Later this week, Lrm will be attending this year’s Sundance Film Festival. While the festival tends to be a mixed bag of indie films, some will be picked up for distribution by studios and turned into mainstream hits, others will flounder and be lucky to get a VOD release. Even so, there’s no denying that Sundance is the real beginning of the year for most movie lovers as we’ll be talking about the movies below for the next 12 months.
Last year alone, Sundance held the premieres for The Birth of a Nation, Manchester by the Sea, Captain Fantastic, Love and Friendship, The Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Sing Street and many more films, some that appeared on The Weekend Warrior’s year-end Top 25. One or two of those might even receive Oscar nominations when they’re announced next week on January 24.
Most of the films I’ve selected...
Last year alone, Sundance held the premieres for The Birth of a Nation, Manchester by the Sea, Captain Fantastic, Love and Friendship, The Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Sing Street and many more films, some that appeared on The Weekend Warrior’s year-end Top 25. One or two of those might even receive Oscar nominations when they’re announced next week on January 24.
Most of the films I’ve selected...
- 1/17/2017
- by Edward Douglas
- LRMonline.com
Documentarian Amir Bar-Lev doesn’t shy away from controversial subject matter, and while he clearly has a point of view, he always tries to provide us with a sense of the Big Picture. I’ve admired his work in films like My Kid Could Paint That and The Tillman Story. Now he tackles the thorny saga of beloved Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, his pedophile colleague Jerry Sandusky, and the effect their downfall has had on their community. The material is pure dynamite, but Bar-Lev approaches it in an even-handed manner, having gained the cooperation of Paterno’s family and Sandusky’s adopted son. He also spotlights a handful of individuals who make the story personal and...
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[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]...
- 11/21/2014
- by Leonard Maltin
- Leonard Maltin's Movie Crazy
“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” – Edmund Burke With "Happy Valley," director Amir Bar-Lev ("The Tillman Story," "My Kid Could Paint That") examines the Jerry Sandusky scandal, and Americans’ tendency to worship their heroes to the point where they turn a blind eye to atrocities they committed, as long as those idols provide their fans with whatever escapist pleasures they crave. Would Sandusky, the former assistant coach for the Penn State football team, who was given 60 years in prison for sexually molesting at least ten boys, one of them his own adopted son, be allowed to continue his heinous acts for almost another decade after being caught by the administration if he was the university’s jolly janitor instead? Would Joe Paterno, the legendary head coach, still beloved by many Penn State football fans, hesitate to go directly to the police...
- 11/17/2014
- by Oktay Ege Kozak
- The Playlist
Above: The Apple
The celebratory attitude at the True/False Film Festival in Columbia, Missouri, speaks to the healthy state of nonfiction filmmaking at present. True to its name, the festival spotlights new films that incorporate elements of both fiction and documentary (and sometimes blur the line between the two), yet even the selections that resemble more traditional investigative reporting uphold a certain standard of artfulness. More impressively, the festival organizers make a point of incorporating the Columbia community into the celebration. Somewhere between 700 and 900 residents of the town and surrounding areas volunteered at the fest this year, and many businesses I encountered seemed happy to get in on the act too. (“Don’t be fooled by False advertising,” read my favorite sandwich board. “Try our True Thai cuisine!”) Roughly half of the screenings took place in locations not usually reserved for movies—a rock venue, a couple of churches,...
The celebratory attitude at the True/False Film Festival in Columbia, Missouri, speaks to the healthy state of nonfiction filmmaking at present. True to its name, the festival spotlights new films that incorporate elements of both fiction and documentary (and sometimes blur the line between the two), yet even the selections that resemble more traditional investigative reporting uphold a certain standard of artfulness. More impressively, the festival organizers make a point of incorporating the Columbia community into the celebration. Somewhere between 700 and 900 residents of the town and surrounding areas volunteered at the fest this year, and many businesses I encountered seemed happy to get in on the act too. (“Don’t be fooled by False advertising,” read my favorite sandwich board. “Try our True Thai cuisine!”) Roughly half of the screenings took place in locations not usually reserved for movies—a rock venue, a couple of churches,...
- 3/24/2014
- by Ben Sachs
- MUBI
From its 2004 inception, True/False Film Fest has turned into one of the most prestigious documentary focused film festivals in the world. The lineup for 2014's Festival was announced Wednesday evening, and it's filled with a number of favorites from Sundance ("Happy Valley," "Rich Hill"), Toronto ("The Unknown Known," "Jodorowsky's Dune," "Manakamana"), and more. Among the more notable titles are a number of Sundance award-winners: World Documentary Audience Award-winner "The Green Prince," World Cinema directing and editing-winner "20,000 Days on Earth," U.S. Documentary cinematography-winner "E-Team", and "The Overnighters," which won a Special Jury Award for Intuitive Filmmaking. Other highlights include the 2007 documentary favorite "My Kid Could Paint That" and Richard Linklater's "Boyhood," a non-documentary, but one with a certain level of fascination for True/False given the similarities to Michael Apted's "Up" series. The festival will also hold a number of secret...
- 2/6/2014
- by Max O'Connell
- Indiewire
No stranger to movies about scandal, documentarian Amir Bar-Lev has explored the fallout of private misdeeds made public in "My Kid Could Paint That" and "The Tillman Story." With "Happy Valley," Bar-Lev turns his camera on the outcome of disgraced Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky in the wake of his incarceration on sexual abuse charges. But this time, the project indicates few attempts at revealing new information. Instead, "Happy Valley" magnifies the impact of Sandusky's downfall on the various members of the Penn State community, aiming less to extend the public narrative than to broaden its scope. The result is a frequently riveting, if fairly straightforward, portrait of a university town grappling with its disgraced reputation. Rather than detailing Sandusky's extensive sins, "Happy Valley" opens with the former coach's 2012 conviction and explores the ripple effect of his downfall. Among the many talking heads, none are more intriguing than the grown children of the.
- 1/23/2014
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Not to be confused with the Pacino feature project of the same name and subject, Amir Bar-Lev who made a name for himself with Sundance preemed docs presented My Kid Could Paint That (2007) and The Tillman Story (2010), signed onto A&E IndieFilms’ documentary project in May of 2012. Besides contributing to the 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief docu, there hasn’t been much in terms of developments beyond a brief update by the filmmaker himself, but I’m thinking A&E IndieFilms will want to have this delivered while it’s still hot.
Gist: “Happy Valley” is a nicknamed used to describe the Pennsylvania State University area. This is about the drama that rocked the Penn State University community after it was learned school officials covered up allegations that former Nittany Lions assistant football coachallegedy abused a youth in the showers of the school locker room.
Production Co.
Gist: “Happy Valley” is a nicknamed used to describe the Pennsylvania State University area. This is about the drama that rocked the Penn State University community after it was learned school officials covered up allegations that former Nittany Lions assistant football coachallegedy abused a youth in the showers of the school locker room.
Production Co.
- 11/19/2013
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Earlier this week, Alicia Keys presented "12-12-12" at the Ziegfeld Theater to a New York audience, who reportedly "clapped, cheered and swayed their heads to the music." With a line-up including Keys, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, The Who, Kanye West, Billy Joel, Jon Bon Jovi, Chris Martin, Michael Stipe, Roger Waters, Eddie Vedder, Dave Grohl, and more, the film has one of the best soundtracks of the year. Opening in limited release today, the film captures the spirit of 12-12-12, the Hurricane Sandy relief concert—a quickly made, star-studded event for a great cause. Directed by Amir Bar-Lev ("The Tillman Story," "My Kid Could Paint That") and Charlie Lightening ("Kasabian Live! Live at the O2"), the documentary offers snapshots of the concert and its behind-the-scenes happenings along with those affected by Hurricane Sandy. The film begins in late October with roughly five minutes...
- 11/15/2013
- by Diana Drumm
- The Playlist
The winners of the 3rd Annual Cinema Tropical Awards were announced at a special event at the New York Times headquarters in New York City,celebrating the best of the Latin American film production of the year in five different categories:
- Best Feature Film
- Best Documentary Film
- Best Director, Feature Film
- Best Director, Documentary Film
- Best First Film
The Cinema Tropical Awards are presented in partnership with Voces, Latino Heritage Network of The New York Times and 92YTribeca, with the support of the Mexican Cultural Institute. Special thanks to Lucila Moctezuma and Mario Díaz.
