Every week, the CriticWire Survey asks a select handful of film and TV critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday morning. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?” can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question: What movie gives you hope for the future?
Miriam Bale (@mimbale), Freelance
No movie gives me hope for the future right now. What a question! Is that what movies are supposed to do?
But this is the most important piece of film criticism I’ve read this year, and the writing gives me some kind of hope for intellectual direction in what may be revolutionary times.
Charles Bramesco (@intothecrevasse), Rolling Stone
As my sweet mama used to tell me as I slumbered in my crib, “Hope is for dopes!” The vast majority of movies that aim for a hopeful aftertaste...
This week’s question: What movie gives you hope for the future?
Miriam Bale (@mimbale), Freelance
No movie gives me hope for the future right now. What a question! Is that what movies are supposed to do?
But this is the most important piece of film criticism I’ve read this year, and the writing gives me some kind of hope for intellectual direction in what may be revolutionary times.
Charles Bramesco (@intothecrevasse), Rolling Stone
As my sweet mama used to tell me as I slumbered in my crib, “Hope is for dopes!” The vast majority of movies that aim for a hopeful aftertaste...
- 7/11/2016
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
All the films in CNN's "We the Economy: 20 Short Films You Can't Afford to Miss" are officially live (here, and on YouTube). Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock (2005's "Super Size Me") and exec producer Paul G. Allen tapped a rich slate of directors including Catherine Hardwicke ("Twilight," "Thirteen"), Mary Harron ("American Psycho"), Akiva Goldsman ("Winter's Tale"), Jessica Yu ("Last Call at the Oasis"), Spurlock himself, and many more to present this major query of the Us economy. Not sure where to begin? Watch three-time Oscar nominee, former Focus Features CEO and Ang Lee screenwriting acolyte James Schamus' two shorts below. In these irreverent videos, Schamus walks us behind the curtain of the Us banking system. What are the banks really doing with our dollars?...
- 10/22/2014
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock (2005's "Super Size Me") and exec producer Paul G. Allen of Vulcan Productions have announced a new partnership to produce and distribute a series of 20 short films that will investigate the current state of the Us economy. Directors on board thus far include Catherine Hardwicke ("Twilight," "Thirteen"), Mary Harron ("American Psycho"), Akiva Goldsman ("Winter's Tale"), Jessica Yu ("Last Call at the Oasis") and Spurlock, currently host of CNN's "Inside Man" and co-founder of production/distribution outfit Cinelan. The films will be produced over the next four months in anticipation of a multi-platform premiere slated for Fall 2014. The release will span day-and-date online distribution, VOD, broadcast and mobile. Educational curriculum will accompany the series in tandem, along with festival and university screenings. Economic advisors are "Empire of Wealth" author John Steele Gordon, and Dean Baker,...
- 5/27/2014
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
In order to celebrate of Earth Month with a meaningful initiative, Pivot, Participant Media’s TV network targeting Millennials, and Shazam, the world’s leading media engagement company, have teamed up to make it easier than ever to access content, get informed, and be involved in addressing issues effecting our world.
This April, Pivot will be releasing programming that highlights important issues around water, energy, sustainable food, climate change and natural disasters that impact the planet. Shazam's app recognizes the specially tagged Earth Month programs, allowing Pivot viewers who want to go deeper into the issue to easily access related video content and get involved by supporting social actions directly.
“Pivot’s audience is passionate about issues effecting the planet. Our collaboration with Shazam creates an immediate opportunity for viewers to become even more engaged with the programming to make their voices heard,” Jennie Morris, Svp Acquisitions and Operations for Pivot.
“We are thrilled to play a part in Earth Month programs with Pivot,” said Jonathan Verk, Evp Strategic Partnerships and Head of Television for Shazam. “Integrating Shazam into Pivot’s programming makes it easy – just the press of a button – for people to learn more about the issues threatening our planet and find ways that they can make a difference.”
Pivot’s Earth Month programming includes award-winning documentary films like Food, Inc., Last Call at the Oasis, Uranium Drive-In, and Plastic Paradise: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, as well as, popular series like Angry Planet. For each program, Pivot offers a variety of content and social action opportunities for viewers.
About Pivot
Pivot (Pivot.tv), which launched nationally August 1 is a television network from Participant Media serving passionate Millennials (18-34) with a diverse slate of talent and a mix of original series, acquired programming, films and documentaries. Pivot focuses on entertainment that sparks conversation, inspires change and illuminates issues through engaging content and, through its website TakePart.com, connects audiences to a wealth of content and customizable actions. Pivot is available via traditional Pay TV subscription and integrating a live and on demand streaming option via its interactive, downloadable Pivot App.
About Shazam
Shazam is the world’s leading media engagement company connecting people to the media around them through their mobile device. When a user shazams a song or TV show, they are able to identify, explore, purchase and share that content. One of the world’s top ten apps, Shazam reaches more than 420 million users in 200 countries, exceeds 80 million monthly active users, and is growing by another 13 million new users each month. Shazam makes it easy for people to share their discoveries on Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, Pinterest and Google+. And to purchase through iTunes, Amazon and Google Play. For people who don't yet have the Shazam application on their smartphone, it is available for Free on every major platform.
This April, Pivot will be releasing programming that highlights important issues around water, energy, sustainable food, climate change and natural disasters that impact the planet. Shazam's app recognizes the specially tagged Earth Month programs, allowing Pivot viewers who want to go deeper into the issue to easily access related video content and get involved by supporting social actions directly.
“Pivot’s audience is passionate about issues effecting the planet. Our collaboration with Shazam creates an immediate opportunity for viewers to become even more engaged with the programming to make their voices heard,” Jennie Morris, Svp Acquisitions and Operations for Pivot.
