Nadia Hallgren’s career in documentary film began as a camera operator on Fahrenheit 9/11, still the highest grossing doc in America. In the 13 years since she has served as a camera operator on such films as Searching for Sugarman and as a Dp on Citizen Koch and last year’s Trapped. Her latest feature as Dp, Motherland, is a vérité portrait inside a maternity ward in the Philippines. The film, directed by Ramona Diaz, will premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. Below, Hallgren talks about the emotional bond she formed with the women in the film, shooting in the summer heat of the […]...
- 1/21/2017
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Academy Awards
On December 2, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that they’d whittled down the 134 eligible documentary submissions to a 15 film shortlist. The chosen films include:
Art and Craft – Purple Parrot Films
The Case Against 8 – Day in Court
Citizen Koch – Elsewhere Films
Citizenfour – Praxis Films
Finding Vivian Maier – Ravine Pictures
The Internet’s Own Boy – Luminant Media
Jodorowsky’s Dune – City Film
Keep on Keepin’ On – Absolute Clay Productions
The Kill Team – f/8 filmworks
Last Days in Vietnam – Moxie Firecracker Films
Life Itself – Kartemquin Films and Film Rites
The Overnighters – Mile End Films West
The Salt of the Earth – Decia Films
Tales of the Grim Sleeper – Lafayette Film
Virunga – Grain Media
EntreVues Belfort International Film Festival - France - November 22nd – November 30th
The 29th edition of the Entrevues Belfort International Film Festival jury members announced the 2014 Awards, giving Anna Roussillon’s Je suis le peuple,...
On December 2, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that they’d whittled down the 134 eligible documentary submissions to a 15 film shortlist. The chosen films include:
Art and Craft – Purple Parrot Films
The Case Against 8 – Day in Court
Citizen Koch – Elsewhere Films
Citizenfour – Praxis Films
Finding Vivian Maier – Ravine Pictures
The Internet’s Own Boy – Luminant Media
Jodorowsky’s Dune – City Film
Keep on Keepin’ On – Absolute Clay Productions
The Kill Team – f/8 filmworks
Last Days in Vietnam – Moxie Firecracker Films
Life Itself – Kartemquin Films and Film Rites
The Overnighters – Mile End Films West
The Salt of the Earth – Decia Films
Tales of the Grim Sleeper – Lafayette Film
Virunga – Grain Media
EntreVues Belfort International Film Festival - France - November 22nd – November 30th
The 29th edition of the Entrevues Belfort International Film Festival jury members announced the 2014 Awards, giving Anna Roussillon’s Je suis le peuple,...
- 12/31/2014
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
On December 17, El Dia de St. Lazaro, something extraordinary happened! Equivalent to the “Fall of the Wall”, President Barak Obama simultaneously with Raul Castro of Cuba announced that diplomatic relations between our two countries was being restored; the last of the Cuban Five imprisoned for 15 years in the U.S. for spying (on Cuban terrorists based in Miami) would be returned to Cuba in exchange for Alan Gross (imprisoned for 5 years for bringing Cuba forbidden internet technology), and an unnamed CIA agent incarcerated for 20 years, along with other Cuban political prisoners; And that this would be the first step in finally normalizing relations between Cuba and the U.S.A.
Read More: Sydney Levine's First Impression at the 2014 Havana Film Festival
As my friends and I were driving from Trinidad to visit a sugar plantation which was the basis for the Cuban wealth of the 19th century, we got a message that in one hour Raul Castro would make the formal announcement and President Obama’s address would also be broadcast.
As we entered the former plantation home, now a restaurant, we heard the singing and jubilation coming from the bar and immediately joined in as the only Americans to share the joy; the Scotch (not rum) was flowing and the dancing and singing continued until the address came on the television.
I realized that in my 15 years of coming to Cuba, this was the moment I had been waiting for. We watched Raul Castro explain, and we watched President Obama explain, and as I watched the faces of the beautiful Cuban people as they listened, some with tears and others with smiles, all with great intensity, I understood the meaning of “rapprochement”. We turned toward each other in pure happiness and felt ourselves united after 55 years of separation.
This is The Place and I am here.
We knew when the Mercosur Heads of State were gathered under tight security at the Hotel Nacional during the first days of the festival that something was afoot. We heard that not only were they planning a possible counter boycott of U.S. in their upcoming May meeting, shutting out U.S. from attending, but the Hotel Nacional’s guest roster included the name of an American who was negotiating something much bigger.
Some speak of the idealism behind this long-wished-for move of U.S.; others speak of the economic necessity. Looking back at my most incredible year of traveling around Latin America, I understand that with the new expansion of the Panama Canal enabling the huge Chinese container ships to pass through, the most convenient next-stop-port for them is Havana. And from Havana, the most convenient port is not Cartagena or Cali in Colombia but New Orleans! And so we may see the rapprochement bring back the glorious days when music and adventure were equated with the Louisiana-Cuban connection. My hope is that the values held so dear in Cuba spread to U.S. and that we Americans don’t spread our U.S. arrogance when we land on the shores of the country which has managed 55 years with no help from us.
There is still more to this tale of reunion, but I am sworn to secrecy for the moment. But you will read it in papers other than this blog. Thirteen months of secret negotiations took place in Canada with the help of the Pope. At a wonderful dinner at a newly opened up Cuban-Russian restaurant on the Malecon, “Nostrovia”, our friend the restaurant owner, Rolando Almirante, whom we know as a documentary filmmaker and host of a weekly Cuban TV show, introduced us to a Canadian and an American both of whom had been involved with the long negotiations. Together we toasted the event with vodka.
To return to the Hotel Nacional and the festival:
Exceptionally quiet for those political reasons, it was also quiet because but there was none of the active debating over the new Law of Cinema which so excitedly animated the festival here last year. There was a low-key conference about the law of cinema and audiovisual culture held by the Cuban Association of Cinema Press with Fipresci and other invited guests to discuss and express opinions about whether most countries by now have a law of cinema, whether developing countries are planning on establishing a law of cinema, whether a law of cinema is necessary for a country aspiring to a higher level of culture for its population, and in what way would a law contribute to the development of production and to the appreciation of cinema. But you do not see everyone gathering in groups to discuss these ideas as they did last year.
Some of last year’s top filmmakers – producers like Ivonne Cotorruelo and Claudia Calvino are so busy preparing their next coproductions that they have no time for such discussions. Others shrug and resignedly express Cuban forbearance as usual.
I asked my friends what is the status of the law being established here in Cuba where only one law of cinema exists, which is the establishment of Icaic, the government institute that determines everything about film behind closed doors. Their answer was “Nothing”. Nothing has changed since last year. Discussions are continuing, and there will be a law established, but not yet…and so I learned that once the first big step is taken here, the next steps are very slow to follow.
So here is what happened on Day 3, December 7 of the my festival:
Our friend Pascal Tessaud whose short from France “City of Lights” brought him to Los Angeles several years ago, had a screening of his new film “Brooklyn”. Its premiere screening here (It premiered in Cannes’ Acid section earlier this year) was to an odd audience of older people. No doubt they were expecting a film about “Brooklyn” (which used to be the name of a bar in Central Havana) but instead got a film about a young Afro-Swiss rapper-girl named “Brooklyn” who enters the rap scene of Paris, made up of Arabs and Africans.
“Afronorteamericano” films were also spotlighted with Oscar Micheaux’s “Assassination in Harlem” (1935), “Within our Gates” (1920), “Body and Soul” (1926) starring Paul Robeson, “Underworld” (1937), “Swing” (1938), and Spencer William’s “The Blood of Jesus” (1941).
Also showing were North American documentaries “Citizen Koch”, “The Notorious Mr. Bout”, “The Overnighters”, and an homage to filmmaker, Eugene Jarecki (“Capturing the Friedmans” 2003, “Arbitrage” 2012, “The Trials of Henry Kissinger” 2002, “Why We Fight” 2006, Emmy Award winning “Reagan” 2011 and 2012’s “The House I Live In” about the war against drugs which along with “Why We Fight” won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at Sundance) and a retrospective of Haitian filmmaker Raoul Peck. Trinidad & Tobago’s annual showcase featured “Creole Soup” from Guadalupe and “Legends of Ska” by American DJ and ska specialist Brad Klein. And of course there was the latest crop of new films from Latin America and the newest films from Cuba, and much, much more.
Today Benecio del Toro, a regular at this festival, won the Coral of Honor for his role as “Che” in Steven Soderbergh’s movies and for his role as the narcotraffiker, Pablo Escobar in the NBC miniseries “Drug Wars: The Camarena Story” and here now, as Escobar in “Escobar: Paradise Lost” directed by the Italian Andrea Di Stefano. For Benecio, Cuba is “a dream come true”.
Day 4, December 8.
