Vice News has released the trailer for its documentary “Scream of My Blood: A Gogol Bordello Story,” which will be showing at Karlovy Vary Film Festival next week.
The film had its world premiere at Tribeca Film Festival earlier in June and Nate Pommer, who directed alongside Eric Weinrib, was awarded a special jury mention. The jury said the film was being recognized “for the enduring use of art as a weapon against cant and authoritarianism.”
The jury added: “We are grateful to the director for translating Gogol Bordello’s rebellious joy and rage at remaining human and vibrant in the face of everything time has thrown in its path.”
The film is an intimate, career-spanning portrait of Ukrainian-born punk musician Eugene Hütz. It chronicles Hütz’s childhood journey to the U.S., his rise to fame with punk band Gogol Bordello and his return to Ukraine after the Russian invasion.
The film had its world premiere at Tribeca Film Festival earlier in June and Nate Pommer, who directed alongside Eric Weinrib, was awarded a special jury mention. The jury said the film was being recognized “for the enduring use of art as a weapon against cant and authoritarianism.”
The jury added: “We are grateful to the director for translating Gogol Bordello’s rebellious joy and rage at remaining human and vibrant in the face of everything time has thrown in its path.”
The film is an intimate, career-spanning portrait of Ukrainian-born punk musician Eugene Hütz. It chronicles Hütz’s childhood journey to the U.S., his rise to fame with punk band Gogol Bordello and his return to Ukraine after the Russian invasion.
- 6/28/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
After weeks of speculation, Vice Media filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Monday to smooth a sale of the company.
In a statement, Vice listed both assets and liabilities in the range of more than $500 million to as much as $1 billion in a Chapter 11 petition filed in a New York court. Bloomberg reports that Fortress Credit Corp. ranked among the biggest secured creditors, with claims totaling about $475 million.
The company added that a consortium that includes Fortress, Soros Fund Management and Monroe Capital has agreed to purchase the group for $225 million, including all assets and taking on all liabilities. Vice expects to complete the sale process in the next two to three months.
In the face of a weak advertising market and a turbulent economy, Vice, like fellow digital media darlings BuzzFeed and Vox Media, has struggled to manage costs and grow revenues.
Filing for bankruptcy is an epic fall from...
In a statement, Vice listed both assets and liabilities in the range of more than $500 million to as much as $1 billion in a Chapter 11 petition filed in a New York court. Bloomberg reports that Fortress Credit Corp. ranked among the biggest secured creditors, with claims totaling about $475 million.
The company added that a consortium that includes Fortress, Soros Fund Management and Monroe Capital has agreed to purchase the group for $225 million, including all assets and taking on all liabilities. Vice expects to complete the sale process in the next two to three months.
In the face of a weak advertising market and a turbulent economy, Vice, like fellow digital media darlings BuzzFeed and Vox Media, has struggled to manage costs and grow revenues.
Filing for bankruptcy is an epic fall from...
- 5/15/2023
- by Abid Rahman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Vice Media Group, the swashbuckling, youth-skewing digital media brand, is preparing to file for bankruptcy.
The company, which was valued at $5.7 billion in 2017, is considering the move after struggling to find a buyer, according to reports.
It comes after a tumultuous start to the year for the company, which saw Nancy Dubuc exit after five years, replaced by Bruce Dixon and Hozefa Lokhandwala, as well as the departure of Global President of News & Entertainment Jesse Angelo to launch his own production company.
Last week, the company underwent the latest in a series of layoffs, streamlining its news division and canceling its signature show in Vice News Tonight.
“Vice Media Group has been engaged in a comprehensive evaluation of strategic alternatives and planning,” Vice said in a statement to the New York Times, which broke the news. “The company, its board and stakeholders continue to be focused on finding the best path for the company.
The company, which was valued at $5.7 billion in 2017, is considering the move after struggling to find a buyer, according to reports.
It comes after a tumultuous start to the year for the company, which saw Nancy Dubuc exit after five years, replaced by Bruce Dixon and Hozefa Lokhandwala, as well as the departure of Global President of News & Entertainment Jesse Angelo to launch his own production company.
Last week, the company underwent the latest in a series of layoffs, streamlining its news division and canceling its signature show in Vice News Tonight.
“Vice Media Group has been engaged in a comprehensive evaluation of strategic alternatives and planning,” Vice said in a statement to the New York Times, which broke the news. “The company, its board and stakeholders continue to be focused on finding the best path for the company.
- 5/1/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: It’s going to get loud at the Tribeca Festival.
Vice News announced today the feature documentary Scream of My Blood: A Gogol Bordello Story will premiere at the festival on June 13, a film Vice describes as “a wild punk-rock-doc that explodes off the screen.”
Scream of My Blood, directed by Nate Pommer and Eric Weinrib, centers around musician Eugene Hütz, leader of the punk band Gogol Bordello, who immigrated to the United States from Ukraine as a kid. After Russia’s full-scale invasion of his native country last February, the filmmaking team followed him as he returned to Ukraine with his band to perform for Ukrainian soldiers.
“Through never-before-seen photo and video archives spanning two decades – including concert performances, backstage moments and intimate interviews – Scream of My Blood follows the epic journey of Eugene Hütz, Gogol Bordello frontman and one of the greatest storytellers of our time, as...
Vice News announced today the feature documentary Scream of My Blood: A Gogol Bordello Story will premiere at the festival on June 13, a film Vice describes as “a wild punk-rock-doc that explodes off the screen.”
Scream of My Blood, directed by Nate Pommer and Eric Weinrib, centers around musician Eugene Hütz, leader of the punk band Gogol Bordello, who immigrated to the United States from Ukraine as a kid. After Russia’s full-scale invasion of his native country last February, the filmmaking team followed him as he returned to Ukraine with his band to perform for Ukrainian soldiers.
“Through never-before-seen photo and video archives spanning two decades – including concert performances, backstage moments and intimate interviews – Scream of My Blood follows the epic journey of Eugene Hütz, Gogol Bordello frontman and one of the greatest storytellers of our time, as...
- 4/18/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Vice World News will launch a news channel on the streaming platform Twitch, including live shows twice a week.
The two-hour show will debut on Aug. 23, and stream Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 Am Et to 1 Pm Et on the channel.
Dexter Thomas and Samir Ferdowsi co-host the show, and it will highlight Vice News’ biggest exclusives and investigations, including talent from across its newsrooms in the U.S. and internationally. Plans are for the show to also feature “a behind-the-scenes look at how some of our famous on-the-ground journalism and fearless conflict reporting comes together,” according to Vice. The Twitch show also will feature a segment where hosts talk to producer and correspondents behind some of the most impactful and memorable stories, including Suroosh Alvi’s 2011 report on Pakistan’s illegal arms market and Seb Walker’s 2019 trip to Syria to search for two American children held hostage by Isis.
The two-hour show will debut on Aug. 23, and stream Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 Am Et to 1 Pm Et on the channel.
Dexter Thomas and Samir Ferdowsi co-host the show, and it will highlight Vice News’ biggest exclusives and investigations, including talent from across its newsrooms in the U.S. and internationally. Plans are for the show to also feature “a behind-the-scenes look at how some of our famous on-the-ground journalism and fearless conflict reporting comes together,” according to Vice. The Twitch show also will feature a segment where hosts talk to producer and correspondents behind some of the most impactful and memorable stories, including Suroosh Alvi’s 2011 report on Pakistan’s illegal arms market and Seb Walker’s 2019 trip to Syria to search for two American children held hostage by Isis.
- 8/17/2022
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Utopia and Showtime have partnered to acquire “Meet Me in the Bathroom,” the documentary film about the early 2000s New York City rock and roll scene that made its premiere at this year’s Sundance.
Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern directed the film that’s based on the 2017 book by Lizzy Goodman. Goodman’s book is a comprehensive oral history of the bands that redefined the rock scene in the early 2000s and late ’90s, including The Strokes, Interpol, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, LCD Soundsystem and more. The film specifically is an assemble of archival footage from that era and forgoes talking head interviews, instead featuring rare early performances and behind the scenes looks at NYC’s top bands.
