Exclusive: Wavelength Productions, the company founded and led by producer Jenifer Westphal, unveiled a rebrand on Tuesday. The newly named Wavelength will now operate as two divisions: Wavelength Films, the documentary and narrative film production arm, and Wavelength Studios, its nascent commercials division.
The company, which counts as producing credits the documentaries Where’s My Roy Cohn?, Knock Down the House and Morgan Neville’s Won’t You Be My Neighbor? as well as the Sundance Film Festival-winning pics Cusp, Feels Good Man and Farewell Amor, will continue to focus on developing, producing and financing content with a special focus on early-career filmmakers and marginalized voices.
In addition to the rebrand, Wavelength Films said it has promoted associate producer Taylor Wildenhaus to production manager.
The Wavelength Studios division has been working behind the scenes on the commericals side but is getting its own unit as part of the new structure. It will...
The company, which counts as producing credits the documentaries Where’s My Roy Cohn?, Knock Down the House and Morgan Neville’s Won’t You Be My Neighbor? as well as the Sundance Film Festival-winning pics Cusp, Feels Good Man and Farewell Amor, will continue to focus on developing, producing and financing content with a special focus on early-career filmmakers and marginalized voices.
In addition to the rebrand, Wavelength Films said it has promoted associate producer Taylor Wildenhaus to production manager.
The Wavelength Studios division has been working behind the scenes on the commericals side but is getting its own unit as part of the new structure. It will...
- 5/4/2021
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Wavelength, the New York-based indie studio behind Sundance players like “Where’s My Roy Cohn?” and “Farwell Amor,” has named producer Joe Plummer as president.
Founded by CEO Jenifer Westphal in 2015, the company recently saw Plummer serving as supervising producer across the slate. As president, he will oversee operations and spearhead development, production and investment efforts across both the film division and the newly-launched commercial division. He’s also been elevated to executive producer across all titles.
“At Wavelength, I have had the opportunity to produce ground-breaking and beautiful films and to build an unparalleled team, I’m beyond excited about what Wavelength has planned for the future,” Plummer said. “In my role as President, I will continue to develop our slate with Jen while expanding our efforts to launch emerging filmmakers and growing our commercial and branded work.”
Wavelength’s mission is to develop, produce and finance films that reveal common humanity.
Founded by CEO Jenifer Westphal in 2015, the company recently saw Plummer serving as supervising producer across the slate. As president, he will oversee operations and spearhead development, production and investment efforts across both the film division and the newly-launched commercial division. He’s also been elevated to executive producer across all titles.
“At Wavelength, I have had the opportunity to produce ground-breaking and beautiful films and to build an unparalleled team, I’m beyond excited about what Wavelength has planned for the future,” Plummer said. “In my role as President, I will continue to develop our slate with Jen while expanding our efforts to launch emerging filmmakers and growing our commercial and branded work.”
Wavelength’s mission is to develop, produce and finance films that reveal common humanity.
- 1/13/2021
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Documentary director Matt Tyrnauer, who in 2019 profiled Donald Trump’s late legal fixer in the documentary Where’s My Roy Cohn?, has turned to The Reagans, a four-part series debuting Nov. 15 on Showtime.
Tyrnauer examines how the machinery and milieu of Hollywood helped the couple reinvent themselves and Ronald’s presidency and how it in turn continues to define the conservative moment today.
Tyrnauer — whose other subjects have included fashion designer Valentino Garavani, urbanism activist Jane Jacobs and “male madame” to the stars Scotty Bowers — sees the titular couple as crafty charlatans, backed by wealthy right-wing ideologues and engaged ...
Tyrnauer examines how the machinery and milieu of Hollywood helped the couple reinvent themselves and Ronald’s presidency and how it in turn continues to define the conservative moment today.
Tyrnauer — whose other subjects have included fashion designer Valentino Garavani, urbanism activist Jane Jacobs and “male madame” to the stars Scotty Bowers — sees the titular couple as crafty charlatans, backed by wealthy right-wing ideologues and engaged ...
- 11/12/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Documentary director Matt Tyrnauer, who in 2019 profiled Donald Trump’s late legal fixer in the documentary Where’s My Roy Cohn?, has turned to The Reagans, a four-part series debuting Nov. 15 on Showtime.
Tyrnauer examines how the machinery and milieu of Hollywood helped the couple reinvent themselves and Ronald’s presidency and how it in turn continues to define the conservative moment today.
Tyrnauer — whose other subjects have included fashion designer Valentino Garavani, urbanism activist Jane Jacobs and “male madame” to the stars Scotty Bowers — sees the titular couple as crafty charlatans, backed by wealthy right-wing ideologues and engaged ...