“We are thrilled to play a part in Earth Month programs with Pivot,” said Jonathan Verk, Evp Strategic Partnerships and Head of Television for Shazam. “Integrating Shazam into Pivot’s programming makes it easy – just the press of a button – for people to learn more about the issues threatening our planet and find ways that they can make a difference.”
Pivot’s Earth Month programming includes award-winning documentary films like Food, Inc., Last Call at the Oasis, Uranium Drive-In, and Plastic Paradise: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, as well as, popular series like Angry Planet. For each program, Pivot offers a variety of content and social action opportunities for viewers.
About Pivot
Pivot (Pivot.tv), which launched nationally August 1 is a television network from Participant Media serving passionate Millennials (18-34) with a diverse slate of talent and a mix of original series, acquired programming, films and documentaries. Pivot focuses on entertainment that sparks conversation, inspires change and illuminates issues through engaging content and, through its website TakePart.com, connects audiences to a wealth of content and customizable actions. Pivot is available via traditional Pay TV subscription and integrating a live and on demand streaming option via its interactive, downloadable Pivot App.
About Shazam
Shazam is the world’s leading media engagement company connecting people to the media around them through their mobile device. When a user shazams a song or TV show, they are able to identify, explore, purchase and share that content. One of the world’s top ten apps, Shazam reaches more than 420 million users in 200 countries, exceeds 80 million monthly active users, and is growing by another 13 million new users each month. Shazam makes it easy for people to share their discoveries on Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, Pinterest and Google+. And to purchase through iTunes, Amazon and Google Play. For people who don't yet have the Shazam application on their smartphone, it is available for Free on every major platform.
- 4/19/2014
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
The world isn't getting any less crowded these days, and that fact is best captured this year in Jessica Yu's documentary feature "Misconception," in which she details not only the growing world population that threatens the Earth's resources, but also the underappreciated impact it will have on humanity. Tell us about yourself. I wish I could use someone else’s words, but here goes: I work in documentary, scripted film, and other media and genres. In terms of docs, I recently directed "Last Call at the Oasis," a look at the world's water crisis, and "The Guide," a documentary short set in Mozambique, which focuses on the human side of environmental sustainability. I was born in NY, grew up in the Bay Area, and live in La now. I'm Chinese American, fifth-generation - which may explain why I don't speak Chinese and why my parents were so extraordinarily permissive.
- 4/11/2014
- by Ziyad Saadi
- Indiewire
By the looks of it, the Tribeca Film Festival might finally be growing out of their awkward teenage phase and moving into a new era where the nab more than just Sundance and SXSW festival rejects. Artistic Director Frederic Boyer has managed to nab some noteworthy American indie projects such as Lou Howe’s Gabriel (see pic above), Keith Miller’s Five Star, Adam Rapp’s Loitering with Intent, and Tristan Patterson’s Electric Slide.
On the docu front, we’ve got the latest from the likes of notable documentarians Marshall Curry and Jessica Yu. Think Ewan McGregor’s Long Way Round meets child solider movie for Curry’s awesomely titled Point and Shoot — where the Libyan rebel army take hold of Curry’s subject. Yu moves from water shortage in Last Call at the Oasis (read our review) to the biggest pandemic of all; Misconception looks at the consequences...
On the docu front, we’ve got the latest from the likes of notable documentarians Marshall Curry and Jessica Yu. Think Ewan McGregor’s Long Way Round meets child solider movie for Curry’s awesomely titled Point and Shoot — where the Libyan rebel army take hold of Curry’s subject. Yu moves from water shortage in Last Call at the Oasis (read our review) to the biggest pandemic of all; Misconception looks at the consequences...
- 3/4/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Elise Pearlstein has joined Participant Media as svp of documentary films.
The longtime producer will work alongside documentary films evp Diane Weyermann to manage the non-fiction slate from development to release.
“Since we first worked with Elise on Food, Inc she has been a close and trusted member of the Participant family and it gives me enormous pleasure to be able to welcome her to the Participant team,” said Weyermann.
“Her strong background, coupled with her tremendous intelligence and collaborative style make Elise exactly the right arm I need as we move into our tenth year as a company.”
Pearlstein added: “Having had the pleasure of working with Participant on four films, I am honoured to join the team, and so excited to work with Diane in this new capacity. There is not a better, more supportive place for documentary filmmakers to create films, with Participant’s outreach team helping to ensure the films have impact.”
Pearlstein...
The longtime producer will work alongside documentary films evp Diane Weyermann to manage the non-fiction slate from development to release.
“Since we first worked with Elise on Food, Inc she has been a close and trusted member of the Participant family and it gives me enormous pleasure to be able to welcome her to the Participant team,” said Weyermann.
“Her strong background, coupled with her tremendous intelligence and collaborative style make Elise exactly the right arm I need as we move into our tenth year as a company.”
Pearlstein added: “Having had the pleasure of working with Participant on four films, I am honoured to join the team, and so excited to work with Diane in this new capacity. There is not a better, more supportive place for documentary filmmakers to create films, with Participant’s outreach team helping to ensure the films have impact.”
Pearlstein...
- 8/15/2013
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has revealed its 276-member-strong class of 2013.
The list, published by The Hollywood Reporter, includes actors, cinematographers, designers, directors, documentarians, executives, film editors, makeup artists and hairstylists, "members-at-large," musicians, producers, PR folks, short filmmakers and animators, sound technicians, visual effects artists, and writers.
Jason Bateman, Rosario Dawson, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Milla Jovovich, Lucy Liu, Jennifer Lopez, Emily Mortimer, Sandra Oh, Jason Schwartzman, and Michael Peña are among the roster of actors, while "The Heat" and "Bridesmaids" helmer Paul Feig made the directors' cut.
"We did not change our criteria at all," says Academy president Hawk Koch of this year's larger-than-usual class. "Yes, this year there is a tremendous amount of women, a tremendous amount of people of color, people from all walks of life. This year, we asked the branches to look at everybody who wasn't in the Academy but who deserved to be.