Utopia will release the film theatrically in theaters later this year, and Showtime will air “Meet Me in the Bathroom” by the end of 2022.
Also Read:
Why ‘Meet Me in the Bathroom...
Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern directed the film that’s based on the 2017 book by Lizzy Goodman. Goodman’s book is a comprehensive oral history of the bands that redefined the rock scene in the early 2000s and late ’90s, including The Strokes, Interpol, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, LCD Soundsystem and more. The film specifically is an assemble of archival footage from that era and forgoes talking head interviews, instead featuring rare early performances and behind the scenes looks at NYC’s top bands.
Utopia will release the film theatrically in theaters later this year, and Showtime will air “Meet Me in the Bathroom” by the end of 2022.
Also Read:
Why ‘Meet Me in the Bathroom...
- 8/10/2022
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Utopia and Showtime have acquired the North American rights to Pulse Films’ “Meet Me in the Bathroom,” a documentary about the explosion of rock ‘n’ roll that helped define the early 2000s in New York City and ushered in a new generation of musical talent. The film, which is directed by Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern, premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. Utopia will release “Meet Me in the Bathroom” in theaters later this year. The film will air on Showtime at the end of 2022.
Based on the hit 2017 oral history of the same name by Lizzy Goodman, “Meet Me in the Bathroom” says it “tells the story of the last great romantic age of rock,” one that looks at the impact that bands like The Strokes, LCD Soundsystem, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Interpol had on revitalizing the cultural life of a reeling, post-9/11 city. To tell its story of this pivotal moment in music,...
Based on the hit 2017 oral history of the same name by Lizzy Goodman, “Meet Me in the Bathroom” says it “tells the story of the last great romantic age of rock,” one that looks at the impact that bands like The Strokes, LCD Soundsystem, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Interpol had on revitalizing the cultural life of a reeling, post-9/11 city. To tell its story of this pivotal moment in music,...
- 8/10/2022
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Call your designer, get your hair done, and don’t forget to swab your nostrils — it’s finally time to party as Oscar Week comes out of the pandemic. While there’s some of the old standards returning after a year’s dormancy during Covid, largely Mia this year are any studio- or streamer-sponsored parties/dinners (except for Warner Bros). But of course, they always can pop up as we head down the runway toward Oscar gold. Please send any event or party details to anthony@deadline.com. Most events are by invite-only.
Tuesday, March 22
8:30 a.m.: 5th Annual Emily’s List – The Collective Power of Women
Four Seasons, Los Angeles at Beverly Hills
The nation’s largest resource for women in politics will feature a panel discussion of entertainment industry and elected leaders. Panelists include showrunner, producer, writer, director, and actor Gloria Calderón Kellett; actor Maitreyi Ramakrishnan; Hall of Fame marketing executive,...
Tuesday, March 22
8:30 a.m.: 5th Annual Emily’s List – The Collective Power of Women
Four Seasons, Los Angeles at Beverly Hills
The nation’s largest resource for women in politics will feature a panel discussion of entertainment industry and elected leaders. Panelists include showrunner, producer, writer, director, and actor Gloria Calderón Kellett; actor Maitreyi Ramakrishnan; Hall of Fame marketing executive,...
- 3/22/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Anthony Mackie is getting twisted at Peacock: An adaptation of the Twisted Metal video game, starring and executive-produced by the Falcon and the Winter Soldier leading man, has been picked up to series at the streamer, our sister site Variety reports.
The half-hour action comedy stars Mackie as John Doe, “a smart-ass milkman who talks as fast as he drives. With no memory of his past, John gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make his wish of finding community come true, but only if he can survive an onslaught of savage vehicular combat. With the help of a trigger-happy car thief,...
The half-hour action comedy stars Mackie as John Doe, “a smart-ass milkman who talks as fast as he drives. With no memory of his past, John gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make his wish of finding community come true, but only if he can survive an onslaught of savage vehicular combat. With the help of a trigger-happy car thief,...
- 2/28/2022
- by Vlada Gelman
- TVLine.com
Fox Entertainment’s MarVista Entertainment is entering into a development and production deal with TelevisaUnivision to produce 10 original Spanish-language films for ViX Plus, both sides announced Monday. ViX Plus is TelevisaUnivision’s Spanish-language subscription-based video on-demand offering; MarVista will produce 10 films across the genres of family, comedy, romance and holiday that will be available to stream exclusively on the service. TelevisaUnivision will hold the worldwide streaming distribution rights for all ten films, while MarVista is set to oversee the global distribution outside of streaming.
“It is an incredible honor to be a founding creative production partner of TelevisaUnivision on the launch of ViX Plus,” said Fernando Szew, CEO of MarVista Entertainment. “MarVista and Fox Entertainment take great pride in being leaders in delivering diverse stories and premium content across multiple genres for all viewers. We’re looking forward to introducing these initial ten films to what undoubtedly will be a...
“It is an incredible honor to be a founding creative production partner of TelevisaUnivision on the launch of ViX Plus,” said Fernando Szew, CEO of MarVista Entertainment. “MarVista and Fox Entertainment take great pride in being leaders in delivering diverse stories and premium content across multiple genres for all viewers. We’re looking forward to introducing these initial ten films to what undoubtedly will be a...
- 2/28/2022
- by Sasha Urban and Wilson Chapman
- Variety Film + TV
Nicolas Peduzzi’s Houston-set documentary Ghost Song opened parallel Cannes section Acid in 2021.
Vice World News has acquired world rights for French director Nicolas Peduzzi’s documentary Ghost Song, which opened parallel Cannes section Acid in 2021.
Filmed in Houston, Texas, as a hurricane approaches, the feature documentary follows three separate characters, including rapper Omb Bloodbath, who was a close friend of George Floyd having been mentored by him as a young adult.
After its Acid debut, it went on to win the best film prize in the Permanent Revolutions section of the Seville Film Festival last November.
Vice World News...
Vice World News has acquired world rights for French director Nicolas Peduzzi’s documentary Ghost Song, which opened parallel Cannes section Acid in 2021.
Filmed in Houston, Texas, as a hurricane approaches, the feature documentary follows three separate characters, including rapper Omb Bloodbath, who was a close friend of George Floyd having been mentored by him as a young adult.
After its Acid debut, it went on to win the best film prize in the Permanent Revolutions section of the Seville Film Festival last November.
Vice World News...
- 2/14/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
HBO Max announced that Selena Gomez’s cooking show “Selena + Chef” has been renewed for Season 3.
New episodes of the series, in which Gomez teams up with all-star chefs to whip up delicious dishes while raising money for charity, will premiere later this year.
“Selena + Chef” is executive produced by Gomez for July Moon Productions along with executive producers Eli Holzman, Aaron Saidman, Leah Hariton and Melissa Stokes.
Also in today’s TV news roundup…
Dates
Netflix announced that the new limited series “Halston” will premiere on May 14. In the series from Daniel Minahan, Ewan McGregor stars as legendary fashion designer Roy Halston Frowick as he builds a worldwide fashion empire in 1970s and ’80s New York until he must fight for control of his own name. “Halston” also stars Krysta Rodriguez as Liza Minnelli, Rebecca Dayan as Elsa Peretti, Bill Pullman as David Mahoney, Gian Franco Rodriguez as Victor Hugo,...
New episodes of the series, in which Gomez teams up with all-star chefs to whip up delicious dishes while raising money for charity, will premiere later this year.
“Selena + Chef” is executive produced by Gomez for July Moon Productions along with executive producers Eli Holzman, Aaron Saidman, Leah Hariton and Melissa Stokes.
Also in today’s TV news roundup…
Dates
Netflix announced that the new limited series “Halston” will premiere on May 14. In the series from Daniel Minahan, Ewan McGregor stars as legendary fashion designer Roy Halston Frowick as he builds a worldwide fashion empire in 1970s and ’80s New York until he must fight for control of his own name. “Halston” also stars Krysta Rodriguez as Liza Minnelli, Rebecca Dayan as Elsa Peretti, Bill Pullman as David Mahoney, Gian Franco Rodriguez as Victor Hugo,...
