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Winter had a chilling effect on Broadway last week, with most shows reporting at least some downturn at the box office and overall receipts dropping nearly 10% from the previous week.

In all, box office for the 24 productions totaled $21,192,251 for the week ending February 11, with attendance of 187,573 down about 12% from the previous week.

Only a half-dozen shows bucked the downward trend, most notably Sweeney Todd, which on February 9 welcomed Aaron Tveit and Sutton Foster as the permanent replacements for Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford (understudies had been filling in since the originals departed January 14). Grosses for the Sondheim revival were up $402,763 for a $1,260,185 total.

Joining the roster was The Notebook, just a few seats shy of selling out all of its first three previews at the Schoenfeld Theatre. The production, with music by Ingrid Michaelson and a book by Bekah Brunstetter, grossed $364,678 for the three performances, with a healthy average ticket...

Broadway said goodbye last week to two well-regarded but underperforming productions, with both Harmony and Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch posting better-than-usual weekly box office as last-chancers grabbed seats.

Harmony, the Barry Manilow-Bruce Sussman musical about the real-life 1920s German singing group the Comedian Harmonists, filled a robust 99% of seats at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, grossing $853,055 for the week ending February 4. That’s a bump of $145,978 over the previous week.

Purlie Victorious, the universally acclaimed revival of the Ossie Davis comedy starring Leslie Odom Jr. and Kara Young, grossed $706,882, a boost of $58,090 over the previous week. Still, the production filled only 81% of seats at the Music Box.

In all, the 25 Broadway productions grossed $23,493,675, a slight 5% bump over the previous week (and nearly identical to last year’s gross for the week). Total attendance was 213,281, about 2% over the previous week and 9% over last year at this time.

Broadway box office took a slide last week as receipts for Sweeney Todd fell by more than $1 million with the departures of Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford (and before the February 9 arrival of big-name replacements Aaron Tveit and Sutton Foster).

Overall, box office for the 25 Broadway productions was off by 15% from the previous week, with receipts for the week ending January 21 (the first week of the annual Broadway Week 2-for-1 discount promotion) totaling $23,589,174. Attendance of 204,612 was down only 6% (and holding about even with last season at this time).

Average ticket price for all shows was $115.29, down from $126.70 the previous week.

Most of the productions reported a drop in receipts, though none on the scale of the $1,315,747 hit taken by Sweeney: The acclaimed Sondheim musical revival grossed $795,400, compared to the massive $2,111,147 for the previous week, when Groban and Ashford came to the ends of their limited runs.

How to Dance in Ohio, the musical that made Broadway history by featuring a cast of seven autistic actors in its leading roles, will end its run at the Belasco Theatre on Sunday, February 11, producers announced.

When it closes, the musical, which got mixed reviews and never quite caught on with audiences, will have played 27 previews and 72 regular performances upon its closing. How to Dance in Ohio began previews on November 15 and officially opened December 19.

Produced by P3 Productions and Level Forward, is based on Alexandra Shiva’s 2015 HBO documentary of the same name, and features book and lyrics by Rebekah Greer Melocik, music by Jacob Yandura, choreography by Mayte Natalio, and direction by Sammi Cannold.

In the most recent weekly grosses available (for the week ending January 14), How to Dance took in a small $387,318, with attendance at just 63% of capacity at the Belasco.

The musical follows seven young autistic...

Clockwise l to r: Some Like It Hot (Marc J. Franklin), Waitress (Josh Lehrer), Spamalot (Joan Marcus), Legally Blonde (Paul Kolnik)Graphic: The A.V. Club

It’s nothing new for Broadway creatives to look to Hollywood for inspiration, but the trend has gotten a little out of hand in recent years.

Holiday shoppers were in a Broadway spirit last week, with total box office for the 26 shows up a couple percentage points from the previous week to $31,465,465, attendance holding steady at 225,585 and the average ticket price a strong $139.48.