Tyrnauer examines how the machinery and milieu of Hollywood helped the couple reinvent themselves and Ronald’s presidency and how it in turn continues to define the conservative moment today.
Tyrnauer — whose other subjects have included fashion designer Valentino Garavani, urbanism activist Jane Jacobs and “male madame” to the stars Scotty Bowers — sees the titular couple as crafty charlatans, backed by wealthy right-wing ideologues and engaged ...
- 11/12/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In the wake of the 2020 presidential election, Showtime will dive into an exploration of the presidential myth with a new docuseries about Ronald and Nancy Reagan’s time in the White House.
Directed by Matt Tyrnauer, the four-part series “contextualizes the legacy of Ronald and Nancy a generation later while exploring the palace intrigue of the Reagan White House years,” according to Showtime.
The series will cover Reagan’s rise from movie star to politician and tackle “his questionable record on race, the administration’s near collapse amid the Iran-Contra scandal, and inaction in the face of the HIV pandemic” via interviews with family and friends, as well as people who worked with Reagan on the campaign trail and in the White House.
“By shining a light on the truths behind the Reagan myth and critically analyzing Ronald Reagan’s quest for power, his mode of governing, the ripple effects...
Directed by Matt Tyrnauer, the four-part series “contextualizes the legacy of Ronald and Nancy a generation later while exploring the palace intrigue of the Reagan White House years,” according to Showtime.
The series will cover Reagan’s rise from movie star to politician and tackle “his questionable record on race, the administration’s near collapse amid the Iran-Contra scandal, and inaction in the face of the HIV pandemic” via interviews with family and friends, as well as people who worked with Reagan on the campaign trail and in the White House.
“By shining a light on the truths behind the Reagan myth and critically analyzing Ronald Reagan’s quest for power, his mode of governing, the ripple effects...
- 10/22/2020
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
The amoral legacy of closeted gay political operator Roy Cohn has come back to life in two films of the moment: Matt Tyrnauer’s “Where’s My Roy Cohn?” and now this more personal documentary directed by Ivy Meeropol, granddaughter of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were prosecuted by Cohn and executed for treason in 1953.
Meeropol previously covered the story of her grandparents in her 2004 documentary “Heir to an Execution,” and she sketches out the basics of the case against them at the beginning of her film on Cohn, starting off with footage of herself as a girl talking to her father about what happened to Julius and Ethel. She then cuts to footage of Cohn, who always signals, “I am evil” for the camera, as if he were very conscious of the part he was trying to play.
“The Story of Roy Cohn” tries to establish a balance between Cohn and the Rosenberg family,...
Meeropol previously covered the story of her grandparents in her 2004 documentary “Heir to an Execution,” and she sketches out the basics of the case against them at the beginning of her film on Cohn, starting off with footage of herself as a girl talking to her father about what happened to Julius and Ethel. She then cuts to footage of Cohn, who always signals, “I am evil” for the camera, as if he were very conscious of the part he was trying to play.
“The Story of Roy Cohn” tries to establish a balance between Cohn and the Rosenberg family,...
- 6/19/2020
- by Dan Callahan
- The Wrap
"Every era has an opportunist." HBO has debuted an official trailer for a documentary titled in full Bully. Coward. Victim. The Story of Roy Cohn, which premiered at last year's New York Film Festival. This is the second big Roy Cohn documentary recently, the other is Where's My Roy Cohn? from last year. This thorough and mesmerizing doc takes an appropriately unflinching look at the life and death of Roy Cohn, the closeted, conservative American lawyer whose first job out of law school was prosecuting filmmaker Ivy Meeropol's grandparents, Julius & Ethel Rosenberg. This is not merely a depiction of a brutal, ideologically diseased man – it's an interrogatory work in search of the true character behind an icon of the political right in a deeply troubled America. It features interviews with Cindy Adams, Alan Dershowitz, Tony Kushner, Nathan Lane, John Waters, and a trove of fascinating, recently unearthed archive video.
- 6/9/2020
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Content stable includes Sundance U.S. grand jury prize-winner Boys State.
Davis Guggenheim and Jonathan King’s Concordia Studio as hired former AwesomenessTV head of finance and Open Road Films CFO Alexa Platt as COO.
The company produces and finances content and was founded recently in partnership with Laurene Powell Jobs and Emerson Collective. The stable includes Sundance U.S. grand jury prize-winner Boys State and U.S. Documentary directing award-winner Time.
Platt officially joined the company in April and reports to Guggenheim and King. Her career posts include CFO at Sony-based producer-financier 2.0 Entertainment, finance executive at Paramount Vantage and Paramount Worldwide Acquisitions,...
