a Black man with cerebral palsy sparks controversy when the man’s mother alleges that her son is incapable of consent — leading to a nationwide debate over power dynamics, disability, and race. Directed by Nick August-Perna (The Swell Season) and executive produced by Louis Theroux (My Scientology Movie) and Arron Fellows (Louis Theroux Interviews ... ) for Mindhouse (Can I Tell You a Secret?), the film documents the true story of Anna Stubblefield and Derrick Johnson.

“It’s a complex film about some very nuanced ideas,” August-Perna tells Tudum. “For me, it’s about people who became enmeshed in a tragedy together.”

“I came to this story originally via a New York Times article, maybe 10 years ago, and I was riveted by it,” Theroux tells Tudum. “It sat on the fault lines of so many...

Fifty Shades of Grey and Tell Them You Love Me explore darker and unconventional love stories in very uncomfortable ways. They are the two most-watched movies on Netflix and would make a doozy of a double feature. Fifty Shades of Grey follows a Bdsm romance, while Tell Them You Love Me delves into facilitated communication and the nature of disability. Both films question the nature of consent, particularly in power dynamics and the ability to communicate, making for uncomfortable but thought-provoking viewing.

Warning: This article discusses issues of consent, rape, and disability.The top two movies on Netflix at the moment are both about unconventional love stories and the complicated nature of consent and sex, but they handle the subject in incredibly different ways and couldn't be more cinematically different. After premiering on Netflix yesterday, June 18, 2024, Fifty Shades of Grey quickly climbed to the number one spot in the most-watched movies on Netflix,...

Exclusive: Tell Them You Love Me explores the story of a controversial affair between Anna Stubblefield, a white university professor, and Derrick Johnson, a non-verbal Black man with cerebral palsy. Stubblefield claimed she and Johnson had fallen in love, but when his family found out about their intimate relationship, she was arrested, and in 2015 stood trial facing charges of aggravated sexual assault.

Ahead of the film bowing on Sky, filmmaker Nick August-Perna sat down with Deadline, alongside Louis Theroux and Arron Fellows, who produced through their Mindhouse banner. The trio spoke about bringing such a multi-faceted story to the screen, capturing both sides authentically, and why festivals just didn’t get it.

“It’s not often that a story comes along that has so many equal parts that are tugging at each other very forcefully, whether it be race or disability or gender,” August-Perna says about the feature documentary.

There...

The 2023 Hamptons International Film Festival has unveiled the jury and audience awards for this year’s festival.

The lineup included opening night’s “Nyad” and Alex Gibney’s documentary “In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon.” Todd Haynes, who received the Achievement in Directing Award, was in attendance for a Spotlight screening of “May December.”

The official Hiff Award for Best Narrative Feature was given to Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren’s “20,000 Species of Bees,” per the jury’s selection. The feature follows an eight-year-old girl and her grandmother over the course of a summer spent in a village known for beekeeping.

Joanna Arnow’s “The Feeling That the Time For Doing Something Has Passed” was also recognized in the Best Narrative Feature category with a special mention.

Meanwhile, the Hiff Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature went to “Fresh Kills,” directed by Jennifer Esposito. The film, which premiered at 2023 Tribeca,...

There were no clear Oscar signals coming out of the 31st Hamptons International Film Festival. Still, there were some admirable stats for the eastern Long Island event that’s a favorite with filmmakers and locals. This year Hiff screened a lineup of films that were 49% female-directed and represented 42 countries from around the world. The festival had a record number of submissions this year and screened 72 features and 46 shorts with eight world premieres, three North American premieres, 12 US premieres, 13 East Coast premieres, and seven New York premieres.

SEEJennifer Esposito (‘Fresh Kills’): First-time director brings feminist mob movie to 31st Hamptons Film Festival

Best Narrative Film went to “20,000 Species Of Bees,” directed by Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren (watch the trailer above). “Tell Them You Love Me,” directed by Nick August-Perna, nabbed the Award for Best Documentary Feature. Hiff audiences selected narrative feature “Fresh Kills,” by first time director Jennifer Esposito, and documentary feature “Angel Applicant,...

Louis Theroux has unveiled a Sky feature documentary exploring the controversial affair between a married female professor and a non-verbal black man with cerebral palsy, which led to one of the most divisive criminal trials of the 21st century.

As he prepares to deliver tomorrow’s Edinburgh TV Festival MacTaggart address, Tell Them You Love Me looks set to be one of the most high profile shows so far to come from the celebrated documentarian’s Mindhouse Productions.

Co-produced with U.S. streamer Topic and distributed by Kino Lorber in North America and NBCUniversal internationally, the 100-minute feature follows the astounding events that led to a divisive criminal trial, which is described as a “misunderstood love affair or a tale of sexual assault and predatory behaviour.”