Still, while shows such as Merrily We Roll Along, Sweeney Todd, The Lion King, Wicked, I Need That and newcomer Appropriate filled seats during the week ending Dec. 17, Broadway’s holiday season isn’t quite as joyous as last year, with total box office receipts down about 16% year over year. Attendance was off by 18% compared to last year at this time, in no small part due to fewer productions on the boards – 26 compared to 34 last December.

Though fewer in number than last year, Broadway shows individually were, overall, reporting decent figures. Seventeen of the 26 productions filled more than 90% of their seats, with Hamilton, Merrily We Roll Along, Moulin Rouge!, I Need That and...

Broadway held steady as it continued through the holiday season, with a total gross of $30,723,247 for the 26 productions up a small 4% from the previous week, and attendance of 227,099 up about the same percentage.

Year over year, though, the news isn’t quite so cheery. The $30.7M weekly figure is about 17% lower than the figure from this week last year and the total attendance figure is off about 20% from last year’s 283,548. The 26-show roster is skinnier too: Last year had 35 shows running at this time.

Individually, this year’s productions are, overall, doing well, with 18 of the 26 shows filling 90% or more of their seats during the week ending Dec. 10: & Juliet; Aladdin; Appropriate; Back to the Future; Gutenberg! The Musical!; Hadestown; Hamilton (101%); Harry Potter and the Cursed Child; I Need That; Merrily We Roll Along (100%); Mj; Moulin Rouge! (100%); Shucked; Six; Sweeney Todd; The Book of Mormon; The Lion King; Wicked...

Broadway has seen a surge in stage adaptations of popular movies in recent years, driven by the desire to attract tourists and capitalize on recognizable titles. A notable recent musical adaptation of the relatively unknown 2015 HBO documentary How to Dance in Ohio, about a group of autistic young adults, has stuck out.

Alexandra Shiva‘s documentary How to Dance in Ohio, which can currently be streamed on Max, chronicles the journey of these young adults as they prepare for a spring formal dance and work to enhance their social skills and establish independence. Now, with the real-life story brought to the stage, Madison Kopec (who plays Marideth) explained, “Parts have been embellished for dramatic purposes. You have to spice things up in Ohio.”

Similar to the documentary, the stage adaptation, directed by Sammi Cannold, focuses on a future spring formal dance, organized by group counselor Dr. Amigo, played by Caesar Samayoa.

Thanksgiving proved plentiful for Broadway last week, with box office – and ticket prices – up by nearly 30% over the previous week.

With tourists packing New York City, theatergoers splurging on higher priced holiday seats and the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade trumpeting Broadway’s bounty, the 26 shows on the boards grossed a combined $34,512,033, a 28% increase over the previous week’s $27,060,113.

With total attendance holding steady – and three fewer shows on the roster – the increase in receipts can be attributed to a 27% bump in average ticket price: $151, compared to the previous week’s $118.

Overall, 90% of Broadway seats were filled during the holiday week.

Nearly all of the productions reported a surge, with, for just two examples, both Merrily We Roll Along and & Juliet setting new house records at their respective venues: Merrily took in $2,046,288, beating its own previous record at the Hudson Theatre, and & Juliet grossed $1,459,276, besting Beautiful‘s previous high-water marks at the Sondheim.

Beyoncé made a surprise appearance via video today during NBC’s telecast of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, with a first look at the trailer for her upcoming concert film Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé.

“Hey, it’s Beyoncé wishing you and your family a very happy Thanksgiving. I’m so honored to share with you the first look at the Renaissance film trailer,” said Beyoncé in the video.

The teaser trailer kicks off with Beyoncé’s daughter Rumi manning the camera filming her mom. Rumi, can I teach you a trick? You have to turn it (the camera) to the side. Yeah, there we go,” Beyoncé says.

The clip included some of the first footage from the film, along with a voiceover by Beyoncé, saying “We are creating our own world. This is my reward, nobody can take that away from me.”

The film’s official synopis reads...

