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Aka Mr. Chow

(HBO Documentary Films)

This portrait directed by Nick Hooker follows the life and career of painter turned restaurateur Michael Chow, the owner of the Mr Chow restaurant chain, as he returns to the art world with his first solo show in nearly 60 years.

American Symphony

(Netflix)

Matthew Heineman switches gears from following the front lines of the Mexican drug war (the Oscar-nominated Cartel Land) and the early days of the Covid crisis in New York City (The First Wave), this time helming an intimate profile of Late Night With Stephen Colbert bandleader Jon Batiste as he balances an incredible year of professional success while aiding his wife, writer Suleika Jaouad, through her battle with a rare form of cancer.

Anonymous Sister

(Long Shot Factory/Gravitas Ventures)

Emmy Award-winning director Jamie Boyle chronicles her family’s collision with the opioid epidemic. The film, currently holding a 100 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes,...

Michael Chow is meant to be in Riyadh. But as drones spell out his name in the sky above Saudi Arabia’s capital, heralding the Oct. 5 opening of the latest outpost of his eponymous restaurant, the charismatic restaurateur, artist and bon vivant is in his Los Angeles home, grounded with a positive Covid-19 test. He is in good spirits nonetheless. “My name is Gatsby,” Chow says with a laugh, invoking the name of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s tragic hero, known for hosting extravagant parties but not necessarily attending them. “When he gives a party, they always turn up.”

Of course, Chow, 84, has long been known for his hosting prowess, with more than five decades of feeding the A-list legions of Hollywood, fashion, art, politics and beyond at his Mr. Chow restaurants. Now numbering seven locations, his empire launched with a London spot that opened in 1968, followed by Beverly Hills in...

HBO has released the official trailer and key art for the original documentary Aka Mr. Chow, directed by Nick Hooker (HBO’s “AgnelIi”), produced by Academy Award®-nominated Diane Quon (“Minding The Gap”), executive produced, written, and edited by Emmy®-winning editor Jean Tsien, and executive produced by Emmy®-nominated Graydon Carter and Annabelle Dunne (HBO’s “Everything Is Copy”). The film debuts Sunday, October 22 (9:00-10:30 p.m. Et/Pt) on HBO and will be available to stream on Max. Synopsis: Aka Mr. Chow details the vibrant and varied life of Michael Chow. Born Zhou Yinghua in 1930s Shanghai, he would use creativity to triumph over childhood trauma, personal loss, and ... Read more...

The incredible life and career of artist and restaurateur Michael Chow is the focus of the HBO Original documentary aka Mr. Chow. Directed by Nick Hooker (AgnelIi), the documentary features interviews with Mr. Chow as well as artists Peter Blake, Julian Schnabel, and Ed Ruscha, and family members Cecilia Zhou, Maximillian Chow, China Chow, and Vanessa Chow.

“My father was completely an artist. Revolutionized the Beijing Opera,” recalls Michael Chow. “He said to me, ‘Wherever you go, always remember, you are Chinese.'”

Jean Tsien wrote, edited, and executive produced the intimate look at Michael Chow’s amazing life. Graydon Carter, Annabelle Dunne, Pulse Films’ Marisa Clifford and Miranda Soto, and HBO’s Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, and Sara Rodriguez executive produced.

aka Mr. Chow premieres on October 22, 2023 at 9pm Et/Pt.

The Plot, Courtesy of HBO:

aka Mr. Chow details the vibrant and varied life of Michael Chow. Born Zhou Yinghua in 1930s Shanghai,...

HBO has set an October premiere for Aka Mr. Chow, the original documentary film directed by Nick Hooker (HBO’s AgnelIi). The film debuts Sunday, October 22 at 9 Pm on HBO and will be streaming on Max.

Produced by Oscar-nominated Diane Quon (Minding The Gap), executive produced, written, and edited by Emmy-winning editor Jean Tsien, and executive produced by Emmy-nominated Graydon Carter and Annabelle Dunne (HBO’s Everything Is Copy), Aka Mr. Chow details the life of Michael Chow. Born Zhou Yinghua in 1930s Shanghai, he would use creativity to triumph over childhood trauma, personal loss, and systemic prejudice, growing up to become the actor and artist before inventing a new identity, Mr. Chow, when he opens the first of his iconic restaurants. Having found fame and fortune in the West, Mr. Chow celebrates his Chinese roots and finds catharsis by returning to painting, reemerging as the artist M.

With the festival kicking off tomorrow, Telluride Film Festival has now unveiled its lineup, featuring new films from Jeff Nichols (the first image from which can be seen above), Emerald Fennell, Annie Baker, Andrew Haigh, Yorgos Lanthimos, Justine Triet, Wim Wenders, Kitty Green, Ethan Hawke, and many more.