Best Feature Film
- O Som Ao Redor / Neighboring Sounds (Kleber Mendonça Filho, Brazil, 2012)
Best Director, Feature Film
- MatÍAs Meyer, Los ÚLtimos Cristeros / The Last Christeros (Mexico, 2011)
Best Documentary Film
- El Salvavidas / The Lifeguard (Maite Alberdi, Chile, 2011)
Best Director, Documentary Film
- JosÉ ÁLvarez, CanÍCula (Mexico, 2011)
Best First Film
- El Estudiante / The Student (Santiago Mitre, Argentina, 2011)
The films were selected from a list of Latin American feature films with a minimum of 60 minutes in length that were premiered between April 1, 2011 and March 31, 2012. The winners and final nominees were selected by a six-member jury panel from a list of fiction and documentary films compiled from the selections of a nominating committee composed of 14 film professionals from Latin America, the U.S. and Europe (see list below).
Fiction Jury
Dennis Lim writes about film and popular culture for various publications including The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times. He is the founding editor of Moving Image Source, the online publication and research resource of the Museum of the Moving Image and was formerly the film editor of The Village Voice. His work has also appeared in The Believer, The Oxford American, Blender, Spin, Espous, Indiewire, New York Daily News, The Independent on Sunday, The Guardian, and the film quarterly Cinema Scope, where he is a contributing editor. A member of the National Society of Film Critics and the editor of The Village Voice Film Guide (2006), he has served as a member of the New York Film Festival selection committee and he teaches in the Cultural Reporting and Criticism graduate program a New York University.
Matías Piñeiro is a filmmaker and professor at the Universidad del Cine in Buenos Aires. His first feature-length work, El hombre robado / The Stolen Man (2007), won awards at the Jeonju International Film Festival and at Las Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film Festival. In 2009, his second feature, Todos mienten / They All Lie, premiered at Bafici (Buenos Aires Festival International de Cine Independiente), where it won two awards. It also won a prize at the Santiago Festival Internacional de Cine. In 2010, he was selected—along with James Benning and Denis Côté—to screen his third film, Rosalinda at the 11th Jeonju Digital Project. Piñeiro recently premiered his most recent film, Viola, at the Toronto Film Festival, and it's slated for a Us release in 2013. He earned a filmmaking degree from Universidad del Cine. His award-winning films have been screened around the world, including at Anthology Film Archives, Festival des 3 Continents, the Festival del film Locarno, the London Film Festival, Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires, the Museum of Modern Art, Rencontré Cinémas d’Amerique Latine de Toulouse, and the Viennale.
Frida Torresblanco served as a producer in Spain working on film including The Dancer Upstairs, directed by John Malkovich and starring Javier Bardem, as well as Susan Seidelman’s Gaudi Afternoon. She moved to New York City in 2002 to launch and lead Alfonso Cuaron’s film production company, Esperanto, where she served as Executive Producer and Creative On-Set Producer for The Assassination of Richard Nixon (directed by Niels Mueller, starring Sean Penn), among others. In 2006, Frida joined Alfonso Cuarón and Guillermo del Toro to produce El laberinto del Fauno / Pan’s Labyrinth (Three Oscars & another three Oscar nominations; three wins & five BAFTA nominations; a nomination for the Palm d’Or and a Golden Globe). The Hollywood Reporter named Frida one of the 50 most powerful Latinos in Hollywood. She also produced Rudo y Cursi (directed by Carlos Cuarón, starring Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna). In 2010, Frida launched her new film production company, Braven Films, with partners Eric Laufer and Giovanna Randall. Her next project, Magic Magic, produced through Braven Films, will star Michael Cera, Juno Temple and Emily Browning.
DocuMentary Jury
Ryan Harrington is the Director of Documentary Programs at the Tribeca Film Institute where he oversees the Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund, the Tfi Documentary Fund, Tribeca All Access documentary program and the Latin America Media Arts Fund while developing other initiatives and programs that support non-fiction filmmaking. Recent Tfi successes include Give Up Tomorrow, If a Tree Falls, The Redemption of General Butt Naked, The Oath, Enemies of the People, Marathon Boy and Donor Unknown. Independently he is currently working on the feature doc Hungry in America, with filmmakers Kristi Jacobson & Lori Silverbush and Participant Media, that explores why so many people in the USA go without food, and what can be done about it. Harrington managed production for A&E IndieFilms, the theatrical documentary arm of the A&E Network, for four years. Throughout his time there he championed the Oscar-nominated films Murderball and Jesus Camp, and the Sundance hits My Kid Could Paint That and American Teen.
Paula Heredia is a director and editor based in New York. She was awarded an Emmy for the HBO documentary In Memoriam, NYC 9/11/01, and an Ace Eddie Award for the acclaimed documentary Unzipped. Her directorial work includes the documentaries George Plimpton and the Paris Review, Ralph Gibson, and The Couple in the Cage. Her dramatic work includes Having a Baby, Tras La Ventana, Slings and Arrows, and La Cena de Matrimonio. Her short film La Pájara Pinta premiered at the Lincoln Center Film Society LatinBeat Film Festival. Heredia’s editorial work can be seen in the HBO feature-length documentary Addiction, which received the 2007 Emmy Governors Award, and Alive Day Memories—Home from Iraq, executive produced by James Gandolfini for HBO. Her new edit, The Art of Failure: Chuck Connelly Not for Sale and Jacques D'Ambois in China, will air on HBO this summer. Other editorial credits include: Modulations Cinema for the Ear, The Vagina Monologues, Finding Christa and Free Tibet. Paula’s work and creative process is featured in the book: The Art of the Documentary by Megan Cunningham. With partner Larry Garvin, she co-founded Heredia Pictures, heads the international committee of New York Women in Film and Television and serves on the board of advisors of Tribeca All Access and Clementina, Inc.
Chi-hui Yang is a film programmer, lecturer and writer based in New York. As a guest curator, Yang has presented film and video series at film festivals and events internationally, including MoMA's Documentary Fortnight, Robert Flaherty Film Seminar (“The Age of Migration”), Seattle International Film Festival, Washington D.C. International Film Festival and Barcelona Asian Film Festival. From 2000-2010 he was the Director and Programmer of the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, the largest showcase of its kind in the Us. Yang is also the programmer of “Cinema Asian America,” a new On-Demand service offered by Comcast and currently a Visiting Scholar at New York University’s Asian/Pacific/American Institute.
Nominating Committee
- Isabel Arrate Fernandez, Idfa, The Netherlands
- Hugo Chaparro, film critic, Colombia
- Lucile De Calan, programmer, Biarritz Latin American Film Festival, France
- Denis de la Roca, programmer, Abu Dhabi Film Festival
- Mara Fortes, programmer, Morelia Film Festival
- Erick Gonzalez, programmer, Valdivia Film Festival, Chile
- Elías Jiménez, director, Festival Ícaro, Guatemala
- Roger Alan Koza, film critic and programmer, Filmfest Hamburg, Ficunam, Mexico
- Janneke Langelaan, Hubert Bals Fund, The Netherlands
- Diego Lerer, film critic, Argentina
- Rosa Martinez Rivero, film producer, Argentina
- Christian Sida-Valenzuela, director, Vancouver Latin American Film Festival
- Hebe Tabachnik, programmer, Los Angeles and Palm Springs Film Festivals
- Sergio Wolf, film programmer, Argentina...
- Best Feature Film
- Best Documentary Film
- Best Director, Feature Film
- Best Director, Documentary Film
- Best First Film
The Cinema Tropical Awards are presented in partnership with Voces, Latino Heritage Network of The New York Times and 92YTribeca, with the support of the Mexican Cultural Institute. Special thanks to Lucila Moctezuma and Mario Díaz.
Best Feature Film
- O Som Ao Redor / Neighboring Sounds (Kleber Mendonça Filho, Brazil, 2012)
Best Director, Feature Film
- MatÍAs Meyer, Los ÚLtimos Cristeros / The Last Christeros (Mexico, 2011)
Best Documentary Film
- El Salvavidas / The Lifeguard (Maite Alberdi, Chile, 2011)
Best Director, Documentary Film
- JosÉ ÁLvarez, CanÍCula (Mexico, 2011)
Best First Film
- El Estudiante / The Student (Santiago Mitre, Argentina, 2011)
The films were selected from a list of Latin American feature films with a minimum of 60 minutes in length that were premiered between April 1, 2011 and March 31, 2012. The winners and final nominees were selected by a six-member jury panel from a list of fiction and documentary films compiled from the selections of a nominating committee composed of 14 film professionals from Latin America, the U.S. and Europe (see list below).