There seems to be a trend toward films about children. The prize winning film “Conducta” and Cuba’s submission for Academy Award Nomination as Best Foreign Language Film has already won awards around the world including The Coral for Best Picture and Best Actor here in Havana. This young boy loses every government protection because of his family’s dysfunctions and yet he maintains the spirit of survival and transcendence. Another story from Argentina, Poland and Colombia, France and Germany, “Refugiado” directed by Diego Lerman, also deals with a child who returns home from a birthday party to find his mother unconscious on the floor. The mother then flees seeking a safe place for them and he experiences fear in all the formerly secure places he has known. “Gente de Bien” a Colombia-France coproduction directed by Franco Lolli also explores the world of a young boy, abandoned by his mother and placed in the disheveled home of his impecunious father, who is taken in by a teacher who means well but whose family refuses to accept him. This little kid reaches his limit when his dog dies; but thrown back to his caring if off-kilter father, you get the feeling he too will be all right after all.
A couple of new gay films showed: Cuba’s “Vestido de Novia” was so crowded I could not get near it. Lines around blocks and blocks to get into the 1,000 seat theater were incredible proof of how much Cubans love cinema. Winner of last year’s prize for a work-in-progress, “Vestido de Novia” (“Wedding Dress) will soon be on the festival circuit. Two years ago, at Guadalajara’s coproduction market “Cuatro Lunas” by Sergio Tovar Velarde was being pitched. A sort of primer on gayness, four stories tell the tale of 1) discovery of one’s gayness, 2) first gay love, 3) first gay betrayal of love and 4) love at a mature stage of life. Producer Fernando … hung out with us a bit as we all come from L.A. and have friends in common.
What – aside from the new rapprochement between Cuba and U.S.A. – is “good for the Jews”? A wonderful film from Uruguay, Spain and Germany, “Mr. Kaplan” directed by Alvaro Brechner and produced by my most helpful friend Mariana Secco, and my German friends Roman Paul and Gerhard Meixner (Isa: Memento) brought a new understanding for the good and the bad in our recent history. Almost a comedy and almost a tragedy, the film’s resolution served to transform our propensity to see and judge in black and white.
Read More: Sydney Levine's First Impression at the 2014 Havana Film Festival
As my friends and I were driving from Trinidad to visit a sugar plantation which was the basis for the Cuban wealth of the 19th century, we got a message that in one hour Raul Castro would make the formal announcement and President Obama’s address would also be broadcast.
As we entered the former plantation home, now a restaurant, we heard the singing and jubilation coming from the bar and immediately joined in as the only Americans to share the joy; the Scotch (not rum) was flowing and the dancing and singing continued until the address came on the television.
I realized that in my 15 years of coming to Cuba, this was the moment I had been waiting for. We watched Raul Castro explain, and we watched President Obama explain, and as I watched the faces of the beautiful Cuban people as they listened, some with tears and others with smiles, all with great intensity, I understood the meaning of “rapprochement”. We turned toward each other in pure happiness and felt ourselves united after 55 years of separation.
This is The Place and I am here.
We knew when the Mercosur Heads of State were gathered under tight security at the Hotel Nacional during the first days of the festival that something was afoot. We heard that not only were they planning a possible counter boycott of U.S. in their upcoming May meeting, shutting out U.S. from attending, but the Hotel Nacional’s guest roster included the name of an American who was negotiating something much bigger.
Some speak of the idealism behind this long-wished-for move of U.S.; others speak of the economic necessity. Looking back at my most incredible year of traveling around Latin America, I understand that with the new expansion of the Panama Canal enabling the huge Chinese container ships to pass through, the most convenient next-stop-port for them is Havana. And from Havana, the most convenient port is not Cartagena or Cali in Colombia but New Orleans! And so we may see the rapprochement bring back the glorious days when music and adventure were equated with the Louisiana-Cuban connection. My hope is that the values held so dear in Cuba spread to U.S. and that we Americans don’t spread our U.S. arrogance when we land on the shores of the country which has managed 55 years with no help from us.
There is still more to this tale of reunion, but I am sworn to secrecy for the moment. But you will read it in papers other than this blog. Thirteen months of secret negotiations took place in Canada with the help of the Pope. At a wonderful dinner at a newly opened up Cuban-Russian restaurant on the Malecon, “Nostrovia”, our friend the restaurant owner, Rolando Almirante, whom we know as a documentary filmmaker and host of a weekly Cuban TV show, introduced us to a Canadian and an American both of whom had been involved with the long negotiations. Together we toasted the event with vodka.
To return to the Hotel Nacional and the festival:
Exceptionally quiet for those political reasons, it was also quiet because but there was none of the active debating over the new Law of Cinema which so excitedly animated the festival here last year. There was a low-key conference about the law of cinema and audiovisual culture held by the Cuban Association of Cinema Press with Fipresci and other invited guests to discuss and express opinions about whether most countries by now have a law of cinema, whether developing countries are planning on establishing a law of cinema, whether a law of cinema is necessary for a country aspiring to a higher level of culture for its population, and in what way would a law contribute to the development of production and to the appreciation of cinema. But you do not see everyone gathering in groups to discuss these ideas as they did last year.
Some of last year’s top filmmakers – producers like Ivonne Cotorruelo and Claudia Calvino are so busy preparing their next coproductions that they have no time for such discussions. Others shrug and resignedly express Cuban forbearance as usual.
I asked my friends what is the status of the law being established here in Cuba where only one law of cinema exists, which is the establishment of Icaic, the government institute that determines everything about film behind closed doors. Their answer was “Nothing”. Nothing has changed since last year. Discussions are continuing, and there will be a law established, but not yet…and so I learned that once the first big step is taken here, the next steps are very slow to follow.
So here is what happened on Day 3, December 7 of the my festival:
Our friend Pascal Tessaud whose short from France “City of Lights” brought him to Los Angeles several years ago, had a screening of his new film “Brooklyn”. Its premiere screening here (It premiered in Cannes’ Acid section earlier this year) was to an odd audience of older people. No doubt they were expecting a film about “Brooklyn” (which used to be the name of a bar in Central Havana) but instead got a film about a young Afro-Swiss rapper-girl named “Brooklyn” who enters the rap scene of Paris, made up of Arabs and Africans.
“Afronorteamericano” films were also spotlighted with Oscar Micheaux’s “Assassination in Harlem” (1935), “Within our Gates” (1920), “Body and Soul” (1926) starring Paul Robeson, “Underworld” (1937), “Swing” (1938), and Spencer William’s “The Blood of Jesus” (1941).
Also showing were North American documentaries “Citizen Koch”, “The Notorious Mr. Bout”, “The Overnighters”, and an homage to filmmaker, Eugene Jarecki (“Capturing the Friedmans” 2003, “Arbitrage” 2012, “The Trials of Henry Kissinger” 2002, “Why We Fight” 2006, Emmy Award winning “Reagan” 2011 and 2012’s “The House I Live In” about the war against drugs which along with “Why We Fight” won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at Sundance) and a retrospective of Haitian filmmaker Raoul Peck. Trinidad & Tobago’s annual showcase featured “Creole Soup” from Guadalupe and “Legends of Ska” by American DJ and ska specialist Brad Klein. And of course there was the latest crop of new films from Latin America and the newest films from Cuba, and much, much more.
Today Benecio del Toro, a regular at this festival, won the Coral of Honor for his role as “Che” in Steven Soderbergh’s movies and for his role as the narcotraffiker, Pablo Escobar in the NBC miniseries “Drug Wars: The Camarena Story” and here now, as Escobar in “Escobar: Paradise Lost” directed by the Italian Andrea Di Stefano. For Benecio, Cuba is “a dream come true”.
Day 4, December 8.
There seems to be a trend toward films about children. The prize winning film “Conducta” and Cuba’s submission for Academy Award Nomination as Best Foreign Language Film has already won awards around the world including The Coral for Best Picture and Best Actor here in Havana. This young boy loses every government protection because of his family’s dysfunctions and yet he maintains the spirit of survival and transcendence. Another story from Argentina, Poland and Colombia, France and Germany, “Refugiado” directed by Diego Lerman, also deals with a child who returns home from a birthday party to find his mother unconscious on the floor. The mother then flees seeking a safe place for them and he experiences fear in all the formerly secure places he has known. “Gente de Bien” a Colombia-France coproduction directed by Franco Lolli also explores the world of a young boy, abandoned by his mother and placed in the disheveled home of his impecunious father, who is taken in by a teacher who means well but whose family refuses to accept him. This little kid reaches his limit when his dog dies; but thrown back to his caring if off-kilter father, you get the feeling he too will be all right after all.
