News

Exclusive: The British Independent Film Awards has selected 30 filmmakers for the latest run of its Springboard training programme, including Pretty Red Dress director Dionne Edwards andSky Peals director Moin Hussain.

The latest iteration of the Springboard programme will involve 12 directors, 10 writers and eight producers. Running until February 2026, it will offer technical and professional training, mentoring, networking and access to resources to allow the filmmakers to develop their second feature film.

Scroll down for the full list of participants

The programme is supported by Prime Video and the ScreenSkills Film Skills Fund, with additional support from Film Finances International and Molinare.

Happy Valley and Top Boy shared the BAFTA love on Sunday night at the British Academy’s prestigious Television Awards in London’s Royal Festival Hall.

Sarah Lancashire took home the top prize for her performance in Sally Wainwright’s Yorkshire-based police thriller, and fellow Briton Timothy Spall beat Succession‘s Brian Cox to win the equivalent award, best leading actor, for The Sixth Commandment – which also won two BAFTAs.

Jasmine Jobson claimed the best supporting actress prize for her role in drug-gang drama Top Boy, which also went on to win best drama. Matthew Macfadyen was the only winner for Jesse Armstrong’s hugely popular black satirical comedy, winning the award for best supporting actor in Succession. Sitcom Such Brave Girls claimed best scripted comedy.

Notably, The Crown and Black Mirror missed out despite leading the nominations ahead of the awards show with eight and seven, respectively, and in...

An action rom-com with all the elements for something iconic, David Leitch’s The Fall Guy features truly remarkable stunt work and charismatic performances by Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, yet buckles under the weight of its plot. Adapted from a 1981 action series that lasted five years, the film would have been best-served as a complete reboot jettisoning much of a plot that intrudes and ultimately means less time for Blunt and Gosling together.

What remains, though, is a love letter to the craft of stunt work with stuntman-turned-director Leitch providing a behind-the-scenes peek both on the set of the giant-budget action film Blunt’s Jody Moreno is directing and, later, during the film’s credit sequence. The Fall Guy, along with Richard Rush’s classic The Stunt Man and Dan Hartley’s thoughtful documentary David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived, are all excellent cases for creating a new Academy...

A seemingly simple stunt in the Fast and Furious franchise resulted in a stuntman suffering brain damage and a $1 million fine. The accident occurred due to last-minute changes to the stunt and negligence in checking the safety line. The film industry has seen recent high-profile accidents, including a stunt double's paralysis and a fatal shooting on the set of the movie Rust. Legal cases are still pending.

The Fast and Furious franchise is known for its spectacular stunts and almost unbelievable car chases, but it seems a relatively straightforward stunt has landed the production’s filmmakers in hot water to the tune of $1million. A U.K. judge handed down the huge fine after a stuntman was left with brain damage following an accident on the set of F9 back in 2019.

F9 became another hit in the high-octane franchise, with many of the previous movie’s stars returning, including Vin Diesel,...

Daniel Radcliffe wanted to direct the documentary about his friend David Holmes, but realized he didn't know how to direct a documentary. The documentary is based on the friendship between Radcliffe and Holmes, who became paralyzed in a stunt accident on the set of Harry Potter. The director role for the documentary went to Dan Hartley, an experienced camera operator who had worked with both Radcliffe and Holmes before.

Daniel Radcliffe almost directed David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived documentary, but decided not to for one key reason. Best known for his starring role in the Harry Potter franchise, Radcliffe’s most recent work sees him appearing in the documentary David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived, which he also executive produces. The documentary was released on November 15 and is available to stream on Max.

Radcliffe explains why he did not direct David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived, despite initially wanting to helm it.

Daniel Radcliffe almost made his directorial debut with the documentary “David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived,” about his “Harry Potter” stunt double who was left paralyzed after a tragic on-set accident.

At the London premiere of the HBO and Sky doc, Radcliffe Zoomed in from New York City — where he’s currently starring in the Broadway revival of “Merrily We Roll Along” — for a Q&a with Holmes and director Dan Hartley, in which he revealed that he initially set out to helm the film himself.

“I had always wanted to do something about Dave because I wanted to share him with the world for the person that he is. And Dave’s natural humility meant that he was kind of unsure about that for a while — he wanted to make something broader about stunts in general. But eventually, I sort of convinced him that he should be front and center of it,...