- 4/23/2021
- by Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety Film + TV
Vice is launching its own online documentary film festival with 11 feature-docs curated by the company’s co-founder Suroosh Alvi.
The youth-skewing media company is launching a site to house the films, which includes a number of Oscar contenders, with each film featuring a Q&a with Alvi and the filmmakers and subjects.
The films are The Toxic Pigs of Fukushima, Showgirls of Pakistan, We Hold the Line, Sakawa, Another Kind of Paradise, Dope Is Death, Mayor, The Donut King, Yung Lean – In My Head, Two Gods and The Prophet and the Space Aliens (full details below).
The collection will be preceded by a linear airing of The Toxic Pigs of Fukushima, which will air today, January 31 at 6:30am Pt, on Vice TV, with the site going live at 8am Pt.
The Short List With Suroosh Alvi is produced by Vice World News and distributed worldwide by Vice Distribution. Executive...
The youth-skewing media company is launching a site to house the films, which includes a number of Oscar contenders, with each film featuring a Q&a with Alvi and the filmmakers and subjects.
The films are The Toxic Pigs of Fukushima, Showgirls of Pakistan, We Hold the Line, Sakawa, Another Kind of Paradise, Dope Is Death, Mayor, The Donut King, Yung Lean – In My Head, Two Gods and The Prophet and the Space Aliens (full details below).
The collection will be preceded by a linear airing of The Toxic Pigs of Fukushima, which will air today, January 31 at 6:30am Pt, on Vice TV, with the site going live at 8am Pt.
The Short List With Suroosh Alvi is produced by Vice World News and distributed worldwide by Vice Distribution. Executive...
- 1/31/2021
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Vice has picked up all rights to Valparaiso Pictures’ documentary The Toxic Pigs of Fukushima by The Eagle Huntress filmmaker Otto Bell.
The film charts the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 which triggered a tsunami, nuclear disaster and mass evacuations in Fukushima Prefecture. Today, as part of a government push to encourage resettlement, local hunters have been enlisted to dispose of radiated wild boars that now roam the abandoned streets and buildings.
The film was inspired by the photographs of co-producers Toru Hanai and Yuki Iwanami and the original score was written and performed by ambient artist Midori Takada.
The deal was negotiated by Jason Guberman, Chris Andaya, Maral Usefi and Zara Meerza for Vice. CAA Media Finance, which arranged financing for the film, brokered the deal with Marc Simon of Fox Rothschild on behalf of the filmmakers.
Bell, whose Daisy Ridley-narrated doc The Eagle Huntress...
The film charts the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 which triggered a tsunami, nuclear disaster and mass evacuations in Fukushima Prefecture. Today, as part of a government push to encourage resettlement, local hunters have been enlisted to dispose of radiated wild boars that now roam the abandoned streets and buildings.
The film was inspired by the photographs of co-producers Toru Hanai and Yuki Iwanami and the original score was written and performed by ambient artist Midori Takada.
The deal was negotiated by Jason Guberman, Chris Andaya, Maral Usefi and Zara Meerza for Vice. CAA Media Finance, which arranged financing for the film, brokered the deal with Marc Simon of Fox Rothschild on behalf of the filmmakers.
Bell, whose Daisy Ridley-narrated doc The Eagle Huntress...
- 1/21/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: UK sales firm Independent has sold SXSW-winning documentary The Donut King to key markets with Vice picking the film up for the world excluding North America, UK/Ireland, Japan, Australia/New Zealand and Portugal.
New deals on the film also comprise UK and Ireland (Sky), Australia (Madman), Japan (Twin), Portugal (Nos Lusomundo) and Airlines (Aardwolf). Greenwich Entertainment released the film in North America last month, screening it across virtual cinemas.
The well-received feature, which chronicles the rags-to-riches-to-rags story of Cambodian refugee-turned-‘Donut King’ Ted Ngoy, was previously due to premiere in this year’s SXSW Documentary Feature Competition lineup before the festival’s cancellation due to Covid. The film went on to receive a Special Jury Award from the SXSW jury.
Vice will include the film on The Short List with Suroosh Alvi, an upcoming series from recently-launched Vice World News. The collection of acclaimed documentaries will be curated by Vice Media co-founder Alvi.
New deals on the film also comprise UK and Ireland (Sky), Australia (Madman), Japan (Twin), Portugal (Nos Lusomundo) and Airlines (Aardwolf). Greenwich Entertainment released the film in North America last month, screening it across virtual cinemas.
The well-received feature, which chronicles the rags-to-riches-to-rags story of Cambodian refugee-turned-‘Donut King’ Ted Ngoy, was previously due to premiere in this year’s SXSW Documentary Feature Competition lineup before the festival’s cancellation due to Covid. The film went on to receive a Special Jury Award from the SXSW jury.
Vice will include the film on The Short List with Suroosh Alvi, an upcoming series from recently-launched Vice World News. The collection of acclaimed documentaries will be curated by Vice Media co-founder Alvi.
- 11/30/2020
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
U.K.-based documentary specialist Dogwoof has announced a string of deals for their slate, which includes a topical tale about the earliest days of the Covid-19 outbreak, three titles in the Best of Fest section at documentary festival IDFA, which runs Nov. 18-Dec. 6, and an Oscar contender.
“76 Days” (pictured), a powerful verité study of the early days of Covid-19 in Wuhan, China, sold to Sky (U.K.), Globo (Brazil), Vrt (Belgium), Channel 8 and YesDocu (Israel), Dr (Denmark), and Vgtv (Norway).
The film, directed by Hao Wu, Weixi Chen and Anonymous, was recently nominated for a Gotham award. It screened at the Toronto Film Festival, and features in IDFA’s Docs for Sale section. MTV Documentary Films, a division of MTV Studios, acquired the North American rights to the documentary last month from CAA Media Finance Group. Dogwoof will release “76 Days” in the U.K. on Jan.
“76 Days” (pictured), a powerful verité study of the early days of Covid-19 in Wuhan, China, sold to Sky (U.K.), Globo (Brazil), Vrt (Belgium), Channel 8 and YesDocu (Israel), Dr (Denmark), and Vgtv (Norway).
The film, directed by Hao Wu, Weixi Chen and Anonymous, was recently nominated for a Gotham award. It screened at the Toronto Film Festival, and features in IDFA’s Docs for Sale section. MTV Documentary Films, a division of MTV Studios, acquired the North American rights to the documentary last month from CAA Media Finance Group. Dogwoof will release “76 Days” in the U.K. on Jan.
- 11/24/2020
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Utopia has acquired “Dope Is Death,” a look at the establishment of an unconventional detoxification program in the Bronx in the early 1970s to deal with the heroin epidemic.
The sale took place in advance of the film’s screening in November at Doc NYC. Mia Donovan, who previously helmed “Inside Lara Roxx” and “Deprogrammed,” directed the film.
“Dope Is Death” centers on Dr. Mutulu Shakur, stepfather of Tupac Shakur, and a coalition of left-wing activists from the Young Lords and Black Panthers, who combined community health with radical politics to create Lincoln Detox, the first acupuncture detoxification program in America.
The film is slated to premiere on Vice World News — a new series presented by Vice co-founder Suroosh Alvi — before releasing digitally across VOD platforms.
“I feel so honoured to share this story of how community activists confronted the war on drugs with acupuncture and political education,” Donovan said.
The sale took place in advance of the film’s screening in November at Doc NYC. Mia Donovan, who previously helmed “Inside Lara Roxx” and “Deprogrammed,” directed the film.
“Dope Is Death” centers on Dr. Mutulu Shakur, stepfather of Tupac Shakur, and a coalition of left-wing activists from the Young Lords and Black Panthers, who combined community health with radical politics to create Lincoln Detox, the first acupuncture detoxification program in America.