Fiction Jury
Dennis Lim writes about film and popular culture for various publications including The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times. He is the founding editor of Moving Image Source, the online publication and research resource of the Museum of the Moving Image and was formerly the film editor of The Village Voice. His work has also appeared in The Believer, The Oxford American, Blender, Spin, Espous, Indiewire, New York Daily News, The Independent on Sunday, The Guardian, and the film quarterly Cinema Scope, where he is a contributing editor. A member of the National Society of Film Critics and the editor of The Village Voice Film Guide (2006), he has served as a member of the New York Film Festival selection committee and he teaches in the Cultural Reporting and Criticism graduate program a New York University.
Matías Piñeiro is a filmmaker and professor at the Universidad del Cine in Buenos Aires. His first feature-length work, El hombre robado / The Stolen Man (2007), won awards at the Jeonju International Film Festival and at Las Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film Festival. In 2009, his second feature, Todos mienten / They All Lie, premiered at Bafici (Buenos Aires Festival International de Cine Independiente), where it won two awards. It also won a prize at the Santiago Festival Internacional de Cine. In 2010, he was selected—along with James Benning and Denis Côté—to screen his third film, Rosalinda at the 11th Jeonju Digital Project. Piñeiro recently premiered his most recent film, Viola, at the Toronto Film Festival, and it's slated for a Us release in 2013. He earned a filmmaking degree from Universidad del Cine. His award-winning films have been screened around the world, including at Anthology Film Archives, Festival des 3 Continents, the Festival del film Locarno, the London Film Festival, Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires, the Museum of Modern Art, Rencontré Cinémas d’Amerique Latine de Toulouse, and the Viennale.
Frida Torresblanco served as a producer in Spain working on film including The Dancer Upstairs, directed by John Malkovich and starring Javier Bardem, as well as Susan Seidelman’s Gaudi Afternoon. She moved to New York City in 2002 to launch and lead Alfonso Cuaron’s film production company, Esperanto, where she served as Executive Producer and Creative On-Set Producer for The Assassination of Richard Nixon (directed by Niels Mueller, starring Sean Penn), among others. In 2006, Frida joined Alfonso Cuarón and Guillermo del Toro to produce El laberinto del Fauno / Pan’s Labyrinth (Three Oscars & another three Oscar nominations; three wins & five BAFTA nominations; a nomination for the Palm d’Or and a Golden Globe). The Hollywood Reporter named Frida one of the 50 most powerful Latinos in Hollywood. She also produced Rudo y Cursi (directed by Carlos Cuarón, starring Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna). In 2010, Frida launched her new film production company, Braven Films, with partners Eric Laufer and Giovanna Randall. Her next project, Magic Magic, produced through Braven Films, will star Michael Cera, Juno Temple and Emily Browning.
DocuMentary Jury
Ryan Harrington is the Director of Documentary Programs at the Tribeca Film Institute where he oversees the Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund, the Tfi Documentary Fund, Tribeca All Access documentary program and the Latin America Media Arts Fund while developing other initiatives and programs that support non-fiction filmmaking. Recent Tfi successes include Give Up Tomorrow, If a Tree Falls, The Redemption of General Butt Naked, The Oath, Enemies of the People, Marathon Boy and Donor Unknown. Independently he is currently working on the feature doc Hungry in America, with filmmakers Kristi Jacobson & Lori Silverbush and Participant Media, that explores why so many people in the USA go without food, and what can be done about it. Harrington managed production for A&E IndieFilms, the theatrical documentary arm of the A&E Network, for four years. Throughout his time there he championed the Oscar-nominated films Murderball and Jesus Camp, and the Sundance hits My Kid Could Paint That and American Teen.
Paula Heredia is a director and editor based in New York. She was awarded an Emmy for the HBO documentary In Memoriam, NYC 9/11/01, and an Ace Eddie Award for the acclaimed documentary Unzipped. Her directorial work includes the documentaries George Plimpton and the Paris Review, Ralph Gibson, and The Couple in the Cage. Her dramatic work includes Having a Baby, Tras La Ventana, Slings and Arrows, and La Cena de Matrimonio. Her short film La Pájara Pinta premiered at the Lincoln Center Film Society LatinBeat Film Festival. Heredia’s editorial work can be seen in the HBO feature-length documentary Addiction, which received the 2007 Emmy Governors Award, and Alive Day Memories—Home from Iraq, executive produced by James Gandolfini for HBO. Her new edit, The Art of Failure: Chuck Connelly Not for Sale and Jacques D'Ambois in China, will air on HBO this summer. Other editorial credits include: Modulations Cinema for the Ear, The Vagina Monologues, Finding Christa and Free Tibet. Paula’s work and creative process is featured in the book: The Art of the Documentary by Megan Cunningham. With partner Larry Garvin, she co-founded Heredia Pictures, heads the international committee of New York Women in Film and Television and serves on the board of advisors of Tribeca All Access and Clementina, Inc.
Chi-hui Yang is a film programmer, lecturer and writer based in New York. As a guest curator, Yang has presented film and video series at film festivals and events internationally, including MoMA's Documentary Fortnight, Robert Flaherty Film Seminar (“The Age of Migration”), Seattle International Film Festival, Washington D.C. International Film Festival and Barcelona Asian Film Festival. From 2000-2010 he was the Director and Programmer of the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, the largest showcase of its kind in the Us. Yang is also the programmer of “Cinema Asian America,” a new On-Demand service offered by Comcast and currently a Visiting Scholar at New York University’s Asian/Pacific/American Institute.
Nominating Committee
- Isabel Arrate Fernandez, Idfa, The Netherlands
- Hugo Chaparro, film critic, Colombia
- Lucile De Calan, programmer, Biarritz Latin American Film Festival, France
- Denis de la Roca, programmer, Abu Dhabi Film Festival
- Mara Fortes, programmer, Morelia Film Festival
- Erick Gonzalez, programmer, Valdivia Film Festival, Chile
- Elías Jiménez, director, Festival Ícaro, Guatemala
- Roger Alan Koza, film critic and programmer, Filmfest Hamburg, Ficunam, Mexico
- Janneke Langelaan, Hubert Bals Fund, The Netherlands
- Diego Lerer, film critic, Argentina
- Rosa Martinez Rivero, film producer, Argentina
- Christian Sida-Valenzuela, director, Vancouver Latin American Film Festival
- Hebe Tabachnik, programmer, Los Angeles and Palm Springs Film Festivals
- Sergio Wolf, film programmer, Argentina...
- 1/23/2013
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
A&E's documentary department A&E IndieFilms has signed on to produce "Happy Valley," a nonfiction feature that will focus on "the Penn State University community that was rocked in 2011 by charges of sexual abuse involving former Nittany Lions assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky." "My Kid Could Paint That" filmmaker Amir Bar-Lev will direct the film, with John Battsek ("One Day in September") producing -- production is slated to start this month. "Happy Valley" is a nicknamed used to describe the Pennsylvania State University area. According to Jonathan Koch, the president of the project's production company Asylum Entertainment; "When you are raised in Happy Valley, you feel as though nothing like this could ever happen there. This project has such gravity, importance, and significant personal meaning to me, and I am honored that this extraordinary team of filmmakers has joined me...
- 5/23/2012
- by Alison Willmore
- Indiewire
Exclusive: A&E IndieFilms, the feature production arm of the A&E Network, has partnered with Asylum Entertainment to make the feature documentary Happy Valley. It’s about the drama that rocked the Penn State University community after it was learned school officials covered up allegations that former Nittany Lions assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky allegedy abused a youth in the showers of the school locker room. The docu will be produced by Passion Pictures’ John Battsek, whose One Day In September won the Oscar, and director Amir Bar-Lev. They teamed previously with A&E IndieFilms on My Kid Could Paint That and the superb sports-themed expose The Tillman Story. Asylum produced The Kennedys. Bob DeBitetto, David McKillop and Molly Thompson will be exec producers for A&E IndieFilms. Asylum principals Jonathan Koch and Steve Michaels will produce with Battsek. Koch, who is Asylum Entertainment’s president, served his youth...
- 5/22/2012
- by MIKE FLEMING
- Deadline
In less capable hands, "Re:generation Music Project" would have felt much more like a hugely expensive commercial (it's being sponsored by the Hundai Veloster and the Grammys). It isn't entirely clear why the Hundai and the Grammys are so keen on the project, although you have to assume they're at least vaguely sinister. But it's a testament to the artistry of filmmaker Amir Bar-Lev (who previously directed "The Tillman Story" and "My Kid Could Paint That") and the soundness of the concept that the movie doesn't come across as some elongated, mega-budgeted ad for a sportier version of the car you probably lost your virginity in. In fact, at the end of the day, "Re:generation Music Project" stands as a fairly powerful, toe-tapping look at the malleability of music and the willingness of current artists to look to the past to create something entirely modern and new (with optional leather interior). The concept (hatched,...