Cher will appear at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade for the first time in her six-decade career. The muti-hyphenate is scheduled to perform a song from her holiday album Christmas. When is the ageless entertainer expected to sing during the traditional parade of stars, musicians, Broadway performers, and iconic balloons? Here are all the details.

When can Cher fans see her performance?

Cher is set to close out the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. She takes the place of honor just before the event’s biggest star, Santa Claus.

The multi-hyphenate will sing a song off of Christmas. This release is her first-holiday album in a six-decade career in the music industry.

Cher’s addition to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade comes on the heels of two releases for the star: Believe’s forthcoming 25th-anniversary re-release, which took place on November 3, and her first-ever Christmas album, Christmas, released...

Put on your hats and gloves and get ready to join the throngs on the streets of New York for the 2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Airing on both NBC and CBS beginning at 8:30 a.m. Et on Thursday, Nov. 23, the annual tradition filled with balloons, bands, Broadway, and more has been supersized this year kicking off 30 minutes earlier than normal. This year’s parade will have dozens of stars and performances, and — of course — it all leads up to the appearance of Santa Claus to get the Christmas season officially underway! You can watch NBC and CBS with a 5-Day Free Trial of Directv Stream. You can also watch with Paramount Plus, Hulu Live TV, Fubo, Peacock, or YouTube TV.

How to Watch 2023 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade When: Thursday, November 23, 2023 at 8:30 Am Est TV: NBC, CBS Stream: Watch with a 5-Day Free Trial of Directv Stream. 5-Day Free Trial$79.99+ / month directv.

The 2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is here!

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will begin at 8:30 a.m. Et on Thursday (November 23), a half an hour earlier than the event usually begins, to fit in performances from so many stars.

Each year, thousands of people gather in person and across the country to watch the annual celebration, featuring dozens of musical performances atop bright floats and massive balloons of our favorite pop culture characters.

The parade airs on NBC from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. in all time zones.

Keep reading to see who is performing…

And yes, there’s a reason why everyone is lip syncing and we have the answer.

Cher

Jon Batiste

Enhypen

Brandy

Bell Biv DeVoe

Pentatonix

Chicago

En Vogue

David Foster and Katharine McPhee

Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors

Ashley Park with the Muppets of Sesame Street

Jesse James Decker

Paul Russell...

Broadway box office took a 7% slide in the week before the Thanksgiving holiday, with the 29 shows settling in at a total $27,060,113 in receipts.

Attendance for the week ending Nov. 19 was 228,423, about 86% of capacity and a slip of 3% from the previous week. The attendance figure is 12% lower than last year at this time.

Most of the productions saw drops in box office, including Harmony in its first full week of post-opening performances. The Barry Manilow-Bruce Sussman musical at the Barrymore was down by $18,483 to $625,411.

Spamalot, with four previews and four regular performances – lots of press seats and opening comps – was off $74,565 to $678,666 at the St. James.

Ending their runs were Melissa Etheridge: My Window, up $43,239 to $371,784 for five performances; The Shark is Broken and Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, up $48,986 to $425,253 (receipts from the live simulcasts of Nov. 14-Nov. 19 not included).

Also posting gains was Merrily We Roll Along,...

Let’s have a parade! The 97th edition of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will wend down the streets of Manhattan on Thursday, November 23, with live coverage on NBC and Peacock starting at 8:30 a.m. Eastern and spanning three and a half hours for the first time in the parade’s history. This 2023 show will involve 5,000 volunteers, 16 featured character balloons, 26 fantastic floats, 32 heritage and novelty balloons, more than 700 clowns, 12 marching bands, and nine performance groups. Performers this year, meanwhile, include Cher, Brandy, Katharine McPhee, Ashley Park, and Pentatonix, as well as the casts of Broadway’s & Juliet, Back to the Future: The Musical, How to Dance in Ohio, Shucked, and Spamalot. And you can’t kick off the holiday season without the high-kicking Radio City Rockettes, of course. But do you know how much work — and helium — goes into the annual event? (Talk about inflation!) Read on for...