A couple of new gay films showed: Cuba’s “Vestido de Novia” was so crowded I could not get near it. Lines around blocks and blocks to get into the 1,000 seat theater were incredible proof of how much Cubans love cinema. Winner of last year’s prize for a work-in-progress, “Vestido de Novia” (“Wedding Dress) will soon be on the festival circuit. Two years ago, at Guadalajara’s coproduction market “Cuatro Lunas” by Sergio Tovar Velarde was being pitched. A sort of primer on gayness, four stories tell the tale of 1) discovery of one’s gayness, 2) first gay love, 3) first gay betrayal of love and 4) love at a mature stage of life. Producer Fernando … hung out with us a bit as we all come from L.A. and have friends in common.
What – aside from the new rapprochement between Cuba and U.S.A. – is “good for the Jews”? A wonderful film from Uruguay, Spain and Germany, “Mr. Kaplan” directed by Alvaro Brechner and produced by my most helpful friend Mariana Secco, and my German friends Roman Paul and Gerhard Meixner (Isa: Memento) brought a new understanding for the good and the bad in our recent history. Almost a comedy and almost a tragedy, the film’s resolution served to transform our propensity to see and judge in black and white.
- 12/27/2014
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Serving as the director of programming for this year’s Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival meant I watched way too many nonfiction films in 2014, some filled with stunning artistry, others with cringe-worthy talking heads. And since the Academy doc committee’s shortlist had me both cheering (Last Days in Vietnam! Tales of the Grim Sleeper!) and scratching my head (Citizen Koch? Really?) I thought I’d compile my own wish-it-were-this list for Oscar 2015. So here, in alphabetical order, are my 10 Doc Picks — only two of which overlap with the Oscar documentary shortlist — from the 134 submitted for Oscar […]...
- 12/24/2014
- by Lauren Wissot
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Serving as the director of programming for this year’s Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival meant I watched way too many nonfiction films in 2014, some filled with stunning artistry, others with cringe-worthy talking heads. And since the Academy doc committee’s shortlist had me both cheering (Last Days in Vietnam! Tales of the Grim Sleeper!) and scratching my head (Citizen Koch? Really?) I thought I’d compile my own wish-it-were-this list for Oscar 2015. So here, in alphabetical order, are my 10 Doc Picks — only two of which overlap with the Oscar documentary shortlist — from the 134 submitted for Oscar […]...
- 12/24/2014
- by Lauren Wissot
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Voters for the Academy Awards can begin casting their ballots online next Monday, Jan. 29 — and those who’ve opted out of the Internet option and requested paper ballots already have those in their hands.
So as the start of voting nears, TheWrap has pored over Academy lists to offer some facts, figures and fun about the 2014 Oscar race. For starters, here are a few things you might not know unless you’ve examined the Academy’s 33-page “Reminder List of Productions Eligible for the 87th Academy Awards.”
See photos: Golden Globes 2015: The Nominees (Photos)
It ranges from “About Last Night” to “Yves Saint Laurent,...
So as the start of voting nears, TheWrap has pored over Academy lists to offer some facts, figures and fun about the 2014 Oscar race. For starters, here are a few things you might not know unless you’ve examined the Academy’s 33-page “Reminder List of Productions Eligible for the 87th Academy Awards.”
See photos: Golden Globes 2015: The Nominees (Photos)
It ranges from “About Last Night” to “Yves Saint Laurent,...
- 12/23/2014
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
By Anjelica Oswald
Managing Editor
This year’s Oscar race could make history with two possible best picture nominees directed by women — Ava DuVernay’s Selma and Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken. If both women are nominated for best director, that would also be a historical moment. But though these accomplishments in the narrative field are possible, more women directors are breaking into the documentary categories. Four of the 15 shortlisted documentaries feature women at the helm: Jennifer Grausman (co-directed with Sam Cullman and Mark Becker) with Art and Craft, Tia Lessin (co-directed with Carl Deal) with Citizen Koch, Laura Poitras with Citizenfour and Rory Kennedy with Last Days in Vietnam. Additionally, three of the eight shortlisted documentary shorts feature female directors: Ellen Goosenberg Kent with Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1, Aneta Kopacz with Joanna and Lucy Walker with The Lion’s Mouth Opens. More often than not, women directors tend to...
Managing Editor
This year’s Oscar race could make history with two possible best picture nominees directed by women — Ava DuVernay’s Selma and Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken. If both women are nominated for best director, that would also be a historical moment. But though these accomplishments in the narrative field are possible, more women directors are breaking into the documentary categories. Four of the 15 shortlisted documentaries feature women at the helm: Jennifer Grausman (co-directed with Sam Cullman and Mark Becker) with Art and Craft, Tia Lessin (co-directed with Carl Deal) with Citizen Koch, Laura Poitras with Citizenfour and Rory Kennedy with Last Days in Vietnam. Additionally, three of the eight shortlisted documentary shorts feature female directors: Ellen Goosenberg Kent with Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1, Aneta Kopacz with Joanna and Lucy Walker with The Lion’s Mouth Opens. More often than not, women directors tend to...
- 12/16/2014
- by Anjelica Oswald
- Scott Feinberg
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced its shortlist of films under consideration for inclusion in the best documentary feature category of the Academy Awards next year. A huge 134 titles were submitted, which the Academy’s documentary branch has meticulously whittled down to just 15. Branch members will now decide which of those shortlisted will receive an Oscar nomination. Among the titles in competition are the much-discussed CitizenFour, Life Itself and Last Days In Vietnam – all three of which are widely considered to be frontrunners.
CitizenFour documents the initial meetings between Nsa whistleblower Edward Snowden and a small number of journalists – including filmmaker Laura Poitras. Life Itself is a detailed portrait of renowned film critic Roger Ebert, and Last Days In Vietnam examines the withdrawal from Saigon by American forces at the close of the Vietnam War.
Other films selected for further consideration include subject matter such as...
CitizenFour documents the initial meetings between Nsa whistleblower Edward Snowden and a small number of journalists – including filmmaker Laura Poitras. Life Itself is a detailed portrait of renowned film critic Roger Ebert, and Last Days In Vietnam examines the withdrawal from Saigon by American forces at the close of the Vietnam War.
Other films selected for further consideration include subject matter such as...
- 12/5/2014
- by Sarah Myles
- We Got This Covered
By Anjelica Oswald
Managing Editor
Yesterday, the Academy’s documentary branch narrowed down the list of 134 documentaries to 15 for the shortlist. Of these 15, five will be announced Jan. 15 as the nominees for the 87th Academy Awards, which will be held on Feb. 22.
Over the past few months, I wrote about three documentaries and the precedent past nominees set for them: Rory Kennedy’s Last Days in Vietnam, John Maloof and Charlie Siskel’s Finding Vivian Maier and Orlando von Einsiedel’s Virunga. All three films made the shortlist. The lists of related documentaries that landed nominations for best documentary consist of eleven Vietnam documentaries, six photography-related documentaries and eight documentaries about the animal world.
Two weeks ago, I looked at ten of the top documentary contenders that debuted at Sundance, and five made the shortlist: The Case Against 8, about the battle to overturn California’s Proposition 8; Last Days in Vietnam,...
Managing Editor
Yesterday, the Academy’s documentary branch narrowed down the list of 134 documentaries to 15 for the shortlist. Of these 15, five will be announced Jan. 15 as the nominees for the 87th Academy Awards, which will be held on Feb. 22.
Over the past few months, I wrote about three documentaries and the precedent past nominees set for them: Rory Kennedy’s Last Days in Vietnam, John Maloof and Charlie Siskel’s Finding Vivian Maier and Orlando von Einsiedel’s Virunga. All three films made the shortlist. The lists of related documentaries that landed nominations for best documentary consist of eleven Vietnam documentaries, six photography-related documentaries and eight documentaries about the animal world.
Two weeks ago, I looked at ten of the top documentary contenders that debuted at Sundance, and five made the shortlist: The Case Against 8, about the battle to overturn California’s Proposition 8; Last Days in Vietnam,...
- 12/3/2014
- by Anjelica Oswald
- Scott Feinberg
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that 15 films in the Documentary Feature category will advance in the voting process for the 87th Oscars®.
Out of 134 films, 15 movies have been chosen! Out of these 15 films, Documentary Branch members will select the final 5 nominees!
The 87th Academy Awards® nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 15, 2015, at 5:30 a.m. Pt in the Academy.s Samuel Goldwyn Theater with the Oscars being held on Sunday, February 22!
The 15 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies:
"Art and Craft," Purple Parrot Films
"The Case against 8," Day in Court
"Citizen Koch," Elsewhere Films
"CitizenFour," Praxis Films
"Finding Vivian Maier," Ravine Pictures
"The Internet.s Own Boy," Luminant Media
"Jodorowsky.s Dune," City Film
"Keep On Keepin. On," Absolute Clay Productions
"The Kill Team," f/8 filmworks
"Last Days in Vietnam," Moxie Firecracker Films
"Life Itself," Kartemquin...
Out of 134 films, 15 movies have been chosen! Out of these 15 films, Documentary Branch members will select the final 5 nominees!