HBO Go, HBO Now, HBO Max, Max — the name may change, but the search for compelling new shows to watch remains the same. Primetimer is taking some of the guesswork out of the equation with our regular feature To the Max, where we'll share recommendations for classic shows, underrated gems, and water-cooler series.

Directed by Dan Hartley, David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived is a story of tragedy and perseverance in the face of some truly unfair circumstances. It's far from the first documentary about a person who survived a tragic accident, David Holmes makes for a singularly compelling subject, and not merely for the way he's able to articulate his life before and after the accident that paralyzed him.

“I used to fly; not so much anymore,” says David Holmes, the former stunt double for Daniel Radcliffe at the beginning of David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived. Holmes became Radcliffe’s stunt double in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and the two grew extremely close over the next decade of filming the series. However, an accident during pre-production of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows gave Holmes a spinal injury that has left him paralyzed ever since. In David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived, director Dan Hartley helps Holmes tell his own story for the first time, as the former stuntperson discusses what it’s like having his dream taken away from him in a moment, the daily struggles he has to overcome every day, his attempts to stay optimistic despite it all, and the dedicated friends that have helped him do so ever since his injury.

Doc NYC is known for its 15-feature film shortlist and for its annual Visionaries Tribute luncheon, which attracts the who’s who of the docu community from both coasts.

But, while the festival, which begins on Nov. 8, is a key campaign stop for filmmakers hoping to garner a spot on the Oscar documentary shortlist, it has also become a place where more documentarians are choosing to premiere their work.

This year 33 films out of the 253 featured on the main slate will have their world premieres at the fest.

Many of those films debuting at Doc NYC are profile docus including: “June,” a profile of June Carter Cash; “The Cowboy and the Queen,” about Queen Elizabeth II’s friendship with a California horse trainer; “Candace Parker: Unapologetic,” the story of the WNBA superstar; “Ashima,” about Ashima Shirashi, the Japanese-American rock climber who set world records in her teens; “Shari & Lamb Chop,...

Daniel Radcliffe reunites with his former Harry Potter stunt double, David Holmes, in an emotional HBO documentary. The upcoming documentary follows Holmes' journey after being paralyzed during a stunt on the set of Harry Potter. The trailer reveals the inspiring bond between Holmes and Radcliffe, offering a glimpse into their shared experiences.

Daniel Radcliffe reunites with his Harry Potter stunt double, David Holmes, in the emotional trailer for the upcoming HBO documentary David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived. The documentary will follow Holmes' journey after he was paralyzed while performing a stunt on the set of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 1. In addition to appearing in the documentary, Radcliffe has also signed on to serve as executive producer alongside Holmes. This will be their second collaboration since Harry Potter, as they also launched a podcast in 2020 called Cunning Stunts to raise awareness for stunt work.

Now, HBO drops...

The official trailer for David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived opens up with Daniel Radcliffe’s stunt double who was left paralyzed after an accident on the Harry Potter set.

Executive produced by Radcliffe, David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived highlights the story of the stuntman David Holmes, a talented teenage gymnast hailing from Essex, England. He is chosen to be Daniel Radcliffe's stunt double in the first Harry Potter film when Daniel is just eleven years old. Over the following decade, the pair developed a strong bond. However, tragedy strikes during the Deathly Hallows Part 1 production when a devastating on-set accident results in David becoming paralyzed due to a severe spinal injury, dramatically altering his life. “As Daniel and his closest stunt colleagues rally to support David and his family in their moment of need, it is David’s extraordinary spirit of resilience that becomes their greatest source of strength and inspiration,...

The first trailer has dropped for the Daniel Radcliffe-produced documentary, David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived about the inspirational story behind the former Harry Potter stuntperson who had an accident on set that left him paralyzed. Radcliffe has teamed up with HBO and director Dan Hartley to tell Holmes' story. The documentary is described as a "coming-of-age story of stuntman David Holmes, a prodigious teenage gymnast from Essex, England, who is selected to play Daniel Radcliffe’s stunt double in the first ‘Harry Potter’ film."...

