News

Exclusive: Apple TV+ is staying in business with one of the men behind its latest sports docuseries The Dynasty: New England Patriots.

The streamer has struck a first-look deal with director Matthew Hamachek.

It is the latest first-look deal for the tech company following similar deals with the likes of David & Jessica Oyelowo, The Morning Show’s Mimi Leder and Black Bird co-creator Dennis Lehane.

In addition to The Dynasty, Hamachek directed HBO’s Tiger Woods documentary Tiger, which won a sports Emmy in 2022.

He started his career working on the Oscar-nominated documentary Street Fight before working on Racing Dreams and If A Tree Falls before co-producing docs including Cartel Land, Amanda Knox, City of Ghosts and The Trade. He also exec produced Netflix’s Return To Space, which was directed by Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi.

The Apple deal comes ahead of the finale of the ten-part series The Dynasty: New England Patriots,...

The family of Emmy-winning filmmaker Ross McDonnell has confirmed his death after remains were discovered on a beach in New York City.

Police in New York did not confirm or deny initial reports about McDonnell when a dismembered body was found on a beach in Queens. McDonnell has been missing since November 4, when he went for a bike ride in his Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. His bike was later found locked up at Fort Tilden Beach in Queens. That’s a mile or two away from Breezy Point Beach, where the headless and armless body was found on Friday.

His family announced his death in a notice on Rip.ie.

“He will be very sadly missed by his loving parents, sister, niece, aunt, uncles, cousins, extended family and his many dear friends, Lj, and also his colleagues in Ireland, USA and around the world,” said the notice.

Earlier friends told police about...

AGC International launching international sales at AFM.

Tinder Swindler studio AGC Unwritten has sold US rights to Monica Villamizar and Jordan Bryon’s feature documentary Transition to Gravitas Ventures.

The film follows Australian filmmaker Bryon, a trans man, as he embeds with a Taliban unit as they retake control of Afghanistan.

The primary subjects of the story are Bryon, Afghan cinematographer Farzad Fetrat (Teddy) and Iranian-Canadian photojournalist Kiana Hayeri.

AGC International will screen Transition and launch international sales at the AFM next week, and Gravitas Ventures plans a March 2024 release.

The documentary received its world premiere at Tribeca Festival and...

“Tinder Swindler” studio AGC Unwritten has sold U.S. rights to Monica Villamizar and Jordan Bryon’s feature documentary “Transition” to Gravitas Ventures.

The film follows Australian filmmaker Jordan Bryon, a trans man, as he embeds with a Taliban unit as they retake control of Afghanistan. AGC International will screen the film and launch international sales at the American Film Market next week. Gravitas will release the film in March 2024.

“Transition” is produced by Villamizar and was financed by AGC Unwritten and Our Time Projects. Academy Award-nominated documentary director Matthew Heineman (“Cartel Land”) is executive producing with Stuart Ford, Lourdes Diaz, Joel Zimmer, Bj Levin, Sebastian Hernandez, Juan Manuel Betancourt and Joedan Okun.

The film’s primary subjects are Bryon, Afghan cinematographer Farzad Fetrat (“Teddy”) and Iranian-Canadian photojournalist Kiana Hayeri.

“Transition” had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival to audience and critical acclaim and was an official selection at Sheffield DocFest,...