The list, published by The Hollywood Reporter, includes actors, cinematographers, designers, directors, documentarians, executives, film editors, makeup artists and hairstylists, "members-at-large," musicians, producers, PR folks, short filmmakers and animators, sound technicians, visual effects artists, and writers.
Jason Bateman, Rosario Dawson, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Milla Jovovich, Lucy Liu, Jennifer Lopez, Emily Mortimer, Sandra Oh, Jason Schwartzman, and Michael Peña are among the roster of actors, while "The Heat" and "Bridesmaids" helmer Paul Feig made the directors' cut.
"We did not change our criteria at all," says Academy president Hawk Koch of this year's larger-than-usual class. "Yes, this year there is a tremendous amount of women, a tremendous amount of people of color, people from all walks of life. This year, we asked the branches to look at everybody who wasn't in the Academy but who deserved to be.
- 7/4/2013
- by Laura Larson
- Moviefone
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today the 276 members of the entertainment industry invited to join organization. The list includes actors, directors, documentarians, executives, film editors, producers and more. Of those listed below, those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy's membership in 2013. "These individuals are among the best filmmakers working in the industry today," said Academy President Hawk Koch in a press release. "Their talent and creativity have captured the imagination of audiences worldwide, and I am proud to welcome each of them to the Academy." Koch also told Variety, "In the past eight or nine years, each branch could only bring in X amount of members. There were people each branch would have liked to get in but couldn't. We asked them to be more inclusive of the best of the best, and each branch was excited, because they got...
- 6/28/2013
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
The Academy just added 276 Oscar voters.
That’s 100 more than last year, and part of an easing of a longstanding cap on the number of new members allowed to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences each year.
AMPAS usually adds between 130 and 180 new members, replacing those who have quit or passed away. The membership now stands around 6,000.
Jason Bateman, Jennifer Lopez, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emmanuelle Riva, and Chris Tucker are among the actors who have been invited to join, the organization announced today.
Other interesting additions: the musician Prince, Girls and Tiny Furniture writer/director/actress Lena Dunham,...
That’s 100 more than last year, and part of an easing of a longstanding cap on the number of new members allowed to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences each year.
AMPAS usually adds between 130 and 180 new members, replacing those who have quit or passed away. The membership now stands around 6,000.
Jason Bateman, Jennifer Lopez, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emmanuelle Riva, and Chris Tucker are among the actors who have been invited to join, the organization announced today.
Other interesting additions: the musician Prince, Girls and Tiny Furniture writer/director/actress Lena Dunham,...
- 6/28/2013
- by Anthony Breznican
- EW - Inside Movies
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is extending invitations to join the organization to 276 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures. Those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy’s membership in 2013.
“These individuals are among the best filmmakers working in the industry today,” said Academy President Hawk Koch. “Their talent and creativity have captured the imagination of audiences worldwide, and I am proud to welcome each of them to the Academy.”
The 2013 invitees are:
Actors
Jason Bateman – “Up in the Air,” “Juno”
Miriam Colon – “City of Hope,” “Scarface”
Rosario Dawson – “Rent,” “Frank Miller’s Sin City”
Kimberly Elise – “For Colored Girls,” “Beloved”
Joseph Gordon-Levitt – “Lincoln,” “The Dark Knight Rises”
Charles Grodin – “Midnight Run,” “The Heartbreak Kid”
Rebecca Hall – “Iron Man 3,” “The Town”
Lance Henriksen – “Aliens,” “The Terminator”
Jack Huston – “Not Fade Away,” “Factory Girl”
Milla Jovovich – “Resident Evil,...
“These individuals are among the best filmmakers working in the industry today,” said Academy President Hawk Koch. “Their talent and creativity have captured the imagination of audiences worldwide, and I am proud to welcome each of them to the Academy.”
The 2013 invitees are:
Actors
Jason Bateman – “Up in the Air,” “Juno”
Miriam Colon – “City of Hope,” “Scarface”
Rosario Dawson – “Rent,” “Frank Miller’s Sin City”
Kimberly Elise – “For Colored Girls,” “Beloved”
Joseph Gordon-Levitt – “Lincoln,” “The Dark Knight Rises”
Charles Grodin – “Midnight Run,” “The Heartbreak Kid”
Rebecca Hall – “Iron Man 3,” “The Town”
Lance Henriksen – “Aliens,” “The Terminator”
Jack Huston – “Not Fade Away,” “Factory Girl”
Milla Jovovich – “Resident Evil,...
- 6/28/2013
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
At its first ever upfront presentation in March, Participant Media announced a name for its new cable channel -- Pivot -- and the programming it will launch with on August 1st and be developing for roll-out in the months to follow. The new series include a docudrama from the team behind "Brick City," a talk show hosted by Meghan McCain and a variety show using material from Joseph Gordon-Levitt's crowdsourced hitRECord project and hosted by the actor. The only new program that will be ready at launch is "TakePart Live," a Millennial-centric five-night-a-week show that sounds like the network's issue-focused answer to "Total Request Live." Read More: Participant Announces Name For Its New TV Network, Original Programming With Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Craig Pearce Today, Pivot announced dates for the debuts of its new programs and the television premieres of two docs, the Participant-produced "Last Call at the Oasis" and Aaron Aites,...
- 6/26/2013
- by Alison Willmore
- Indiewire
The drought in Texas shows no sign of letting up and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality reports that approximately 22 percent of active community water systems are on voluntary or mandatory water use restrictions as of April 17, 2013.
But the water crisis is not limited to just Texas -- it is a constant source of concern across the globe. The producers behind An Inconvenient Truth, Food Inc. and Waiting for Superman focus on the global water crisis in the 2012 documentary, Last Call at The Oasis. Written and directed by Academy Award winner Jessica Yu (Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O'Brien), Last Call at The Oasis presents evidence about why the global water crisis will be the most critical issue of this century.