- 2/14/2012
- The Playlist
Our main focus at Sundance are reviews of films and interviews with those who make them, but there are also the acquisitions to report on. With the first round of buys in 2012, it looks as though studios have been on a documentary kick.
One of the first moves to be made by a studio this year comes from Sony Pictures Classics, who have picked up the documentary Searching for Sugar Man. This made its premiere on the festival’s opening night, and tells of Rodriguez — or, “the greatest ’70s rock icon who never was.” The crux of the story told by debut director Malik Bendjelloui sounds pretty interesting: That of “two South African fans who set out to find out what really happened to their hero,” a journey which “leads them to a story more extraordinary than any of the existing myths about the artist known as Rodriguez.”
That sounds,...
One of the first moves to be made by a studio this year comes from Sony Pictures Classics, who have picked up the documentary Searching for Sugar Man. This made its premiere on the festival’s opening night, and tells of Rodriguez — or, “the greatest ’70s rock icon who never was.” The crux of the story told by debut director Malik Bendjelloui sounds pretty interesting: That of “two South African fans who set out to find out what really happened to their hero,” a journey which “leads them to a story more extraordinary than any of the existing myths about the artist known as Rodriguez.”
That sounds,...
- 1/22/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
Coming off the fascination documentary My Kid Could Paint That, then following it up with the post-war documentary The Tillman Story, director Amir Bar-Lev is heading into very different territory with his look at the world of DJ’ing in Re:Generation Music Project.
The film, which will hit limited theaters next month, follows five major DJs (Skrillex, DJ Premier, The Crystal Method, Pretty Lights and Mark Ronson) as they interact with major musical acts like Nas, The Doors, Erykah Badu, Mos Def, LeAnn Rimes and Dr. Ralph Stanley in creating that perfect mix.
We have a trailer below via Apple, but official site also features many videos including performances, original tracks and behind-the-scene featurettes. I include some below, but check out the rest at the link above.
Trailer:
Featurettes, Original Songs & More:
Synopsis:
Follow DJ Premier, Mark Ronson, Skrillex, Pretty Lights and The Crystal Method as they remix, recreate and...
The film, which will hit limited theaters next month, follows five major DJs (Skrillex, DJ Premier, The Crystal Method, Pretty Lights and Mark Ronson) as they interact with major musical acts like Nas, The Doors, Erykah Badu, Mos Def, LeAnn Rimes and Dr. Ralph Stanley in creating that perfect mix.
We have a trailer below via Apple, but official site also features many videos including performances, original tracks and behind-the-scene featurettes. I include some below, but check out the rest at the link above.
Trailer:
Featurettes, Original Songs & More:
Synopsis:
Follow DJ Premier, Mark Ronson, Skrillex, Pretty Lights and The Crystal Method as they remix, recreate and...
- 1/11/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
Trailers are an under-appreciated art form insofar that many times they’re seen as vehicles for showing footage, explaining films away, or showing their hand about what moviegoers can expect. Foreign, domestic, independent, big budget: I celebrate all levels of trailers and hopefully this column will satisfactorily give you a baseline of what beta wave I’m operating on, because what better way to hone your skills as a thoughtful moviegoer than by deconstructing these little pieces of advertising? Some of the best authors will tell you that writing a short story is a lot harder than writing a long one, that you have to weigh every sentence. What better medium to see how this theory plays itself out beyond that than with movie trailers? Nitro Circus The Movie 3D Trailer I honestly don't care that I've seen dumb stunts like this before. I'm vibrating from the anticipation to take it all in.
- 1/8/2012
- by Christopher Stipp
- Slash Film
Academy's Rise of Non-Fiction Film: Documentary's Golden Age, Embracing Distractions, Oprah Is Wrong
The "Rise of Non-Fiction Movies" panel of six documentary filmmakers at the Academy's Goldwyn Theater Wednesday recall the Golden Age of documentary film, embrace distractions, and explain what Oprah got wrong. Beth Hanna reports:Six Oscar short-listed documentary filmmakers assessed the current state of non-fiction filmmaking: R.J. Cutler (The September Issue) moderated the panel including Amir Bar-Lev (The Tillman Story, My Kid Could Paint That), Davis Guggenheim (2006 Oscar-winner An Inconvenient Truth, Waiting for Superman), Ricki Stern (Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, The Devil Came on Horseback), Molly Thompson (executive producer of Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer and Cave of Forgotten Dreams) and Lourdes Portillo (Señorita Extraviada, Las Madres - The Mothers of Plaza de Mayo). Oprah Winfrey was wrong. Cutler ...
- 10/27/2011
- Thompson on Hollywood
"The Rise of Nonfiction Movies," the latest in the Academy's John Huston Lecture series, will take place on October 26 at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Panelists will discuss how feature documentaries have discovered a newfound popularity and cutting edge ways to brings stories to life, amid rapidly evolving modes of media consumption and distribution. R.J. Cutler (The September Issue, The War Room) will moderate a panel with Amir Bar-Lev (director, The Tillman Story, My Kid Could Paint That), Davis Guggenheim (director, Waiting for 'Superman,' An Inconvenient Truth), Lourdes Portillo (producer, Las Madres–The Mothers of Plaza de Mayo; producer-director, Señorita Extraviada, ) (1985), Ricki Stern (director, Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, The Devil Came on Horseback), Molly Thompson (exec producer, Client 9: The Rise and ...
- 10/11/2011
- Thompson on Hollywood
Beverly Hills, CA . Contemporary documentarians will explore the rapidly-changing landscape and increasing profile of documentary filmmaking in “The Rise of Nonfiction Movies,” the latest installment of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. John Huston Lecture series, on Wednesday, October 26, at 7:30 p.m. at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. The evening will be moderated by R.J. Cutler, producer-director of “The September Issue” (2009) and producer of “The War Room” (1993).
While information may be spreading faster and distribution choices are evolving at a dizzying pace, non-fiction filmmakers continue to find cutting-edge solutions and storytelling forms to prove that truth is often better than fiction. Despite the significant hurdles their producers and distributors often face, theatrical documentaries have gained a newfound popularity, in many cases because of their willingness to challenge the status quo and delve into the drama, humor and fascination of real life.
Panelists for the evening include Amir Bar-Lev,...
While information may be spreading faster and distribution choices are evolving at a dizzying pace, non-fiction filmmakers continue to find cutting-edge solutions and storytelling forms to prove that truth is often better than fiction. Despite the significant hurdles their producers and distributors often face, theatrical documentaries have gained a newfound popularity, in many cases because of their willingness to challenge the status quo and delve into the drama, humor and fascination of real life.
Panelists for the evening include Amir Bar-Lev,...
- 10/11/2011
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
By Zachary Swickey
Earlier this year, we saw the Wtf pairing of the millennium when Jack White teamed up with the loud and crude Insane Clown Posse for a one-off track. In another perplexingly rando collab, it appears that the surviving members of The Doors have gotten together in the studio with dubstep king Skrillex.
The collaboration comes compliments of a new documentary, "Re:generation," which finds five popular DJs/producers working with artists from five very different genres: Pretty Lights got country with Leann Rimes and Ralph Stanley; DJ Premeire joined Nas for a composition with the Berklee School of Music Orchestra; digital masterminds the Crystal Method spent two days in Detroit recording an R&B number with Martha Reeves; and super producer, Mark Ronson recruited Erykah Badu along with some members of the Dap Kings to join Trombone Shorty in his home town of New Orleans for a jazz tune.
Earlier this year, we saw the Wtf pairing of the millennium when Jack White teamed up with the loud and crude Insane Clown Posse for a one-off track. In another perplexingly rando collab, it appears that the surviving members of The Doors have gotten together in the studio with dubstep king Skrillex.
The collaboration comes compliments of a new documentary, "Re:generation," which finds five popular DJs/producers working with artists from five very different genres: Pretty Lights got country with Leann Rimes and Ralph Stanley; DJ Premeire joined Nas for a composition with the Berklee School of Music Orchestra; digital masterminds the Crystal Method spent two days in Detroit recording an R&B number with Martha Reeves; and super producer, Mark Ronson recruited Erykah Badu along with some members of the Dap Kings to join Trombone Shorty in his home town of New Orleans for a jazz tune.
- 10/7/2011
- by MTV News
- MTV Newsroom
The Tribeca Film Festival has announced its jurors who will be choosing the winning films, filmmakers and actors from the six competitive Festival categories. The thirty-eight jurors consist of award-winning filmmakers, screenwriters and notorious actors such as Whoopi Goldberg and Michael Cera. Winners will be announced at the Tff Awards Night ceremony on April 28, which will be hosted by Gideon Yago and streamed live on TribecaFilm.com. Below is the press release from Tribeca.