The film is slated to premiere on Vice World News — a new series presented by Vice co-founder Suroosh Alvi — before releasing digitally across VOD platforms.
“I feel so honoured to share this story of how community activists confronted the war on drugs with acupuncture and political education,” Donovan said.
- 10/26/2020
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Showtime has ordered a second season of its Emmy-nominated docuseries Vice. The renewal comes shortly after the series wrapped its first season on Showtime and received a 2020 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special, its first Emmy nom on the network.
“In the most challenging conditions imaginable, Vice serves as our collective conscience, delivering vital reporting from around the world, often at great risk to themselves,” said Vinnie Malhotra, EVP, Nonfiction Programming, Showtime Networks Inc. “We could not be more proud of the work the team has done, and we’ve marveled at their exceptional investigative and in-depth reporting. We anxiously await what Vice will tackle in the coming season.”
This past season, Vice journalists quickly adapted to cover stories of the Covid-19 pandemic and its rippling effect on local communities around the world, reporting from high-risk epicenters in New York, Italy, Brazil, Iran, Cambodia and more.
Each...
“In the most challenging conditions imaginable, Vice serves as our collective conscience, delivering vital reporting from around the world, often at great risk to themselves,” said Vinnie Malhotra, EVP, Nonfiction Programming, Showtime Networks Inc. “We could not be more proud of the work the team has done, and we’ve marveled at their exceptional investigative and in-depth reporting. We anxiously await what Vice will tackle in the coming season.”
This past season, Vice journalists quickly adapted to cover stories of the Covid-19 pandemic and its rippling effect on local communities around the world, reporting from high-risk epicenters in New York, Italy, Brazil, Iran, Cambodia and more.
Each...
- 7/30/2020
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
“Vice,” the weekly newsmagazine series which was revived by Showtime last year, has been renewed for a second season at the network.
News of the renewal comes hot on the heels of the show’s Emmy nomination in the hosted nonfiction series or special category. The series was originally launched by Vice Media and HBO back in 2013, before it was canceled after six seasons.
This past season saw the show’s reporters cover stories of the Covid-19 pandemic, reporting from high-risk epicenters in New York, Italy, Brazil, Iran, and Cambodia. News of the pickup was announced by Vinnie Malhotra, executive vice president of nonfiction programming at Showtime.
“In the most challenging conditions imaginable, ‘Vice’ serves as our collective conscience, delivering vital reporting from around the world, often at great risk to themselves,” said Malhotra. “We could not be more proud of the work the team has done, and we’ve...
News of the renewal comes hot on the heels of the show’s Emmy nomination in the hosted nonfiction series or special category. The series was originally launched by Vice Media and HBO back in 2013, before it was canceled after six seasons.
This past season saw the show’s reporters cover stories of the Covid-19 pandemic, reporting from high-risk epicenters in New York, Italy, Brazil, Iran, and Cambodia. News of the pickup was announced by Vinnie Malhotra, executive vice president of nonfiction programming at Showtime.
“In the most challenging conditions imaginable, ‘Vice’ serves as our collective conscience, delivering vital reporting from around the world, often at great risk to themselves,” said Malhotra. “We could not be more proud of the work the team has done, and we’ve...
- 7/30/2020
- by Will Thorne
- Variety Film + TV
Vice.com laid off its editor-in-chief Jonathan Smith and managing editor Rachel Schallom in a shakeup Tuesday which suggests cuts and restructuring are continuing as Vice Media looks to become profitable in 2019.
Relevant staff at the company were notified via email that Smith, a 10-year veteran of Vice, and Schallom were out, the New York Times reports.
“In making changes to the organizational structure of the digital editorial group, we had to make difficult decisions that mean Jonathan Smith and Rachel Schallom are no longer with the company,” an email from Vice senior vice president Katie Drummond read, according to the Times.
A rep for Vice did not immediately respond to request for comment from TheWrap.
In February, the company — looking to staunch mounting losses and jittery investors — slashed 250 jobs accounting for roughly 10% of all its employees. The cuts were extensive and touched almost every area of the company, including...
Relevant staff at the company were notified via email that Smith, a 10-year veteran of Vice, and Schallom were out, the New York Times reports.
“In making changes to the organizational structure of the digital editorial group, we had to make difficult decisions that mean Jonathan Smith and Rachel Schallom are no longer with the company,” an email from Vice senior vice president Katie Drummond read, according to the Times.
A rep for Vice did not immediately respond to request for comment from TheWrap.
In February, the company — looking to staunch mounting losses and jittery investors — slashed 250 jobs accounting for roughly 10% of all its employees. The cuts were extensive and touched almost every area of the company, including...
- 6/4/2019
- by Jon Levine
- The Wrap
Vice Media has agreed to pay $1.875 million to settle a class-action lawsuit filed by female employees who said that the company underpaid women in their workforce, according to a court filing submitted Monday to a Los Angeles Superior Court judge.
The company has maintained that there was never any centralized gender pay disparity but agreed in mediation to the payout to past female employees, who is around 675 people.
The suit was brought by Elizabeth Rose, who worked with Vice as a project manager from 2014-2016, and argued that Vice’s practice of relying on past salary data to determine how to pay current employees had resulted in unfair and systemic underpayment for women at the company. Rose and other plaintiffs said Vice’s pay practices violated New York and California labor laws.
Also Read: Vice Media Near Deal for New Show With Hulu, Executive Says (Exclusive)
In a statement, Vice...
The company has maintained that there was never any centralized gender pay disparity but agreed in mediation to the payout to past female employees, who is around 675 people.
The suit was brought by Elizabeth Rose, who worked with Vice as a project manager from 2014-2016, and argued that Vice’s practice of relying on past salary data to determine how to pay current employees had resulted in unfair and systemic underpayment for women at the company. Rose and other plaintiffs said Vice’s pay practices violated New York and California labor laws.
Also Read: Vice Media Near Deal for New Show With Hulu, Executive Says (Exclusive)
In a statement, Vice...
- 3/27/2019
- by Jon Levine
- The Wrap
Pulse Films and Left Handed Films producing project.
Pulse Films and Left Handed Films have completed the cast on their UK drama Mughal Mowgli, which has now begun shooting in London.
Joining Riz Ahmed in the feature are this year’s Royal Television Society Breakthrough Award winner Nabhaan Rizwan, who won the prize for his work on BBC/Amazon series Informer.
Also newly added to the film are Aiysha Hart, whose credits include Colette and Line Of Duty, Sex Education actor Anjana Vasan, Mary Poppins Returns actor Sudha Bhuchar, and The Valley actor Alyy Khan.
The project is the feature directing debut of Bassam Tariq,...
Pulse Films and Left Handed Films have completed the cast on their UK drama Mughal Mowgli, which has now begun shooting in London.
Joining Riz Ahmed in the feature are this year’s Royal Television Society Breakthrough Award winner Nabhaan Rizwan, who won the prize for his work on BBC/Amazon series Informer.
Also newly added to the film are Aiysha Hart, whose credits include Colette and Line Of Duty, Sex Education actor Anjana Vasan, Mary Poppins Returns actor Sudha Bhuchar, and The Valley actor Alyy Khan.
The project is the feature directing debut of Bassam Tariq,...
- 3/21/2019
- by Tom Grater
- ScreenDaily
Pulse Films, Silvertown Films, BBC, Vice team for feature project.
The Night Of star Riz Ahmed will lead the cast of Mughal Mowgli, the UK feature he is also producing through his banner Left Handed Films.
The project marks the fiction feature of director Bassam Tariq. It will follow a British Pakistani rapper who, on the cusp of his first world tour, is struck down by an illness that threatens to derail his big break.
Ahmed also co-wrote the screenplay with Tariq. Producers are Pulse Films’ Thomas Benski and Bennett McGhee of Silvertown Films, with Michael Peay from Left Handed Films.
The Night Of star Riz Ahmed will lead the cast of Mughal Mowgli, the UK feature he is also producing through his banner Left Handed Films.