The film explores the role of water for our daily existence, as well as those communities across the world that are struggling with the lack of this essential resource.
But the water crisis is not limited to just Texas -- it is a constant source of concern across the globe. The producers behind An Inconvenient Truth, Food Inc. and Waiting for Superman focus on the global water crisis in the 2012 documentary, Last Call at The Oasis. Written and directed by Academy Award winner Jessica Yu (Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O'Brien), Last Call at The Oasis presents evidence about why the global water crisis will be the most critical issue of this century.
The film explores the role of water for our daily existence, as well as those communities across the world that are struggling with the lack of this essential resource.
- 4/25/2013
- by Debbie Cerda
- Slackerwood
Years ago, the city of Durham, N.C. playfully adopted the nickname .Realitywood. after successfully hosting the annual Full Frame Documentary Film Festival. The moniker has since faded, but Durham hasn.t stopped serving as a destination spot for doc seekers who flood the sleepy tobacco town each spring in search of the finest stories being told by top-notch documentary filmmakers. This year.s fest, held April 4-7 in downtown Durham, was characterized by a tribute to the filmography of Oscar winner Jessica Yu (Last Call at the Oasis, The Living Museum), as well as a fascinating sidebar of programming dedicated to .Stories about Stories.. It was in that program that I finally was able to catch up with writer-director Anna Broinowski.s fascinating 2007 effort Forbidden Lie$, about the quest to verify the story of a Middle Eastern honor killing that might not have actually happened. Gems like Lie$ bring...
- 4/9/2013
- cinemablend.com
Affleck's political thriller wins awards from the American Cinema Editors, Writers Guild of America Ben Affleck's Argo, a the story of the rescue of a handful of American hostages held in Iran in the aftermath of the Iranian Revolution, continues to win awards this season. After victories at the PGA Awards, the DGA Awards, and the SAG Awards (Best Ensemble), this past weekend the thriller won the Ace Award for Best Edited Feature Film - Dramatic (William Goldenberg) and the WGA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay (Chris Terrio). [Pictured above: Director and co-producer Ben Affleck also stars in Argo.] The film has now come out victorious in the five most important guilds (for a Best Picture Academy Award win): actors, producers, directors, screenwriters, and editors. Needless to say, it is the odds-on favorite to nab the Best Picture Oscar, despite the fact that it doesn't have a Best Director Oscar nomination as well. If Argo does take home the Best Picture Oscar,...
- 2/19/2013
- by Anna Robinson
- Alt Film Guide
Hold on Ben Affleck! Ang Lee's "Life of Pi" also collected trophies over the weekend. The existential film was the big winner at the 60th Annual Motion Picture Sound Editors' Golden Reel Awards claiming Best Sound Editing in Music and Dialogue.
Here's the complete list of winners; for other winners/nominees this awards season, click here:
Film
Best Sound Editing: Sound Effects, Foley, Dialogue and Adr in an Animation Feature Film
"Wreck-it Ralph"
Best Sound Editing: Sound Effects, Foley, Dialogue, Adr and Music in a Feature Documentary
"Last Call at the Oasis"
Best Sound Editing: Sound Effects, Foley, Dialogue and Adr in a Feature Foreign Language Film
"Rust and Bone"
Best Sound Editing: Music in a Feature Film
"Life of Pi"
Best Sound Editing: Music in a Musical Feature Film
"Les Misérables"
Best Sound Editing: Dialogue and Adr in a Feature Film
"Life of Pi"
Best Sound Editing: Sound Effects...
Here's the complete list of winners; for other winners/nominees this awards season, click here:
Film
Best Sound Editing: Sound Effects, Foley, Dialogue and Adr in an Animation Feature Film
"Wreck-it Ralph"
Best Sound Editing: Sound Effects, Foley, Dialogue, Adr and Music in a Feature Documentary
"Last Call at the Oasis"
Best Sound Editing: Sound Effects, Foley, Dialogue and Adr in a Feature Foreign Language Film
"Rust and Bone"
Best Sound Editing: Music in a Feature Film
"Life of Pi"
Best Sound Editing: Music in a Musical Feature Film
"Les Misérables"
Best Sound Editing: Dialogue and Adr in a Feature Film
"Life of Pi"
Best Sound Editing: Sound Effects...
- 2/18/2013
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
The Sundance Institute has 13 independent films available through a variety of platforms to rent, download or stream via the Institute’s Artist Services program. Titles include 2012 Sundance Film Festival films Detropia, I Am Not a Hipster, The Atomic States of America, and We’re Not Broke. For full details on where to access these films, please visit sundance.org/nowplaying. (The complete list of new titles available follows below.)
“With the proliferation of new digital outlets these days, Sundance Institute saw a real need to help filmmakers and producers easily access these platforms and to provide information on how best to navigate and take advantage of independent distribution,” said Keri Putnam, Executive Director, Sundance Institute. “ It's exciting to see these filmmakers charting their own path towards finding audiences.”
In addition, to making it easier for audiences to find Sundance Institute and Film Festival films all year long, this year’s online film guide and mobile app for the 2013 Sundance Film Festival includes a new feature from GoWatchIt.com which creates a universal ‘queue’ so fans can be notified as soon as films they are interested in become available in the marketplace. Sundance Institute has also installed GoWatchIt on the Now Playing page (www.sundance.org/nowplaying) for the titles accessing distribution through its Artist Services.
Look for the Artist Services films on iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, Hulu, Microsoft Xbox, Netflix, SnagFilms, Sony Entertainment Network, SundanceNOW, Vudu and YouTube. Special bonus video content from the Institute’s archives is available for select titles. The Artist Services program provides Institute artists with exclusive opportunities for creative self-distribution, marketing and financing solutions for their work. New Video, a Cinedigm company, is the exclusive aggregation partner for distribution across all portals in the program. The Artist Services initiative is made possible by The Bertha Foundation. These deals were brokered via pro bono legal services generously provided by law firm O’Melveny & Myers, which has built the legal framework for the Artist Services program and participating filmmakers since its inception.