Please visit www.tribecafilm.com for more details. The 2011 Festival runs from April 20 – May 1.
2011 Tribeca Film Festival Jury Announced
David O. Russell, David Gordon Green, Dianne Wiest, Souleymane Cissé, Whoopi Goldberg, Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan, Rainn Wilson, Anna Kendrick, Michael Cera, Denis Leary,Atom Egoyan and Fran Lebowitz are Among the 38 Festival Jurors
New York, NY – April 18, 2010 – The Tribeca Film Festival (Tff), presented by American Express, the Founding Sponsor of the Festival, today announced its jurors...
Please visit www.tribecafilm.com for more details. The 2011 Festival runs from April 20 – May 1.
2011 Tribeca Film Festival Jury Announced
David O. Russell, David Gordon Green, Dianne Wiest, Souleymane Cissé, Whoopi Goldberg, Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan, Rainn Wilson, Anna Kendrick, Michael Cera, Denis Leary,Atom Egoyan and Fran Lebowitz are Among the 38 Festival Jurors
New York, NY – April 18, 2010 – The Tribeca Film Festival (Tff), presented by American Express, the Founding Sponsor of the Festival, today announced its jurors...
- 4/20/2011
- by Christopher Clemente
- SoundOnSight
Sometimes it’s good to be called for jury duty.
The Tribeca Film Festival (Tff), presented by American Express, today announced its jurors – 38 lucky individuals, including award-winning filmmakers and screenwriters, celebrated actors, respected journalists and media pioneers divided among six competitive Festival categories.
Together, the six Tff juries will award $175,000 in cash and prizes. Festival winners will also receive a piece of original art as part of the Tribeca Film Festival Artists Awards program.
The Tff Awards Night ceremony on April 28 will be hosted by Gideon Yago, and streamed live on TribecaFilm.com.
Following is a list of all 2011 Festival jurors and their respective categories.
World Competition Categories:
The jurors for the 2011 World Narrative Competition are:
Souleymane Cissé: Noted Malian director; films include the 1995 Cannes Palme d’Or nomineeWaati, 1987 Cannes Jury Prize Winner Brightness and Tell Me Who You Are. Scott Glenn: Actor; films include The Right Stuff,...
The Tribeca Film Festival (Tff), presented by American Express, today announced its jurors – 38 lucky individuals, including award-winning filmmakers and screenwriters, celebrated actors, respected journalists and media pioneers divided among six competitive Festival categories.
Together, the six Tff juries will award $175,000 in cash and prizes. Festival winners will also receive a piece of original art as part of the Tribeca Film Festival Artists Awards program.
The Tff Awards Night ceremony on April 28 will be hosted by Gideon Yago, and streamed live on TribecaFilm.com.
Following is a list of all 2011 Festival jurors and their respective categories.
World Competition Categories:
The jurors for the 2011 World Narrative Competition are:
Souleymane Cissé: Noted Malian director; films include the 1995 Cannes Palme d’Or nomineeWaati, 1987 Cannes Jury Prize Winner Brightness and Tell Me Who You Are. Scott Glenn: Actor; films include The Right Stuff,...
- 4/18/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Network
Sometimes it’s good to be called for jury duty.
The Tribeca Film Festival (Tff), presented by American Express, today announced its jurors – 38 lucky individuals, including award-winning filmmakers and screenwriters, celebrated actors, respected journalists and media pioneers divided among six competitive Festival categories.
Together, the six Tff juries will award $175,000 in cash and prizes. Festival winners will also receive a piece of original art as part of the Tribeca Film Festival Artists Awards program.
The Tff Awards Night ceremony on April 28 will be hosted by Gideon Yago, and streamed live on TribecaFilm.com.
Following is a list of all 2011 Festival jurors and their respective categories.
World Competition Categories:
The jurors for the 2011 World Narrative Competition are:
Souleymane Cissé: Noted Malian director; films include the 1995 Cannes Palme d’Or nomineeWaati, 1987 Cannes Jury Prize Winner Brightness and Tell Me Who You Are. Scott Glenn: Actor; films include The Right Stuff,...
The Tribeca Film Festival (Tff), presented by American Express, today announced its jurors – 38 lucky individuals, including award-winning filmmakers and screenwriters, celebrated actors, respected journalists and media pioneers divided among six competitive Festival categories.
Together, the six Tff juries will award $175,000 in cash and prizes. Festival winners will also receive a piece of original art as part of the Tribeca Film Festival Artists Awards program.
The Tff Awards Night ceremony on April 28 will be hosted by Gideon Yago, and streamed live on TribecaFilm.com.
Following is a list of all 2011 Festival jurors and their respective categories.
World Competition Categories:
The jurors for the 2011 World Narrative Competition are:
Souleymane Cissé: Noted Malian director; films include the 1995 Cannes Palme d’Or nomineeWaati, 1987 Cannes Jury Prize Winner Brightness and Tell Me Who You Are. Scott Glenn: Actor; films include The Right Stuff,...
- 4/18/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Magazine
By Sean O’Connell
Hollywoodnews.com: David O. Russell, Nora Ephron, Rainn Wilson, Paul Dano, Anna Kendrick, Michael Cera, Whoopi Goldberg and Dianne Wiest are some of the celebrity names added to the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival Jury, announced today.
The jurors have been divided among the six competitive Festival categories and will announce the winning films, filmmakers and actors in those categories at the Tff Awards Night ceremony on April 28.
The 2011 Festival runs from April 20 – May 1.
“This year’s jury is made up of a range of accomplished individuals in their respective fields, bringing a fresh and well-rounded perspective,” said Jane Rosenthal, Co-Founder of the Tribeca Film Festival. “It’s an honor to have a jury of such caliber watching and discussing the films in competition this year.”
Following is a list of all 2011 Festival jurors and their respective categories.
World Competition Categories:
The jurors for the 2011 World Narrative Competition...
Hollywoodnews.com: David O. Russell, Nora Ephron, Rainn Wilson, Paul Dano, Anna Kendrick, Michael Cera, Whoopi Goldberg and Dianne Wiest are some of the celebrity names added to the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival Jury, announced today.
The jurors have been divided among the six competitive Festival categories and will announce the winning films, filmmakers and actors in those categories at the Tff Awards Night ceremony on April 28.
The 2011 Festival runs from April 20 – May 1.
“This year’s jury is made up of a range of accomplished individuals in their respective fields, bringing a fresh and well-rounded perspective,” said Jane Rosenthal, Co-Founder of the Tribeca Film Festival. “It’s an honor to have a jury of such caliber watching and discussing the films in competition this year.”
Following is a list of all 2011 Festival jurors and their respective categories.
World Competition Categories:
The jurors for the 2011 World Narrative Competition...
- 4/18/2011
- by Sean O'Connell
- Hollywoodnews.com
David O. Russell, Nora Ephron, Dianne Wiest, Jason Sudeikis, Whoopi Goldberg, Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan, Rainn Wilson, Anna Kendrick, Michael Cera, Denis Leary, Atom Egoyan and Fran Lebowitz are among the 38 jurors for this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, which runs from April 20 to May 1. “This year’s jury is made up of a range of accomplished individuals in their respective fields, bringing a fresh and well-rounded perspective,” said Jane Rosenthal, Co-Founder of the Tribeca Film Festival, in a statement. “It’s an honor to have a jury of such caliber watching and discussing the films in competition this year.
- 4/18/2011
- by Jeff Labrecque
- EW - Inside Movies
Last week I posted an article showing clips from all of the shorts nominated for an Academy Award this year. Today the short The Lost Thing, appeared online in it’s entirety for everyone to watch. The short was written by Shaun Tan and co-directed by Tan and Andrew Ruhemann (executive producer, My Kid Could Paint That), and is based on an award-winning children’s book of the same title, also by Tan. Apparently it took over eight years to make and features a mix of computer animated and hand-painted elements. Watch the full 15-minute film after the jump.
Official synopsis:
A boy discovers a bizarre looking creature while out collecting bottle tops at the beach. Realising it is lost, he tries to find out who owns it or where it belongs, but is met with indifference from everyone else, who barely notice its presence, each unwilling to entertain this...
Official synopsis:
A boy discovers a bizarre looking creature while out collecting bottle tops at the beach. Realising it is lost, he tries to find out who owns it or where it belongs, but is met with indifference from everyone else, who barely notice its presence, each unwilling to entertain this...