The 87th Academy Awards® nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 15, 2015, at 5:30 a.m. Pt in the Academy.s Samuel Goldwyn Theater with the Oscars being held on Sunday, February 22!
The 15 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies:
"Art and Craft," Purple Parrot Films
"The Case against 8," Day in Court
"Citizen Koch," Elsewhere Films
"CitizenFour," Praxis Films
"Finding Vivian Maier," Ravine Pictures
"The Internet.s Own Boy," Luminant Media
"Jodorowsky.s Dune," City Film
"Keep On Keepin. On," Absolute Clay Productions
"The Kill Team," f/8 filmworks
"Last Days in Vietnam," Moxie Firecracker Films
"Life Itself," Kartemquin...
- 12/3/2014
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Jodorowsky’s Dune
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 15 films in the Documentary Feature category will advance in the voting process for the 87th Oscars. One hundred thirty-four films were originally submitted in the category.
The 15 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies:
“Art and Craft,” Purple Parrot Films
“The Case against 8,” Day in Court
“Citizen Koch,” Elsewhere Films
“CitizenFour,” Praxis Films
“Finding Vivian Maier,” Ravine Pictures
“The Internet’s Own Boy,” Luminant Media
“Jodorowsky’s Dune,” City Film
“Keep On Keepin’ On,” Absolute Clay Productions
“The Kill Team,” f/8 filmworks
“Last Days in Vietnam,” Moxie Firecracker Films
“Life Itself,” Kartemquin Films and Film Rites
“The Overnighters,” Mile End Films West
“The Salt of the Earth,” Decia Films
“Tales of the Grim Sleeper,” Lafayette Film
“Virunga,” Grain Media
The Academy’s Documentary Branch determined the shortlist in a preliminary round of voting.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 15 films in the Documentary Feature category will advance in the voting process for the 87th Oscars. One hundred thirty-four films were originally submitted in the category.
The 15 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies:
“Art and Craft,” Purple Parrot Films
“The Case against 8,” Day in Court
“Citizen Koch,” Elsewhere Films
“CitizenFour,” Praxis Films
“Finding Vivian Maier,” Ravine Pictures
“The Internet’s Own Boy,” Luminant Media
“Jodorowsky’s Dune,” City Film
“Keep On Keepin’ On,” Absolute Clay Productions
“The Kill Team,” f/8 filmworks
“Last Days in Vietnam,” Moxie Firecracker Films
“Life Itself,” Kartemquin Films and Film Rites
“The Overnighters,” Mile End Films West
“The Salt of the Earth,” Decia Films
“Tales of the Grim Sleeper,” Lafayette Film
“Virunga,” Grain Media
The Academy’s Documentary Branch determined the shortlist in a preliminary round of voting.
- 12/3/2014
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Virunga director Orlando von Einsiedel celebrating Leonardo DiCaprio as executive producer at the 21 Club in New York Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences' Oscar documentary shortlist of 15 films was announced today. The final cut down to five nominations will be announced on January 15, 2015.
Sam Cullman, Jennifer Grausman and Mark Becker's Art And Craft; Ben Cotner and Ryan White's The Case Against 8; Tia Lessin and Carl Deal's Citizen Koch; Laura Poitras' Citizenfour; Charlie Siskel and John Maloof's Finding Vivian Maier; Brian Knappenberger's The Internet’s Own Boy; Frank Pavich's Jodorowsky’s Dune; Alan Hicks' Keep On Keepin’ On; Dan Krauss' The Kill Team; Rory Kennedy's Last Days In Vietnam; Steve James' Life Itself; Jesse Moss' The Overnighters; Wim Wenders and Juliano Ribeiro Salgado's The Salt Of The Earth; Nick Broomfield's Tales Of The Grim Sleeper...
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences' Oscar documentary shortlist of 15 films was announced today. The final cut down to five nominations will be announced on January 15, 2015.
Sam Cullman, Jennifer Grausman and Mark Becker's Art And Craft; Ben Cotner and Ryan White's The Case Against 8; Tia Lessin and Carl Deal's Citizen Koch; Laura Poitras' Citizenfour; Charlie Siskel and John Maloof's Finding Vivian Maier; Brian Knappenberger's The Internet’s Own Boy; Frank Pavich's Jodorowsky’s Dune; Alan Hicks' Keep On Keepin’ On; Dan Krauss' The Kill Team; Rory Kennedy's Last Days In Vietnam; Steve James' Life Itself; Jesse Moss' The Overnighters; Wim Wenders and Juliano Ribeiro Salgado's The Salt Of The Earth; Nick Broomfield's Tales Of The Grim Sleeper...
- 12/2/2014
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
The Oscars have released their shortlist of the 15 documentary features eligible for the Academy Award that have advanced to the next stage of consideration; the final five will be announced along with all other nominations on January 15. The titles and directors below, with links to our previous coverage as applicable: Art and Craft (Sam Cullman, Jennifer Grausman, Mark Becker) — click here to read a guest post from the directors about completing their film’s score. The Case Against 8 (Benjamin Cotner, Ryan White) — click here to read the directors’ pre-Sundance statement about their film. Citizen Koch (Carl […]...
- 12/2/2014
- by Vadim Rizov
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
The Oscars have released their shortlist of the 15 documentary features eligible for the Academy Award that have advanced to the next stage of consideration; the final five will be announced along with all other nominations on January 15. The titles and directors below, with links to our previous coverage as applicable: Art and Craft (Sam Cullman, Jennifer Grausman, Mark Becker) — click here to read a guest post from the directors about completing their film’s score. The Case Against 8 (Benjamin Cotner, Ryan White) — click here to read the directors’ pre-Sundance statement about their film. Citizen Koch (Carl […]...
- 12/2/2014
- by Vadim Rizov
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
One of the most consistently controversial categories in the Oscar race is the Best Documentary category, a branch that has snubbed Steve James, Werner Herzog and Errol Morris in past years.
This year however, Steve James did make the list with his documentary Life Itself, based on the life of Roger Ebert, along with the presumed frontrunner Citizenfour, which some are demanding earn a nomination for Best Picture.
Here’s the full list of 15 feature documentaries, all of which will now be eligible to choose from for nomination come January.
Art and Craft
The Case against 8
Citizen Koch
CitizenFour
Finding Vivian Maier
The Internet’s Own Boy
Jodorowsky’s Dune
Keep On Keepin’ On
The Kill Team
Last Days in Vietnam
Life Itself
The Overnighters
The Salt of the Earth
Tales of the Grim Sleeper
Virunga
While this is a fairly representative list, 2014 was an especially great year for documentaries,...
This year however, Steve James did make the list with his documentary Life Itself, based on the life of Roger Ebert, along with the presumed frontrunner Citizenfour, which some are demanding earn a nomination for Best Picture.
Here’s the full list of 15 feature documentaries, all of which will now be eligible to choose from for nomination come January.
Art and Craft
The Case against 8
Citizen Koch
CitizenFour
Finding Vivian Maier
The Internet’s Own Boy
Jodorowsky’s Dune
Keep On Keepin’ On
The Kill Team
Last Days in Vietnam
Life Itself
The Overnighters
The Salt of the Earth
Tales of the Grim Sleeper
Virunga
While this is a fairly representative list, 2014 was an especially great year for documentaries,...
- 12/2/2014
- by Brian Welk
- SoundOnSight
With guilds and organizations plucking eclectic titles from this year’s notable documentaries for their awards ceremonies, the nonfiction race remains competitive and mysterious. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Tuesday afternoon that 15 films in the Documentary Feature category will advance in the voting process for the 87th Oscars. There aren’t too many surprises in the bunch, but that won’t help those looking for early locks either. Of the list, Laura Poitras' "Citizenfour," Steve James' "Life Itself," Orlando von Einsiedel's "Virunga," and Juliano Ribeiro Salgado and Wim Wenders' "The Salt of the Earth" have popped up consistently across the Ida Awards, Cinema Eye Awards, PGA Awards, Gotham Awards, and Independent Spirit Awards. If anything could be considered a snub, it’s Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard’s Nick Cave documentary "20,000 Days on Earth" and Gabe Polsky’s "Red Army," a festival favorite.
- 12/2/2014
- by Matt Patches
- Hitfix
The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences unveiled on December 2 the 15-strong list of documentary features that advance in the voting process.
The selections from 134 submissions include Citizenfour (pictured), Life Itself and The Salt Of The Earth, however Red Army and Telluride entry Merchants Of Doubt have been omitted.
The 15 films in alphabetical order are: Art And Craft; The Case Against 8; Citizen Koch; CitizenFour; Finding Vivian Maier; The Internet’s Own Boy; Jodorowsky’s Dune; Keep On Keepin’ On; The Kill Team; Last Days In Vietnam; Life Itself; The Overnighters; The Salt Of The Earth; Tales Of The Grim Sleeper; andVirunga.