Titles That Are Available:
The American Astronaut (Director and Screenwriter: Cory McAbee) — Sundance Institute Screenwriter’s Lab Fellow Cory McAbee stars in his sci-fi feature film as an interplanetary trader. The film also stars 2012 Independent Spirit Award nominee James Ransone (Starlet, HBO’s Treme and The Wire) as Bodysuit. (2001 Sundance Film Festival)
The Atomic States of America (Directors: Don Argott and Sheena M. Joyce) — Don Argott and Sheena M. Joyce’s provocative documentary takes viewers on a journey to nuclear reactor communities across the country. (2012 Sundance Film Festival)
Budrus (Director: Julia Bachas) — Documentary filmmaker Julia Bacha’s award-winning 2009 documentary follows a Palestinian community organizer who unites local Fatah and Hamas members along with Israeli supporters in an unarmed movement to save the village of Budrus from destruction by Israel's Separation Barrier. Budrus was produced by Just Vision, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing the power and legitimacy of Palestinians and Israelis working nonviolently to end the occupation and resolve the conflict. (2009 Sundance Documentary Film Grant)
Detropia (Directors: Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady) — Winner of the Best Documentary Editing Award at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and nominated for Gotham and Cinema Eye awards, Detropiachronicles the lives of several Detroiters trying to survive and make sense of what is happening to their city – once an industrial utopia, now on the brink of bankruptcy. (2012 Sundance Documentary Film Grant, 2012 Sundance Film Festival)
High School Record (Director and Screenwriter: Ben Wolfinsohn) — In Ben Wolfinsohn’s semi-improvised 2005 “mock doc,” four exceptionally awkward 17-year-olds struggle through their senior year as moments of humiliation and triumph are caught on tape in a documentary shot by fellow classmates at a performing arts high school. (2005 Sundance Film Festival)
I Am Not A Hipster (Director and Screenwriter: Destin Daniel Cretton) — Featuring music by indie electronic band, Canines, and a break-out performance by Dominic Bogart (Flash Forward), Cretton’s music-focused drama premiered at sold-out screenings at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. (2011 and 2012 Cinereach Project at Sundance Institute Grant, 2012 Sundance Film Festival)
Primer (Director and Screenwriter: Shane Carruth) — Shane Carruth’s cult classic won the Grand Jury Prize and Alfred P. Sloan Prize at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. Timed to the premiere of the director’s much-anticipated follow-up film, Upstream Color, at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. (2004 Sundance Film Festival)
Pursuit of Loneliness (Director and Screenwriter: Laurence Thrush) — Award-winning director Laurence Thrush’s (Left Handed) 2012 Sundance Film Festival premiere stars a cast of non-professional actors depicted in their own workplace roles. (2012 Sundance Film Festival)
The Slaughter Rule (Directors: Alex Smith and Andrew Smith) — David Morse (Treme) and Ryan Gosling (Drive) star in Alex and Andrew Smith’s feature writing-directorial debut about a fatherless high-school quarterback. Nominated for the Independent Spirit Awards’ John Cassavetes Award.. (2002 Sundance Film Festival)
Stingray Sam (Director and screenwriter: Cory McAbee) — Cory McAbee’s 2009 follow up to The American Astronaut features writer-director McAbee as Stingray Sam and “Crugie” as The Quasar Kid, two space convicts in a series of episodic adventures narrated by David Hyde Pierce (Frasier). (2009 Sundance Film Festival)
to.get.her (Director and screenwriter: Erica Dunton) — Five teenage girls with a shared secret get together for a weekend of “no consequences” in this 2011 Sundance Film Festival premiere that won the Best of Next <=> Audience Award. Actress-model Jazzy De Lisser stars in a “mystery” written and directed by Erica Dunton (The 27 Club). (2011 Sundance Film Festival)
Wave Twisters (Directors: Eric Henry and Syd Garon) — Animators Syd Garon (Superheroes, Last Call at the Oasis) and Eric Henry’s “turntablism-based musical” won the 2001 Midnight Films Audience Award at the 2001 SXSW Film Festival. Scripted to a recording by “scratch” artist DJ Qbert, Wave Twisters follows a group of heroes traveling through inner-space on a quest to save the lost art of Hip Hop. (2001 Sundance Film Festival)
We're Not Broke (Directors: Karin Hayes and Victoria Bruce) — A timely exposé on how the government has allowed U.S. corporations to avoid paying taxes, and the growing wave of discontent that is has fostered. A 2012 Sundance Film Festival premiere from the filmmakers of The Kidnapping of Ingrid Betancourt. (2012 Sundance Film Festival)
Sundance Institute
Sundance Institute is a global nonprofit organization founded by Robert Redford in 1981. Through its artistic development programs for directors, screenwriters, producers, composers and playwrights, the Institute seeks to discover and support independent film and theatre artists from the United States and around the world, and to introduce audiences to their new work. The Institute promotes independent storytelling to inform, inspire, and unite diverse populations around the globe. Internationally recognized for its annual Sundance Film Festival, Sundance Institute has nurtured such projects as Born into Brothels, Trouble the Water, Son of Babylon, Amreeka, An Inconvenient Truth, Spring Awakening, I Am My Own Wife, Light in the Piazza and Angels in America. Join Sundance Institute on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
“With the proliferation of new digital outlets these days, Sundance Institute saw a real need to help filmmakers and producers easily access these platforms and to provide information on how best to navigate and take advantage of independent distribution,” said Keri Putnam, Executive Director, Sundance Institute. “ It's exciting to see these filmmakers charting their own path towards finding audiences.”