- 2/18/2011
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
[1] Today's Votd is a visual treat that'll appeal to children and grown-ups alike. The Lost Thing, written by Shaun Tan and co-directed by Tan and Andrew Ruhemann (executive producer, My Kid Could Paint That), is a beautifully animated short about a boy and the friendly, uh, tentacled machine thing he finds on the beach. The film has been nominated for an Academy Award. Watch the full 15-minute film after the jump. [via Dailymotion [2]] The short is based on an award-winning children's book of the same title, also by Tan. According to an article by One Perth [3], The Lost Thing film "was produced over eight years from 2002 and features a mix of computer animated and hand-painted elements." I haven't seen the other Oscar-nominated animated shorts yet, so I can't say how this compares to others in its category. However, I think it holds up on its own quite well. Visually, it's absolutely gorgeous...
- 2/18/2011
- by Angie Han
- Slash Film
A look at what's new on DVD today:
"Let Me In" (2010)
Directed by Matt Reeves
Released by Anchor Bay Entertainment
"Never Let Me Go" (2010)
Directed by Mark Romanek
Released by Fox Home Entertainment
Two of 2010's most underrated films that approach their respective genres from radically different perspectives than most, "Cloverfield" director Matt Reeves' "Let Me In" and Mark Romanek's "Never Let Me Go" will finally have the opportunity to stand out on home video. In "Let Me In," Reeves applies some of his own biographical touchstones for this remake of Tomas Alfredson's horror film about the unlikely friendship between a vampire (Chloe Moretz) and a lonely young boy (Kodi Smit-McPhee). Romanek's adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's much-beloved sci-fi novel about a group of children raised apart from the rest of society for purposes that are unknown to them. (Alison Willmore's reviews for "Let Me In" and...
"Let Me In" (2010)
Directed by Matt Reeves
Released by Anchor Bay Entertainment
"Never Let Me Go" (2010)
Directed by Mark Romanek
Released by Fox Home Entertainment
Two of 2010's most underrated films that approach their respective genres from radically different perspectives than most, "Cloverfield" director Matt Reeves' "Let Me In" and Mark Romanek's "Never Let Me Go" will finally have the opportunity to stand out on home video. In "Let Me In," Reeves applies some of his own biographical touchstones for this remake of Tomas Alfredson's horror film about the unlikely friendship between a vampire (Chloe Moretz) and a lonely young boy (Kodi Smit-McPhee). Romanek's adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's much-beloved sci-fi novel about a group of children raised apart from the rest of society for purposes that are unknown to them. (Alison Willmore's reviews for "Let Me In" and...
- 1/30/2011
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
The authenticity of the documentary Catfish has been called into question. What is not in dispute is that it is an intriguing and disturbing piece of work, says Peter Bradshaw
The possibility that this documentary has been faked – or semi-faked, or restaged, or sneakily improved in the edit – is infuriating. It really is an intriguing modern tale of communication, intimacy, self-knowledge and the web: a great companion to The Social Network. Even if it were presented as fiction, it would still be startling, but had the film-makers Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman pitched it that way to a hard-faced Hollywood executive, he might have sunk it just by wondering about the absence of Skype. Of this, more in a moment.
Cinema audiences have recently experienced Joaquin Phoenix's hip-hop career in I'm Still Here, and the startling pop art works of "Mr Brainwash" in Banksy's tongue-in-cheek film Exit Through the Gift Shop,...
The possibility that this documentary has been faked – or semi-faked, or restaged, or sneakily improved in the edit – is infuriating. It really is an intriguing modern tale of communication, intimacy, self-knowledge and the web: a great companion to The Social Network. Even if it were presented as fiction, it would still be startling, but had the film-makers Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman pitched it that way to a hard-faced Hollywood executive, he might have sunk it just by wondering about the absence of Skype. Of this, more in a moment.
Cinema audiences have recently experienced Joaquin Phoenix's hip-hop career in I'm Still Here, and the startling pop art works of "Mr Brainwash" in Banksy's tongue-in-cheek film Exit Through the Gift Shop,...
- 12/17/2010
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Editor's Note: This is part of a daily December series that will feature new or previously published interviews, profiles and first-persons of some of the year's best filmmakers, writers, actors and actresses. This edition is an interview during the Sundance Film Festival with since Academy Award-shortlisted documentary filmmaker Amir Bar-Lev regarding "The Tillman Story." Following up on his 2007 documentary "My Kid Could Paint That," Amir Bar-Lev returns with "The ...
- 12/15/2010
- Indiewire
Editor's Note: This is part of a daily December series that will feature new or previously published interviews, profiles and first-persons of some of the year's best filmmakers, writers, actors and actresses. This edition is an interview during the Sundance Film Festival with since Academy Award-shortlisted documentary filmmaker Amir Bar-Lev regarding "The Tillman Story." Following up on his 2007 documentary "My Kid Could Paint That," Amir Bar-Lev returns with "The ...
- 12/15/2010
- indieWIRE - People
Contrary to the poster for Catfish, which declares “Don’t let anyone tell you want it is.” the following will in detail discuss the film and therefore reveal elements of the plot that some would perhaps rather remain a mystery until they are unravelled on screen. Although the film is constructed in a way that builds the tension for the reveal in the second half, to watch Catfish is still a fascinating experience even if one is already aware of many of the specifics of the story. Discussing the film without revealing specifics is infinitely less fascinating so be aware that the following contains spoilers.
Catfish begins as a relatively innocuous documentary about the innocent online relationship that 24 year old Nev Schulman (brother of one of the directors, Ariel) has with an 8 year old girl named Abby. The relationship begins when Abby paints one of Nev’s photos and impressed...
Catfish begins as a relatively innocuous documentary about the innocent online relationship that 24 year old Nev Schulman (brother of one of the directors, Ariel) has with an 8 year old girl named Abby. The relationship begins when Abby paints one of Nev’s photos and impressed...
- 11/3/2010
- by Craig Skinner
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
If I took an idea away from The Tillman Story, it would be Rich Tillman's quote from his brother Pat's funeral:
"Pat isn't with God. He's f*cking dead. He wasn't religious. So thank you for your thoughts, but he's f*cking dead."
When Rich spoke at his brother's service, he was frustrated to a breaking point. It was too much for him to stand complacently by while speaker after speaker aggrandized Pat, painting him with the colors of their own beliefs. It was the purest statement of The Tillman Story.
In Amir Bar-Lev's directorial follow up to the venerable documentary My Kid Could Paint That, he tackles a much different beast. Pat Tillman, for anyone in need of a refresher, was an NFL star who gave up a multimillion-dollar contract to enlist in the Army with his brother in June 2002. He was killed on April 22, 2004. With two sweeping thru-lines,...
"Pat isn't with God. He's f*cking dead. He wasn't religious. So thank you for your thoughts, but he's f*cking dead."
When Rich spoke at his brother's service, he was frustrated to a breaking point. It was too much for him to stand complacently by while speaker after speaker aggrandized Pat, painting him with the colors of their own beliefs. It was the purest statement of The Tillman Story.
In Amir Bar-Lev's directorial follow up to the venerable documentary My Kid Could Paint That, he tackles a much different beast. Pat Tillman, for anyone in need of a refresher, was an NFL star who gave up a multimillion-dollar contract to enlist in the Army with his brother in June 2002. He was killed on April 22, 2004. With two sweeping thru-lines,...
- 8/20/2010
- UGO Movies
In his 2000 feature debut "Fighter," doc filmmaker Amir Bar-Lev followed two Czech Holocaust survivors as they revisit a notorious labor camp, one of whom begins poking holes in the other man's narrative. As the director himself explains: "It's about the tension between two friends when one of them begins to question how much of the story has been imposed as an afterthought."
Seven years later in his controversial but acclaimed "My Kid Could Paint That," Bar-Lev investigated a Binghamton, NY family whose precocious toddler Marla Olmstead had been vetted by the media as an art-star prodigy. Bar-Lev revealed the facts to be a little sketchy after Marla's parents handed over the storytelling reins to the filmmaker, then tried to take them back: "A tug of war ensues between who controls the story. Is it mine to tell?"
As diverse as his films have been, it's easy to see that Bar-Lev...
Seven years later in his controversial but acclaimed "My Kid Could Paint That," Bar-Lev investigated a Binghamton, NY family whose precocious toddler Marla Olmstead had been vetted by the media as an art-star prodigy. Bar-Lev revealed the facts to be a little sketchy after Marla's parents handed over the storytelling reins to the filmmaker, then tried to take them back: "A tug of war ensues between who controls the story. Is it mine to tell?"
As diverse as his films have been, it's easy to see that Bar-Lev...