The Academy’s documentary branch chose the shortlist in a preliminary round of voting and branch members will next select five nominees.
The Academy will announce nominations on January 15 and the 87th Academy Awards show is set for February 22.
The selections from 134 submissions include Citizenfour (pictured), Life Itself and The Salt Of The Earth, however Red Army and Telluride entry Merchants Of Doubt have been omitted.
The 15 films in alphabetical order are: Art And Craft; The Case Against 8; Citizen Koch; CitizenFour; Finding Vivian Maier; The Internet’s Own Boy; Jodorowsky’s Dune; Keep On Keepin’ On; The Kill Team; Last Days In Vietnam; Life Itself; The Overnighters; The Salt Of The Earth; Tales Of The Grim Sleeper; andVirunga.
The Academy’s documentary branch chose the shortlist in a preliminary round of voting and branch members will next select five nominees.
The Academy will announce nominations on January 15 and the 87th Academy Awards show is set for February 22.
- 12/2/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
“Art and Craft,” Purple Parrot Films “The Case against 8,” Day in Court “Citizen Koch,” Elsewhere Films “CitizenFour,” Praxis Films “Finding Vivian Maier,” Ravine Pictures “The Internet’s Own Boy,...
- 12/2/2014
- by Sasha Stone
- AwardsDaily.com
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 15 films in the Documentary Feature category will advance in the voting process for the 87th Oscars®. One hundred thirty-four films were originally submitted in the category. The 15 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies: “Art and Craft,” Purple Parrot Films “The Case against 8,” Day in Court “Citizen Koch,” Elsewhere Films “CitizenFour,” Praxis Films “Finding Vivian Maier,” Ravine Pictures “The Internet’s Own Boy,” Luminant Media “Jodorowsky’s Dune,” City Film “Keep On Keepin’ On,” Absolute Clay Productions “The Kill Team,” f/8 filmworks “Last Days in Vietnam,” Moxie Firecracker Films “Life Itself,” Kartemquin Films and Film Rites “The Overnighters,” Mile End Films West “The Salt of the Earth,” Decia Films “Tales of the Grim Sleeper,” Lafayette Film “Virunga,” Grain Media The Academy’s Documentary Branch determined the shortlist in a preliminary round of voting.
- 12/2/2014
- by HollywoodNews.com
- Hollywoodnews.com
The Academy has announced the 15-wide documentary shortlist and apart from one title, it's is a very high-profile group of names. At least they are if you follow the world of documentary. I had discussed with a friend recently that last year's field may go down as the greatest in the category's history, but depending on how the branch votes this year they may just surpass it. I have already seen nine of the 15 and can vouch for almost all of them. Let's take a look.
Art and Craft The Case Against 8 (review) Citizen Koch Citizenfour (podcast | Glenn's review) Finding Vivian Maier The Internet's Own Boy Jodorowsky's Dune Keep On Keepin' On The Kill Team Last Days in Vietnam (review)
Life Itself The Overnighters The Salt of the Earth Tales of the Grim Sleeper (Nyff review | AFI review) Virunga
There are some big names in here. Apart from the...
Art and Craft The Case Against 8 (review) Citizen Koch Citizenfour (podcast | Glenn's review) Finding Vivian Maier The Internet's Own Boy Jodorowsky's Dune Keep On Keepin' On The Kill Team Last Days in Vietnam (review)
Life Itself The Overnighters The Salt of the Earth Tales of the Grim Sleeper (Nyff review | AFI review) Virunga
There are some big names in here. Apart from the...
- 12/2/2014
- by Glenn Dunks
- FilmExperience
The Academy has announced the 15 documentaries that will advance in the voting process for the 2015 Oscars, competing in the Best Documentary category and among them is the presumed frontrunner Citizenfour, which was named Best Documentary by both the New York Film Critics and Gotham Awards just yesterday. In fact, it's one of the few docs on the list I've actually seen so far along with the Roger Ebert doc Life Itself and Tales of the Grim Sleeper, though several of the others I actually have here on screener and will do my absolute best to get to most of them before the nominations are announced so I can predict this category. Though, at the moment, I fully expect at least Citizenfour and Life Itself to get a nomination and I've heard really good things about Keep On Keepin' On. The Academy's Documentary Branch determined the shortlist in a preliminary round of voting.
- 12/2/2014
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Whoopsy. I forgot to share this list... Herewith the films that could be up for Best Documentary Feature this year. We'll get a finalist of 15 at some point next month followed by 5 nominees in January "until we crown A Winnah!" If we've reviewed the titles, you'll notice their pretty color which you can then click on to read about them. The magic of the internet. You can also see the animated and documentary Oscar charts here.
The 134 Semi-Finalists
A-c
Afternoon of a Faun: Tanaquil Le Clercq, Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case, Algorithms, Alive Inside, All You Need Is Love, Altina, America: Imagine the World without Her, American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs, Anita, Antarctica: A Year on Ice, Art and Craft, Awake: The Life of Yogananda, The Barefoot Artist, The Battered Bastards of Baseball, Before You Know It, Bitter Honey, Born to Fly: Elizabeth Streb vs. Gravity, Botso The Teacher from Tbilisi,...
The 134 Semi-Finalists
A-c
Afternoon of a Faun: Tanaquil Le Clercq, Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case, Algorithms, Alive Inside, All You Need Is Love, Altina, America: Imagine the World without Her, American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs, Anita, Antarctica: A Year on Ice, Art and Craft, Awake: The Life of Yogananda, The Barefoot Artist, The Battered Bastards of Baseball, Before You Know It, Bitter Honey, Born to Fly: Elizabeth Streb vs. Gravity, Botso The Teacher from Tbilisi,...
- 11/3/2014
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
One hundred thirty-four features have been submitted for consideration in the Documentary Feature category for the 87th Academy Awards. A shortlist of 15 films will be announced in December.
The submitted features, listed in alphabetical order, are:
“Afternoon of a Faun: Tanaquil Le Clercq”
“Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case”
“Algorithms”
“Alive Inside”
“All You Need Is Love”
“Altina”
“America: Imagine the World without Her”
“American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs”
“Anita”
“Antarctica: A Year on Ice”
“Art and Craft”
“Awake: The Life of Yogananda”
“The Barefoot Artist”
“The Battered Bastards of Baseball”
“Before You Know It”
“Bitter Honey”
“Born to Fly: Elizabeth Streb vs. Gravity”
“Botso The Teacher from Tbilisi”
“Captivated The Trials of Pamela Smart”
“The Case against 8”
“Cesar’s Last Fast”
“Citizen Koch”
“CitizenFour”
“Code Black”
“Concerning Violence”
“The Culture High”
“Cyber-Seniors”
“DamNation”
“Dancing in Jaffa”
“Death Metal Angola”
“The Decent One”
“Dinosaur 13”
“Do You Know What My Name Is?...
The submitted features, listed in alphabetical order, are:
“Afternoon of a Faun: Tanaquil Le Clercq”
“Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case”
“Algorithms”
“Alive Inside”
“All You Need Is Love”
“Altina”
“America: Imagine the World without Her”
“American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs”
“Anita”
“Antarctica: A Year on Ice”
“Art and Craft”
“Awake: The Life of Yogananda”
“The Barefoot Artist”
“The Battered Bastards of Baseball”
“Before You Know It”
“Bitter Honey”
“Born to Fly: Elizabeth Streb vs. Gravity”
“Botso The Teacher from Tbilisi”
“Captivated The Trials of Pamela Smart”
“The Case against 8”
“Cesar’s Last Fast”
“Citizen Koch”
“CitizenFour”
“Code Black”
“Concerning Violence”
“The Culture High”
“Cyber-Seniors”
“DamNation”
“Dancing in Jaffa”
“Death Metal Angola”
“The Decent One”
“Dinosaur 13”
“Do You Know What My Name Is?...
- 11/2/2014
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Citizenfour, Life Itself, Red Army, Warsaw Uprising among long-list contenters for the 87th Academy Awards.
The Salt Of The Earth, Happy Valley, Jodorowsky’s Dune, Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me, Food Chains and Point And Shoot are also named.
The submitted features, listed in alphabetical order, are:
20,000 Days On Earth
Afternoon Of A Faun: Tanaquil Le Clercq
Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case
Algorithms
Alive Inside
All You Need Is Love
Altina
America: Imagine The World Without Her
American Revolutionary: The Evolution Of Grace Lee Boggs
Anita
Antarctica: A Year On Ice
Art And Craft
Awake: The Life Of Yogananda
The Barefoot Artist
The Battered Bastards Of Baseball
Before You Know It
Bitter Honey
Born To Fly: Elizabeth Streb vs. Gravity
Botso The Teacher From Tbilisi
Captivated The Trials Of Pamela Smart
The Case Against 8
Cesar’s Last Fast
Citizen Koch
Citizenfour
Code Black
Concerning Violence
The Culture High
Cyber-Seniors
Damnation
Dancing In Jaffa
Death Metal Angola
The...