The project marks the fiction feature of director Bassam Tariq. It will follow a British Pakistani rapper who, on the cusp of his first world tour, is struck down by an illness that threatens to derail his big break.
Ahmed also co-wrote the screenplay with Tariq. Producers are Pulse Films’ Thomas Benski and Bennett McGhee of Silvertown Films, with Michael Peay from Left Handed Films.
- 3/6/2019
- by Tom Grater
- ScreenDaily
Riz Ahmed is producing and starring in the music drama “Mughal Mowgli,” which he has co-written with director Bassam Tariq.
The spiritual drama follows a British Pakistani rapper who, on the cusp of his first world tour, is struck down by an illness that threatens to derail his big break.
Ahmed is producing through his Left Handed Films with Pulse Films’ Thomas Benski and Bennett McGhee, along with Michael Peay. BBC Films, Cinereach, Sffilm Invest, Vice Studios, and Ryot Films have boarded the project as financiers.
The executive producers are Dimitra Tsingou for Pulse Films, Eva Yates for BBC Films, and Suroosh Alvi for Vice Studios. Pulse Films will produce in association with Silvertown Films and Left Handed Films.
Ahmed won an Emmy for his role in HBO’s “The Night Of” and went on to star in “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” Jacques Audiard’s “The Sisters Brothers,...
The spiritual drama follows a British Pakistani rapper who, on the cusp of his first world tour, is struck down by an illness that threatens to derail his big break.
Ahmed is producing through his Left Handed Films with Pulse Films’ Thomas Benski and Bennett McGhee, along with Michael Peay. BBC Films, Cinereach, Sffilm Invest, Vice Studios, and Ryot Films have boarded the project as financiers.
The executive producers are Dimitra Tsingou for Pulse Films, Eva Yates for BBC Films, and Suroosh Alvi for Vice Studios. Pulse Films will produce in association with Silvertown Films and Left Handed Films.
Ahmed won an Emmy for his role in HBO’s “The Night Of” and went on to star in “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” Jacques Audiard’s “The Sisters Brothers,...
- 3/6/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Vice Media co-founder Gavin McInnes filed legal suit against the Southern Poverty Law Center (Splc) on Monday, accusing the organization of “defamation and other tortious acts resulting in reputational and economic damages,” according to a press release.
McInnes left Vice in 2008 over creative differences with fellow co-founders Shane Smith and Suroosh Alvi. The company did not immediately respond to request for comment from TheWrap.
“I, Gavin McInnes, formerly of every job I’ve ever had, am announcing, as of today, a lawsuit against the Splc. They have harassed me, my family, and my friends to a level of tortious interference that goes well into sabotage,” the right-wing talk show host said in a statement, accompanying the suit.
Also Read: Vice Media to Lay Off 10 Percent of Staff in Company Restructuring
“The Splc has gone from a noble institution genuinely dedicated to eradicating hate to a hate group in and of...
McInnes left Vice in 2008 over creative differences with fellow co-founders Shane Smith and Suroosh Alvi. The company did not immediately respond to request for comment from TheWrap.
“I, Gavin McInnes, formerly of every job I’ve ever had, am announcing, as of today, a lawsuit against the Splc. They have harassed me, my family, and my friends to a level of tortious interference that goes well into sabotage,” the right-wing talk show host said in a statement, accompanying the suit.
Also Read: Vice Media to Lay Off 10 Percent of Staff in Company Restructuring
“The Splc has gone from a noble institution genuinely dedicated to eradicating hate to a hate group in and of...
- 2/4/2019
- by Jon Levine
- The Wrap
Vice Media revealed on Friday that it would move to lay off roughly 10 percent of its employees in a reorganization that is expected to cut 250 jobs, a spokesperson for the company confirmed to TheWrap on Friday.
“Having finalized the 2019 budget, our focus shifts to executing our goals and hitting our marks,” CEO Nancy Dubuc told Vice staff in a memo. “We will make Vice the best manifestation of itself and cement its place long into the future.”
The layoffs are the latest in what is already shaping to be a tough start to 2019 for media companies. Over the last two weeks, at least a 1,000 media jobs have been eliminated according to a count from CNN, with high profile cuts coming to BuzzFeed, HuffPost and Gannett.
“Basically the email came through from Nancy this morning and sure enough people started getting called up to Hr bit by bit,” a Vice Media...
“Having finalized the 2019 budget, our focus shifts to executing our goals and hitting our marks,” CEO Nancy Dubuc told Vice staff in a memo. “We will make Vice the best manifestation of itself and cement its place long into the future.”
The layoffs are the latest in what is already shaping to be a tough start to 2019 for media companies. Over the last two weeks, at least a 1,000 media jobs have been eliminated according to a count from CNN, with high profile cuts coming to BuzzFeed, HuffPost and Gannett.
“Basically the email came through from Nancy this morning and sure enough people started getting called up to Hr bit by bit,” a Vice Media...
- 2/1/2019
- by Jon Levine
- The Wrap
No one is losing their job at Vice Media right now, but no one is getting one either.
Facing some serious bottom line realities, the semi-saucy brand co-founded by Shane Smith has instituted a hiring freeze and will also cut back staff through a process of attrition, Deadline has confirmed.
Kicked off about a month ago by CEO Nancy Dubuc, we hear the plan aims to reduce staffing among the about 3,000 current employees by 10%-15% over the next year. Another part of Dubuc’s plan to strengthen Vice’s finances, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, is to trim the number of sites the company operates and fosters. That would, for instance, involve taking several music sites and putting them under the umbrella of the recognized Noisey banner to streamline content and traffic.
Accordingly, the once in-your-face brand started by Smith, Gavin McInnes and Suroosh Alvi in Montreal in...
Facing some serious bottom line realities, the semi-saucy brand co-founded by Shane Smith has instituted a hiring freeze and will also cut back staff through a process of attrition, Deadline has confirmed.
Kicked off about a month ago by CEO Nancy Dubuc, we hear the plan aims to reduce staffing among the about 3,000 current employees by 10%-15% over the next year. Another part of Dubuc’s plan to strengthen Vice’s finances, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, is to trim the number of sites the company operates and fosters. That would, for instance, involve taking several music sites and putting them under the umbrella of the recognized Noisey banner to streamline content and traffic.
Accordingly, the once in-your-face brand started by Smith, Gavin McInnes and Suroosh Alvi in Montreal in...
- 11/8/2018
- by Dominic Patten and Dawn C. Chmielewski
- Deadline Film + TV
Tucker Carlson posed for a chummy photograph on Thursday with longtime pal Roger Stone and two members of the Proud Boys, a fraternal organization that has been linked to last summer’s deadly “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Va.
In an explanation provided by a Fox News spokesperson, Carlson told TheWrap that the picture had been taken in the green room of the network’s Washington, D.C., bureau just before Stone’s appearance Thursday night on “The Ingraham Angle.”
Carlson declined to condemn the Proud Boys — which have been classified as a “hate group” by the Southern Poverty Law Center — and instead offered a statement via email.
“I strongly support and endorse every personal belief of every person I take a picture with on the street, the subway or in the green room, and always have,” he said, adding that his remark should be read as sarcastic.
Also...
In an explanation provided by a Fox News spokesperson, Carlson told TheWrap that the picture had been taken in the green room of the network’s Washington, D.C., bureau just before Stone’s appearance Thursday night on “The Ingraham Angle.”
Carlson declined to condemn the Proud Boys — which have been classified as a “hate group” by the Southern Poverty Law Center — and instead offered a statement via email.
“I strongly support and endorse every personal belief of every person I take a picture with on the street, the subway or in the green room, and always have,” he said, adding that his remark should be read as sarcastic.
Also...
- 5/18/2018
- by Jon Levine
- The Wrap
Bids to quell UK staff unrest following claims that led to suspension of senior execs.
Vice Media
Vice Media is strengthening its policy for dealing with sexual harassment amid calls for action from UK staff over allegations made against senior executives.