“Fifty years is a long time to do anything. And while we might be a little biased, we feel the work that Tff does is pretty important,” comments Telluride Film Festival director Julie Huntsinger. “We take the charge of preserving the theatrical experience and promoting film seriously, but with necessary winks here and there. We’re ecstatic to share a program we feel reflects so much of the past fifty years, naturally and organically, films old and new, which stand as a testament to our beloved co-founders Tom Luddy and Bill Pence who are no longer with us.”

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ZamaThe programme for the 2017 edition of the Venice Film Festival has been unveiled, and includes new films from Darren Aronofsky, Lucrecia Martel, Frederick Wiseman, Alexander Payne, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Abdellatif Kechiche, Takeshi Kitano and many more.COMPETITIONmother! (Darren Aronofsky)First Reformed (Paul Schrader)Sweet Country (Warwick Thornton)The Leisure Seeker (Paolo Virzi)Una Famiglia (Sebastiano Riso)Ex Libris - The New York Public Library (Frederick Wiseman)Angels Wear White (Vivian Qu)The Whale (Andrea Pallaoro)Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (Martin McDonagh)Foxtrot (Samuel Maoz)Ammore e malavita (Manetti Brothers)Jusqu'a la garde (Xavier Legrand)The Third Murder (Hirokazu Kore-eda)Mektoub, My Love: Canto Uno (Abdellatif Kechiche)Lean on Pete (Andrew Haigh)L'insulte (Ziad Doueiri)La Villa (Robert Guediguian)The Shape of Water (Guillermo del Toro)Suburbicon (George Clooney)Human Flow (Ai Weiwei)Downsizing (Alexander Payne)Out Of COMPETITIONFeaturesOur Souls at Night (Ritesh Batra)Il Signor Rotpeter (Antonietta de Lillo)Victoria...

Venice sidebar to screen eleven world premieres; first screening of Ermanno Olmi doc.

The Venice Film Festival’s (Aug 30 - 9) independently run Venice Days section will host 12 competition titles, 11 of which are world premieres, including new films from Kim Nguyen, Chloe Sevigny, Pengfei, and Sara Forestier.

War Witch director Nguyen will show drama Eye On Juliet, starring UK actor Joe Cole, while M marks the directorial debut of Standing Tall actress Forestier.

Pengfei, who was in Venice Days in 2015 with his first film, Underground Fragrance, is returning with followup The Taste of Rice Flower (pictured).

Screening in the special events category will be a never seen before and thought to be lost Ermanno Olmi documentary from the 1960s: Il Tentato Suicidio Nell Adolescenza (Attempted Suicide In Youths).

The documentary follows the pioneering work of the emergency psychiatric branch of the Policlinico di Milano.

Meanwhile, new short films by Sevigny and Us choreographer-director Celia Rowlson-Hall will screen in Venice...

Venice sidebar to screen eleven world premieres; first screening of Ermanno Olmi doc.

The Venice Film Festival’s (Aug 30 - 9) independently run Venice Days section will host 12 competition titles, 11 of which are world premieres, including new films from Kim Nguyen, Chloe Sevigny, Pengfei, and Sara Forestier.

War Witch director Nguyen will show drama Eye On Juliet, starring UK actor Joe Cole, while M marks the directorial debut of Standing Tall actress Forestier.

Pengfei, who was in Venice Days in 2015 with his first film, Underground Fragrance, is returning with followup The Taste of Rice Flower (pictured).

New short films by Sevigny and Us choreographer-director Celia Rowlson-Hall will screen in Venice Days’ Women’s Tales Project, sponsored by Miu Miu, the women’s fashion brand.

Screening in the special events category will be a never seen before and thought to be lost Ermanno Olmi documentary from the ’60s: Il Tentato Suicidio Nell Adolescenza.

Iranian director...

Ezra Edelman’s “Oj: Made in America” was the big winner at the inaugural Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards, taking home both Best Documentary and Best Director in the Theatrical Feature category. Ava DuVernay’s Netflix doc “13th” followed closely behind, picking up the same prizes in the TV/Streaming field. Penn Jillette hosted the ceremony, which honored films chosen by the Broadcast Film Critics’ Association (Bfca) and Broadcast Television Journalists Association (Btja). Full list of winners below.

Read More: Why the Entertainment Weekly Partnership Made Me Quit the Critics’ Choice Awards

Best Documentary (Theatrical Feature): “O.J.: Made in America”

Best Director (Theatrical Feature): Ezra Edelman, “O.J.: Made in America”

Best Documentary (TV/Streaming): “13th”

Best Director (TV/Streaming): Ava DuVernay, “13th”

Best First Documentary (Theatrical Feature): Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg, “Weiner”

Best First Documentary (TV/Streaming): (Tie) Jacob Bernstein and Nick Hooker, “Everything Is Copy...