To have the chance to work on a Harry Potter movie must've seemed like the opportunity of a lifetime for young David Holmes, a committed gymnast and junior stuntman who became Daniel Radcliffe's primary stunt double on the huge movie franchise. For a long time, it was a dream life, pushing the boundaries of stunt work and being part of a pop cultural whirlwind. Until… it wasn't – Holmes was critically injured when a stunt on the set of :a[The Deathly Hallows: Part 1]{href='https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/harry-potter-deathly-hallows-part-1-review/' } went wrong and left paralysed. Now, a documentary called David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived promises to tell his story. Check out the emotional trailer…

With Radcliffe involved as interviewee in front of the camera and an executive producer behind it, the new doc, directed by Dan Hartley, explores Holmes' life before and after the incident, showing the inspirational way...

Loving "Harry Potter" is immensely complicated these days, between its creator's inexcusable transphobia and the underlying problems that have always been there since the Wizarding World began. Loving many of the people who made the "Harry Potter" films, on the other hand, is as easy as pie, especially the cast members who have taken it upon themselves to publicly speak out against the bigotry propagated by the author who gave us The Boy Who Lived. But what about all those unsung artists who toiled away in the background to help make the "Harry Potter" films a reality? Thanks to an upcoming documentary, one of those folks is finally getting some deserved time in the spotlight.

You might not know the name David Holmes, but you've almost certainly seen his work. Holmes served as Daniel Racliffe's stunt double throughout the first six "Harry Potter" movies, stepping in to take a beating...

The official trailer has been released for “David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived,” which tells the story of Daniel Radcliffe’s “Harry Potter” stunt double who was left paralyzed after an accident on the set of “Deathly Hallows Part 1.”

Executive produced by Radcliffe, the documentary showcases the decade-long bond between the “Harry Potter” star and stuntman Holmes during the making of the iconic franchise. But, Holmes’ world is turned upside down when a debilitating spinal injury on set leaves him paralyzed.

“As Daniel and his closest stunt colleagues rally to support David and his family in their moment of need, it is David’s extraordinary spirit of resilience that becomes their greatest source of strength and inspiration,” the documentary’s official logline reads.

“He just seemed like a cool older brother,” Radcliffe says of Holmes in the trailer. “He would do the most dangerous physical stuff.”

Of the accident, Radcliffe says,...

HBO has readied a documentary about David Holmes, the stuntman who stood in for Daniel Radcliffe in almost all of the Harry Potter films before he was paralyzed on the set of Deathly Hallows Part 1. The film, entitled David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived, premieres on HBO and Max November 15th. Update: Watch the trailer below.

Holmes, described as a “prodigious teenage gymnast from Essex, England,” worked as Radcliffe’s stunt double from 2001’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone until 2010’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, when he broke his neck while performing a stunt and became paralyzed from the chest down. Directed by Dan Hartley, the documentary tells his story with behind-the-scenes material from Holmes’ stunt career, personal footage from the past decade, and interviews with friends, family, and crew members. Radcliffe is among those featured in the film and also serves as an executive producer.

Daniel Radcliffe is partnering up with David Holmes, his longtime stunt double in the Harry Potter films, to create a documentary based on his life.

Holmes was brought onto the film franchise ahead of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and, over the course of 10 years, he and Radcliffe formed an “inextricable bond.” However, in the penultimate film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, Holmes had a tragic accident on set that left him paralyzed after a spinal injury.

“As Daniel and his closest stunt colleagues rally to support David and his family in their moment of need, it is David’s extraordinary spirit of resilience that becomes their greatest source of strength and inspiration,” Warner Bros. Discovery said in a statement about the documentary, which is directed by Dan Hartley (Lad: A Yorkshire Story).

The statement continued, “Featuring candid personal footage shot over the last decade, behind-the-scenes material from Holmes’ stunt work,...

The HBO Original documentary David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived, executive produced by Daniel Radcliffe and directed by Dan Hartley (“Lad: A Yorkshire Story”), debuts Wednesday, November 15 (9:00-10:30 p.m. Et/Pt) on HBO and will be available to stream on Max.

Synopsis: The film is a coming-of-age story of stuntman David Holmes, a prodigious teenage gymnast from Essex, England, who is selected to play Daniel Radcliffe’s stunt double in the first Harry Potter film, when Daniel is just eleven. Over the next ten years, the two form an inextricable bond, but on the penultimate film a tragic accident on set leaves David paralyzed with a debilitating spinal injury, turning his world upside down. As Daniel and his closest stunt colleagues rally to support David and his family in their moment of need, it is David’s extraordinary spirit of resilience that becomes their greatest source of strength and inspiration.