The media group has introduced mandatory, third-party sexual harassment training for all staff and a confidential 24-hour employee hotline. In the UK, it has launched an independent, anonymous UK staff survey to gauge concerns about structures, procedure and culture and recently-appointed global head of Hr, Susan Tohyama, is working with the UK Hr team to improve procedures.
Representatives of Vice’s 300-plus UK staff posted a joint statement on Medium on 29 December under the pseudonym Julia Smith, which urged the organisation to curb its ‘boys’ club’ culture.
The group has placed president Andrew Creighton, who co-founded Vice UK in 2002, and chief digital officer Mike Germano on leave after the New York Times reported allegations against them last month...
Vice Media
Vice Media is strengthening its policy for dealing with sexual harassment amid calls for action from UK staff over allegations made against senior executives.
The media group has introduced mandatory, third-party sexual harassment training for all staff and a confidential 24-hour employee hotline. In the UK, it has launched an independent, anonymous UK staff survey to gauge concerns about structures, procedure and culture and recently-appointed global head of Hr, Susan Tohyama, is working with the UK Hr team to improve procedures.
Representatives of Vice’s 300-plus UK staff posted a joint statement on Medium on 29 December under the pseudonym Julia Smith, which urged the organisation to curb its ‘boys’ club’ culture.
The group has placed president Andrew Creighton, who co-founded Vice UK in 2002, and chief digital officer Mike Germano on leave after the New York Times reported allegations against them last month...
- 1/4/2018
- by Robin Parker Broadcast
- ScreenDaily
Co-founder of Vice magazine, Suroosh Alvi, has led a very interesting life that should inspire anyone who has experienced some missteps and poor decisions. Suroosh is the ideal example of the fact that it is never too late to turn your life around. The media and entertainment mogul and taken the lemons in his life and made the sweetest lemonade imaginable. The Pakistani Canadian filmmaker and journalist currently have a youth brand that spans at least 34 countries, and his reach is constantly expanding. While some of you are aware of Suroosh, there are some things that you likely are
Five Things You Didn’t Know About Suroosh Alvi...
Five Things You Didn’t Know About Suroosh Alvi...
- 12/28/2017
- by Rick Wallace
- TVovermind.com
On December 23, a thorough report in The New York Times revealed a culture of sexual misconduct at the edgy media company Vice. Among other offenses, the Times article detailed a workplace dominated by men, numerous allegations of harassment and groping, and several settlements with female employees who said they faced career trouble after failed romantic relationships with failed supervisors.
As the damning story spread across the internet, Vice's co-founders authored a lengthy response. In an apology letter published to the company's website, Shane Smith and Suroosh Alvi said they "let far too many people down" by allowing such a toxic culture to fester. They also announced several changes in hopes of repairing Vice's image and making its workplace a more safe and welcoming place for women.
Listening to our employees over the past year, the truth is inescapable: from the top down, we have failed as a company to create...
As the damning story spread across the internet, Vice's co-founders authored a lengthy response. In an apology letter published to the company's website, Shane Smith and Suroosh Alvi said they "let far too many people down" by allowing such a toxic culture to fester. They also announced several changes in hopes of repairing Vice's image and making its workplace a more safe and welcoming place for women.
Listening to our employees over the past year, the truth is inescapable: from the top down, we have failed as a company to create...
- 12/26/2017
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
Vice Media issued a lengthy apology on Saturday after the New York Times reported that the company had paid out at least four sexual harassment settlements involving Vice employees in the last decade, including one last year involving the company’s current president Andrew Creighton. “Listening to our employees over the past year, the truth is inescapable: from the top down, we have failed as a company to create a safe and inclusive workplace where everyone, especially women, can feel respected and thrive,” wrote Vice co-founders Shane Smith and Suroosh Alvi in a public note to Vice employees. “We understand that this had.
- 12/23/2017
- by Jon Levine
- The Wrap
HBO will premiere Vice Special Report: A World in Disarray, a documentary that examines the past, present and future of American foreign policy, at 10 Pm Friday, July 21. In the exclusive HBO presentation, Vice founder Suroosh Alvi and other Vice correspondents examine the foreign policies that have shaped the modern world and meet people living through today's major conflicts. It features interviews with Condoleezza Rice, Tony Blair, Samantha Power, Ash Carter and…...
- 6/23/2017
- Deadline TV
Vice has built an entire media brand around the concept of reporting stories that otherwise wouldn’t receive much coverage, if any. Now, with its latest initiative, Vice is giving its audience more context for the coverage it provides in hopes of inspiring those readers and viewers toward action. The media company’s newest vertical, as shared by The Hollywood Reporter, is Vice Impact, which presents articles and videos related to important issues.
Impact, which has been talked about publicly since at least last September, is Vice’s attempt to link the important social and political topics it discusses to link them to advocacy groups, protests, and other methods for walking the walk. “Our audience often says, ‘Well great, you've shown me the issues here, but what can I do about it?’” said Vice co-founder Suroosh Alvi in a video introducing Impact. “That question doesn't have easy answers. We were...
Impact, which has been talked about publicly since at least last September, is Vice’s attempt to link the important social and political topics it discusses to link them to advocacy groups, protests, and other methods for walking the walk. “Our audience often says, ‘Well great, you've shown me the issues here, but what can I do about it?’” said Vice co-founder Suroosh Alvi in a video introducing Impact. “That question doesn't have easy answers. We were...
- 4/24/2017
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
HBO's fourth season of the Vice TV series premieres Friday, February 5, 2016 at 11:00pm Et/Pt. Hosted by Vice Media founder Shane Smith, Vice is executive produced by Shane Smith, Eddy Moretti, Bj Levin, and Bill Maher, with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria as consulting producer.
Vice, season four, features returning and new correspondents including: Suroosh Alvi, Ben Anderson, Gianna Toboni, Vikram Gandhi, Isobel Yeung, Hamilton Morris, Thomas Morton, Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, and Kaj Larsen, an 11-year veteran of the U.S. Navy SEALs.
Read More…...
Vice, season four, features returning and new correspondents including: Suroosh Alvi, Ben Anderson, Gianna Toboni, Vikram Gandhi, Isobel Yeung, Hamilton Morris, Thomas Morton, Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, and Kaj Larsen, an 11-year veteran of the U.S. Navy SEALs.
Read More…...
- 1/27/2016
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Lil Bub, of Lil Bub & Friendz fame, made herself at home on the red carpet with companion Mike Bridavsky, directors Andy Capper and Juliette Eisner, along with Bub editor, Devin Yuceil, and Vice Co-Founder, Suroosh Alvi for the Tribeca Film Festival World Premiere at the Sva Theatre in Chelsea last night.
Andy Capper’s and Juliette Eisner’s high-spirited Lil Bub & Friendz captures the adventures of “a tiny complex creature,” who found her way from “somewhere in space,” to become one of the most beloved cats on the internet. She is a classic fairy tale hero. The little underdog, or cat, who starts with nothing in the world and then gives back.
I had a chance, just before Lil Bub made her red carpet appearance, to have a discussion with Dr. Jeffrey Bussolini, Director of the Center for Feline Studies/Feline Interaction Laboratory, the first center of its kind...
Andy Capper’s and Juliette Eisner’s high-spirited Lil Bub & Friendz captures the adventures of “a tiny complex creature,” who found her way from “somewhere in space,” to become one of the most beloved cats on the internet. She is a classic fairy tale hero. The little underdog, or cat, who starts with nothing in the world and then gives back.
I had a chance, just before Lil Bub made her red carpet appearance, to have a discussion with Dr. Jeffrey Bussolini, Director of the Center for Feline Studies/Feline Interaction Laboratory, the first center of its kind...
- 4/19/2013
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
This story first appeared in the Oct. 5 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. By making Reincarnated with Vice Films, Snoopadelic Films is hitching its wagon to indie cinema's unlikeliest rising star. "I'm a bit of an accidental filmmaker," says Vice co-founder Suroosh Alvi, who co-founded Vice magazine in 1994 with cash from his welfare check. The company's stock value soared to $40 million during the dotcom bubble. "Then the bubble burst, and we were bankrupt," says Alvi. Photos: Inside the Life and Career of Snoop Dogg In 2000, Vice fled to an unheated Brooklyn warehouse
read more...
read more...