(Brooklyn, NY . November 3, 2016) . The Broadcast Film Critics. Association (Bfca) and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association (Btja) announced the winners of the inaugural Critics. Choice Documentary Awards tonight at a gala event, hosted by Penn Jillette at Bric in Brooklyn.

Oj: Made in America took home the most awards for the evening with Best Documentary (Theatrical Feature), Best Director (Theatrical Feature) for Ezra Edelman, Best Limited Documentary Series and Best Sports Documentary.

13th won three awards for Best Documentary (TV/Streaming), Best Political Documentary and Best Director (TV/Streaming) for Ava DuVernay.

The Best First Documentary (TV/Streaming) was a tie, with awards going to both Jacob Bernstein and Nick Hooker for Everything is Copy: Nora Ephron: Scripted and Unscripted. and Deborah Esquenazi for Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four. Jack Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg won Best First Documentary (Theatrical Feature) for Weiner.

The Beatles:...

Los Angeles, CA (October 10, 2016) . The Broadcast Film Critics Association (Bfca) and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association (Btja) have announced the nominees for the inaugural Critics. Choice Documentary Awards. The winners will be presented their awards at a gala event on Thursday, November 3, 2016 at Bric, in Brooklyn, New York.

.It is an amazing time for documentaries, with the ever-increasing number of platforms enabling producers to reach enthusiastic and growing audiences for non-fiction storytelling,. said Bfca and Btja President Joey Berlin.

.This is clearly demonstrated in the depth and quality of our inaugural nominees. We have a wealth of brilliant creators who are bringing to light some of the most entertaining and illuminating stories being told today. Indeed, documentary filmmaking is modern investigative journalism. We look forward to celebrating all these fine and important achievements at the first Critics. Choice Documentary Awards gala on November 3rd..

13th, 30 For 30: O.J.: Made in America...

The Broadcast Film Critics Association (Bfca) and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association (Btja) have announced the nominees for their inaugural Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards, taking place next month at a first-time gala event in Brooklyn, New York. Ava DuVernay’s “13th,” Ezra Edelman’s “O.J.: Made in America” and Clay Tweel’s “Gleason” lead the pack of nominees, with five nominations each. Other nominees include Kirsten Johnson’s “Cameraperson,” the gob-smacking “Weiner” and recent Netflix features “Amanda Knox” and “Audrie & Daisy.”

“It is an amazing time for documentaries, with the ever-increasing number of platforms enabling producers to reach enthusiastic and growing audiences for non-fiction storytelling,” said Bfca and Btja President Joey Berlin. “This is clearly demonstrated in the depth and quality of our inaugural nominees. We have a wealth of brilliant creators who are bringing to light some of the most entertaining and illuminating stories being told today. Indeed, documentary filmmaking is modern investigative journalism.

Jan 10 Update: Giulio Ricciarelli’s German foreign-language Oscar submission Labyrinth Of Lies won on Sunday the Palm Springs Film Festival’s Mercedes-Benz Audience Award for best narrative feature and Jacob Bernstein and Nick Hooker’s Everything Is Copy from the Us earned the documentary award.

On Saturday Hou Hsiao-hsien’s Taiwanese foreign-language Oscar submission The Assassin won the Fipresci Prize at the 27th annual festival.

In other juried award winners announced at a luncheon on January 9, the Fipresci Prize for Best Actor of the Year in a Foreign Language Film went to Sigurður Sigurjónsson and Theodór Júlíusson from Grimur Hakonarson’s Icelandic Oscar submission Rams.

Fipresci’s Best Actress of the Year in a Foreign Language Film went to Alena Mihulová from Slávek Horák’s Czech Oscar submission Home Care.

The New Voices/New Visions competition honoured Xavier Seron’s Death By Death (Belgium-France), while a special mention went to Thithi (India-us) by Raam Reddy.

The...

Want to see an alternate view of life in the 1940s? Check out this cool video from Vanity Fair Magazine’s Decades Series. “The Decades Series: 1940s,” directed by Nick Hooker, tells about the World War II and women joining the workforce, but it also focuses on J.D. Salinger’s writing career, the history of tattoos in our Armed Forces, circus performers and other oddities. Also–the video is animated in the style of vintage sea-faring tattoos. Check it out below the post! Vanity Fair has been celebrating their 100th anniversary with The Decades Series on their website and YouTube pages. Other videos from the series have been put up already. If you [ Read More ]

The post Vanity Fair Celebrates the 1940s With New Decades Series Video appeared first on Shockya.com.