Daniel Radcliffe is serving as the executive producer for a documentary centered around his former stunt double, who suffered a life-altering injury while working on the Harry Potter set.

The documentary, titled David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived, tells the coming-of-age tale of Holmes, who was a teenage gymnast who formed a strong connection with the Harry Potter star while working as his stunt double from the first movie when Radcliffe was 11 years old. Years later, Holmes was involved in a planned stunt during the filming of Deathly Hallows: Part 1. Unfortunately, this stunt went awry, resulting in an explosion that sent him plummeting to the ground, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down and grappling with a spinal injury that altered the course of his life.

Related: Harry Potter Director David Yates Not Returning for Max TV Reboot: 'I Wish That Show Well'

The documentary reportedly features candid personal footage collected over the past decade,...

Daniel Radcliffe has boarded the upcoming HBO original documentary “David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived” as an executive producer, in addition to being prominently featured in the film as an interview subject. The movie, set to debut in November, chronicles the life of Radcliffe’s “Harry Potter” stunt double, who worked closely alongside Radcliffe from “Sorcerer’s Stone” all the way to “Deathly Hallows Part 1” when he was tragically paralyzed during a set accident. Holmes broke his neck performing a stunt and was paralyzed from the chest down.

The official doc synopsis from HBO reads: “The film is a coming-of-age story of stuntman David Holmes, a prodigious teenage gymnast from Essex, England, who is selected to play Daniel Radcliffe’s stunt double in the first ‘Harry Potter’ film, when Daniel is just 11. Over the next 10 years, the two form an inextricable bond, but on the penultimate film a tragic accident...

Daniel Radcliffe is exec producing a documentary about his former stunt double who was left paralyzed following an accident on the Harry Potter set.

Sky and HBO Documentary Films are behind David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived, the coming-of-age story of a prodigious teenage gymnast who formed an inextricable bond with Harry Potter star Radcliffe.

Holmes was working on Deathly Hallows: Part 1 when an explosion that was part of a planned stunt sent him plummeting to the ground, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down with a debilitating spinal injury that turned his life upside down.

Featuring candid personal footage shot over the last decade, behind-the-scenes material from Holmes’ stunt work, scenes of his current life and intimate interviews with him, Radcliffe, friends, family, and former crew, the film reflects universal themes of living with adversity, growing up and the bonds that bind people together.

Simon Chinn and Jonathan Chinn...

The 2023 Doc NYC lineup has officially been announced.

The program for the 14th annual festival includes opening night selection “The Contestant,” a real-life “Truman Show”-esque story of a Japanese comedian who was trapped alone and naked in an apartment for 15 months as part of a reality TV show. The only twist? The comedian had no idea he was being filmed. Clair Titley directs the stranger-than-fiction documentary which premiered at TIFF.

Doc NYC runs from November 8 through 26, featuring 30 world premieres and 26 U.S. premieres with more than 200 films programmed. New films from Wim Wenders, Penny Lane, Dawn Porter, and Jeff Zimbalist are among the lineup for America’s largest documentary festival, with screenings at New York City’s IFC Center, Sva Theatre, and Village East by Angelika. In-person screenings take place November 8 through 16, with online selections available through November 26.

The centerpiece screening is the world premiere of D.W. Young’s...

Ten years after it was made, a small-budget coming-of-age tale is finally finding a big audience online

One after another, the viewers’ comments pile on the praise: “A great work of art that will stand the test of time. True, honest, raw but beautiful, just as the Dales and the people who inhabit them”, “a little gem” and “Will become a classic!”

The public response to the film Lad: A Yorkshire Story is looking very good. But for director Dan Hartley it has been a long wait for audience approval on this scale. In fact his film may well classify as the slowest rolling snowball hit of all time.

Lad: A Yorkshire Story

In 2012, filmmaker Dan Hartley made Lad: A Yorkshire Story, a film about a boy whose friendship with a park ranger gives him a new chance in life after the death of his father. Like many independent filmmakers, he distributed it himself. But despite his own feelings about the film, he never expected it to get as strong a response as it did. Now he's campaigning to get it recognised properly by the IMDb.

Taking the film on a world festival tour, Hartley found that it receive a positive response from audiences in many different places. He worked hard to promote it until he felt he'd done as much as he could - but then, a month ago, he discovered that it was on YouTube and was delighted by the comments viewers had left. "Seeing it get taken up like that with no publicity and no promotion was quite.