When the pair first meet, Anna Stubblefield is a respected academic and a disability rights advocate; passionate in her belief that the most essential...

Exclusive: The Young Turks has launched a new venture, Tyt Productions, a film and television company that will develop and produce original non-fiction projects that examine stories of national importance that would be better served through long-form storytelling.

“The launch of our film and television arm, Tyt Productions, will continue to amplify the important stories that match our mission to boldly pursue truth, challenge the establishment, and drive positive change,” said Cenk Uygur, Founder and CEO Tyt, an online news outlet that produces a variety of programs, including its flagship talk show, The Young Turks.

“We pride ourselves in sharing unfiltered commentary in our daily news coverage and we’re going to continue to deliver the same authentic and honest perspective through Tyt Productions.”

The first project under the new label is The Oxy Kingpins, a documentary that is set to premiere at the upcoming 2021 SXSW Film Festival during SXSW Online.

The Swell Season

Directors: Nick August-Perna, Chris Dapkins, Carlo Mirabella-Davis

Starring: Glen Hansard, Markéta Irglová

Seventh Art Releasing

Release Date: October 21, 2011 (limited)

Everyone has those movies they have a certain kind of special attachment to—movies that moved them, that struck an emotional chord, and left a lasting imprint.

For me, one of those movies was 2006's Once, which tells the story of musician known only as "Guy" who works at his dad's vacuum repair shop and makes a little extra coin by singing his songs on the streets of Ireland, and the young Czech girl he meets one day (fittingly dubbed "Girl") who sells flowers and is also a musician. The two form a strong bond through their music and common troubles they have with former lovers, but, as they go on to collaborate on some incredible music together, each is unsure what it is they want in life and for their futures.

Fans of "Once" will no doubt be curious to check out "The Swell Season," a documentary that offers a candid behind-the-scenes look at the real-life couple behind the film's Oscar-winning music. Below co-directors Nick August-Perna, Chris Dapkins and Carlo Mirabella-Davis share an exclusive scene from their documentary, which is currently playing in Los Angeles and opens today in New York at the reRun Gastropub Theater. The world fell in love ...

Fans of "Once" will no doubt be curious to check out "The Swell Season," a documentary that offers a candid behind-the-scenes look at the real-life couple behind the film's Oscar-winning music. Below co-directors Nick August-Perna, Chris Dapkins and Carlo Mirabella-Davis share an exclusive scene from their documentary, which is currently playing in Los Angeles and opens today in New York at Cinema Village and the reRun Gastropub Theater. The world ...

Fans of "Once" will no doubt be curious to check out "The Swell Season," a documentary that offers a candid behind-the-scenes look at the real-life couple behind the film's Oscar-winning music. Below co-directors Nick August-Perna, Chris Dapkins and Carlo Mirabella-Davis share an exclusive scene from their documentary, which is currently playing in Los Angeles and opens today in New York at Cinema Village and the reRun Gastropub Theater. The world ...

Fans of "Once" will no doubt be curious to check out "The Swell Season," a documentary that offers a candid behind-the-scenes look at the real-life couple behind the film's Oscar-winning music. Below co-directors Nick August-Perna, Chris Dapkins and Carlo Mirabella-Davis share an exclusive scene from their documentary which is currently playing in Los Angeles and opens today in New York at the reRun Gastrobub Theater. The world fell in love ...

[With the film extending its run in Los Angeles and opening tomorrow in New York, we now revisit Peter's review from Tribeca.] Overall, I must say that I was struck by the similarity of The Swell Season to Hobo with a Shotgun.  Well, wait, hold on a sec and I'll explain:  both films know what their target audiences expect as they enter the theater, and then do their best to make sure that they leave with their needs met. It's that simple.   And in this case, the "best" of writing-directing team Nick August-Perna, Chris Dapkins, and Carlo Mirabella-Davis is very good indeed.  After all, what's the most you could hope for in a doc that chronicles the artistic collaboration, public romance, and slow-dissolve breakup...

Filed under: Movie News

In 2006, the world was introduced to Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova by way of a delightful little film called 'Once.' In the film, the two musicians fell in love. In real life, the two musicians also fell in love, but -- like their onscreen characters -- it wasn't meant to be. The difference is that Hansard and Irglova had a tumultuous breakup, which was caught on film by Chris Dapkins, Nick August-Perna and Carlo Mirabella-Davis for their new documentary 'The Swell Season.' Moviefone spoke to Dapkins about the strained relationship between Hansard and Irglova -- as well as the slightly dysfunctional relationship that those two have with fame. Dapkins also explains why you may not like 'The Swell Season' if you really enjoyed 'Once.'