A beloved holiday tradition returns to the streets of New York City this Thanksgiving – and unofficially kicks off the holiday season. The 97th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade takes place on Thursday, Nov. 23 and we have all the details about what time the fun begins, how to watch on NBC and Peacock, and who will be performing.

What time is the 2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade? Stuart The Minion balloon during the 2022 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade | Noam Galai/Getty Images

The 2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade begins at 8:30 a.m. Et with a performance by Grammy-winner Jon Batiste. That’s 30 minutes earlier than it’s begun in past years. The parade ends at 12 p.m. Et.

The 2½-mile Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade route begins on the Upper West Side and continues south on Central Park West to Midtown. It turns onto Central Park South and then heads...

A stage musical adaptation of The Queen’s Gambit, Walter Tevis’ best-selling novel which became a hit series on Netflix, is in the works, with Oscar-nominated singer-songwriter Mitski attached to write the music & lyrics, playwright Eboni Booth (Primary Trust) writing the book and Obie Award-winner Whitney White (Jaja’s African Hair Braiding) set to direct.

The project was announced today by producers Level Forward, Tony-winning Tina star Adrienne Warren, Lawryn Lacroix, and Tony Award-winning producer Mara Isaacs (Hadestown).

“Before Level Forward even brought the idea of making a musical of The Queen’s Gambit, I was a fan of the Netflix show, and an even greater fan of the original novel,” said Mitski in a statement. “So I was already determined to be a member of this team. And then I met Eboni and Whitney, and my determination grew tenfold!

Cher, Jon Batiste and the Broadway casts of & Juliet, Back to the Future, How To Dance In Ohio, Shucked, and Spamalot will perform at this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, with the annual event kicking off a half-hour earlier than usual.

Both the Parade and the NBC broadcast will kick off at 8:30 a.m. Et on Thursday, November 23, a half-hour earlier than the traditional 9 a.m. start. The event also will include a special appearance by Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells of Broadway’s Gutenberg! The Musical!

Details of the Parade were announced today. In addition to Cher, who recently released Christmas, her first holiday album ever, Batiste and the Broadway productions, the Thanksgiving event will include appearances and performances by, among others, Bell Biv DeVoe; Brandy; En Vogue; David Foster and Katharine McPhee; Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors; Jessie James Decker; U.S. Paralympic Gold Medalist...

Next for Autism, a nonprofit dedicated to building national programs that enhance the lives of autistic adults, will welcome a star-studded lineup to the return of its popular live comedy event Night of Too Many Stars.

The show, which will take place Dec. 11 at the Beacon Theatre in New York City, will feature performers including Rachel Bloom, Stephen Colbert, Ron Funches, James Austin Johnson, Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Amy Schumer, Jon Stewart and the cast of How to Dance in Ohio. The event will also include a live auction, as Next celebrates its 20th anniversary; the organization has funded more than 350 projects at 145 organizations across the United States and impacted more than 100,000 autistic individuals.

The Night of Too Many Stars was created by longtime SNL and Conan writer-producer Robert Smigel and his wife, Michelle Smigel, who struggled to find effective education for their autistic son Daniel. The Smigels’ extended comedy...

Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Amy Schumer, Jon Stewart, Rachel Bloom and Stephen Colbert are among the performers set for Next For Autism’s annual Night of Too Many Stars comedy event in New York City in December.

The comedy concert and live auction are scheduled for Monday, December 11, at the Beacon Theatre on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.

Next For Autism, the leading nonprofit dedicated to building national programs that enhance the lives of autistic adults, announced the line-up today. In addition to the names above, performers will include Ron Funches, Saturday Night Live‘s James Austin Johnson and the cast of the upcoming Broadway show How to Dance in Ohio. Other performers will be announced soon.

Night of Too Many Stars was created by longtime SNL and Conan O’Brien writer/producer Robert Smigel and his wife Michelle Smigel, who struggled to find effective education for their own autistic son,...