In addition, to making it easier for audiences to find Sundance Institute and Film Festival films all year long, this year’s online film guide and mobile app for the 2013 Sundance Film Festival includes a new feature from GoWatchIt.com which creates a universal ‘queue’ so fans can be notified as soon as films they are interested in become available in the marketplace. Sundance Institute has also installed GoWatchIt on the Now Playing page (www.sundance.org/nowplaying) for the titles accessing distribution through its Artist Services.
Look for the Artist Services films on iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, Hulu, Microsoft Xbox, Netflix, SnagFilms, Sony Entertainment Network, SundanceNOW, Vudu and YouTube. Special bonus video content from the Institute’s archives is available for select titles. The Artist Services program provides Institute artists with exclusive opportunities for creative self-distribution, marketing and financing solutions for their work. New Video, a Cinedigm company, is the exclusive aggregation partner for distribution across all portals in the program. The Artist Services initiative is made possible by The Bertha Foundation. These deals were brokered via pro bono legal services generously provided by law firm O’Melveny & Myers, which has built the legal framework for the Artist Services program and participating filmmakers since its inception.
Titles That Are Available:
The American Astronaut (Director and Screenwriter: Cory McAbee) — Sundance Institute Screenwriter’s Lab Fellow Cory McAbee stars in his sci-fi feature film as an interplanetary trader. The film also stars 2012 Independent Spirit Award nominee James Ransone (Starlet, HBO’s Treme and The Wire) as Bodysuit. (2001 Sundance Film Festival)
The Atomic States of America (Directors: Don Argott and Sheena M. Joyce) — Don Argott and Sheena M. Joyce’s provocative documentary takes viewers on a journey to nuclear reactor communities across the country. (2012 Sundance Film Festival)
Budrus (Director: Julia Bachas) — Documentary filmmaker Julia Bacha’s award-winning 2009 documentary follows a Palestinian community organizer who unites local Fatah and Hamas members along with Israeli supporters in an unarmed movement to save the village of Budrus from destruction by Israel's Separation Barrier. Budrus was produced by Just Vision, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing the power and legitimacy of Palestinians and Israelis working nonviolently to end the occupation and resolve the conflict. (2009 Sundance Documentary Film Grant)
Detropia (Directors: Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady) — Winner of the Best Documentary Editing Award at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and nominated for Gotham and Cinema Eye awards, Detropiachronicles the lives of several Detroiters trying to survive and make sense of what is happening to their city – once an industrial utopia, now on the brink of bankruptcy. (2012 Sundance Documentary Film Grant, 2012 Sundance Film Festival)
High School Record (Director and Screenwriter: Ben Wolfinsohn) — In Ben Wolfinsohn’s semi-improvised 2005 “mock doc,” four exceptionally awkward 17-year-olds struggle through their senior year as moments of humiliation and triumph are caught on tape in a documentary shot by fellow classmates at a performing arts high school. (2005 Sundance Film Festival)
I Am Not A Hipster (Director and Screenwriter: Destin Daniel Cretton) — Featuring music by indie electronic band, Canines, and a break-out performance by Dominic Bogart (Flash Forward), Cretton’s music-focused drama premiered at sold-out screenings at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. (2011 and 2012 Cinereach Project at Sundance Institute Grant, 2012 Sundance Film Festival)
Primer (Director and Screenwriter: Shane Carruth) — Shane Carruth’s cult classic won the Grand Jury Prize and Alfred P. Sloan Prize at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. Timed to the premiere of the director’s much-anticipated follow-up film, Upstream Color, at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. (2004 Sundance Film Festival)
Pursuit of Loneliness (Director and Screenwriter: Laurence Thrush) — Award-winning director Laurence Thrush’s (Left Handed) 2012 Sundance Film Festival premiere stars a cast of non-professional actors depicted in their own workplace roles. (2012 Sundance Film Festival)
The Slaughter Rule (Directors: Alex Smith and Andrew Smith) — David Morse (Treme) and Ryan Gosling (Drive) star in Alex and Andrew Smith’s feature writing-directorial debut about a fatherless high-school quarterback. Nominated for the Independent Spirit Awards’ John Cassavetes Award.. (2002 Sundance Film Festival)
Stingray Sam (Director and screenwriter: Cory McAbee) — Cory McAbee’s 2009 follow up to The American Astronaut features writer-director McAbee as Stingray Sam and “Crugie” as The Quasar Kid, two space convicts in a series of episodic adventures narrated by David Hyde Pierce (Frasier). (2009 Sundance Film Festival)
to.get.her (Director and screenwriter: Erica Dunton) — Five teenage girls with a shared secret get together for a weekend of “no consequences” in this 2011 Sundance Film Festival premiere that won the Best of Next <=> Audience Award. Actress-model Jazzy De Lisser stars in a “mystery” written and directed by Erica Dunton (The 27 Club). (2011 Sundance Film Festival)
Wave Twisters (Directors: Eric Henry and Syd Garon) — Animators Syd Garon (Superheroes, Last Call at the Oasis) and Eric Henry’s “turntablism-based musical” won the 2001 Midnight Films Audience Award at the 2001 SXSW Film Festival. Scripted to a recording by “scratch” artist DJ Qbert, Wave Twisters follows a group of heroes traveling through inner-space on a quest to save the lost art of Hip Hop. (2001 Sundance Film Festival)
We're Not Broke (Directors: Karin Hayes and Victoria Bruce) — A timely exposé on how the government has allowed U.S. corporations to avoid paying taxes, and the growing wave of discontent that is has fostered. A 2012 Sundance Film Festival premiere from the filmmakers of The Kidnapping of Ingrid Betancourt. (2012 Sundance Film Festival)
Sundance Institute
Sundance Institute is a global nonprofit organization founded by Robert Redford in 1981. Through its artistic development programs for directors, screenwriters, producers, composers and playwrights, the Institute seeks to discover and support independent film and theatre artists from the United States and around the world, and to introduce audiences to their new work. The Institute promotes independent storytelling to inform, inspire, and unite diverse populations around the globe. Internationally recognized for its annual Sundance Film Festival, Sundance Institute has nurtured such projects as Born into Brothels, Trouble the Water, Son of Babylon, Amreeka, An Inconvenient Truth, Spring Awakening, I Am My Own Wife, Light in the Piazza and Angels in America. Join Sundance Institute on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
- 1/18/2013
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Don't want to deal with cooking or washing dishes on Thanksgiving, or just need a break from the family for a few hours? Stop by any of the Austin Alamo Drafthouse locations for a movie accompanied by a traditional turkey dinner -- my mother never made green bean casserole and my mouth waters imagining Alamo's version of sweet potato casserole. Just select the "Turkey Dinner" option when purchasing any ticket for Thursday, November 22.