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Once casts a long shadow over the The Swell Season, a black-and-white tour documentary co-directed by Nick August-Perna, Chris Dapkins and Carlo Mirabella-Davis. For one thing the film, which follows musicians-turned-movie stars Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová as they perform under the band name of the title, wouldn't exist if it weren't for Once -- the incredible, unexpected success of the Irish indie romance made celebrities of its leads and netted them an Academy Award for their song "Falling Slowly," one of many we hear them play in the doc. Early on, we're shown Hansard's mother hefting her son's Oscar and speaking of him with pride, musing that if the two musicians were to get married, their children would be able to say "ma and dad have an Oscar each!" Once has allowed the long-struggling Hansard and considerably younger Irglová to become a coveted live act, and it's on tour...

After winning the Oscar for Best Original Song in 2008 for John Carney’s breakout hit Once, real-life sweethearts Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová (who co-starred in the Independent Spirit Award–winning film) hit the road with their band, the Swell Season, for what was to have been an exultant, roof-raising tour of the U.S., Ireland, and Europe. Instead, though greeted enthusiastically by thousands of new fans at sold-out shows, the crazy-in-love couple found themselves strained and ultimately divided by the exposure, a bittersweet trajectory charted in the new documentary, The Swell Season, which opened Silverdocs in June.

For the film, co-directors Nick August-Perna, Chris Dapkins, and Carlo Mirabella-Davis traveled with Hansard and Irglová for three years capturing footage of their concerts, backstage conversations, and the tensions that simmer, bubble to the surface, and eventually find the warbling Irish duo parting ways romantically. Stitched into the deftly photographed musical performances (Hansard’s ragged,...

Some of you may remember the 2006 indie-hit Once, a musical film written and directed by John Carney. Set in Dublin, the film starred musicians Glen Hansard (of popular Irish folk rock band The Frames) and Markéta Irglová as musicians who fall in love. Shot on a microscopic budget of €130,000 (Us$ 160,000), the film became a major box office success while earning enthusiastic reviews and awards such as the 2007 Independent Spirit Award for best foreign film. Hansard and Irglová’s song “Falling Slowly” even received a 2007 Academy Award for Best Original Song and the soundtrack as a whole also received a Grammy nomination.

After the success, the two actors/musicians took their act to the road, and Nick August-Perna, Chris Dapkins and Carlo Mirabella-Davis were there document the tour. The documentary, named after the group, will be released on October 7th in Los Angeles and will later hit New York on October 21st.

One forthcoming documentary which is sure to catch the eye of music fans, particularly those who were also fans of the fabulous film Once, is The Swell Season. Directed by Nick August-Perna, Chris Dapkins and Carlo Mirabella-Davis, the doc chronicles the real life journey and relationship of Once duo Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová. It was a big hit on the festival circuit (our review here) and recently secured North American Distribution through 7th Art Releasing and New Video. A new trailer for the documentary has recently popped up online over at Movie Line and you can view it below. This looks like as much of an emotional journey as it does a celebration of the duo's musical talent. The Swell Season goes on limited...

After gaining huge buzz at Sundance in 2007, John Carney's lovely romance Once took plenty more film festivals by storm with its simple story of two unnamed musicians who share an intimate friendship through some truly breathtaking music. It was the film's stars Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová who made the film so genuine and brought the music to life so effortlessly as they were already together as the musical duo known as The Swell Season. Now a new documentary chronicling the real-life romance, struggles, success and musical exploits of the duo is on the way, and we have the first lovely trailer for the doc below. Watch the first official trailer for The Swell Season, found via Movieline: Directed by Nick August-Perna, Chris Dapkins, and Carlo Mirabella-Davis the documentary The Swell Season chronicles the exploits of the musical duo of the same name comprised of Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová,...

Here is the first trailer for The Swell Season, a documentary "chronicling the creative partnership, intimate romance, meteoric rise and turbulent Oscar aftermath" of Once co-stars and songwriters Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová.

Here is a description of the film:

Nick August-Perna, Chris Dapkins and Carlo Mirabella-Davis trailed Hansard and Irglová on tour and in private for the inside glimpse at their fragile relationship; the film premiered earlier this year at the Tribeca Film Festival, and arrives in limited release next month from 7th Art Releasing. 

Check out the trailer below:

For more information check ou the film's website.

[1] One of the best little films I've ever seen was 2007's Once. I say "little" not because the film was short or insignificant, but because the simple story of two unnamed musicians falling in love had a breathtaking intimacy that made it feel raw and genuine. The real-life tale behind the two stars, Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, gave the film an added layer of emotion as well: Hansard and Irglová were (and still are) members of a folk-rock duo called The Swell Season, and while promoting the movie became an actual couple as well. The two eventually broke off their romantic relationship, though they've remained close as colleagues and friends. A documentary telling the true story of The Swell Season has been making the festival rounds, and is set to get a limited theatrical release next month. Directed by Nick August-Perna, Chris Dapkins, and Carlo Mirabella-Davis, The Swell Season follows the duo's fading romance,...