The Salt Of The Earth, Happy Valley, Jodorowsky’s Dune, Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me, Food Chains and Point And Shoot are also named.
The submitted features, listed in alphabetical order, are:
20,000 Days On Earth
Afternoon Of A Faun: Tanaquil Le Clercq
Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case
Algorithms
Alive Inside
All You Need Is Love
Altina
America: Imagine The World Without Her
American Revolutionary: The Evolution Of Grace Lee Boggs
Anita
Antarctica: A Year On Ice
Art And Craft
Awake: The Life Of Yogananda
The Barefoot Artist
The Battered Bastards Of Baseball
Before You Know It
Bitter Honey
Born To Fly: Elizabeth Streb vs. Gravity
Botso The Teacher From Tbilisi
Captivated The Trials Of Pamela Smart
The Case Against 8
Cesar’s Last Fast
Citizen Koch
Citizenfour
Code Black
Concerning Violence
The Culture High
Cyber-Seniors
Damnation
Dancing In Jaffa
Death Metal Angola
The...
- 10/31/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has released its list of 134 film vying for the Best Feature Documentary Oscar at the 87th Annual Academy Awards in February. A number of the nonfic hopefuls have yet to get their required Los Angeles and New York qualifying releases. Those that don’t will be cut from the contention. A shortlist of 15 films will be announced in December. Oscar noms will be revealed January 15, and ABC will broadcast Hollywood’s Big Night live on February 22 from the Dolby Theatre.
Here are the docu feature submissions:
Afternoon of a Faun: Tanaquil Le Clercq
Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case
Algorithms
Alive Inside
All You Need Is Love
Altina
America: Imagine the World without Her
American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs
Anita
Antarctica: A Year on Ice
Art and Craft
Awake: The Life of Yogananda
The Barefoot Artist
The Battered Bastards of Baseball...
Here are the docu feature submissions:
Afternoon of a Faun: Tanaquil Le Clercq
Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case
Algorithms
Alive Inside
All You Need Is Love
Altina
America: Imagine the World without Her
American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs
Anita
Antarctica: A Year on Ice
Art and Craft
Awake: The Life of Yogananda
The Barefoot Artist
The Battered Bastards of Baseball...
- 10/31/2014
- by The Deadline Team
- Deadline
One hundred thirty-four features have been submitted for consideration in the Documentary Feature category for the 87th Academy Awards®. Several of the films have not yet had their required Los Angeles and New York qualifying releases. Submitted features must fulfill the theatrical release requirements and comply with all of the category's other qualifying rules in order to advance in the voting process. A shortlist of 15 films will be announced in December. Films submitted in the Documentary Feature category also may qualify for Academy Awards in other categories, including Best Picture, provided they meet the requirements for those categories. The 87th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 15, 2015, at 5:30 a.m. Pt in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater. The Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 22, 2015, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar...
- 10/31/2014
- by Steve Montgomery
- Alt Film Guide
Welcome back to This Week In Discs! If you see something you like, click on the title to buy it from Amazon. Citizen Koch The sadly ridiculous details of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s election and recall fight are just part of the backdrop for this documentary about the U.S. Supreme Court’s “Citizen United” ruling and the rise of the Tea Party. At the center of it all are the billionaire Koch brothers (and other immensely rich donors), who having been empowered by the court’s decision unleash a tidal wave of legal support for political agendas. To be clear, this is not an impartial doc looking at two sides of a story. That may sound improper, but some things that look politically slanted are actually straightforward facts. Both sides of the aisle have seen their fair share if disgusting behavior, and this doc looks at the actions on the right that led to a...
- 9/2/2014
- by Rob Hunter
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
There's a telling moment in “Citizen Koch” where an elderly interviewee at a Tea Party rally sponsored by Americans for Prosperity cites a falsely inflated number of how much money labor unions have funneled into the effort to recall Wisconsin governor Scott Walker. When the interviewer informs the man of the millions that Afp backers and billionaires Charles and David Koch have given to support Walker, the man asks where the interviewer got her facts. She responds, “I read it in the paper,” and he immediately dismisses the notion, flashing an “I Don't Believe the Liberal Media” bumper sticker and.
- 6/27/2014
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
Corporations Are People: Lessin and Deal Question Why
Tia Lessin and Carl Deal’s Citizen Koch looks to shine a light on the political upheaval going on in Wisconsin due to covert corporate concessions and bought out statesmen. With the election of the Republican governor Scott Walker, economic hell seems to have broken loose as unions have been stripped of their ability to defend their working class members as massive tax breaks have been given to the rich. Splitting time between former presidential candidate Buddy Roemer as he hits the campaign trail with a bluntly honest ethos, several financially hurting hardcore Republicans as they wage war with Walker’s Tea-Party politics in response to the loss of their collective bargaining power, and an amalgamation of media clips that annotate the journey from the monumental Citizen’s United ruling to back door dealings with Walker and the Kochs, the docu is...
Tia Lessin and Carl Deal’s Citizen Koch looks to shine a light on the political upheaval going on in Wisconsin due to covert corporate concessions and bought out statesmen. With the election of the Republican governor Scott Walker, economic hell seems to have broken loose as unions have been stripped of their ability to defend their working class members as massive tax breaks have been given to the rich. Splitting time between former presidential candidate Buddy Roemer as he hits the campaign trail with a bluntly honest ethos, several financially hurting hardcore Republicans as they wage war with Walker’s Tea-Party politics in response to the loss of their collective bargaining power, and an amalgamation of media clips that annotate the journey from the monumental Citizen’s United ruling to back door dealings with Walker and the Kochs, the docu is...
- 6/5/2014
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
"Citizen Koch" comes prepackaged with the kind of behind-the-scenes tale that instantly raises all kinds of flags and attention. The story goes that the production lost $150,000 in funding from public broadcasters, over fears of offending David Koch, a major financial backer of PBS and trustee for Wgbh and Wnet. But the secretive billionaire needn't have worried. While Carl Deal and Tia Lessin's documentary "Citizen Koch" does deal with the Koch brothers' manipulation of the political sphere to suit their various motives, it's not really about the siblings in particular. It's a film that endeavors to be a shocking exposé on the growing corporate interest in politics, but for anyone who has even been half paying attention, it's not all that surprising. The documentary swirls around two defining events: the 2010 midterms, which saw the rise of the Tea Party, along with the most expensive campaigning in history, and the 2011 Wisconsin protests.
- 6/4/2014
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Not at all the one-subject exposé its title suggests, Carl Deal and Tia Lessin's scattershot agitprop doc takes the perfidy of the billionaire Koch brothers as its given, offering up montages of Tea Party screamers rather than investigative reporting or rigorous argumentation.
It opens with scraps of Palin speeches, Beck bleats, and Limbaugh eruptions. That technique is not far off from the water-chumming those three have made their careers with. Citizen Koch is dedicated only to pissing off people who already agree with it, and who the filmmakers expect will relish laughing at the old folks who have pickled from soaking in conservative media. We do see a Koch brother on occasion, but they're a distant and shadowy presence in a film that might have been more fairl...
It opens with scraps of Palin speeches, Beck bleats, and Limbaugh eruptions. That technique is not far off from the water-chumming those three have made their careers with. Citizen Koch is dedicated only to pissing off people who already agree with it, and who the filmmakers expect will relish laughing at the old folks who have pickled from soaking in conservative media. We do see a Koch brother on occasion, but they're a distant and shadowy presence in a film that might have been more fairl...
- 6/4/2014
- Village Voice
Title: Citizen Koch Variance Films Reviewed for Shockya by Harvey Karten. Data-based on Rotten Tomatoes Grade: B+ Director: Carl Deal, Tia Lessin Screenplay: Carl Deal, Tia Lessin Cast: Scott Walker, Dee Ives, Mari Jo Kabat, Brian Cunningham, Karl Rove, Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin, John McCain, Bud Roemer Screened at: Review 1, NYC, 5/21/14 Opens: June 6, 2014 A point made in this political doc by Carl Deal and Tia Lessin—heretofore known for “Trouble the Water” about two residents who became refugees in their own country when the New Orleans levees broke—is that there is one way that the person living in a box under a highway has same power as [ Read More ]
The post Citizen Koch Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Citizen Koch Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 6/2/2014
- by Harvey Karten
- ShockYa
This Week In Trailers: Kung Fu Elliot, An Honest Liar, Under The Electric Sky, Citizen Koch, Égoïste
Trailers are an under-appreciated art form insofar that many times they’re seen as vehicles for showing footage, explaining films away, or showing their hand about what moviegoers can expect. Foreign, domestic, independent, big budget: What better way to hone your skills as a thoughtful moviegoer than by deconstructing these little pieces of advertising? This […]
The post This Week In Trailers: Kung Fu Elliot, An Honest Liar, Under The Electric Sky, Citizen Koch, Égoïste appeared first on /Film.