Suffs, the Shaina Taub musical about the suffragist movement that had a sold-out, extended run Off Broadway last year, will move to Broadway this spring, with former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai on the producing team as co-producers.

Suffs will open at Broadway’s Music Box Theatre on Thursday, April 18.

“We are elated to welcome Secretary Clinton and Malala to our Suffs producing team,” said lead producers Jill Furman and Rachel Sussman. “As powerful role models, they each inspire millions around the globe in their rigorous fight for equality, and we are honored to have two such profoundly dedicated and courageous advocates supporting us on Broadway.”

Suffs, which originated at New York’s Public Theater, is set in 1913 as the women’s movement is heating up in America, anchored by the suffragists — “Suffs,” as they call themselves — and their relentless pursuit of the right to vote.

Major film and TV productions are currently on hold due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, but the New York theater scene is still as active as ever. A new Broadway season is upon us, and there are five musicals set to open this fall. Will they contend at next year’s Tony Awards? Below, we give you a preview of the plot of each musical as well as the awards history of its author, cast and creative teams, plus the opening and (where applicable) closing dates.

“Merrily We Roll Along”

The first Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s 1981 musical adaptation of George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart‘s 1934 play spans three decades in the entertainment industry and charts the relationship between composer Franklin Shepard and his two friends — writer Mary and lyricist and playwright Charley. The original production directed by Hal Prince only ran for 16 performances,...

John Carpenter just gave Michael Myers fans a huge reason to mark their calendars by announcing an October 19th, 2018 release date for Blumhouse and Miramax's new Halloween movie, which will be directed by David Gordon Green (Joe, Pineapple Express) from a screenplay he's writing with Danny McBride (Alien: Covenant, Eastbound & Down).

In addition to executive producing the new Halloween film, Carpenter might also help guide the franchise he began back in 1978 by providing the music for the film. Green and McBride will also be executive producing the anticipated project, along with Malek Akkad and Jason Blum. We have the official press release below with full details, including Carpenter's initial announcement of Green and McBride's involvement:

Press Release (via HalloweenMovies.com): Los Angeles, February 9, 2017 – John Carpenter announced today via his Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/JohnCarpenterTheMasterofHorror/) that David Gordon Green (Stronger, Our Brand Is Crisis, Joe, Pineapple Express...

Awards season keeps ticking right along, but tonight’s Cinema Eye Honors promised at least a tiny respite from narrative-based filmmaking, as the New York City-set ceremony is all about honoring the best in the year’s documentary filmmaking.

Big winners included Kirsten Johnson’s “Cameraperson,” which picked up Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking, along with editing and cinematography wins. Right behind it was Ezra Edelman’s “O.J.: Made in America,” which earned Edelman a directing win, along with a production win for Edelman and Caroline Waterlow. Best TV offering went to “Making a Murderer.”

Nominations were lead by Raoul Peck’s “I Am Not Your Negro” and “O.J.: Made in America,” which each pulled in five nominations apiece, though Johnson’s “Cameraperson” and Gianfranco Rosi’s “Fire at Sea” aren’t far behind, with four nominations each. Both Peck and Rosi’s features ultimately walked away without an award.

The nominees for the 10th annual Cinema Eye Honors have been announced, with “I Am Not Your Negro” and “Oj: Made in America” both receiving five each. They’re followed in short order by “Cameraperson” and “Fire at Sea,” which along with “Weiner” are all in contention for the top prize. A total of 37 features and five shorts will be in contention at the upcoming ceremony, which “Hoop Dreams” director Steve James will host from the Museum of the Moving Image on January 11. Here’s the full list of nominees:

Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking

“Cameraperson” (Kirsten Johnson)

“Fire at Sea” (Gianfranco Rosi)

“I Am Not Your Negro” (Raoul Peck)

“Oj: Made in America” (Ezra Edelman)

“Weiner” (Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg)

Outstanding Achievement in Direction

Kirsten Johnson, “Cameraperson”

Gianfranco Rosi, “Fire at Sea”

Raoul Peck, “I Am Not Your Negro”

Robert Greene, “Kate Plays Christine”

Ezra Edelman, “Oj:...