Davis Guggenheim and Jonathan King’s Concordia Studio as hired former AwesomenessTV head of finance and Open Road Films CFO Alexa Platt as COO.
The company produces and finances content and was founded recently in partnership with Laurene Powell Jobs and Emerson Collective. The stable includes Sundance U.S. grand jury prize-winner Boys State and U.S. Documentary directing award-winner Time.
Platt officially joined the company in April and reports to Guggenheim and King. Her career posts include CFO at Sony-based producer-financier 2.0 Entertainment, finance executive at Paramount Vantage and Paramount Worldwide Acquisitions,...
- 5/14/2020
- by 36¦Jeremy Kay¦54¦
- ScreenDaily
The individual sitting across from me was a veteran filmmaker who was tormented by a tough decision. “The story I want to tell should be made as a doc, not a feature film,” he told me. “But let’s get real: Movies occupy center stage while documentaries sit in the balcony.”
He ended up shooting a feature (more on that later), but in today’s Hollywood, he would have reached the opposite conclusion. That’s because documentaries at the moment are stealing both the audiences and the conversation, and, along the way, acquiring some of the bad habits of the fiction film business — fights over budgets, credits and release dates.
This week, viewers will check out new docs about the future career path facing Michelle Obama, or the mysterious death of Natalie Wood, or the dauntless ambitions of Michael Jordan, or the perils of undercover probes (The Infiltrators). Or they...
He ended up shooting a feature (more on that later), but in today’s Hollywood, he would have reached the opposite conclusion. That’s because documentaries at the moment are stealing both the audiences and the conversation, and, along the way, acquiring some of the bad habits of the fiction film business — fights over budgets, credits and release dates.
This week, viewers will check out new docs about the future career path facing Michelle Obama, or the mysterious death of Natalie Wood, or the dauntless ambitions of Michael Jordan, or the perils of undercover probes (The Infiltrators). Or they...
- 5/7/2020
- by Peter Bart
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Fresh off of Sundance, Wavelength Productions has revealed Eliana Pipes as the first recipient of their inaugural Wave Grant, a $5,000 grant awarded to a first-time female filmmaker of color to help them finish their short film.
Pipes was selected from over 100 applications from all over the country. In addition to the handsome cash reward, Pipes will also receive mentorship and guidance from the Wavelength Productions team, covering everything from pre-production to distribution and festival strategies.
“Eliana really wowed us with her creativity and passion. We’re really excited to help make her vision a reality,” said Jenifer Westphal, president of Wavelength Productions. “That being said, it was definitely hard to narrow the winning submission down to one candidate because of the quality and creativity of what was submitted. It just goes to show how many more allies we need in this industry to help get these amazing stories told.
Pipes was selected from over 100 applications from all over the country. In addition to the handsome cash reward, Pipes will also receive mentorship and guidance from the Wavelength Productions team, covering everything from pre-production to distribution and festival strategies.
“Eliana really wowed us with her creativity and passion. We’re really excited to help make her vision a reality,” said Jenifer Westphal, president of Wavelength Productions. “That being said, it was definitely hard to narrow the winning submission down to one candidate because of the quality and creativity of what was submitted. It just goes to show how many more allies we need in this industry to help get these amazing stories told.
- 2/5/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Every year, when I start researching this article, I try to guess the biggest-grossing title at the last year’s festival. This one surprised me: For 2019, that distinction went to “Fighting With My Family.” The United Artists release of the British WWE biopic backed by Dwayne Johnson grossed $23 million. But when it came to the Sundance 2019 acquisitions with big price tags, and expectations, those were disappointments.
All told, domestic grosses for last year’s films come to around $125 million. That is way down from 2018, which passed the $200 million mark. And, by point of comparison, “Avengers: Endgame” grossed $357 million in its first three days. No one expects Sundance movies to behave like Marvel movies, of course, but the massive disparity illustrates the state of the theatrical market — especially when so much of the 2019 Sundance box office stemmed from wide releases that favored chains rather than arthouses.
Other than “Fighting With My Family,...
All told, domestic grosses for last year’s films come to around $125 million. That is way down from 2018, which passed the $200 million mark. And, by point of comparison, “Avengers: Endgame” grossed $357 million in its first three days. No one expects Sundance movies to behave like Marvel movies, of course, but the massive disparity illustrates the state of the theatrical market — especially when so much of the 2019 Sundance box office stemmed from wide releases that favored chains rather than arthouses.
Other than “Fighting With My Family,...
- 1/22/2020
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today that 344 feature films are eligible for the 2019 Academy Awards.
To be eligible for the consideration, the films must open in a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles County by Dec. 31, and begin a minimum run of seven consecutive days. Academy rules also state that a feature-length motion picture must have a running time of more than 40 minutes and must have been exhibited theatrically on 35mm or 70mm film, or in a qualifying digital format.