- 8/19/2010
- by Aaron Hillis
- ifc.com
When the news hit earlier this month that Jerry Garcia's had denied the music rights to a planned biopic by director Amir Bar-Lev, it seemed like a near fatal blow to what looked like the next project from the director of My Kid Could Paint That and The Tillman Story. At the time the only news was coming from the statement by Garcia's estate, with no comment from Bar-Lev on the rights situation or how he might go forward with the project without access to the Grateful Dead catalog. When I talked to Bar-Lev last week about The Tillman Story he at first wouldn't comment on the Garcia situation beyond insisting that, yes, it's his next project and he's moving forward with it. But he eventually offered that there is more to the story than what we've seen in the press so far: "The reporting on that has been...
- 8/18/2010
- cinemablend.com
Given the level of deceit it portrays -- and what it says about the moral underpinnings of the Bush administration's approach to the war in Iraq in general -- it's surprising that The Tillman Story (opening in limited release Friday 8/20/10) doesn't positively set the screen on fire. And yet that very sense of outrage seems muted in this film by Amir Bar-Lev, whose My Kid Could Paint That also dealt with the conflict between appearance and reality. Pat Tillman was a scholar and an athlete, a highly paid player in the National Football League. But he was also a patriot, moved by the events of 9/11 to put his career on hold so that he could enlist in the Army and serve his country. He joined the U.S. Army Rangers in 2002, serving in Afghanistan. When he was killed in combat...
- 8/18/2010
- by Marshall Fine
- Huffington Post
By Sean O’Connell
Hollywoodnews.com: Documentary filmmaker Amir Bar-Lev and producer John Battsek will appear before the Motion Picture Association of America’s Classification & Rating Administration board in Los Angeles this morning to argue against the R rating applied to their upcoming documentary, “The Tillman Story.”
Directed by Bar-Lev (“My Kid Could Paint That”) and set to be distributed by Harvey and Bob Weinstein, “Tillman” tells the true story of how professional football player Pat Tillman’s family fought to uncover the truth about the soldier’s death from friendly fire in Afghanistan.
The MPAA rated the picture R for “excessive language,” but the director (and Weinstein) want the rating changed so all audiences can witness the film and judge for themselves.
“This is one of the most important films I’ve distributed in my career, and I want my teenage daughter and the nation’s young adults to...
Hollywoodnews.com: Documentary filmmaker Amir Bar-Lev and producer John Battsek will appear before the Motion Picture Association of America’s Classification & Rating Administration board in Los Angeles this morning to argue against the R rating applied to their upcoming documentary, “The Tillman Story.”
Directed by Bar-Lev (“My Kid Could Paint That”) and set to be distributed by Harvey and Bob Weinstein, “Tillman” tells the true story of how professional football player Pat Tillman’s family fought to uncover the truth about the soldier’s death from friendly fire in Afghanistan.
The MPAA rated the picture R for “excessive language,” but the director (and Weinstein) want the rating changed so all audiences can witness the film and judge for themselves.
“This is one of the most important films I’ve distributed in my career, and I want my teenage daughter and the nation’s young adults to...
- 8/12/2010
- by Sean O'Connell
- Hollywoodnews.com
Documentary filmmaker Amir Bar-Lev (My Kid Could Paint That; The Tillman Story) is the latest non-fiction film director to make the transition to drama. I would say to fiction, but Bar-Lev's first non-doc project will be based on a true story, specifically on the life of Grateful Dead front man Jerry Garcia. According to Variety, the biopic will tackle the man's early years, so don't attempt to picture some actor wearing a bushy white beard on screen. This appears to be different from the Garcia biopic announced three years ago, as instead of producer Justin Berfield this involves the son of Michael Eisner and some of the guys behind Little Miss Sunshine.
The script is being written by Dungeons & Dragons writer Topper Lilien and will be based on parts of Robert Greenfield's Dark Star, an oral-history-styled biography that covers Garcia's entire life. How far into that life the film will go into is unclear,...
The script is being written by Dungeons & Dragons writer Topper Lilien and will be based on parts of Robert Greenfield's Dark Star, an oral-history-styled biography that covers Garcia's entire life. How far into that life the film will go into is unclear,...
- 7/23/2010
- by Christopher Campbell
- Cinematical
Steal your face, man -- Jerry is going to the big screen in a film adapted from the Robert Greenfield book "Dark Star, An Oral Biography of Jerry Garcia." Director Amir Bar-Lev (of "My Kid Could Paint That") is on board to bring a script by Topper Lilien ("Dungeons & Dragons" -- what?) to life. Variety reports the screenplay covers Garcia's early life, even before the birth of the infamous band.
"Topper Lilien's daring script does justice to Garcia and steadfastly resists cliche," Bar-Lev said. That's encouraging. Bar-Lev's last film was "The Tillman Story," a doc about the football hero turned friendly fire casualty in Afghanistan. You have to wonder how he'll handle a story with actors -- he's only worked in nonfiction before. There may well be archival footage used in this biopic too, but someone has to play Jerry for real. And there's the other thing -- who...
"Topper Lilien's daring script does justice to Garcia and steadfastly resists cliche," Bar-Lev said. That's encouraging. Bar-Lev's last film was "The Tillman Story," a doc about the football hero turned friendly fire casualty in Afghanistan. You have to wonder how he'll handle a story with actors -- he's only worked in nonfiction before. There may well be archival footage used in this biopic too, but someone has to play Jerry for real. And there's the other thing -- who...
- 7/23/2010
- by Brandon Kim
- ifc.com
The story of Pat Tillman's life and death is all that Hollywood craves: heroism, iconoclasm, conspiracy, sports, a little romance, a lot of tragedy. Imagine how much the studios would love to make a movie about the NFL safety who quit pro football to fight alongside his brother in Iraq and Afghanistan only to die accidentally at the hands of his fellow rangers. For good or bad, this is one true story they won't get their hands on, at least not for a long while. In the meantime, The Tillman Story, a documentary from director Amir Bar-Lev, gets behind the making of a would-be legend in a way that may invalidate any future attempt at a biopic.
Just as his prior film, My Kid Could Paint That, subverted ideas about art, especially as a commodity, Bar-Lev's latest questions the entire nature of myth-making, particularly as collaborated by government and media in time of war.
Just as his prior film, My Kid Could Paint That, subverted ideas about art, especially as a commodity, Bar-Lev's latest questions the entire nature of myth-making, particularly as collaborated by government and media in time of war.
- 6/29/2010
- by Christopher Campbell
- Cinematical
The trailer for the upcoming "The Tillman Story" documentary, about the mysterious death of Pat Tillman, has appeared online. Check it out below. Plot: Pat Tillman never thought of himself as a hero. His choice to leave a multimillion-dollar football contract and join the military wasn't done for any reason other than he felt it was the right thing to do. The fact that the military manipulated his tragic death in the line of duty into a propaganda tool is unfathomable and thoroughly explored in this riveting and enraging documentary. The new documentary is directed by Amir Bar-Lev (My Kid Could Paint That) and has already appeared at the Sundance Film Festival. The Weinstein Company has already acquired it for domestic distribution, but has yet to set a release date. Trailer: If you cannot see the player, click here.
- 6/22/2010
- WorstPreviews.com
Who determines what is fine art and what is not? Why does it matter who painted a particular piece? Are museums like zoos for inanimate objects? These questions and others have been asked or are inspired by recent documentaries about the art world, including Don Argott's The Art of the Steal, which opens this weekend in theaters and debuts today on IFC On Demand.
If you've ever been interested in art -- or, if you've at least been to an art museum before (who hasn't?) -- please do yourself a favor and check this new film out. Then come back here and contribute to the Doc Talk discussion. Other films I recommend seeing are My Kid Could Paint That and Who the #$&% is Jackson Pollack?, both of which have altered my perception of fine art and the art world from what I grew up with.
From birth I was raised on galleries,...
If you've ever been interested in art -- or, if you've at least been to an art museum before (who hasn't?) -- please do yourself a favor and check this new film out. Then come back here and contribute to the Doc Talk discussion. Other films I recommend seeing are My Kid Could Paint That and Who the #$&% is Jackson Pollack?, both of which have altered my perception of fine art and the art world from what I grew up with.
From birth I was raised on galleries,...
- 2/25/2010
- by Christopher Campbell
- Cinematical
It's really been the year of the documentary at this year's Sundance Festival. Now Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work and The Tillman Story join the ranks of such docs as Davis Guggenheim's Waiting for Superman and the uber-contemporary Catfish that won buyers quickly after screening at the festival. Joan Rivers-a Piece of Work, which examines the comedian's private life and a rare look at her comedic process, was bought by IFC Films last night for mid-six figures. The film, from directors Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg (The Devil Came on Horseback) will receive a 15-city theatrical roll-out sometime this summer.