Today’s film is the 2010 short White Other. The film is written and directed by Dan Hartley, and stars Luke Oliver, Tom Felton, and Imelda Staunton. A veteran of both the big and small screen, Staunton has been acting for over 30 years, appearing in features such as Shakespeare in Love, Vera Drake, and Another Year, as well as playing the role of Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter movie series. Her newest feature, titled Pride, opens in limited release in American theatres this weekend.

****

The post Saturday Shorts: ‘White Other’, starring Imelda Staunton appeared first on Sound On Sight.

Scorsese doc in Berlin, Tokyo sets dates, Pan-Asia Film Festival stretches across UK, Locarno to honour Titanus studio, and Ilkley plans first edition.Scorsese & Tedeschi doc added to Berlin

Untitled New York Review Of Books Documentary directed by Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi is the newest addition to the Berlinale Special, where it will be shown as a work in progress, followed by a discussion with the filmmakers and key contributors. More here.

Tokyo sets 2014 dates

The 27th Tokyo International Film Festival (Tiff) will be held from October 23-31. Tiffcom will run earlier than last year, from Oct 21-23.

The festival revealed that its 2013 edition drew 121,771 people, up 14%. Tiffcom 2013 hosted 316 exhibitors, up 15%, and 1,074 buyers, up 9%. More info here.

Locarno to celebrate Titanus

The 67th edition of the Locarno Film Festival (Aug 6-16) is planning a retrospective on the Italian production studio Titanus.

The production company was founded by Gustavo Lombardo in 1904, and Locarno will celebrate the company...

Scorsese doc in Berlin, Tokyo sets dates, Pan-Asia Film Festival stretches across UK, Locarno to honour Titanus studio, and Ilkley plans first edition.Scorsese & Tedeschi doc added to Berlin

Untitled New York Review Of Books Documentary directed by Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi is the newest addition to the Berlinale Special, where it will be shown as a work in progress, followed by a discussion with the filmmakers and key contributors. More here.

Tokyo sets 2014 dates

The 27th Tokyo International Film Festival (Tiff) will be held from October 23-31. Tiffcom will run earlier than last year, from Oct 21-23.

The festival revealed that its 2013 edition drew 121,771 people, up 14%. Tiffcom 2013 hosted 316 exhibitors, up 15%, and 1,074 buyers, up 9%. More info here.

Locarno to celebrate Titanus

The 67th edition of the Locarno Film Festival (Aug 6-16) is planning a retrospective on the Italian production studio Titanus.

The production company was founded by Gustavo Lombardo in 1904, and Locarno will celebrate the company...

Tokyo sets dates, Pan-Asia Film Festival stretches across UK, Locarno to honour Titanus studio, and Ilkley plans first edition.Tokyo sets 2014 dates

The 27th Tokyo International Film Festival (Tiff) will be held from October 23-31. Tiffcom will run earlier than last year, from Oct 21-23.

The festival revealed that its 2013 edition drew 121,771 people, up 14%. Tiffcom 2013 hosted 316 exhibitors, up 15%, and 1,074 buyers, up 9%. More info here.

Locarno to celebrate Titanus

The 67th edition of the Locarno Film Festival (Aug 6-16) is planning a retrospective on the Italian production studio Titanus.

The production company was founded by Gustavo Lombardo in 1904, and Locarno will celebrate the company’s history as well as its present day output.

The Festival audience will have the opportunity to see melodramas starring the screen couple Nazzari-Sanson, directed by Matarazzo, the Pane amore and Poveri ma belli series directed by Comencini and Risi.

It will also screen films that revealed auteurs such as Fellini, Visconti, Lattuada...

The prizes have been dished out at Houston and Anchorage, but we can see the film in Settle, Keighley, Bowness, Hexham and other points north

Alright, I come clean. This is a bit of an excuse to use some more pictures of the grim north, in the form of the Yorkshire Dales.

I'm inspired partly by the Guardian's use of a mouth-watering tempter to visit Gunnerside in Swaledale which they kindly used to illustrate my farewell piece to the north in today's paper. But more because yet another film based in this Heaven-on-Earth is doing well internationally.

It's called Lad: A Yorkshire Story and is the work of writer and director Dan Hartley who grew up in the Dales but now frequents such exotic places as Houston in Texas and Anchorage, the state capital of Alaska. In the former, his film is getting a best-feature prize at Worldfest and at the latter,...