- 9/26/2012
- by Tim Appelo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
At a Friday afternoon press conference in Toronto, the rapper Snoop Dogg took time out from promoting his new film, "Reincarnated," to weigh in on the U.S. presidential election.
"They need to give Obama four more years, man," Snoop told an audience of mostly amused reporters. Referring to Obama's predecessor, President George W. Bush, who started two wars and left office during a financial crisis, he added, "I mean, Bush fucked up for eight years, so you gotta at least give [Obama] eight years. He cleaned half the shit up in four years, realistically. It ain't like y'all gave him a clean house. Y'all gave him a house where the TV didn't' work, the toilet was stuffed up -- everything was wrong with the house."
Snoop, whose new film chronicles his efforts to establish himself as a credible reggae artist during a month-long trip to Jamaica (where he acquired the...
"They need to give Obama four more years, man," Snoop told an audience of mostly amused reporters. Referring to Obama's predecessor, President George W. Bush, who started two wars and left office during a financial crisis, he added, "I mean, Bush fucked up for eight years, so you gotta at least give [Obama] eight years. He cleaned half the shit up in four years, realistically. It ain't like y'all gave him a clean house. Y'all gave him a house where the TV didn't' work, the toilet was stuffed up -- everything was wrong with the house."
Snoop, whose new film chronicles his efforts to establish himself as a credible reggae artist during a month-long trip to Jamaica (where he acquired the...
- 9/7/2012
- by The Huffington Post
- Huffington Post
Last month at Caribana, the rapper formerly known as Snoop Dogg made his live debut as the Rastafarian reggae artist Snoop Lion. This week, Reincarnated, the film that documents his recent visit to Jamaica and the Dogg-to-Lion transformation it inspired, will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Officially, it's merely a coincidence that both events are taking place in the same city, but Reincarnated director Andy Capper isn't ruling out a more grandiose explanation.
"There's been so many mystical coincidences in this. I'll wait and see what happens," Capper tells Huffington Post Canada Music. "Wherever this journey takes us, I'm willing to go on it because it's been a great adventure so far."
For Capper, who has also directed music videos for the likes of Vybz Kartel and A$AP Rocky and produced the fascinating and harrowing Vice Guide to Liberia, the journey started when Snoop's...
Officially, it's merely a coincidence that both events are taking place in the same city, but Reincarnated director Andy Capper isn't ruling out a more grandiose explanation.
"There's been so many mystical coincidences in this. I'll wait and see what happens," Capper tells Huffington Post Canada Music. "Wherever this journey takes us, I'm willing to go on it because it's been a great adventure so far."
For Capper, who has also directed music videos for the likes of Vybz Kartel and A$AP Rocky and produced the fascinating and harrowing Vice Guide to Liberia, the journey started when Snoop's...
- 9/7/2012
- by Joshua Ostroff
- Huffington Post
Just about a year ago, Diplo and Snoop Dogg were both at the dance music festival Electric Zoo. The elder statesman of West Coast rap was spinning dubstep on the main stage under the moniker DJ Snoopadelic and the superstar producer was doing a characteristically rigorous set in an adjacent tent. Diplo was shirtless by the end of his performance, and Snoop was rapping "The Next Episode" before he finished his.
Fast forward a year, and they've teamed up again. Snoop (née Calvin Broadus) and Diplo (Thomas Wesley Pentz -- Wes to his friends) have collaborated on a bold move for the former. Broadus has, for the time being, dropped the Dogg act and upgraded to Snoop Lion. The change is a result of his time in Jamaica, where he says he discovered his true inner Rastafarian. As a result, his new album, "Reincarnated," is strictly a reggae project.
"Rap...
Fast forward a year, and they've teamed up again. Snoop (née Calvin Broadus) and Diplo (Thomas Wesley Pentz -- Wes to his friends) have collaborated on a bold move for the former. Broadus has, for the time being, dropped the Dogg act and upgraded to Snoop Lion. The change is a result of his time in Jamaica, where he says he discovered his true inner Rastafarian. As a result, his new album, "Reincarnated," is strictly a reggae project.
"Rap...
- 7/31/2012
- by Kia Makarechi
- Huffington Post
New York – The Tribeca Film Institute (Tfi) today announced several program award winners and grantees at the Tfi Awards Luncheon at Riverpark NYC during the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival. Two winners of the Tribeca All Access (Taa) Creative Promise Awards presented by Time Warner; seven new Taa alumni grants and fellowships; four winners of the Latin America Media Arts Fund; and four grantees supported by Insurgent Media for the inaugural Tfi Documentary Fund were all presented today, totaling $125,000 in funds.
“This year’s winners and grantees are true examples of the incredible strength of films and talent resulting from the support of the Tribeca Film Institute,” said Beth Janson, Executive Director of the Tribeca Film Institute. “Our main hope is that these films go on to completion and build strong relationships with audiences.”
During the Tfi Awards Ceremony at Riverpark NYC in Manhattan, the following Tribeca All Access Creative Promise winners...
“This year’s winners and grantees are true examples of the incredible strength of films and talent resulting from the support of the Tribeca Film Institute,” said Beth Janson, Executive Director of the Tribeca Film Institute. “Our main hope is that these films go on to completion and build strong relationships with audiences.”
During the Tfi Awards Ceremony at Riverpark NYC in Manhattan, the following Tribeca All Access Creative Promise winners...
- 4/29/2011
- by The Moving Arts
- The Moving Arts Journal
The Tribeca Film Institute has announced today award winners and grants totaling $1,000,000. Winners included two of the Tribeca All Access Creative Promise Awards, seven new Taa alumni grants, four for the Tfi Documentary Fund, as well as four winners of the Latin America Media Arts Fund. For more details, please read the press release below or visit Tribeca Film.
[New York, NY – April 28, 2011] – The Tribeca Film Institute (Tfi) today announced several program award winners and grantees at the Tfi Awards Luncheon at Riverpark NYC during the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival. Two winners of the Tribeca All Access (Taa) Creative Promise Awards presented by Time Warner; seven new Taa alumni grants and fellowships; four winners of the Latin America Media Arts Fund; and four grantees supported by Insurgent Media for the inaugural Tfi Documentary Fund were all presented today, totaling $125,000 in funds.
“This year’s winners and grantees are true examples of the incredible strength of...
[New York, NY – April 28, 2011] – The Tribeca Film Institute (Tfi) today announced several program award winners and grantees at the Tfi Awards Luncheon at Riverpark NYC during the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival. Two winners of the Tribeca All Access (Taa) Creative Promise Awards presented by Time Warner; seven new Taa alumni grants and fellowships; four winners of the Latin America Media Arts Fund; and four grantees supported by Insurgent Media for the inaugural Tfi Documentary Fund were all presented today, totaling $125,000 in funds.
“This year’s winners and grantees are true examples of the incredible strength of...
- 4/29/2011
- by Christopher Clemente
- SoundOnSight
Bad Lit was painfully disappointed that neither The Hurt Locker nor its director, Kathryn Bigelow, won a Golden Globe the other night. We can only hope that the film fares better — way better — on Oscar night.
Other than that Golden Globe, so far the film has been racking up all kinds of awards, particularly from critics’ associations such as the Austin Film Critics Association, Boston Society of Film Critics and the Chicago Film Critics Association; plus, it won two awards from Ifp’s Gotham Independent Film Awards.
The Hurt Locker made only a modest sum at the box office, but hopefully the award season accolades its been receiving will encourage a larger audience to find it on DVD (Amazon | Netflix).
For those who have seen and enjoyed the film and would like to watch another Iraq-based film, I’ve compiled a short list of great overlooked documentaries to check out.