- 2/5/2010
- by Nicole Sperling
- EW - Inside Movies
Harvey Weinstein is the new champion of late Iraq War hero Pat Tillman.
In a deal that has been in the works since the film's world premiere at Sundance two weeks ago, the Weinstein Co. has finally nailed down details on its acquisition of North American theatrical, DVD and pay TV rights to the competition documentary "The Tillman Story." Directed by Amir Bar-Lev, the doc is a searing indictment of how the U.S. military handled news of Tillman's 2004 death by friendly fire in Afghanistan.
The Weinstein Co., which plans to release the film this year, also acquired all rights in English-language territories. A&E IndieFilms, which produced the doc, will follow the film's theatrical and home video release with a television broadcast premiere.
Several bidders, including Sony Pictures Classics and Magnolia, expressed interest in the film, which delves into the way the military turned Tillman's death into a propaganda...
In a deal that has been in the works since the film's world premiere at Sundance two weeks ago, the Weinstein Co. has finally nailed down details on its acquisition of North American theatrical, DVD and pay TV rights to the competition documentary "The Tillman Story." Directed by Amir Bar-Lev, the doc is a searing indictment of how the U.S. military handled news of Tillman's 2004 death by friendly fire in Afghanistan.
The Weinstein Co., which plans to release the film this year, also acquired all rights in English-language territories. A&E IndieFilms, which produced the doc, will follow the film's theatrical and home video release with a television broadcast premiere.
Several bidders, including Sony Pictures Classics and Magnolia, expressed interest in the film, which delves into the way the military turned Tillman's death into a propaganda...
- 2/5/2010
- by By Jay A. Fernandez and Gregg Goldstein
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In My Kid Could Paint That, director Amir Bar-Lev followed around the family of child prodigy Maria Olmstead, documenting her rise to fame and its subsequent painful backlash. But Bar-Lev’s film ended up becoming less a document of Olmstead’s life, and more about Bar-Lev’s own struggle to come to terms with the concept of truth and the role of journalism. In The Tillman Story, Bar-Lev fixes his gaze on an almost equally contentious public figure: Pat Tillman. Tillman was famously offered a multi-million dollar NFL contract, only to give it up in order to serve in the military. When Tillman was shot and killed in the line of duty, the U.S. military spun the incident as a story of a brave soldier killed while fighting off Taliban forces. Later, it was revealed that Tillman was killed by friendly fire, and that the military had lied in...
- 1/28/2010
- by David Chen
- Slash Film
While our Sundance home page is the place for all our coverage from Park City, here is a brief rundown of what's been going on during the last 24 hours, including an interview with "Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil" star Alan Tudyk, new photo galleries for "Hesher" and "Howl," and reviews of "The Company Men," "Hesher," "Winter's Bone," and "Four Lions."
Said to be close to a sale, Bilge Ebiri expects "The Company Men" to be coming to a theater near you after Sundance. Here's an excerpt from his review, which can be found in full here:
While a variety of films from "Up in the Air" to "The International" have found an icy beauty in the clean lines and empty spaces of modern corporate life, there's a strange, quiet pall cast over the blank offices and boardrooms that make up the landscape of "The Company Men." That antiseptic aesthetic reaches into...
Said to be close to a sale, Bilge Ebiri expects "The Company Men" to be coming to a theater near you after Sundance. Here's an excerpt from his review, which can be found in full here:
While a variety of films from "Up in the Air" to "The International" have found an icy beauty in the clean lines and empty spaces of modern corporate life, there's a strange, quiet pall cast over the blank offices and boardrooms that make up the landscape of "The Company Men." That antiseptic aesthetic reaches into...
- 1/25/2010
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
Our coverage for the 2010 Sundance Film Festival starts in 2 days and one of the most important articles we can write to inform everyone about Sundance is our most anticipated films list. This list was super hard to narrow down, there are So many films I am looking forward to at Sundance this year. My first list was called “Sundance 2010: Our 112 Most Anticipated Films” but Jeremy said that was a bit of overkill, so we narrowed it down to these 16. Check them out below:
16. Sympathy For Delicious:
Mark Ruffalo makes his directorial debut with Sympathy For Delicious which is a film about a former DJ who is paralyzed, turns to faith healing and starts to cure the sick…except he cant cure himself. I love this plot synopsis, not sure how much I love that Orlando Bloom stars, but we will see. It also features Ruffalo, Laura Linney, and Juliette Lewis.
16. Sympathy For Delicious:
Mark Ruffalo makes his directorial debut with Sympathy For Delicious which is a film about a former DJ who is paralyzed, turns to faith healing and starts to cure the sick…except he cant cure himself. I love this plot synopsis, not sure how much I love that Orlando Bloom stars, but we will see. It also features Ruffalo, Laura Linney, and Juliette Lewis.
- 1/20/2010
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The documentaries featured every year at the Sundance Film Festival are always worth watching out for, and 2010 seems to be no exception. Take The Tillman Story, for instance, an emotionally engaging story that needed to be told brought to life by powerful interviews from Pat Tillman’s friends and family. This film, from director Amir Bar-Lev (My Kid Could Paint That) looks to be not only one of the better documentaries at this years Sundance, it looks to be one of the most moving films of the entire festival.
Official synopsis:
Please note, the film has been renamed to The Tillman Story, but was previously titled I’M Pat ___ Tillman.
Pat Tillman gave up his professional football career to join the Army Rangers in 2002—and became an instant symbol of patriotic fervor and unflinching duty. But the truth about Pat Tillman is far more complex, and ultimately more heroic, than...
Official synopsis:
Please note, the film has been renamed to The Tillman Story, but was previously titled I’M Pat ___ Tillman.
Pat Tillman gave up his professional football career to join the Army Rangers in 2002—and became an instant symbol of patriotic fervor and unflinching duty. But the truth about Pat Tillman is far more complex, and ultimately more heroic, than...
- 1/8/2010
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Following up on his 2007 documentary “My Kid Could Paint That,” Amir Bar-Lev returns to the Sundance Film Festival with “The Tillman Story,” about the professional football player who gave up his “career to join the Army Rangers in 2002—and became an instant symbol of patriotic fervor and unflinching duty. But the truth about Pat Tillman is far more complex, and ultimately more heroic, than the caricature created by the media. …...
- 1/8/2010
- Indiewire
Following up on his 2007 documentary “My Kid Could Paint That,” Amir Bar-Lev returns to the Sundance Film Festival with “The Tillman Story,” about the professional football player who gave up his “career to join the Army Rangers in 2002—and became an instant symbol of patriotic fervor and unflinching duty. But the truth about Pat Tillman is far more complex, and ultimately more heroic, than the caricature created by the media. …...
- 1/8/2010
- indieWIRE - People
He Said – He Said … The Top 7 Films of the Decade
Our lists are done. We’ve checked them twice (and then some). Now there is only one thing left to do, complain, rant and argue. It’s time for the He Said – He Said … Top 7 Films of the Decade.
It’s He (Jeff Bayer) and his list …
7. Inglourious Basterds
6. Moulin Rouge!
5. Michael Clayton
4. Memento
3. Wall-e
2. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
1. Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind
Versus
He (Nick Allen) and his list …
7. The Band’s Visit
6. Superbad
5. The Lives of Others
4. Adaptation
3. The Dark Knight
2. Talk to Her
1. There Will Be Blood
Complete Coverage of Top 7 Films of the Decade
Top 7 Films of the Decade by Jeff Bayer
Top 7 Movies of the Decade by Nick Allen
He Said – He Said … Top 7 Films of the Decade
Amazing. Not one movie in common. I’ve decided to let...
Our lists are done. We’ve checked them twice (and then some). Now there is only one thing left to do, complain, rant and argue. It’s time for the He Said – He Said … Top 7 Films of the Decade.
It’s He (Jeff Bayer) and his list …
7. Inglourious Basterds
6. Moulin Rouge!
5. Michael Clayton
4. Memento
3. Wall-e
2. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
1. Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind
Versus
He (Nick Allen) and his list …
7. The Band’s Visit
6. Superbad
5. The Lives of Others
4. Adaptation
3. The Dark Knight
2. Talk to Her
1. There Will Be Blood
Complete Coverage of Top 7 Films of the Decade
Top 7 Films of the Decade by Jeff Bayer
Top 7 Movies of the Decade by Nick Allen
He Said – He Said … Top 7 Films of the Decade
Amazing. Not one movie in common. I’ve decided to let...
- 12/29/2009
- by Jeff Bayer
- The Scorecard Review
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