Nominations for the 92nd Academy Awards will be announced on Monday, Jan. 13, 2020. The ceremony takes place on Sunday, Feb. 9, airing live from Hollywood on ABC.
“Abominable”
“Ad Astra”
“Adam”
“The Addams Family”
“The Aeronauts”
“After the Wedding”
“The Aftermath”
“Aga”
“Aladdin”
“Alita: Battle Angel”
“Always Be My Maybe”
“The Amazing Johnathan”
“American Factory”
“American Woman”
“Angel Has Fallen”
“The Angry Birds Movie 2”
“Anna”
“Annabelle Comes Home...
To be eligible for the consideration, the films must open in a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles County by Dec. 31, and begin a minimum run of seven consecutive days. Academy rules also state that a feature-length motion picture must have a running time of more than 40 minutes and must have been exhibited theatrically on 35mm or 70mm film, or in a qualifying digital format.
Nominations for the 92nd Academy Awards will be announced on Monday, Jan. 13, 2020. The ceremony takes place on Sunday, Feb. 9, airing live from Hollywood on ABC.
“Abominable”
“Ad Astra”
“Adam”
“The Addams Family”
“The Aeronauts”
“After the Wedding”
“The Aftermath”
“Aga”
“Aladdin”
“Alita: Battle Angel”
“Always Be My Maybe”
“The Amazing Johnathan”
“American Factory”
“American Woman”
“Angel Has Fallen”
“The Angry Birds Movie 2”
“Anna”
“Annabelle Comes Home...
- 12/18/2019
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
The sailing documentary “Maiden” and the chronicle of the first trip to the moon, “Apollo 11,” are among the 15 titles that made this year’s shortlist for the Oscars’ Best Documentary Feature race.
The shortlist also included two films about Syria, “For Sama” and “The Cave”; the first film produced by Barack and Michelle Obama’s production company, “American Factory”; and the Macedonian beekeeping documentary “Honeyland,” which also made the shortlist in the Oscars’ Best International Feature Film category.
Also on the list: “One Child Nation,” “The Great Hack,” “The Edge of Democracy,” “The Biggest Little Farm,” “Midnight Family,” “Knock Down the House,” “The Apollo,” “Advocate” and “Aquarela.”
As it has been since the Oscars’ Documentary Branch opened shortlist voting to all members and did away with small committees, the list contained most...
The shortlist also included two films about Syria, “For Sama” and “The Cave”; the first film produced by Barack and Michelle Obama’s production company, “American Factory”; and the Macedonian beekeeping documentary “Honeyland,” which also made the shortlist in the Oscars’ Best International Feature Film category.
Also on the list: “One Child Nation,” “The Great Hack,” “The Edge of Democracy,” “The Biggest Little Farm,” “Midnight Family,” “Knock Down the House,” “The Apollo,” “Advocate” and “Aquarela.”
As it has been since the Oscars’ Documentary Branch opened shortlist voting to all members and did away with small committees, the list contained most...
- 12/16/2019
- by Brian Welk and Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Matt Tyrnauer captures Karl Lagerfeld's proclamation backstage at Valentino's 45th anniversary fashion show in Rome in his Valentino: The Last Emperor
Matt Tyrnauer, the director of Where's My Roy Cohn?, Studio 54, Scotty And The Secret History Of Hollywood, Citizen Jane: Battle For The City, and Valentino: The Last Emperor, sent the following remembrance in honour of Karl Lagerfeld, who died yesterday in Paris at the age of 85.
"Karl Lagerfeld was an astonishing force of nature. One thing I noticed about fashion legends is that it usually takes two to tango: the creative force and more silent business partner. Think Valentino and Giammetti; Saint Laurent and Bergé. In the case of Karl, he was more of a lone wolf, a one-man-band who managed to keep the legend alive, the business going, and the creativity flowing for generations as a solo act. He was also one of the most witty...
Matt Tyrnauer, the director of Where's My Roy Cohn?, Studio 54, Scotty And The Secret History Of Hollywood, Citizen Jane: Battle For The City, and Valentino: The Last Emperor, sent the following remembrance in honour of Karl Lagerfeld, who died yesterday in Paris at the age of 85.
"Karl Lagerfeld was an astonishing force of nature. One thing I noticed about fashion legends is that it usually takes two to tango: the creative force and more silent business partner. Think Valentino and Giammetti; Saint Laurent and Bergé. In the case of Karl, he was more of a lone wolf, a one-man-band who managed to keep the legend alive, the business going, and the creativity flowing for generations as a solo act. He was also one of the most witty...
- 2/20/2019
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
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