Once upon a time, two musicians made a movie, fell in love, won an Oscar, and then…who knows? You will if you catch the upcoming documentary The Swell Season, directed by Nick August-Perna and Chris Dapkins. The film follows Once stars Glen Hansard (pictured) and Marketa Irglova’s meteoric rise after “Falling Slowly” won the 2008 Oscar for Best Original Song. Watch your old friends frolic in the ocean and debate the merits of fame in the trailer:

The Swell Season opens in limited release Oct. 21.

Do you remember watching Once? Do you remember weeping like a small child when you first heard the Oscar-winning song from it, "Falling Slowly"? Whatever happened to those two gifted musicians? Well directors Nick August-Perna and Chris Dapkins are giving you the opportunity to catch up with Oncestars Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova in the new documentary appropriately named for their band, The Swell Season. The doc will chart their meteoric rise, their on-set romance, and the aftermath of their Oscar win. The first trailer recently hit the interwebs thanks to Movieline. Give it a spin! Not only is Once a beautiful film, but the story of its two leads is itself the stuff of great cinematic romance, and this is coming from someone who usually avoids all manner of romance films like the plague. These two did kind of come out of nowhere so once the applause faded and...

One of our favorite documentaries of the year tells the story of Once stars Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, who make up the band The Swell Season. Directed by Nick August-Perna, Chris Dapkins and Carlo Mirabella-Davis, the film focuses on their Oscar win and the impact it had on their real-life romantic relationship and their families. If you are a fan of the band, it is a must-see. We reviewed it at Tribeca this spring and an early teaser debuted, but now Movieline has the official one, which can be seen below.

Synopsis:

In 2008, Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová captivated audiences and earned two Academy Awards for their musical collaboration in the film Once. As their fictional romance blurred with reality, they fell in love, recorded an album, and embarked on a world tour. Fueled by two years of exhilaration, performance, and psychological turmoil, The Swell Season is much more than a music documentary.

Filed under: Trailers and Clips, Movie News, Video

The last time you heard the names Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová was probably in 2008, when they charmed your pants off in 'Once' and won an Oscar for Best Original Song. Since then, the onscreen duo continued their off-screen romance, broke-up, and toured the globe as The Swell Season. Now, a behind-the-scenes documentary about their love after fame and their fractured romance has arrived, fittingly titled 'The Swell Season.' Check out the first trailer for the film, which was directed by Nick August-Perna, Chris Dapkins and Carlo Mirabella-Davis.

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Another Tff 2011 alum has found a home: band doc The Swell Season will be released this fall by 7th Art Releasing. We're delighted about their expanded exposure. The Swell Season documents three years in the touring/emotional/romantic life of the musical duo (Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova) whose post-Oscar fame - they won the 2007 Oscar for best original song, Falling Slowly, from the musical romance Once, in which they also starred - took a toll on their relationship. Just this week, New Video and 7th Art Releasing acquired rights the to doc, which had its premiere at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival. 7th Art will schedule a platform theatrical release this fall, and New Video will handle cable VOD, digital and DVD in the U.S. through its Docurama Films brand. For more about the film, read an interview with the three filmmakers, all billed as co-directors: Carlo Mirabella-Davis (Producer...

Overall, I must say that I was struck by the similarity of The Swell Season to Hobo with a Shotgun.  Well, wait, hold on a sec and I'll explain:  both films know what their target audiences expect as they enter the theater, and then do their best to make sure that they leave with their needs met. It's that simple.   And in this case, the "best" of writing-directing team Nick August-Perna, Chris Dapkins, and Carlo Mirabella-Davis is very good indeed.  After all, what's the most you could hope for in a doc that chronicles the artistic collaboration, public romance, and slow-dissolve breakup of Oscar-winners Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová? Would it be a bracingly personal, smart, and bittersweet (but not cloying) film with...

In anticipation of the 10th Tribeca Film Festival which kicks off this Wednesday, indieWIRE is again spotlighting emerging (and some veteran) filmmakers screening new work at this year's event. Today's new director interviews include profiles of "Semper Fi: Always Faithful" directors Rachel Libert and Tony Hardmon (World Documentary Competition), Nick August-Perna, Chris Dapkins and Carlo Mirabella-Davis ("The Swell Season," Viewpoints), and "Romantics Anonymous" director Jean-Pierre Ameris (World Narrative Competition). In ...

In anticipation of the 10th Tribeca Film Festival which kicks off this Wednesday, indieWIRE is again spotlighting emerging (and some veteran) filmmakers screening new work at this year's event. Today's new director interviews include profiles of "Semper Fi: Always Faithful" directors Rachel Libert and Tony Hardmon (World Documentary Competition), Nick August-Perna, Chris Dapkins and Carlo Mirabella-Davis ("The Swell Season," Viewpoints), and "Romantics Anonymous" director Jean-Pierre Ameris (World Narrative Competition). In ...