The post This Week In Trailers: Kung Fu Elliot, An Honest Liar, Under The Electric Sky, Citizen Koch, Égoïste appeared first on /Film.
- 5/17/2014
- by Christopher Stipp
- Slash Film
A successful Us scheme which enables moviegoers to select a title from a library and. screen it at a participating cinema is being introduced to Australia.
David Doepel.s Leap Frog Films is partnering with the Us cinema-on-demand platform Tugg to pitch the service to cinemas, producers and distributors in Oz and New Zealand.
Leap Frog piloted the scheme on March 24 by holding a crowd-sourced screening of its film Half of a Yellow Sun at the Piccadilly cinema in Adelaide.
Doepel said there was a sizable turn-out for the drama which stars Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) and Thandie Newton (The Pursuit of Happyness) as an upper class couple whose marriage is put to the test when Nigeria breaks into a crippling civil war in 1967.
The first Us title from Tugg.s library to be screened in Australia will be Why We Ride, a Us documentary about the passionate devotees of motorcycle riding,...
David Doepel.s Leap Frog Films is partnering with the Us cinema-on-demand platform Tugg to pitch the service to cinemas, producers and distributors in Oz and New Zealand.
Leap Frog piloted the scheme on March 24 by holding a crowd-sourced screening of its film Half of a Yellow Sun at the Piccadilly cinema in Adelaide.
Doepel said there was a sizable turn-out for the drama which stars Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) and Thandie Newton (The Pursuit of Happyness) as an upper class couple whose marriage is put to the test when Nigeria breaks into a crippling civil war in 1967.
The first Us title from Tugg.s library to be screened in Australia will be Why We Ride, a Us documentary about the passionate devotees of motorcycle riding,...
- 4/28/2014
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
Nearly one year after its 2013 SXSW premiere, writer/director Chris Eska's Special Jury Prize winner "The Retrieval" will be theatrically released courtesy of Variance Films. The film stars newcomer Ashton Sanders as a fatherless 13-year-old boy during the Civil War who survives by working with a white bounty hunter gang that sends him to earn the trust of runaway slaves and wanted freedmen in order to lure them back to the South. "With The Retrieval, Chris has not only created a window into a little-known corner of history, but a stunning film filled with amazing performances, beautiful images, and a fantastic tone, all surprisingly rare things in independent film," said Variance’s Dylan Marchetti. Variance Films partners with leading independent filmmakers to distribute their films to theaters across the Us and Canada. Recent and upcoming releases from the company include Carl Deal and Tia Lessin's "Citizen Koch," John Sayles...
- 2/13/2014
- by Ziyad Saadi
- Indiewire
The Cinema Guild has acquired Us rights from Urban Distribution International to Tsai Ming Liang’s Venice grand jury prize-winner Stray Dogs
The film about a homeless man in Taipei who takes his children on a sailing trip will open theatrically in 2014, followed by ancillary roll-out.
The Weinstein Company has acquired feature rights to writer Paul Trough’s New York Times Magazine sea rescue articleA Speck At Sea and will produce with Jason Blum and Moneyball’s Rachel Horovitz.D Films has taken exclusive, long-term Canadian rights in all media from Voltage Pictures to Fred Schepisi’s romance Words And Pictures starring Clive Owen and Juliette Binoche.Variance Films is partnering with Carl Deal and Tia Lessin to release Citizen Koch, a documentary about the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling and billionaire industrialists David and Charles Koch’s support of the Tea Party. The film will arrive in theatres across the Us and Canada in spring...
The film about a homeless man in Taipei who takes his children on a sailing trip will open theatrically in 2014, followed by ancillary roll-out.
The Weinstein Company has acquired feature rights to writer Paul Trough’s New York Times Magazine sea rescue articleA Speck At Sea and will produce with Jason Blum and Moneyball’s Rachel Horovitz.D Films has taken exclusive, long-term Canadian rights in all media from Voltage Pictures to Fred Schepisi’s romance Words And Pictures starring Clive Owen and Juliette Binoche.Variance Films is partnering with Carl Deal and Tia Lessin to release Citizen Koch, a documentary about the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling and billionaire industrialists David and Charles Koch’s support of the Tea Party. The film will arrive in theatres across the Us and Canada in spring...
- 1/10/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
"Citizen Koch," the controversial documentary by Academy Award-nominated filmmakers Carl Deal and Tia Lessin ("Trouble the Water") has been acquired by Variance Films, which plans a theatrical release in the U.S. and Canada in Spring 2014. The film covers the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling and billionaire industrialists David and Charles Koch’s behind-the-scenes support of the Tea Party. After the film premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, public television producers Itvs pulled $150,00 in finishing funds it had committed to the film and cancelled plans for its broadcast premiere -- presumably because they feared the reaction from David Koch, a major donor to PBS. After The New Yorker profiled the story of the film and its lost Itvs grant, the filmmakers received an outpouring of support and were able to raise necessary funds via Kickstarter. "We wanted a distributor who would be passionate, and also be a true partner,...
- 1/10/2014
- by Paula Bernstein
- Indiewire
Variance Films is partnering with filmmakers Carl Deal and Tia Lessin to release Citizen Koch, the duo's documentary about the Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling and billionaire industrialists David and Charles Koch's behind-the-scenes support of the Tea Party. It will be released theatrically in North America in the spring. The film, which debuted at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, became the center of controversy when the Independent Television Service, which receives funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, withdrew $150,000 in finishing funds it had earmarked for the film. A report in The New Yorker suggested Itvs
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- 1/10/2014
- by Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Having ruined the reputations of Itvs and PBS, “Citizen Koch,” a doleful review of the state of the union, reappears on the scene after a tumultuous struggle with funding and a tweaking post-2013 Sundance. David Koch and Charles Koch, the reactionary billionaire activists and ostensible subjects, are almost beside the point. Rather, the title of the film by Tia Lessin and Carl Deal (“Trouble the Water”) reflects the very traditional values the Kochs seem to want revived and restored: In ancient times, being a “citizen” is what differentiated one from being a slave. What Lessin and Deal see looming on the horizon is a world of one-percenter citizens, and the rest of us. ("Citizen Koch" will screen as part of Doc NYC on November 15.) It would be easier to wax both righteous and indignant about the co-opting of democracy that the movie portrays -- après the Supreme Court’s Citizens...
- 10/29/2013
- by John Anderson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The 5th annual Oakland Underground Film Festival, which runs this year on Sept. 25-29, features their usual mix of socially and politically relevant films, challenging genre fare and loads of short films.
The fest opens on the 25th with two provocative documentaries. First up is Tia Lessin and Carl Deal’s Citizen Koch, which shines a spotlight on the behind-the-scenes machinations of the billionaire Koch brothers who have greatly influenced modern politics. (Citizen Koch is also screening for free, which you can RSVP for on the Oakuff website.) Also on the 25th is a profile of Riot Grrrl icon Kathleen Hanna in The Punk Singer, directed by Sini Anderson.
Other films in the fest include the martial arts action romp Death Grip by Eric Jacobius; the anti-bullying drama The Dirties by Matt Johnson; the quirky family shenanigans of Toastmaster by Eric Boadella; and the Closing Night lyrical documentary about life on the U.
The fest opens on the 25th with two provocative documentaries. First up is Tia Lessin and Carl Deal’s Citizen Koch, which shines a spotlight on the behind-the-scenes machinations of the billionaire Koch brothers who have greatly influenced modern politics. (Citizen Koch is also screening for free, which you can RSVP for on the Oakuff website.) Also on the 25th is a profile of Riot Grrrl icon Kathleen Hanna in The Punk Singer, directed by Sini Anderson.
Other films in the fest include the martial arts action romp Death Grip by Eric Jacobius; the anti-bullying drama The Dirties by Matt Johnson; the quirky family shenanigans of Toastmaster by Eric Boadella; and the Closing Night lyrical documentary about life on the U.
- 9/24/2013
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
One of the more lively discussions I’ve seen so far at the Independent Filmmaker Conference, “When Documentaries Disturb the Power Structure,” included a panel of heavy-hitters from the documentary world including both filmmakers (Eugene Jarecki, the director of The House I Live In; Rachel Grady, the director of Detropia; and Tia Lessin and Carl Deal the directors of Citizen Koch) and representatives from public broadcast (Mette Hoffmann Meyer, the head of documentary and co-productions at Dr TV/Danish Broadcasting Television and Claire Aguilar, Executive Content Advisor for Itvs/Independent Television Service), all moderated by Deidre Haj, Executive Director of the Full Frame Documentary Film […]...