Ut fans can also secure a seat at Alamo Lake Creek's broadcast of the Ut-tcu game by purchasing a $5 food and beverage voucher or the turkey dinner option. Make note of the revised age policy for the game as stated on their web page -- "Children age 3 and over will be allowed at all screenings of this show. No infants however, and families with loud children will be asked to leave."
As part of the newly launched...
Ut fans can also secure a seat at Alamo Lake Creek's broadcast of the Ut-tcu game by purchasing a $5 food and beverage voucher or the turkey dinner option. Make note of the revised age policy for the game as stated on their web page -- "Children age 3 and over will be allowed at all screenings of this show. No infants however, and families with loud children will be asked to leave."
As part of the newly launched...
- 11/21/2012
- by Debbie Cerda
- Slackerwood
Last night, at a special event in conjunction with the AFI Fest, the nominees for the 2013 Cinema Eye Honors were announced. And once again, the titles contending for the ten feature categories, all of which focus solely on nonfiction films (to make up for the Oscars’ minimal recognition), represent the year’s best in documentaries. As someone who professionally concentrates on docs elsewhere, I tend to feel kinda useless or redundant when Cinema Eye names its nominees, because now when someone asks me what’s great this year I can just point to their list of 31 features. Of course, some of these films are only up for specific honors, like those for original music score and graphic design, and may not be quite as necessary as the six up for the top award or the 10 nominated for the Audience Choice Prize (which sadly, for publicity-sake, lacks a Justin Bieber movie like last year). Also, I...
- 11/3/2012
- by Christopher Campbell
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
If you think water issues are something only Third World countries worry about, think again. According to the alarming documentary "Last Call at the Oasis," the U.S. has reason to worry.
Directed by Jessica Yu, "Last Call at the Oasis" calls to mind "An Inconvenient Truth," "Food Inc." and "Waiting for Superman," accessible documentaries made with a sense of urgency about matters that concern us all, whether we like it or not.
"An Inconvenient Truth" exposed the world to the dangers of global warming, "Food Inc." alerted Americans to what's in their food, and "Waiting for Superman" delved into the problems with our education system. The mission of "Last Call at the Oasis" is to wake our nation up to the fact that we're facing an impending global water crisis. Yeah, you heard that right.
To hit that alarming point home, Yu calls upon a varied group of subjects...
Directed by Jessica Yu, "Last Call at the Oasis" calls to mind "An Inconvenient Truth," "Food Inc." and "Waiting for Superman," accessible documentaries made with a sense of urgency about matters that concern us all, whether we like it or not.
"An Inconvenient Truth" exposed the world to the dangers of global warming, "Food Inc." alerted Americans to what's in their food, and "Waiting for Superman" delved into the problems with our education system. The mission of "Last Call at the Oasis" is to wake our nation up to the fact that we're facing an impending global water crisis. Yeah, you heard that right.
To hit that alarming point home, Yu calls upon a varied group of subjects...
- 5/4/2012
- by Nigel Smith
- NextMovie
Next Wednesday on American Idol, the Top 4 will choose songs from California artists for a “California Dreamin’”-themed performance show. On Thursday’s results show, judge Jennifer Lopez will perform her new single “Dance Again” and season 7 champ David Cook will debut his new single “The Last Song I’ll Write for You.”
Carrie Underwood’s fourth album, Blown Away, is set to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart next week. It’s her third No. 1, following 2009’s Play On and 2007′s Carnival Ride. Her post-Idol debut, 2005′s Some Hearts debuted and peaked at No. 2. The new...
Carrie Underwood’s fourth album, Blown Away, is set to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart next week. It’s her third No. 1, following 2009’s Play On and 2007′s Carnival Ride. Her post-Idol debut, 2005′s Some Hearts debuted and peaked at No. 2. The new...
- 5/4/2012
- by MJ Santilli
- EW - Inside TV
Los Angeles -- Erin Brockovich has long been a champion for clean water. Her efforts to sue Pacific Gas & Electric for polluting the water supply of a California town were adapted into a big-screen story, 2000's "Erin Brockovich," starring Julia Roberts in the Oscar-winning title-role.
The real Brockovich is back on the big screen in the new documentary "Last Call at the Oasis," which opened in New York and Los Angeles on Friday and will spread to other cities throughout the month. The 51-year-old activist is among various environmental experts cited in the 100-minute film, which explores challenges related to the planet's dwindling and increasingly polluted water supply.
Brockovich is still advocating for the little guy. The film shows her visiting a community in Midland, Texas, where water comes out of the tap bright green.
She took time out during her cross-country travels to talk with The Associated Press about...
The real Brockovich is back on the big screen in the new documentary "Last Call at the Oasis," which opened in New York and Los Angeles on Friday and will spread to other cities throughout the month. The 51-year-old activist is among various environmental experts cited in the 100-minute film, which explores challenges related to the planet's dwindling and increasingly polluted water supply.