Other than that Golden Globe, so far the film has been racking up all kinds of awards, particularly from critics’ associations such as the Austin Film Critics Association, Boston Society of Film Critics and the Chicago Film Critics Association; plus, it won two awards from Ifp’s Gotham Independent Film Awards.
The Hurt Locker made only a modest sum at the box office, but hopefully the award season accolades its been receiving will encourage a larger audience to find it on DVD (Amazon | Netflix).
For those who have seen and enjoyed the film and would like to watch another Iraq-based film, I’ve compiled a short list of great overlooked documentaries to check out.
- 1/19/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
There's nothing like a little heavy metal music to rip up a beautiful spring day. For many people, though, "heavy metal" represents much more than a genre of music, it's an enjoyable way of life. But if you lived in Iraq in recent years and were a member of the country's only heavy metal band, then the consequences could be deadly.
"The mere wearing of a Metallica t-shirt, or growing their hair long, or even wearing a goatee, could mark them for harrasment, imprisonment, or death," wrote Kim Voynar in her review of Heavy Metal in Baghdad. "Filmmakers Eddy Moretti and Suroosh Alvi follow the band from 2003-2006, capturing the band's hopes, dreams, and attempts to keep the band together amidst mortar fire, car bombs, and the ever-growing threat of persecution for embodying Western ideals through their music."
Even though I have no natural affection for heavy metal music, it's...
"The mere wearing of a Metallica t-shirt, or growing their hair long, or even wearing a goatee, could mark them for harrasment, imprisonment, or death," wrote Kim Voynar in her review of Heavy Metal in Baghdad. "Filmmakers Eddy Moretti and Suroosh Alvi follow the band from 2003-2006, capturing the band's hopes, dreams, and attempts to keep the band together amidst mortar fire, car bombs, and the ever-growing threat of persecution for embodying Western ideals through their music."
Even though I have no natural affection for heavy metal music, it's...
- 3/24/2009
- by Peter Martin
- Cinematical
By Michael Atkinson
To each fiery cinema individualist his own honorial DVD box set: here we have a reacquaintance . or initiation, for the babies of the Reagan/Thatcher era . with the unique howl of Derek Jarman, dead in 1994 from AIDS at the age of 52, a career attenuated by the very same fate that ended up giving it such amperage. You'd never know it, but there was a time when British filmmakers, emboldened by punk culture, fueled by hatred for Thatcherite conservatism, and funded by the BFI and the new Channel Four, made outrageous, experimental, high culture vs. low culture collision movies, doped on structuralism and gender-bending and period-picture mockery. Jarman was the moment's jester prince; he never made a film you'd mistake for the work of another, or a film that doesn't manifest on the screen as an unpredictably impish riff on serious matters, Art-making and Sex and Death. Not to mention,...
To each fiery cinema individualist his own honorial DVD box set: here we have a reacquaintance . or initiation, for the babies of the Reagan/Thatcher era . with the unique howl of Derek Jarman, dead in 1994 from AIDS at the age of 52, a career attenuated by the very same fate that ended up giving it such amperage. You'd never know it, but there was a time when British filmmakers, emboldened by punk culture, fueled by hatred for Thatcherite conservatism, and funded by the BFI and the new Channel Four, made outrageous, experimental, high culture vs. low culture collision movies, doped on structuralism and gender-bending and period-picture mockery. Jarman was the moment's jester prince; he never made a film you'd mistake for the work of another, or a film that doesn't manifest on the screen as an unpredictably impish riff on serious matters, Art-making and Sex and Death. Not to mention,...
- 6/24/2008
- by Michael Atkinson
- ifc.com
Panorama Documentary
BERLIN -- The fate of four would-be head-bangers in the crazy world of Iraq might not add up to a hill of beans, but it's fodder for an engaging documentary by Canadian filmmakers Eddy Moretti and Suroosh Alvi titled Heavy Metal in Baghdad.
It should play well at festivals and be a collectors item on DVD.
Tipped off by a magazine article about a band called Acrassicauda (Black Scorpion) attempting to play heavy metal concerts in the war-torn capital, Moretti and Alvi tracked them down and helped stage a ragged concert before a small group of dedicated fans.
All hell broke loose after that and they lost touch, but the film shows their attempts a year later to track down the four young men who want to be like their heroes in Metallica, Slayer and Slipknot.
What the band lacks in musical talent it more than makes up for in enthusiasm, though the film wisely keeps their playing to a minimum. Moretti handles the camera while Alvi asks the questions onscreen, and it probably helps that his manner is jaunty as the places they visit in shell-shocked Baghdad are very scary.
The city's terrifying lack of security and the awful existence that Iraqis of all creeds are suffering become abundantly clear even after the foursome make their way to Damascus in Syria.
Their thoughts and observations about life in Iraq today are expressed in near-perfect American accents with endearing obscenities and mistakes in syntax. They seem much closer to the spirit of rock 'n' roll than The Rolling Stones in Martin Scorsese's Shine a Light.
BERLIN -- The fate of four would-be head-bangers in the crazy world of Iraq might not add up to a hill of beans, but it's fodder for an engaging documentary by Canadian filmmakers Eddy Moretti and Suroosh Alvi titled Heavy Metal in Baghdad.
It should play well at festivals and be a collectors item on DVD.
Tipped off by a magazine article about a band called Acrassicauda (Black Scorpion) attempting to play heavy metal concerts in the war-torn capital, Moretti and Alvi tracked them down and helped stage a ragged concert before a small group of dedicated fans.
All hell broke loose after that and they lost touch, but the film shows their attempts a year later to track down the four young men who want to be like their heroes in Metallica, Slayer and Slipknot.
What the band lacks in musical talent it more than makes up for in enthusiasm, though the film wisely keeps their playing to a minimum. Moretti handles the camera while Alvi asks the questions onscreen, and it probably helps that his manner is jaunty as the places they visit in shell-shocked Baghdad are very scary.
The city's terrifying lack of security and the awful existence that Iraqis of all creeds are suffering become abundantly clear even after the foursome make their way to Damascus in Syria.
Their thoughts and observations about life in Iraq today are expressed in near-perfect American accents with endearing obscenities and mistakes in syntax. They seem much closer to the spirit of rock 'n' roll than The Rolling Stones in Martin Scorsese's Shine a Light.
- 2/12/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Iraqi headbangers could go up against Jewish basketballers on theater screens this year.
Arts Alliance America picked up all North American and U.K. rights to Heavy Metal in Baghdad, a portrait of Muslim rockers in war-torn Iraq and one of the most talked-about docus at September's Toronto International Film Festival.
Separately, Laemmle/Zeller Films has acquired all North American rights to The First Basket.
Baghdad follows Acrassicauda, an Iraqi heavy metal band whose young members have struggled to survive, both as a band and as residents of Baghdad, since the toppling of Saddam Hussein in 2003. The film was directed by Eddy Morretti, VBS.TV & Vice Films head, and Suroosh Alvi, founder of Vice Magazine. It's set to hit theaters in spring, followed by a DVD release.
Basket examines basketball's impact on Jewish culture since the early 20th century and its role in Jewish assimilation. The docu also highlights the Jewish professionals of the sport, including Red Auerbach and Ossie Schectman.
Arts Alliance America picked up all North American and U.K. rights to Heavy Metal in Baghdad, a portrait of Muslim rockers in war-torn Iraq and one of the most talked-about docus at September's Toronto International Film Festival.
Separately, Laemmle/Zeller Films has acquired all North American rights to The First Basket.
Baghdad follows Acrassicauda, an Iraqi heavy metal band whose young members have struggled to survive, both as a band and as residents of Baghdad, since the toppling of Saddam Hussein in 2003. The film was directed by Eddy Morretti, VBS.TV & Vice Films head, and Suroosh Alvi, founder of Vice Magazine. It's set to hit theaters in spring, followed by a DVD release.
Basket examines basketball's impact on Jewish culture since the early 20th century and its role in Jewish assimilation. The docu also highlights the Jewish professionals of the sport, including Red Auerbach and Ossie Schectman.
- 1/10/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.