HBO won four Peabody Awards in the documentary and education category, including the Scientology doc “Going Clear,” “How to Dance in Ohio,” Night Will Fall” and Andrew Jarecki‘s seductive true-crime documentary based on the life of Robert Durst “The Jinx.” Netflix’s “What Happened, Miss Simone,” PBS’ “India’s Daughter,” “Isis in Afghanistan,” “Don’t Tell Anyone” and Showtime’s “Listen to Me Marlon” join the HBO docs among the Peabody 30. Peabody Awards are based at the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. This year marks the inaugural winners of The Peabody 30. Also Read: 'Jessica Jones,...

Another uplifting, inspirational documentary on the subject of autism and one family’s struggles, Life, Animated follows the story of the Suskind family and the son of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ron Suskind, Owen. Ron, in direct address, tells us the painful story of Owen’s decline, from a happy child to one with failing motor and social skills at age three. Like last year’s Sundance hit How To Dance in Ohio, Life Animated is a personal portrait of youth and family afflicted by autism. Providing some comfort to affected families, Owen slowly learns to live on his own, he falls in love, gets his heart broken, lands a job and helps others in his community.

Although he doesn’t yet resort to online dating as seen in Julie Sokolow’s witty Aspie Seeks Love (a film that was on the festival circuit last year that is worth mentioning alongside...

We all know that movies can change lives, in small ways and in big ways. But that change is often internal, and it's hard to track exactly how we are affected. The documentary Life, Animated (which premiered at Sundance) is an absolutely wonderful documentary that perfectly captures how one autistic boy learned to communicate and engage with the world through Disney animated movies. It's a triumphant and inspiring story, but it's also a beautiful documentary that features many clips from Disney movies as well as original animation (by Mac Guff). The film is about Owen Suskind, following him as he moves into his own place for the first time in his life. His entire VHS collection of Disney movies is the very first thing he unpacks. At Sundance last year, I was moved to tears by a film about autistic children called How to Dance in Ohio (please seek it...

Everything on TV last week retroactively fell under the shadow of what happened in Paris on Friday, which made the weekend shows feel like either a welcome escape or an act of mass commiseration. Last Week Tonight With John Oliver kicked off with the host addressing the terrorists with, "Fuck these assholes." Saturday Night Live — coming back strong from last week's Trump debacle — served up both remembrance and relief, with a touching bilingual nod to France. Even when television offered comfort food, we first had to say a somber grace.

Doesn't it seem like the best characters on TV right now are non-fictional? This past week, a colorful slate of Republican presidential candidates took part in a debate so tense and sloppy that it may change the way those events are televised in the future. Warriors point guard Steph Curry and the world champion Kansas City Royals gave prestige-tv–level performances. Meanwhile, a Project Greenlight season that's raised questions about diversity and privilege in Hollywood ended with one final stand-off between producer Effie Brown and writer-director Jason Mann. (And how...

Every week we bring you a guide to what's hitting DVD/Blu-ray shelves and VOD services. Every month we put together an overall calendar guide, plus we highlight the more obscure releases worth checking out, plus the titles hitting and leaving Netflix. But that's not all! If you subscribe to HBO Now, or are thinking of subscribing, here's what you can expect for the month of September.   New Original Programming: The Leftovers, Season 2 Premiere (10/4) El negocio, Season 2 Finale (10/2) Magnífica 70, Season 1 Premiere (10/9) Amy Schumer: Live at the Apollo (10/17 Doll & Em, Season 2 Finale (10/18) How to Dance in Ohio (10/26)   Saturday Night Movies: American Sniper, 2014 (10/3) Focus, 2015...