Brockovich is still advocating for the little guy. The film shows her visiting a community in Midland, Texas, where water comes out of the tap bright green.
She took time out during her cross-country travels to talk with The Associated Press about...
- 5/4/2012
- by AP
- Huffington Post
When we started Last Call at the Oasis, our goals were ambitious and the challenge was considerable. We wanted to illuminate the water crisis and its many facets... and there are many, many facets. Generally, when we hear “water crisis” we think “drought”—usually “drought happening somewhere else in the world.” But what’s going on is big, and it is crucial that we understand it. This is water—essential for all life. Could the stakes be any higher?...
- 5/3/2012
- MovieMaker.com
Nothing matters this weekend -- seriously, Nothing At All -- unless it has to do with "The Avengers." While fans of the Marvel films have been waiting for this movie since it was teased at the end of "Iron Man" in 2008, it's been an even longer wait for comic-book devotees. (The first "Avengers" comic came out in 1963.) On Thursday at midnight, those superhero dreams become reality as Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, the Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye join forces to take on the demigod Loki. So assemble (sorry) your group of freinds as we take a look at the potential box-office motherload "Avengers" is set to take in this weekend. Nationwide Releases What's the story: The good vs. evil plot pits our aforementioned heroes against the maniacal mastermind Loki. When Loki steals the all-powerful Tesseract from S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, the team steps up to help...
- 5/3/2012
- by Alex Suskind
- Moviefone
We have to wake up. The world we live in has a finite amount of resources, and chief among them is water. Up to 60% of the human body is made of water. Yet few Americans ever think twice about this precious resource until water restrictions are enforced. Even then, we may not notice all that much. Once the restrictions are over, life goes back to normal. Yet, if we continue on our current path, life may never be the same. This is the central theme of Last Call At The Oasis, an eye-opening documentary that challenges us to think outside of our own personal bubble and realize where humanity is headed.
Giving your attention to a documentary that is asking, pleading, and informing you to take action may feel dire. But sticking your head in the sand is not a responsible action when water affects everyone and everything. My own questions were even answered,...
Giving your attention to a documentary that is asking, pleading, and informing you to take action may feel dire. But sticking your head in the sand is not a responsible action when water affects everyone and everything. My own questions were even answered,...
- 4/21/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
Poster for the Last Call at the Oasis documentary movie, directed by Jessica Yu. Featuring activist Erin Brockovich, respected water experts including Peter Gleick, Jay Famiglietti and Robert Glennon and social entrepreneurs championing revolutionary solutions, the film posits that we can manage this problem if we are willing to act now. Pic produced by director Jessica Yu and Elise Pearlstein, the film is rated PG-13 for some disturbing content and brief strong language. Executive produced by Jeff Skoll, Diane Weyermann, Carol Baum and David Helpern. Last Call at the Oasis opens in theaters via Ato Pictures on May 4th. Firmly establishing the urgency of the global water crisis as the central issue facing our world this century, this documentary illuminates the vital role water plays in our lives, exposes the defects in the current system and shows communities already struggling with its ill-effects...
- 3/22/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Last Call At The Oasis Movie Poster
Poster for the Last Call at the Oasis documentary movie, directed by Jessica Yu. Featuring activist Erin Brockovich, respected water experts including Peter Gleick, Jay Famiglietti and Robert Glennon and social entrepreneurs championing revolutionary solutions, the film posits that we can manage this problem if we are willing to act now. Pic produced by director Jessica Yu and Elise Pearlstein, the film is rated PG-13 for some disturbing content and brief strong language. Executive produced by Jeff Skoll, Diane Weyermann, Carol Baum and David Helpern. Last Call at the Oasis opens in theaters via Ato Pictures on May 4th. Firmly establishing the urgency of the global water crisis as the central issue facing our world this century, this documentary illuminates the vital role water plays in our lives, exposes the defects in the current system and shows communities already struggling with its ill-effects...
- 3/22/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Poster for the Last Call at the Oasis documentary movie, directed by Jessica Yu. Featuring activist Erin Brockovich, respected water experts including Peter Gleick, Jay Famiglietti and Robert Glennon and social entrepreneurs championing revolutionary solutions, the film posits that we can manage this problem if we are willing to act now. Pic produced by director Jessica Yu and Elise Pearlstein, the film is rated PG-13 for some disturbing content and brief strong language. Executive produced by Jeff Skoll, Diane Weyermann, Carol Baum and David Helpern. Last Call at the Oasis opens in theaters via Ato Pictures on May 4th. Firmly establishing the urgency of the global water crisis as the central issue facing our world this century, this documentary illuminates the vital role water plays in our lives, exposes the defects in the current system and shows communities already struggling with its ill-effects...
- 3/22/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Ato Pictures has acquired U.S. rights to "Last Call at the Oasis," an environmental documentary from Academy Award winner Jessica Yu. The film recently premiered in Toronto. Yu's film provides an investigation into the world's water crisis. Among the activists featured: Erin Brockovich, Peter Gleick, Alex Prud'homme, Jay Famiglietti and Robert Glennon. Here's the trailer: Full release below: Ato Pictures Announces Participant Media’S ‘Last Call At The Oasis’ As Their ...
- 9/21/2011
- Indiewire
2011 Toronto International Film Festival player Last Call at the Oasis helmed by Jessica Yu goes to Ato Pictures Ato Pictures has picked up U.S. distribution rights to Participant Media's documentary helmed by Jessica Yu-directed which made its premiere at this year's Tiff, reports Deadline. Last Call at the Oasis is a shocking investigation into the world's water crisis and uses the work of scientists and activists including the real Erin Brockovich. Jessica Yu helmed the 2007 documentary The Protagonist and has several TV credits to her name, including work at the helm of Grey's Anatomy...
- 9/21/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
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