- 9/18/2013
- by Katie Carman-Lehach
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
One of the more lively discussions I’ve seen so far at the Independent Filmmaker Conference, “When Documentaries Disturb the Power Structure,” included a panel of heavy-hitters from the documentary world including both filmmakers (Eugene Jarecki, the director of The House I Live In; Rachel Grady, the director of Detropia; and Tia Lessin and Carl Deal the directors of Citizen Koch) and representatives from public broadcast (Mette Hoffmann Meyer, the head of documentary and co-productions at Dr TV/Danish Broadcasting Television and Claire Aguilar, Executive Content Advisor for Itvs/Independent Television Service), all moderated by Deidre Haj, Executive Director of the Full Frame Documentary Film […]...
- 9/18/2013
- by Katie Carman-Lehach
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
When Ifp announced that Itvs's Claire Aguilar, Tia Lessin and Carl Deal, the filmmakers behind "Citizen Koch," and Mette Hoffman Meyer, an executive who works in Danish television and who executive produced Alex Gibney's "Park Avenue" as a part of the multinational programming initiative "Why Poverty?," would all be gathering to talk about films that speak to power, it was obvious what they were trying to do. The panel was perfectly framed to respond to the recent New Yorker article by Jane Mayer that detailed the ways that public broadcasting may be in danger of being bought off by certain private funders. The funding promised to Lessin and Deal for "Citizen Koch" from Itvs, a documentary production company that gets funded primarily from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, was famously taken from them when they revealed the title for their film would reference David Koch, the billionaire funder of...
- 9/16/2013
- by Bryce J. Renninger
- Indiewire
Ifp's 2013 Filmmaker Conference, which runs from September 15-19 at the New York Public Library's Bruno Watler Auditorium, will feature keynotes from cinematic non-fiction's posterchild, the famously laconic Lucien Castaing-Taylor ("Leviathan"), "Rebirth of a Nation" multimedia artist DJ Spooky, and "The Hunger Games" producer Jon Kilik. The controversy surrounding public television organization's revoked funding for the documentary "Citizen Koch" will be explored on the panel "Documentaries that Disturb the Power Structure" with "Citizen Koch" filmmakers Tia Lessin and Carl Deal, as well as "Park Avenue" producer Mette Hoffman Meyer and Itvs's Claire Aguilar. The conference, which focuses on important issues in the independent filmmaking community will also feature case studies on the production and release of "Fruitvale Station," "Our Nixon" and the interactive documentary "Hollow." The Sundance Institute's Artist Services will also present their tips for direct distribution...
- 8/23/2013
- by Bryce J. Renninger
- Indiewire
After The New Yorker profiled the story of Carl Deal and Tia Lessin's loss of a grant for their Sundance competition title "Citizen Koch" from public television producers Itvs, the filmmakers received an outpouring of support. The filmmakers, who made the stellar Katrina doc "Trouble the Water," were working with Itvs on their film until Itvs pulled out of the project, presumably because the title called out a (now former) public television patron, David Koch, of the wealthy conservative Koch brothers. After the article ran, Lessin told Indiewire, "We had a beautiful response from people in the indie film community who were just heartbroken at what happened and wanted to throw in and support us in any way they could. There was empathy and appreciation. We spoke about what happened publicly at some expense to ourselves. Not only for this film, but I don't think [Itvs] will be knocking down...
- 7/18/2013
- by Bryce J. Renninger
- Indiewire
After hitting an initial crowdfunding goal of $75,000 within days, a grassroots effort to recoup financing for Citizen Koch could rake in double that figure by the time the project's Kickstarter closes on Aug. 8. It currently sits at $140,000 in pledged funds from 2,779 backers. The doc premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, but it received more attention in late May when Jane Mayer's New Yorker article arrived, detailing how the film saw $150,000 in public television funding vanish in April due to billionaire industrialist David Koch's influence as a trustee on the board of the
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- 7/14/2013
- by Erik Hayden
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Documentary filmmaker Tia Lessin is going on the offensive against any attempts by the Charles and David Koch to buy the Tribune Co. newspapers, weeks after some PBS stations plans to air her controversial "Citizen Koch" documentary about the Koch brothers drew controversy. Lessin on Wednesday joined local activists and concerned citizens at a New York protest outside the doors of one of the bigger owners of Tribune stock -- Angelo, Gordon & Co. which holds 9.4 percent of Tribune Co. stock. A company spokesman did not return a call seeking...
- 5/29/2013
- by Ira Teinowitz
- The Wrap
In the New Yorker this week, journalist Jane Mayer asks if San Francisco-based Itvs was cowed by pressure from a former PBS board member, the incredibly wealthy philanthropist David Koch. The story Mayer tells starts with last fall's airing of Alex Gibney's film "Park Avenue: Money, Power & The American Dream," which implicates many of the so-called 1% who buy political influence. Much of Gibney's film centers on the inhabitants of 740 Park Avenue, including one of the country's richest businesspeople, Koch. Koch has recently gained notoriety for funding many of the super Pac's that have been greatly affecting American politics in recent years. He is also a primary focus in Sundance 2013 film, "Citizen Koch," from "Trouble the Water" filmmakers Tia Lessin and Carl Deal. That film, it turns out, had a deal to receive funding from Itvs, the San Francisco-based funder whose work often end up on PBS. After the screening...
- 5/20/2013
- by Bryce J. Renninger
- Indiewire
Here is a complete listing of the films that were shown/covered by the Ioncinema.com team comprised of Nicholas Bell (Nb), Jordan M. Smith (Js) and Eric Lavallee (El). We’ll be populating this page up until March.
U.S. Dramatic Competition
Afternoon Delight – Jill Soloway: Nb (★★ 1/2): Review
Ain’T Them Bodies Saints – David Lowery: El (★★★ 1/2), Nb (★★★ 1/2): Review // Interview
Austenland- Jerusha Hess: Nb (★): Review
C.O.G.- Kyle Patrick Alvarez: Js (★★ 1/2), Nb (★★ 1/2): Review
Concussion – Stacie Passon: El (★★★), Js (★★★ 1/2), Nb (★★★): Review // Interview
Emanuel And The Truth About Fishes – Francesca Gregorini: Js (★★★), Nb (★★★ 1/2): Review
Fruitvale – Ryan Coogler: El (★★★), Js (★★★★★), Nb (★★★★): Review // Interview // Video
In A World… – Lake Bell: El (★★★): Review
Kill Your Darlings – John Krokidas: El (★★★), Nb (★★★): Review
The Lifeguard – Liz W. Garcia: El (★★ 1/2): Review
May In The Summer...
U.S. Dramatic Competition
Afternoon Delight – Jill Soloway: Nb (★★ 1/2): Review
Ain’T Them Bodies Saints – David Lowery: El (★★★ 1/2), Nb (★★★ 1/2): Review // Interview
Austenland- Jerusha Hess: Nb (★): Review
C.O.G.- Kyle Patrick Alvarez: Js (★★ 1/2), Nb (★★ 1/2): Review
Concussion – Stacie Passon: El (★★★), Js (★★★ 1/2), Nb (★★★): Review // Interview
Emanuel And The Truth About Fishes – Francesca Gregorini: Js (★★★), Nb (★★★ 1/2): Review
Fruitvale – Ryan Coogler: El (★★★), Js (★★★★★), Nb (★★★★): Review // Interview // Video
In A World… – Lake Bell: El (★★★): Review
Kill Your Darlings – John Krokidas: El (★★★), Nb (★★★): Review
The Lifeguard – Liz W. Garcia: El (★★ 1/2): Review
May In The Summer...
- 1/29/2013
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
The producers behind Michael Moore's "Capitalism: A Love Story" and "Fahrenheit 9/11" have now released their own film that explores the influence of money in politics and how it impacts regular Americans.
Carl Deal and Tia Lessin's "Citizen Koch" premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this week. The filmmakers joined HuffPost Live on Thursday to explain why they set out to document the Supreme Court's 2010 ruling in Citizens United v. SEC, which gave corporations the same constitutional rights as citizens.
Lessin said they first got interested in Citizens United 10 years ago when the organization tried to claim that "Fahrenheit 9/11" somehow violated Fec's rules.
"Six years later, when they were trying to position themselves as advocates for free speech, we found that a little strange," Lessin said.
Deal told HuffPost Live's James Poulos that they decided to make a film after watching the instantaneous backlash to President Barack Obama's election,...
Carl Deal and Tia Lessin's "Citizen Koch" premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this week. The filmmakers joined HuffPost Live on Thursday to explain why they set out to document the Supreme Court's 2010 ruling in Citizens United v. SEC, which gave corporations the same constitutional rights as citizens.
Lessin said they first got interested in Citizens United 10 years ago when the organization tried to claim that "Fahrenheit 9/11" somehow violated Fec's rules.
"Six years later, when they were trying to position themselves as advocates for free speech, we found that a little strange," Lessin said.
Deal told HuffPost Live's James Poulos that they decided to make a film after watching the instantaneous backlash to President Barack Obama's election,...
- 1/25/2013
- by The Huffington Post
- Huffington Post
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