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Read More: HBO Picks Up 'How to Dance in Ohio' Ahead of Sundance "How to Dance in Ohio" asks the question, how do you prepare for the social event of the season when socializing itself can be paralyzing? In the HBO documentary, three young women, each living with autism, ready themselves for a teenage rite of passage: The spring formal. Their preparation includes rituals both familiar (dress shopping, dance lessons) and uniquely challenging (therapy). Directed by Alexandra Shiva, the moving film debuted at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. "How to Dance in Ohio" premieres on HBO on October 26. Watch the exclusive trailer above. Read More: Sundance Women Directors: Meet Alexandra Shiva - 'How to Dance in Ohio'...

Read More: HBO's Upcoming Docs: Autism Portrait 'How to Dance in Ohio,' Urban Portrait 'San Francisco 2.0,' MoreHuman compassion is a fascinating subject, as there seems to be a resounding lack of it, but filmmaker Andrew Hinton was able to find an incredible source of such care in the form of one Buddhist Monk. The Monk, named Lobsang, opened a community for abandoned children and preached love and acceptance, though he found a bit more difficulty with a troublesome little girl named Tashi, which Hinton focuses on in the upcoming HBO documentary, "Tashi and the Monk." In the exclusive clip above, we see their relationship in action, as Lobsang scolds Tashi for wrongdoing in probably the kindest and warmest way. Courtesy of the film's website, the official synopsis reads: "On a remote mountaintop a brave social experiment is taking place. Buddhist Monk Lobsang was trained under the guidance...

Read More: 5 Questions for Jennie Livingston, Director of "Paris Is Burning" and "Who's The Top?" On Saturday, April 18, the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program and the Karen Schmeer Film Editing Fellowship hosted a half-day of panel discussions with a gathering of documentary film editors, directors and producers to discuss the art of editing. The goal of the day and future events is to shine a light on the role of the editor in the filmmaking process, build community and celebrate an under-explored and often misunderstood collaboration between director and editor. Panelists included editors Toby Shimin ("How to Dance in Ohio"), Nels Bangerter ("Let the Fire Burn"), Mona Davis ("Running from Crazy"), Colin Nusbaum ("Tough Love"), and Mary Manhardt ("American Promise") and moderators Tom Roston ("Doc Soup") and Doug Block ("112 Weddings"). The day began with a Keynote from...

New films from Nicole Kidman, Michael Fassbender, Louie Psihoyos and Sebastian Silva are featured in the festival’s line-up of Us and world competition strands and the Next programme.

Sundance Film Festival director John Cooper and head of programming Trevor Groth have unleashed their first volley of films in what will be a 118-strong line-up overall culled from 12,166 submissions. Of these, 103 features are world premieres. The festival will run January 22 to February 1.

Us Dramatic Competition includes Craig Zobel’s post-apocalytpic tale Z For Zachariah starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Chris Pine; Jack Black in comedy The D Train; and Kristen Wiig in the 1970s San Francisco-set coming-of-age story The Diary Of A Teenage Girl.

Other likely highlights are Kyle Patrick Alvarez’s The Stanford Prison Experiment starring Billy Crudup and Ezra Miller; and Saoirse Ronan in Stockholm, Pennsylvania, about a young woman who returns to live with her parents after she is freed from her abductor of 17 years...

The Sundance Film Festival announced its four main 2015 narrative and competition slates on Wednesday (December 3) and the Us Documentary Competition field is packed with Oscar winners and returning Park City favorites. Leading the way, at least to some degree, is last year's Documentary Oscar winner Morgan Neville, whose "Twenty Feet From Stardom" was one of the openers at the 2013 Festival. Neville and Robert Gordon co-directed "Best of Enemies," which looks at the 1968 televised debates between Gore Vidal and William F. Buckley Jr. "The Cove" Oscar winner Louie Psihoyos is back with "Racing Extinction," which focuses on endangered species and, yes, mass extinction from a variety of viewpoints. Also sporting an Oscar, for the short "Saving Face," is Daniel Junge, who chronicles the life of Evel Knievel in "Being Evel." Both "The Cove" and "Twenty Feet From Stardom" played at Sundance, which has been a fairly reliable feeder for Oscar winners in recent years,...